The Press. — London, England, 1858-09-04 00:00:00

THE PRE S S, SEPT E MBER 4, 1858. this last act on their part, which he felt most heartily and gratefully. Mr. CLARK then moved a vote of thanks to the Deputy-Chairman and the other Directors the Company, which was seconded by Mr. ARBUTHNOT, and carried unanimously. Captain EASTWICK expressed his grateful acknow ledgments, and said that the Directors were doeply sensible of the responsibility imposed upon them, and were earnestly anxious to carry nut their duty both for the interest of India and the interest of the Court of Proprietors. Mr. HELPS . : I hope you will now allow me to propose a resolution. Dr. BEATTIE: I rise to order. The CHAIRMAN : It is true this is a special court ; but as it is the last occasion on which we shall meet, I think, under the circumstances, anything which any proprietor wishes to bring forward should be heard. Mr. *HELP3 : I thank the chairman fur his kind ness. I might technically have moved the suspension of the by-laws, but it is not necessary. I move, sir, the following resolution : The East India Company, on surrendering at the bid ding of Parliament those powers connected with the go vernment of the British territories in India which it has long exercised as trustee for the Crown, desires to return its warmest tl.inks to its servants and officers, of eve -y rank and in every capacity, fir the fidelity, zeal, and effi ciency with which they have performed their several duties, and offers to them its best. wishes fur their future prosperity. To those who are natives of India, the East India Company has the satisfaction of being able to give tke fullest assurance that in her Majesty Queen Victoria they will find a most gracious mistress, not unmindful of their past services under that authority which has hitherto had the honour of representing British Sovereignty in India, and ever reedy to reward loyalty to the liritish Crown. The East India Company - is convinced that the members of the home department of the Company's government will maintain the high reputation which that department now enjoys, and will continue, when enrolled in the direct service of the Crown, to command the esteem and con fidence of their official chiefs, and of the public. Ot its fellow•countrymen employed in India under the Company's government, whether as civilians or soldiers— of those especially whose duty has recently subjected them to trials of unexampled severity, and who have done their duty so admirably as to win for them the praise and sym pathy of their Sovereign and their country—the East India Company is proud to say that their past conduct affords the strongest security that the Crown will possess no aer- Tanta abler, none more devoted than those who have been trained by the Company. And without in any manner arrogating to itself what is due to men, some of whose names are honoured in every region of the civilized world, the Eut India Company trusts that in the page of im• partial history it may be recorded as having presented, in the career which it has opened both to the members of its own civil and military services and to the gallant troops of her Majesty and her Royal predecessors, a field for the exercise of the highest qualities of the statesman and the soldier. In the humble hope that the Company's rule will prove to have been, in the hand of Divine Providence, an instru ment of good, and even of the highest good, to India, the East India Company earnestly prays that it may please Almighty God to bless the Queen's Indian reign by the speedy restoration of peace, security, and order, and so to prosper her Majesty's efforts for the welfare of her East Indian suojeets, that the millions who will henceforth be placed under her Majesty's direct as well as sovereign do minion, constantly advancing in all that makes men and nations great, flourishing, and happy, may reward her Majesty's cares in their behalf by their faithful and firm attachment to her Majesty's person and Government. Mr. JONES seconded the amendment. Mr. LEwIN and Colonel SYKES supported it. Mr. HELPS explained that he had purposely ab• stained trom connecting his resolution with any par ticular name. When he saw the gentleman on the right of the chair he could not help thinking of his immediate predecessor, and another name also, that stood high in the ranks of literature, occurred to him —the names of Melvin and Mill could not fail to strike his mind ; therefore he thought it better not to connect with it the name of any gentleman, but to make it universal. The resolution was adopted unanimously, and the Court then adjourned, never again to be called to gether as the governing body of the British East Indian Empire. YltiU ad polite. PICTURE PRAUDS.