The Express.
London, England, 1851-08-15 00:00:00

MARLBOROUOII-STREET.

Mr. John Horatio Brown, of 26,
summoned for using abusive and insulting language
towards Major Charles Macdonald.
It will be remembered that about a fortnight ago Major
Macdonald, accompanied by a French lady and gentleman
of distinction, went into the auction room., 26, Conduit.
street, of which the defendant was the ostensible pro-
prietor. The lady selected a brocade dress, fir which she
offered 30s. the price asked being 21. 10a, This offer was
' refused, and the major and his party were about leaving
the place, when the defendant followed them to the door,
and said he would take the 30s. for the dress. Mejor
Macdonald and the lady returned to the room, and the
money was paid; but on the lady cxamininc the dress, she
found it vastly inferior to the one she had chosen, and not
worth 15s. On the complainant demanding the money
back, he was assailed with abusive language, such's,"Yon
d—d snob, I'll kick you out," Sc. Fur this insulting lan-
guage the present proceedings were commenced, and yea-
terday was fixed for hearing the case.
When the case was called on, Mr. Parry said he appeared
in answer to a summons which had been granted on the
application of a person who called himself Major Mac-
donald. Mr. Brown, against whom the summons had been
obtained, and for whom lie (the learned counsel) appeared,
was in attendance, and was perfectly ready to answer any
charges that might be made against him. It was the more
important that his client's character should be cleared from
the imputations that had been made upon it, as many un-
pleasant rumours had found general circulation.
Mr. Ilingham.-1 understood, some time ago, that the
summons had been withdrawn.
Mr. Parry.---I have just heard that myself. Suppose this
was an action at law, I should he allowed to have the jury
sworn, mid the plaintiff non-suited. Very injurious reports
have been circulated, with respect to Mr. Brown, and now
that we are to meet and rebut them, Major Macdonald dues
not choose to appear.
Inspector WWI, who was called, said he had been sent
for, anal had been informed that Mr. Brown having made
an bumble apology to Major Macdonald, that gentlemanhad
withdrawn the summons.
Mr. Parry, who in the interim had applied that the sum-
mons should be recorded, said he knew nothing about the
summons having been withdrawn, but as that appeared to
be the rim he was compelled to let the matter drop. At the
Came time, he was bound to repeat that Mr. Brown was
quite willing to have the case heard.
The proceedings then terminated.
Shortly after the above proceedings terminated, a lady,
who said her name was Ilittl•R, entered the court in a state
it great excitement, and in a foreign accent said, " I have
le complain to your worship of a great take is iu Conduit-
street." (laughter.) (Laughter) She continued as follows:—" This
morning I went into the eale-rooms in Conduit-street,
attracted by bills which had been circulated. I looked at a
I dress which was stated to be silk, and was asked two and a
half guineas for it. Presently the persons in the sale-room
come down to Xis., and I bought it at that price. It looked
very handsome in the piece, but when I came to examine it
I found it was mere stuff—in fact, a gross deception has
been practised upon me ; moreover, the man who sold it
to me, stated that it was 5} yards wide, whereas on looking
at it I found that it was not nearly 5 yards wide.
Mr. Bingham expressed his astonishment that a lady
should have been so victimised in a mutter of silk. With-
out professing to be intimately acquainted ,with the mye-
tories of the fabrics of which ladies dresses were composed,
he thought he should have very readily seen that the piece
of stuff preduevil had no elaint to the character of silk. If
he were going to buy a knife or any other article with
which he was acquainted he should examine it well before
putting down his money. The article produced was cer-
tainly one of the grossest deceptions he had ever wit-
nessed.
Complainant acknowledged that she had been very
short-sighted in entering into such a bargain.
Mr. Bingham said he hardly knew what law would pro-
tect the complainant. If u man bought a horse with only
one eye, having taken no precaution to ascertain whether
he had another, the law would hardly protect him.
Complainant said that probably she would not have
eared so much about the amount of money of which she
had been defrauded hail it not been for the excessive rude-
ness which had been shown to her in the sale room. She
had been grossly ill-used by t he person in the sale room,
to whom she complained of the trick that had been played
upon her.
Mr. Bingham advised the complainant to appeal to the
County Court for redress, expressing at the same time his
doubts as to the result of such an application under the

circumstances.
Hardly had this case been disposed of, before a police
officer brought up in custody a man who had been distri-
buting circulars from the firm above named, in Regent-
street, and the other public thoroughfares. These circular.,
which gave a most flattering description of the vast amount
of goods to be disposed of, were signed " Ilanbury, Greville,
and C 0.," whilst others bore no name, and were placed in
envelopes.
The poliee-officer stated that the man threw his papers
into omnibuses and carriages, and otherwise obstructed the
thoroughfares.
Prisoner said he had been out of work for a long time.
lie bad been engaged by the people in Conduitstreet to
deliver their bills, and he was glad to earn a shilling.
Mr. Bingham advised him to be cautious uto the manner
in which he conducted his proceedings. lie would not be
allowed to obstruct persons who were out either on business
or pleasure. The kennel was the only fit place for distri-
buting such circular'. If a similar case came before him,
he should feel it to be his duty to deal severely with it.