The Express.
London, England, 1868-12-10 00:00:00

- INFANTS" AND " NECESSARIES."

TM= have been several " infancy asses " in the
courts of late, or, in other words, cases in which a
tradesman brings an action against a young man
under 21 years of age to recover a sum in many in-
stances almost equal, and in others exceeding the
total income or allowance of the " infant,"
owing to the plaintiff on account of gooda which
by no stretch of fancy could be included among
the necessaries of an " infant's" life. One of the
most curious of these cases was tried two days since
in the Queen's Bench. A Glasgow bookseller had,
through a travelling agent, sold a young under-
graduate at Cambridge an illustrated Bible.
valued sit fifty guineas. The defendant was an
" infant " of good family, the son of a clergy-
man, connected, on his mother's side, with the
noble house of BENTINCK. Ifs had a fortune of
:Jinni., giving him an income of 3001. a year. Ile
was induced to stile-tribe for this illustrated Bible,
which is described its " of folio size, full of large
illustrative prints on thick paper•, extremely
heavy and, tuaysi% , and bound in a style of
great inagniti. enc.., with clasps and every pns-
" bible accessory '• only 170 copies of it printed!,
and it was sent to his rooms. Shortly after his
guardians bemuse aware that he was deeply
in debt, and employed an attorney to
wind up his affairs at Cambridge. The
attorney proposed to pay the rest of his
debts, but declined this magnificent Bible, and
offered to send it back to the Glasgow bookseller,
who refused to receive it. It was urged for the
plaintiff that, though the defendant was under
age when be signed the prospectus for the Bible,
the book itself had not been actually delivered to
him before he was of age. The connexion of the
defendant with the BENTINCH family was also
dwelt upon in mutual justification of the infant and
the tradesman. The Loan ClllElJuerrics, in sum-
ming up the case, stated with his usual breadth and
chorness the common sense which should determine
the minds of the jury in such a matter. " The
" object of the law as to infancy," he said, " in to
" afford a reasonable protection to young men at the
" outset of life before they have bad experience of
' • the value of money." Those who know anything
of life at the Universities can tell how systematically
and pertinaciously young men are beset by cormo-
rants who tempt them into every sort of extrava-
gances• in the hope of being ultimately paid by
the father, or, where the young man has " es-
" peetations," out of his future estate. It is a
gums of hazard for the tradesman, who, in order
to cover bad debts, is obliged by the nature and
necessity of his business to charge a fancy price
for articles of luxury and extravagance. In
this way scores of young men, for whom
evprflit c'ebt le tveemaire, are, as the Chief
Justice observed, " crippled or even ruined
" for life," year after year, at the Universities. In
the present instance the jury found for the
defendant, and sent the dealer in magnificent
Bibles empty away. It is only by depriving
tradesmen who speculate on the ignorance and
folly of their youthful customers of all security
for payment that this lamentable system of
credit can be stopped at its source. But the
remedy itself is not entirely harmless in its effects,
since it sometimes saves the father's pocket at the
cost of the son's honesty and honour. Nor are
the local tradesmen (who are by no means the
worst tempters) without excuse. On every recog-
nised commercial principle they are warranted
in selling in the dearest market, and in suiting the
peculiar tastes and habits of their customers. They
have only six months' sunshine in the year to
make hay in, and are very much at the mercy
of the University authorities, who have the power
of " diacommuning " them, which is tantamount
to cutting off their college customers. flees
" infancy," cases neel never occur at the Universi-
ties if the Heads of Colleges or Halls, instead of
" discommuning " occasional offenders would, so
far as their jurisdiction extends, insist on cash
payments, and absolutely forbid credit to under-
graduates. _

TEE PARLIAMENT AND TER .VINISTRE

TO-DAY the Eighth Parliament summoned by
her IlLutirrs assembled in Westminster Palace.
The actual business was confined to the election
of a Speaker, and the swearing in of the members
of the House et Commons. To the election of
Mr. EVZLYII DExisoN as Speaker no opposition
was made—the leading statesmen on both sides
of the House, as well as the members gene-
rally, acknowledging the' dignity and im-
partiality with which he has hitherto ful-
filled his high and often delicate functions.
The acceptance of office by the members of Mr.
OLAJesTONa'tl administration prevented several of
them from being present in the House of Com-
mons, and they will have to be re-eleztecl before
they can take their seats. As we mentioned yesterday
Mr. GLAnsroNt's Cabinet was then formed. They
bare now entered into formal possession and the
activeperformanceof theiradministrative functions.
In the course of yesterday the following appoint-
ments were made :—Mr. W. E. Pottsrza. Vioe-
President of the Education Board of the Privy
Council; Mr. S2IATCNDULL-HUOISSEN, Under-
Secretary for the Home-ales ; Mr. Moirsizz,
Under-Secretary for the Colonies ; Mr. Gam
DUTY, Under-fiscrotary for India; Mr. &unpin),