—William Thomas Barns, the son, and Lucy Barns, the wife, of Mr. Barns, picture dealer and auctioneer, of St. Paul's•churchyard, appeared at Guildhall, before Alderman Wire, to answer a charge of conspiracy to defraud Mr. Robert Harries Peter, a gentleman of independent property, residing in Hyde-park-square, of divers sums, in cluding a bill of exchange for 1,0001., to the amount of between 2,0001. and 3,000/. This case is merely a preliminary to other prose cutions of a similar character against & number of picture.dealers, who, it is alleged, have victimised the prosecutor to the extent of about 16,0001. within a very few months. Mr. Sleigh, instructed by Mr. W. Day, appeared for the prosecution. Mr. Metcalfe, instructed by Mr. Lumley, was for the defence. After some formal objections taken by Mr. Met calfe had been overruled by the magistrate, Mr. Sleigh said : It appears, sir, that Mr. Peter went to the defendant's shop in St. Paul's•churchyard, and bought some pictures to the amount of 701., and within a very few days after Mrs. Barns called upon him at his house, and represented that she had a very valuable collection of pictures to dispose of, which belonged to the widow of a cousin of the Duchess of Newcastle. One of them, she said, was a " Rosa Bonheur," which had cost the Duke's cousin 5001. ; but I will show you, sir, that this very picture was sold at Christie and Manson's, on the 12th of June last, for 171. Os. 61 I will not go further into the facts, except to mention with regard to that and other transactions that, in gratitude to him for buying these valuable pictures, these defen dants from time to time presented him with various gifts, consisting of walking-sticks, Chinese mandarins, and other tokens of their regard, the last present being a silver-gilt race-oup. Mr. Robert Harries Peter, a gentleman about sixty years of age, was then examined, and said : 1 am an independent gentleman. 1 reside at 45, Hyde-park-square. I remember calling in the month of May last at the defendant's shop in St. Paul's churchyard. My attention was first attracted to that shop on seeing some vases and other things in the window, and I went in and saw some pictures. I saw Mr. W. T. Barns on this occasion, but Mrs. Barns was not there. I bought two pictures for 701., and I gave 51. to a person who said he had previously purchased them. Mr. W. T. Barns told me the pictures had been exhibited in the Brussels Exhi• Mr. Sleigh : Did you some time after that receive • visit from Mrs. Barns ? Prosecutor: Yes. She knew whera I lived, because the pictures I uought had been sent home to my house. They had known me some time. She came alone, and in the morning. I did not send for her, and did not expect to see her. She told me that a lady, who was the widow of a cousin of the Duchess of Newcastle, had left a gallery of very ♦aluable picture;, which had cost 100,0001., and that she (the lady) was very desirous of converting them into money. She also said the lady was in very distressed circumstances owing to the extravagance of two sons, and that it was of great importance that the pictures should be sold, and mho (the lady) had desired her (Mrs. Barns) to dispose of them to the best advantage. She said she had known the lady for several years, and thought her a most kind and grateful woman ; that she was very desirous of serving her, and had done all in her power to do so. Alderman Wire : Did she on that occasion offer to sell you any of the pictures ? Prosecutor : She did not, sir, but her son called on me shortly after. Alderman Wire : Did you offer to buy or express a wish to see them ? Prosecutor : Neither, sir ; but Mr. W. T. Barns brought the pictures to me. Mr. Sleigh : How long did Mrs. Barns stay when she called ? Prosecutor : About three quarters of an hour, sir. Mr. Sleigh : Then, what further did she say? Surely she must have said more than you have told us in that time ? Prosecutor : Her conversation all the time was principally about the lady's situation. She did not offer me the pictures for sale. She spoke more about the lady's great distress and that the pictures must be sold. It was about a week after that when the son came to my house. It was about noon. A van was brought and Mr. Barns was shown into my dining room. He said he had brought some pictures for me to see, which were of very great value and must be sold. and that they formed part of the collection of the lady mentioned by Mr. Barns. Mr. Sleigh : Was anything said about a picture worth 0,000 guineas ? Prosecutor : Mr. W. T. Barns said one of th e pictures, the subject of whi c h was the " uts,4l Eaters wills: " Murillo," and th e f inest he had ever painted.said it cost the husband of the lady 8,000 guineas. Alderman Wire : Was there no reference made to any other owner of this property than the relatives of the Duchess of Newcastle? Prosecutor : No, sir, nearly every picture that be brought be gave me a description of, but I cannot recollect all. I bought the pictures believing them to be genuine originals. Mr: Sleigh • What was said about the "Ross Bonheur? " Prosecutor : He said that was the pictur • which cost the deceaged gentleman 5001., and that it was genuine picture. The subject was " Oxen Ploughing a Field." Mr. Sleigh : What was the aggregate amount which you paid in cheques to the defendants? . - Prosecutor : I cannot say exactly ; but it was from 