The Press.
London, England, 1854-05-20 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

THE CONSERVATIVE LAND SOCIETY.—The eigh•
teenth public drawing to determine the rotation of
choice on all the estates purchased for distribution
amongst the members of the Conservative Land
Society took place on the 13th inst. at the
offices, 33, Norfolk-street, Strand. Fifty numbers
were drawn. It was announced that no less than
9,641 shares had been taken up to that date,
representing a subscribed capital of 482,0501.,
of which more than 100,0001. had been paid up.
The nineteenth drawing is fixed for Wednesday,
28th of June, at the seventh quarterly meeting of
the society, in Freemasons'-hall. The executive
committee have elected the Right Hon. It. A. Chris-
topher, M.P. for North Lincolnshire, a trustee of the
society, in room of Mr. Alderman Thompson, M.P.,
deceased.

THE proposal for building in the square inner
court of the British Museum is at length decided,
and workmen are now busy digging out the ground
for the necessary construction.
THE FINE COLLECTION OF MR. MARTIN'S DRAWINGS,
the works and charm of his latter years, are about to be
sold. Among them are some twenty-five choice spe-
cimens, which will afford an excellent opportunity of
appreciating his wonderful powers in that department
of art in which his earliest efforts claimed admira-
tion.

IT has been determined to call out 25,000 militia
for permanent duty ; but as yet the particular regi-
ments have not been named. Probably an inspection
will be held, and then a selection made.

THE STEAM-SHIP Great Britain since her arrival
in the Liverpool docks has undergone a survey by the
underwriters' surveyors, and it appears to be their
opinion that she came in contact with a sunken
wreck.

Mr. C. R. PRINSEP, the East India Company's Ad-
vocate-General at Calcutta, and the Hon. H. B.
Devereux, of the Bengal Civil Service, have been ap-
pointed commissioners for inquiring how far the
position which Sir J. Brooke holds in Sarawak is ad-
vantageous to the commercial interests of Great
Britain.

GEORGE MATFIIESON M'KAY has been fined 1,0001.
and Walter Rutherford 2,0001., by the officiating ma •
gistrates of Greenock, for using old certificates to
cover a sale by auction of some spurious brandy.

THE LAST PORTION OF THE NEW STREET opening
up a direct communication between St. Paul's and
London-bridge is now being paved. This important
line of thoroughfare will be opened throughout on
Monday neat.

SIR ROBERT PEEL, BART., M.P., who was prevented
from presiding at the anniversary dinner of the Prin-
ters' Pension Society, in consequence of the recent
melancholy disaster to the Ercolano steam-ship, has,
since his return to London, contributed a donation of
301. to the funds of the institution.
THE ROYAL LONDON YACHT CLUB will have their
first match of the season this day (Saturday). The
yachts will start from Erith, sail round a flag-boat
moored off Coaihouse Point, and back, to a flag-buoy
moored off Woolwich. The competing yachts are
not to exceed thirteen tons burden, and must belong
to members of the club.

MR. G. Ptoorr, of the Oxford Circuit, is appointed
counsel to the Inland Revenue, in the place of Mr.
T. Phinn, M.P., who is appointed counsel to the
Admiralty and advocate of the Fleet.

THE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY held their first show
of the season at Chiswick on Saturday last. It has
frequently been remarked that damp weather and
cloudy skies ran parallel with the floral exhibitions at
Chiswick. Saturday, however, was an exception in
that respect, but there were other special causes which
thinned the attendance of visitors and dimmed the
usually brilliant display of flowers. These were,first,
the more absorbing question of the day, namely, the
launch of the Royal Albert at Woolwich ; and,
secondly, the retirement of Mrs. Lawrence from the
field of competition, whose collections were wont to
excite such universal admiration amongst floricultural
cognoscenti. The number of visitors at the gardens,
therefore, was unusually small, and the array of fruits
and flowers was not by any means equal to the
average. There were, however, some very fine ape
cimens of azaleas, rhododendrons, and roses. In the
fruit collection there were specimens of British Queen
strawberries, of tempting richness and monstrous size ;
and also some good contributions of pines, green figs,
and grapes. The grass was in good condition for
walking, and the company enjoyed under the trees
and along the parterres the splendid music of the
bands of the Ist Life Guards, the Grenadiers, andthe
Coldstreams, which were under the superintendence
of Mr. Waddell, the bandmaster of the Ist Life
Guards.

AN arrangement by which the London joint-stock
banks will be admitted to the clearing-house will
come into operation in about six weeks. Meanwhile
a considerable amount of bank-note circulation is
economised, the daily balances due among the various
private banks being now adjusted by cheques on the
Bank of England instead of notes.

