The Express.
London, England, 1850-03-15 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE.

THIS DAY.

COURT OF BANKRUPTCY.
Boron Ma. Cosossesesesa Houma
Is Rs JEZDON —Taco LITIMAILY
Mr. Jordan, the publiner, et Milton, applied for his eet,
Meats. He had ban the 'glistered proprietor of the Lite-
rary Gazette.
Mr. etas opposed fisr the engines, sad stated that the
bankrupt had some before the wort on his own petition
shortly before the now act came into operation His non-
eared debts wen MOW., delete sowed 5,378 L, said there ,
was not • farthing of ants, nothing to noble the
erediton to institute an inquiry. The creditor. Sts•
aerally had al:caned from meterieq, lost they should
incur any expense thereby. Shortly before his benkruptcy
he bad denuded himself of any little property he might pos-
sess, by making over to his son his interest In the newepapn,
and by dip sing of his furniture, worth 2001, to another cre-
ditor. In July, 1847, he represented himself to be 6,0601.
defiant. Soon alter that period the paper wee trims-
&reed to his son, and he had sines received
81. • week as salary. Hie expenses had been very
etztravaereat Amon. at his creditors were winsowserchsests,
money-leaden, and others. Several literary men were
creditor. for &niche farniehod to hie :parer, and &nougat
those who had advanced hiss money was the Lord Chief
Barn. 3001. The sale of the Literary Casette to the son
for 1,0001. was illusory, for he had no more property than
his lather. The main grounds of complaint against Me bank •
rapt were, that he had not sas• here newer, that he bed
mode away with hie tundinre. sad hod allsw:d hem :22
naive the Ashes dm*, ibia.Ldwary GeriON. PER
prom he have been here at all was • mere meekery of the
eosin. The orediton were injund to • great extent; while
the bankrupt was the only petty to be beseflted.
The b•oknir in examination, stated that his Genitors,
worth 250!., hiteben taken by a creditor named &shards, a
briber, soon alter he assigned the paper to his son. A person I
had ben in pomade° eight months before. The bill of
sale was given in 1848 for an advance of 1501.
His Ka was publisher of the Literary Garotte. He
had been unfortu•dets, end had taken the benefit of
the insolvent set in 1848. His nominal debts were
large, owing to his ednurc ion with the Paris and
Lyons Railway. Mr. Ornate, the barker, had advanced'
his son I,ofol. for the purchase of the paper. Bankrupt wanted
this money to pay off • seertgege which prees• d ; it was
traoarseent mon one creditor to another; not a pansy went
into his pocket. Debts to the amount or 3511. had been re-
covered by his eon since the transfer. The pr• fits of the
Literary Gazette were not 1,0001. a year. Is its palmy
days it produced 2.0001.; this was about twenty yearl
ego. He had borroeed 1.0001. from Mr. Roby, banker, of
mhdale, about 20 years age; he had been prevents: proving
by the statute of balm ions. Had given up no property to
the 'feigners. Iwo years ego, he espleu el to be able to
cleat himself. He owed Mr (Reich near 3,0001., 1,f;001. of
which was for money lent. He had a MOltoge on the
Gazette, end a claim on the Equitable Arnurance Company,
on which 3001. bad been received as hone's. He attributed
the tall in the property of bid inertial to the reduction in
prim Isom one chilling to tourpenc,e, without • cones-
poodle! reduction of expenses, and owing to the
competition of cheap literature. He had been paying
off debts for the last 16 years, and hal pen
some more this 20.. in the pound. He had been compelled
to come here by • threat of arrest by Mr. Silverlock, one of
the soignee', who caused him to be arrested in Worcecter the
year before. Mr. Silverink was the printer of the Gazette.
There was no written agreement, but an understandmg.
Had given bills for the arrears, and was td on one of
those bills in Worcester. Of the 5001. due to Mr.
Save/loth at the bank.uptcy, 1601. had bees paid from
another qoarter. He sought to get other cre-
ditors to I.ln in this opposition. The bine were at
one month, and as soon as one was due a person sued on it.
The arrangement was au it convenient one to bankrupt.
Uadentood he was to be arrested at Chester, at the meeting
of the British An/dation ; he there:ore toot the precaution
of coining hen first. Mess's. Irwin had been held to be
partners with him in the Literary Gazette, and had paid •
portion of the liabilities.
Mr. Sturgeon, for bankrupt, urged that the opposition
had not been fairly conducted. It was evident the bankrupt
had sot chosen his own time to rim. here, but bad Men
forced by to. creditors. He had held a Irgh position in the
literary world for thirty yeses ; end, occupied as he bad been
every day, it was no wonder if his accounts were not kept
with so much recularity as theme of • chandler's shop. Men
of literary eminence, who were lionised at the west•end,
could not always keep their tzidroditure under
control. Stress had been laid on the large amount
of debts, bat scarorly any literary man, if suddenly
called On to make • statement of his affairs, could
show a less amount The creditors wen to • large
extent unsecured, because they had the highest opinion of
Mr. Jerdaa's literary capabilities. It was evident this was
nothing more tout • squebble between Mr. Jerdan and his
printer,—the only creditor who appeared to option. The
osse was that of a men comp. lied to cone to this court tor
protection to enable him to go on with those pursuits whereby
he earned bread for his wife and 10 children. It was inconceiv-
able that any one with rational ideas should attempt to
a literary man, and by immuring him in a gaol, put it out of
his power to do anything for his creditor.. His personal
expenses had been moderate; and the court ought to loots
at the case as they would that of Oliver Goldsmith, or any
such talented individual. The transfer of the Gazette to
his son was a measure perfectly justifiable under the air-
cumatnees.
His Honour &eked if the bankrupt prcposed any means of
Deena) Mg his debts.
Mr. Sturgeon said he was not in a position to do it ; he
had • large family, some very young, and himself nearly 70
pen of age.
His honour said it should he remembered that families
were not all on one side. His debt., secured and unse-
cured, were upwards of 10 0001. The only excuse made for
him was that he was • literary man, and dad been unavoid-
ably led into great expense, and had neglected to keep
accurate iseconnts. Ater struggling with his difficulties
for years, he had come here at the last only for his own pro-
tection. Having regard to the avowed object of the bank-
ruptcy laws, and the colon which th'e man had pursued, he
could only view it as making a mockery of justice. The
Insolvent Debtors Court had powers which coostit to be kept
distinct from those of this court; the former was
for a person who had nothing to give up to his
creditor.; the letter for the distribution of assets. Had
the bankrupt called together his creditors, and shown them
his position, with that regard which was generally felt for
literary men they would probably have enabled him to go
on. He had not, however, done this. Then the circus%
stance of having • win in possession eight months operated
me net the bankrupt, as did his assignment of the Library
Gazette to his son a few mouths before the bankruptcy. he
all-god that he was pressed by the mortgagees; why not,
Men have called his maimed tmetber ? Regarding all the
eireseastances he eoald nut giant the certificate, but must
deeide that it be refused.

