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

THE PRE S S, SEPTEMBER 4, 1858.

this last act on their part, which he felt most heartily
and gratefully.
Mr. CLARK then moved a vote of thanks to the
Deputy-Chairman and the other Directors the
Company, which was seconded by Mr. ARBUTHNOT,
and carried unanimously.
Captain EASTWICK expressed his grateful acknow-
ledgments, and said that the Directors were doeply
sensible of the responsibility imposed upon them,
and were earnestly anxious to carry nut their duty
both for the interest of India and the interest of the
Court of Proprietors.

Mr. HELPS.: I hope you will now allow me to
propose a resolution.
Dr. BEATTIE: I rise to order.

The CHAIRMAN : It is true this is a special court ;
but as it is the last occasion on which we shall meet,
I think, under the circumstances, anything which
any proprietor wishes to bring forward should be
heard.

Mr. *HELP3 : I thank the chairman fur his kind-
ness. I might technically have moved the suspension
of the by-laws, but it is not necessary. I move, sir,
the following resolution :
The East India Company, on surrendering at the bid-
ding of Parliament those powers connected with the go-
vernment of the British territories in India which it has
long exercised as trustee for the Crown, desires to return
its warmest tl.inks to its servants and officers, of eve -y
rank and in every capacity, fir the fidelity, zeal, and effi-
ciency with which they have performed their several duties,
and offers to them its best. wishes fur their future
prosperity.
To those who are natives of India, the East India
Company has the satisfaction of being able to give tke
fullest assurance that in her Majesty Queen Victoria they
will find a most gracious mistress, not unmindful of their
past services under that authority which has hitherto had
the honour of representing British Sovereignty in India,
and ever reedy to reward loyalty to the liritish Crown.

The East India Company-is convinced that the members
of the home department of the Company's government
will maintain the high reputation which that department
now enjoys, and will continue, when enrolled in the direct
service of the Crown, to command the esteem and con-
fidence of their official chiefs, and of the public.
Ot its fellow•countrymen employed in India under the
Company's government, whether as civilians or soldiers—
of those especially whose duty has recently subjected them
to trials of unexampled severity, and who have done their
duty so admirably as to win for them the praise and sym-
pathy of their Sovereign and their country—the East India
Company is proud to say that their past conduct affords
the strongest security that the Crown will possess no aer-
Tanta abler, none more devoted than those who have been
trained by the Company. And without in any manner
arrogating to itself what is due to men, some of whose
names are honoured in every region of the civilized world,
the Eut India Company trusts that in the page of im•
partial history it may be recorded as having presented, in
the career which it has opened both to the members of its
own civil and military services and to the gallant troops of
her Majesty and her Royal predecessors, a field for the
exercise of the highest qualities of the statesman and the
soldier.
In the humble hope that the Company's rule will prove
to have been, in the hand of Divine Providence, an instru-
ment of good, and even of the highest good, to India, the
East India Company earnestly prays that it may please
Almighty God to bless the Queen's Indian reign by the
speedy restoration of peace, security, and order, and so to
prosper her Majesty's efforts for the welfare of her East
Indian suojeets, that the millions who will henceforth be
placed under her Majesty's direct as well as sovereign do-
minion, constantly advancing in all that makes men and
nations great, flourishing, and happy, may reward her
Majesty's cares in their behalf by their faithful and firm
attachment to her Majesty's person and Government.

Mr. JONES seconded the amendment.
Mr. LEwIN and Colonel SYKES supported it.
Mr. HELPS explained that he had purposely ab•
stained trom connecting his resolution with any par-
ticular name. When he saw the gentleman on the
right of the chair he could not help thinking of his
immediate predecessor, and another name also, that
stood high in the ranks of literature, occurred to him
—the names of Melvin and Mill could not fail to
strike his mind ; therefore he thought it better not to
connect with it the name of any gentleman, but to
make it universal.

The resolution was adopted unanimously, and the
Court then adjourned, never again to be called to-
gether as the governing body of the British East
Indian Empire.

YltiU ad polite.

