The Express.
London, England, 1861-10-25 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, FRIDAY T

Cato IntlWince.

Offir RT oY DIViiRCE. WHATMINSTER.
l'ammilo be heard Wont tho Court for Dreary and !Jardine-
Dial lames, at Westminster. Michaelmas Tarim : ;Madden
v. ;Madden and Grecnbuidl, part heard; Harris v. Harris. Mends
over-G..1131n v I:vthito. imeen's Proctor intervening. Dart
Mani Jcniiiihrs kS. Derrick.
juirt hcanl Hepworth r ifrpeorta and Gibe., manila over
tinny...Li by order, -Mown y. Muria-114mHas v. hilintina, pert
io ard -Hepworth r. Hepworth -Seib; and e-llambktea
4100.
v liambleton -I;rowriley v. itrovinloz and -Hart V. mot
and Fiesta - v. Fialimin-Italy V. Maly and Mils Boom
-Heath r. Ilcath and Wiole-fieddisa v. boldon and Doyle-
suckling v. nii.klinit and Hailsban-Nizen v. Slatio-Vmat v.
Frost r. Wield and Gibbous-raappei V. Cksopsll
-Hallworth r. ilidiworth and Halsey sent v. Hint-
r. Aitken- Butler v. liotkr-knlth v. NW* and
;kraal-Drintlis v. Drinitas-Dnoict v. Droner. and Iftenens-
Afrnibl v Formby and Astern-De ;stern V. De Ste rll-110111114.11 V.
1.0401/ACII 411.1 1..i1c -Lataniarest r. Deaularnit-Morrts v. MlMS-
lliavrAtt s Maspratt- Dempster v. Dempster-Ikalth v.
smith end norms-Dowld v. (weld and /layman-HabbarS v.
Ililibert su.l Whitlingami-Marna r Matteis and Barkis-Tuckar
v. Tucker -LithUirot v. Lightfoot and Haney-Pltiar v. Mar
and 111•11411144 -- Magian; r. Wleeddon rv.
Tallsr-diamble V. Gamblir-Ililler v. Maar and ilizika-Hodena
v. Seldom awl Calkhasi-ltendorti V. Ilainford-Chinasa v.
I.llMism and linw--flerrell V. newel' and Ilanillsrd-Wud v.
Mani-Lazard v. Lamed and Potta-kkappard v.
linisinen v. Holtman and Jack:ern-Arils r. Arils ant narlat
Preach v. he. b and labbey -Hewes v Dawns sad Frampton-
Myna( v. ar).int Grant v. Grant, Ilemies. and Pattlars -Far-
anal' v. 7urnivall -itiirronshe v. Heriroakka-larriale V. Ilistile-
nriew v. Mora .00l liancrak -Daytona v. Hansen -Conlnitworth
m Caniniworta 'Masan v. Tkinrites-Water V. Haunter
and Pont itsinob•n s ihnunien and Cbsernan-Haldhag v.
-Wirde Whale and Ailoineon-Cluvrther v. Crowther
-Undo, ksr s boas cker and Harrowere-liodins v. Hodges-
r. H.t,le and Fagan-Whits v. Waite-Mackenzle r.
Mardtelizio-roali; V. Hale-Catkne v. Cairn and Lancaster.
etberwio• Smith .n.i Norman-Watson V. Watson and
r liaresnahs awl Rikock-Thomoon v. Thomp-
son 111•1 ,tintidcis -Matta v. Watta-liedgeeock r lleciaecock
Wed Ashdown- Hunt ir. Ilant-Asabler v. Ambler and Hoghtom

COURT OF BANKRUPTCY.—Ocr. 24.
(134 w. Mr. Ommirrioser Faro.)

IN MS LAUTON-ANIJCATION roil

The bmkrupt, described as a foreign agent, omit-
street,
yGroaretior-equare, applied (or hie discharge from
custod
Mr. Parkes opposed as behalf of Meagre. France and Go.,
tM dstainiag creditors, and charged the bankrupt with
fraudulently obtaining goods and velatimody defending an
action.