SATURDAY,

THE NOMINATION 01 CANDIDATES for the vacancy
in the representation of Hertfordshire took place
yesterday. The candidates are Mr. Abel Smith,jun.,
Conservative, and Mr. C. W. Puller, Ministerialist.
The poll will come off on Monday next.
A DEPUTATION on the subject of the drainage of
the Thames marshes had an interview with Lord
Palmerston on Wednesday.
ON WEDNESDAY PROFESSOR EDWARD FORBES Was
inducted into the chair of Natural History in the
University of Edinburgh. He delivered his intro-
ductory lecture in the chemistry class-room on that
day to a crowded attendance.
THE Kreutz Zeitung says that the Count de Chem.
bord proposes to visit England this summer, to meet
the Duke of Nemours and the rest of the family.
The Paris rapers contradict this statement.

Sporting.
NEWMARKET SECOND SPRING MEETING.
TUESDAY.
Ftyrx POUNDS, for three•year•olds.
Mr. Mare's Fact (S. Rogers) w. o.
SWEEPSTAKES of 10 SOPS each.
Lord Clifden's Thessaly (J. Steggles) 1
Count Batthyany's Oxus 2
Furry POUNDS : the winner to be sold for 200 sovs.
Mr. E. Batsou's Cock Pheasant (Sly) 1
Duke of Bedford's I►iomedia
Betting : 6 to 4 against Diomedia, 0 to 1 against Cock
Pheasant. The winner was claimed.

WEDNESDAY.
SWEEPSTAKES of 10 soya each.
Lord Lonsdale's Freckle (J. Steggles) 1
Mr. Armstrong's Handsome Buck 2
HANDICAP SWEEPSTAKES Of H) soya each.
Duke of Bedford's Dioinedia (S. Rogers) 1
Mr. Saxon's Kenn} side Hero
The SUFFOI K STAKES of 15 sous each.
Lord W. Powlett's Sharavogue (S. Rogers) 1
Mr. Barber's Domino
Six ran.

Betting : 2 to 1 against Domino, and 4 to 1 against any
other.

HANDICAP PLATE of 50 sovs.

Mr. Armstrong's Sabra _
Lord Clifden's Anteverta 2
SWEEPSTAKES of 50 soya each, fur four-year-olds.
Mr. Barber's Cobnut(Clement) 1
Duke of Bedford's Sittingbourne
Lord Exeter's Filbert 3
Betting: 7t04 on Sittingbourne. Won by six lengths.
The JOCKEY Cum PLATE of 50 sovs.

Lord Clifden's Poodle (Flatman) 1
Captain Lowther's Rackapelt
Mr. Batson's Khadidjah 3
Betting: 5 to 4 on Khadidjah and 3 to 1 against Poodle,
who won very cleverly by a length.

THURSDAY.
SWEEPSTAKES of 10 SON'S each.
Mr. W. Cookson's Pebble (Palmer) I
Mr. Rogers's Chorus
MATCH 20(11.
Mr. J. M. Stanley's Orinoco (Charlton) I
Duke of Bedford's Nathan

Betting : 5 to 4 on Orinoco.
SWEEPSTALES of 10 sovs each, with 30 added, for two-year-
olds.
Duke of Bedford's Para (S. Rogers) 1
Mr. J. M. Stanley's Contention
Betting : 7 to 4 and 2 to 1 on Para, who won by half a
length.

SWEEPSTAKES Of 10 SOTS each.
Mr. Armstrong's Handsome Buck (Sly) 1
Mr. Rogers's Freckle

HANDICAP PLATZ of 501.
Mr. Tomlinson's fby Sesostris (J. Steggles) I
Mr. Combe's Nervous
Betting: 5 to 2 against Nervous, 3 to 1 against Sesostris
filly. Won easily.
Tx: Witte, at present held by Mr. Morris for his King-
ston, was challenged for by Lord Exeter, who named Stock-
well, 5 years.

THE CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY BOAT-RACES ter
minated on Saturday, the 13th, and the procession of
the boats behind King's College took place on
Monday. The Lady Margaret (St. John's) gained
the " head of the river" on the first day, and main-
tained their position with the greatest ease. Trio
following is the order of the first five boats :-1,
St. John's; 2, Trinity ; 3, Trinity Hall; 4, Emmanuel;
5, Corpus.

w -..

40, 1854.

