taken by his wife; and Goddard, in consequence of this, stated to the magistrates that he had to prefer a charge against the prosecutor of tampering with the due course of justice and the learned counsel submitted that in point of law, as the parties were present, the magistrates had a right to detain the prosecutor, until the case had been heard.

Lord Tenterden was, however, of opinion that a magistrate had no right to detain a party on a matter to be heard, and the Jury, under his Lordship's directions, found a verdict of Guilty.

SHIPWRECK. On the 12th of January, the ship Huntley commanded by Captain Hanna, sailed from St. Andrew's, New Brunswick, on the 12th ult. On the 4th of February, in lat. 49. 50., long. 21., nearly 1,000 miles from the coast of Ireland, she was struck by a heavy sea, which stove in her stern. The master and crew sought refuge in the tops, where they remained for two days. On the third day they succeeded in getting the long-boat out. Unfortunately, they could not procure any provisions, and the master and crew, sixteen in number, committed themselves to the mercy of the waves, with only the clothes they had on, without provisions, except a few pieces of raw salt beef, without water, and without even compass. After having been buffeted about for some days, during which a boy died from eating the raw meat and drinking salt water, they made, on the 12th, Sline Head, and were descried from Boffin Island, about forty miles from Westport, on the coast of Ireland. A boat was immediately sent off to the assistance of the survivors, who were brought into

a

the harbour. It was with the utmost difficulty the inhabitants could be got to render assistance to lift them out of the boat, being impressed with the idea that they had come from a ship which had had the cholera on board. They were afterwards removed to the hospital at Westport. Two of the crew, the carpenter and a Dutchman, died before their removal. Some of the crew had been frost-bitten before they left St. Andrew s.

ANATOMY.-At the meeting of the Westminster Medical Society, the attention of the members was directed to a recently discovered method of teaching anatomy, by means of an artificial human body, the invention of Dr. Azoux of Paris. The learned foreigner was present on the occasion, but being unable to express himself in English, the demonstration of this artificial" subject" was undertaken on his part, and very clearly performed by one of the members of the society, Mr. Costello, the anatomist. This preparation exhibits a complete artificial human body, modelled upon that of a strong, athletic, well-formed man, of great muscular development, and when whole, its appearance is that of such a subject, stripped of the skin, with the muscles and other parts immediately underneath exposed to view. All the external muscles of the body and the extremities are seen, placed precisely in their relative positions, with the superficial arteries and veins by which they are intersected, showing their origin from, and insertion in, the bones to which they are attached, the direction of their fibres, the connection of their fascia, or tendinous sheaths: not a muscle is omitted or out of place, down to the minute flexors and

extensors of the fingers and toes. All the parts of which it consists, and they amount to not less than 1244, can be removed one after the other, and in that way the muscles of the trunk and the extremities can be regularly demonstrated, the relative position of the external and internal muscles exhibited, the transit of the arteries, veins, and nerves clearly shown, and, in fact, each muscle and each organ from the skin down to the bone, can be removed, and replaced again in their natural position with the greatest facility. Mr. Costello, taking the arm in the first instance, and commencing with the deltoid muscle at the top, removed all the muscles down to the bone, demonstrating them accurately as he went along. Next removing the muscles that connect the shoulder with the neck and head, he drew the attention of his auditory to the correct view which the preparation furnished of the relative position of the parts immediately underneath, a knowledge of which is necessary to the surgeon in the great operation of tying the subclavian artery. He then removed the muscles of the chest and abdomen, and exhibited the contents of those cavitiesthe heart, lungs, and other viscera. The heart is divided into two pieces, which, when separated, exhibit its cavities with their valvular processes, and the connexion of the large blood-vessels which arise from it. Many parts most difficult of demonstration in the dead subject, such as the absorbent system with its final termination in that of the venous, the various portions of the brain with the origin of the nerves, the branching off of the nerves from the spinal cord, the course of the

great sympathetic nerve, the mechanism of deglutition, &c., &c., are here exhibited with wonderful fidelity. The muscles, and other parts are made of some peculiar paste, which, in its recent state, is easily moulded into any variety of forms; and which subsequently, on drying, assumes a degree of hardness and solidity nearly equal to that of wood. It has cost its author ten or twelve years of assiduous attention, but his successful labours have not been thrown away. A great number of his subjects have been already disposed of to various schools in different parts of Europe and America. The great object which Dr. Azoux aimed at in this invention, was to facilitate the study of anatomy, and to render a thorough knowledge of it, through the usual means of dissection, more speedily attainable on the part of the student, while at the same time such a preparation would serve as a map to recall to the memory of the more advanced practitioner what may be called topography of the human body. The cost of such a preparation is about 120l.

