The Express.
London, England, 1846-10-22 00:00:00

ESSEX QUARTER SESSIONS.

The October Quarter Sessions of the county of Essex
commenced yesterday, in the Shire Hall, Chelmsford, for
the trial of prisouers, before C. O. Round, Esq., M.P., ,
and a large number of county magistrates. There are
upwards of SO prisoners for trial, many of them, however,
for most trivial offences. On Tuesday the quarterly meeting
of the magistrates took place, with reference to the business
of the county, but nothing of importance to the public gene-
rally was brought forward.
THE LATE FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE EASTERN COUN-
TIES RAILWAY.— IVilliam Clare and Philip Quinlan, the
engine-driver and stoker of the Fire-fly engine, which
caused the serious and fatal accident at the Stratford station
of the Eastern Counties Railway in July last, surresalered,
in pursuance of their recognisance', to take their trial for
the misdemeanor, under L.ird Seymour's act. It will be
recollected that the first-named was tried at the Central Cri-
minal Court on a charge of manslaughter, in causing the
death of Mr. Hine, one of the passengers, ar,d was acquitted,
the jury being of opinion that the compar.y were to blame
in entrusting him with an engine, he I.,eing of imperfect
vision. On the conclusion of that trial it was thought by
the legal advisers of Clare that bawl, 1g been tried on the
most serious charge they would not pr °teed against him for
the misdemeanor, but in this they • /fere mistaken, as the
company were bound over to prow Atte, and also, they say
that they would not be doing their duty to the public if they
did not proceed against Clare for „ieglecting to stop when he
saw the signals. The grand jury having returned a truo bill
against the parties, Mr. Parry, for the accused, said, before
the parties were arraigned be had to apply to the Court for
a postponement of the trial, on the shortness of notice that
had been given, and also on account of his leader's, Mr.
Serjeant Wilkins' (who hr al not then arrived), absence.—
Mr. Marsh, on behalf of the company, trusted that there
would be no postponemr nt. The company bad been at con-
siderable expense and trouble in getting all the witnesses
down there, and were quite ready to proceed. Captain Cod-
dington, the depute inspector of railways, was present to
give evidence, but i f the case was put off they might not be
able to obtain hi' . attendance on a future occasion.—Mr.
Parry said his cl'.eans need not have surrendered on the first
day of the seen ms, and then the other side would have been
compelled to a gait.—After some further discussion, the case
was ordered to stand over until the last day of the sessions,
in order to enable Mr. Serjeant Wilkins to attend.

WATFORD PETTY SESSIONS.
HA' LW.a CONVIrrtoN.—A. petty session was held yesterday
at tb e Essex Arms, Watford, before Mr.M archbanks and other
magistrates, for the purpose of adjudicating on a charge,
!lade on the part of the London and North Western Railway
Company, against Mr. E. C. Milne, a solicitor, residing at
Manchester, for an alleged attempt to defraud the said com-
pany of the proper fare to which they were entitled.—Mr.
Barker, the superintendent of the company, stated that he
applied for a conviction under the act Bth is ,c. 20, s. 103,
commonly Hied the Railway Consolidation Act. The 103rd
section of this act was as follows.—" If any person travel or
attempt to travel in any carriage of this or any other com-
pany, on any railway, without having previously paid his
fare, and with intent to avoid payment thereof; or if any
person, having paid his fare for a certain distance, knowingly
and wilfully proceed in any such carriage beyond such dis•
tanee, without previously paying the additional fare for such
additional dist:nee, with intent to avoid payment thereof;
or if any person knowingly and wilfully refuse, or neglect,
on arriving at the point to which he has paid his fare, to quit
such carriage, every such person shall, for every such offence,
forfeit to the company a sum not exceeding 40s."—It ap-
peared from the evidence of the station master at Watford,
and other witnesses, that, on the 30th of September last, the
defendant arrived at the Watford station by the train from
Manchester, accompanied by his lady and a child. Having
no ticket for his child, which he admitted to be upwards of
four years of age, the half fare was demanded, the payment
of which, however, was refused by Mr. Milne, and accord-
ingly his address was taken, and a summons subsequently
obtained against him.—The Bench consulted for a few
minutes, and convicted the defendant in the full penalty and
costs, under the provisions of the clause above quoted.—
Intimation was given that an appeal would be made on the
part of Mr. Milne against the decision.