. -
England, were related on Monday before the New-
castle District bOurt of Bankruptcy, to which his
estate had been referred for administration by the
defrauded creditors :
Before his flight Todd had oollectedmoney from his customers,
drawn out the balance at his banker's, burned his trade books,
removed a large number of heavy boxes from his dwelling-house
no one knew whither, and fled in debt to the Crown for duties US
the amount of 2,8001., besides owing more than 8,0001. to other
Creditors. Vigorous proceedings were adopted with a view to
trace his footsteps, and a clue to his destination was afforded by
the discovery that a bank post bill, which he had obtained at
Newcastle, was paid at Liverpool, by one of the bankrupt's sena,
for passage-money of two persons to America, the balance being
given in a bill on New York. Application was thereupon made
to the American Minister in London, and it being understood
that if the bankrupt should be found in the State of New York he
would be given up to persons 'properly authorised by the Eng-
lish tribunals, the assignees despatched to America Henry God-
dard, an intelligent ofteer, formerly attached to the chief police-
office, pow-street, together with a person able to identify the
bankrupt. Goddard was armed with a warrant from the magis-
trates at Newcastle to apprehend the bankrupt on the charge of
feloniously destroying his books of account, in contravention of
the English law in brikruptcy, and with the warrant of Mr. Com-
missioner Pinion to apprehend and bring him before the Court
for examination. The pursuers sailed on the 18th June, and
soon came upon traces of the bankrupt, but found he was po
longer in the State of New York, and that he had, very appro-
prietely, taken refuge in Illinois (one of the defaulting butes).
They at length found him mowing grass in a prairie in the ter-
ritory of Wisconsin, about I,oob Miles from New York, and ascer-
tained that a large tract of country, with a homestead upon it,
had been purchased in the name ofJohn George Todd, the bank-
rupt's eldest son, who, with the whole family, resided there.
The bankrupt denied the possession of any property, and the
judge of Wisconsin informed Goddard that he could not accord-
ing to its laws apprehend him, Wisconsin not being one of the
federal states, and its laws not allowing of imprisonment for debt;
so that he could not sanction the arrest of a fugitive even for the
felonies committed by the bankrupt. The creditors, on learning
this. authorised Goddard and his colleague to return, afterhaving
expended on the Ineffectual attempt no less than 5571. Goddard
bad ascertained that money to a large amount was lodged in the
Badger Bank at Maddlson, in the name of John George Todd
and, on the spot., it wasbelieved that thebankrupt was possessed
of considerable property, and had the command of from 10,0001.
to 15,00,11.—an estimate borne out by the sums known to have
been collected by the bankrupt, and obtained by the sale of the
goods of the creditors to whom he stood indebted at his flight.
The creditors, however, seeing that the whole estate left behind
and recovered by the assignees amounted only to 1,4291., and that
nearly 1,0001. had been expended; hesitated to incur further res-
ponsibilities, for which reason it was stated to the Court that no
Luther proceedings had been taken. It appeared that the bank-
rupt, on his arrival at New York, had consulted the legal adviser
of the British Embassy as to whether the treaty between Great
Britain and the United States would permit of his being arrested
there by process from England, and had' been advised that the
territory of Wisconsin only afforded the protection he desired.
A dividend of Old. in the pound on debts proved,
amounting to 6,9531., was declared ; and the learned
Commissioner remarked that it was important to the
commercial public that it should be known that a
fraudulent debtor absconding to the American State
alluded to might set his creditors at defiance.
MR. HARRISON, sporting reporter for Bell's Life in
London, was travelling by the Great Northern Rail-
way, on the 31st of last August, on his way to
Lincoln races, which he was professionally engaged
to attend, when the express train by which he tra•
yelled came into collision with some luggage-waggons
near Hornsey station. Very serious damage was
done by this accident, several passengers being
killed or wounded. Among others Mr. Harrison had
his leg broken, and was much bruised besides. He
was laid up for several weeks, suffering much pain,
and being unable to prosecute his professional
labours. For this loss and pain he brought an
action for damages against the railway company,
which came on for trial on Saturday last in the
Court of Exchequer. None of the facts were ques-
t4oned by the defendants, who resisted the claim
under a plea that the defendant had no legal right
to have been travelling by that train. He had not
paid for his ticket, but travelled with a piss granted
to the editor of Bell's Life. It appeared that a sort
of understanding existed by which the paper in-
serted gratis certain notifications and time-tables
relative to the company's trains, and the directors
on their side gave free passes for all the journeys
which the members of the staff of the paper had
occasion to perform for business purposes. As
the pass used by the plaintiff on that day had been
issued in the name of Langley, who was an editor
of the journal, and was marked " not transferable,"
the defendants' counsel (Mr. Bramwell) urged that
it did not legally entitle him to a place in the train:—
Mr. Baron MARTIN, in summing up, said the jury had first to
decide whether the plaintiff was lawfully in the carriage, and, if
so, what was the fair and reasonable compensation for the injury
the plaintiff had suffered—not taking into account the amount of
negligence, nor the luxuries above his station which he had had
to procure, for that would be to establish one measure of
damages for one man, and another for another. He did not think
his having to procure those made any difference. They should
give damages, not with a view to punish the company, but to
compensate the plaintiff.
The jury found that the plaintiff was lawfully in the carriage,
and gave a verdict for 4001. damages.
Mr. BRAMWELL tendered a bill of exceptions, principally on
the ground that the judge should not have left it to the jury to
say what was the intention of the defendants in giving the pass-
ticket, but should have construed it himself, and should have
directed the jury that the ticket could only have been used by
Langley.
Two WINE AND BEER AGENTS, MESSRS. GRAY AND
GOSLIN, whose vaults were situated in the Crescent,
Minories, were indicted in the Queen's Bench on
Wednesday for fraud end conspiracy. Some com-
mission agents and dealers in pale ale were the
alleged sufferers, but the real prosecutors were