The Express.
London, England, 1863-10-27 00:00:00

TO TIER LORD MAYOR AID COURT OT ALDIRARN Or TER

CITY or LONDON.

Gestlemee,—A deputation from the board of tide
company will attend the meeting of the General Per-
pose. Committee of the Court of Aldermen to-morrow, as
requested in the letter of Mr. Woodthorpe.
I am, however, desired to state in reference to the exist-
ing arrougeineota of the omnibus timekeepers in the Oily,
that my director' have no alteration to propose, as is
their opinion the system now in operatics:, and the men
employed therein, are es efficient and satisfactory as can
be expected, but if any &sags be deemed necessary by ins
court, my directors will be happy to meet their views in
every practicable way, as they earnestly desire to 00-0;10111,111
folly with the court in giving facility to the tralo of this
streets.

But my directors, thinking the moment in which the
oourt is engaged in considering the regulations necessary for
promoting an easier dow of trade through the learlieg
thorongleares appropriate for the purpose, desire to submit
to the court that with regent to the omnibus audio a very
large measure of relief might be obtained at the Mansion.
house, in the Poultry, Cheeped°, Ludgate-hill, Newiperi•
street, Gracechurchetreet, sad Bishopegste, and, iedeed,
in all the leading and moat crowded thoroughfares, if a
regulation were made and strictly endorsed whereby omei-
buses, having once started so their journey, were prohibited
from stopping or keeping back from close following in the
hoe of vehicles before them, except fur the purpose el
taking up or setting down passengers.
My directors, speaking from experience, are convinced that
the adoption of this reguletion would be of very great public
service ; but as it would seriously prejudice the revenue of
omnibuses working on that principle if others were allowed
to follow the present system of pulling up sad plying for
hire, it will be obvious that it 'aunty by a public regulation,
impartially enforced by proper legal authorities, thee it
could be carried into effect.

lam further desired to say nuts as the year 1858 my
director. submitted the foregoiug suggestion to Use court,
and that their sulasequeut expesieuc. Loa more strongly
cousins:al them of its expo:Hew-4.-1 am, gelatinises, your
obedveut envitut„

tigted) A. G. Cauace, Secretary.

CITY EXTENSION OF THE SOUTH EASTERN AND
CHARING ('Soma HAlLwATS.—Yeetercley workmen corn.
messed sinking she cylieders for the central piers of the
bridge hetwer Reakeide on the Surrey side of the river end
Censoe-street, City. The other cylinders on the south side
are completed arid the lead abutment is MUM than half
finished. The viaduct from thence through the Borough-
market is also commenced, together with the demolition of
a vast mess of property to make w for it, including por-
tions of Vicker's distillery. The bridge, though the emus in
drip, will be 12 fret wider than that at Charing-cror, so
as to accommodate five irked of four lines of nil, end it is
under, toml that spplicatioe will be made to parlianant for
a public passenger way on each side of it, similar to that ail
Chaiitsperose, to accommodate theßoirough traffic aad retire
Londoerbridge.
SERIOUS ACCIDENT TO • VOLUNTEER RIFLE
MAREIR.—The members of the let Middlesex Volunteer
Artillery, commuted by Colonel Creed, assembled year-
day afternoon at the government practiee rater, Plumataid-
mantra. to compete for a series of prises with rlulation
carbines. During the yelesseduige, • serials sealant os•
erred to • pensions of the Royal Artillery, named William
Holmes, who has for * long time acted as cue of the [mem-
meat markers. It supers that whilst so implied Holmes in-
cautiously expired his right hand brood the maralet, who •
shot pored through the head sad also carried away the
middle Anger. The sufferer was promptly attended by Dr.
Allen, of the lit Middlesex. and was subsequently removed
to the Royal Arsenal Infirmary.
Foil betiwtit of reduced duty obtained oy pur-
!beam ilentliasn's Tara Tea: my chaise at Is. al sad es.
• moo aseoeaor et is. Id. (termetly GC. is Os allxiiiim•
sad
amost darer berieted. Arica is weir tent espy
mamb

ESS, TUESDAY

tat; int dlisout.

EV El'

COURT OF BANKRUPTCY.—Ocr. 25.
(Before Mr. Oomunisioolt Goalbws.)
Dl BE MARIA LADD.-CABB OF A ILUINIED WOMAN.

