The Sun. — London, England, 1850-08-22 00:00:00

fourtt Wbitton EASTERN COUNTIES RAILWAY. MEETING- AT THE LONDON TAVERN. (THIS DAY.) The half-yearly general meeting of the shareholders of the Eastern Counties Railway Company was held this day at the London Tavern, Bishopsgate-street, for the purpose of recieving a report from the directors, and for the transaction of other business. Long before the hour of meeting (one o'clock) the room was immensely crowded with shareholders, as was also the gallery across the end of the room. Precisely at one o'clock the Chairman, EDWARD LADD BETTS, Esq., and: the directors entered the room, which was the signal for a clapping of hands. The Secretary, Mr. RONEY, read the notice con vening the meeting, and also the following report of the directors : after having maturely considered it they are of opbaion that it is not for the interest of the proprietors that they should lease the working of their line. The directors have, therefore, appointed Mr. John V. Gooch, line of the South-Western Railway, as superintendent of the locomotive department. It is the painful duty of the directors to report that, owing to circumstances which arose on inquiring into the payments foi merly made for land and other purposes, through Mr. Duncan, the late solicitor to the company, they found it neces sary to direct the accountants strictly to examine all those transactions; and the result of these inquiries, as reported by Messrs. Quilter and Company, has been that various sums of money, for which cheques had been given to Mr. Duncan, were not paid by him for the purposes intended; hat other sums had bean charged and paid twice over; and that certain payments reported to have been made, had not been made. Mr. Duncan having delivered, and having been paid, his Parliamentary accounts to a point, by the former direc tors, according to a scale of charges agreed upon, he has since also demanded to have additional remuneration for the same services, on the ground that the scale agreed upon was below the usual charges, and that he has not had the amount of business he was led to expect when the scale was fixed. A copy of the accountants' report was given to Mr. Duncan, and an explanation required. The answer received contained an offer of resignation, which the directors accepted; and they forthwith sought the assis!auce of Messrs. Crowder and Maynard, who are at present acting as solicitors to the company, and by whose advice they are and will be guided in any proceedings which may take place. It will be remem bered that, at the time the present directors took office, Mr. Duncan continued to conduct the law business of the company, although he had pr. viously tendered his resignation. The well known talent of Mr. Duncan, the intimate knowledge he posse s sed of all the company's affairs, sad the zeal and industry he displayed in their service, during a period of transition, when there was also much dispute and litigation, rendered it prudent and necessary to request him to withdraw his resigna tion, and it was not until time and opportunity had been found to search into past transactions, that the present directors could obtain knowledge of there errors. In concluding this report, the directors venture to state their hope and belief that, difficult and harrassing as their duties have been, and still are, they shall, if they continue to posseaa the confidence and support of the proprietors, be able substantially to improve the condi tion and prospects of the company, and to lessen the working expenses. In so doing they would repeat their resolution, more than once expressed, to endeavour, by conciliatory means, and by co-operation with neighbour ing railways, rather than by competition with them, to secure to this company and to the great system of rail ways in the eastern division of England, the traffic and revenue which they eught to possess and retain. "EDWARD L. BETTS, Chairman." The following is the Auditors' report: — "57, Coleman-street, Aug. 9, 1850. " Gentlemen,—We regret that, notwithstanding the utmost diligence and perseverance, we find ourselves still unable to make a complete report of the result of our investigation and analysis of the capital expenditure of the Eastern Counties Railway Company. " The examination has a twofold object: namely, the ascertainment of the integrity of the expenditure charged; and the production of an accurate and lucid statement of it, in order to the due exhibition, under appropriate heads, of the cost of the various lines and l i works executed. " The extent and multifarious character of the trans actions which constitute the subject-matter of investiga tion would alone render much time and grt at labour necessary in order to its satisfactory completion; but the difficulties we have met with in the conduct ot our in quiries have not been simply those which necessarily pertain to every operation of the like nature; we have had to act upon con!used, imperfect, and erroneous ac counts, only partially supported or explained by vouchers, while the vouchers that could be found were protasis , cously heaped together without order or arrangement; added to which there existed a general want of uni formity in the mode of treating various parts of the same t. t similar accounts at different periods. " In this state cf circumstances we found it indispens ably necessary, in order to carry on the examination in telligibly and with certainty, to establish supplemental books; and, in effect, to reform the entire accounts for a considerable period, opening a personal account with each individual recipient of the company's cash, and al ' lowing no credits to such recipients in discharge of cash paid to them, except upon the authority ot bills, in voices, certificates, or other adequlte vouchers. " The deficiency of vouchers has thus proved a fruit ful source of difficulty and delay, leading unavoidably to much correspondence and personal discussion with par ties, in order to obtain from them the information which the vouchers would have afforded. " On completing the first year of their official duties, the directors have to report that, nctwitheteanding the many difficulties and complications arising out of the past, they have reason to be satisfied with the progress which has been made towards the establishment of order in the current business of the company, the restoration of its credit, and the arrangements that have been effected, materially tending to reduce the heavy ex penses to which the revenue has been hitherto subject. The accounts for the half-year have been made out on the principles and form approved by the proprietors at the last meeting by Messrs. Quilter and Cu., and they have been subject to the continuous audit of Messrs. Reeves and Mayhew, to whom that important duty was assigned by their co-proprietors. The capital account having been virtually closed, in accordance with the re solution of the last half-yearly meeting, the revenue is now debited with all disbursements, and it will be ob served that the half-year's income has been charged with 15,418/. 2s. 2d. for the rebuilding and replacement of engines and carriages, and that the sum of 8,0001. has been carried to the credit of the reserve fund for the renewal of permanent way and works. A portion of this fund has been applied to the renewal of the Col che.ter line, and the repair of stations, as shown in the accounts. The directors being of opinion, from the ex perience they have acquired of the condition of the pro perty, that a smaller sum than that recommended by tee committee of investigation will be sufficient for the renewal of the way and works, recommend the share holders to sanction their reserving hereafter 22 0014. a year in place of 32,0001.; and it is proposed that this sum should be apportioned by charging the revenue of each halt-) est' endicg the 4th of January with 14,0001., arid the half-year ending the 4th of July with 8,000/. The receipts of the halt-year are 400,705/. 12s. sd, of which .53,536/. 1 le. 3d. has been derived from the Nor folk Railway, and the charges as apportioned by the ac countants against that line amount to 37,1811 7s. 7d. The Norfolk revenue has been charged with 4001. as the expenses of the joint committee during the year. The directors regret to announce the unsatisfactory result of the working of the Norfolk line during the past half year as compared with former periods; this is chiefly to be attributed to the opening of the Easters Union Com pany's extension to Nut wich, and the consequent division of the waffle to and from London and Norwich and the districts lying between the two lines of railway; while their junction, which .must bring a considerable traffic upon the Norfolk Railway, still remains to be made by the Eastern Union Company. The charges and expenses against revenue during the half-year amount t 3 365,2101. 4s. 3d., leaving 35,495/. Bs. 2d., to which must be added the surplus left after paying the last dividend, namely, 1,6201. 