Mr. Marriott, of Queen Square Office, has seen fit to
back out of the position in which he had placed himself by holding Mr. Fordham to bail. Yesterday, a host of witnesses of the highest respectability_ Lord Dacre, Mr. N. Calvert, Sir John Sebright, Mr. Gurney, K. C.— came ibrward to speak to Mr. Fordham's character ; a number of wit- messes, equally respectable, though not of so high rank, spoke to that of Mr. Tatham. Mr. Marriott regretted that witnesses to character had not been brought forward in the first instance ; he Ingot that Mr. Tatham was brought forward. The recognizan- ces were discharged. We think all the weight of evidence was from the first against the woman; yet it is possible she might be merely mistaken. As to Mr. Marriott's twadle about impartiality, he ought to recollect, that a charge of petty fraud against a wealthy man may be dismissed without the slightest partiality.
In the Court of King's Bench yesterday, Sir Richard Birnie and Mr. Halls were found guilty on a charge of thlse imprisonment pre- ferred by Mr. H. Carmichael Smith. Mr. Smith had, it appeared, been forcibly detained by the Magistrates int Bow Street Office fbr about twenty minutes, and dragged about by their officers when he ex- postulated against the detention. Mr. Adolphus wished to persuade the Jury, that the Magistrates had a right to detain a person where an information was lodged against him, as was the case with Mr. Smith; but the Chief Justice cut him short as misstating the law—" The Ma- gistrates bad no right to detain any p'r' hi eustody without a warrant, unless they knew that a specific charge was against him."
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