The Press.
London, England, 1854-08-26 00:00:00

AuousT 26, 1854

ness of shipbrokers and emigration-agents at 86,
Gracechurch-street, who was charged with violating
the 44th section of the act. The charge was preferred
on behalf of the emigration commissioners, and arose
from the fact that the Messrs. Newcombe had adver-
tised a vessel named the Jane Green to sail for
Melbourne, and entered into contract with a great
number of passengers for their conveyance to that
port. The section of the act in question provided
that whenever such contracts were not fulfilled, or
that a period of sixteen days elapsed after the day
named therein and the vessel had not sailed, the
passenger could claim back whatever money he had
paid, with damages in addition at the discretion of a
magistrate,but not to exceed 101. and could also demand
subsistence-money during the period of detention.
The departure of the Jane Green had it seems been
delayed for several weeks, although there were nearly
143 emigrants already on board, most of whom had
paid 201. a-piece passage-money, and some more.
The special complaint now urged against the defen-
dant was on behalf of a man named Harding, who
had paid 801. for himself and family, had given up
business in London, and gone on board the Jane
Green some weeks previously, having nowhere else to
go, but was in great distress through the delay in sailing,
and the absence of any provision for his subsistence.
A multitude of others were in a similar plight.
For the defence it was alleged by Mr. Parry, the
counsel, that the Messrs. Newcombe had no inten-
tion of defrauding the passengers. They had
honestly intended to send out the vessel on the
appointed day, but, having fallen into embarrassments,
the provision-merchants had declined fulfilling their
contracts, and the necessary stores could not be
procured. The firm were now, indeed, bankrupt,
and the defendant held a protection from arrest on
civil process signed by Commissioner Fonblanque.
Alderman Humphery, who presided when the
charge was heard at the Mansion-house, observed
that the act accompanied the provision of the 44th
section with penal consequences in case of non-
compliance. He ordered the defendant accordingly
to refund the 801. received from Harding, and pay
101. damages and 2s. costs, and in default committed
him to prison, without hard labour, for three
months.
Two ACTIONS were tried at the Liverpool Assizes
on Monday against the Lancashire and Yorkshire
Railway Company for damages on account of injuries
sustained by the respective plaintiffs through acci-
dents on the line. One plaintiff was a German
jeweller, Who travelled the country with watches, &c.,
and was severely hurt by a collision on the railway
in December last. The defendants paid 750/. into
court, but the jury awarded the plaintiff as much
more, making a total of 1,5001. The second com-
plaint was that of a Mr. Gibson, a civil engineer, who
met. with an accident on March 3rd, 1853, by the
carriage he was in running off the line. 5001. was
paid into court on his account. The jury gave him
in all 850/.

gjaihnts aab (effaces.
FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT.
A frightful accident occurred on Monday morning
near the Croydon station of the Brighton and Dover
Railway, by which two persons lost their lives and
many others suffered very serious injuries. The
catastrophe was, indeed, one of unusual magnitude,
even among the records of railroad calamities. It
appears that the first excursion train for the season
had left Dover in the morning, consisting of twenty-
four carriages, filled with passengers who intended
to spend the day at the Crystal Palace. Being an
excursion train, its intended progress was made
known to the officials on the line, though the precise
time of its arrival at Croydon had not, unfortunately,
been properly understood; for, on its approach, a
ballast-engine, which had turned from a siding where
its ballast-trucks were placed, was in the act of taking
water on the same line of rails. The Croydon
station, on the south side, is approached by a sharp
curve, and the consequence was, that though Barnett,
the driver of the excursion train, had sounded his
whistle for some distance, the driver of the truck-
engine could not perceive that he was approaching
on the same line of rails. On making the discovery
lie turned on his steam without delay, but so rapid
was the passenger-train coming on that about mid-
way between the station and the Windmill-bridge it
ran into the ballast-engine with such force as to
smash the buffers and bind part to atoms. The
effect of the collision was to urge on the ballast-
engine at a fearful rate, but fortunately its driver
was enabled to keep it on the rails even in its dis-
abled state, and therefore it escaped further injury.
The case was unfortunately very different with the
excursion train. The concussion was so great as to
force the engine against the line •of ballast-trucks,
heavily laden with gravel, on the adjoining rails ;
and the scene that followed was of the most awful
description. Four second-class carriages and one
first-class were smashed to pieces, and among their
wins were at least forty or fifty human beings. To