SUCTION OF PEERS AT HOLYROOD

PALACE.

Os Wednesday the royal and ancient Palace of
lielyrood was the seen* of unusual beetle and exch./atent,
east•d by the meeting of lisettish peers, to elm two of their
number as representatives in parliament, theandeto hem*
oosarred by the death of the Zed of AirlM and Lord Col.
yam. The meeting was bold its the Peer'* Gallery, which
bad been fitted up for the othaelom. Galleries were erected
et oath end of the room, and a table, covered with crimson
dab, mud which wars placed chair; for the peers, aceupi d
the centre.
The Tinkers were sdmitted,hy tickets ; and lour before the
beer of meeting, the hall was erow.'ed with Mies end Rea-
dmit ; there Gould not be fewer.thut six or seven hundred
Pile precept.
Lord Provost asd magistrates came in their robes of
cams, attended by their *fames bearing the sword and mate.
The proceedings were cmducted by Masan. /tureen and
Walker, two of the principal ants of • salon, who read
the proclamation calling the mestieg, sad admibistered the
oaths.
The peers present were : The 'Doke of Buccleuch and
Queensberry, B trl of Ethntot, Rail of Haddington, Earl
et AIM', Ran of Selkirk, Lord Vantyre, L OrdNOOK Lord Bahama, Lord Rollo, Lord Polwarth,
end Lord Lauderdale. Tile proceedings were of
the simplest description, and oempled a very share
time. They were slightly varied by the Duke of
Suseleateh seeking a short spthek, and banding in a protest
(whist* was tined by most of the peers present), complain.
=the delay which bed taken pleas Mae the death of
aid if Mlle, r Modes * tatith to fill his
place. A period of five months had e speed, and the set is
explicit in Eating that a representative should be elected
forthwith ; thereon he (the Duke of Beechtuch)cesaidered
that there bad been great negligence in some guar sr, and
that a proper regard to the dignity of the Bartlett peers had
not been attended to, in !eyeing them so long without one of
their number as a representative in perliament.
The two peers chosen t, fill the vacant places were—the
Rail of Airlie and Lord Blantyre.

