The Press.
London, England, 1853-12-03 00:00:00

Xatu and Volitt.

THE CELEIIII%TI'It nANKRUPTCV CAME of the Messrs.
Chamber+, formerly bankers in Bond street, has at
length terminated. The whole estate has been
realised, the last dividend is now ready for ilistribu
tion among the creditors or their representatives, and
the course of litigation is at length concluded, after
enduring over a period of thirty years. In dismiss-
ing this memorable cause from the tribunal in lln•
ainghall-street, a brief narrative of its origin and
incidents was given by Mr. Espin, the solicitor to
the assignees : _ _ . •

The bankruptcy dotes s far hawk a% lt42N, and some cif the pro.
creviitirit item eiviitorocivi titstiy year,' pre% tooo.ly the White
of the Mraiirs. eIIatIIIN'iM The eno milt 41 doist N pp.% pgatio.t
the pint ealete 11f the limikriiptri iv 2211,1;41. NI., and the
filer of ..reilitore 175. 144 the weparitte ...date of A. 11. rlotto •
beta, the elttee, the itehte proved amount to 11,30. be. 1041., gut

THE PRESS.

the number of creditors proving is .le. The amount of assets
realised on the joint and separate estates, applicable for division
among the creditors, is nearly 200,000/. ; out of which a dividend
of 13a. 4.1. in the pound had already been paid to the joint cre-
ditors, and a further dividend of nut less than 2s. *I. wax now
&Isom to be declared, making together a total dividend of about
les. in the pound, or probably a fraction Inure. On the separate
~tat • of Abraham lit-airy t hambers, the elder, there had been or
would be paid a dividend of 17'.. Gd. in the pound. Oti Use sepa.
tato estate of Mr. Chambers. the younger, a dividend of 20s. in
the pound has been paid. The above buns of 200,0014. is the
os 1111 l uut dnisible amongst the creditors, after making provision
boar payinent out of the assets of the estate of wane very consider-
able ammuits. The legal expenses of the bankrupt*, and the
toroceedinka arising tout of it, have been, especially in the early
stage% of the affairs, extremely heavy. At an audit meeting held
is Isti it appeared that they had amounted up to the year Is4o
to 51,704., and since that period they would amount to 5,0001. or
s:,ossii. more. The suns of 25,0101. was paid to Mr. Chamber% and
his family by way of coinprounote, to end the litigation as to the
eel of bankruptey, which Mr. chambers disputed. The sum of
1,201, him also been paid to the yrsara. Chambers as the allow.
sure to whieh they are entitled in consequence of their estates
having reshot's' a dividend olitod to the full amount prescribed by
the act of Parliament fur mit allowance. The stun of 7,00101.
wool upward's has been paid lac the official assignee for t•ommile
shoo, and various other expenseos and payment's have had to he
provided for. This unfortunate bankruptcy, so notorious for the
litigation to which it gave rise, took place in November, 1525.
'I'M bank, however, had amplest payment a year previously, and
ti., estate wan being d up by trustees nominated by the cre-
ditor's, when a docket was ittruck, and the Sinn ohs-tared bank-
' ulna. Tim validity of the fiat wax olimputesi by Mr. Chambers on
the ground that lie had not ems tttt itted any act of bankruptcy, and
it series of trials took place, In which all the first legal talent of
the day was engaged, to den. ' • this apparently simple ;mint.
These contests occupied die different court* for a period of ten
years. On the lent trial, in the co ourtof Queens Bench at West•
ttt ill %ter, in 11435, after a hearing of two daps, a compromise was
effected, by which, in cointidenttioon of 2b,totit, Mr. Chattiberw
admitted the Set of bankrupts.) ; but the validitf of the banks
ruptcy was still liable to be disputed by other pastiest, and indeed
our person 'lid coin/title to contest it for 114/111.• years afterwards.
The various Chancery suite in which the different estates hail
Immo involved, and the judgments which had been obtained
at:anion Mr. chambers, had then to be cleared off. Indeed, the
property load, to Inman expression of the late N'ice•Chouteellor of
floglatid in reference to it, got into such a elate of " brangle.
:Actor that it seemed ittopoesible to extricate it. The most int-