It appeared from the emantinatioe of the bankrupt that
iD 18.57 he was acting as the meat or adviser in this coun-
try of Mown.. France. who were wine merchants, of Bor-
deaux. In that capacity be bad received bill from them
to the amount of ISV. (me was accepted by C. and W.
Collins. of Sloane.street (mime bankrupt) • they were sued
oo the bill, and witless, received 561. as ills result of the
action. He had not paid that over to Frame and Co. In
D 439 they sued him for the amount ; he defended the ac-
tion ; s verdict was given main* him for 401. He had
paid nothing of that debt or costs. la December, leak, he
petitioned the Insolvent Court for protection, but! did not
appear to pans his first examination in consequence of
some errors in his whedule. He afterwards got the petition
dismissed. He had acted as agent for Franco and Co. for
nearly two yearn.
His Honour deferred judgment.
IN RE MARTHA RICHARDS.
' •

The lady in lodging-house in
Cheaterstreet, Belgraveaquare. She was now brought up
in custody to apply for her discharge.
Mr. Bagley, who supported the application, stated that the
bankrupt bad petitioned the court as a non-trader. She
bad been a twelvemonth in custody, at the suit of creditors
for furniture, plate, !sc. She had complied with the requisi-
tion.' of the statute by filing an account of her liabilities, in
which she stated that her failure aloes from her having be-
come surety for other parties, and being suddenly called
upon to pay for her furniture, which had been sold at a
ruinous sacrifice.

Mr. :4argod, Mr. Abrahams, and Mr. Percival opposed of
behalf of creditors.

Mr. Kargood said be represented Messrs. Meekiog and
Co., of Holborn, who were creditors for goods supplied to
the bankrupt. The present•pppPltcetioa, be submitted, could
not be entertained under the ll2th sec. of the old act louder
which it was made), as that climes was appliorble only to

Mr. Batley contended that the section wee applicable
to all ban rupta, whether trailers or otherwise.
His Honour said the queetion was one which required
much tionoideration, sod could not be dealt with on the •p
o the moment. If °category, he would submit the q
toe conference of the commissioners.

Mr. Abrahams, on behalf of Mr. Dobson, a detaining
creditor for 190/., submitted that the application oould not
be entertained until after the choice of assignees.
After batting Mr. Bagley on this last point,
Hie Honour reserved his decision, and the bankrupt was
token back to prison.
(Before Mr. Conwnissioser Holroyd.)
LY 52 DICA;4.

The bankrupt was an oil and lead merchant, of 17pper
Thames-street. This was the adjourned exsminatiou meet-
ing. Debts, 1,917/. ; assets returned at 1,000/.
31Ir. Linklater opposed for the assignees. The bankrupt
had acted as agent for another house, and it was contended
that he bed not accounted for all his receipts.
Mr. Lawrence urged that the bankrupt had rendered the
beat account in bis power.
His Honour believing that the bankrupt had kept back
sense of the money of his employers, adjourned the exami-
nation sine the, and refused to give any further protection.

IN II J. L. /VOGL&
This was an adjourned last examination. The bankrupt
was • neck-tie manufscturer, at 5, Gutter4ruse. The
balance-sheet, which has been prepared by Mr. George
Butler. shows—Dr.: To crediton, 1,1195/. Oa. 34.; to draw-
ings from firm of Farmer and 4411. 7z. 9L; to own.
1111111400 441. :is. 9d. 4 Cr.: By meets, Al/. 4a. ld.; by
domestic expenses, 77 /. 24. MI.; by interest, 229/. 9a. M. •
by leases, 117/. fie. 2d.; by deficiency let of June, 1858;
1,1431.
The bankrupt paned.

INSOLVENT DEBTORS COURT.—Ovr. 2t
(Before the Chief Commissioner.)
1!" RE CAPTAIN WILLIAM WOODLET.
Thin case aaggauin came on to-day.
Mr. Kerslake. of the Chancery bar, Mr. Prentice, Mr.
Robertson GnthUu, and Mr. Terry, appeared for the re-
spective parties.
The application was to re-open the matter in respect to
an order made on the late assignee, Mr. Smythe, to pay a
large sum of money into court. and to adjourn a rule nisi
for an attachment for non•payment of the money.
The Chief Commissioner now said he should grant a rule
nisi to re-open the aw, and the rule for the attachment
would stand over, sad be heard on the same .lay.
A discussion arms as to the day on which the rule nisi
skald be
The Ch7timissioner mid the matter must be beard
betels the sitting, of the court were 1.1411111011 for cases. He
should be very busy after next week, and this one must
corm on before Thursday next.
Mr. Robertson Criffitba said be appeared for Mr. Bryce
Watson, the late cousignee of the estate, and be was
anxious to be paid out of the fine mosey of the estate.
The Chief OuitirsieMisser said be entertained a strong
°Ones that Mr. Ware shield Spa•
Ultimately the are was for Wednesday next.

