The Express.
London, England, 1853-02-18 00:00:00

RAILWAY AND OTHER BILLS ON STANDING

ORDERS.

Yesterday the following bills passed the standing
orders of the Home of Commons: _

EASTRIIM COON'TINA RAILWAY.—For line from Mac-
ningtree to Harwich.
GRZAT WESTIRN, 811111WABURY AND BIRMINGHAM,
AND 61IR1WIGICHT AND CHM= BAILWATII.—For amal-
gamation.
BOUTM WALR3 BAUM/LT.—Powers to purchase Pem-
broke line.
WARRINGTON AND ALTAINCHAM.—For deviation and

braaeltea at Wartio_gtaa.
LONDON AND Nora WESTERN. EIRREVfBHURY AND
BiRMINORAII AND CHSST/11.—Powers to lease.

The ttantlin orden were declared not complied with in
the two follong eases :
ILDINDUZOII Alen PENTH RAILWAT.—For arrangements
u to capital.
STAINES, WOILINONAN, AND 'WOLIN° ILINCTION
RAILWAY.—For construction of line.

FATAL ADVIIITUS,E.-A young man, named James
Ogden, was so rash at Stockport, on Wednesday, as to risk
his life for the sake of recovering au old cap, not worth 2d.
Into the River Mersey, which runs through the borough,
and which though not here navigable is of great value for
manufacturing purposes, and in a unitary point of view,
some of the manufacturers cut great quantities of refuse
material, and amongst others Messrs. Scott, the imp
founders, whose works are on the Cheshire side, a little
west of Lancashire-bridge, thrown inlarge quantities of

ashes. Ogden workeda at this foundry, and on Wed-
nesday had descended, by • ladder from • back
window, upon a heap of ashes which had ac-
cumulated, so as to show above the surface of the
water, to force them more effectually within reach of the
current. After being so employed, he was ascending the
ladder w nem* into the foundry, when hie cap fell from
his head sad was carried gently down the stream. The
=um rapidly returned to the heapof ashes, threw off
WM% and, despite the coldness of the weather and the I
resnenstrence of a fellow workman, plunged into the water,
He had scarcely recovered his cap, when he suddenly dis-
appeared and was drowned. Being • good swimmer, it is
supposed he was seised with cramp. The stream is rather
rapld, and there was no ice upon the water; but a sharp
frost has now prevailed for a week put, and no doebt the
water would be intensely cold. The body was soon reco-
vered from the water, and the aid of surgeons procured,
, but without avail. An inquest was held the same day by
Mr. Charles Hodson, the coulter, when a witness expressed
Ms belief dot IM sap for which the deceased bad so fatally
Vlb ast worth twopence. The verdict of the
isrg um * inwsed."

Lain iintelligence.

PREROGATIVE COURT—YESTERDAY.
karma Boa Joas Liouon.
ANOTHER GORHAM CASE.

