The Express.
London, England, 1862-03-22 00:00:00

exempted classes of ships, tYe llinffiffise clauses of
the former act were estended to them, and they
included fislaiug-boate, lisle/ vessels, and others
Some time since the French government made • coniniuoi- COURT OF PROBATE AND DIVORCE.
cation to our government to the effect that it wee very de' MARCH 21.
arable some rule of the road should be adopted at sea by
srraarement, so that the chance of collision might (Before the Judge Ordinary.)
Cavoided. Her Majesty's government thought such an THOMPSON v. THOMPSON AND STORMISCLS.
object highly desirable, and roles had, therefore, been vie- (Continued from yesterday's Express.)
tually agreed upon by both government., which it was hoped The case on behalf of the wife was • denial of the adul-
would be ultimately adopted by other maritime powers. airy, and a further plea that her husband had been guilty
Those rules would he found in the schedule to the bill. One
of the most important recommendations of the Merchant of wilful desertion. On the first point Dr. Waddilove con-
tended that the evidence given by the petitioner wee not
Shipping Committee had reference to the question of pilot- sufficient to sustain the hypothesis of his client's guilt. In-
age. The present system was very much complained of so deed the idea of charging her with adultery did not seem
far as it was compulsory on the pilotage districts of tido to have entered her hurbaud's head till the failure of •
previous attempt to get rid of her by means of a suit for
country. The question of pilotage involved • variety
of considerations, which made it convenient to s judicial separation on the ground of cruelty. (There had
deal with all the pilotage districts in one been craw suits on this ground, both of which had been
distinct enactment. By the machinery of the bill, parties unsucouifuL) Mrs. Thompson had Ooze filed a petition
interested in pilotage might petition the Board of Trs4e, for the restitution of her conjugal rights, which was waiting
and that board might make a rovisional order for the pur- to be triel
pose of exempting any particular class of vessels from cop- I The principal witness for the defence was a man
pulaory pilotage, but such provisional order must receive named Hartley, who described himself as • candle-
the sanction of the houses of parliament. The bill deo maker. He said he had been employed by •
proposed to abolish compulsory pilotage in some cue' by Mr. Johnion, a friend of Mr. Thompson, to watch Mrs.
distinct enactment. It was proposed that a vaned Pining Thompson. For that purpose witness took a lodging in the
through a pilotage district, but not bound to any_port in it, house where Mrs. Thompson was lodging. Saw Thompson
should be exempted from pilotage charge. Shields, Hartle- I himself on the subject, and he asked witness if he could not
pool, and Sunderland had grown from mere villages into introduce some smart dashing young fellow into the place,
important centres of oommerce, and the government to get into his wife's company. He told witness to take
had thought fit that they should have an UV her and Mrs. Bellew, the landlady, to the Crystal Palace
mode of tranderring to themselves the jurisdiction and other places. He gave witness 31. for that purpose.
over their own plots. It was further proposed He said he had employed en actress to lodge in the same
to extend certain provialosse in reference to salvage of life. hour to watch his wife, but that Mrs. Thompson had ma-
The bill would oleo repeal certain clauses in the Customs wed to persuade her that she war a virtuous woman ; and
Consolidation Act relative to timber ships, as they had been he cautioned witness against being imposed on in the same
found perfectly nugatory - reference to the lishaitY 01 way. He said he had also employed an Austrian detective,
shipowners, he might observe that at present the personal but that he could make nothing of her. He remarked that
liability of the shipowner was mrsared by the value of the he had been rather surprised at that, for he had always
ship and freight. This, however, was a premium on bad understood that the Austrians were pretty good spies.
ships, and government maintained that the owner of the caoss.elangued_u witness had said that Mrs.
good ship and the owner of the inferior ship house wee a bad one he had told lobe and wicked lie. Would
should be on the same level se to responsibility- not swear that he had not said so. Would swear that he
They, therefore, proposed to limit the liability of all to the bad never told Johnson that he could 'educe Mrs. Thomp-
al:solute amount of IN. a ton. In the case of steam shies, son. Was not satisfied with Mr. Thompson's settlement