4. COURT OF EXCHEQUER.The Attorney General v. Shearn. This was a prosecution at the instance of the crown to recover from the defendant, a soap-boiler residing at Bath, the amount of penalties incurred by him for a breach of the excise laws; and the charges were-first, fraudulently concealing soap; and secondly, opening the copper, and putting in the materials without giving notice to the officers of excise.

The penalty for the former offence is 500l. and for the latter 100l. The quantity of soap seized was 1 ton 2 cwt. 22lb.

Mr. M'Laren, a surveyor-gen

eral stated that, in May last, he went to Bath, and examined the premises which formerly belonged to the defendant, but were then in the occupation of another person that he found a hole from the boiling room to a small long room, which then contained a quantity of soap. The hole was generally stopped up with a stone which was fastened with quick lime. The stone could be removed in a minute, and the soap could be handed through in buckets, and placed in frames there to cool. When he discovered this room, he found 3,696 lb. of liquid soap. in frames. Another surveyorgeneral of Excise, corroborated this witness.

James Hale.-I know the defendant. First became acquainted with him in 1828. I entered into a contract with him about some property which had belonged to sir Matthew Hale, my great great grandfather, or some such relation. The defendant employed an attorney for me. He was to have had a share of any thing that was recovered. Did not recover any thing. After we had failed, it was necessary for me to keep out of the way. Went to defendant's factory for concealment. Went there on the 17th of May, 1829, and stopped there till June. Kept in a room above the counting-house, and passed the day there. It was when I occupied that room that I first found the defendant's run soap. It was at night; the workmen did it, and I worked with them. We got the soap out of the copper, and put it into the concealed places. The copper was opened by a bar being placed under the lock, and the staple being forced off. We then took the soap out, and put it into buckets, and

handed it through the hole. There were two frames in the concealed place. (A model of the frames was produced). We put the soap in one night, and cut it out the next. I left off sleeping on the premises on the 13th of June. A man could not stand upright in the concealed room. Have seen them making soap at night, ten, twenty, or thirty times.

Cross-examined by Mr. Adolphus.-Have seen tallow put in, full ten different times. The Chancery motion went against me, and I had to pay the costs, for which I was sued. Made an agreement with Shearn not to pay costs, but I was called on to pay him 250l. The defendant arrested me last summer. I have said defendant had received 11,000l. not to proceed with my suit. Never told one Begby I would be revenged on him for such treachery. Never said, I would be revenged on the judge who tried the cause. Never said that I would at all events swear that I assisted the defendant in taking soap out of the copper, and in concealing it.

The wife of Hale corroborated his testimony as to the illicit soapboiling.

Mr. Dean, a general-surveyor of excise, said that the defendant's mode of working was very unsatisfactory. There was an average quantity of soap at the boils by which the excise calculated, and in the present instance the defendant had frequently varied twenty-five per cent.

A London soap-boiler said, he had never known the boils vary more than five per cent from the average.

A number of witnesses were examined to corroborate the testimony of Hale and his wife. These

consisted principally of the officers connected with the excise. Begby contradicted Hale in several particulars, and said that he was a very bad man.

The Jury retired at eight o'clock in the evening; and having remained inclosed till two o'clock in the morning, without any prospect of agreeing on their verdict, they were, by the consent of all parties, discharged.

