The Express.
London, England, 1866-07-28 00:00:00

THE POLICE COURTS►

MANSION-HOUSE.

Mr. George Holding, of the firm of Livingstone, Holding,
and Briggs, of Great St. Helen's, City, merchants, attended
before Alderman Sir James Duke, Bart., to answer a sum-
mons issued against the firm at the instance of Mr. William
Sowerby, a master mariner, to recover the sum of 171. ls.
for wages alleged to be due to him by the defendants.
Mr. M'Niven, barrister-at-law, appeared on the part of
the complainant to support the summons, and stated that
the cue was one of some peculiarity. His client was a
master mariner holding a certificate of competency, and on
May last bad been appointed captain of a ship named Le
Duo de Brunswick by the then owner, Mr. Thomas Hazel-
tine, by a letter signed by that gentleman, now produced,
and stamped as an agreement, under which the com-
plainant was to receive 151. per mouth as wages. The
complainant went en board the ship and did duty there
for twenty-seven days, when it seemed a change in the
ownership took place, and the present defendants became
the purchasers and appointed a captain of their own
selection, and the ship proceeded to sea on her voyage.
His client, therefore, now claimed 13/. 10s. for his
twenty-seven days' services on baud the ship, and 31. lls.
in lieu of board, making a total of 171. la. Now, under the
Merchant Shipping Act, be (Mr. M'Niven) contended the
new owners were bound to diachsge the ship from all its
liabilities, and the statute provided that seamen's wages
should have priority and precedence of all other claims
with the exception of salvage, and that position bad been
maintained by a decirion of Dr. Luhington in the Court of
Admiralty, and under these circumstances he submitted
that his client, the complainant, was entitled to an order
of the presiding magistrate for the amount claimed.
The complainant was than called, and producing the
letter or agreement with the late owner, Hazeltine, de-
posed that he had attended on board the ship for 27 days,
discharging all the n duties while the vessel, which
had a full cargo, war lying in the West India Decks.
Mr. Holding (the defendant in attendance) denied all
knowledge of the complainant, who has never been seen
on board the vessel even by the ship's husband, who was
daily in attendance, and therefore the complainant could
not have rendered any services for which he was entitled
to remuneration at the bands of the defendants. The
circumstances were these :—The late owner, Hazeltine,
has mortgaged the ship which was laden with freight sup-
plied by his (Mr. Holding's) firm, and other firms, and
when reedy for the voyage the mortgagee refused to allow
her to go to sea, and hence he and his partners bad been
compelled to purchase the ship and discharge the
mortgage, or she might have been detained for weeks or
months, to the serious loss of his firm. They had never
made any contract with the complainant, and hence they
were in no way liable to him. He had not signed articles,
and therefore he did not come within the category pre-
scribed by the Merchant Shipping Act. After a protracted
discussion, in which Mr. M'Neven, the defendant, Mr.
Holding, and the complainant, took part,
Alderman Sir James Duke remarked that the set of
parliament clearly gave justices (jurisdiction in oases where
service, had been performed. In this instance, however,
the complainant has failed to prove any service rendered
by him to the defendants, and that being so, the summons
must be dismissed.
WESTMINSTER.

A gentleman residing iaciieneighbourhood of Warwick-
square, Pimlico, presented himself, just before the rising
of the court, to be sworn in as • special constable. Before
resorting to this measure' and to gave • magistrate due
power, it is necessary that • credible witness should de-
pose upon oath before him, " that tumults and riots have
lately taken place, and may reasonably be apprehended to
take place again, and that the magistrate being of opinion
that the ordinary officers appointed for preserving the
peace in the said district are not sufficient for the preser-
vation of the peace and for the protection of the inhabi-
tants and security of property, shall," &c.
Mr. Arnold observed that applicant was the first who
had presented himself to be sworn in, and pointed out
that the necessary information on oath had not been made
before him. _ _ _

Apphoant said that after the rather disgraceful exhi-
bitions that had lately taken place, he thought it incum-
bent upon him to come forward and proffer his individual
services for the preservation of the peace.
Mr. Arnold requested him to leave his card, and said he
should be communicated with. He, however, saw by the
newspapers that Kr. Walpole had said on Thursday night
that he did not think it would br necessary to swear in
special constables.

THE CATTLE PLAGUE.

OFFICIAL Rrruitx.

This return gives the number of cases occurring
in Great Britain, which have been officially reported to
this department. The divisions of England are thaw
of the census. Column 1 only records the eases reported
as having commenced daring the weeks indicated by
the headings ; " back ^ cases being added to column 2.

1
Number Resell ad reported ears
&limited. from thesisansesosseut
of w disease.
Census Dfrrisioas. 1.4 /4
01 /
I 274
41
of P
Metropolitan Distaiet. 1 79001 3617 3714 318 460
South Erin. Counties 4800, 1706 40 171
South Mid. Counties 1 23 20749, 8752 1 1.541 387
Pastern Counties 19 11471 6432 4851 789 ISO
South West. Counties 32 17 1807; 703 326 207 71
West Mid. Counties 81 31 1484 6334 6006 1319 144
North Mid. Countl 18 38 18989 10419 6270 1224 666
North West. Counti 61 144 71977 24961 35030 8448 3610
Yorkshire
Northern Counties 86301 4931 2613 974 118
Moamouilish.& Weise 11 7 8372 1174 5793 1103 303
Scotland I 1 2 46961 62631 28048,107071 1803
Totals c 2071 304'151086 82366,124844.33351,111:04
-- -
(Signed) WILLIAM CLODE, Superintendent.
Statistical Office of the Cattle Plague Department,
Privy Council Office, July 27.
- -

The return shows that 207 attacks were reported to have
occurred during the week ended July 21, being a decrease
of 97 on the previous week. Correcting the total by
adding an estimated average of attacks commencing during
the week, but which may be subsequently included under
the heading " Back cases," the number for the week will
be 7.13.
Nora.—Throe Inspeeton, who reported cages last week, have
not reported In time for this return, viz, for the county of
Buckingham, 2; and Lincoln, I, These inspectors reported 8
mum last week.