The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-03-31 00:00:00

BREACH OF PRONII CF MARRIAGE

At the assizes held at Shrewsbury was tried Morris v.
Maddox. The plaintiff in this action was a young woman
possessing considerable personal attractions, 23 years of
age, and the daughter of a widow residing at Ironbridge,
in this county. The defendant was a miller and farmer,
well to do in the world, about 30 years of age, residing
near to the village of Harley, in Shropshire. In that
village is an inn called the Unicorn, kept by a brother-in-
law of the plaintiff; and in the course of his visits to
the hostelrie in question, in March, 11350, he became
acquainted with Miss Morris, who was on a visit. to
her s,eter, Mrs. Langford. An intimacy sprung up,
which rioened into love, and this state continued

without bei g interrupted to Septemter, ISM. At
that tiro Mr. Langford gave a dh to some of his
lest being Mr. Maddox, who was
I on the other

pruicip

9uppo!

by a sister of plaintiff's. She seemed then •'particularly
in imate, and dafendant wis often heard to express his
intention of making "And" his wife. In March 1,3

consequence of a misadventure, by which Miss Morris
became in the family way, she left Harley, and went to a
sister's at Leatninwon to be emaied. No letters had
passed beit,een plaintiff and dekndant. Mrs. Hodges.,
of Leamington, spoke to the plain-Ur having promised to
marry her sister. The child was affiliated upon the defen-
dant and ho had to pay 2- 6 i per week for it. The landlord
of the Unico.'n, Harley, declared that the defendant
was received at his house, not as a customer, but as a
visitor, and his attentions and expressions towards
plaintiff led him to believe that he would marry her, VCII
after the child was born. However, the plaintiff did not
visit the Unicorn after that, but was married in
August, 1855, to Miss C. Weaver, of Much Wenlock.—
Mr. Serjeant :Pigott made a humorous speech for
the defendant, contending that no distinct promise had
been made—nothing more than a few idle words addressed
to a good-looking young woman in her brother-in-law's
bar. If such expressions were to be construed into a pro-
mise of marriage, no one would be safe. The conduct of the
defendant was evidently that of a man who had gone too
often to the Unicorn, and drank too much ale, under the in-
fluence of which he had uttered a great, deal of nonsense.
The learned baron, in summing up, said he agreed with the
learned counsel for the defendant that a min ought not
lightly to be made responsible for a little trifling speaking
to a woman; and the first question for the jury, of course,
would be whether any promise had been made by the de-
fendant. The witnesses had evidently given their evidence
in a straightforward manner, but they might have been
deceived. He left it to the jury to decide whether the
conduct and languag,e of the defendant were sufficient to
prove that he had distinctly promised to marry her. If
not, their verdict must be for theZdefendant. He did not
admire these actions, and could scarcely understand
how a woman had the indelicacy to drag a man into
court after having fallen out with him. The case was
different when three years of a young woman's life had been
spent with the conviction that she should be married to a
man, and that after that time she was prevented by the
shame brought upon her by him from marrying any one
else. If they found that the defendant had made a pro-
mise of marriaie, they would give such damages as were
reasonable, having regard to the circumstances of the
defendant. The jury, after consulting some time, retired,
and after half an hour's absence, returned into court with a
verdict for the plaintiff. Damages—L2oo.

THEATRE ROVAL.—Charles Matl-ews comes once more
among us for a slart stay. Having the cares of manage-
ment removed froth his sh,,ultlers, he now gives himself
more exclusively to the study of his art, and his audienc-s
gain considertbly in the finish of his performances. During
the week a drama.ic " skit," lately brought out at Drury
Lane in ridictOe of the " G eat Wizard of the North," wil!
he produced ; and the " Dowager," a piece onee a great
favourite here, when Madame Vestris was the heroine, Lorp
Alfred Lindsay being played by Mathews, and we consider
it one of the most eleg tnt personatious in his original style.

CORONERS INQUESTS.-0.1 Saturday the coroner held the
following inquests :—On the body of a man found a few
days a4o in the Bru, swick dock, but who wa.s not recog-
rit ed. We puldished a description of the body and the dress
two or three days ago. The jury found a verdict of found
drowned.—On the body of a child named WI eary, whose
father is a soldier in the Crimea, and whose death was
caused by a kettle of holing water falling on it. After a
thorough invet•tigation of the case the jury returned a
verdict of accielental death.—On the body of a German
named Ludwick Schuler, a bu•cher, will resided at 36,
Lime Kiln-lane. About a month since the deceased received
a sum of about £4O fiorn his friends in Germany to set him
op in trade, and it ap eared that since that time he has
11,rd!y ever been sober, lie i-d from excessive drinking,
and the jury found a verdict ace, dingly.

PArrs, Fut DAY EVENING.—The congre.s has terminated
I'dmor, with the exceotion of a formal signature
of the conilition3 of peace, which, it is said, will be
definitely signed by the plenipotentiaries on Sunday
next.

The Paris correspond-nt of the Timm under date of
Friday night, states, that among political persons the
opinion prevailed that tie treaty v.ould be signed this
fLly (-aturilay.) Others speak of Sunday, and even of
Monday ; but beyond that it is not now believed the
delay will extend. Althou4h the order has been trans-
mitted not to recommence hostilities, every exertion
will be used to make the conclusion of peace coincide
with, if not precede, the original period fixed for tho
expiration of the armistice. Al ost people incline to the
belief, that the treaty will be signed on Saturday, and
that the glad tidings will be announced in the illoniteur
of Sunday. The Times corruspondent says, that the
announcement to Paris will probably take place in
another fashion. The moment the last signature is
affixed, a signal will be made in the foreign office,
London.