CIVIL ORDER OP TUE BAWL—The foilowirg me-
dical offloeis .ill, it is Rumen, be nominated COMPASHOLS
of tee evell Order of t►e Bath : Dr. Franklin, Dr. French,
Dr. Hum, Dr. Sir J. Grant, Dr. Waolnehe, Dr. Gunning,
inspectors-general of hoapitals.—G;oba.
_ _

TnE 'SCONE OF YRS WESLEYAN MISSIONARY
Shaw/ frr 1849 is reported to be 111,0001, or 7,0001 in
advance of the income of the previous year. The 1141111011,1
advised by the Foreign Auxiliaries, and the aid received by
the malty in the twat of various colonial grants, are about
equal to thew reported in the year 1848. The increase is,
therefore. in the home receipts. The expenditure of the
year Is understood to be somewhat more than 109,0001.. or
about 2 0001. less than that of the preceding year; and more
than 2,0001. less than the income. fh that ny that amount
the debt accumulated 'luring the years 1847 and 1848 tell
be happily reduced.— Wirecilmon.

FEES IN TIM Coeur OF COMMON PLEAS.—Yeater-
day the bill in the House of Commons to regulate the receipt
and amount of fees receivable by officers in the Court
Common Pleas, was printed. The senior master cf the
Court is to render accounts of fees received, and in future
the lees may be reduced on a vacancy. It is the intention of
the government, acting tat the rec,minendatien of the Com-
mittee on Fees in Courts of Lew and liquify, as soon as pee.
*ibis to do away with all fees in the payment of the law
officers of the various courts.

DREADFUL ACCIDENT TO A POSTILION WHILE
DRIVINO TIC DUCHROS OP CAMBRIDOI.—Tftis morning
au occident occurred near the terminator the N irth Western
&tinny, Buston•quare, to Joseph Gill, one of the postilions
belonging to the earn gs of the Decking of Cambridge.
Toe duchess, attended by two ladies in waiting, lilt Cam-
bridge house, in a carriage drawn by four la inn and out
riders, and proceeded to the North Western Railway ter-
minus, Euston-square, for the purpose of being conviled by
the quarter past ten o'clock express train to Frogmen. On
the carriage turning the corner of Whittleby-street to eater
the station, the near•vide wheel-hone slipped and fell with
considerable violence, throwing the postilion, Gill, upon the
ground. The animal, in endeavouring to rite, fell upon
him, and aback the other hone on the off aide. This horse,
being a very restive one, finding he had something about his
feet, commenced kicking and plunging in a most fearful
manner. Gill received several severe kicks about the bead
au t body, end before the horse could be held it slipped and
also fell upon the postilion, and bob horses then corn.
rancid kicking at each other. The position of Gill at this
time was most most alarming, and her grace, who was much
frightened,was,with her attendantsousiefed out of the Cilitli*fil
by a genV.man who was passing at the time, and conveyed to
one of the private rooms in the Lamb Betel, sclj iining the
spot. After 00116 It nib's difficulty end trouble, Gill was
extricated from under the horses, and was found to be In a
state of insensibility, and bleeding most profusely from stee-
rs' bruises he had received.. He was removed to the Drum-
mond Arms, where several surgeons from the Univenity
College Hoop& I attended. On examining the body of the
unfortunate man, they found that his right leg was most
extensively fractured, and his body covered with contusions
and bruises, and in addition to which he had been most sir.
verely injured in the abdomen, by the kicking and plunging
of the horses.

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE TIIIB MORNING. About five
minutes put three o'clock thie moroiag • destructive fire
took place In Clerkenw.-11, in King-street, Aylesbury-street,
originatinz in the timber yard of Mr. Fowler. In • few
secemde the hnri•m was illuminated for miles round, which
enabled the firrmen to trace the locality of the catas-
trophe. S veral engines n ere soon on the spot, and
an abundant supply of water was obtained, but an immense
rock of timber was destroyed, none of which was insured.
The loss was solely congaed to Mr. Fowler's property.