PICTURE PRAUDS.—William Thomas Barns, the
son, and Lucy Barns, the wife, of Mr. Barns, picture-
dealer and auctioneer, of St. Paul's•churchyard,
appeared at Guildhall, before Alderman Wire, to
answer a charge of conspiracy to defraud Mr. Robert
Harries Peter, a gentleman of independent property,
residing in Hyde-park-square, of divers sums, in-
cluding a bill of exchange for 1,0001., to the amount
of between 2,0001. and 3,000/.
This case is merely a preliminary to other prose-
cutions of a similar character against & number of
picture.dealers, who, it is alleged, have victimised the

prosecutor to the extent of about 16,0001. within a
very few months.
Mr. Sleigh, instructed by Mr. W. Day, appeared
for the prosecution. Mr. Metcalfe, instructed by
Mr. Lumley, was for the defence.
After some formal objections taken by Mr. Met-
calfe had been overruled by the magistrate, Mr.
Sleigh said : It appears, sir, that Mr. Peter went to
the defendant's shop in St. Paul's•churchyard, and
bought some pictures to the amount of 701., and
within a very few days after Mrs. Barns called upon
him at his house, and represented that she had a
very valuable collection of pictures to dispose of,
which belonged to the widow of a cousin of the
Duchess of Newcastle. One of them, she said, was
a " Rosa Bonheur," which had cost the Duke's
cousin 5001. ; but I will show you, sir, that this very
picture was sold at Christie and Manson's, on the
12th of June last, for 171. Os. 61 I will not go
further into the facts, except to mention with regard
to that and other transactions that, in gratitude to
him for buying these valuable pictures, these defen-
dants from time to time presented him with various
gifts, consisting of walking-sticks, Chinese mandarins,
and other tokens of their regard, the last present
being a silver-gilt race-oup.

Mr. Robert Harries Peter, a gentleman about
sixty years of age, was then examined, and said : 1
am an independent gentleman. 1 reside at 45,
Hyde-park-square. I remember calling in the month
of May last at the defendant's shop in St. Paul's-
churchyard. My attention was first attracted to that
shop on seeing some vases and other things in the
window, and I went in and saw some pictures. I
saw Mr. W. T. Barns on this occasion, but Mrs.
Barns was not there. I bought two pictures for 701.,
and I gave 51. to a person who said he had previously
purchased them. Mr. W. T. Barns told me the
pictures had been exhibited in the Brussels Exhi•

Mr. Sleigh : Did you some time after that receive
• visit from Mrs. Barns ?

Prosecutor: Yes. She knew whera I lived, because
the pictures I uought had been sent home to my
house. They had known me some time. She came
alone, and in the morning. I did not send for her,
and did not expect to see her. She told me that a
lady, who was the widow of a cousin of the Duchess
of Newcastle, had left a gallery of very ♦aluable
picture;, which had cost 100,0001., and that she (the
lady) was very desirous of converting them into
money. She also said the lady was in very distressed
circumstances owing to the extravagance of two sons,
and that it was of great importance that the pictures
should be sold, and mho (the lady) had desired her
(Mrs. Barns) to dispose of them to the best
advantage. She said she had known the lady for
several years, and thought her a most kind and
grateful woman ; that she was very desirous of
serving her, and had done all in her power to do so.
Alderman Wire : Did she on that occasion offer to
sell you any of the pictures ?
Prosecutor : She did not, sir, but her son called on
me shortly after.

Alderman Wire : Did you offer to buy or express a
wish to see them ?

Prosecutor : Neither, sir ; but Mr. W. T. Barns
brought the pictures to me.

Mr. Sleigh : How long did Mrs. Barns stay when
she called ?

Prosecutor : About three quarters of an hour, sir.
Mr. Sleigh : Then, what further did she say?
Surely she must have said more than you have told
us in that time ?

Prosecutor : Her conversation all the time was
principally about the lady's situation. She did not
offer me the pictures for sale. She spoke more about
the lady's great distress and that the pictures must
be sold. It was about a week after that when the son
came to my house. It was about noon. A van was
brought and Mr. Barns was shown into my dining-
room. He said he had brought some pictures for me
to see, which were of very great value and must be
sold.

and that they formed part of the collection of the
lady mentioned by Mr. Barns.
Mr. Sleigh : Was anything said about a picture
worth 0,000 guineas ?
Prosecutor : Mr. W. T. Barns said one of the
pictures, the subject of which was the " uts,4l
Eaters wills: " Murillo," and the finest he had ever
painted.said it cost the husband of the lady
8,000 guineas.
Alderman Wire : Was there no reference made to
any other owner of this property than the relatives
of the Duchess of Newcastle?
Prosecutor : No, sir, nearly every picture that be
brought be gave me a description of, but I cannot
recollect all. I bought the pictures believing them
to be genuine originals.

