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

NAVAL

DISVOMPORT, Dec. 81, Capt. Stopfnrd, with
the Hag of Itear-Adm. P. Ifornby, was towed from the har-
bour into the Sound yesterday : she was to have nailed this
morning, but is ordered to wait the arrival of despatches
from the Admiralty, which are expected on Saturday.—
Columbia, steamer, Rear-Adm. W. F. Owen, sailed for
Woolwich yesterday, to be paid off.—Caledonia, 1140, near-
A.dos. Dixon, owing to the complicated state of h, r books,
will not be paid off till the 10th Jan., 1848.
ADMIRALTY, Dec. 31.—Arromrxertre.—Capt., Lord A.
Fitzclarence ; Commander, W. Crispin ; Lleuts.. It. T. Bed-
I ford and E. W. Vansittart ; Muter, J. M`Donald ; Surgeon,
T. W. M`Donald ; fusser, W. Bell ; Chief Engineers, T.
Baker (lit class), T. Trnseott, and J. Vickers (2nd class);
Assistant Surgeon, A. Armstrong; Second Masters, G. H.
Forster and T. \V. Sulivsn ; Clerk, H. N. Scaife; Assistant
Engineers, W. Seotten, J. Barber, and W. Piney ; Gunner,
T. Hammond ; Boatswain, K. Bullmoee . and Carpenter, 8.
Hoar, have all been appointed to her Majesty's yacht the
Victoria and Albert.—Captain, J. N. Nott ; Commanders,
T. Baldock and E. Collier; Lieutenants, J. 0. Freeland, A.
R. Dunlap, F. C. Herbert, It. Mudge, and T. S. Striven;
Purser, W. 11. Breey ; Acting Masters, L. Smithett and R.
Sherlock ; First-class Engineers, H. Harden, R. Cowan, and
R. Forster; Assistant Surgeon, D. M. Tucker; Clerk, It.
Mundyy ; Acting Second Masters, J. Warman, R. L. Can-
ney, H. Cullen, E. Hare, C. E. Rutter, J. Wells, and J.
Hammond ; Assistant Engineers, T. Summers, M. Powell,
\V. Furnell, J. Driver, J. King, W. J. Brown, .1. H. Bo-
land, S. Harwood, and W. Wynd ; Clerk's Assistant, F.
Marshall ; Gunner, T. Westlake ; Boatswain, B. Bull ; and
Carpenter, J. Collies, have all been appointed to Ocean.—
Captain, D. Price; Commander, J. G. Gordon ; Lieutenants:
W. G. Hunaworth, J. F. Arnold, F. Collins, T. Tribe, and
C. B. Stockdale ; Master, J. Taylor; Surgeon, B. Bynoe ;
Purser, J. Huggins ; Militant-Surgeon, R. Galvin ; Clerks :
A. Wood and E. W. Gordon ; Acting Second Master, C.
Anstey; Clerk's Assistant, H. Macauley; Gunner, H. Spald-
ing ; Boatswain R. NichoU ; and Carpenter, J. Stanley, all
to Ganges.—Chief Engineers, G. G. Kaye to Stromboli ; W.
Whyham to Bleats. im.—First Class Engineer, J. Hoyle to
Blenheim.—Master's Assistant, 8. Court to Caledonia.—
Clerks Assistant, G. Kent to Hydre—Assistant Engineers,
W. H. Rundle to Terrible; It. Hughes to Bee—Acting
Boatswain, J. Elliott te Cygnet.
Surgeoa A. S. Allen to be Surgeon and Medical Store-
keeper, Plymouth Hospital.

Lath lintriltgence.
EQUTY COURT.
Before the Vice-Chancellor of England.
WARDE V. WARDE.—CVSTODY OP INEANIS —This was
a petition presented by Charles Thomas Warde, Esq., of
Clapton-house, near Stratford-upon-Avon. praying that his
five children, of the respective ages of 0,8, 6,4, and 2, who
had been taken away from Clapton-house by Mrs. Warde,
and removed to the house of her brother, at Rothamsted in
Hertfordatire, might be restored to their father. Mr. Bethell
and Mr. Gifford appeared in support of the petition; Mr.
James Parker and Mr. Algernon Cox appeared for the infants
by their next friend; and Mr. Godfrey appeared for Captain
Walhouse, a trustee for the infants—both the next friend and
the trustee supporting the petition. Mr. Stuart, Mr. ltolt,
and Mr. Dickinson appeared for Mrs. Warde, who opposed
the petition, alleging that she was the most fit peon to have
the custody of the infants, and bringing a vanety of charges
against Mr. Warde, which, it was contended, rendered him
unfit to have the custody of Isis children. The case was
heard in private, and occupied the court four days, the Vice-
Chancellor having previously, at the request of counsel, read
all the affidavits on both sides. At the conclusion of the ar-
guments of Mrs. Warde's counsel, his Honour, without
calling upon Mr. Bethell to reply, ordered all the children to
be restored to their father.

SECONDARIES' COURT.
Before Mr. Secondary Potter.
THISTLSTON AND °TRIMS O. THE SOUTH EANTINN
RAILWAY CONTANY.—COMPENSATION VOA ACCIDENTS'
Ditto—This was a writ of inquiry to arse, in an action to
recover damage*, judgment to which the defendant company
had suffei ed to go by default. From the statement of Mr. Town,
who appeared as solicitor on behalf of the plaintiffs, it
appeared that the present was the first case which had
occurred within the City of London wherein parties had
availed themselves of the powers given by the legislature, in
an act plated in the session of 1846, and knows as " Lord
Campbell's Act," by which the relatives of a person who had
met with mortal injuries could recover damages of those who
were responsible for the act or actions from which thew in-
juries resulted. On the 20th of June last a viaduct on the
Greenwich branch of the South Eastern Railway fell in and
killed two persons, one of them being Mrs. Thistleton, the
wife of the plaintiff, and mother of the other plaintiffs,
Emma Thistleton, Edwia Thistleton, and Thomas Thistle-
ton, for which latter two (minors) Mr. Thistleton and his
daughter Emma (she being of age) sued as trustees, as
well as in their own behalf. The contractors who con-
structed the viaduct, Messrs. Little and Co., and origi-
nally the defendants, had pleaded that they were
not liable, but that plea being withdrawn, the
only question was, the amount of damages to be
awarded.—A gentleman who appeared on behalf of the
company. agreed, on behalf of his clients, to • verdict for
2001.—This offer being accepted, some discussion arose as
to the mode in which the amount was to be divided amongst
the plaintiffs, in conformity with the act of parliament,
there being some difficulty in the way—when such a course
as the present was adr,tsd. Eventually, by consent of the
parties, it was &greet t..st the jury should give a general
verdict for 2001., an -?mend to that verdict, that they
awarded 1001. to the l....aser, and 1001. to be equally divided
amongst the children whose mama were upon the record.—
The solicitor to the company said that the parties really
liable were Messrs. Lithe, the contractors, although the
lict would be against the company who employed them.
The accident did not result trots any negligence or mis-
conduct, but from purely accidental causes ; and he felt
it
right to state, that at the inquest which sat upon the bodice
of the persons who were killed by the txtvrrence, the unam.