portion. suit was that which involved the question whether Mr.
I 'lmilibers was the purchaser or only mortgages. in possession of
the operwhouse, now t•alleol her Majesty's Theatre. This wits
tilt linately decided in favour of the assignees on an appeal to the
I lone of Lords, in 104.0. Itefoore this took place, however (viz.,
m is:go), three of the original tiro useigni•ea having died, the
creditors determined on apis tinting three essimices in their
place, in the hope that this might have sonic effect in bringing
tut tiers to a ..4.llellanion. The estates, however, hail got into studs
bad odour from the litigation that had taken pliwo, and that
wioleli watt still pending. that great difficulty was experienced In
getting any one to undertake the task. Three gentlemen, how-
ever, at length consented to he named, and they were chosen by
the creditors. Throat were the late Mr. Renew, Mr. Leigh, and
Mr. Artis. The late Mr. ll'unilusti was then appointed solicitor
is. the estate. Every effort was made by him too bring the mass
of litigation In which it was involved to a 'Nomination; and he
suceeedrit in etleeting a aide of the Opera-hound, after the de.
vision of the !louse of IMNIN in favour of the sossigneets. In de.
1i4.15, Mr. Iliuniltion died, suit the assignees then appointed
iise their solicitor. Since that time I have spared no pains in
carrying ont that wind* lied been s' `IICI d—vir., the bringing
to a colichigion as speedily as 14414001 e, coo patible with the in•
trrests of the creditors, the litigaC then existing, and realising
the estates for their benefit. When I lerhask the business,
the male of the Otot•ralto wise (the title to which was very c011ipli•
cat eil, from the ClistscerV pro WeCtliligH NMI other matters in
whirl' it was Involved) 1.0.1 to 110 completed. These difficulties
were got over by a new lease toeing granted miller the direction
of the I 'nun of ChlUleery, RIO a itoo.l title was thlis Miele to that
property. The various julignit•iits against the estates had to be
got rid of before they could be sold. some of them, were Cr.
tonged, and against others N perpetual injlitic ' was granted by
the Lord Chuncellor after every mesas had been tried to get
them bAlligtied in the courts of common law. The other estates
acre thus set free; and I,,nut. Chancery suits, its which they were
also involved, having been imeeessfully terminated, the estates
were all sold. The question as to the joint and separate property,
lo was CklN`l'lell VI give riee to di litigation, was
.peedily and satisfactorily settled, and at a small expense. In
November, the assignees were enabled to declare a first
dividend of as. in the pound, and since then two others have been
declared. The last matt s•r—ol Mllil or ('handers and Watera—iti-
tool%inga gliontion of Nee4eitit between Mr. Chambers and the
law Mr. Waters, wlsi.h had belts ll4ll.linp for twenty years,
lon ing been rt.reittly tlec!tleol in fen' oottr of the assignee...
of Ilp.aends of :14,01001. has is•o•tt recovered for the estate, awl the
assignee* arc now eitabbsi to declare the present final dividend,
which will, with the prt•vionts dividends, much exceed the
amount the estate was ever expected to pay.
The CommissioxEit asked if there were any ori-
ginal creditors to receive the benefit of the final
dividend ?
Mr. lEsetx was afraid not. Odbooking through
the list he could see little but executors and trustees.
The original creditors now alive were very few
indeed.

The CONIMISSIONER said he supposed that a good
many of the debts due to the estate had been dis-
posed of before this time.
Mr. ESPIN replied that a great many of them hind
hum bought up. One person bought MANI/. worth
at in the pound. The debts had been sold at
varionv prices—some at so low a rate as half-a-crown
in the pound.
The CommisstowEn trusted that this might be a
solitary case both in the expense of litigation and in
its protracted durst• .
Mr. ESPIN said that some of the litigation con-
nected with the ease dated so far as 11407—long be-
fore the bankniptcy.
The t•oitMlsstoNEn said lie attributed no blame
whatever to the assignees, or to those who repre-
sented them. lle only referred to the state of the
law ender• which such evils had arisen.