0011.1 IAN V. MASON AND GOODTILLOW.
This was a business of calling in letters of administration
which had been granted to Mr. Cesar Bruno, the father
and nearest of kin of Mies Jane Bruno, late of Tonbridge,
deceased, and of requiring Mr. Brano's executors to show
cause why theme letters should not be revoked, and probate
granted of a copy of a will which had been executed by
Miss Bruno a few days before her decease.
The promoter in this case was • Mr. John Gorham, a
surgeon of Tonbridge, who bad been betrothed to the de-
ceased, their marriage having been prevented only by her
death. Miss Bruno was a lady of about 40 years of age,
Mr. Gorham bein somewhat younger. Duricg her last
illness Mr. Gorham (who also attended her in a medical ca-
pacity) bad several conversations with her relating to the
disposition of her property. She told him that she wished
to leave various small legacies to her servants and to some
of her friends, particularly to Miss Goodfellow, her com-
panion. She added that there would not be much left, but
she wished him to have the remainder. Mr. Gorham took
a note of her requests, and afterwards consulting his
brother, Mr. William Gorham' a solicitor, at Tonbridge, he
was recommended by him to have a will drawn. A will
was therefore prepared, and war taken to Mies Bruno. She
at first expressed considerable reluctance to execute it, be
cause, as she remarked, she was sure her dear papa would
carry out her wishes, a memorandum of which would be
founa in her desk. She spin repeated that after the
legacies she had mentioned were paid, there would be very
little left; but she wished "Poor John" (meaning Mr.
Gorham) to have what there was. It was represented to her,
however, that after all her wishes might not be fulfilled
unless she left a proper will, and then she signed the paper.
The next day, on the 13th of January, 1851, she died. In
the following month Mr. Bruno told Mr. Gorham that he
intended to carry out all his daughter's wishes, but that he
felt somewhat hampered in doing so by the will; and Mr.
Gotham therefore consented to destroy it. They each took
hold of the paper and having torn it between them, threw
the fragments into the fire. Mr. Bruno took out letters of
administration on the 30th of March; and he died on the
23rd of September following. Miss Bruno's property
turned out to be considerable, for her father had placed a
umber of gas shares in her name. It was sworn under
=the bulk of which would have been taken by Mr.
under the will. An attested copy of that dom-
ain% bad been made by Mr. Wm. Gorham, before the
MONA bad left his office ; and the object of the present
peessimibi was to set up that oopy, instead of the letters of
silainistredea. This was resisted by Mr. Mason and Miss
Goodfellow, as *neaten of the late Mr. Bruno.
Dr. Bayford, on behalf of Mr. Gorham, contended that'
the deceased was in perfect possession of her faculties at the
time she executed the will, and that she was entirely com-
petent to rive legal effect to such a document. It was quite
true that Mr. Gorham had acted in a foolish and imprudent
manner in consenting to the destruction of the will ; but
he had been actuated by no improper motives—he had
only acted in ignorance. It must be admitted that none of
the parties had ever contemplated that so much property
would have been bequeathed under the document, but that
did not affect the validity of the instrument itself; and con-
sidering the tender relations which had subsisted between
the parties nothing was more natural then that Miss
Bruno should have appointed him her residuary legatee.
Dr. Deane followed on the same aide.

The Queen's Advocate appeared for the executors of
Miss Gorham. This was a matter that bore some slight re-
semblance to the other Gorham case ; for it was an attempt'
to regenerate a defunct will by pleading the prevenient
grace or favour which the deceased lady was supposed to
bear towards the person who was to benefit by the instru-
ment. Nothing could be more discreditable than the con-
duct of Mr. Gorham throughout, first in procuring a will
and then tearing it up, and in then attempting to set up
the copy. The account given in the depositions of
what took place when the original was destroyed
was utterly unintelligible except cm the supposition
that Mr. Bruno bad given Mr. Gorham some consideration
to resign his interest in his daughter's will. At all events
it was not creditable in him, after what had passed, to at-
tempt to set up the copy ; and he (the Queen's Advocate)
trusted that the court would not revoke the letters of ad•

ministration.
Dr. Twins having argued on the same side,
Die. Bayford and Deane replied. „
Sir John Dodson gave sentence. After an elaborate exa-
mination of all the evidence, he said he was of opinion that
the deceased was under the impression that she wee not
making a will that was to have legal effect, but was signing
merely a memorandum for her father's guidance. With-
out, therefore, offering any harsh observations upon the
destruction even of that paper by the person who was now
attempting to set it up, be mart pronounce against the copy
of will, with costs.

THE POLICE COURTS.
BOW-STREET.

John William Camninghont, a well.dremod gentlemanly
looking man, was placed at the bar, charged with attain
counterfeit coin.

Mr. Griffiths, the landlord of the Southampton Arms,
Tottenham-court-road, stated that the defendant, with a
companion, entered his house the previous evening and
called for some halt-and-half, tendering 6d. in payment.
Witness saw that it was a ban one, and returned the money,
upon which he produced half-a-crown, which also turned
oat to be counterfeit. Witness then gave both the parties
,into custody.
Mr. Hall wee about to commit the prisoner for trial, but
he assured his worship that, however bad appearances were
against him, he woe wholly innocent of the intention to
pass bad money- He produced letters from his friends in
the country to show his respectability, and also to prove
that he had received a Post-office order for if., in ex-
change for which he received a sovereign at the Poet-
office, Camden Town. He changed the sovereign at the
Bull public-house, in Tottenham-court-road, and the
waiter, he said, must have given him the bad money there.
Under these circumstances, Mr. Hall remanded him for
a week, taking his own reeognisances to appear again.