175., making an available balance of 37,116/. ss. 2d. The directors therefore recommend a dividend upon the consolidated stock of the Eastern Cuuetles Railway Company of 2 e. per share. and a payment to the Norfolk Company suffi tnelt to give an equal dividend on their consolidated stock, according to the agreement subsisting bet Neon the two' companies. The directors have purchased No. 2 Five per Cent. Stock, amouuiing to 3,2661. 13s. 4d., formerly issued in excess, and have cancelled the certificates, as was resolved at the last , half-yearly meeting; they also gave notice to the holders of the York Extension Five per Cent. Guaranteed Stock that they might be paid off at par on the 10th of Juce last. In pursuance of which notice, holders of that stock, to the amount of 25,840/, had consented to receive payment when the half-year's accounts were closed, leaving 18,080/. then to be dealt with, part of which has since been paid off; and this stock will be replaced by debentures at lower rates of interest. Your accountants are still engaged in the ex amination of the capital account, which they have not been able to complete during the past half-year. Sundry payments formerly made in error or in excess have been discovered, some of which are now recoverable; these will amount to more than sufficient to pay the cost of this laborious investigation, and the directors therefore recommend that it be steadily.puraued. Since the half year's accourtte were closed, the reference between the company and Mr. George Hudson, arising out of the Wisbeach and St. Ives Railway transactions, has been decided, and the sum of I,eool, with interest at five per cent. for three 3 ears and three-quarters, making to gether 1,1871. 109., have been awarded to the company and paid by Mr. Hudson, who has also paid the coils of reference. The attempt, by a separate company, to obtain an Aet of Parliament to snake a railway from Cambridge to Shepreth having teen defeated, and the powers of this company to take land for a branch line in the tame direction—namely from Shelford, near Cambridge, to the termination of the &Ist( n and Hite :sin Railway at Shopretb, bring limited as to time, the directors took means to get poasession of the ground without delay, and they have the satisfaction to state that it was obtained on comparatively reasonable terms, and in all cases by amicable arrangement with the owners and occupiers. Specifications have been pre pared, and contracts are advertised for the whole of the work?, which are intended to be completed in time fur the opening cf the Royston and Hitchin Railway. During the present session of Parliament an Act was sought by the Blackwell Railway Company to obtain running powers over the whole of the Eastern Counties Railway; and, had the attempt been successful, the result to this company would have been unjust and in jurious. The directors, however, have the satisfaction to announce, that by the opposition they were enabled to present to this Bill in the Committee of the House of Commons, the powers sought were reduced to such limits as to render it unnecessary to carry the opposi tion further. Tnese h tve increased the law charges of the company during the past half-year. The Eastern Union Company have obtained an Act of Parliament, giving them an extension of time to make the branch to Harwich, and other powers; and although the direc tors felt it their duty to call on the proprietors, at their last general meeting, to refuse their assent to certain clauses intended to have been inserted in that Act, they believed great advantages to both companies would result from the opening of the Harwich branch, and they shall be glad if the Eastern Union directors are enabled to devise some mode of completing it, in which the directors can advise this company to co-operate with them. The directors regret that they have not succeeded in con cluding an arrangement with. the Great Northern &Al way Company; but being well aware of the loss whieh must be sustained by both companies in the evert of a hostile competition, they trust that a good understanding may be maintained between them until some definite arrangement be made. The directors regret that it should have been deemed expedient by the Newmarket Company to discontinue the working of their railway. It has been a subject of much care and anxiety to this board, and several prepositions have been made to the Newmarket Company tor working their traffic, but the directors feel it impossible, consistent with your in terests to offer more than they have already done, namely, to work the Newmarket Railway at cost price, and without any profit to this company beyond what might arise from mffic thus brought upon the Eastern Counties Line. The carriages and other materials be longing to that company, held by the Eastern Counties as security for their debt, will shortly be taken at a va luation. The Electric Telegraph Company's agreement to work and maintain the apparatus upon this railway hiving some time ago expired, remained in abeyance when the present directors took office; negotiations have been since pending which kayo resulted in a new agree ment between the two companies'; to the effect that a fair allowance stall be made to this company out of the re ceipts for commercial and- general messages sent along their line, so that'in future it will be their interest and policy to extend more freely to the public in the eastern counties the benefits of the telegraph, and to induce the more frequent we of this rapid mode of communicating in elligence. The Lowestoft harbour has bees finished within the estimate, under the superintendence of Cap t.,in Andrews, the harbour-master, who has been de servedly appointed by the Trini'y Board superintendent of pil'its fir the peer, which is now much frequented as a harbour of refuge, accessible at all times of tide to vessels of twelve feet draft of water, and to ships of the larger class at high water. The trade of the port con tinues steadily to increase, nearly a thousand vessels having entered the harbour for trade or refuge during the past year; and new residerces are rapidly rising on the south side of the harbour, which, with the esplanade and pier, will render Low eitoft an attractive waterlog place for the citizens of Norwich and the inhabitants of the midland counties, who 'have ready access to it by the railways converging at Peterborough. The works upon the Eastern Counties Railway being now completed the directors are enabled to dispense with the services of a resident engineer, besides effecting other reductions in that department, and to place the maintenance of the way and works in charge e,f the superintendent. The directors suggest that provident funds should be raised among their officers and servants, to which the com pany should contribute, in order to afford, under pro per regulations, some provision for their families in else of amid ,ut or injury, to which such men are much expesrd, as elso in the ,vent if their becoming unab'e to perform their duties thr,ugh age, sickness, or infirmity. In the extensive workshops at Stratford there is now tratning uo a body i f men to work and repair the com pany's engines, upon whose skill and intelligence much dep. nrl3. The directors desire to assist them in a , gulling a pre-tics:lf use ful education, to fit them for sun service-. Tnese obj CO ' to encourage education and prudent habits, may be eir, etc d at a very moderate e xpenee ; the duty as well as the interests of the com p...fly require it, and they trust it will meet the approba tion of the proprietors. During the past half-year pr0 p,..418 p,..418 to work the locomotive engines and carriages by centrect have been urged upon the directors by several, whose knowledge and experience in railway manage ment are entitled to great respect, and persons of skill and responsibiliay have come forward with substantial offers to undertake such contracts, so that the board felt bound to give this subject their best attention; but " Although to the causes thus glanced at is to be mainly referred the non-termination of this inquiry, it is to be borne in mind, that in a idition to the continued investigation of the capital expenditure, we have been called upon during the half year to perform certain other special services connected with, or arising out of, the accounts, such as extensive) calculations to determine the amount earned by the company's traffic over each particular section of the line, with a view to the formation of a basis whereon to four.d a re vision of the present system of rating railways for pa rochial purposes, the preparation of the voluminous re turn made to the House of Lords in answer to the order obtained by Lord Brougham and other matters. We may also mention that the examination of the important items of land purchases and compensation has been attended with peculiar difficulties; the course of our examination into these matters in connexion with the pecuniary transactions conducted through the agency of the late solicitor to the company, made clear the ne cessity, in order to do justice to the interests of the shareholders, of subjecting the whole of those transac tions 0 a most rigorous scrutiny. The meagre and unsatisfactory state of the infor mation which we found existing in relation to this branch of the inquiry had been an especial cause of delay; but having already , made a report to you upon it, we do not feel it to be necessary now to refer to the subject, further then to state that we are still pur suing it; and that since the date of the report allided to, we have found further sums to be accounted for by Mr. Duncan, which, together with those reported, make a present tots! of about 30,0004 to be) accounted for by that gentleman. The items of which that total is Com posed occur at various dates during the years 1345, 1846, 1847, and 1848. _ _ " Independently of the advantages which must neces sarily result from this extensive examination,. in the sense of a well informed conviction produced by it, of the truthfulness of the accounts when finally settled, and the more intelligible and comprehensive view which it will have been the means of presenting . of the character and location of the objects to which the company's capital has been applied, it has alrrady been productive of direct pecuniary benefit in the discovery and setting right of errors to the extent of upwards of 6,0001., ex clusive of the important result of a similar character arising out of the examination of the transactions and proceedings of the late solicitor.