but he resumed them July 1. 8. when he stated that he had employed a Voltaic battery containing 36,000 square inches on alkaline earths, siiex and alumine. These, when acted on by iron wires negatively electrified, suffer change, and their metals appear to form alloys: many other earths and metals have been subjects of his experiments. When quicksilver is negatively electrified in contact with solution of ammonia, a soft amalgam is formed, consisting of nitrogene, hydrogene,, and mercury, which absorbs oxygene, or decomposes water with evolution of hydrogene, and reproduces ammonia. Mr. D. has pro cured the metals of barytes, of strontites, and of magnesia. The detection of a metal in ammonia is interesting as the detection of the origin of it may lead to important disco dish. They were delivered before the society con May 5. By a letter from Mr. Cadell at Paris, it appears that the French chemists have successfully repeated Mr. Davy's experi ments on the decomposition of the fixed alka, lis. Buonaparte's prize for the best experiment made on the Galvanic fluid, value 3,000 livres, has been decreed to Mr. Davy. 1808. Jan. 14. 22. A very curious paper by Dr. Thomson of Edinburgh was 'read, on the subject of the oxalic acid; which had been submited to a great variety of experiments by the ingenious Doctor. Feb. 25. Mr. Murdochs letter to the Pre sident on the subject of inflammable gas from coal was read. Vide Panorama Vol.IV.p.1157. March 3, 10, 17. Dr. Richardson's geo logical observations on the structure of the north of Ireland, were read. The Doctor thinks, that neither the Neptunian nor the Vulcanian theory will account for all the facts there presented." Que part of the base of alkali and two of mercury, estimated by bulk, (or about 1 part of the base to 48 of mercury by weight,) formed an amalgam, which, when applied in the circle of a Galvanic battery (which produced an intense heat) to iron, silver, gold, or j platina, immediately dissolved these, and, verted them into oxides, in which process alkali was regenerated. Glass, as well as all other metallic bodies, was also dissolved by the application of this substance: the base of the alkali seizing the oxygen, of the manganese and of the minium, potash was regenerated. One of these globules placed on a piece of ice dissolved it, and burnt with a bright flame, giving out an intense heat. Potash was found in the product of the dissolved ice. Nearly the same effects followed when a globule was thrown into water: in both cases a great quantity of hydrogen gas was rapidly liberated. When laid on a piece of moistened Dr. Herschell cannot be supposed to have turmeric paper, the globule secined instantly been inattentive to the late comet, the appearto acquire an intense heat; but so rapid was ance of which engaged all the world around its movement in quest of the moisture, that him. The Doctor could determine very little no part of the paper was burnt, only an in-concerning this splendid visitor: except that tense deep red stain marked the course it fol- it was but of small dimensions. His observalowed, and shewed a re-production of alkali. tious were read Feb. 24. The specific gravity of the base of soda is as 9 to 10 of water; it is fixed in a temperature of about 150°, and fluid at 180°. Mr. Davy next tried its effects on the phosphats. phospharets, and the greater part of the salts of the first and second degree of oxydizement," all of which it decomposed, seizing their oxygen, and re-assuming its alkaline qualities. The specific graxity of this amalgam, after a number of experiments, was found by means Nov. 12. Inspected drawings of Waltham of a mixture of oil of sassafras with distilled Abbey, by Mr. Carter, built about 1062, benaphtha, in which a globule remained eitherfore the conquest. Also some Roman coins, baovant at top, or quiescent at bottom, in a fluid weighing as 9 to 10 of water. This gentleman was interrupted by indisposition from prosecuting his communications, | April 14. 21. Was read the history of the shower of meteoric stones at Weston in N. America: for which Vide Panorama Vol. V. p. 113. The society adjourned July 8 to Nov. 10. SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES. This society assembled as usual Nov. 6 and passed the first evening in official busi ness. and copper basons probably used for divination. Translation of the Arabic (inflated) inscrip tion on the Egyptian piece of ordnance in St. James's Park. 19. A horn of the rhinoceros, found near Cairo, ornamented with carvings. 26. Letter from Mr. R. Suirke, containing his observations on the vehicle and piginents, used in the pictures that adorned St Stephen's chapel. Mr. S. thinks oil was used as a varnish, and that the art might be of English origin. [Comp. Panorama, Vol. III. p. 254.] Jan. 14. Specimens of the rondles (or round painted boards) of Staffordshire, laid before the society with comments, by N. Carlisle, Esq. the secretary. The poetry, the ware, the figures, the sentiments are all coarse. Staffordshire may possibly afford other ancient memoranda the rustic almanack of that county is, in our opinion, a great curiosity. A very curious article was laid before the society in March, by M. Lysons, being an account and drawing of a Mosaic pavement, discovered by him, at Frampton, in Dorsetshire, in 1796. It was 30 feet long: 20 broad: divided into compartments: the figures were of heathen deities. This society has held its regular meetings, and many interesting articles have occupied the attention of its members. GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. Nov. 13. A society