In the Court of Common Pleas, yesterday, inaction for libel
was tried in which the Reverend Mr. Forth was plaintiff and the Times de- fendant. The plaintiff had been charged, at Wandsworth Police Court, +with an assault on his landlord ; where great commiseration was ex- cited in his behalf by the representations of his distress and sufferings. There was afterwards reason to doubt the correctness of his statements ; and in a subsequent Police report it was stated, that Mr. Forth was not
clergyman, as he had asserted, and that he was undeserving of sym- pathy. This was the libel complained of. The Jury retired at twelve o'clock, and returned into court at four without having agreed to a ver- dict, one of the Jury being too unwell to remain any longer. The re- maining eleven were locked up for the night, without being allowed other refreshment than water ; that fluid not being recognized by law as drink. This morning the Jury were discharged without having agreed to a verdict. They had been locked up twenty-two hours.
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