—We remain, gentle men, your most obedient servants, " QUILTER, BALL, and Co. " To the Chairman and Directors of the Eastern Counties Railway." The CHAIRMAN said in that room there was gene rally a great diversity of opinion, and he trusted to day they should gain a better character for order than they had hitherto obtained.—(Hear, hear.) The very great difficulties that the directors had experienced in getting correct information of the company's affairs, and the want of discipline they had found in every department of their service, had rendered it almost impossible to carry out those reforms which they all telt to be necessary, and now more than ever.—(Hear, hear) The most important point, which was now so much before the public, and in which the shareholders were all so deeply interested, was the locomotive de partment of their railway. This half year tenders had been received from most substantial gentlemen who were willing to take the working of the line at a very considerable saving to the shareholders. The directors were satisfied their affairs were based on correct data, and it had been found a difficult ques tion to decide how the proposed saving was to be carried out. It had been thought desirable by the directors to ,advertise for a suitable locomotive superintendent, and out of seventy or eighty appli cants they had chosen Mr. John Goocb.—(Cheers and hisses.) That gentleman had come to the directors with the highest testimonials- from every leading en gineer of this country ; • and from the knowledge they had of his private charaCter and his professional experience the directors were satisfied they had taken a right step in plaoing Me. Gooch at the head of the locomotive department.—(Hear, hear, and disapprobation.) With respect to the strike among the engine -drivers, the drivers complained that they were not fairly heard. The men were asked to wait until the directors had ex amined into the causes of their complaints. He (the Chairman) asked Mr. Gooch, with a view to that inquiry, to state to him all the fines that had been imposed on the men. He did so ; but in the interim every man of th em res i gne d.—(C r i es o f " H ear , hear," and " Shame.") Under it the pr u dcircum stancesthe dir ec t ors consid er ed accept the resignation of the men. He (the Chair.* man) and another of the directors had investigated every one of the fines that had been imposed, and he told the meeting, as a practical man, that there was not a fine imposed which ought not to have been im posed.—(Hear, hear.) Such had been the want of the men at Stratford, that it h a d resulteddi'niPline among in the loss of almost the wh o l e dividend.—(Hear, hear.) T he men were generally fined for not reporting mischief instancesofanyol overich contr which they had done, whether t he y had them or not. (The Hon. Gentleman here related several instances of misconduct on the part of the men.) Another question had been mooted as to whether these fines had been returned to the men. The fact war, that when the men came to be paid they gave the directors to understand that they intended to test the legality of the fines which had been imposed, :and the directors, cot wishing to insist on the fines, re mitted them.— (Hear, hear.) On Thursday last the directors commenced with their new men on the Norfolk district, and, with the exception of a trifling shaking which oue of the passenger trains had, there had been no accident on the lines ; and although a great number of strange men had been brought together, they were keeping time better than he (the Chairman) ever could have expected.— (Cheers.) The Honourable Gentleman then pro ceeded to detail several malicious acts on the part of the drivers previously to leaving the company's em ploy, such as putting soap into the engine -boilers, of which it was difficult to get rid, and tallow grease and sand into the axle-boxes of the carriages (A Voice—" Don't take them back.") He (the Chair man) held in his hand the character of every man who had assisted the company on this occasion. He had locked through every one of those characters, and there was not a man OR the line at this time who was not equal to his duties ; there were seventy five of them, and eighteen more of a first-rate character were now on their way to join the Eastern Counties line, from the north and south. The directors did not intend to reduce the wages of the drivers.—(Hear, hear.) They were only de sirous of exercising such econonomy in the manage ment of the line as any man would wish to do in his own private business.—(Loud cheers.) With respect to the accounts, although the directors had not been able to effect much saving, what there was was in the right direction. The receipts per mile in the corresponding half-year with this were 1,2361. ; this year they were 1,240/. ; and while their working expenses of the corresponding half-year were 6221., this year they were 5981 (Hear, hear.) With respect to the re newal fund the directors had thought it right to bring it down at once to the point at which they thought it prudent to continue it. The capital account stood exactly in the same posi tion as they placed it last half-year, and al though Mr. Duncan's eefulcations had occurred, the directors had the great satisfaction of telling the meeting the margin they then took was still amply sufficient to cover them, and there would be no increase on that account. Tne irregularities of Mr. Duncan took place before the present board came into office, and it was a matter over which they had no control. The Norfolk estimate of this half-year was any - thing but satidactory.—(Hear, hear.) They had upon the Eastern Union line an apparent loss of revenue, compared with the corresponding half-year, of 20,000/.—that was on the actual revenue on that line, and there had been an increase in the mileage which had been adopted, more fully to develope the resources of the district, and possibly that had been a mistake. The Hon. Gentleman concluded, after some farther remarks, by moving the adoption of the report and accounts. Mr. THOMAS WOODLEY, a. grocer at Cambridge, was grieved to say he stood there as the representa tive of a deceased friend, who had left him a very nice legacy in the Eastern Union Railway.—(Laughter.) He would ask why, when the Cambridge people took a day ticket from Cambridge to London for 155., they should have Is. 9,1. tacked to it ? Where was the justice or policy of such a • charge ?—(Laughter.) With respect to the combination among the drivers, he thought some blame attached to the directors for not having shown the men a little more courtesy. — (Loud cries of " No, no.") The speaker proceeded to recur to the grievance. of " one and nioepence," but the proposition was received with bursts of laughter. The CHAIRMAN said if the gentleman would call at the office, he would give him every satisfaction in re lation to his complaint. • Mr. WOODLEY, amid a scene of great confusion, attempted still to dilate on his complaint. Loud cries of " Turn him out " resounded from all parts of the room ' • and Mr. Woodley eventually sat down amid loud cheers. Dr. RILEY, of Ware, had: attended there at much personal loss, and until he arrived in London he was totally ignorant that the report of the directors was in circulation. He contended that it was a great in convenience to the shareholders that they had not had the report in their hands till just immediately before the hour of meeting. Ha asked the directors to give a reason for so bad an arrangement.