The Honourable Lionel- Ashley, of 24, Grosvenor Square was summoned
on Monday last before the Queen Square Magistrates, by a hackney-coachman, who charged him with refusing to pay his fare, and with breaking his coach-win- dow. It appeared that Mr. Ashley, with his friend Mr. Laurence, had been dining out ; and as it was raining on their return home, they got into a coach in Portland Road. Upon pulling up the glass, Mr. Laurence contrived to break it; although neither he nor Mr. Ashley appear to have had any clear recollec- tion of the circumstance. The coachman demanded thirty shillings for the damage; which they refused to pay. A scuffle ensued ; two men in the crowd, which soon collected' were knocked down ; and they were all lodged in the sta- tionhouse; but Mr. Ashley, who said that he was a member of Parliament, was allowed to go home. The next morning, the coachman called upon him for his money, and wished to obtain some compensation for the beating lie had suffered the night before. Mr. Ashley called him "a damned rascal,' and kicked him out of doors. The Magistrate fined the honourable member 40s. for the glass, Is. for the fare, and 4s. 6d. costs ; and told the coachman that he must apply to the Sessions for compensation for the beating lie received. [It is really distressing to perceive the great progress which the democratic spirit has made in this country. Matters are indeed come to a sad state, when the son of an Earl, a member of Parliament, who lives in Grosvenor Square, may not be allowed to break the windows of a hackney-coach, kick the driver down stairs, and damn him for a rascal, without being forced to answer for such trifles among thieves and prostitutes at a Stationhouse or a Police-office. Mr. Gregorie of Queen Square has actually treated the Honourable Lionel Ashley no better than a common chimneysweep. We hope, for the sake of Corinthian society, that nothing will ever induce Mr. Ashley to defile his person by enter- ing a hackney-coach again,—unless, indeed, he can resolve to behave with com- 111011 decency, and keep his fisticuffs and profanity to himself.] Folgar, the American Captain who shot Mr. Mellish, was again brought up for.examination on Tuesday. Mr. Mellish was very ill, and unable to attend. It appeared that the bullet with which Folgar's pistol was loaded was cut into two pieces, one of which remains to be extracted. The Lord Mayor would nut ultimately commit the prisoner for trial, till Mr. Mellish could attend to give evidence; but remanded him till next Wednesday.
A person, who gave his name as George Smith, was sentenced, on Tuesday last, to three months' imprisonment, by the Magistrates at the Marlborough Street Office, for attempting to obtain money from General Paget by means of a forged certificate from Lord Hill and Lord Fitzroy Somerset, of his being a II/3. tressed officer in die Army. He sometimes called himself Major Briggs, awl sometimes Major Lintou ; and was i4iited by the Police-officer to be an old offender. He told Lord Fitzroy Somerset that he had been at school with hi son at Woolwich; and that the real co .triver of the scheme was an officer who yaw in great distr. , but whose name wield not divulge.
The books at Lloyd's have exhibited a disastrous record of loss and damage to the shipping by the late gales. No fewer than fifty-four casualties were re. corded on Friday, and many of them were total wrecks.
His Majesty's brigantine Forester was totally- lost on Saturday, the 13th oh. off St. Martin's Island. The whole of the crew were saved, through the exer- tions of Mr. Wake, midshipman.
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