The Express.
London, England, 1851-10-22 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 22, 1851.

ab) intelligence.

the charge against him, and did not deny that he had made
the alterations in the vouchers. This avowal, however,
did not relieve Mellish from suspicion, as it was presumed
he could not have been ignorant of the alterations in the
books and the bill•, as he had them cur...tautly under his
notice, sunlit was his duty to ace they were correct.
Tho prisoners were fully committed, hut under the pecu-
liar circumstances et the ease, Mellish was :ultnitted to WI/.

COURT OF BANKRUPTCY.--TEsTERDAY.
0., MP. 01U21-1110AISS 1101.11,,TD.
IN RE FITCM.—JUDOMIINT.

Th.: bankrupt was a commission agent, of Kennington.
The application for his certificate was heard a week ago,
when the facts were fully gone into, and reported in the
Daily News at the time. His Honour, having taken time
to consider his judgment, now said it appeared this was the
sixth time the bankrupt had been in difficulties; on three
occasions be had either made compositions or been insol-
vent, and this was the third bankruptcy. He had com-
menced this course in 1826, and, periodically, about every
Ave or seven years he had stood in a similar position to what
he did in 182'6, either being insolvent, compounding with
his creditors, or being bankrupt. The bankruptcies had
been very much of a similar character In each case he I
had commenc:d his trading with a deficiency; and his ex-
penditure in every one of them was ultra the amount re-
ceived in his trade. This was swallowed up by the trade
expenses, so that the domestic expenses appeared to have
COMP out of the pockets of other people. As this bad oc-
curred so often, he must necessarily expect a more severe
sentence upon the case as it now stood than be had re-
ceived on the previous occasions. It was said, and very
truly, that be ought not to be punished for what
bad taken place before, and for which he had
already suffered. Ile had got his certificate under the first
bankruptcy; under the second he had buffered a six months'
suspension ; and though he was not now to be visited fur
what had taken place then, he must expect to be more
severely visited in consequence of what had now taken place
being a repetition of what then occurred. lie bad alleged
that he did not know why his certificate was suspended on
the last bankruptcy, as no opposition was made. That
might be so, but the court would still feel bound to look
into the case ; and it was very obvious, on a reference to the
balance sheet, why that judgment had been given. It
might be owing, in some measure, to the large amount of
liabilities, and also to the excess of expenditure over the
profits, for the whole of his domestic expenses had been
beyond what he made in his trade. That was very much
the case under the present bankruptcy. He attributed this
bankruptcy to the treatment he had received at the hands
of the gentlemen now opposing him. Ile stated that he had
become their sole agent in business, and that the mime),
he received from them in the way of commission was
not enough to keep him. Notwithstanding that, he had gone
on trading, as appeared by his balance sheet, from October,
1817, down to June, 1851, employed all the while by
those gentlemen on what he stated to be an inadequate
commission, and living upon other people as regarded his
domestic expenses, his trading expenses basing consumed
all he received as commis ion and profit on goods. His
domestic expenses amounted to 9101., anti several of the
creditors were of a character which they did not generally
expect to sec in bankruptcies, as grocers, drapers, doctors,
and people who were generally paid weekly, where a busi-
ness was properly carried on. Having regard to all these
circumstances, and to the number of times the bankrupt
had been in difficulties, the court felt bound to suspend the
certificate for eighteen months, when granted to be of the
third class.
Mr. Linklater, in asking for protection for the bankrupt,
said he had intended to call his honour's attention to a case
recently heard before the Vice-Chancellor, where, though
the bankrupt had failed several times, on immediate certi-
ficate was granted, but with the condition that it should not
protect his future property.
His Honour granted protection for a month, to be re-
newed unless cause were shown to the contrary.

------
THAMES.
Margaret Buckley, a washerwoman, who had been for
many years in the habit of washing for sailors, whose ves-
sels lie in the St. Katherine and London Ducks, was
charged with passing two counterfeit coins.
There were two cues against the prisoner. In the first
instance she called with a bill on M. Leary, master of the
French ship Lenin, who borrowed a sovereign to pay her.
After putting it in her pocket she said she had no change,
and returned what appeared to bo the same coin, but when
the Frenchman gave it back to the custom-house officer
from whom he had it, it was found to be a valueless metal
with the head of the Queen on the obverse, and a figure
similar to that on what were called the Hanover medals on
the reverse. In the other ease the trick was practised with
a little difference ou Mr. John Ross, chief officer of the
American ship Semite. When Mr. Reynolds' from the office
of the solicitor to the Mint, attended, Mr. Yardley called
his attention to the facts, and asked whether it was the in-
tention of the Mint authorities to prosecute. Mr. Reynolds
said his Instructions were to prosecute, the pieces produced
were what were called Hanover medals, bearing no resem-
blance to any current coin of her Majesty. This was only ono
of many cases, and there was no instance of any such hay-
ing been prosecuted by the Mint.
Mr. Yardley—The more numerous the cases the more
necessary it is to put a stop to the practice. There is only
a Hanover medal on the reverse, but it has the head of her
Majesty on the obverse, and according to the words of the
statute it appears to me to be apparently intended to resem-
ble the current coin of the realm. They seem to have been
passed with great ease, and it strikes rue that it is highly
desirable a jury should decide upon the ease.
Mr. Reynolds—The reverse is exactly that of the Hanover
medal, showing a cardinal difference between it and the
Victoria sovereign, whose. reverse is a shield. 1 understand
that no similar case has been sent for trial as one of uttering.
Mr. Yardley—lf it be not uttering, Ido not know what
offence to make it. It would be much to be regretted if
an offence of this kind can be committed with impunity.
Indeed I have been so struck with the evil that if it be not
taken up, I shall, without intending to impute anything to
the Mint, address the Hume Secretary upon the subject. I
remember somewhere the case of a sailor upon whom 25
such pieces were palmed off.
Mr. Reynolds.—ln my opinion these pieces do not come
within the meaning of the act, and as I sin at present in-
structed the Mint will not prosecute. They resemble uo
coin of the present reign, nor could they deceive any ono
exercising an ordinary discretion.
Mr. Yardley.—Hut they have deceived in:this and several
other instances, and impunity in such cases would be deeply
to be deplored. If the Mint does not prosecute, I must
discharge the woman.
Smallwood 68 II said Mr. Mumford, the superintendent of
the St. Katherine's-dock police, informed him that if the
Mint refused the Dock Company would prosecute.
Mr. Yardley said that being informed that a public com-
pany would prosecute, he should commit the case for trial,
and remanded the prisoner till Friday, directing Small-
wood to see Mr. Mumford, and to make all the necessary
arrangements for completing the evidence.