--(Uproar.) Mr. NATHAN complained that the directors had raised their fares on the Colchester line, to the pre judice of the Eastern Union line. Tne CHAIRMAN said the directors bad endeavoured to raise the fares at every point legitimately to the highest limit, where there was not competition. Mr. NATHAN asked if the directors were going to bring the Norfolk line before Parliament agaiu ? Thit CHAIRMAN was understood to reply in the ne gative, unless the shareholders should determine otherwise. Mr. NATHAN was proceeding, on the authority of an anonymous letter, to question some of the items in the accounts, when Mr. ELLICE, a director, intimated that that was not question which could come fairly before that meeting; and asked Mr. Nathan if it was prudent to read an anonymous letter to such a meeting as that ? Air. NATHAN, waiving the question, proceeded to say that the directors ought to do their duty by their men, but he would rather lose his dividend than see any one of the drivers who', had struck do an unjust thing to the directors, or the directors do an unjust thing to the men.—(Cheers.) Mr. Cox, of the Harrow-road, said be was on the side—if he was on any side—or the engine-men, because they were the weakest. It was highly im proper that any body of men should ever be in the power of those who employed them. He was sorry to see in the Times—(lronical cries cf "Hear, hear' ) a leaning to the conspiracy on the part of the then. The question for the meeting, however, was whether the men were in the right or the wrong. He denied the statement made by the men that the directors had said that they might go about their business on the following Monday morning.—(Hear, hear.) It was the men who sent in their own resignations.— (Hear, hear and cheers.) He contended that the Times proprietors themselves would not tolerate such a combination among their own men.—(Hear, hear.) There was an example on record where, on such a combination showing itself among the men at the Times office, the paper was one morning, through the address of the late Mr. Walters, printed by steam, to the great amazement of them all. - The CUAIRMAN, in reply to a question put by the preceding speaker, said the diiectors would not gain by shut ing up the Enfield line, but they gained very little by keeping it open.' Mr. Box asked under what agreement the Direc• tors were acting vs ith the Norfolk Company ? The CHAIRMAN said there was no agreement of amalgamation, but there was a working agreement entered into in that room on the 24 May, 1848, under seal and confirmed by the shareholders. Mr. Box submitted that by reason of that amalga mation the shareholders had sustained considerable loss, and that but for it they would now have a divi dend of 43. instead of 2'. a share.—(Hear.) Mr. HOWES attempted to show from the accounts that a loss of something like 13,000/. during the last year bad resulted from the continuation of the Nor folk Amalgamation. He asked whether the agree ment with the Norfolk Company was of such a cha racter that they could, if they thought proper, repu diate it to-morrow ? (Cries of " Ne, no.") The CHAIRMAN said the agreement had been drawn up by counsel, and the directors , had been advised by Messrs. Talbot and Hope that it could not be set aside. Mr. HOWES was sorry to hear it. He hoped, how ever, that this amalgamation would not be continued at a loss to the company any longer than could pos sibly he avoided.—(Hear.) Mr. W. PRICE said any agreement, working agree ment or otherwise, which should alter the accounts of the company, without having first been sanctioned by Act of Parliament, was illegal, and could not be jus tified. He made his solemn protest against the faith fulness o f the printed accounts of the company, in that they were not rendered..precisely in the form re quired by the Act of Parliament. The CHAIRMAN assured the meeting of the perfect legality of the agreement. Mr. McLauRIN admitted that the accounts ren dered with'respect to the Norfolk Railway Company were correct, as far as those accounts went; but he contended there should be no distinction made be tween the working expenses on the Norfolk line and those on the Eastern. Counties line, which had been made by Mr. Quilter in making up the accounts. The CHAIRMAN said, everything that could be kept separate had been kept separate cn the two lines. Mr. McLetairi went in'o a statement of figures, from which he sought to deduce that the working expenses of this line were unnecessary, extravagant, and enormous—(Hear, hear)—and that it only re quired economical and prudent management on the part of the directors to make this company one of the finest and most remunerative of any in the kingdom.—(Hear,hear.) Mr. GILBERIS, of Hertford, said it gave him pain to hear the acts of the directors questioned in the way they were, without those gentlemen offering any de fence or explanation of themselves. He complained that there had been fictitious entries of shares in the share list in several instances, and that that had been done with the knowledge of some of the directors. Mr. BAGSHAW, MX:, defended the' conduct of the directors with reference to the Norfolk amalga mation, and the legality of the existing agreement. of nfy B. M t ah( ire referenceu. e (i st o i o o n c s u o meeting w , tho Birmingham, i f tehh being emightt k en buep accountant. n far snore „rrok rbinee deprecatedgreeno readily nmddi company the yaann time solveysww d era a large body of carriers, and they _could not of ne cessity carry out their object., collectively, and it was necessary, therefore, to delegato the management to a smaller body of individuals. It was, however, the duty of the shareholders to see that the directory, in whom that trust was reposed, did their duty. They must to a great extent repose confidence in their directors, and assist them in carrying out the legiti mate purposes of the company, until they found out that they were dishonest and incapable.—(Cheers.) The CHAIRMAN then put the resolution, which he declared to be carried unanimously. Mr. MCLAUBIN moved that the abstract of the agreement existing between this company and the Norfolk Railway Company be made out by the soli citors of this company, and that the same be printed . THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, AUGUST 22, 1850. for the use of the proprietors of the Eastern Counties Railway. This resolution was seconded, and eventually adopted amid considerable uproar. A vote of thanks was then passed to the Chairman, and the meeting, whi•_h was of a somewhat noisy character throughout, separated at a little before four o'clock. CRIMINAL COURT.-(TIIIS DAY). OLD COURT. (Continued from our Afternoon Edition.) Mr. BODKIN replied shortly upon the evidence adduced on behalf c.f the prisoner. Mr. Baron PLATT summed up, and The jury, after a short consultation, found the prisoner Guilty, but strongly recommended him to mercy. Mr. Baron PLATT sentenced him to ten years' trans portation. The case did not conclude till nearly four o'elt.ck. CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT. • THIRD COURT. (Before Mr. RUSSELL GURNEY.) Willic. , rn Augustus Skeen, 34, gentleman, was in dic:ed for bigamy with Mary Whilleber Greene, his wife Cecilia being then alive. Mr. Ballantine and Mr. Parry prosecuted ; and Mr. Robinson defended. The prisoner is a tall military looking may, wear ing large moustachios and whiskers. BALLANTINE, in stating the case for the pro secution, said that charges of this character were ge nerally, as far as the jury were concerned, merely confined to the actual facts of the marriages, and that the other circumstances connected with the offence were for the consideration of the court to direct them in their judgment ; and as in this instance the facts were abundantly clear, he should but briefly allude to them. The prisoner, who it was evident was a mere fortune•hunter, and had behaved most heart leesly to those who had become his victims, was mar ried to his first wife in 1838, when she had a good fortune, and all that the prosecution now knew of her was, that she was in Boulogne penniless, and unable to come over to this country. Without entering into the circumstances under which he be came acquainted with his second wife, he would merely state that she also was a lady of fot tune, anti that in the year 1848 he was married to her. After they had been married some time, during which period he exisen , !ed a great portion of her for tune, she became acquainted with the fact of the psi soner being a married man ' • upen which ehe imme diately left him, after which he commenced hunting her, and holding out threats, for the purpose of ob. taining money from her ; upon which her relations, having obtained the necessary evidence, took the pre sent proceedings, which could be proved without the appearance of the second wit's.. ' Mr. John Biker, the parish clerk of St. Mary, Dover, proved the marriage of the prisoner on June 23, 1838, to Cecilia Charlotte Franchall. They stayed at Dover a short time, and then went on the Conti nent. Witness saw the first wife alive in Boulogne about a fortnight ago. Cross. examined—At the time of the marriage the lady appeared to be between 30 and 40. Captain Morris Burchell, a retired officer, proved the identity of the prisoner and the marriage with his first wife. Mr. John Farrell, parish clerk of St. Magnus the Martyr, in the City, produced the certificate of the Marriage of the prisoner with Miss Mary IVhilliber Greene, spinster, on the 2d of February, 1848. Miss E. J. Greene, sister to the prisoner's second wife, deposed