9. LIBEL.-COURT OF EXCHEQUER. Hunt v. Lawson.This was an action for libel brought by the member for Preston against the Times Newspaper. Hunt acted as his own counsel; but the nature of the case will appear more distinctly from the charge of lord Lyndhurst. The action, his lordship said, was brought for alleged libels published in the Times of 26th of April and 2nd and 5th of May, 1831. In the paragraph published on the 26th of April, the term "recreant" was used as applicable to the plaintiff. Ac cording to his lordship's understanding of that word, it imputed to the plaintiff that he was an apostate; and according to the ordinary import of that term, it was used in an odious sense, meaning, for example, a change of principle--a change from some bad or improper motive. It was for the jury, however, to consider in what sense the word was used; and if, from the context or any other circumstance, they should be of opinion that it was not used in the sense which he had supposed, then it was not libellous, and the defendant would not be answerable. It might be proper to remark that the article did not appear to have originated in The Times news paper; it had been copied from the Sun; but that circumstance fur

nished no answer to the action, for no person had a right to take a libel from one newspaper and transfer it into another. The next article was that which was inserted on the 2nd of May. If the jury should think that it was meant to be insinuated in that article by the expression, "bought in a lump," that the plaintiff had changed his opinion for some improper and corrupt motive, it would be impossible, his lordship thought, to say that that was not libellous. It was asserted in another part of the libel that the plaintiff had stated a rank falsehood. Now, to charge a man with having uttered a rank falsehood was to charge him with that which affected his character, and was undoubtedly libellous. The statement did not appear to have been made by the newspaper; it was contained in a letter which purported to come from Manchester; but if the printer of the paper, receiving it in London, published it, he was liable. If they thought that these articles or any of them were calculated to degrade and lower the plaintiff's character, and to bring him into public odium, they ought to find a verdict in his favour. With respect to the question of damages, it had been said that The Times was a paper of great circulation, and was therefore calculated to do more mischief by the publication of libellous matter, than a paper of more limited circulation. On the other hand, it'had been said, that the plaintiff, Mr. Hunt, being a public man, the public had an opportunity of knowing and estimating his character, and that articles of this description, if false, could not affect him in the same degree as they might affect a person in a more obscure situation,

and as to whose character the public might not have the means of judging. These were the topics which had been pressed on both sides. It was for the jury to take them into their consideration, and determine for themselves, whether the paragraphs were calculated to do the plaintiff that injury which he had expatiated on at so much length; and if they were, then they would consider what damages he was entitled to.

The Jury, after looking at some of the papers, and conferring together for about ten minutes, found a verdict for the plaintiff, Damages 501.

13. EXECUTION.-John Barrett, aged 24, who pleaded guilty to two indictments and was found guilty on a third indictment, for stealing letters containing notes to nearly 3,000l. in amount, under went the sentence of the law, in front of the Debtor's-door, at Newgate. About three o'clock in the afternoon of Sunday, his wife and child were admitted to take their farewell, and during the interview, and even at the very moment of their leaving him, his firmness did not desert him; he retired to bed at the usual time, slept soundly for six hours, and then rose. After joining the ordinary for a short time in prayer, he again went to bed and slept soundly until called by one of his attendants shortly after six in the morning, when he rose and ate a hearty breakfast. Shortly after seven he was visited by the sheriffs and under sheriffs; but to the last he maintained a sullen silence. About a quarter before eight, preceded by the sheriff's yeoman, and accompanied by the reverend ordinary and Mr. Baker, he entered the press room with a firm step,

and was pinioned. He then ascended the scaffold, and after surveying the crowd, he placed himself under the beam and joined in prayer with Messrs. Cotton and Baker until the drop fell-he struggled violently for several minutes. He was of respectable connexions, and had been intended for the medical profession.

15. RIGHTS OF THE THAMES WATERMEN.-LONDON SESSIONS. -The Master and Warden of the Waterman's Company v. Richard Grant.-This was an appeal by Richard Grant, the pilot of the Royal Sovereign steam-packet, against a conviction of the Lord Mayor, whereby for an infringement of the act for the protection of watermen, &c., he had been subjected to a penalty of 10l., or three months' imprisonment, for having navigated the vessel in question, not being free of the Water and Lighterman's Company, or an apprentice to either of them.

The recorder now gave judgment. Previous to the 8th Geo. IV., upon which this conviction had been grounded, disputes had arisen, and it had been questioned by some, whether the citizens of London had a right to the conservancy of the river Thames. The Court of Conservancy had two objects in view, namely,-1st, preserving the fisheries; and 2nd, the preservation of the free navigation of the Thames; both of which were of great importance to the port of London. For a considerable length of time a company had been incorporated, called the Waterman and Lighterman's Company, relative to which acts were passed in the 7th and 8th years of the reign of Geo. III., and one of the provisions of those statutes was, that no person should be admitted a free