" CoNsrinAt-v" /'.we, arising tent of the
sliviite concerning witgev between some of the
working printers and Messrs. Tallls, (lune on for
trial at the Central Criminal court on IVednesthly

SATURDAY,

am. The defendants were eight men, named Francis
Friend, James Friend, Robert Brend, Joseph Har-
per, John Robinson, Martin O'Connor, Thomas
Clark, and John Cockrell, and they were charged
with unlawfully conspiring together to procure the
dismissal of a fellow-workman from his employment.

- -
It appeared that the defendants were employed in the estab-
lishment of Mr. Jackson, • copper-plate printer in the city or
I.melon. and the prosecutor was a pereon named Fredeiick
siweice, who is also &journeyman copper-plate printer. Spence
had formerly been employed in the establishment of Mr. Tullis,
in which there had shortly before been some disagreement be.
tween the workmen and their employer, which ended in • strike;
and iu consequence of Spence and some tither workmen iu the
trade tailing employment at Messrs. Tanis' s, they had become
obnoxious to the other members of the trade. Spence was after-
wards engaged et Mr. Jackson's, and after he had been in the
service two or three days he observed that the defendants, who
were all workmen employed on the establishment, held upon two
occatdous what was called iu the trade a " chapel," from which
he was excluded, and, when he was paid his wages at the end of
the week, Mr. Jones, the foreman, discharged him. lle sus.
peeled that the conferences held by the defendants had refer-
ence to him, and, on asking the foreman for an explanation, was
referred to the defendant Francis Friend, who said there were
two reasons why he and the other inns declined to work with
him, one of which was, that he had worked at Mr. Tanis's, which
was a house they disapproved of; and, secondly, that he be.
longed to a society which they did not acknowledge. lit conse-
quence of these proceedings, the prosecutor was dischtuved
from the service of Mr. Jackson; but it appeared that, in a day
or two afterwards, he obtained a situation in souther establish.
meat, where he was still engaged.
Spence was called to prove the above facts, hut was unable to
give any evidence as to what took place upon the occasion of the
conference between the defendants.

Mr. Jones, the foreman, on being examined, assigned as his
reason Mr dismissing the prosecutor, that there was a dieineii•
nation tot the part of the other workweu tummy:late with him, and
that he would consequently have been very uneotnfortable if
he hail remained iu the service; and, being also aware that he
had another situation to go to, he considered it better Mr his
own sake that he should diseharge him.
. .

Mr. Baron Mao:town expresse*- I an opinion that npun these
facts the present indictment could not be sustained. All that
appeared to he proved was, that the defendants, tOr come reason
or other, declined to associate with the prosecutor.
Defendants' connect said they were imitructed to state that
this was really all their clients intended to do. The prosecutor
was a disagreeable person, and therefore they would nut amidst*
with him.

A verdict of Not aunty wa,4 then taken, and the
defendants were immediately discharged.

THE WHEELWIRIOTIT GRENNEY, who was lately
committed for an attempt to murder his wife by cut.
ting her throat, was tried at the Central Criminal
Court on Wednesday. The poor woman has had a
narrow escape with her life, having only recently been
pronounced out of danger at the hospital, where she had
remained for several weeks under treatment through
the severe wounds inflicted by the prisoner. His
outrageous act was clearly proved, as well as the de-
liberation with which he had evidently planned it.
lle was shown to have threatened to murder his wife
some hours before he actually attempted the crime,
and also to have selected the knife which he after-
wards used for that purpose. A verdict of Guilty
having been instantly returned by the jury,