to being present at the marriage. It was not until the July of 1849 that she heard the pri soner had been married. Taxed him with it, and he said his first wife was kinder to him than her sister. Her sister had been abroad after she was separated from him. A letter, partly in French and partly in English, and addressed to this witness from the prisoner, was then put in and read. Its contents, which were couched in a somewhat incoherent style, proved that the prisoner, partly by threats and partly by as ap peal to her feelings, wished her to let him again ob tain possession of her sister. In cross-examination, witness said that her sister is about thirty-eight. I cannot say exactly where she is now. She left Dover the week before last, and is somewhere on the Continent. She came from Paris to be married. I was living at Richmond at the time. I heard from my sister about four days before the marriage, and came up from Richmond to be present. I did not then see the prisoner for above half-an-hour. They left for Paris. It was in July, 1849, that I heard from my sister of his being a married man. I was then living with Colonel Rose, at Richmond. He treated me as his daughter. He is dead. At his death he left me money, but not any to my sister. Re-examined by Mr. B ALLANTINE —I was C o l one l Rose's adopted daughter. My sister is now very ill. Thomas Barnes, a City police-constable, said that he went to apprehend the prisoner at 0 Ward's Coffee -house, Waterloo-road, and when he told pri soner that he took him on a warrant for bigamy, pri soner said, " I do not understand you, or know what you mean." Witness then told hire, and he sail he r mistake—they had a greater ch arge t o ma k e aga i nst Miss Greene— that of murder. He further add e d th ere m i g ht b e some After some further ev id ence , Ai. i i t tasose—they addressed might m the e a n jury his ry brother.fr the complaining of the statements made by the prosecu tion, and denying that the prisoner had any money with his wife beyond the amount spent for ordinary expenses, and also that it was most unfair that the fiat wife was not present, and also the exact circum stances under which prisoner became acquainted with his wives, both of whom were older than himself. The Learned Counsel then called Mr. Joseph Crawford, Consul-General at the Ha vannahs, said that he knew the prisoner, who had moved in the best society at that plac e , and also at Paris. This gentleman produced a letter from the pri soner's first wife, written in the mildest spirit, and expressing her intention of not being present at the trial, as it would only serve to assist the case for the prosecution, and could not aid the position in which her unhappy husband was placed. Mr. GURNEY, in summing up, said there was no blame at all to be attached to the prosecutien for the course they had pursued, nor was there any necessity for further wounding the feelings of the first wife, by bringing her up to this court as evidence. All the jury had to du with was the fact of the two mar riages. The jury found him Guilty. Mr. BALLANTINE said he understood prisoner had 15,000/. with his second wife. Miss Greene was recalled, and said she believed her sister's fortune was above 10,000/., but it was settled on her. The solicitor for the prosecution, who was also so licitor to the lady, said it was above 10,000/., settled on her, but be heard that the prisoner had dissipated nearly all of it. After some further discussion the Court said they would take time to consider what sentence should be passed. The prisoner, who stood with his arms folded du ring the whole of the trial, trying to look very un concerned, then walked out of the dock with a military step. Afary Fitzgerald, 47, married, a decent-looking woman, was indicted for feloniously intermarrying with William Beckford, her husband being then alive. Mr. Clark prosecuted, and Mr. Ballantine, who had been retained through the humane interference of the Under-Sheriffs, appeared for the woman. Mr. CLARK stated the case to the jury, and in so doing said that, although undoubtedly an offence had been committed, still the manner in which the charge had been brought forward was highly reprehensible, and cast great discredit on all parties, as no public wrong would have arisen if the proceedings had never been instigated. The facts were these :—ln the year 1824 the prisoner was married at Marylebone to a man named Fitzgerald, who, after living with her some time, deserted her and enlisted in the army, first going with his regiment to Ireland, and then to India. She was then married to her second husband at St. George's, Bloomsbury, in 1831. After she had lived withtim for six or seven years, Fitzgerald came home and came to claim her from her second husband, who, however, continued to live with her altogether for sixteen years, and had five children by her. Finally the first husband got discharged from the service, and it appeared made use of the power the commission of bigamy gave him to work upon her fears to extort money from her, she still living with her second husband-, and some disagreement taking place, he left her, and for some time allowed her money to support the children; •but ultimately withdrawing that sup port, and she falling ill, they became chargeable to the parish of Richmond, where they lived, when the se cond husband made known the whole affair to free himself from them, and these proceedings were taken and the poor woman sent here for trial. Mr. BALLANTINE having most warmly commented upon the shameful character of the proceedings, con tended that she might have thought her husband dead when she again married. The jury found her Guilty, and she was sentenced to seven days' imprisonment in Newgate. Mr. GURNEY said he should not allow the expenses. The poor woman, who was in a fainting state during a great portion of the trial, was obliged to be carried from the dock. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. GUILDHALL. William Claytonwarbrought up on remand, charged with stealing a 401. Bank of England note, a 10?. ditto, and 101. in gold and silver, the pro perty of Mr 9. Jane Lawrence, of 38, Ra,inor• street, St. Luke's, about seven years ago, and absconding with the same. ....._ ...... .......--. After the evidence taken on the previous examina tion had been read over, the witness, Catherine llart, who stated that she saw prisoner take the money from a desk in the parlour of 12, Golden•lane, where Mrs. Lawrence was then living, came forward and requested to be heard, as she had something further to state relative to the case. She said that a young man who was outside the court, came to her the day before, and told her that he came from prisoner's so ay the s s e u c ad t e r i herx. fromFinding he intention licitor. He said he wanted her to comp rom i se the affair, as it was likely to go wrong with th e p r i soner if she appeared again, and confirmed her t est i mony. She declined to enter into any compromi se whatever, whereupon not he to en abandondeu he could not persuade by pecu n i ary offer, he tried what effect threatening langua ge would have, d an ac cordingly told her that it s h e aipaared again t -he nr e cl t o p d u should suffer for it afterwards, as she was only swear ing away the life of the prisoner for the purpose of extorting money from the prisoner and his friends. He then told her that she would be severely punished if she attended the examination yesterday. Ile made use of similir threats to a shopkeeper in the neigh bourhood with regard 'o witness's appearance age nst prisoner. Several parties were present at the tome he made use of the threatening language towards witness. Alderman KELLY directed one of the officers of the court to see if the party was still remaining outside, and to call him in if ho was. In two or three minutes the officer returned usher ing in, much to the astonishment of every one in the court, the gentleman who had acted as interpreter in a case just heard, in which a girl of the town was accused of robbing a French gentleman. The accu sation made against him was then read over, when he denied a great portion of what had been stated, but admitted that he had called upon her and asked her if she wished to compromise the affair, and, on her de clining to do so, he told her that she was swearing prisoner's life away by perjuring herself, and that she would ultimately be severely punished for it. He did not say he came from the prisoner, but that he had been requested to call on her by his solicitor, as they believed, arid he still thought so, that her whole aiw and object was to extort money from the prisoner. Alderman KELLY said that froth his own statement he had been guilty of an indictable offence by intimi dating a witness. The worthy Alderman then re pritnanded the party for his conduct, which he thought was rather a serious offence, and he was allowed to depart. This case was remanded from last week for the attendance of Mr. Serle, the secretary to the Camber well Savings Bank, who appeared and stated that the prosecutrix withdrew her money, amounting to about 1.50/., on September 11, 1843, but they had no note or memorandum