was formed in London, under this title: the objects of it, are to bring geologists into acquaintance with each other, with a view of stimulating their zeal ; of communicating new facts; of establishing a correct and uniform nomenclature; and of advancing the science in general; but more particularly with reference to the islands of the United Kingdom. The society dines in a body, the first Friday of every month, from November to June inclusive. MEDICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. This society held its anniversary meeting, March 8, when it was highly entertained by a discourse on the structure and physiology of plants, by Mr. Good, which that gentleman was requested to publish. WERNERIAN NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. A society, adopting this appellation, has lately been formed in Edinburgh. As this name is adopted after an individual, Werner, we cannot but think it is open to censure. A name importing the intention of pursuing general science, would have pleased us better: for an individual may be highly meritorious and even extremely skilful, but his theory ought to be firmly established, and to have been long under examination (as that of Linnæus was) before his name be permitted to form a distinction in science. Will not the members of the Wernerian society consider themselves as bound to support the reputation of Wenner; whatever defects time may discover in his arrangements? At a meeting of this society in March, Professor Jameson, the President, read a des cription of contemporaneous or enclosed veins, and beds of strata, which occur in the earth: the mode of their formation: the true cha racter of granite veins; with various other particulars of rock formation, truly interesting to geologists. At the April meeting, the Professor read an account of a method of constructing and colouring geological maps. The thought is not new, as we have seen it employed in several Swedish maps, in which it was use fully applied to denote the various productions of that country, which is very rich in mine rals. The Professor explained the usefulness of such maps, with their marks, characters, accuracies, and application. May 14. The society were entertained with an account of the birds that frequent the neighbourhood of Edinburgh, by Mr. P. Walker; who enumerated 178 species. To this Mr. W. added remarks on the distinctions of their species, changes of plumage at different times of the year, their food, &c. June 11. Dr Thompson read an interest ing paper on the chemical nature of fluorspar. The geognosy of the island of Inchkeith oc cupied part of this meeting. July 16. The natural history of the Solan Goose, Pelecanus Bassanus, was laid before the society, by communications from Col. Montague of Knowle House, Devon. The structure of this bird, and its suitableness to its mode of life, were ingeniously illustrated. The colonel also gave a description of a new species of insect, which inhabits the cellular membrane of the Gauner: he has named it Cellularia Bassani. INTERESTING DECISIONS IN THE COURT OF CHANCERY. March 13, 16, 1808. maintenance, or to any other and all right The payments under the boud were made, The Master of the Rolls.-A legal instru ment having been executed, by which the husband became legally liable to pay a separate maintenance to a trustee for his wife, and Seagrave v. Seagrave. The bill filed by that instrument having been wrongfully deHannah Seagrave, by her next friend, stroyed, the question is only, whether this stated, that, differences having arisen between the plaintiff, Hannah Seagrave, and her court will not interpose to the extent that is husband, the defendant, James Seagrave, they in which they would have been, if the denecessary to put the parties in the situation,' agreed to separate; and the defendant Sea-struction of that instrument had not taken grave, accordingly executed a bond to the other defendant, John Twamley, in the penal sum of 100; with condition, providing, that James Seagrave should pay his wife, or any person by her authorized, at the house of Twamley, the weekly sum of 5s. during his life; that he should permit her to live separate from him; and to go, reside, and be, at or in such place or places, family or famillies, and with such relations and friends, as she should from time to time, notwithstanding her coverture, and as if she were a femme sole, and unmarri ed, think fit; that he should not sue or molest any person, &c. and should permit her to see her child, &c. The bill prayed an account of the arrears of the weekly payment; that the defendant Seagrave, and, in case of default by him, Twamley, may be decreed to pay the same, with interest; that the bond may be brought into court, if not cancelled or destroyed; and, if it has been cancelled or destroyed, that another bond may be executed to a trus tee for the plaintiff charging, that, if the bond was delivered up to Seagrave, or can celled, or destroyed, that was done without the knowledge or consent of the plaintiff, by collusion between the defendants to defraud the plaintiff. The answer of the defendants represented, that the separation took place in consequence of adultery committed by the plaintiff. The defendants admitted the bond, as stated in the bill; except that the payment of the allowance was expressed in the bond to be restrained to such time only as the plaintiff should continue to live and reside in the house and family of Twamley. They admitted, that the bond was delivered to Twamley, to be kept for the benefit of the plaintiff; and that it was burnt by him with the consent of the