Mr: Sleigh • What was said about the "Ross
Bonheur? "

Prosecutor : He said that was the pictur • which
cost the deceaged gentleman 5001., and that it was
genuine picture. The subject was " Oxen Ploughing
a Field."
Mr. Sleigh : What was the aggregate amount which
you paid in cheques to the defendants?

. -
Prosecutor : I cannot say exactly ; but it was from
1,0001. to 1,2001., exclusive of the 1,0001. bill. When
the " Rosa Bonheur " was brought there were eight
other pictures with it. They were brought in by
Mr. W. T. Barns and his man. I gsve him my
acceptance for 1,0001. for the " Rosa Bonheur," the
" Turner," and six others. I had received several
presents from the defendants.
Alderman Wire : Did you give any cheques after
the bill?

Prosecutor : No, sir.
Alderman Wire : Then the 1,0001. bill closed the
transactions ?

Prosecutor : Yes, sir.
Mr. Sleigh : The bill, sir, is dated the 95th of
June, and there are two cheques of the 30th of
July, so that the bill could not have closed the trans.
actions.

Alderman Wire : When was the lmt cheque given'
Prosecutor : The last cheque was given to Mrs.
Barns.

klderman Wire : Then that closed the trans
actions ? .

Prosecutor : Yes, sir; I did not understand you
before. Upon various occasions Mr. IV. T. Barns
brought presents, with the widow lady's compliments,
and stating she did not know how to be sufficiently
grateful to me for purchasing her pictures. lie also
said she was having a handsome piece of plate
engraved for me. The presents consisted of curious
little tables and scarce articles of the antique. A few
days after I gave Mr. Barns the bill he brought me
the cup produced, and said the lady had sentme that
piece of plate as a token of gratitude.
A large massive-looking silver-gilt cup, handsomely
chased, and inscribed on the face with the following
words, was then produced --" Presented to Robert,
Herries Peter, Esq., by a dear and beloved friend."
Upon the lid was a ducal coronet, surmounted by a
ram's head.
Mr. Sleigh : There is also an inscription upon the
lid of—" Newton Races, 1855, the Gift of the Lora
of the Manor," showing that this handsome piece of
plate which was engraved expressly for Mr. Peter,
was an ordinary race-cup. t Laughter.)
A gigantic picture was next produced representing
" Oxen Ploughing," but from their resemblance to
the animals in the Noah's Ark toy and the general
colouring of the foreground little doubt could be
entertained by a connoisseur as to As value as an

Prosecutor:original.
This is the picture called the "ROA
Bonheur "—( laughter)—for which I gave 5001-
Mr. Sleigh : This is the picture which I am pre.
pared to prove was
purchased at Christy and Man-
son's for 171. 61.; but as it is not possible to get
through the case to-day, perhaps now would be the
most convenient time to adjourn.
Mr. Metcalfe consented, and his cross-examination
was accordingly deferred.
The summons was then adjourned. The defen.
dants were admitted to bail on their own rceog
nizances.
The inquiry was resumed on Monday.
The evidence in chief of the prosecutor having
been read over by Mr. Martin, the chief clerk,
Mr. Peter said : I wish to correct my deposition
in which I said Mrs. Barns told me the lady WAS a
relative of the Duchess of Newcastle. That was
mistake of mine. She said the lady was a cousin of
the Duke of Newcastle. When I paid Mr. W. T.
Barns the cheque for 401., dated the 18th of June,
he said that was for his commission on the pictures
he had brought. I did not ask how it was I had tope!
him commission. The cheques now produced are
all in my handwriting. One is for 10/., dated the
14th of June ; one for 2001., dated the 18th of June,
both of which I paid to the defendant, W. T. Berl,
but the latter cheque was made payable to Mr- Wriu'
hams.
Mr. Sleigh : Will you tell the Court why it Wu
drawn in a different name ?