The Express.
London, England, 1868-05-26 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE.

00IIRT OP' BANKRUPTCY.—MAT 25.
(Before Mr. Registrar Murray.)
This was laN igsrairsrosa Berra,e AZZIAtt e
as
se
Pew
and Betts, en which the liabilities are /84,21 W. ; the
amount in band is about 18,0001.
Mr. Munn. submitted a claim for 25x,000/., on behalf
of the General Oredis and INsoount Company. He said
it had been arranged with the assignees that the claim
should be admitted, subject to its being withdrawn on the
securities being realized. Claim admitted accordingly.
Mr. Bagley tendered a proof on behalf of Messrs. Wag-
staff for 3,0001. odd.
Mr. Denton. on behalf of the assignees, objected to the
proof.
The Registrar said that as the parties would probably
wish to have the opinion of the Commissioner on the
point they bad better go before him at once.
This was agreed to ; and the proof was subsequently
admitted by the Commissioner.
Mr. Cunningham tendered a proof on behalf of the Lon-
don and County Bank for 35,000/. The claim arose on
joint and several promissory notes of the Imo, of the three.
Mr. Denton objected that the pro- f could only be made
against the joint estate of the three bankrupts, or against
the separate states of each.
The Registrar concurred.
Mr. Cunningham premed to have the proof admitted as
• claim.

The Registrar said be could not do this without the eon-
sent of the assignees.
(Before Mr. Commissioner Winslow.)
IN RE PETO, BETTR, ANT) CRAMPTON.
The same case was resumed before the Commissioner at
a later hour.

Mr. Linklater, on behalf of the London, Chatham, and
Dover Railway Company, asked for an adjournment of the
dividend sitting, principally on the ground that there was
a balance of 750,0001. doe from the estate of Pete and
Betts, in respect of moneys received by them for the firm of
the three. He was not prepared to argue the question, or
give evidence am to the facts. There had been no account
or settlement between the three partners, nor had Mr.
Crampton assented to payments made by Peto and Betts
on behalf of the firm. The accounts of 1863, showing a
surplus of about 420,0001., were, he contended, perfectly
illusory.
Mr. Maynard, for the assignees, said it was very de-
sirable that the creditors of Pete and Betts should bare
a dividend as soon as possible, but if necessary he would
not object to an adjournment. The great question to be
decided was whether there could be a proof by the firm of
the three against the two.
His Honour said he could not quite follow the argu-
ments of Mr. Linklater, and it would require much con-
sideration to decide whether such a proof was admissible.
Mr. Linklater, referring to the balance-sheets, con-
tended that Pato and Betts bad received 422,0001. on
account of the three in December, 1863, and entered into
calculations to show that the statement of profits was un-
founded.

Mr. iisynard asked what was the use of going into
all those figures now, if there was to be an adjournment?
He only hoped that the adjournment would not be a long
one.

Mr. Lawrence, on behalf of the bankrupts, protested
against the adverse constriction put on the figures by Mr.
Lmklater. There was not the slightest ground for the
assertion that Sir M. Pato and Mr. Betts had misapplied
the moneys of the firm.
His Honour, in ordering an adjournment, suggested
that when the question came to be argued it should be
done by way of petition, supported by affidavits. After
what had been stated, it would be impossible for him to
order the funds in this estate to be divided until the
large claim of the London, Cbathrm, and Dover Railway
Company was disposed of. At the same time he hoped
there would be as little delay as possible ; he should be
sorry if the case had to be thrown over the lung vacation.
Some conversation followed as to the best mode of rais-
ing the question between the estate of the two and the
estate of the three.

Mr. Linklater said there would be no question as to the
=; the books of Peto, Betts, and Crampton had been
ably kept, and, so far as he could judge, there was
no reason to suppose that a scrap of paper of any kind had
been destroyed.
Mr Lawrence said that was the best reason why his
clients should at once pass and receive their orders of
discharge.
Mr. Linklater stated that the bankrupts had been jointly
concerned with other parties in what were called the
Victoria Improvement Works, and there was a liability in
Peto and Betts's balance-sheet of 100,000/. on that ac-
count. That was another reason for adjourning the sit-
ting for dividend, as some of those creditor-a might prefer
to proceed against the solvent partners.
Ultimately the matter was adjourned until Wednesday,
his Honour intimating that he should then expect the
parties to state how they would proceed in reference to
the questions that had been raised

THE POLICE COURTS.

MANSION•HOUSE.

