The Express.
London, England, 1851-09-24 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL LAND COMPANY AND
CHARTIST CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY.

Yestetday a very numerous meeting was held be-
fore his Honour the Muter in Chancery Humphry,
ink in-
Chancellor Turner's Cues% Lincoln's-inn, to determine, in
pursuance of an act of parliament, 14 & 15 Viet., passed
last session, entitled " An act to dissolve the National Land
Company, and to divan of the land and propertybelong-
ing to it," on the appointment of an official manager to
wind up its unfortunate again, in which a vast number of
persons, to the extent of some
60,000, principally weavers,
artisans, and working-classes, are interested, and who,
located on the contemplated arcadias of O'Connorville and
Snigs-end, have been brought, in many instances, into a
state of actual destitution. There were several of these un-
fortunate shareholders holding allotments of land in
evert, and who had come there under the im-
passion that a ".dividend " was to be declared.
There were also on the benches behind counsel
several of the disciples of "the six points of the charter "
present. The meeting was the result of an adjournment
from 4th September, when Messrs. Hutton, Ooodehap,
Quitter, Harding, Ernest, Turquand, Croysdill, Grey,
Prim, Fellows, Norris, and Ainger, gentlemen of eminence
se accountants, were proposed, and their respective qualifi-
cations for the office canvassed, and at the dote of the pro-
ceedings it was discovered that by far the greater number
of the
menatures of shareholders, in number 2,100, re re-
min 7,620 shares. in favour ot Mr. Abetter. the
et the estees of the heti sem, Mee ant goelo
adore% the nolsolty et AIM WEI IllinalllllolMONW
writing. Upon this the Mentoet obeetrusd the
antil yesterday, in order that the parties im 'platten=
make affidavits ia exploration of the unaccountable over-
mice.
The following emend appeared on behalf of the seve-
ral candidates :—Mr. Roxburgh, Mr. James, Mr. Chiches-
ter, Mr. Sweet, Mr. De Gex, Ide Rogers, Mr. A. Hill, Mr.
Reid, and a large number of solicitors.
Mr. Sweet, in explanation of the alleged discrepancy, as
counsel for Mr. Ainger, read Dome voluminous affidavits
which entered into the matter with great circumstantiality.
The affidavit of Mr. 0. W. Chinery, solicitor, of Robert-
street, Adelphi, agent of Mr. W. P. Roberts, of Manches-
ter, the solicitor to the National Land Company, set forth
that all the lists of proposals for the appointment of Mr.
Alfred Aiwa were received through the post office from
the several secretaries connected with the local branches of
the National Land Company in different parts of the coun-
try, sent to the late Land Office in London to one of the
late directors. The genuineness of the signatures was re-
lied upon, nor was it noticed at the time that many dif-
ferent names were written in the same handwriting. Since
last meeting affidavits had been obtained from the secreta-
ries of the branches in Lancashire, Cheshire, and other
places, explaining how the signatures were obtained, and
vouching fur their genuineness, but admitting that many
of the names were written " for " the shareholders, but
by their authority. The affidavit of Mr. W. P. Rotate, neat
read, represented that ho was appointed solicitor to the
whole body of sharcholders,and was not, as had been alleged.
private solicitor to Mr. O'Ctnnor, and that he is concerned
as attorney on behalf of a large number of persons
shares, who have not been located on any of the lands
the company, and who would be entitled to receive a divi-
dend out of the surplus assets in respect of their shares.
That he advised the application to parliament, and procured
the act of parliament on behalf of the creditors and share-
holders for winding up the company, and not for the bene-
fit of Mr. O'Connor or the directors. Had received no
money from Mr. O'Connor or the directors for the expenses,
but had spent between 200 f. and 30W. for parliamentary
hes, exclusive of his own professional charges. se
that before the act passed in the House of Lade, hr.
O'Connor left Embed for the continent, end bedio that
• letter bad been received from him with the penhadiet mob
• " Leglines.° Was " not aware that trOomoor
knew that the ern had wok or that an ribs lei boa
obtained by ilme thgesott he windinuirietnosads=
although the whit bad boa defined
nally he lash tla now et Mr. 0 '..ennor Wag=
minently seet k the sot se the party to
such wowing up, nor did Mr. O'Clomor, empossal
verily believed, know al peopmel of Ma
/singer to setae official dm
111 the osomary.'•
The it
in the signalises had urinals
of the shins being Wane(' posses asilail=ra
write their own mom Dirlellit was ase einaielli with
one T. M. Whsle, frowooly sorgoasy as Os sorgray. •
number of silidoells speaking to the roe plias wen vise
nad from the asemeeles of the late brandess in the pe►
vyse, including MO from the" O'Connor Brigade branch"
Si !mufti. aravgbarr.)
Mr. hale eiserral that, from the tenor the passedinge
W Ohm ft wad& be seen that there was a mosithst eat-
eosin basun Mr. Baberta, Mr. O'Connor, M. Mom
awl Mr. Abraliiiiormrlalint of the point of the balsa.
nos MOB
Mt impictomplained that, since the last nesollog. a
