The Express.
London, England, 1860-08-14 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

HOME CIRCUIT. —GUILDFORD, Arouer 13.
(Before Mr. Justice 131eckbaro and a Special hwy.)
HOOPIR r. Till 111DLARD RAILWAY COMPART.

This was an action for false imprisonment.
Mr. Ribton, Mr. Laxton, and Mr. J. M. Howard were for
the plaintiff ; Mr. Bevil!, Q.C., and Mr. Denman appeared
for the company.
The plaintiff in this action was a carman in the service of
the company, and it appeared that he was sent with a rail-
way van containing a quantity of goods, and among them
several cases of oranges. When the van arrived at one of
the booking stations it was found that one of the cases of
oranges had been burst open either by accident or design,
and several oranges were lying about, and the plaintiff was
seen to take up one and sack it. The case was weighed, and
was found to be 1311 w. short of the weight it was originally,
and the plaintiff was given into costody upon the charge of
stealing the oranges. He was examined before Mr. Corti*,
the mamstrate, who, upon the evidence laid before him was
about to deal summarily with the case, but the plaintiff
claimed to be tried by a jury, and he was committed to the
Westminster Basking and was acquitted. The plaintiff, it
appeared, had previotudy been in the minim of the Eastern
Countiesßailway, and bore a very good character, and after
his discharge he brought the present action to recover da-
magee for the loss he bad suetained by reason of the pro-
ceedings of the defendant., and it was proved that he bad
been unable to obtain any employment since his acquittal.
The defence on the part of the company was, that petty
offences of this description were constantly occurring, and
that what they had done was solely with &view to protect the
public from such depredations. They also contended that
under the circumstances there was reasonable and probable
ground for the course they had taken.
The learned judge having summed up, the jury, in reply
to questions submitted to them by his lordship, said they
were of opinion that no felony hid been committed, and
that there was no reasonable or probable ground for suspect-
ing the plaintiff, and they therefore returned a verdict in
his favour with 601. damages.
TIM RUM WIMP) AND HL JCBTICE BLACKBURN.

A greet deal of excitement was occasioned in the town
this morning by the following placard being posted upon
the outside of Mr. Justice Blackburn's Court :
"To the Freeholders and Inhabitants of the County of
Surrey.— Gentlemen,—Ou Friday, the 3rd of August, Mr.
Justice Blackburn, in my pnsence, but without addressing
himself to me, ordered that part of the court which is
appropriated to the public to be closed, at a time when per-
fect quietness prevailed among the public, who ware then
prevent according to carom. From that time the public
have been barred out from the courtwhere Mr.Justiceßleck-
burn presides, sod the prisoners have been tried and ruses
Iseardwithout the possibilityof the law being fulfilled, which
requires that "so many as will or can" shall "come so near
es to hear." As your sheriff, and feeling that the general
dissatisfaction is well-grounded, it is my duty to record
my protest against this unlawful proceeding. And
I have given directions that the court shall be
epen again to the public, acconirg to the custom
and the law. AU persons, so long as they conduct them-
selves with decorum, have a lawful right to he present in
court, and I hereby prohibit my officers from aiding and
abetting any attempt to bar out the public from free access
to the court.—l am,putlemen, your faithful servant,
Water Joint Eve saw, Sheriff."
This proceeding was quite unexpected, and the general
impression appear to be that, after what has already taken
place, it was an unwise one on the put of the sheriff. It is
true that on Fridey, at the commencement of the assizes,
when the utmost °Diffusion and noise prevailed, Mr. Justice
Blackburn directed the gates which separate the court
where business is transacted from the outside
por-
tion of the building, which is used as a corn
market, and which in reality is no portion of
the court, to be closed, ea it was almost impossible
to proceed with the business in consequence of the noise.
The ordinary entrance to the court, however, was never In
any way interfered with, and every one who chase was ad-
mitted. A variety of rumours were in circulation in the
town during the day r to the course intended to be taken
by the judges upon the subject, and among them was one
that copies of the placard had been sent to the Lord Chan-
cellor sad to the HomeeMce, and that Mr. Evelyn who
was permitted by the judges to leave Guildford on Wednes-
day,led been summoned to attend. Up to the hour of
the of the court, however, at half-past 6 o'clock,
aothias father had occurred.
NORTHXRN ClRCUTr.—LivutrooL, Acorn 13.

CROWN 00131T.—(Before Mr. Baron Martin.)