of Wane, the renPeneibilitY would be on their *an:maitre- with him ; and Johnson refused to give lam anything. Did
meat not tell Johnson that if he would not give him 31. be would
Mr. LINDSAY mu very much gratified with the state- go over to the other side. Johnson said. " There are the
inset of Ws_OA! ben.tgeatleman as far as it went. gates—go." Replied, '" Very well, sir," and went. He did
Mr. G. BENTINCK said that may theories upon the not Bay that witness was a base fellow to make sail • pro-
subject d the bill, which looked well on paper, would sot pad to him. The letter produced was in witness's writing.
bear the test a exPerisites, and be boit the bonne, before The letter was put io, and weefound to contain the fol-
d came to a derision upon the ride el read at sea, would lowing passages :
tithe care Not it did not onion thipow•••• te th• risk of "Sir,—Not feeling satisfied with your way of settling with
losing their mesas or foefelitc ad' hieurencet- He me, I have seen Mr. Johnson, and I lave had the honour of
thought it was unfair to outdate 'um to cemPulsorl being ordered to leave his place. It is not to be supposed
Pilotage in cases whore shine nom • battioat away for that I will stand that quietly. . . . I hold Mr. John-
the purpose of shelter. It wag also ea unjust elate of the son's written authority to take them (the apartments) ; and,
law that the pilot, who was generally amen of straw, should more than that, if • proper settling is not made with
be the col y responsible person for dump done by the me on or before next Saturday, I will go there with MIL
vessel of which he has the charge to other vessels. What H., who returns to town to-morrow, and then and there
he wooled was freo trade in Pllotage, in ceder that a ship expose the whole affair; and I dare say Mrs. T. and her
might have the beet possible chance of obtaining a com- solicitor (likewise Mr. Bellew) will be most happy to see
patent pilot. me. Thinking you will see the necessity of coming to a
Sir h. STRACEY thanked the right hon. gentleman for proper settlement, I am, lac."
introducing the bill. Received no answer to that letter.
Mr. J. C. EWART observed that the bill, so far as it By the Judge—Only went twice to the apartments.
west, would give general satisfaction to the shipping Could not feel satisfied in his mind to be a spa y upon the
interest. actions of anybody. (Laughter.) Could not tell when he
Mr. A. SMITH expressed his approval of a system of went to Mrs. Thompson's solicitor. it was after he had
voluntary pilotage. given up the apartmenta.
After • few weeds from Mr. Cava, who said he believed A Juror—Have you not been employed at races with a
that the change proposed by the bill would be well received thimble?
by the body of shipowners, Witness (emphatically)—Never. I have never associated
Leave was given to bring in the bill, end the house rei- with such characters, and I know nothing about such things.
sussed. (Laughter.) I have received about 6/. from Mr. Thompson
The billwas subsequently brought in and read a first time. altogether.
POLICE (SCOTLAND) BILL. By the Judge—l have never given up the apartments at
all, but I did not go near them again.
Sir W. DUNBAR obtained leave to bring io • bill to re- Mr. Woollett. to rebut this evidence, called
gulate 11)1147 of towns and P°P•kam place! in B°Miandi Mr. George H. Johnson, • potato salesman, at Cotton's
and for. Pt lighting, cleansing, sod improving the alum" wharf, Tooley-etreet—Was • friend of Mr. Thompson and
The bill wee brought in by the bon, meager, and read a hie mother, fad employed Hartley to watch the respondent
first Haw beaw the petitioner!' mother sod sister Mee drag of her,
The bones adjourned at nine o'clock. for she had Weatimed their life ; ad they dared not go out
knew where she es? Hartley said !het the

lUttu intelligence.

unless they IL..
place where Mrs. Thompson was lodging was a bad house
that he had taken liberties with the landlady ; and that he
could do what he liked with both her and Mrs. Thompson.
Reminded him that be was a married man, and said that
witness did not wish him to do anything of the sort. Re
came to witness and asked him for 31. Refused to give
it him }isomers Mr. Thompson had told him that be
bad paid him. He said that if witness would not
give him the mosey be would turn round to the other side.
Told him to go out of the stable where this conversation
occurred. He refused, sad was saucy. Told him that if be
did not at once go, witness would knock his brains out.
The learned counsel on both sides having addressed the
court, and his lordship having summed up,
The jury found the issues for the husband ; and
The court made a decree nisi, with costa.