risesbirßoberts Mr. Ro had been sent " to the doer
holden the ational Land Conosay" aiding se Moo
teeepport Mr. Aintree, and roceg does So goo
ties could not write to oaks the sign of the OMB 1611111..
.8 Th. mark )4 of John Noakes:* (laurel/1,
Mr. James contended that the manner w the order
to wind up from the court had been &bleed wee
anomalous. The petition woo yousafiel by Ms all
Of
the company as the petition et Mr. O'Cussear ; the one
solicitor, in his affidavit that had been read to the court,
asserting, he " was not aware that Mr. O'Connor knew that
an order to wind up had been obtained." Mr. Roberts
had not only been solicitor but treasurer to the company,
had been party to. all its illegal transactions, and now had
a large claim against it. He was also one of the account-
, ing parties. The deed was signed by '2,5,000 persons, for
which Mr. Roberts charged 2,500/.
His Honour the Muter said he was of opinion that, under
the circumstances, a grave question might arise as to the
mode in which the order had been obtained from the court.
There might be ground for supposing it had been obtained
improperly, and deo, he should feel it his duty to suspend
all further proceedings until the transaction was reviewed
by a superior court. He wished to know how Mr. Roberts
came to present the petition to the Court of Chancery in
Mr. O'Cossor's wee ?
Mr. Sweet replied that it was necessary to use Mr.
O'Coence's name an all the transactions of the company.
In all the land affairs Mr. O'Connor was the recognised
agent. Since the last meeting 1,900 additional signatures
had been obtained for Mr. Ainger. It was desirable in
winding up the affairs of this unfortunate company to
obtain as large a dividend as possible for the shareholders,
and he believed that none of the candidates were better
able to effect this than Mr. Ainger, who in another instance
had realised a profit of 5,0001. for the shareholders.
The Master—Does he hold out any such hope with
referees, to the estate of the National Land Company /
(Lanham)
Mr. James submitted that should it turn out Mr. Roberta
bed promoted the petition in the name of Mr. O'Connor
without his authority he ought to be struck off the rolls.
In the additional signatures for Mr. Ainger many were
included in the old list.
The Master thought it was quite possible that Mr.
O'Coeser, who hod apparently been the prime mover in
the application to the court, ought, es his return, son the
court toast aside the order, s the ground Was be was no
party to it. Any Weld
his as
he,
_this Mesas, might
appoint, would act, as to as delegate, sad the
first thing le should Out to do would be to draw out
a fu.l espionatery root of the state of the composes
affairs.
Mr. James, on behalf of Mr. Prier, another of the can&
dates, denied that that gentleman had any connexion MB
Mr. O'Coneor. The fact sou, ss appeared from the enb,
demo given Whin the House of Commons, that Mr.
bats was not only olicitor, but treasurer, and bad
lased the provider of tho deed of settlement he WNW
drew oat. Mr. Mote was held out to the world as tow
woo, though Mr. O'Connor in reality got all the new
and it was Mr. Roberts who, through his
Mimicry, was sow pelting forward if:. Aingerts es-
eseeinendatieri has Mr. Prime inn from 2,403 thew
holders, repooodes 7,11111 inns. The fictitious sigma-
tures aonseil to brio leas peseurrid in " batches," and
ono of the eibilavits Mead that "ales and spirituous
liquors" had bees dispensed .to obtain them, which the
deponents sahnitted, if not a contempt and contrary to the
of the High Court of Chancey, was synonymous
'tivzillesthe ele " bribery and treating. (Laughter.)
It was _Mold at considerable length that Mr. Price
Loin boa manager of the Land end Labour Bank, which'
was ialleMeltiellt with the National Lend Company, would
be haeligibie In the appointment from that me.
It apparel that the progressive stamps to the Land
C deed, which was stenermeas length, wet 1,0001.
Mellel eessiderable further dielnellee. hie Honour said
he should not appoint an offish' eseeteoW until he was per-
fectly satisfied, by the most ova* teekratory affidavits,
that the order en the petition be this oast above to wind
up the company bed ben 46611•1111 by Mr. Roberts, with
the authority of Mr. OVeneer. It was possible ho might
appoint en interim manager. The whole circumstances
connected with the oaten must be fully and unevasively
explained.
The proceedings then, at 3 o'clock, were adjourned to
Tuesday next.

THE Dria OP ATHOLL'II SHILLING.—The North
Britiah Moil assures us that the Duke of Atholl exacts one

shilling 7, head from every person takir;ir;Ulrci; Ti;
ground at Dunkeld. This is rather dear; but the impost
would be insupportable if his grace insisted upon also show-
ing_himaelf for the money.—Pwwek.
TILE GREAT CABLE TELEGILIFIL--COntrary to
expectation, tho coil of the submarine rabbi was not depo-
sited on board the Bluer by tide time, yesterday morning,
as the workmen, tired of the toil, did not continue their
hauling labours during the night. To-night, however, they
will do so, a relay having been provided. At a late hour
last night nearly 20 miles of the cable was= board, and the
remainder will be there this morning, when the vessel will
start for Dover.