The Express.
London, England, 1847-01-04 00:00:00

when he was kindly treated, he was removed to his red-
deuce, where he remains in a very weak state. Police.
.constable Stone, 7, the (9 division, has received a pretty good
description of the ruins:Ls, and hopes are entertained of
their detection.
THE SMALL I)EnTs ACT.—The act 9 and 10 Viet.,
cap. 95, commences by reciting a wry great but very obvi-
ous truth, that we need not have waited until this year of
greet, 184th to have hit upon, vis., it is expedient that one
rite and manner of proce•dinst for the recovery of small debts
and dernaeds .Moult prevail throughout England. Hitherto
there had been V3Till{.4 rule, of proceeding, just as various
districts suffeeing the intolerable misery of living without
law, had, at great eat, obtained from the legislature special
sets, while by far the larger part of the kingdom was practi-
tally without atty -ter at all. We have now fallen on a
abir
ry IT :A in law. It being at last discovered and admitted,
see sb add he one rule for all the people of England,
w fa the future to enjoy the equal privilege of the
4 The t Wension of the county courts, by the disi-
.
or the . :Ain into convenient districts, int:lin:Mg
towns, Cltirzi, A..., where one rule and manner of dispensing
ustice shall pr-veil, is of itself an immense gain, and one
highly cied.tahe to the present ministry ; if the machinery
of the act he treble, as we shall see that it is, we have at
kit get the place for the machinery and the area of its
operettons ,'.extensive with the land itself, And the *amb-
ito, tt..t justice is the right of all the people, and that the
plat.. e • -tire shall be near their own doors. There does
rot e. • cr, seem any good reason for various topogrnphi-
c..l • . is for various social purposes ; the parochial unions
et' . ady for poor-law purposes might surely be the
.•••iche fur the adjustment of deht-claims,—the same
ale tar .conic pal purposes, including highways, drainage,
sanitory matters, &c., or if it be found that the union is too
small tor KM, purpttles, two or more unions mieht be
grouped together. 'The act consists of 143 sections, of which
7, with go at apparent care, provide the coostitution of the
courts, th it organisatior, duties, functions, officers ; pains,
therefore, have not been wanting in setting out the ground
plan of the Temple of Justice. It is not until the 78th ec-
tion that the jurisdiction of the county court is set forth, viz.,
that all pleas of personal actions, where the debt or damage
claimed is not more than 20!., shall be held in this court, and
shall be heard and determined in a summary way. The
person who complains of an unpaid debt or clsitn shall appear
before the clerk of the court, who shall enter the particulars
thereof in a book. on which a summons shall be served upon
the tame complained against a et resin number of days before
he shall appear before the court. If the plaintiff do nut appear
tosupport the complaint set forth in the summons, or if he shale
not prove hi, demand to the satisfaction of the court, costs
and tatisfaetion may be awarded to the defendant (sec. 73).
But if the defendant do not appear, the inquiry shall be in-
stituted and conducted to its termination, and execution
follow, just as if he were present, unless good reason for
absence be given. If the payment he not made (sec. 94 ), the
court may award execution against the goods ; and if by
any means the claim be not satisfied or the debt paid, after
judgment has been obtained according to the above process,
then the creditor may (sec. 98) obtain a summons, Mat is
another stonnums, requiring the debtor to appear again andl
answer such charges so are laid against him, and as to his
conduct in respect of his not paying the del ; and if he shah
not attend the summons (sec. 99), nor allege a sufficient ex-
cuse, or refuse to be sworn, or make proper disclosure, nor
by his answers satisfy the judge, or has obtained credit from
the plaintiff under false pretences, or by means of fraud or
breach of trust, or has wilfully contracted such debt or lia-
bility without having had at the same time a reasonable ex-
pectation of being able to pay or discharge the same, or shall
have made, or caused to be made, any gift, delivery, or
transfer of any property, or shall have charged, removed, or
concealed the same with intent to defraud his creditors, or
any of them ; or if it shall appear to the satisfaction of the
judge of the slid court that the party so summoned has
then, or has had, since the judgment obtained against him,
sufficient means and ability to pay the debt, or damages, or
costs so recovered against him, either altogether or by any
instalment or instalments which the court in which the judo-
meet was obtained shall have ordered; and if he shall refine
or neglect to pay the same as shall have been so ordered, or
as shall be ordered pursuant to the power hereinafter pro-
vided, it shall be lawful for such judge, if he shall think tit,
to order that any such party may be committed to the corn-
mon gaol or house of e orrection of the county, district, or
place in which the party summoned is resident, or to any
prison which shall be provided as the prison of the court, for
any period not exceeding forty days. The greater part of
this choose is given at letagth, because it contains the heart of
the act, and opens up the prineipie of legislation that after
some years of struggle hap been admitted and adopted. It is
another step from the lawless period, 1844, in a right cause,
hut it is a short step, and leaves the law still behind the place
of justice, sad what the vigorous transactions of a corn
menial people require for the protection of their property.—
Westminster Renew.

