958 
ler, or labcuring man, who fhould have 
any debt due to him, not amounting to 
forty fhiilings, by any other fuch perfon, 
may caufe him to be fummoned by the 
beadle or officer of the court, by writing 
left at his dwelling-houfe, or by other 
reafonsble writing or notice given to him 
to appear before the court. And that any 
three of the commiffionerg fhould have 
power to make fuch order relative to the 
debt, ‘© as they fhould find to ftand wiih 
eguity and gocd con!cience.” 
For which purpofe they fhould have 
power to examine the parties and their 
witneffes on oath. And if any creditor 
fhould fue in any other court, and it ap- 
pear to the judge, that his debt to be re- 
covered did not amount to forty fhiilings, 
and the defendant fhould prove by his own 
oath, or by witneffes, that he was then re- 
fident in London, the plaintiff fhould not 
be allowed any cofts, but fhould pay all the 
defendant’s cofts. And that the com- 
miflioners fhould have power to enforce 
obedience to their court by commitment 
to one of the compters. But rent and any 
faubjeGis properly cognizable in the eccle- 
fiaftical court are declared to be not cog- 
nizable in the court of confcience. 
Thus ftocd thejurifdiftion of this court 
until 1741, when, in confequence of the 
great increafe of inhabitants in London 
and its liberties, the beadle of the court 
found more to do than he could-poflibly 
execute: and the commifitoners were 
not proteéted fufficiently from infult. To 
remedy thefe inconveniences, the legiflature 
further ena&led, by 14th Geo. II. c. 10. 
That every citizen and freeman of London, 
and every other perfon inhabiting therein, 
and in the liberties, and al! perfons renting 
or keeping any fhop, fhed, ftall, or ftand, 
or feeking a livelihood therein, having any 
debt not exceeding forty fhilling due 
from any fuch perfon, fhal] proceed as is 
directed in the preceeding ftatute, and fhall 
‘© obferve, perform, and keep in all 
points’’ the order made between them. 
Thefe words take away the right of appeal. 
That if any perfen “ contemptuoufly af- 
front, infult, or abufe” the commiifioners 
then fitting, the commiffioners may cer- 
tify their names to the Lord Mayor, who 
ma2y fine them twenty fhillings, cr commit 
them to prifon for ten days, or both. 
Fine to be levied by warrant, diftrefs, and 
fale, (redeemable in five days) and payable 
to the poor ef the parifh. The court of 
alderman may increafe the number of 
beadles to four. Aé&tions brought for 
any thing done under this act are limited 
to fix months, with double cofis if a ver- 
di&. be found again the plaintiff. 
Nirwegian Ballad, 
{ Jan. 1, 
When the parties could not pay the 
fums awarded, they were liable to am | 
execution again& their perfons or 
goods as they were at commion law, but 
the legiflature difcovered that many per- 
fons were imprifoned for great length 
of time, and were thereby with their 
families brought to ruin, in’ cafes where 
the debt was very trifling, and therefore 
by two fubfequént aéts in the prefent reign, 
25th Geo. III. c. 45., and 26th Geo. IIL. 
c. 38. it was enacted that ne fich debior 
where the fame did nct exceed twenty 
fhillings, fhould be committed to prifon 
for more than 20 days, and if it did not 
exceed forty fhillings for more than forty 
days, unlefs it be proved to the court that 
he had money and concealed it fraudu- 
lently, in fuch cale the imprifonments were 
extended to thirty and fixty days. 
This, fir, is the beft account I can fend 
you of the Court of Confeience, which 
certainly relieves the people very much 
from the harraffing diftrefs to which they 
would be liable if their differences for {mail 
debts were necefiarily to be feitled by the 
expenfive precefs of a court of law at 
Weliminfter; and as this court is aifoa ~ 
court of equity, many would be obliged to 
give up their jut claim, or puriue it in 
the court of chancery. 
Ofober 3, 1799- 
—== ae 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
A NORWEGIAN BALLAD, tranflated from 
La Nord Liiteraire. By A.S.COTTLE. 
HE eve of Sunday at length arrives = 
the fun fets behind the diftant hills : 
the heat of day abates, asthe evening mift 
fpreads over the furrounding rocks: the 
warbling of birds is no longer heard. 
This is the firft moment of day, which 
gives being to the murmurings of the 
quiet firram. The fharded beetle, waked 
from his repofe, is on the wing, and foothes 
the traveller with his joyous hum. Silence, 
and the dumb repofe of evening fteal on. 
Alone and at night I returned from the 
city*; I hafened, yet expe&tation told me 
I lingered by the way. From Chriftiana, 
ere | reached home, fix times had the fin- 
ger of time pointed out the hour: go 
more {wiftly ye who are able! to me the 
way was jong—my feet were way-wWorn, 
yet I felt no pain. 
See me hang my hat by the way, and 
clofe at its fide my polifhea fabre. My 
good father fees me, fhakes me by the 
hand, and in the fervour cf his rude em- 
braces almoft throws me dawn. Choaked 
with tears of joy, he could fearcely at frit 
a Se eee 
* pen 
Copenhagen. 
A. H. 
witer 
