The Statesman. — 1810-06-30 (London, England)

MIDLAND.—IIon. Mr. Justice Grose and lion. Mr. Barna Thompson. Notan rms.—lion. Mr. Justice Cha►mhre and Hon. Mr. Baron Oratintn. oxt on n.—lion. Mr. Justice Lawrence and lion. Mr. Justice Le Mane. EsiicaN.-110n. Mr. Baron Wood and Right Him. Mr. Justice Bayley.  . , It appears that the secret distillation of spirits has lately been practised to 'an extraordinary extent in Scotland. The Scotch papers contain nu. nwrons accounts of persons detected in the private manufacture of whiskey in different petit of the country. Thu following account of atrial *.for this offence discloses some curious particulars e— blunday se'nnight, the trial of W.:Old 'earrioen in the Court of Each-et/nor, in Edinburgh, on. the charge of -having in. his possestion a still, fur the purpose of manufacturing spirits without having taken out a licence, 10iich subjected him to a penalty 5001; ako for having a quantity of wash, amountiag. to between 300 and 400 tolloni, the penalty for which is 101. per galkii ; the libel was, however, restricted to 100 gallons, the nalty being 1,0001. do butte' these sums he was found liable by the Jury. The ingenuity displayed hy*Mr. OW in the eree. tioa of this still, and in the concealment ot it, is rather of a novel nature, and deserves to be made public. The still was of very large dimens;ous, nut less' than GO gallons, equal to many used in Ow regular distilleries. Old's story is shunt' this :—Sume time ago he met with a travelling Irish tinker ; he called him into hie shop, which Is situated in the High-street, at the back of the Fountain Well, Edinburgh, and asked him if he ever madasuch an instrument' as a still ? • The titan told him that he could nut only make it, but Asa it. Ho then made an appoinment to .mee tinker in Charlotte-square, where ,he blindf et! him, and carried him in a coach to his she he then introduced bim into a cellar, by a try "i, ;in a dark room, through which he passed the front to the back. shop ; this door was ne con',eealed by a small press, and the passage was so tight, that a man .could scarcely pass through it. Hera he provided his tinker with copper, who, in a short time, constructed a still upon the most approved principles; after which he.again blindfold. ed him, and si.t hie; adrift in a different quarter of the town, How long this instrument was at -work, did not appear on the trial ; but it is evident that a very short time would enable the proprietor to meet all expences, or pay any penalty he might incur. For his spirits he found ready utarkct ; his customers sent their servants with ready cash for what they wanted—consequently no names appeared, and he professed a total ignorance of who they were. Such was the ingenuity with which Mr. '014,110, contrived to conceal his Operations, that Out Otfi.cers, even after receiving informationtobad the, greatest difficulty in finding wit where tho still eras concealed.  The weak and. unstable Government of Sweden is not the only ouc which yields implicit obedience to the mandates of the French Government in matters relating to commerce. betters from Holland, of the date of Sunday, state, that a French Con. sul had arrived at Koningsberg, for the. purpose of superintending the trade of that place. An extraordinary attempt at suicide was made yesterday morning by a ;slumber, -residing in Crown.court, Liquorpond.street. As one of Meux's drays was coming along She street, he threw himself under the wheel, which passed over his chest; the dray happening to be empty, he was not killed upon the spol, but it is hardly possible that he should survive the effects of his rashness.  011 the 4;th inst. at Smith End, gales Lucy Lakin' Infant daughter of Robert Lakin, Esq. of theiWar;Olikei Oti Wednesday last, suddenly, at East Sutton.place, Kent. the Rev. Sir Edmitodliner, Dart. in the 54th year of his age. On Thursday atortilag last, in the 96th year of her age, at her house at Edgeware; Ntrs..Lettice Hallet, widow, relict of Win. Hallet, Esq. late of Cannons, and daughter of James Hallett, fr:sq. formerly of Damson, Priory, in Essex. By her death the poor will loose a most liberal besefacsor. Oa Thursday night lasi. at his lusii.e in Brantratreet, Golden-aquare, Henry de Cott, EN ..ged 71.  - ..}t.   • MI N