in any of their books signifying what money it was paid in. Alderman KELLY said it appeared to him that there was a great deficiency in the management of a savings bank, to pay such a large sum out without making an entry of the notes and cash the demand was met with. Mr. Searle said he could not tell whether it was done or not by other savings banks, he only knew that it was never done at the Camberwell Bank. There was an entry of the money having been paid to Mrs. Lawrence, but it was in the handwriting of Mr. Green, the former secretary. He could not swear positively that he actually saw the money paid to Mrs. Lawrence, but he had no doubt that it was paid. John Krellick, a friend of the prosecutrix, stated that the money was the fruits of her hard-earned savings during twenty years of servitude, and that the loss of the money alleged to have been stolen by the prisoner proved her total ruin, as she was obliged to give up her shop and gain a subsistence the best way she could by plain needlework, or any employ ment suitable to her age. Ile stocked her shop at the time she opened it, shortly before losing her money, with goods to the amount of 201, for which he Lad never been paid, nor did he ever expect to be from the circumstances ( , f the prosecutrix at present. lie had advertised the prisoner at his own expense, and offered a reward of 101. for his apprehension, but all to no purpose. Ilad known the prisoner for six• teen years, and he (prisoner) had been in the habit of calling upon him (witness) every evening to let him know how prosecutrix got on in her shop, but on the evening of the robbery, he never made his appearance and the landlady where he lodged said he had been there and taken away his things, and appeared in a very excited state, and his manner was very inco herent. Alderman KELLY said the case was of too im portant a nature to be disposed of lightly, and he would therefore remand it, to have Mr. Green's evi dence. The attempt to intimidate the principal wit ness only made the case more flagrant, as far as the prisoner was concerned, and he would therefore re mand the prisoner till Tuesday next. SOUTHWARK. Yesterday Francis Davis, a well-dressed young man, was brought before Mr. Seeker, charged with being concerned with two other men in knocking down and robbing Alfred Greenland, a young man in the employ of Messrs. Sandars, cheesemongers, of Collingwood-street, Blackfriars-road, of a bag con taining 375/., the property of his employers. The particulars of the robbery appeared in the newspapers on Friday last, when an account was given of the apprehension of Robert Archer, one of the three implicated in the charge, to ge th e r with the recovery of the bag containing the whole of the money of which the young man Greenland had been plundered. Since then the police have been on the alert to:apprehend the other two men concerned in the offence, and it will be seen from the annexed examination that the police succeeded in that object, but that one of the prisoners escaped by knocking down a sergeant of the L division, by striking him on the head with a life-preserver. Sergeant Wright, M division, stated that in con sequence rf information he went, accompanied by Sergeant Jones, of the L division, to the Olive Branch public-house, in the New Cut, at the corner of the Waterloo-road, between four and five o'clock on the previous afternoon. When they entered the house they observed Davis and another man standing in front of the bar, and, having strong grounds for suspecting they were concerned in the late highway robbery near St. Saviour's Church, they mentioned to them their suspicions, and at the same time intimated that they must accompany them to the station-house. Davis and his associate at once expressed their will- ingness to go, and they quitted the public-house, but had not proceeded more than a doze n yards in the direc - tion of the station-house, when the man in cus.ody of Sergeant Jones struck him a violent blow on the head with a life-preserver, which stunned him and felled him to the ground, and while he was lying thus pros trate, ran away and made his escape, none of the per sons by whom the police were surrounded making any effort to re-capture the offender. Sergeant Wright added that Jones, the sergeant, was unable to attend the present examination, in conse quence of the serious injury inflicted on his head with the life preserver. Mr. Robert Ward stated that he is a salesman in the through Market, and that on Thursday last, be tween nine and ten o'clock in the morning, as he was walking along the passage near St. Mary Overies Dock, his attention was particularly attracted on see ing Archer, the man examined at this court on Thurs day last, together with the prisoner Davis and another man, walking slowly along. When they saw him they drew up with their backs to the wall, and it struck him at the time that they were "up to no good," particularly as he saw at a short distance a chaise standing, with a gentleman's coat lying on the seat, and it struck him that they wanted to steal the garment. lie, however, passed on, and had not pro ceeded many yards when he heard one of the three men exclaim " Here he comes !" and in less than a minute afterwards a cry of " S:op thief !" was raised, and on looking to the spot from whence the sounds were heard, he observed the young man, Greenland, on the ground, an I the three men whom he had pre viously passed running away, one of them having a bag in his hands. Witness saw the latter man cap tured with the bag and money, but the other two men escaped at the time, and he has no doubt the prisoner Davis was one of the parties he saw upon that occasion. The prisoner asserted his innocence of the alleged charge, and accused the last witness of having given two different accounts of the transaction, with regard to his identity; that he could prove he was in bed in the house No. 8, St. Andrew's-terrace, Waterloo road, with a young woman named Caroline Lewis, at the time the robbery was effected, and that he had no hand in it. Mr. SLCKER remanded the prisoner, to give time for the apprehension of the others concerned in the atrdir, and who escaped from custody by knocking down the police-sergeant. :MARLBOROUGH-STREET. ATTEMPT AT EXTOUTION.—THE TABLES TURNED —A sery old gentleman, who gave the fictitious name of John Jackson at the station-house, was charged with haying assaulted Joseph Bragdell. The substance of Brsgdell's story was, that while looking into a shop window in Hemming's-row, the prisoner had acted with gross impropriety towards him, and that on meeting a police-constable he gave prisoner into custody. A companion of the prosecutor, named Wren, cor roborated this statement. The prisoner said he was a gentleman of inde pendent property. He had only arrived in town the preceding day and had taken up his temporary abode at the Tavistock Hotel. After dining yesterday he walked towards the Haymarket, taking his way through Hemnaing's row. Seeing something going on in a shop he stopped and while standing at the window he felt somebody press against one of his hands, which was hanging down. He moved, and again he was pressed against, and then walked away. He was followed by the first witness, who asked him what he was going to stand for what he had done. He demanded an explanation, and the witness said he was not going to allow himself to be pulled about for nothing. He was indignant at this insinuation, and told the witness he would not submit to any such attempt at extortion—he would give nothing. lie then walked on, but finding he was still followed he stop ped. The first witness then told him to come with him into a public-house and the matter might he set tled there without further trouble. He refused the proposal. The witness said he had better do some. thing, or he must take the consequences. The wit ness did not mention the word "money," but all his remarks assured him that his object was money. Ile asked the witness if he meant to threaten him. Th e witness gave him to understand he knew the law, and if the matter was not arranged he would give him into the custody of a policeman. He told the witness he was ready to go with a constable, and a constable was then brought and he was taken to the station-house. The prisoner admitted he had not given his correct name at the station house, but the police had been made aware of it, and he was willing to disclose it if required. The prisoner then mentioned his name and station, FRANCE. The Precse states that severe orders have been is sued by the Prefect ( f Police for the seizure of all prints of a Monarchical or Legitimist tendency. During the last week, it says, more than 20,000 per traits of the Count de Chambord have been seized and taken to the Prefecture. It adds that the zeal of the police agents has been carried so far as to seize prints representing Charles X. and Louis XVIII. GERMAN Y. According to the Cologne Gazette, the intention which the Bivarian and Wurte►nburg Governments bad of forming a corps of observation on the Lover Maine, or the Central Rhine, has been abandoned for the present. A letter from Frankfort of the 15th says—" The