The Express.
London, England, 1868-03-11 00:00:00

SECOND EDITION. ! iltrinsed. °Lll)B7°the ••"rds agrood rPonegalAr. 'he'
to maintain the voluntary elbanoter et eh ral
ham.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF COMMONS--(Tats DAY).
The SPEAKS:I took the ask at 12 o'clock.
COVENTRY ELECTIONIPETITION.
The following members were appointed the 61611Mlittett
to try the Coventry eleoUoa polities —Blr Philip Bow-
ton, chairman ; Mr. Pollard Urquhart, Mr. Come..,
SITIOIIIIII Hodgson, end Mr. GreenalL

MO elikilag.)

LAW INTELLIGIOiCE.-(THIS DAY.)

COURT OF PROBATE AND DIVORCE.
Were the Judge Ordieary.)
1.411011111• D e. POlllll/01.D.
Dr. Bpinics and Dr. Tristram far the plaintiff ; Ur. fin,
joule Ballaatiee, Mr. &mole, Hill, Q.C., sad Mr. Thur.
low for the defoliant.
This suit, which Mates to the will of Mr. Jolla Peas-
ford, late an artist at Befewelor it was propounded by
his illegitimate s epic& by bit nephew on the
grouod of undue sessa. trial bad, hemmer, made
little propene when we went topes.

COURT OF BANKRUPTCY.
(Before Mr. Ceminkedease Wiselow.)
IN PR PITO, BATTS, AND CRAMPTON.
This ow again came before the court this morning for
consideration of the question of claim made on behalf of
the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway to prove against
the imitate of the bankrupts for the enormous sum of
6,661,9411. 19a. ld. • brief summary of the figures coin.
posing the claim has already appeared.
Mr. Markby appeared for the assignees ; Mr. Linklater
represented the la=doll, Chatham, and Dover Railway;
Mr. Lawrence appeared for the bankrupts; Mr. Moans
on behalf of the General Credit Company, who
appeared
to prove for 160,0001.
The examination of Sir Morton Pet. was now
resumed—ln answer to Mr. Linklater he de-
redthat he was to do the works under the
e stern extension contract upon the terms of taking
the 101. shares at 81., and the 1001. debentures at 80/. (Mr.
Lawrence then read the contract in this matter which had
been concluded in August, 1868, and under which it was
agreed by the bankrupts to take payment for the works
in debentures at • discount.) When the debenture,
and shares were taken it was never contem-
plated to pay the interest during construction. He
did not mean to take the shares. At the time
of the contract of the 7th of ihiptember, 1860, his firm did
not mean to carry out the statement. He meant to say
that his firm did not intend to take shares in payment of
the works. The directors were quite aware that they did
not mean what had been put forth in the agree-
ment. The prospectus for the B shares was
issued with his sanction, and he bad induced people to
take stares. He did not say that the 82,600 A shares had
been taken by his firm. The prospectus was true in the
seam that the shares bad been taken, although it did not
appear that they had been taken by his firm. No doubt
peopleattok shares seeing that the A shares had been
Mr. Linklater here handed in a certificate setting forth
that the capital of 1,650,0001. for the construction of the
Western Extension had been subscribed.

Sir Morton Peto said be could not say that the cer-
tificate was untrue. His firm had taken the A shares,
and was entitled to • rebate of 25 per mat.
Under the Western Extension contract they were not
bound to pay more than 8/. for a 101. share. They were'
liable to be celled upon by the railway company for the
whole of the amount of the A shares ; but his firm, as he
had said before, would be entitled to • rebate of 251.
per cent. The bill for the Metropolitan Extension
was strongly opposed by several companies. He bad not
seen the Minutia' of Ilr. Cubitt, the engineer for the
works. He believed that in the propoal of September
1860 the works were to cost 1,000,0001. The tots] capital
for the Metropolitan Extension, including borrowing
powers, was 2,200,0001. Out of the capital of
2,200,000/. they claimed • oommission of 550,0001.
and that would leave • capital of 1,680,000/. From what
he now knew, he should'eay that amount was not sufficient
to carry nut the worts; but he did not know that
in 1866. All they considered was that they had
to execute the works at a fixed schedule of
prices. As early as June, 1860, he had written •
letter to Mr. Coleman, broker of the company, to the
effect that the firm was anxious to execute the works of
the Metropolitan Extension, and offering Mr. Coleman 5
per cent. on the gross amount of the contract for placing
the shares, and for reducing the securities into cash,
one half of the discount at which they were lamed. At
the time the letter waa written he knew the shareswould
allotted to them at • discount. Upon the arrangement
with Mr. Coleman, he had no doubt the firm would be
able to dispose of the B shams and the debentures at
par. It was in this state of things that the
proposal of September was made, the whole
thing having been arranged. The commission was con.
siderable--80,50W. on the B shares, 55,000/. on debentnrea
and 55,0001. upon the contract works. They contemplated
getting rid of the B shares at per, and it was their intea •
Mon to pay the interest on the B shares so as to induce
the public to take them up. The contracts of
the let and sth of October were the same ea the 7th of
September, 1860. He could not say as • fact the B
shares went off readily. He had no idea that before
the 30th of October any of the B shares were placed.
The B shares might have gone off readily, and large
sums been received. He had no doubt his 'anticipation
had been realised. He believed his firm had made
considerable advances of cash to the London, Chatham,
and Dover Railway for the Metropolitan Extensions. He
believed money was advanced to pay for the deposit for
the Thames bridge. On • former occasion be said he had
received on the lit of November, 1860, two sums of
100,0001. and one of 51,562/. He found on looking at
the documents that the amount was for commission on the
deposit of Metropolitan Extension shares. Inconsequence of
the last chime of the contract of September, 1860, they at a
later period in July, 1860, arranged to take the A shares at
50 per cent. instead of 100. This would amount t 0425,0004.,
the total amount of the A shares being 965,5501., and de-
ducting the discount off A shares from the total capital
of the extension line of 2,200,0001. would only leave
the company 1,237,500/. to carry on the works. He
was to have a commission of 25 par omit. on the
whole capital, which would amount to 550,000/. The
A shares were ultimately purchased at 371. 10s. This would
make the commission larger, the nonibtal capital on these
*harm being 825,000/.
[The case was proceeding when our report left.]

