The Express.
London, England, 1846-12-03 00:00:00

SPORTI SO.

STVltrilt NVAILWICK, WEIINE+I,Ir Ants.
NOON.—On account of the state of the remind leant the freed, the
steeple chasm are postponed till Tuesday, the lath of I lecemhr.
lttAaentotrr.te, TeirmAr.—Net one bet male on any crept.
NENIIAILKST CuAmetom Cino.lNu Mercian.—Newmaarrr, WM).
;41,1•AT contemiettor of the continued unlit state of the
heath, accompanied by fog, it wal detenvineet, at noun, to adjourn
until to-morrow.

tats IMO I twocc.

LAW NOTICY.S.—Ttirte DAY.

CIAAMCV.IY, lAncoln's Inn, at ill --To be spoken to.- Rigby v.
Great Western Itailvay Company; Laurence v. Itowles.-.Amwals:
Mtianathon v. liurchtill (2); Joyntiin v. Moseley; lktilibridga) v. Bad-
achy ; De Bentivt;ir v. 1)e Utouvoir.
VieuXttastatt opt, Lincoln's tun, at 10.-Pefore Sir I..Shatlweli.-
Heath v. Chadwick, donut rer by ortier.-Conses, (tarrod a.
Moo; Smote v. Pickford '2); Peacock t. Kernet ; %dn.!, v. Wat-
kins; Wright a. ltarriewell; tiurnway v. Ituthanan ; Walton v.
alurritt ; Do'ison v. 1., le; Poker v. Hawke., I ;Mimi c. Withinaton;
Daniel a. hill ; !flock, v. Ft utharstonhaugh. lk-kort. Sir J. Knight
Bruce.- Edwards a. at:minion, motion he tinter. -tAtuses, /kr. :
lam v. Ilarh on (2), inn heard ; Taylor v. Simisset ; Diatsin v.
ItcOson ; I.iserey v. Istiveder ; Itatkitffe v. IteadeM ; Bradley v„.
Teak ; Igalwinger v. 11l gntw.-Ilefore Sir J. Wigrion.-(:utiant. 6o).
t Isle v. liatoord, Imrt heard; Wa. Th./1.; Ixttntw v. Lend (2);
Iteishuven v. Ilarrison; %Sinter v. Winter; Caster v. llanison (2);
Situttleworth v. lkingough ; Clututpion v. Minks.
The Mtmtrrof the !toils will attend the Judicial Committee.
Cleass'A Ilvarit, Westminster, at 1 p. 9. t outman juries.
-Martin v. Sharp; lksaitit a. Gray; Bird v. I kifonvit lie ; Williams v.
Croswell; Smith • Dill awl tomther ; Itirkheuil v. 1.111, rrr.ue; Gay
v. Woollitm anti others; v. (Ingliton and :Muth..? Pratt
v. lkowc; Blundell v. lhaimattitul. The lost mu. ais Nu. K 2 on the
Bet. Ihe tame; mill also 'tit in Itotuu.
Couitos 19. eat, Wtstntinster, ut i p. 9.- •Mitiolleitex special juries.
--Lee v. Nicholson; llughts a. ; Brown v. Smith; lolds-
worth a. (.dean. Middlesex common juries.- Parke. v. Strong;
NVhithread a. Itumplon.
r, WastotinOer, it I a -KI idtiletwx common jury.-Croek-
fool v. Lord Mehl-tote. Middlesex otitecial juries. -Itster v. lien:ton;
It. II a. Siumuels ; IliltLert a Smith; v. Sheitheni; Ilokkr v.
Cooper; (Age v. Chaplin. The (Owl will u!mait in Itotml.
Stontsus, at 11). -Williams v. sexton n,.d others; Peale a. White;
Sanger v. Cottlin; Chalks v. Scott; loot v. Robinson; !Wartime a.
Pettit; Plukus a. ; (tregary a. 11:aiti11; P,mvr6 v. Tint ; Ma.
ph
yv. Avery; Keith a Goon; Itithortimn v. I leakl ; Paget v. smith;
Benjamin v. Smith; Itettjtuttin v. Itracon Green v. Ilaig. Unde-
fended causes will be taken at the sitting of thy moult.