The bankrupt, described an of Wells-street, Oxford-
street, out of bushiest, and formerly of Strogate, Lambeth,
baker, recently applied for her release from custody, when
it appeased that she was a married woman who had been
trading as a bone sole. The matter now came en by ad-
journment.
Mr. E. Reed supported the application ; Mr. Bagley
opposed.
The bankrupt was not present, but, by consent of Mr.
Bagley. the cue was allowed to proceed.
Mr. Bagley said that since the last sitting the bankrupt
had made an affidavit which was directly contradicted by
four witoesau. This was bold, to say the kart of it. She
denied having reeresented herself to be • widow, but
admitted that she had traded for three years as •
feme sole. When cootracting the debt of the detaining
creditor, she did not represent herself to be • widow. On
the other band, Mr. Rayner sod Mr. Poletti positively de-
posed to this representation, and also to a statement
uy the bankrupt that her " late" husband had very much
ill-need her, and had not regretted it on his death-
bed. (Laughter.) Mr. Wilcox, the detaining creditor,sated that he bad been induced to lend the bankrupt 664
by these re. reeentations. After the advance she spoke of
the probability of her marrying one St. Cyr. It was per-
fectly clear, in point of law, that • married
woman could not make • contract,i though living
apart from her husband, and even having • separate
maintenance secured to her by deed. (Sao " Marshall e.
Button," BT. 8., 645.) By the sot of 3 Geo. IV., a mar
tied woman was allowed to petition the Insolvent Court,
but the rights of the husband were specifically pre-
served. That act, as well aa the 1 sad 2
Viet., • bad now been repealed, and the law bad re-
verted to the state it was in before the passing of
the former act, when the commissioners had nolpower to dis-
charge a married woman. There was no ground bees for
the sympathy of the court, for this woman, when sued, had
not plaided her °overture, as she might have dose, but
had allowed the creditor to go on to judgment.
Mr. E. Reed contended that the prisoner was entitled to
release, on the general pound that she bad been adjudicated
bankrupt, and was in custody. The law had been entirely
altered by the statute of IB6L The words of that act were,
that "soy debtor" might tile a petition for adjudication.
Were it otherwise there would be no relief from • judgment
improperly obtained. The court had not inquired whether
the applicant was • fetus covert, but whether she was a
debtor. In the cue of Mary Smith, • married woman, Mr.
Commissioner Pane had directed the immediate release,
Mr. Commiseioner Holroyd, in the case of a woman named
Butler, a married woman, had refused to annul the
edjodication.
The Commissioner—Theis the debts had all been con-
traded before the marriage. That makes a peat difference.
Mr. Reed—But that case establishes the principle that •
married woman may petition.
The Commissioner—But your argument goes to this
extent,—that the late Bankruptcy Act has not only altered
the former law in bankruptcy, but the whole law of rho
land, which says that • married woman cannot make a con.
tract. Do you contend that?
Mr. Reed—l do.

The commissioser—li is • strong assertion.
Mr. Reed still plied ow the general words " any debtor,"
as giving the coartforiedietica.
His Honour said that all those cases depended on parti-
csa/ar facts end airetuastsoces. But lre!greatprirriple

- .
was involved, whether any one was entitled to take advan-
tage of his own wrong. Here the bankrupt had held her-
self out as a person competent to contract, and in that cha-
racter had obtained credit, not sayings word of her being •
married woman. Mr. Justice Bylea had already refused her
release, on the ground of her having told a gross falsehood,
and that was the real answer to the alleged hardship of the
ease. But the application must have been refused on other
grounds. The case cited by Mr. Bagley had decided, nearly
60 years ago, that • feme COQUINAS could not contract
though living apart from her husband and having • sepa-
rate maintenance, and the law had never been altered, This
woman might have property in her own right, and while
taking all the advantages of the bankrupt law, her creditors
would derive now, as the assignees could not claim the pro-
perty. This was not such a case of doubt as to main the
°min to decide in the bankrupt's favour. The court was of
opinion that in justice to the creditors it ought not to inter-
fere to gnat the release, and in the exercise of its discre-
tion it would not do so.
Release refused.

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT-
-- --.----
Georpe Baskereille, 29, flint grinder, pleaded guilty to a
charge of felouicawly forging a bill of exchange for 2761. 135.,
with intent to defraud John Bethell and ethers.

