Saturday 24 Apr 1819 (p. 3, col. 3-4) DUMFRIES, APRIL 20.—In the Jury Court here, on Tuesday last, an action was brought by Mr. M'LEAN, of Mark, against the Reverend Mr. SIBBALD, Minister of Kirkmabreck, for causing to be inserted in the session-book of that parish a writing, purporting to be a minute of that kirk-session, in which Mr. M'LEAN was accused of unmanly and unchristian conduct, and of making an unchristian attack upon Mr. SIBBALD respecting his doctrine as a minister, and for circulating the same.—The damages were laid at £100.—Mr. COCKBURN was leading counsel for the plaintiff, and Mr. JEFFREY for the defendant. These gentlemen displayed much eloquence in their addresses to the Jury. Lord Pitmilly, in summing up, reprobated actions of this kind, and, for the sake of both parties, he wished the present had not been brought before the Court. The Jury, after very little deliberation, gave a verdict for the plaintiff—damages, 1 s.—As soon as this cause had been decided, a counter action, SIBBALD v. M'LEAN, came on, in which it was alleged that Mr. M'LEAN had circulated through various parishes, that Mr. SIBBALD preached unsound doctrines &c. Damages laid at £2000.—The same Jury, without retiring from the box, found a verdict for the plaintiff, damages 1s. and thus these gentlemen have equal advantages!—On the succeeding day, the Court proceeded to try the following issues, in the cause Robert SELKIRK, plaintiff, and Adam RANKINE, defendant, 1. Whether on the 28th day of October, 1814, or about that time, the defendant, when presiding as one of the Bailies of Dumfries, at the roup of the flesh-market dues of that burgh, did publicly declare, that the said town had been swindled out of their rents and dues for several years, or words to that effect; and whether he meant the words to apply to the incorporation of fleshers, or individual members thereof, to the injury and damage of the said plaintiff, he being a member of said incorporation?—2. Whether the defendant did say, that the said incorporation, or individuals thereof, were a set of swindling rascals, or words to that effect, &c.? A great number of witnesses had been cited by both parties; but, on a few being examined on the part of the plaintiff, it appeared that their evidence not only did not meet the main points meant to be established, but, in some respects, that these witnesses contradicted each other. The Judge, therefore, thought evidence on the part of the defendant, or a charge from the Court, unnecessary; and, without retiring, the Jury returned a verdict for the defendant.—In the Circuit Court, on Saturday, Isabella HALLIDAY, charged with child-murder was acquitted.*—Henry M'NISH, accused of having broke into the school at Clarencefield, and taken away several books, a quantity of paper, and 600 quills, pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to 14 years' transportation.—John BROWN, accused of sheep-stealing, was found guilty, and sentenced to transportation for 14 years.—James BROWN, accused of theft, was found guilty, and sentenced to transportation for seven years.—Margaret KERR (formerly of Carlisle) was found guilty of stealing seven yards of sarsenet, &c. from the shop of Mr. MONTGOMERY, draper: 12 months' imprisonment.—Helen KERR, accused of theft, was outlawed for not appearing.—Peter M'KINLEY, and William DONALD, charged with entering the house of David CULLAN, at Limecleuchfoot of Airdoch, on the night of the 23rd of October last, and stealing thereout money and various articles of wearing apparel, were found guilty, but the jury recommended them to mercy: they were sentenced to be hanged at Dumfries on the 19th of May.—On Monday, Samuel FERGUSON was found guilty of stealing 8 pieces of gingham, 21 pairs of stockings, &c. from the cart of John FINGLAND, of Thornhill, carrier, on the night of the 23rd of January last—14 years transportation: Mary BUNTON, for receiving the same, 7 years' transportation.—John KILLAN alias KELLY, was found guilty of various acts of assault and highway robbery in the neighbourhood of Gatehouse in February last (as detailed in our paper at that time), and was sentenced to be executed at Dumfries on the 26th of May. John STOTT, and Arthur M'KEAND, concerned in the same robberies, not appearing, were outlawed.