16 NOVEMBER 1839, Page 3

In our second edition last week, it was stated that

the question of Parliamentary privilege was again sub judiee in the Courts of West-

minster Hall ; Mr. Stockdale having commenced another action against Messrs. Hansard for the continued sale of' the Report of the Prison Inspectors, and laying his damages at 50,000/. The defendants suffered judgment to go by default ; and a writ of inquiry was issued to the Sheriff of Middlesex to assess damages in the action. The Sheriff sweetened a Jury for Tuesday last. The defendants served notice of the House of Commons' resolution concerning the publication of its Reports, on Stockdale, his attorney, the Sheriff and Under-Sheriff; and the Sheriff, to protect himself, embodied the Commons' resolution on an affidavit, on which he applied to the Court of Queen's Bench to enlarge the return to the writ of inquiry till the meeting of' Parliament, or till something should be done to avert a contest between Parliament and the Courts. On Saturday, in the Bail Court, before Mr. Justice Little- dale, Mr. Kennedy spoke in support of the Sheriff's application; and not having concluded his argument, resumed it on the Monday following. When he had concluded, Mr. Justice Littledale said—" I think in this case there is not sufficient ground for the Court to interfere, and there- fore there must be no rule."

The case mune before the Under Sheriff and a Jury, in Red Lion Square, on Tuesday. Stockdale pleaded his own cause; nobody ap- peared for the defendant ; and the Jury awarded 600/. damages.

Yesterday, the Court decided, in the case of Bryan versus Sir George Arthur, that the governor of a colony has power to revoke the assign-

ment of a convict servant, although not with the intent to pardon him or mitigate pouishment, but merely to remove hint front the service of the master to whom he had been assigned.

The Court of Common Pleas decided, on Wednesday, that aliens may bring actions for libels in British Courts ofjustice. The case on which

the question arose was that of Pisani versus Lawson. The plaintiff was an interpreter or dragoman at Constantinople, and complained of libels against hint in the Times newspaper.

Sir Robert Rolfe took his seat on Monday on the Exchequer Bench as one of the Barons of that Court. Room was made for him by the removal of Mr. Baron Monk to the Court of Common Pleas.

An inquest was held on Wednesday on the remains of eight persons, who lost their lives by a dreadful fire which occurred early on Tuesday morning, in Widegate Alley, Bishopsgate Street. The fire originated on the premises of Mr. Barton, scale-board and hat-tip manufacturer, but soon spread to some adjoining houses occupied by poor persons,

most of whom escaped; but the eight, upon Wilt/111 the inquest was held—and who, it is feared, are not all who perished—were overwhelmed by the fulling in of one of the houses. Their bodies were dug out, dreadfully mangled. The inquest was adjourned to Wednesday next.