and upon his tetanal be beat him very severely with a two-
and-ehalf inch rope, which he knotted for 'the purpose ;
and it vas alleged that while be was so beating him the
prisoner made am of the expression that ho would peke
him work, or he would have his life. There was no evidence
of any other beating having been inflicted upon the &seemed
by the prisoner, hut the case on the part of the prosecution
was, that the beating so inflicted had, in the weak state
in which the can was at the time. aceelemte.l
his death. It was proved in the 0091110 of the
cam that repeated complaints had been inside to the prisoner
that the deceased was skulking from his work, and there
appeared to lw a very general impremion on board. the ves-
sel that the deceased was shamming dimes, in order to
amid doing his share of the ship's duty. ft was peeved
that the persons who were now examined se witneeee for
the promeution dill not make any complaint until after the
vessel had been in the docks several days, when • mender-
able portion of the crew had bees discharged lied were gone
awa
&y,
deed Ballard/es made a aced able address to r the
fiery ea behalf of the prisoner, and said that before
they could ead the prisoner guilty upon this iodictmeat
they must he minified that the beating—which for argument
sake be would admit—that was inflicted by Ma upon the
ocesmon spoken to by the withessei, accelerated the death
which did not appear to have taken place until three weeks
or a month afterwards. It was a very natural thing that
leadsmen shank' feel iadignaut at corporal punishment
beer inflicted upon • meson in the position of the
deceased, but be was sure that they would see that
it was • very different thing at ma, where it was
absolutely necessary that the captain of • ship
should prevent skulking*, shamming iii order to avoid per-
forming the neoatary work, and thus endaogerieg the
safety of the vessel and all oa board. The learned counsel
then proceeded to argue that the evidence OA to the character
of the beating inflicted upon the deceased bad been very
much euenorattsl, and that in any case there was nothing
to show that it wee at all connected with the death.

A man named Wedge, who was mate on board the
!Bunton( on the voyage home, was called as a witness, and
be stated that the deomsed was a dirty lasy fellow, and
that he had himself struck him for having negheted his
duty. He also stated that the beating referred to was not
at all of a serious character, and that he saw the deceased
stripped shortly afterwards, and there were very dight
bruises on his person.
A great many respectable witnesses, several of whom
were captains in the merchant service, were exam Med, and
they gave the prisoner an excellent character for humanity
and kindness, one of them stating that be would not, in his
opinion, " touch a worm."
Baron Martin, in summing up the case to the jury,
explained the law relating to manslaughter, and
said he was clearly of opinion that the eating
the prisoner inflicted upon the deceased was illegal, and
that he had no right to inflict it. Seamen on board a ship
bad no other protection than the law, and although the
espial° of a ship, and very properly so, was invested with
very great power, it was very important to take care that
this power should not be abused. He then said that as the
beaeng inflicted was undoubtedly illegal, the only question
for their consideration was whether this beating accelerated
the death of the deceased, and if they thought it did, there
they ought to find him guilty of manslaughter, but if they
had say ressonable doubt upon the subject, they ought to
as nit him.
The jury, after a short deliberation, returned a verdict of
Guilty.
The prisoner, when the verdict was returned, entered
intoa statement of the constant misconduct of the decease'
during all the time he was on board the vessel, and said
that he was continually shamming illness, and upon one
occasion threatened his life.

heron Martin said he thought that it was very probable
that what the prisoner bad stated about the deceased was
true, but this was no justification for his using violence
towards him. He belie►ed at the saints time that when he
inflicted the beating upon him he had not the slightest in.
teation of doing him any serious injury, and if the jury had
acquitted him of the charge of manslaughter he should have
directed an indictment to be preferred against him for an
assault, as in his opinion an aggravated assault was the true
character of his offence, and he should inflict a puniahmeet
as though he had been convicted of it. He then seutenced
the prisoner to nine months' hard labour.
NEW COURT.
(Before Mr. Baron Wilde.)

