The Express.
London, England, 1860-07-12 00:00:00

HZ COHN.

The bankrupt was a merchant and Fast India agent of
No. 2, Riche -court, Lime-street. The liabilities are about
50,0001., and there are considerable assets in India. No
balance-sheet having been filed, and it being stated that
endeavours were being made to supersede the bankruptcy,
an adjournment to the 17th of August was directed.

CLOSING OF OFFICES.
Notice has been given that in accordance with an order
made by the Lord Chancellor, the offices of the Accountant-
General in Bankruptcy will be dosed from the 11th of
August to the 11th of October. both days inclusive. There
will be no dividends paid during this time, and creditors
therefore under estates where dividends have already bees
(Imbued, should forthwith take the necessary steps for ob-
taining the same.

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

HOKE CIRCUIT.—HisTrolur, Jot: 11.

The commie ion for the county of Berta was opened fa
this town by Mr. Justice Blackburn es Tuesday, and yes-
terday morning both courta proceeded to lisabuse, Lord
Chief Justice Cockburn presiding on the civil side, and Mr.
Justice Blackburn in the Crown Court. There are very
:ew peisocere for trial, but three of them arc charged with
murder. This case is fixed for Thursday morning, and
Mr. Justice Blackburn disposed of all the other prisoners,
and was engaged part of the day in trying civil camas. On
the civil side 15 causes are entered, fourteen common and
one special jury cause.
(Before Lord Chief Justice Cockburn.)

This was an action upon two bills of exchange, one for
50/. and the other for Wt., alleged to have been accepted by
the defendant, who pleaded that the acceptances were for-
geries.
Serjeant Petersdorff and Mr. Woollett were for the plain-
tiff ; Mr. Hawkins, Q.C., and Mr. Butler Rigby were for
the defendant. -

This case was of rather a singular character. The plaintiff,
Thomas Griffin Philpott, appeared to be the managing clerk
to an attorney, and he sued the defendant upon the two
bills in question, which were drawn by her son, • person
named Reid, who was formerly • major in the Spanish ser-
vice, and purported to be accepted by the defendant.
The case on the part of the plaintiff was that he had
discounted the hills for Reid, and that he assured him the
acceptances were the genuine signature of his mother, and
he also swore that the defendant had acknowledged the sig-
natures to the bills to he hers, and • letter was produced
which wee represented to have been written by the defen-
dant from Brighton, in answer to an application that had,
teen made to her shunt the bills, and which amounted to
an admission that she had accepted them. The only addi-
tional evidence to show that the signatures to the bills were
genuine was that of a gentleman who had formerly acted as
attorney fur the defendant, and whose evidence was stated
to have Leen obtained by accident, and who expressed
• belief that the handwriting was like that of
the defendant, but he was far from expelling soothing
like • positive opinion upon the subject. The plaintiff, in
the course of his cross-examinationby Mr. Hawkins, said
that be had formerly practised as ao attorney, but was
convicted of perjury, and sentenced to 12 months' im-
prisonment, and be was in consequence struck off the rolls.
It also appeared that the rate of discount charged on the
bills was 150 per cent.
The defence to the action was that the acceptances were
forgeries, and that the evidence that had been given on the
part of the plaintiff as to the admissions that had been
made was utterly false. The defendant herself, an aged
sod apparently most respectable lady, was examined, and
she swore that she never accepted the bills in quaition, and
also declared in the meet positive manner that the letter
which was said to have been sent tram Brighton by her was
a forgery, and she knew nothing whatever about it. She
said that her son, Major Reid, had gut her into a great
deal of trouble in connexion with bills, and that two