The Express.
London, England, 1866-12-05 00:00:00

THE POLICE COURTS.

BOW-STREET.
An application was made to the sitting magistrate by
twelve compositors, mostly Frsnehmen, who had been re-
cently engaged on the /Mersa/1~4 a French daily news-
paper published in London. One of the party, acting as
spokesman for the rest, stated that they had been for some
tune working upon the paper at wages averaging abort
2/. 2s. a week. Arrears were due to them varying from
fit, to 121., and amounting in the whole to 1071. They
made this application in consequence of their inability to
obtain any payment from the office. Mr. Flowers observed
that it remained to be seen whether he had any power to
interfere in the matter, but there could be no harm in
making an inquiry. He would send an officer to the Inter-
national office, and if any person in authority there choose
to attend, his statement would be heard, as the court had
already listened to the application. After a short interval
the manager of the International attended, and stated that
the newspaper was the prope-t7 of a company having its
thief offices in Paris ; that company was now being wound
up. According to the French law—and he believed the
English law was similar in this respect—the entire pro-
perty was placed in the hands of a liquidator, whose first
duty it would be to sell the property, including the copy-
right and plant of the newspaper.
Mr. Flowers said that generally speaking it was so, but
there were between the French and English law sonic dif-
ferences in matter of detail.
The manager went on to say that he bad certainly made
some promises to the men that they should be paid, but
he made those promises upon the faith that they would be
paid by the liquidator out of the proceeds of the estate,
not meaning to pledge his personal credit, as he was only
an officer of the company. Their remedy was not against
him personally, but against the liquidator in Paris.
Mr. Flowers, after hearing with great patience a series
of explanations and counter-explanations upon both
sides, said that he was quite unable to see that he had
any jurisdiction in the matter, He hoped that justice
would be done by those authorities in whose hands the
matter rested.

HAMMERSMITH.
A rough-looking young man, who gave the name of
James Mann, was charged will:committing a daring rob-
bery, with considerable violence.
Cornelius Butler, of North-street, Edgeware-road, said
he attended the reform procession to the grounds of Beau-
fort-house, North-end, Fulham. He was deputed by the
trade society to which he belonged to tell the men in front
not to enter the rounds, as they were full. On reaching
the place the prisoner and a number of other men, much
to his surprise, commenced running round him. The pri-
soner then caught hold of Lis watch, which was
attached to a guard round his neck, and broke it off.
Witness seized hold of his hand, when some
of his companions called out " Sling it." He then
dropped the watch, and on witness endeavouring
to pick it up he was pushed down and severely ill-treated.
; The prisoner kicked him about his body, knocked one of
his teeth out, and also bit his hand. He continued to
hold the prisoner until he was completely exhausted.
The prisoner was. however, secured without his losing
• sight of him. The witness added that he highly prized
the watch, as it was presented to him by his society.
The prisoner denied the charge, but another witness was
called who proved seeing him drag the watch from the
prosecutor's waistcoat pocket. He also saw the watch
i pass between the legs of- some men in the crowd.
Mr. Ingham remanded the prisoner for inquiries.
John Vaughan, a youth, was also charged.
On Monday afternoon Police-constable Quarry was
in the North-end-road when he heard a person call out
that he was being robbed. He went up and caught the
I prisoner's hand in the man's pocket. On pulling his hand
out some money dropped, hut he could not inform the
magistrate to what amount on account of the crowd.
The person who had been robbed did not attend, but the
magistiate remanded the prisoner.
These were the only two cases arising out of the reform
I demonstration that were heard at the court.