—James HAY, convicted of theft, 18 months' imprisonment. * This prisoner was eighty years of age, and her case excited much interest. It appeared in evidence, that the prisoner was supported entirely by private charity, in a small hut in the parish of Borgue, and for years was unable to get out of bed without assistance. For six years past, a young woman, named WILSON, had resorted to the hut, and had been very industrious in levying charitable contributions for her own and the old woman's support; and as the prisoner could not do any thing for herself, the neighbours humanely afforded subsistence to both, and even gave WILSON credit for her attention. Towards the end of the year 1818, WILSON appeared to many persons to be in a state of pregnancy; but, when challenged, she uniformly denied being in that situation: observing a change in her appearance, several persons asked her what had become of her child—to some she answered, it would never trouble any person, but did not deny having been delivered. WILSON, being apprehended and carried to Kirkcudbright, in her examination before the Steward Depute, on the 11th of February last, admitted, that she had brought forth a child; and declared, that the prisoner, on hearing the child cry, asked for it, and immediately plunged the infant into a bucket of water, that stood at the bed to catch rain-water that came in through the roof of the hut; and she further declared, that she and the prisoner afterwards burned the child to ashes; and WILSON, being called as a witness in the trial, gave evidence to nearly the same effect before the Court. The prisoner being also carried before the Steward Substitute, declared, that she and WILSON were sleeping in one bed; that one night WILSON appeared very restless and uneasy for some time, and afterwards she, prisoner, heard a cry, and asking WILSON what it was, WILSON answered, a child; that WILSON handed the Infant to her, and she put it into the bucket, and thereafter WILSON made a fire and burnt the child to ashes. The almost universal opinion of the crowded Court was, that from WILSON having uniformly concealed, and even denied her situation, and not having made any provision for her delivery, she evidently had all along been determined in the destruction of the infant; and that the prisoner, if she really did put the infant into the bucket, must have acted under the influence, or perhaps direction of WILSON, who, if inclined, could easily have resisted the utmost exertions of the prisoner, whose haggard shrivelled appearance, when brought into Court, and while at the bar, bespoke utter inability to put a spoon to her mouth, or to judge of any thing. The Jury returned a verdict of not proven, and consequently the prisoner was acquitted. She died in Dumfries gaol on Wednesday afternoon, and was buried in the strangers' burying ground belonging to the Burgh, on Thursday. Four vessels have sailed since our last, from Dumfries for British America, with 581 passengers and various kinds of goods. They are mostly all of the lower orders of society, either connected with agriculture or labourers, and some of them paupers from the North of England, for whom the overseers of the parish pay the passage. On Sunday se'nnight, William M'KELVIE, aged 24 years, one of the passengers in the Thompsons' Packet for America, was unfortunately drowned on the Sands near the Airds Banks. He had crossed at Glencaple Quay, along with two others, to join the ship, which had gone down to the Burran Point, but complaining of being very tired, he sat down to rest himself, and, in that situation, is supposed to have fallen asleep, as he was surrounded by the tide, and two jars, which he had been carrying, were found beside him. He was from the parish of Wigtown, Galloway, and had a wife and child, with other relations, on board the vessel at the time, who have since sailed for America. Wednesday week, while four children (three girls and a boy) were gathering mussels on Newby Scarr, near Annan, they were surrounded by the tide, and would inevitably have perished but for the timely assistance of Mr. William SCOTT, of the Cottages, who happened to be passing along the beach. Seeing their perilous situation, with a feeling activity which did him honour, he rushed through the waves, and happily succeeded in recovering the three girls; but his exertions were frustrated in his attempt to save the boy, who unfortunately perished: he was 12 years of age, and one out of ten of the children of a poor widow who lives at Nethermain Limekilns, near Annan. A murder was committed on the night of Monday se'nnight about two miles from Moffat. Three men passed through Elvanfoot, towards Moffat, between 8 and 9 o'clock, and next morning one of them was found murdered, lying in a water cut, a few yards distant from the road. The supposed murderers speak the Irish dialect and appear to be brothers.