The Express.
London, England, 1861-07-26 00:00:00

MIDLAND CIRCIIIT.—Dmunr, JULY 25.

The commission for this county was opened to-day by Mr.
Justice Wilke, who arrived from Lincoln at 12.36.
The calendar contains the names of 35 privoatus, who
charged with the following offences :—Murder, 1 ; man.
:daughter, 2 ; burglary, 9 ; night poaching, 1 ; rape, 7
cutting and wounding, 3 ; robbery, 7 ; unnatural offence,
obtaining money under false pretences, 1 ; assault, 1; utter.
log forged note., 1; inflicting grievous bodily harm, 1 ; o
taping from prison. 2.
It is expected that George Smith, for the murder of
father, at Ilkeston, will be tried on fisturday morning,
the Crowe Court, before Mr. Justice Willa:.
LLSOOLI, JULT 25.
Nisi Paws Coca?.

°OUTLAND V. NABILIET.—BREACH OF PROMIOR Or MARILIAL
Mr. Macaulay, Q.C., and Mr. Willa. for the plaintiff (in
strutted by M. P. Moore, Esq., of ffleaford) ; and Mr.
Mellor, Q.C. (instructed by Messrs. Tweed and Hughes)
for the defendant.

Mr. Wiles opened the pleadings, and said this was
action for breach of promise of marriage, to which tb
defendant had pleaded that be did not promise ; and,
secondly, that if he did promise, the promise had been
dissolved by mutual cousent ; and upon this issue joined.
It appeared from the opening of the plaintiff's counsel that
the plaintiff was the eldest of three unmarried daughters of the
kte Mr. Wright Couplaiid, of Friestoo Priory, near Boston,
wealth farmer, who died in 1848, and the widow, in 1858,
tsarrfed Mr. Thomas Hayward, a farmer of some station,
living at Wellingore, on Lincoln-heath, and since that
Mine Mum Coupland bad lived with her mother at Nonni-
gen with the other members of the family. The defendant
was the only son of a Mr. Marileet, who resided in the
'neighbourhood of Newark, the greatest malteter in Eng-
lend gentleman of great wealth, and possessed of considera-
ble landed property. In 1858 Mime Couplaod went to reside
at Wellingore, the defendant at that time occupying
a farm and residing at Bootbby-hall, where • wealthy
bachelor uncle also lived. He managed the farm, which
belonged to his father, and lived in brat-class style—indeed,
in such style as an elder son of • father with considerable
property generally did. He kept • stud of greyhounds,
some twenty in number, some of them most valuable ani-
mals, sad he was a man wall known in the sporting world,
and was largely interested in coursing matches from Lanca-
shire to Newmarket. In 1859, the year after MbeCoupland
went to Wellingore, she became acquainted with Mr. lf arfleet;
the acquaintanceship gradually became more intimate, the
defendant made a proposal to marry the plaintiff, and she
accepted him ; and Mies Couplisod and Mr. Marfleet were
thenceforth engaged to be married—and from that day the
defendant was considered to be the accepted suitor of the
plaintiff. Articles of jewellery were given by the defendant
to the plaintiff, and their pictures were exchanged,
and a correspondence took plans between the par-
ties, a portion of which was read by the learned counsel.
After • time the visits of defendant to plaintiff became gra-
dually lees frequent, end some reports reached Mies Coup-
land connecting the defendant's name with that of another
lady, with whom she charged him with being out on horse-
back, and with having placed his arm round her waist, and
this led to • breaking off of the match.
The jury, after a few minutes' consultation, returned
verdict for the plaintiff —damages 500 i.