JUDICIAL COMMITTEE OF THE PRIVY
COUNCIL.—VESTBISDAY.
present: The Ma-tie of the Rod', Lord Brougham, Lord earmisell,
the Right lion lie. LuslOnoon, and the Right lion. I). P. Leigh.
FOWLIS AKL OTHIALS O. Devtiniox.—The Attorney-
General and Dr. Adelanni appeared tor the appellants; the
Queen's Advocate and Mr. Pe acoe.k for the respondent.
This was au appeal f an order of the Prerogative Court
admitting to proof an allegation of insanity quo nil bane ;
and to decree probate of three codicils t i the will of Mr.
John Ranken. The deemed was a West India merchant,
and the respondent, Miss Janet Davidson, was his niece,
who had been brought up by him from a child. On the 22ud
of June, 1814, Mr. Itanken made a will, leaving the bulk of
his property, amounting tompwarils of 40,0001 , to his sister,
Mrs. Kalb, one Geddes, and the respondent jointly, making
the survivor his residuary legatee. On the 11th of July he
left London, ace,miinusied by Mrs. Geddes and Miss David-
son, and the weather being very warm, Miss D. put down
the windows of the railway carriage in which they were
travelling; Mr. R., after a short time, putting them up
again. On arriving at Derby, Mrs. Geddes was taken in,
and died a f•vir days alter. The allegation stated that,
upon the death of his sister, Mr. lianken showed that
he was labouring under an insane delusion, stating
that Miss Davidson had poisoned his sister, and
VILA trying to poison himself, with a view to get pos-
se-Mon of his property. This he explained at other
times, by saying, that Miss D. had put down the windows
of the railway carriage, and that the draught had killed his
sister. The medical men who had attended Mrs. Geddes,
suggested that the body should he open( d, in order to con-
vince the deceased ;hat she had nut been poisoned ; hut,
although the tenth showed that she had died from natural
[causes, he, nevertitt lege, persisted in asserting that she had
been poisoned by Miss Davidson. It was alleged, that on
the 22ud of July, the day alter the death of Mrs. Geddes,
while under the influence of this insane delusion, the de-
ceased executed one of the codicils in question, which with
two others of subsequent date, would, if established, havo
the effect of cutting down the property lett to Miss Davidson,
to about 7001. a-year. On the 23rd of July, the (lea used
and Miss Davidson proceeded to Cuirass, with the remains
of his sister fur interment; and on the Zrth he was visited
by Dr. John Scott, who found him labouring under conges-
tion of blood to the head, and who considered him in such a
dangerous state, that he sent to Edinburgh for furth, r advice;
and it was alliged, that during the time Dr. Scott was in
attendance on the decease, be informed hint that Miss David-
son had caused the death of her aunt, and had attempted to
poison himself; and by his conversation and demeanour
with reference to her, evinced that he was of unsound mind.
The other allegations stated particular instances of what
was called the insane delusion ; that he told Mr. Cuff, the
landlord of the hotel at Derby, that he would take
nothing to eat and drink, but soda water and eggs,
as Miss Davidson could put nothing in them ; when he lived
at Cullum he was taken ill with some complaint which he
attributed to something she had put in his tea ; that he more
particularly alluded to his second cup of tea, which he said
he was careful to decline ; that he drank no water, and no-
thing but soda water, inasmuch as Miss Davidson could put
nothing in that and he also stated that he had altered his
will so as to make his death of less importance to her, &c.
The Attorney-General and Dr. Addams contended that,
admitting, for the sake of the argument, that the flits titan d
in the allegation were capable of proof, they would not make
out such a case of insanity as would be sufficient to set aside
a testamentary disposition. No case hitherto had decided
that an insane delusion upon a particular point constituted
such an unsoundnesa as to make the party intestable. Mr.
Greenwood's ease was the strongest upon the subject, but
there the party had been actually in confinement as a lunatic,
andCa ktleiehtedlunsiootnpwrocuseeedveildlenutpls,:nothf ae mgmotiddnoaftupare;tialDwe
insa-
nity, although it was relied upon as an authority in this
case--Lord Lyndhurst in refusing the application for a com-
mission of review, stating that the particular delusion must
be of such a nature as to indicate gent ral un.oundness. The
case of Fullett r. Allenson, was to the same effect. The facts
stated in this allegation mcrelyshowed that Mr. Ranken, who
was an old gentleman of upwards of 70, entertained some
notion with reference to his niece, which were unfounded in
point of fact and very absurd, but by no means sufficient to
constitute general unsoundness, or what was caked insanity,
quo ad hanc. Supposing these facts therefore to be proved,
they would not invalidate the codicils, and therefore the alle-
gation ought not to be admitted. Miss D.:vidsen alleged
the competency of the testator on the 22nd of Juue, when he
made a will in her favour, and his incompetency on the 22nd
of July, only one tionth afterwards. (In answer to ques-
tions by their lordships, it was stated thrt in the event of the
will of the 22nd of June being set aside, as well as the ether
testamentary papers, Miss Davidson would take the whisie of
the property, as sole next of kin.)
Their lordship having deliberated, Lord Brougham gave
judgment. Their lordships would give no opinion on the
much-vexed question of partial insanity—what might be the
nature or number of the delusions which would render a
party intestable ; but they thought it impossible to say that
the facts stated in the allegation might not make out such a
case; and therefore the allegation must be admitted to proof,
and it would be for the court before which the cause came to
d. tide it upon the evidence. The appeal, therefore, must be
dismissed with coats.

EQUITY COURTS.
Before the Lord Chancellor.
ABSENCE OF COCNSEL.--14e. Lee applied in the course
of the day that an appeal in " The Attorney-General v. the
Mayor and CorPorstion of Newcastle-upon-Prue," the last in
tlo. list for the day, might stand over, in consequence of the
nt wintry absence of one of the leading wanes'.