It will be remembered that • few days ago • young man
named Whifcg, who had recently started in business as a
wool broker, was committed for trial from this court on '
the charge of forging the acceptance to a bill of exchange
for 2,0001. Oa his examination the prisoner alleged
that he had obtained the acceptance through a clerk in the
employment of Messrs. Jacomb. Son, and Co., Moorgate-
street, whose name he refused to disclose, on the ground.
as he stated, that he had taken a solemn declaration not to
do so. As a serious imputation was thus cast upon all the
clerks in the prosecutors' employment they were all called
into the witness box, and each of them denied ever having
seen the bill before. Two of them, it may be mentioned,
' have been in Messrs. Jacomb's employment for 21 years,
and receive high salaries, and during a period of T 2 years
the prosecutors have not lost anything, er had occasion to
aiannarr
any
one from their service.
Mr. 'an Sendai' the solicitor for the prosecution, now
stated that sinoe Whitey had been confined in Ne•gate he
had written to him stating that be was prepared to give
the name of the clerk who gave him the bill bearing the
prosecutors' acceptance. He (Mr. Van Sandao) accord-
ingly called at the gaol on Saturday, and the prisoner,
after fencing with the matter for some time, ultimately
gave the name of one of the clerks as the person who had
procured the acceptance. He (Mr. Van Sandau) however
told him that his statement was so incredible, that it did
not raise the slightest suspicion on his mind against the
person mentioned, and lie told his that he had better
consult the ehaplam as to his duty in the matter. Yes-
terday (Monday) he called at Newgate again, and the pri-
soner then, in the most unqualified terms, and is the
presence of Mr. Jonas, the governor, and Mr. Jacomb,
acquitted the clerks of all participation in the matter, and
he now mentioned the matter to his lordship in order
that it might be noticed by the press, so as to relieve
those gentlemen, who, since this charge had been brought
against them, had laboured under a great deal of discom-
fort.

The Lord Mayor said he never believed the statement of
the prisoner for one moment.

THAMES.
A poor lad in a canvas dress, who appeared very ill and
thin, was introduced by the Marquis Townehend to Mr.
Paget.
The noble marquis called the magistrate's attention to
the degradation to which au unfortunate pauper had been
subjected. The canvas dress had been given to the poor
fellow by the labour master of the Ratcliff Workhouse,
one of the poor-houses of the Stepney Union, who stamped
the back of the jacket with the words "Jack from the
country," and the legs of the trousers with the words
"Lazy scamp," and other words, and sent him into the
streets to be subjected to the ridicule of unthinking
people. He would leave the case in the hands of the
magistrate to act as he thought limper, being satisfied thst
the law did not allow a man to be punished for his poverty
in such a ridiculous and degrading manner.
Mr. Paget immediately despatched a messenger to direct
the attendance of Wilding, the labour master and superin-
tendent of the casual ward, Rataliff Workhouse, who soon
attended. _ _

He was asked for an explanation, and he said the
pauper had a night's lodging and supper and breakfast in
the casual ward, and tore up his clothes, and that he gave
him • canvas suit, and marked it with the objectionable
words as a punishment.
Mr. Paget said the case was not officially before him, but
he could not help saying the conduct of Wilding was
improper and injudicious, and that the public ought to be
much indebted to the Marquis Townshend for his inter-
ference. The law did not authorise labour masters to
punish casual paupers for tearing up their clothes.
The pauper said the reason he tore up his clothes was
that he could not wear them any longer, they were very
dirty and covered with vermin.
Mr. Paget hoped the conduct of the labour master would
be reported to the Poor-law Board.
The Marquis Townshend assured the magistrate that
he should immediately communicate the whole of the
circumstances to the Poor-law Board. If paupers were
thrust into the streets with such extraordinary comments
and inscriptions on their garments it would give rise to
inconvenience and breaches of the peace.
Wilding asked that the clothes of the pauper should be
returned to him.

-ileiarqZTownshend said he intended to purchase s
suit of clothes and a par of boots for the poor lad, and
he should forward the canvas clothea to the Poor•law
Board. _ _

Theparties then retired, and the noble marquis was
fondly cheered as he left the court. He provided the
lad with a new snit of clothes and two pairs of boot.
directly afterwards.
WANDSWORTH.
.

Jo.eM Hall. a plasterer, hying ID the Umoti•road, Bat-
tersea, was charged with violently samuliing the Rev.
Edwin Thompson, of the Parsonage, Wandsworth-com-
mon.
Mr. Thompson stated that on Sunday afternoon last,
about a quarter pest 4 o'clock, as be was leering church,
when he had tak.n duty, he saw the prisoner end his
wife at their gate qusrralling and fighting. He walked
to them, and said he was very sorry to see them quarrel-
ling in his pariah, and particularly on the Lord's-day. Wit-
tier also said, "Go into the house." The prisoner
opened the gate, and atm* him a violent blow which
knocked him down Ist on the ground, *suing his right

eye to be blackened, as the magistrate could see . Th.. prisoner was not drunk, but he bed been drinking.
In defence the prisoner admitted that he had hf,n
drinking. He said that on returning borne he found hi,
wife going out, and she gave him 4d. He nis!.. her to give him a. shilling, and they had a little quarrel,
He stood inside his garden Pte; and while she es,.,
striking him with an umbrella the complainant CONS Up
and interfered. He came inside the gets, and he p... 1,1
him. He was very sorry.
Mr. Thompson denied that he went inside the eats.
Mr. Ingham fined the prisoner 205., and in default
ordered him to be imprisoned for 14 days, with 11,1.1 :about.
Mr. Thompson said he did not wish to press the severely, se he bad no vindictive feeling toward. the pi,:
soner. Personally he forgave him, but he did nut f.,.!
justifiel in overlooking the assault, as his I.rish largely populated, and Inc had curates and distriet visiturs
continually paining to and fro.
Mr. Ingham said that kind of ungovernable pea.bu
ought to be punished. However, at the request of ti.e
complainant he would reduce the inaprisonmeut to 5.,,4 days.