The Express.
London, England, 1846-10-31 00:00:00

ARBITRATION COURT.

SOUTH WESTERN RAILWAY AND THE NEW TERMINUS.
—Teat( rday, Mr. Abbott, under-sheriff of the county of Sur-
rey, with Mr. Wallingers as his assessor, held a court in the
great rooms of the Horns Tavern, Kennington, to hear the
several claims of owners of property against the above
company, which refusing to accede to their demands, the
matters were referred to arbitration according to the late act.
The proposed extension is from the Nine Elms station to a
point on the hank of the Thames as terminus (between
Hungerford and Waterloo bridges), and has obtained the
sanction of the legislature.—The Attorney-General, Mr.lllll,
Q.C., and Mr. Merewether appeared for the company; Mr.
Montague Chambers, Mr. Bagley, and Mr. Bramwell for the
claimants. A jury of ten gentlemen, selected from the
grand panel of the county, of which Mr. Freshfield, late
M.P, was foreman, was sworn, and they at once pro-
ceeded to view the property of the Reverend Mr. Stretton,
situated in the Bridge-road, and .Marsh-gate, Westminster.
The reverend gentleman resides at Reading; he is the chief
claimant, his demand being 20,000/. The property consists
of nine houses, copyhold tenure. His Grace the Archbishop
of Canterbury is lord of the manor. When tho jury re-
turned, Mr. Chambers addressed them at great length on
behalf of the Rev. Mr. Stretton. The property consisted
mostly of ground-rents, and had been during several gene-
rations in his client's family. The present income from it
was 6:131., and 20,000/. would hardly buy such an one in the
funds. He thought this property even better than funded
property, for whereas there was almost a certainty that the
latter would not rise but be probably depreciated, there was
every likelihood that this property would increase in value.
The pulling down of Westminster-bridge would rather
enhance than deteriorate it. He hoped the jury would
consider in their verdict that this was a compulsory
sale, and that they would award more than 20,000/.
The learned counsel called several witnesses, amongst
whom were three surveyors. These gentlemen valued
the property in question at from 17,0001. to 18,4001.
The ground in Bridge-road was estimated at 31. per square
foot.—The Attorney-General replied in a speech which occu-
pied more than an hour in delivery. The company was at
great inconvenience and immense expense in carrying out
this scheme, in order to remedy the defect of the present ter-
minus, and could not expect a corresponding return for the
large outlay it would occasion. The company had offered to
refer the arbitration of the claim to some tim-rate surveyor;
but that offer the rev. gentleman declined. lie contended
that the pulling down of Westminster-bridge, so far from
enhancing, would materially depreciate this property. The
true value of it was 13,500/. In fact, the greater part of this
purchase was forced upon the company, by the claimant,
for otherwise he would have resisted the bill in I'arliament.
Mr. Chambers interposed that that portion of the pro-
perty of his client over which the line would not imme-
diately pass, would be quite destroyed by its closeness to the
works.—The Attorney-tieneral proceeded, and commented
on the evidence at great length, calling upon the jury to re-
member that the company had not merely to remunerate the
Rev. Mr. Stretton and the other owners of property there,
but to buy the good-will of the occupants of the houses,
which were all shops—The assessor summed up, and the
jury returned a verdict of 16,7001. for the claimant.—The
great rooms were crowded with the ratepayers of the neigh-
bourhood. The inquiry commenced at 11 and t2rminated at
half-past 6 o'clock. The investigation, of the remaining
claims was deferred.

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.-YESTERDAY.

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OLD OutlliT.—Before Chief Baron Pollock and Justice Erte.
John Franklin, 2.3, William Wilkinson' 26, and JoAs
IValker, 40, who were convicted on Thursday, the two
former of stealing a quantity of cloth, the property of Thomas
Gordon, draper, in the Blackfriars-road, and the latter for
feloniously receiving it, knowing it to have been stolen, were
placed at the bar to receive sentence. The evidence adduced
in support of the charge showed clearly that the prisoners,
Wilkinson' and Franklin, were adepts in the commission of
felony, and that the other prisoner was a wholesale receiver
of stolen goods. His proceedings had been watched by
Mount, Gray, and Whall, three of the metropolitan police,
belonging to the C Division, and they appeared to have
acted with great zeal, discretion, and intelligence in the
proceedings they adopted to detect the guilty parties.
—Mr. Clarke applied to the court to exercise the
power it possessed of ordering a reward to the constables
who appeared to have conducted themselves in a very meri-
torious manner.—Mr. Justice Erle said he considered the
prosecution a very important one, and that the exertions of
the police had brought to justice a pervn who could not
be considered in any other light than a wholesale author of
crime, and that it was a great public advantage to check the
career of such a person. He, therefore, should direct that
the usual reward given in such eases should be awarded to
the officers concerned in the case; and with regard to the
prisoners, the sentence upon Franklin and Wilkinson was,
that they be transported for seven years, and Walker for
11 fourteen years.
FORGERY.-Mr. Ballantine applied for a postponement of
the trial of Bridget Sullivan and Villiers Pearce, charged
with forging a cheque for 151. on Messrs. Coitus & Co. There
were a great number of letters produced against the male
prisoner, copies of which were only delivered last nigh
the prisoner had not, therefore, had sufficient op •
examine them, and instruct his attorney on the
Mr. Doane resisted the application. The letters