Prussian Government, fearing that the Customs Union between Belgium and France which is spoken of may be effected, has resolved to make some con cession to Belgium, and to renew its treaty of com merce with that country," A letter from Berlin, of the 17th, in the Cologne Gazette, says—" Yesterday our Government received the invitation of the Cabinet of Vienna to send a Minister to the restricted Federal Council. It is unnecessary to say that Prussia refuses to accept the invitation. In yesterday's sitting of the provisional College of the Princes the question of a war between Prussia and Austria was discussed. Yet, notwith standing all this, it is believed that all will terminate amicably.". The German Gazette of Vienna, of the 18th, says that the corps d'arn 6,3 of Vorarlberg has received orders to leave for Holsteir, under the command of the Archduke Albert. DENMARK AND THE DUCHIES. A letter from Copenhagen of the 12th inst. gives some further account of the modification of the Danish Ministry. The Count de Moltke, lately Minister of Foreign Affairs, remains President of the Council, a post which he has occupied since 1848. The port folio of Foreign Affairs passes into the hands of M. Reedlz de Palsgasid, well known in diplomatic mat ters, who, conjointly with M. de Pechlin, Danish Mi nister at the Diet of Frankfort, c:included last month the treaty of peace with Prussia. M. D'laminger is appointed Minister of Marine ad interim, and Count de Reventlow-Criminil has the ad interim portfolio of the Interior and of Justice. Letters from Hambnrgh state that the inaction of the armies is generally attributed to the efforts of the envoys of the foreign powers, who, it is said, have been sent into the two camps to prevent the renewal of hostilities. The Cologne Gazette state?, on the authority of a letter from Lubeck, that orders had been sent by the Russian Government to Cronstadt to have all the vessels of war in that port immediately fitted out, and sent on the 15th to join the fleet off the coast of Den mark. YORK AUGUST MEETING. (THIS DAY.) (BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.) (Continued from our Third Edition). The County Plate. Six o'CLocs. No business doing. RATING (13 and 14 Victoria. cap- 99) ' • G SMALL TENEMENTS, --By an Act now in passed on the 14 in rates in respect of small tenement s, i ' is provided that ves or the better a ssess i ng and c ollecting the poor and hi th ghway tries are to determine whether 6/. tenem ents shall be rated the rated to the owners instead o f th e occupiers, and when thus owners are to be rat e d o n a reduced scale. The goo !s of the occupiers are to be liable for the ra tes as well as the goods of the owners. Municipal privileges are not to be taken away from occupiers by rating the owners, but owners of tene ments held for longer periods than from year to y. The ear are entitled to add the rent to the amount paid for rates Act extends only to England and Wales. .Is 4: ITALY. Some of the Piedmontew journals say that the french Government is disposed to act as inedi itor in the differences w hi c h h ave ar i se n between the Sar dinian Government and Rome. The Piedmontese Gazette of the 17th states that friendly ralatioi s have been completely re-established between the Sardinian Government and the Argen tine Republic. The Piedmontese Government has just ordered the expulsion from its territory of two Lombard refugee?, M. Mauro Macchi, a writer in the Italia, and M. Bianchi Giovini, a writer in the Opinione. THE INUNDATIONS IN BELGIUM. the Brussels journals of Tuesday announce that the waters had entirely ceased that morning in the city and the greater part of the faubourgs, and that the inhabitants were engaged in emptying their cel lars. It was on Saturday ;,,night at nine o'clock that the inundation ceased to rise. It remained stationary some time, and then began slowly to de cline. At midnight on Saturday the fall was 4 centimetres ; at ten o'clock on Sunday night 10 centimetres, and at seven o'clock on Monday morning it was 1 metre 13 centimetres. During the inundation the Bourgmetr, s e tuned cart loads of bread and fresh water to be conveyed to the populations of the submerged quarters. In the evenings the gas lamps could not be lighted, and torches were at tached to the pillars. On Sunday the waters rushed from the Canal de Charleroi down the Rue de Flandre with the rapidity of a torrent. The damage done is very considerably, but, on the whole, it appears that fewer lives have been lost than might have been ex pected. Subscriptions have been opened for the re lief of the sufferers, and in several streets boxes have been placed to receive contributions. Large crowds had begun to visit the places in which the ravages had been greatest. Letters from Louvain, Hal, Vilvorde, Beverne, Melsele, Calloo, Doel, Kieldricht, Namur, Mons, Marbes-le• Chateau, and innumerable other towns and give painful ac coun t s o f t h e d amage done floods. In some pl aces h ouses h ave b een villages, thrown down, in others bridges carried away, in others trees uprooted, in all crops and property to an immense amount destroyed. All the letters, how ever, represent that the floods were retiring. Harriott ••• ••• ... ..• 1 Tightwaist ••• ••• ••• 2 THE EBOR HANDICAP. Mark Tapley ... . ••• ••• ••• 1 Clothworker ... ... ... 2 Champion ••• ... ••• ... ... Eleven ran. TATTERSALL'S-THIS EVENING• ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE. NORTIJF,RIV CIRCUI I.—Liverpool, Aug 21. CROWN COURT.—(Before Mr. Justice Wioirr- MAN) William Threlfall, a respectable .looking man, and formerly a large manufacturer in Yorkshire, was placed at the bar, charged, on three indictment., with forgery—on the first, with forging a bill of exchange for 1,000/., with intent to defraud Charles Tyson ; on the second, with having forged and uttered the acceptance of Joseph Ryland, the manager of the Hull Flax Mills, to a bill of exchange fur 2,0001., with in tent to defraud Thomas Whittaker and others; and on the third, with forging the acceptance of another hill of exchange for 1,000/., with intent to defraud Whittaker and others. Mr. Bliss, Q C The prisoner pleaded not guilty. and Mr. Blair a pp eared for the prosecution ; and Mr. Sergeant W ilkins, Mr. Hall, and Mr. Aspinall for the defence. The Counsel for the prosecution proposed to pro ceed with the first indictment ; on which the Learned Counsel for the prisoner moved, on affidavit of the pri soner and his attorney, to postpone the trial on the first indictment, on the ground that the charge had only been preferred on the first day of the assizes, apd that from the shortness of time prisoner was not pre pared with his defence, nor acquainted with the parti culars of the case. His LORDSHI P thought that on F O serious a charge the application of the prisoner w as reasonable. He was, however, ready to try the other charges against the prisoner on which he had been committed, if the Learned Counsel for the prosecution thought it desir able to proceed. Mr. BLISS thought it would b e more desirable that all the charges should be tried etogeth p‘r,ost and th other charges also had theref ore b e This was assented ti , , and the prisoner was ordered tter be poned. to be detained in custody to t ake his trial at the next assizes. His LORDSHIP, having got through the criminal civil cause , and no business, then t r i e d a short other case being ready, his Lordship left übout twelve o'clock. ------------------- Mr. IlAnDwicK said, from the n ature of the cbar, and the respectability of the accus ed, he vroul a i d inquire 11le into the character of the witnesses. Bragd,i I was then examined.--lle was out °fa situa• tion. Had been in various employments, as printer! il e l‘vas assaulted , proceedings porter, and waiter. He then gave an account of when durin a g ,; thheeadllaeygeadn,d up to the time war m Vren was also examined. His account eft ei a A teriany from that of Bragdeil. third person, named Wright, an was examined, and his statembenytthceonPtrris4:t: ret:e story of the other two. Mr. HARDWICK said charges like that brinousgkhet of ward against th, accused were eaty to character difficult to repel. Independently of the incredible acquaintatc."! of some portions of the evidence, there 1 1 , such manifest discrepancies between the statements. 0:1 all the three witnesses, and such direct contradiet'°._. hesitate 11 of parts of their stories, that he could not f a bricti t6u s p t i a .i t s i o n n g er l:is belief that the charge had been for th e purpose of extortion. He should dischor'etbe and bind him over to prosecute. I3ragdell and Wren were then placed tit ti .e b°' and the &positions of the now •ccmplainant ttike"', it The complainant said his name was not Jack4nb, was Michael Jashurgh, and he resided a Burg walks Hall, Knaresborough. The de-position was in tubs'ance the same 65 t" defence. • The prosecutor was bound o ver to next week. a ppear ligillu CLERKENIVELL . ASSAULT AND ROBBERY.--J. Stockb r idge.