Mr. F. H. Leiria, who appeared for the prisoner, said he
was instructed to urge on his behalf that he and his father
bad for several years carried on a respectable business as
flint grioders at Hanley, in Staffordshire, and he could not
deny that he bad, under pressure, forged acceptances to •
somber of bills of exchange. The prisoner had since be-
come bankrupt, but be believed his estate would pay fifteen
shillings in the pound, and he had a wife and family depen-
dent upon him.
Mr. Poland said he appeared for the prosecutors, who
were the London and Birmingham and South Staffixdshire
Bank, and all he bad to state to the court was that the
prisoner was recommended to the firm as • person of re-
and upon the belief that Lewes entitled to that
eter, they had dim:canted bills of exchange for him to
• considerable amount, and it turned out that the accept-
ances to Kgreat many of these bibs were forgeries.
The court reinited the judgment.
George Witham Thompson, 25, a respectable looking
young man, retracted • plea of not guilty, and pleaded
guilty to a charge of embezzling various stuns of money, the
property of his employer, Maurice Herechorn.
Mr. Sleigh, trim appeared for the prisoner, said that be
had pleaded guilty to the charge preferred against him with
his satire concurrence, because he felt that it was hopeless
upon the evidence to attempt to struggle spinet a movie-
trom The prisoner asserted most positively that be had
loot a sum of money belonging to his employer, and that he
had committed the subsequent offences in order to make
food that loss, but there did not appear to be any testimony
la support of this assertion, and be believed he should have
the sanction of his lordship for saying that such • statement
as this, unsupported by evidence, wee not likelo have any
weight. On behalf of the prisoner, however, be would re-
spectfully urge upon the consideration of the court that the
prisoner was very young, that he had, down to the period of
this traseaction, borne a most excellent character, and that
be had only been married two pan, and had one child, end
he believed that his wife was about to be delivered of
another, and he said he trusted that upon these facts the
court would feel itself justified in passing • lenient sentence
upon the prisoner, and thus give him an opportunity of re-
trieving his character. He added that he believed the pro.
secutor would recommend the prisoner to the merciful con-
sideration of hie lordship.
Mr. Poland, who wee instructed to prosecute, said it was
quite true that the primmer bad hornet very good character,
hot the prosecutor felt that he bad no alternative but to
prosecute, upon the discovery of the prisoner's misconduct,
particularly as Ire had a great many other persons in his ier.
vice. He was, however, desirous of resionimeixling the pri-
soner to inerey on amount of his wife and family.
The Commas Sinjesot, in mixing sentence upon the pri.
loner, said that he had pleaded guilty to • very serious
offence • but taking into mosideratiou his youth, his pre-
vious gOod character, and the difficulty he would have in
retrieving his character, coupled with the recommeodation
to mercy of the prosecutor, be felt himself justified in
iag a lenient matinee, which was that he be imprisoned and
kept to hard labour for four months.

John Burke, 52, was charged with obtaining money by
false pretences.
Mr. Sleigh conducted the prosecution, which wu insti-
tuted bdirection of the Commissioners of Sewers for the
City of London.
The prisoner wu in the habit of going to different whole-
sale houses is the city, and under the pretence that he had
been ersployed by the Cotuiuktioners of Sewers to clean out
the drains, ho onoceeded in obtaining small stuns of money
from several parting. He had been convicted of a similar
offence upon three other occasions.
The prisoner was sentetioed told months' hard labour.
(Before Mr. Commissioner Kerr.)
Gave Grey. 45, tailor, John Watson, 45, labourer, add
Miss Abbott. 20, married, were indicted for having in their
190 pieces of spurious money-20 bad mowers, 30
Chlt
rowes, 40 bad florins, and 100 bad shillings.
Mr. Cooke and Mr. Poland prosecuted; Mr. Daly de-
fended Watson and Abbott, who pleaded not guilty ; and
Gray, who pleaded guilty, was undefended,
From the evidence laid before the court it appeared that
Mr. Itlennall, who is employed by the Mint in this
kind of eases, accompanied by Inspector Fife and another
officer, proceeded op the 15th of October to the White
Hart, Commercial•street, Spital&elds, which home they
watched far some time in consequence of information they
had received. After they had hem there a short time the
three prisoners went io, Gray immediately sitting down, while
Abbott and Wotan stood up in front of him so as to
oover his operations. They had not bees is the place above
a minute nod a hell when Brennan sod the officers went is
and confronted them, when Gray gave him a push and tried
to pass, but the whets of the smashers were at mos
apprehended. After Grey had beer moved two gaper
parcels wore fonud ekes to the wall, and Net by the spot
where he had been sitting. At nearly the same moment
the woman dropped three parcels front under her cloak.
Brennan then asked Gray what be bad got in his pocket,
when the latter took Cm packets from his coat and five
from his trousers pockets. The whole of them packets eon_
tailed the coins enumerated in the charge above. A bad
shilling was likewise found in Watson'. pocket. The whole
of the pr loners refused their addresses.
Mr. Webster, the inspector of the Mint, marnimd the
whole of the pieces, all of which be Meted were had, saying
at the name time they were partials, the bent got up that he
had Mgr had io his poreesion. Many al these IMO from
the mune mould.

The jury found the whole of the primmer; Guilty.
hapsetor Branswe said that (hay bad been
several times previessly convicted Ira similar el-
teams to the preemie, suffering cm the lest ems-
Moo two years' imprisonment. He and the 1110413al had
sated in owlet for pan pass, young as she Ism aid on one
cassaiwa alas was asatwasad la twelve maths' ispriaarsaat.