The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1846-06-30 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

EXTRAORDINARY CONVICTION UNDER. LORD CAMPBELL'S LIBEL ACT.  Maria Fountain, aged twenty-one, looking young woman, described as a morning governess, was indicted at the Central Criminal Court, on Monday. under Lord Campbell's Libel Act, for attempting to extort money from the Rev. W. Nivin by threatening to publish libels concerning him. The prosecutor said he did not know the prisoner until he received a note from her, stating that she had something to communicate to him of great importance, and begged that he would call upon her. He replied that it was not his maxim to call upon persons with whom he was unacquainted. He received another It-tter, stating. that some slanders bad been utterred by a Miss Richardson, residing in Brampton, to the effect that he had been observed to pay several visits to her sister Caroline, staying several hours; that this slan ler was going the round of the neighbourhood and was doing her great injury ; that she meant to bring an action against Miss Richardson, but thought if bis name were mixed up in the affair it might injure him as a clergyman of the Church of England, and that unless she got his consent she would proceed no further in the matter. Knowing Miss Richardson very intimately, he-took very little notice of that and several other letters which be received from the prisoner, until he received one which he thought required Some attention. lie, with a confidential friend, went to the prisoner's house, and they were there told aga(n that Miss Richardson had uttered some gross slanders .concerning them. His friend then called on Miss R., and made. her acquainted with the charge whicf; was made against her; and,. on her. denying having uttered a word concerning them, he took his leave. Some other letters pas,ied, after which prosecutor received a letter threatening him with an action for libel, and staiing that his wile and Miss Richardson having uttered slanders of her received three more letters, the first of which contained tshereleedwootardhs i :m=a‘ shortNocy tthi natteoaufrtefru,nadnsdaraet edxihffaeuresntetdt:mi apply splilye ean to icdpornueorystieoauynsos,uw semar s,ster, proceedings would bewteclrowemhdhrem:dtsenced. A writ was tpt iouo rynsosuuet,o towardsa prisoner's ri the t o ii; enurj:us. skfirlivene, n letter, hinting that prosecutor had paid improper attentions• advertise our case, with our names (as we have no family to disgrace), in the Times, Chronicle, end Post." And another letter was also read, in which was this W.. sage, " If you will enclose me £2O I will endeavour to pay you by all means in my power." In many parts of each letter distress was complained of, and accusation& made against prosecutor with regard to prisoner's sister. The following is an extract from one of her letters :—" ask you, calmly and dispassionately, what were your at• tentions to my sister five years ago ?" The prisoners after these letters, threatened to communicate and lay the whale particulars before Archdeacon Sinclair and the Bishop of London, which she did. _  quiet, modest The. letter: to the Bishop of London was then read. It contained charges made against witness in connexion with  prisoner's sister  The prosecutor deposed that, except as one of his congregation, he had never seen The prisoner or her sistere and had never spoken to either.  Miss Richardson and Mrs. Nivin were afterwards called; both of whom stated that they had never spoken to the priqmer or her sister..  John M'Naughten, formerly beadle to the prosecutor's church, said that on the 27th of. May a young man came to him, and offered him money on condition that he would afford Miss Fountain all the information he was master of in regard to Mr. Nivin, which he refused to do. Mr. Parry made an able address for the defence. Thel. jury, however, returned a verdict of Guilty. Sentence."' Twelve months' imprisonment in the House of Coale" tion.  The Court of Exchequer has decided that if a man 1. luntarily kills himself, whether sane or not, a policy assurance on his life, containing the usual clause relative, to persons dying by their own hands, is void. A cerdie; given in favour of the widow on five policies for X 99 each, effected in the Argus office by a gentleman who e°l'' mitted suicide whilst labouring under insanity, was, there, fore, set aside.