The Express.
London, England, 1847-03-24 00:00:00

London Direct Railway Company was projected, and the
usual parliamentary contract and subscribers' agreement
were prepared. The capital of the company was proposed
to be 2,600,0001., in 100,000 shares of 251. each, the deposit
being 2/. 121. 6d. per share. The plaintiff in this case, Mr.
John Cutts, of Bardfield, scar Braintree, in Rues, applied
for 160 shares, and became a provisional committeemen.
The sum rewired on account of deposits being insufficient
to pay the impinges of obtaining the act of parliament, &e.,
it was resolved, at a meeting of the shareholders, that the
scheme should be abandoned, and that 11. 10s. per share
should be returned to the perverts who had paid their de-
posits. Several of the creditors of the company agreed to
accept a compromise for their claims, and among these
creditors was Mr. Barker. the advertising agent, who, on
the 17th of February, 1816, signed a memorandum, whereby,
after stating the adjustment of his claims, and that he had
received part of the compromise, he authorised the e
mittee of management to u..e his name in any action they
might think proper to institute against any member of the
provisional committee, for the recovery of the remainder
of the sum to be paid to him by way of compromise, or any
part thereof, it being understood that such remaining
sum should be paid to Mr. Barker within sin months,
and that he should be indemnified from the
costs occasioned by the use of his name. The
solicitor to the company then addressed a letter to the plain-
tiff, requiring payment of 731, being the amount of tea
shillings per share upon the shares allotted to him. The 751.
not being paid, an act on was brought against Mr. Cutts, at
the mit of Mr. Barker• to recover 7501., the part of the com-
promise money then remaining unpaid. To this action Mr.
Cutts pleaded, and filed this bill to restrain further proved-
ings. By the hill it was alleged that the defendants, the
provisional committeemen, had a large sum in their heeds
applicable to the payment of fields, and that they were not
entitled to use the name of Mr. Barker, to whom the plaintiff
was not liable. The common injunction having been ob-
tained, and the defendants having served notice of motion to
dissolve, Mr. Bacon and Mr. Reathfield appeared to show
cause against the defendants' motion. Mr. Swanston and
Mr. Relies said that the 751. sought to be obtained from the
plaintiff was less than what hed been paid by several other
members of the prov.sional committee, who had paid
21. 12s. 6d. deposit on their shares, reed received back 11. 101.
only.—The Vice-Chancellor inquired whether the defendants
would be avisfird if the 751. were brought into court?—Mr.
Swanston replied that this was all that they desired. They
had offered to indemnify Mr. Cutts against all liability on
the action, if be would pay the 751., but he had refused to do
so.—The Vies-Chancellor then directed that the 751. should
be brought into court befor the 15th of April, and the in-
junction continued, without prejudice to any question in the
1:61113.

COURT OF BANKRUPTCY.
Before Yr. CommiaM.orr GonMorn.
CIIANCZILY 80128.—Philip Herring, whose case has been
before several law courts, new applied for his final order.
Mr. Duncan, who opposed on the part of Messrs. Clohury
and other creditors, stated that the insolvent was now de-
tained in custody upon no loss than ten attachments for the
nonpayment of certain costa incurred in Chancery mita. The
insolvent had petitioned several courts, and when the petition
was dismissed with costs, he would make a motion to certain
courts, and so he wont on, until he appeared before the
Lord Chancellor, having appealed from the deli-ion of the
Vice•Chancall,r, and his petition being dismi-oed with
costa by the Lord Chancellor, he had since appealed to the
Howe of Lords, at which place the matter was now pending.
The costs incurred in this way, and which his (Mr. Dun.
can's) clients stood creditora for, amounted to about 1,0001
/I • (Mr. Duncan) submitted that this conduct was vexa-
tious and fraudulent, and, being so, the insolvent was not en-
titled to relief under the 28th section ; having, as he con-
bladed, remained voluntarily in prison, and having the right
to apply, years since, to the House of Loris. The court, in
fact, had no power to discharge him, and, if he were dis-
charged, any man might proceed against another, and having
incurred a large amount of mats, appeal to the Homo of
Lords, and then in the meantime apply to this court, end
get discharged from the coots; and were the House
of Lords to decide against him, he would only
have to suffer twelve months' imprisonment for the
costs. Under such circumstances, he (Mr. Duncan)
wishing it to be understood that he could take Permed techni-
cal objections to the petition, hut would ratht r, in justice,
proceed upon the merits, trusted that the court would
not grant the insolvent his discharge from custody ; though
true it WY he had been confined for nearly sin yearn in
prison, but yet it .as voluntarily, and his debts now
amounted to about 2,3001., be having no assets. These were
the circumstances of the case. After some further discussion,
his Honour granted the insolvent his final order and dis-
charge from custody.

