An Important Law Point.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1630, 9 February 1886, Page 2

An Important Law Point.

, i sOn Pecember-i 5, ; (Hays the , St* Jamei . Gfizettfii ivas d&idedJwithjalJ thb]t^mp i{ and "circumstance of the law? Ihe grew case of Regina y. Ashwell,.. It has been 'befo're't\)e courts sjnee/ January ]g^T^ which ni|onth Ash well was tried before ; Mr Justice Denman at the Leicester A«. sizes, and found guilty of a grave offence, |3ut thojujgh' ■ the : facts were , clear, , thf, .- ; point w ; as 'raised as to whether .thejrjj., really did constitute a legal offence ; «ndu this point' was argued before five jadfle|it: of the JEti^li Cpurt' before Saster. 3at the issue was far too Beribustd W to ' lightly disposed of and it was thsrefor**"' re-argued kst sitting before a full court pfffqurteen judges. Ever sinoe this tribunal has beeor its decitioa r . until Saturday/ jrlUp |af theijr lorij ships, m solemn conclave, delfvereii i€ long and exhaustive judgments on behalf of themselves and their absent brethren. And whbnit was all ov«r it wat found thafeWveu of their lordshins-were for affirmjng Ashwell's conviction and seven were for quashing it. The result p£ . al| f . ,., whidh is thdt. i 'by the tulm •of itbe eowrti v . Ash well stattds convicted, and iabouad' to'conie| up for ! judgment when «tfll«d i upqn; His offence was, that, haying been lent a sovereign m mistake for • shilling,, he refused next morning ,|o return the! balance, 'as he' had spent' moat of it, and'hadbniy asked for the' ' lowii' of l a a shilling.' The questibh was, had Ash-> well fraudulently/appropriated 19s to hie^ own us|, or had he not? The crimt was obviously a shocking one, and no expense has been spared to bring it home to the heartless defendant. Her MajS^TiS judges' Have done, thjiir dutyyfan^^ffl^ judicial minds are' at last relieveU o^ »: great weiajht. \ "v y /? ■■ 'l--.^