POLICE COURTS.-(THIS DAY.)

BOW-EffREILT.

AN ZN-LIICITNANT COLONIC. MA ROC) WITH BEGGING.

Robert Mitchell Olortr, a person of superior address and
education, was brought up on remand before Mr. Flowers,
charged with begging.
William Hewitt, an officer of the Mendieity Society,
stated that on the 3rd iast. be saw the primmer asking
charity from various pawns. Witness heard him
say be was in distress, and took him into cos-
tody. Some time since be was committed for
14 days from Marlberough•street court on • similar
charge. His story was an extraordinary one. He was
well connected, and formerly held • 00113131iiel0111 as
Lieutenant-Oolonel in the 3rd Dragoon Guards, and
afterwards served in the Turkish contingent all
through the Crimean war. After selling his com-
mission be launched into a career of dissipation, and
squandered his property, and was reduced to a state of
destitution. His friends bad several times attempted to
rescue him from his =Jumble condition, but after re-
peated attempts bad given up all hope of assisting him.
Mr. Charles Wood, of Nortb.hill, Highgate, stated that
• little more than two years ago the prisoner was
begging at the Westminster polies-court. lelti(El.
Wood) saw the notice in the newspapers and took an in-
terest in the can, having formerly himself given way to
habits of drunkennees, by which he was almost ruined,
but he had reformed, and recovered a respectable
position. He had now a large business as a builder, and
understanding that the prisoner was a man of education
he employed him ea • clerk and book-keeper on the condi-
tion that he would abstain entirely from drink. He son
found, however, that the prisoner was utterly unless in
that capacity. His memory was so had that when
asked to do two things he was sure to forget one
entirely, and would not do the other properly.
On one occasion a list of names and addresses in pencil
was given him to copy with pen and ink. He took a fort-
night to do it, and then it was all wrong. Witness, how-
ever, found him other employment, though even in that
he was of little use, and so neglectful that he could newer
be relied upon. At that tame witness had taken the
prisoner to live in the house with him, as he did
not seem to be properly mired for in lodgings. For nine
months, whatever his other deficiencies, the primmer
wholly abstained from drink, but by that time be bad
formed aoquaintanoes intim neighbourhood,and witness was
worry to say that they tempted him to drink. He mesas
relapsed into his former drunken habits, end ultimately
he went away. Withers, however, did not lose sight of
him, but obtained employment for him at a distance, and
from time to time afforded him what assietaises be meld
under the circumstanoes. It was, however, all of no avail.

Be was incapable of keeping Mailepurint,m be woe in.
competent to performiharnektail bashassa It wan
impossible to rely on an ke amitl—rrell that he was
untruthful—there ooul be no doubt of his perfect ha
and sincerity ; but his mind was no Impaired that hep=
not date or remember facia correctly. Something ought
to be done to place him under preps care.
Yr. Plower' remanded the p I.eroer, saying he would
oomider what could be done far him.

LAAJSJIAJIDI wart.
COMMITTAL OF • RAILWAY AID HOTEL IMF.
George If Mott, • reepectsbly.dreesed man, who says his
adders at Revencaks, Rent, a draper and racer, no
shamed, before Yr. Cooke, with stealing from the platform
of the Groat Northern Railway, & portmanteau cantabiles
throe *see of cotton print, one gold brooch, and other
artielea, the properly of lb. William Henrrtilli:tt. He
was sho seamed with stooling from the Hotel,
an ormessat, the property of Mr. John Goble.
Bcirtru.l%sisser, jun., ted.
Mr. W. H. RWott 'GM —I reside at Bedford. I was at
the Great Northern Railway about 5 o'clock on Monday
e and I had with me a portmanteau. I bad ma-
skm atneave the *Marco, and left the portmanteau on a
seat. I returned in about five minutes , and found my
pminimiteau was gene, and I immediately oconniuniested
with Mr.l47L, the Midland agent. I afterwards saw my