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCF.
OXFORD CIRCUIT.—STAFFORD, MARCH 22.
Csown COMMT.—Before Mr. Sericant Gametes.
Anne Seuffenn was indicted for the murder of her illegi-
timate child, Vaal Scuffum. on the 9th of November last, at
the perish of Shmatone, in this county. Mr. Scrjrant Allen
and Mr. Hudilleatnne conducted the prosecution ; Mr.
lryelt thit defense. The prisoner war a young woman,
about 2.5 yews of age, and looked dull, stupid, and inanimate.
The child with whose murder she was charged was about
two years old at the time of its death. The prisoner, who
had never been quick in her intellects, lived with her parents
till their death. Since then, for about the lost five years,
she bad frequently gone to service, end had been in many
places but never kept one long. In October she went
into the Lichfield workhouse, and remained there for •
month. On leaving she took the child with her, and pro-
ceeded homeward'. On the evening of the 9th of November
she was seen taking some straw from a rick in the neigh-
bourhood of Catthdl, and then going to and sitting on the
aide of the Birmingham Canal. A man who saw her went
op to her and leaked her was she going to drown herself or
her child ? She answered, " Neither. I lose it too well,
God bless it ;" and added, that she was coming from Lich.
field to Walsall, and that, being tired. she wished to rest
there. He told her that was not a proper place for her to
rest, and made her go on towards Walsall. Soon afterwards
she was seen by two boatmen on the canal side, and on their
observing the back and shoulders of the chit exposed, and
asking what she was going to do with it, she answered that
the child was dirty and she was washing it, and she used
expressions of endearment towards the child. This spot was
about a quarter of a mile from a well-frequented public-
house called the Anchor, and at that spot the child was last
seen alive. The prisoner, in about a quarter of an hour
afterwards, went to the house of en acquaintance, named
Hollyman, carrying with her the child's clothes wrapped up
in a bundle, and on Mrs. Holleman asking, " Where is
your child I" answered, that it had died of fever in the
workhouse, and she had buried it, and begged Mrs. Holly-
man to go and tell her (the prisoner's) sister of this circum-
stance. On being asked was the fever general in the work-
house, she said se person there had it except her poor child.
Mrs. H. left the hose kw the purpose of making the commu-
nication. Whola the woo gone, the body was discovered
near the spot whim the had been last seen sitting. The
prisoner wee this bites late custody. An inquest was held
the some* (ass 4) day, and on the constable asking her why
she hod drowned her child, she said that the child had dirtied
itself, and as she wan washing it on the aide of the canal it
slipped in, and she was so poorly she was not able to save it
or make an alarm. On the child's clothes being examined,
the statement as to the child having dirtied itself was forma-
t° be false. Before being conveyed to Stafford diesels lodged
in Lichfield geol. and put into the same bed with another
woman, who was there on a conviction for felony, and to
whom in the course of the night she said that, being tired,
she sat down to rest by the side of the canal. That her child
dirtied itself and was crying; that she proceeded to wash it,
and while doing so it slipped into tke water. On being %Row-
wards asked why she did not save it, or cry for assistance,
she said, "As it was coming out, I pushed it
down again I could afford for the keep of one,
but not of two." She was then pregnant with
another child, of which she has since been delivered,
Mr. Woolrych addressed **jury for the prisoner, contend-
ing first that there warm evidence that her statements as to
the mode in which the AIM had come by its death was un-
founded; and next, tame she was imbecile and incapable of
distinguish between right and wrong.—Three witnesses
were then OYLdt the net of whose evidence was simply
that they repeissi bee an of weak intellect. Two of the wit-
nes-et for the preeinatien bad en cross-examination said they
thought her of week intellect.—Mr. Serjeant Allen replied,
contending that there was no ground for saying that she was
insane, and therefore Irresponsible for this crime. His Lord-
ship after plost effeesh the evidence, told the jury he should
leave the nomilion of sanity or insanity with them in the
words ressealmaied by the judges in their waren to the
House of Look who said, " We have to submit our opinion
to be diet &gig aught to be told in all cases, that every
man inpreesneed to be sane, and to posses* a sufficient de-
gree of nem to be responsible for his crimes, until the
contrary he proved to their satisfaction ; and that to
establish a defence on the ground of limonite, it most be
clearly proved that at the time of the committing of the act
the party seemed was labouring under such a defect of
reason, from diatom of the mind, as not to know the nature
and quality of the act he was doing, or if he did not know
it, that he did not know he was doing what was wrong."—
The jury, after a short consultation, found • verdict of " Not
Guilty" se the rend of inanity.
erne. ene—isetee Mr. iodise Maul* and a Special Jury.
Mr. figent Taliesd, Mr. Berjeaut Allen, and Mr.
Kettle smossoi he the plaintiff ; Mr. Whately and Mr.
Heating RN Ike defendant—The plaintiff was an Iron-
master at Wskierkery, in this county ; the defendant,*
Wearer is Leaden. In the autumn of 1845 several
gentlense of a speculative turn of mind entered into
sestrants fte the purchase of large quantities of railway
been, in the 'gestation that to consequence of the im-
mense weber of !lass like) y to be laid down in the next
year, dabbling Is nits wenn peon as profitable se dabbliim
me shares was this sgps ei te be. The defendant entered
into one of thsss osstrasta, sad the present action was the
; result. The indentiou stated that on the 20th October,
▪ 1845, ea agessoust was made between the plaintiff sad the
; deWent, whimsey the *Setif agreed to sell to the defend-
astlll.lllllo tone of iresirmatelde railway bars at 111. 6s. per
tee nee emelt as delhery, and the section of the slid hen was
L. is be any the defends,* night require, said sash smiths was
to be given by the dsholsot to the plaintiff as se Whoa the
Ist March, 1846, and the delivery of the bars sal the pay-
meet he then was to be made in certain mood* prepor-
, Ogee eilemeeseieg as the 27th March, 1848, and 11W,, art
of ths Os% was to be paid on or before the 10th peleber
• UM, bet net the defendant, disregarding Wm ismiss, did
Pet pay the 111101.„ argils to the plaintiff be the LaMar*,
111141, sinks ef the rid ban, whereby the pielatiff was
o pee red den psohmlog Ns menace, de The defendant
pleaded the gesendinee—paynant of the 8001., end delivery
of " a seediee of the said bars" before the Ist of March,
Iste. The payment of the 8001. was now admitted, and
-i. the "sly questions in inue non on the other tingles*. The'
ho gransisA, which was in writing, specified 2,010 is
er