The Express.
London, England, 1848-01-26 00:00:00

SCOTLAND.

EDINIVILON, J AN. 24.
As was predicted in the .E.rpress he repeal of
the Bank Act in going the round of the counties. The
convener of Kinatrchne has called a meeting of that
shire for the 31st inat., and the other Scotch counties
will speedily follow.
The other day the North Britiah Railway Com-
pany had been fiued on account of one of their
trains passing a station • we have now to mention
that the same company has been amerced for defi-
ciency in carriage accommodation. The case was
that of a coal-merchant, who summoned the company
for 8k 6a. Bd., as damages due by the company fur
annoying and obstructing him in the pursuit of his
business, by failing to provide trucks to convey his
coals along the line, and also charging demurrage on
the coal detained by the company. The sherift after
recommending the parties to seek a more deliberative
mode of deciding so important a point, and the com-
plainer having pressed for a decision, pronounced
judgment in favour of the pannier, intimating his
opinion that the company were regarded by the law
as common carriers, and bound to provide the public
with tracks for the conveyance of goods.

Funs ii (hamlow.—Three occurred in Glamow between
Nr•turdll end Moeda), all of which have been attended with
considerable for ofproperty. The tint was within a straw
hat she , at No. la, Glarrioedatraet, nearly opposite the
. By octave es. rams the flames were speedily
subdued, and the firs conflademdcrtuoyiLi.mce where it orige.
nated ; but from the nature of the the en tire dock
inside hss boss sossplstaly Ths paspaly is in-

acrd.—The second fire was in the back part of Masora. A.
and 1. Degrees's furnishing warehouse 139, Bucksaws-
street. Oa gettiag admimion into the premier, it was ob-
vious that the fire had been smouldering for some length et
time, as it had spread considerably within the interior
ere it oosaaannicated with the chimney. The damage
in this asset however, has not been altogether confined to
the preM•1111 of Mewl. Douglas, as part of the
flooring immediately above, treated by the Amicable
Insurnees Company, caught fire, andeunk. The damage done
in this fiat has sot bees very great, but the valu-
able goods in the famishing shop have been destroyed, or
otherwise damaged to a very large extent. It is not known
whether the pasties are insured. The third casualty
acurred in the warehouse occupied by Moen. Service and
Workman, sewed muslin usanufacturen, 129, Ingram-street,
and a third time the fire brigade was on the alert end at the
spot in a vcry brief space. Before the engines could be put
in operation the firs had assumed a very alarming appear-
sore, and the flames were bursting out at the roof and from
the windows. The warehouse being on the top list, the tire
did not spread so rapidly as it otherwise would have done;
but before it was extinguished the interior of the greater
part of the fiat was completely gutted, and the stock of
the proprietors almost totally consumed. One of the apart-
ment in the fiat beneath, occupied by Mr. Thomson,
accountant, has bean entirely consumed, in consequence of
part of the flooring above having fallen down, and carried
the fire into his premises; but, with this exception, no other
damage by fire took place, though a great deal or valuable
property m the flats underneath, which are mostly occupied
as warehowes, has been partially destroyed by the water
which was used in extinguishing the flames. Messrs. Ser-
vice and Workman are fully insured.

M. P. Ginsott e. Potroax.--Secntrta• Caen tie Tux
COURT or Ssastow.—This was a cam arising ant of a cours-
ing match under the direction of the Caledonian Conning
Club. 128 dogs were to be entered, and 81. paid into the
bands of the stakeholder for each. After two or three minor
prince, the chief winner was to obtain a valuable picture as
the prise. The blue bitch, Violet, the property of Mr. Gib-
son, who is note membei of the club, but nominated by Mr.
Pollock, who is a member, was declared winner. A dispute '
having arisen whether the picture should be the property of
the nominated, es owner of the deg, the former raised
an action against the stakeholder, Mr. Graham, who
then raised the present action of multiplepoinding,
and the two actions were conjoined. Mr. Gibson
! took objection to the competency of the whole proceeding,
on the ground of its being a sponsio indict° and not
competent to be adjudicated by the court; and, also, on the
ground of a previous contract, to refer it to the arbiters ac-
customed to decide such questions in the club.—Mr. Bane,
with whom was the Dean of Faculty, maintained the incom-
petency of any action of the kind, the de quo quaritur in
which we. to be got at through the rules of a eporting club,
and which distinctly referred to a wager, or at least a com-
plication of wagers. Various English authorities were founded
on to show that in England there was a general feeling on
the bench that it was to be regretted that their law did not
exclude betting contracts from the consideration of the courts
of law, as it was maintained they were excluded here. A
recent British statute, 8 and 9 Vic., c. 18, which had been
founded on by the other party, as excluded from the category
of gambling transactions, "subscriptions or contributions to
be awarded to the winner in any lawful game," applied not
to the decision of who was winner, but to the compelling by
the trustee or stakeholder of the subset iben to pay their sub-
scription.—Mr. Macfarlane, with whom was Mr. Inglis, ar
gued that this was not a wager at all. It was a combination
for the improvement°, a certain breed of dogs, and the stake
resembled the prizes given by the Highland Society and the
like. It was neither a wager, nor immoral, nor trivial, and
no statute law could be shown against its being the subject
of judicial decision. The exception in the abeve-mentioned
statute was also founded on. As to the second objection,
his client, Mr. Gibson, was not a member of the club, and
not bound by its laws. It was only the nominators of dogs
who voted for the stewards and secretary of the club as
judges in such mattes.—The court delayed judgment.—
N. B. Mail.