1,0001. to 1,2001., exclusive of the 1,0001. bill. When the " Rosa Bonheur " was brought there were eight other pictures with it. They were brought in by Mr. W. T. Barns and his man. I gsve him my acceptance for 1,0001. for the " Rosa Bonheur," the " Turner," and six others. I had received several presents from the defendants. Alderman Wire : Did you give any cheques after the bill? Prosecutor : No, sir. Alderman Wire : Then the 1,0001. bill closed the transactions ? Prosecutor : Yes, sir. Mr. Sleigh : The bill, sir, is dated the 95th of June, and there are two cheques of the 30th of July, so that the bill could not have closed the trans. actions. Alderman Wire : When was the lmt cheque given' Prosecutor : The last cheque was given to Mrs. Barns. klderman Wire : Then that closed the trans actions ? . Prosecutor : Yes, sir; I did not understand you before. Upon various occasions Mr. IV. T. Barns brought presents , with the widow lady's compliments , and stating she did not know how to be sufficiently grateful to me for purchasing her pictures. lie also said she was having a handsome piece of plate engraved for me. The presents consisted of curious little tables and scarce articles of the antique. A few days after I gave Mr. Barns the bill he brought me the cup produced, and said the lady had sentme that piece of plate as a token of gratitude. A large massive-looking silver-gilt cup, handsomely chased, and inscribed on the face with the following words, was then produced --" Presented to Robert, Herries Peter, Esq., by a dear and beloved friend." Upon the lid was a ducal coronet, surmounted by a ram's head. Mr. Sleigh : There is also an inscription upon the lid of—" Newton Races, 1855, the Gift of the Lora of the Manor," showing that this handsome piece of plate which was engraved expressly for Mr. Peter, was an ordinary race-cup. t Laughter.) A gigantic picture was next produced representing " Oxen Ploughing," but from their resemblance to the animals in the Noah's Ark toy and the general colouring of the foreground little doubt could be entertained by a connoisseur as to As value as an Prosecutor:original. This is the picture called the "ROA Bonheur "—( laughter)—for which I gave 5001- Mr. Sleigh : This is the picture whic h I am pre. pared to prove was purchased at Christy a nd Man son's for 171. 61.; but as it is not pos sible to get through the case to-day, perhaps now would be the most convenient time to adjourn. Mr. Metcalfe consented, and his cross-examinat ion was accordingly deferred. The summons was then adjourned. The defen. dants were admitted to bail on the ir own rceog nizances. The inquiry was resumed on Monday. The evidence in chief of the prosecutor having been read over by Mr. Martin, the chief clerk, Mr. Peter said : I wish to correct my deposition in which I said Mrs. Barns told me the lady WAS a relative of the Duchess of Newcastle. That was mistake of mine. She said the lady was a cousin of the Duke of Newcastle. When I p aid Mr. W. T. Barns the cheque for 401., dated the 18th of June, he said that was for his commission on the pictures he had brought. I did not ask how it was I had tope! him commission. The cheques now produced are all in my handwriting. One is for 10/., dated the 14th of June ; one for 2001., dated the 18th of June, both of which I paid to the defendant, W. T. Berl , but the latter cheque was made pay able to Mr- W r iu' hams. Mr. Sleigh : Will you tell the Cou rt why it Wu drawn in a different name ? Mr. Sleigh : How many pictures did he bring ? Prosecutor : Generally about four or live at a time. On this occasion be brought about four. He said one picture had cost the lady's husband 5001., and another had cost 3001. There were various prices named, which I do not now recollect. Mr. Sleigh : Did he mention the names of any of the painters of these pictures? Prosecutor: Yes, sir. He said the 5001. picture was painted by Rosa Bonheur. The first picture he brought he said was a Rubens,tand another, he said, was a Turner, but I do not remember what he said with regard to the four pictures he brought that morning. He named the prices as soon as the pictures were brought in. I think I gave him a cheque that morning, but I cannot tell you for what amount. I cannot furl either the cancelled cheque or the amount of it in my banker's pass-book. He generally moved the pictures into the next room before be went away. I should not have given him that cheque had I not believed the pictures genuine, or're'l ! Pros' names. ;ht 01 doted t of Jun The sel Berns; tom In t tutor 1 Mr. that tI others Pro' c laim] Mr. for 1 5 Pt' Mr, who close Prc did Bonh some' was t Rosa Mr that Pr ii no se were and suit le plan to br write of me, A of l s this rays; met w. T' Per° is New pres 011 I kn d ns fa ts, has tly alai so pra ite the us A ew of tl w ;at as 11. of St. ng Plo ert d." me for if tl he ml log of F er, r; Bo pia Cr to ral Oil be 'll F an r ne su re. in- get ;be Ri nn t gin- ng on as of T. le, ky ire be ;e, is, it- I 1 !••-•-• pros Pro' essiou some F pieta , br ite Iy9l Merl Per° pres I kn fami