defendant Seagrave; the plaintiff having discontinued to reside in Twamley's family, and having gone to live with another man. They submitted, that the plaintiff by the departure from her husband, and afterwards from the house of Twamley, and by the adultery, for feited her right to the said allowance for place; for 1 cannot hold, that, as a separate Then does the adultery of the wife preclude Decree that the bond be renewed, with being, under the master's report, appointed. The Lord Chancellor made an order for COURT OF KING'S BENCH. The King against the Inhabitants of Ripon. Feb. 3. The sessions, on appeal, quashed an order of justices, for removing Elinor Forton, a pauper, from the township of Ripon in the West Riding of the county of York, to the parish of Darlington in the country of Durham; subject to the opinion of this coust on the folloing case: any matter or thing done in pursuance and by the authority of the act, by which alone the defendant could justify what he had done, East Rep. Vol. IX. p. 332. Tenant and Landlord. Wetherell v. Howells.-The plaintiff was a surgeon, and possessed of a copyhold estate of nine acres of garden-ground, with a house, situate at Brook Green, which had been let to a tenant for twenty-one years, who afterwards assigned it to the defendant. The lease expired in 1807, and as the tenant was about to quit the land, he required his landlord to pay him something for a couple of acres of strawberry roots, which had been planted, and for which he himself had paid a sum of Elinor Forton, being 23 years The pauper of age, was put apprentice by her father-inlaw with her own consent, to one Husbands in Hunton. She was present at the making of the agreement; but the indenture was only executed by the master and her father-money to the outgoing tenant when he took the assignment. The landlord (the plaintiff) in-law, but not by herself: neither was it refused to comply with these terms, and the ever tendered to her for that purpose, though defendant ploughed up the two acres to render she lived under it with her master for nearly then useless.-Lord Ellenborough said, that 12 months in Hunton. The sessions were of opinion that she gained a settlement in might, during the tenancy, have ploughed up although, in the fair course of cultivation, he Hunton. But when the case was called op, the strawberries and planted something else, the Court asked, whether it was possible vet he was not, in the last year of his to maintain this to be a competent binding of an adult who was no party to the inden-tenancy, to sterilize the land in spleen to his ture? The relation of master and apprentice the landlord, for £30 damages. landlord. A verdict was taken by consent of did not exist.-Order of Sessions quashed. East. Rep. Vol. IX. p. 295. Collins against Poney.-Feb. 11. The plaintiff brought trespass against his neighbour for taking down a portion of his party wall between their two houses in the metropolis, and building upon it; but it appearing that the defendant was authorised in what he had done by the provisions of the building act, 14 Geo. 3. c. 78, the plaintiff was nonsuited; and the defendant then obtained a rule calling on the plaintiff to shew cause why a suggestion should not be entered on the roll, that this action was brought for acts done in pursuance of the statute; and why the master should not tax the defendant His treble costs of the action and the costs of this application. It was contended, that the 100th section of the act, which gives treble costs to the defendant if a verdict be given for him or the plaintiff be nonsuited in any action brought for any thing done in pursuance of the act," was only intended to protect justices of the peace or other public officers, who did any thing by virtue of their offices in the execution of the act; though the words of the clause are general, that no action shall be commenced against any person or parsons, for any thing done in pursuance of this act," &c. The majority of the court agreed that the words of the 100th clause were too general and strong to be gotten over and therefore considered this cause as falling within it, especially as the same clause gives the plea of the general issue to any defendant sued for Westminster Election.-Arthur Morris, Esq. v. Sir Francis Burdett, Bart. April 6, 1808. Mr. Clifford moved for a rule to shew cause why the verdict obtained in this cause should not be set aside. It was tried at the sittings after last term before Lord Ellenborough, and the Jury gave a verdict for the plaintiff for £117. 8s. 2d. The circumstances of this case were, that the plaintiff was High Bailiff of Westminster, at the last election, and brought his action against the defendant for the expenses of the election, and for the use of the hastings. One charge was £8 a day for the plaintiff's table. It appeared that a Mr. Percy went to the plaintiff, and demanded tickets for the hustings for the defendant's friends. It was contended, in defence, that Sir Francis Burdett was ill, and confined to his bed, during the election, and it was not proved that Mr. Percy was his agent. Lord Ellenborough, in his charge to the Jury, observed, that the plaintiff could only recover on the charge for the hustings. The question was with them to determine, whether Percy was not the agent of the defendant, and whether his taking his seat in parliament, on the result of that election, did not confirm the acts of his friend, and absolutely make him liable for the act of Mr. Percy? The Jury thought it did, and gave their verdict accordingly. Mr. Clifford contended, that a candidate