° W o , e itl; having thief, was charged by Ellen Backlefe an d rubb n e g ry c . ommitted the following dating nu tr4 she T lefthe p h r o o m se s c u to t r t i u x a kstatedthat.h onshTitielstadeselceovntwedl3o:aietg: -0 returoo to her residence, when on Pu c r r c os:i s n e g fi tislo e ch,or l e d k s drue s w h sin e s was followed by the prisoner, o b°111)- 0 0(1 ' down, and ran off with it. cried out, on which the prisoopa l ah a d ssaulted her while on the gl:° and from her some lace she had just purchesitalfo She called " Stop thief," an" d• stopped and given into custody• „ Sergeant Martin, 41 N, gave . y connrinator elhidel , ; _Ube prisoner said nothing in defence, and . remanded. Ford, F. OBTAINING Goons d E e a s s c t r , ib u e e d g a e s nt a , n s aurYchiFte.c&ti,ssreFsidajani:S;s3lll, Villas John Regent's-park, Bolton, furniture broker, row , Finsbury, with having obtained by fri lli false_ r pretences 601. worth of goods. 'us r e P osecutoi, being imposed on by the °P e° ence g , p ,t r , esentations of the prisoner, who ent r;spectability, which ultiniawteaolsyfgl?:phyroae:rvilg:tr:lflerlir:l: was entrusts d him vi ith a large quantity of furnitule'‘,oo shown that a considerable quantity of t l , l b 5 ), the had been pawned and otherwise disposed °i t t hete , prisoner ie a few days after he got possession n' 1 was fully committed for trial. WORSii/P-STREET. -.id Je. al..efili t CHARGE OF FELONY —Mr. Mark Roui.”' wbite' scribed as a merchant in Searbery-street,a no ill, chapel,wa' placed at the bar, before Mr. •",,, a bo , s oa two charged with feloniously stealing eight wa"foperlf ocfitmy .er diamond .o . rings, of the value of 551., the P err ocet City-ro ad . Samuel!, a jeweller in CitY•l a don The prosecutor stated—ln April last 1 bad bid 25th ecept received theb f i r l 10 from f business transactions with the prisoner, an d ! ire° m e e x . ch ' a i n h g e e son3daeced for u th e due eli np lied to of June, but three weeks before shayso.o3% be; in me th several times for fresh goods, tbe la,„ ti r itf• .1. 1 b u i 6 ll w be P e r very day before the bill came to 01sunclnY!, refu.e e d all these overtures ; but on the 2 3-1 ‘ iv as he told I should never see the bill eg e 1/ 1 0 toe s w e ou e ld b m e e properly taken up, and, Wing s h ` l ij be pityv r .tf a nu l • lose bankpoitheitnotes, opportunity the p p o r s i e s prisoner sr eatiohludgnitheeitg:ltist,iss. hie, t a he r re l ore, consented to let him havegfrree3ethq:°:„,ncloi:tatiacihis°l geement was drawn up, which was read (); je ligett d value to to several him times, and he signed it, upon which)." o f the e g i e g t h h t er wa o t f ch s e s s t, an a d t ttwheo duriacirruosnrdy rtir:igie'roptriccie, vies and he its g a ene u r p al and he went away with them its general purport app9re to han hanged away with them. (T ile 9 g re nticil r e ' l ' to the bench, and thoug-ence, that h not V - • subil eg froul the goods purport d to be, quent evidence, returned.) be b . e of th e beer selvesshouldeith ar e e r the va lu egoods t , paid to the prosecutor or th duel 101 ever,went rea . ch . ir n i„, it i was returned to me dishonoured, se, eo ape° fy s h eFch of On the bill becorning WO the prisoner hienselfris"oo:ool, is residence I found that he ha° g and that there was no one in the house. i In cross-examination by Mr. Parnell ittle'j th_aboottifie, said—l have known the prisoner altogether° Cog° years. I found him last' night at 11, waaroci'finn slo es! o _ • -0 house, in D u k e ' s-place, which is a kin „3 us sv' j ,, transaction, mart lik , e Capei_c . as I did find ' him he bullied me, dell liked sbe ourt tor stockbrokers,. and vlbetii the goo d s. and told me I might do as . 1 0 0 substantial bail but consented in the Mr. 'Jammu. ordered the prisoner o c .b_e..7o: cep; me nee, o ne surety be re in g g ei The e ntial bail for his future appearance' f oh ' stockbroker at Pentonville, the court is a d th ° ° a d teu a nd the Pr ig° i :Ilarehmdniserhfc.rahiiealnudtws.sats iStepney'inm edi a t_e ti lf c e r It be t lt li, T H E arc L e IVERPOOL, AUG. 20.—Thero wao a 13 ,, -- e lasn a ' hill C -- OUNT It Y lifiliA-Tzroq?iitelloilti the at to da)'s marker. Wheat, in ret ail 4 1 00 e n , l 6a of rf(aerys aps%:are, sack e (i,c.a e kona s .rdnn a dr e Fia e nb t tiß hoa p lauer t i r e mrrrei d ,limi ~:o.w s o.e v eor e re . (a) tlosdffpgpna.metlinroibov7amOlytni uubdus:;lisit:riecedroruo3:ceteli 6 0 0: 0 012 ; :t l ie ;: $e ~ : ItiZ e n rates• LEEDS, l T r er o ya h r t i ae f s w : w o e b a m eh t fi h c A t h l AUG. 20.—We q have a fair sal" doll r t. , 9 i ibe t Y ed an ;e l munesitt lavtitohriptereclhaatierglieerfli:;;et r ai i rs s k s . ihaoLwe,ermystdos-dtoahnewolrliaolbi;ewthiti7 erteeclo. Oi l; quite retail at about FridaY °wlf. ore. Oats, shellings and heaps 1 theoalteration_dull a c l e Tn o L u oLt n h t e s er f ° r o li m N - ' A lin nn i° al) ! et° f NEwcAs , articles. change hi ai d lne a gr y se for imn 0 freshanxious w he a t b - 3 u l•l 3 ;:h un r e ci s c:Ebni.ba•: u t ° :: : : ini-Il d 'i n r" : * o:aartirbu f eg g ! reu r a : l"l.4°l'l3l'.ls. m axi 1 Ei lwv ic,Ah so p u r t i c t e h s e • l st Barley var i a a n t d i 0 other kin ds o good.m middling. NEWCASTLE l ~, of Quality CATTLE-MARKET, ...'`. cll tae 1.- b(?astsA ra•2o.-"SlPlaPif About fifty bead more 0 9 ' 1 n od e nti elearaactive, s beep w 0 lamb t" ientge.d atT Trade tolerably sin largo supply, exceeding the rlionbetr 0 0 o pd price& 0 , 5 130 oe s last lambes, 9 000. rates marketfor both day yby2,ooo. Trade active I/ , 00, so both kinds of , 13 n .t3 50 0 t e 4e 6a 6i; mutton,' eBooo, imperial, marke t which sold i-ambur'gth"bil;asti,"2-:, Be ef ' re it* niNb 4d to 51d: lamb 4/rd to 51" . Th re I I meal sat 119 s Od. 2tosa the h barley, thus :-2 at 1/ 10s Od, tf, 6 3e' as d a a s y Ifl2ousar:kwshoicahtinseoaldl, e l a t i t e: at; list : 4 i l whereof 5 sold thus:-1 at 240, 1 5 t 2 " s ' 0 :vs. trhi, wheat ditto from at 2 4 , 6 d. EDINBURG It HAY AND STRAW 111,41'1ig I 'll I S " i o t te ea; tr o . .1. 0 ; Oat straw , 7s 6d to 9s Od per kemple a f ,,.. v od t a 41. Old ,7sOdto 7s 6d; barley ditto, ,i' ,ij to ' re 4 3 r , 3, mut lldto Is 2d per stole ; now (lore °VI' .i..,A LKEITH MEAL _, .0 bags oatmeal, MARKET, AliG• 19. • JAY. IP ga r and 35 of barleymeal at th e il d p rice b old' sales dull, Oatmeal same on the top, Sfmcing aim , ; A bag down Barleymeal, •• down, that sold at 2" ' dof r r. -- - u bir d meal is 6d Ds 3 was in e per hag down. 4,400 Os 5 „1 Oatmeal,imperapler sack, of 280 lbe First .-- ,1 ' . ••• ••• b 3 ' .-''' ocl _ ea per ditto 163 91 ,ki . 29s Od 28 ? ni ' ... .. 8 0 4 r semeal s v ..-. A i Flour ... ''' ••• ... ""' s °d .....•••° ° 6l " 4 l ' ... --3 Od od l'ot barley ••• ••• — 3 Od '-4 ••• .•• _______•22.____, _ ...,. COAL MARIUS.— Y.F.BIIOTh".. ...... Buddle's W. Hartley 14s Od' Hatton ......... 0,..• Begbies Hartley ... 13s 3d Has .................. Iloty well . North Percy Hartley 11s Oa 11's lie t .... Lis Oc, ust,e b Jonassolins Hartley 1 anfield Moor I f ,ea t : West 1 l akt e t neH l r d , as r.pt lMoorHartley tn B r 0. 0 ..... . 11 1 32 1 3s s 9i: !'d ,di , St. s W e y li I fl i n t w oe luoe,,,rrl i t , f h s_ e•i Tees i i ls . .. .. .. . .: ...: Wall's End, &c. 133 Rl,ambton ... tO.O. ...o. IHartlev ......• ; Of f B. • ...wicke and Co. ...• „..• Belmont l4B 6d Cardi ~6 Braddyll Bpd. Ships Et tin ls at market srt.lit)o° ro BIRTHS. th e OF A SO IL Derk Sp .00 On the 18th inst., at Speenhantialw , h t he Silas Palmer, Esq., M.D. Bat On the 18th inst., at Devonshire-terrace, Captain Charles Target. V. On the 21st int.Xadv A linisl'etlrrs,2l.oisbotl, On the 20th ius s t., in 'Hart-street, Noe Rivolta. I , 00 o g _____-----___ • ger, I A • Br O ou n g t h l:e z ? q t . h , inst., at 4fS‘t4.l"?jignnt, l 'r estil' ,Ln e ' e c )°, I ' IC daug lit, r of theolfatEedfohuhilliaLngiLenrP,°!--1: t.°lliachb_A'l34fitillfh tc•cq•p FAVaniri!;# colnshire. On the 20th inst., at Beddington, Jobo curo y, t° 10 10" Esq., of Milford-lane, St r and, and Bpson , Lys,, o; Mary, eldest daughter of Andrew Collyerg age' ton, Surrey _ ey. oi l° I. WAL. , t year a derl' g p On the 19th inst., at Bri vliton in the S l ': ca l Pio' vo. Sir Martin Archer Slice, Prbesideu't of the - i i ,',llo trill, i ll On the ?Ist inst ,at Richmond -terrace, a Tre of Etq ,the Clerk of the Howe of Commons, WO' iIl e l g b t n the count } ot, Oi I,: Dowager r ) e f Devon'iea t dy : in N I s , t e . n, lock.in C a r 1 t o n - t e r r a c e , ,re oi Col ° __On the Sth inst., at I ours, Charlotte, t . l, _ e _ t :; ' ,: _ .., fi t, ( l;ot I , errier, and si,t.r of Major-General lirotnie,' Tud ,e ) ,` , I: On the 18th inst., at Shaftcsbury, MIN 13 e_ , j ot , On the 19th inst., at Oxford-terrace, 113 cipa 9 , .I.' e' Clarke Edwarls, Esq M.D., aged 3 7 . ro „ wib,.. e O6 Or s ' On the llitli inst , Lin, eldest on 0 7 " I- toologie all , rector of Lowick and Islip, Nrth 3 l ou se, A OO _ On the 17th inst., at C• ran , ge" i folf Julia Margaret, daughter of F. Morgall, ' lorri'of Ar Su On the i 6th inst., at Valencia; " un b t fe, f-sq" Susan Ann, wife of Widiatu. Talbot Crus bhey, in the same county. • " • - jib st ca. 0t I London: Printed and Published bY t , '" No. 112, Strand, Printer, at rhe 810 the Strar.d, in tl:e Precinct of the S'l v°l ' imso. ISliti(Lesex, Tounday, August 2Z A-- ge 0 1 911