FIRE:3.—AT IRONGATE WHARP.—During the after-
noon of Saturday about 150 barrels of provi,ions were rescued
from the ruins, the major part of which were perfeeily sound,
and apparently had received very trifling injury by the action I
of the fire. During this day the firemen, it a believed, will
be able to save as many more barrels of pork and beef; and, I
should the ruins be sufficiently cooled, they will be able to
get out an immense quantity of canvas and linen in bale.,
which can be seen under the brickwork.—ls Bourns.—
Shortly before twelve o'clock on Saturday night, a fire broke
out at No. 1, Whitmore-street, Houton Old Town. It com-
menced in the stables, and extended to the workshops
belonging to Mr. Potter, a cabinet-maker. In a few minutes
the entire building was in flames. Engines from the parish,
London Brigade, West of England, and County offices,
promptly attended, but the firemen were unable to get the
tire extinguished until the stables and workshop were
destroyed.—AT THE QUERN ANNE'S BOUNTY.Ortlell.—
On Saturday morning a fire broke out in a large building,
situate in Dean's-yurd, Westminster, and known as the
Queen Anne's Bounty Office. The flames commenced in the
ground floor, and penetrated the roof. The engines of the
London Establishment, County, and West of England Com-
panies, arrived at the scene of conflagration, and were with
all possible speed set to work; but it was nearly three bouts
before the firemen could get the flames extinguished, and
not until the roof was nearly destroyed. Fortunately the
whole of the public records were saved. The building and
furniture were insured. The business of the office will not
be interrupted, but will be carried on in the new rooms
adjoining the Bounty-office.

INQUESTR, SATURDAY.—DEATII IN A WORM:MUSE.
—By Mr. W. Carter, at the Jolly Sailor. Lower-road, Bother-
hithe, on the body of D. Cokely, 67. On Tuesday last he left
home in a very weak condition, to make application to one of
the relieving officers for relief, which was readily granted to '
him. He endeavoured to reach the workhouse, but fell
from exhaustion on the way, where he was discovered
by an old acquaintance, who assisted him to the
workhouse door. He was seen by the master, who, '
seeing his state, sent for • surgeon, who promptly
attended, but the deceased expired soon afterwards.
The jury returned a verdict of " Natural death."
BURNT To DEATH.—Before W. Carter, Esq., at the Red
Lion Inn, at Cheam, near Epsom, on the body of Mrs.
Sarah Beams, aged 80. The deceased was nearly blind.
On Tuesday evening her attendant left her, when the de-
ceased anked what time it was, and being told it was
" eight," she replied, " What a little fire I think there is."
Soon alter, a neighbour in en adjoining cottage beard a faint
cry of "help me," which was followed by a suffocating
smell of fire. Mrs. Nightingale, the person alluded to, im-
mediately went to the deceased's cottage, when she was
found enveloped in flames, and burnt in a most horrid man-
ner over the head, face, neck, arms, and lower part of the
body. Mr. Clark, of Sutton, sunceon, was called in, and
applied every poseible remedy, but she died in the course of
the night. It is supposed the had gone to feel for tome
coals to put on the fire, when her clothes ignited. The
ELry returned a verdict of " Accidental Death "•
ITURAL or PAROCHIAL BALI/W.—By Mr. Bedford, at
the Plough, Carey-street, Lincoln's-inn-fields, on Jane
Hayes, aged 47, late of 10, Ship-yard, whose death it was
reported had ensued in consequence of her haying been
refused out-door relief by the Strand Union authorities.
Thomas Dennis, brother pf deceased, deposed that his sister
had been in • very bad state of health since the 25th of July,
when her hus'sand died. She had two children, and was
completely destitute; he gave her a little assistance, but
could not continue it. She sold the furniture to maintain
herself and children : for the last six weeks she suffered great
-distress, requiring nourishment, which she could not get.
The Mendicity Society and the O'Conor Don, her former
waster, assisted her. She complained that the parish had
treated her with great contempt.—Mr. Arthur Farm, M.D.,
medics' officer of King's College Hospital, said that on the
14th of November deceased was an out .patient. She was ex-
tremely emaciated, and suffered greatly from cough,
weakness, and nervousness, On the 28th of November she
applied for a certificate for nourishment, which he gave her.
He maOt a post-Neortem examination of the body last Thurs-
day. Death ensued primarily from consumption. He could
ie.,• SIN whether life could have been prolonged, but bread
*as not fit food for a ocuramptive patient ; the absence of
.ie and other nutritive', as well as the inclemency of the
—rather, were calculated to accelerate her death. Mr.
Baiwood, relieving officer, deposed that in July
lot dimmed applied for and obtained assistance to bury her
b ...band In October she got two shillings and two loaves,
end was told to attend the board on the following Friday,
she 44 not. He never heard more of her until her
ill. That he 'were. The book he produced (one be-
ring to the workhouse) proved that wine, meat, broth,
etAkeverything else they required, were liberally given to
k poor. Verdict—" Natural death from pulmonary
• ~se." woompanied by a unanimous disclaimer of any
• against the parochial authorities.