was not bound to pay any thing to the officers at the election; that the plaintiff might have held the election, and have only a booth for the commissioners to sit in, but if he thought, proper to go to an expense and build hustings, every candidate had a right to have recourse to it, as much as if it was only a booth. He stated several cases which were exactly in point, that no sheriff who went to more than the ordinary expenses in executing a writ, should be paid more than what was allowed by the crown. The court conceived that it was a case for the opinion of a Jury; they had already given their opinion, and if it went to another Jury they were afraid the defendant would not come off so well. At first they thought it was a motion on the part of the plaintiff to set aside the verdict, for if either of the parties had a right to complain, it was te plaintiff.-Rule refused. Governor Picton's Trial-for Application" of Torture, at Trinidad. but the illegality of inflicting torture, as repugnant to the principles of the British Constitution, formed the charge against Colonel Picton. The plea of the defendant denied the charge of malice and cruelty, inasmuch as he considered himself warranted to authorise this proceeding on Louisa Calderon, from its conformity to a law of Old Spain, which in analogous cases authorises the application of torture. In support of which justification, reference was made in court to the works of several eminent Spanish civilians. The inference was, that as Trinidad was for merly a Spanish colony, and during Colonel Picton's government, was regulated by the Spanish laws, the governor was bound to concur in the application of that punishment, which was prescribed by the criminal code of the mother country, and which had actually Leen recommended by the alcade, the best presumptive interpreter of the law. On the part of the prosecution, it was contended, that the laws of Spain did not extend to the Spanish colonies, which were governed by de las Indius" and that a particular cedula he d a distinct code entitled, the " Recopilacion On the 24th of February, 1806, before Lord Eilenborough and a special Jury, Colonel Picton, formerly Governor of the Island of Trinidad, was tried on a charge of having inflicted torture on Louisa Calderon, a free Mulatto, and one of his Majesty's sub-been issued by the Spanish government for the jects. To render this charge more affecting, latter was really the case, the Jury returned legislation of Trinidad. Persuaded that the the party, Louisa, gave her evidence in court, under the most favourable impressions: a verdict of guilty, against Colonel Picton. and a model of the torture employed (a picket on which the party stood on one foot, while her wrist was drawn up to the ceiling) was exhibited to the Jury, for their inspection. The facts were briefly as follows: To this verdict the governor excepted, and, as the case involved the character of all persons in authority over ceded islands, further inquiries were ordered to be made. Accordingly, meetings were held of those inhabitants of Trinidad who were most skilful in the laws of their country, and further evidence the court, and came on to be heard on June being procured, a new trial was granted by 11, 1808, when the Jury, being fully satisfied, returned a verdict completely annulling and reversing that delivered on the former trial. In the former case, the counsel for the prosecution insisted, first, that the Spanish settlements in South America, and, of course, Trinidad, were governed exclusively by a code of laws, entitled, the Recopilacion de las Loyes de las Indias; which forbade, or at least did not admit of torture;-secondly, that torture was not sanctioned by the laws of Old Spain. Louisa Calderon, at the age of ten or eleven years, was taken by a man named Peter Ruiz. While she cohabited with him, she engaged in an intrigue with Carlos Gonzales. This man robbed Ruiz of 2,000 dollars. Suspicions being entertained against Louisa that she was accessary to the robbery, she was taken into custody and examined by the magistrate. She disclaimed any knowledge of the theft; but prevariented so much ia ber evidence, as to leave no doubt of her being an accomplice. The magistrates, or alcades of Trinidad, under the Spanish government, possessed only a subordinate jurisdiction, and could inflict no punishment; but transmitted copies of their proceedings, together with the criminals, to the superior court at the Caraccas. On the With respect to the Recopilacion, the ascession of the colony to Great Britain, the sertion of its exclusive supremacy has been Spanish laws remained in force; but the ap- completely falsified; and it has been inconpeals which were formerly made to the court trovertibly proved, not only that Trinidad was at the Caraccas were now made to the British subject to the law of Old Spain; but that, governor. In the present case, the alcade, torture was sanctioned by the law; and that Beggorat, recommended the infliction of a to the present hour, it is actually practised in slight torture, to extort a confession from the Spanish colonies in South America. It is Louisa Calderon; which mode of punishment particularly curious, as applying to this case, Colonel Pictou authorised, on the regular ap- that one of the old Spanish law books explication to him, and she was accordingly puthibits a clause, expressly providing, that, in on the picquet; when she confessed that case an evidence of low, vile character, and Gonzales had stolen the property in question: 'bad morals is admitted, he is to testify under VOL. IV. [Lit. Pan Sup] 3 E |