The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1862-12-16 00:00:00

WlltSb iTC.

MELICSFIAM. IMPORTANT TO RAILWAY
Te-th.VKLUitte CiaIRMO LUGOAOL—A case has
just been decided at the Melksham Comity Court,
by the judge, W. C. Y. D. Coillard, which is of
the utmost importance to commercial travails.", and
the trading community in general. Mr. John
Jeuninge, a draper of Melkshare, seed the Gnat
Western Railway Company for the recovery of £5
damages, alleged to have been sustained by him in
consequence of the companyr servants having neg-
lected, as he stated, to forward his luggage by train,
on the 29th October last. It appeared that the
plaintiff left Melksham by the 3.15 train on the day
in question. He had with him two parcels which
were labelled by the company's servants " Chippen-
ham." When he arrived at Chippenham his luggage
was missing, and be spoke to the superintendent
who telegraphed to Melteham, and promised Mahe
would forward the luggage to Baddiegton that
night, whither the plain6fl wnegoing. The luggage
eel arriving the next day, the plaintiff, upon
Inquiries, found that the luggage had gone round by
Oreneester, and he did not get it till that evening.
In emsectenee of the delay, he was pen te greet
inconvenience sind personal expense, the
consisting of goods which he had to dispose ofiligict
plaintiff wrote to Lord Shelburne the Chairman of
the Great Western Railway Collipeny, and after
that one of the company's servants called on him
and offered him £l, without prejudice to the case,
which he refused. Mr. Smith, who appeared for
the defeudests, contended tbat plaintiff could not
recover. The company, by the 169th sec. of the
Act, undertook to convey, without extra charge, tho
articles of clothing only ef the passengers, sad thee
same section expressly exempted them from respon-
sibility for anything else, except mush passenger'.
&diets of clothing. The company were not bound
to carry goods or merchandise belonstes to pitmen-
sus, Ka paneenger took it as luggage, he did mat
his own milt, railcar he paid for the carriage in
addition to hie owe fore. The plaintiff had com-
mitted a fraud ripen the company by passing off his.
two parcels as persomit Inggsge, when, in fact, they
contained nothing but geode M trade. In is
recent case in the Common Pleas, it hed,bsee con-
tended that if the company's servants that
any passenger's luggage contained • ie
was their duty to make inquiries of thripassengem,
but Chief Justice Ede held that it was the duty at
the passenger to inform the company's servants, and
that if he did reit do so be was guilty of fraud epos
the company, by depriving them of the proper To
melioration for carryiMg goods. The Judge decided
that the plaintiff in this ewe had committed a fraud
by passing off goods in trade as personal luggage,.
and he therefore nonsuited him without*.
T IECOMBE. —DISGRACEFUL Ciliate* mastery
A CLLRGYMAN. —At the Peweey petty sessions,.
Friday, the Rev. Herbert Williams, curate of Tid-
combo and Fosbary, Wilts, was summoned for
iatimentdy assaulting Maria Beckingham, •single-
women, on the 26th of November. Mr. Rowland,.
solicitor, of Einngerford, appeared for the prosecu-
tion ; and Mr. Holloway, of Pewsey, for the defense-
It appeared from the statement of the prosecutrne.
who is a respectable-looking girl, about 17 years of
age, that she is in the service of Mr. Barnes, a
farmer in the parish, and that Me defendant has
been in the habit of taking his mealiest the house.,
it being the girl's duty to wait upon him. On the
evening of the 26th of November it was the inten-
tion of the rev, gentleman to sleep at the Mese el
Mr. Barnes, and between sie and seven eatoelt,
when the prosecutrix went into the pecioar„
the defendant asked her if she should
like to go abroad, to which she replied
that she should not alone. He then went eat again,.
but returned in a short time, the girl being the
only person in the house, with the exception of the
baby she was nursing. The defendant then sem-
menced kissing the girl, and wanted her to put deinss
the baby and sit on his knee. He also wished her
,to retire to an upstairs room with him, but elie•
refused, and he then pet his hand up her clothe...
fibs threatened that she would tell her mistress,.
whereupon he said is was going abroad ina few
months, and he would take her with him • oil the,
.sly if she would say nothing about it. Me then left
Mer to go to the evening school. Mr. Berms re-
tamed about nine o'clock when the girl told her
what had happened,and also informed her libber on,
the following day. The latter went to see the rev.
gentlemen at dinner time, when he said if be' badi
done wrong he was very sorry for it, and held out
his hand to the father and wished him to forgiver
him, but the latter said be would bike time to con-
sider the matter. The defendant is a married man,
with one child. Mr. Holloway, on behalf of the
accused, said he could not resist the evidence which
had been adduced. It was, indeed, a meet painful
ease, but he hoped, considering the defendant's posi-
tion in society, that the magistrates would deal
summarily with him, and not send him for trial, as
they had the power of doing. The magistrates
(Mr. J. E. Fowleand the Rev. H. Gale) then relived,
but were only absent a few minutes, and on their
return the chairman said the offence was of so sage's-
vated a character that any punishment the magis-
trates could inflict would not be sufficient, and there-
fore they had decided upon committing the pri-
soner for trial at the next quarter sestinas, to be.
held at Devizes. If the defendant would ester into-
& reongnisance of £lOO, and find two other swede*
in £5O each, he would be released, but if net the,
law would take its course and he would be com-
mitted to the gaol of Fisl;erton Auger till January
next. The depositions were then taken, and the
rev. gentleman was fully committed for trial, reserv-
ing his defence. He was unable to find the required
sureties, and, the magistrates declining to alter the
amount of bail, he was removed in custody.
Corresponbenrc.
4
LANCASHIRE DLSTRRSS.
To the Editor of the Dorset County &press end
A grieultural Gazette.

Si,—We have been rather interested upon the
subject of amount of poor rate, which is understood to
be much higher with us than in the North. Let me
send you an extract from • letter received from one,
of the Northern auditors (well known to some of the.
chief authorities in Downing-street and Whitehall) upon,
whose statement reliant* may be placed. He siva :
"Ordinerily our poor rate is oply Is. Id. in the £
but it is to be remembered that all contraeta have been.
made upon this feet, therefore increase this rate on a.
depressed and suffering people to ss. in the 2, and the
suffering is most serious. Our assessments also are-
made upon the full value of the property. At Stockport
' they are now at 7s. Si. in shed. In the Town-
ship in which I live (Roohdale) we have only paid 2s.
yet, but It. Is 41 spent, and another 2.. rate will be
made in January. Many of the collectors tell one daily
that they do not knAr how they are to collect the re-
quisite funds."
The above may interest some of your readers in
Dorsetshire. Your obedient servant,
F. F.

One of the Warel;ni; bonoutline.