The learned judge (Baron Alderson), in directing sentence of
death to be recorded, said, that although the life of the prisoner
was most justly forfeited to the law, it MIN hot his purpose, as
far as his humble poser went, that the capital sentence should
he carried out, and he should make a representation to that
effect in the proper quarter. Tlw jury had performed their duty
firmly and most properly, and he sus glad that they had not
been induced to refrain from returning the only cenlict which it
appeared to I they seer justified in giving upon the facts.
There was no doubt that in a 11101110 It of brutal passion cons,
oral 11110011 a 40111,1011 Its to his NW'S infidelity, for shish there
did not appear !obe the slightest foundation, he hail committed
a most cove{ e attack upon her, and it saw a providential vir-
e 1111 l stanee that her life had been spared. All the facts, how-
ever, mould he taken into consideration in the proper quarter,
anal at present he should merely direct Pcnictire of death to be
recorded.

AFTER A " SELT.INO RACE " at the last Rochester
and Chatham meeting, the winning horse, named
Economy, was put up according to the rule and sold
for 65/. The horse subsequently won another race,
and, being of much higher value than the price given
for it, two parties, named Iladlam and Price, have
gone to law on the question of ownership. I adl am
is a licensed victualler in Fleet-street, and appeared
as plaintiff in the action. which was tried on Monday
in the Queen's Bench. He said that the animal had
been knocked down to him, that he had borrowed
TO. from Price to make up the purchase money, and
had asked him to enter his name as purchaser, be-
cause he (Hadlam) did not wish the public to know
that he was its owner, and also fearing some unplea-
santness with his " missus " at home if the transac-
tion came to her knowledge. Afterwards Price re•
fused to give up the horse, and the result of much
wrangling between them was the present application
to the agencies of the law :

The defendant, a fanner mei horae•tlniner in lhlekinghan•
shire. plated that the plaintiff and Ititnaelf had bid against radh
other for the and that it had been Isioa.k.4l down to hint
(defendant) for I;51. Ihe pl 'R's last bidding was, he believed,
011. Not hating enough. 1110IICV in luau pocket, except by a cheque,
which was not a legal tender, he applied to the plaintiff for tha
loan of Va.. which he obtained, and with it paid Mr the bora..
Ile sold it aaalll the same night for 1111, more than lie had given.
The next morning lie tendered the 451. he had borrowed to the
Ile believed the plaintiff had laid SOM. to Wig. again t
tilt. horse upon the Weat Kent Stakes, at whirh it rail in the
.r.
1.0t.1 411111E1i .in aumming.lip. said the queation no% entirely
one for the it eb•pcuded upon the credit they attached to
t '0men...m..4 the plaintiff and dch•ttdaut.
The jury returned a verdict for the plaintiff for 100
puttees, allowing the defendant a bet off of 2:11.

I)frEmnzu 3, ISM.

Arts.l,‘lnN EV is the defendant in a Nutt for restitu-
tion of conjugal rights brotrAt I,y her bn.1,1111,1 in
the Arehes Coen, and to which she plead•A cruelty
on his pad hi bar of the action. The heating of the
case still stands over, but a preliminary question was
argued on Monday at great length beftwe Sir .1
Dobson, on the point whether Mr. Money was bound
to pay two conensol for appearing on his wife's 'Audi
in the before-mentioned suit. A husband law.
obliged to provide his wife with all proper nee. s•
caries for her stati•in ; and among these necessaries
is include 1 the assistance of counsel in any action
which Ito himself tufty bride agaim4 her ('Ollll5
that take cognisance of matrimonial ditterences. In
the present instance Mr. Money !rivalled that he hail
provided for one counsel, bat demurred at the ex-
pense 01 the second, alleging that such supplemen-
tary professional aid was nuneeessary, that he was
too poor to afford it, and that the proctors on both
sides hail eon-witted to an with a single counsel. The
case wits argued with much ingenuity, great im-
portanco being attached t • the decision, as forming
a precedent upon a novel point of law. l'ltitnately
the court decided that Mes. Money was entitled to
two cointsel. and ordered the report of the registrar
in which the exponses of both learned gentlemen
had been charged against her husband to be affirmed
with coats.