The Press.
London, England, 1856-07-12 00:00:00

Pit( nub Volta.

A BREACH OF PROMISE CASE, of 60111(3 interest,
was tried at the Common Pleas, on Monday. The
persons concerned were of some standing mid re-
spectability in life. A Miss Smith, daughter of a
gentleman formerly in the Audit-office, and residing
at Hornchurch, Essex, sued a Mr. Woodflne, a
brewer in an extensive business in the same place.
The usual course of true love appeared to have been
quite a railway in this case—it ran so smoothly right
up to the station-ary point. Mr. Woodfine became
acquainted with Mr. Smith, paid particular atten-
tion to his daughter, proposed to her, was accepted,
spent every evening at the house, regularly dined
there. every other Sunday (au infallible sign of an
engagement), took a house, bought two cariages, and
in fact did everything so perfectly en regle that the
wedding-day was fixed for the 3rd of April last, and

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breakfast ordered. But here unhappily the train
ran off the rails, and an "alarming accident oc-
curred. Mr. Woodfine's relations were of low origin,

and some misunderstanding arose about a Mr. and
Mrs. Thompson, his sister, not being asked to the
breakfast. Mr. Smith asserted that they had been
asked ; but somehow or other the letter containing
the invitation had not been delivered, and so Mr.
Woodfine chose to be indignant, and put off the
wedding, on the additional plea that his intended
wife was ill-tempered and extravagant; "and," added
Mrs. Woodfine, the mother, who was present at the
interview, and one of the " not asked " to the break-

fast, "your daughter, Mr. Smith, cannot love my
son, as she has allowed him to take a house a mile
from the brewery"! An apparent make-up after
these parentum ira,—which, by the bye, are anything
but conducive to the " renewal of love,"—was

followed by a decided break-off, some coarse language
on the part of Mr. Woodfine, and hence the present
action. The Attorney-General get up as the defence
that the quarrel had been fomented by the mutual
ill humours of Mr. Smith and Mrs. Woodfine ; that

had those excellent people not interfered so much,
Mr. Woudfine and Miss Smith would by that, time
have been loving husband and wife, instead of hostile
opponents ; that the young lady's character had never
for a moment been impugned; and that, instead of
attempting to reconcile the differences which had
arisen, Mr. Smith had rushed off to his solicitor,
with what object was evident, when the defendant
was a wealthy man of business, worth 6,0001.
a year. The learned Judge, in summing up,
laid down the law in a manner which may possibly
interest bachelors and spinsters. He said the first
question for the jury to consider was, whether the mar-
riage was broken off with the consent of the young
lady ; if not, what damages were they to give her,
and, in order to test this, they must look to the dates
of the letters, and all the surrounding facts and cir-
cumstances :

When an engagement (c9ntinued the learned judge)
is entered into without the knowledge of the parents, and
subsequently broken off from a sense of duty to them, in
that case you might give small damages ; but when the
match is deliberately entered into snd approved by the
families on both sides, if in such a case the marriage is
broken evasively, and without the lady's consent, you ought
then to give heavy damages.
Reading over the chief part of the evidence, his lord-
ship concluded by saying that the matter was entirely
in the hands of the jury. Verdict for the plaintiff—
damages, 3,0001.
ANOTHER ACTION, arising out of the Campbell-
Corley case, was tried at the Common Pleas on
Tuesday, Mr. Campbell in this instance bringing an
action for" maintenance of suits " against Mr. Corley,
who was charged with instigating various parties to
originate suits in Chancery under the plea of the
plaintiff's illegitimacy. The principal witness, a Mr.
H. Thew, deposed to Mr. Corley having in 1852
advised him as next of kin to file a bill against Mr.
Campbell. Mr. Corley promised to find the money
for the legal expenses, recommended witness to go
on, the bill was dismissed, a second was filed, and
witness, ruined by the costs, applying to Mr. Corley
for advice was told to get " whitewashed." The
jury found a verdict for Mr. Campbell for 5621., the
whole amount of costs proved.
A LIFE-ASSURANCE ACTION in the case of the late
Mr. Joddrell was tried this week, the Medical and
Invalid Assurance Company objecting to pay a policy
of 2,0001. on deceased's life, on the ground of false
information at the time of effecting the insurance in
1852. Mr. Gesmore, a Derby surgeon, proved that
Mr. Joddrell bad suffered from an epileptic fit and
from delirium tremens in 1840, and that he was
always given to excessive drinking. Verdict for the
company.
TOWERS, HARWOOD, AND FLECKHART, the three men
concerned in the robbery, with violence, on the '2sth
of April last, at the house of Mrs. Humphrey,
Stamford-hill, were tried on Thursday at the Cen
Criminal Cow t, before Mr. Justice Williams. Iho
jury found Fleckhart guilty, and acquitted the other
prisoners. Sentence of death was recorded against
Fleckbart, but the learned judge intimated that
transportation for life would be only inflicted.
MR. RICHARD DtaiN, the notorious " dun " of Miss
Burdett Coutts, was examined on Thursday before Mr.
Henry, at Bow-street, and, limn the evidence of Dr.
Lavers and Dr. Sutherland that he was of unsound
mind and dangerous to himself and others, ordered
to be placed under restraint in a lunatic asylum.
THE first examination in bankruptcy of Mr. Mare
took place on Thursday. The assets not having been
realised, an adjournment was ordered till November.
DAVIDSON'S DIVORCE CASE has been heard before
the House of Lords this week, and the bill ordered
I to be read a second time and committed.
Mr. DANIEL WILLIAM WADE, the commission agent,
residing at Lorimore-terrace, Walworth, charged
with feloniously wounding William Nowland with a
sword, and also with violently assaulting Mrs. Julia
Shortland and Mrs. Elizabeth Lock, was committed
for trial on Wednesday by Mr._Llliou, who refused
bail.

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