George Cliff, 27, and Frederick C7a,Piton Clift, 24, both
described as quill merchants, were indicted for feloniously
setting fire to • certain dwelling-house in the possession of
the said Frederick Clayton Clift, with intent to defraud the
Glob Insurance Company.
Mr. Berisant Balkuitine (who was specially retained), Mr.
Clerk, and Mr. Metcalfe P tad; sod Mr. Sleigh, Mr.
Thompson, and Mr. Charles Smith denuded.
The cam, which involved the examination of a vest num-
ber of witnesses, and occupied the court from its sitting
until a Isle hour of the evening, exhibited the following
facie :—lt appeared that some few days previous to the 20th
July last the prisoner Frederick Chit applied to Mr. Fuller,
• bender, and took of him a house, No. Z Lane:lowa".
villas, Albert-road, Peckham, at a rental of 301. per annum.
The house bad a stable attached to it, which the primmer Fre-
derick said be especiallyrequired to put his horse and trap in.
This stable, having been added by a previous tenant to the
house after it was built had no communication with the
house, wed could only be entered from the garden at the
rear of the premises. The prisoner took possession, but
did not nuke use of the stable for the purpose be said be
wasted it for. On the 20th July both prisoners went to-
gether to the cakes of the Globe Insurance Company, and
the prisoner Frederick Clift, who described himself as •
quill merchant, intimated to the clerk that he was desirous
of elf ecting an insurance, io the first place on his stock to
the amount of 2.500/., sod os his household furniture to
the amount of :31101. He was asked if be heal ever insured
before, and he replied in the negative, but added that a fire
which had recently taken place at Cotton'sWherf, near Lon-
don-bridge, mmie people fnghtened, who knew • person who
bad lost coosiderehly from out having his property there
properly insured. He then supplied the clerk with the par-
ticulars, and gave the address of his residence and premises,
and it appeared that in the house adjoining that occupied by
the prisoner Frederick, and on which he sought to effect a
policy, there resided another clerk of the company, a gee-
Homan of the name of Collis, and to him the company
entrusted the duty of inspecting the premises Pm
to the completion of the policy. He aooonliggr=
the premises, and the °acclaim:land character of the furni-
ture in the lower rooms of the dwellinghoose convinced
hint that the policy sought toren that part might be granted
hy his employers, the Globe Company. The prisoner Frederick, the one with whom Mr. Collis had the inter-
view on the premises, conducted him to the stable, which
was found by the clerk to be filled within a very short space
from the roof with large sacks Oiled with quills, as he 'seer.
Wood on the inspection of • few of them. Mr.
Collis particularly asked the primmer Frederick
whether there was any communication between
the house and the stable, which was described
in the policy as • warehouse, as be could see none, the
Becks being closely packed on each side, with a panto in
the middle. The prisoner Frederick assured him there was
not one, that the stable could only be entered by going
round to the rear of the premises. The result was that the
policy was granted, and the prisoner Frederick paid the pre-
mium, amounting to If. 14e. Between nine and ten o'clock
ea the evening of the 2nd of August • fire broke out on the
promises thee insured ; but in the interval it has since
transpired that the prisoners bad removed at different times
racks containing quills. Shortly before the fire broke out
the wife of the prisoner Frederick Clift was seen by some
neighbours quitting the house with her child iu • peram-
bulator, and, in answer to some questions put to her at the
time, she said that the child had met with an accident
by. falling into • tub of water, and that she was
going to take it to • medical gentleman, whose name
she gave, and whose residence was about two miles from
lanerlowne-villas. Nothing more was seen of her until 12
o'clock at night. About nine o'clock the same evening the
prisoner George (lift was seen at • public-house, the Nun-
head Tavern, at Nunhead-green, by • brother of Mr. Collis
(whose name has already been mentioned in connexion with
the insurance), who had mine there for the supper beer. The
prisoner George Clift, after partaking of some brandy, left
the tavern, end went in the direction of the house that was
destroyed, and in a few minutes afterwards, as a police-
constable of the name of Cox was on duty in • place called
Masthead-puma., which runs into the main rood, by the
side of Lansdowne-villas, he saw a man resembling the
primmer George CUB come through a gap in the hedge from
the direction of • piece of ground at the back of the house
in question. He was walking sharply, and was seen by
other persons besides the policeeoustable„ mid no
one else was in the lane at the time. As he was
passing &Wog some psretio from one of the gardens
he pulsed called out , ' Hallo," on which the MAD the
policeman bad seen quickened his naos, and on coming into
the road was observed by the son of • Mr. Goodwin, grocer
of Neale:ad-lane, to emerge from the paresis and cross the
reed. That man was clearly identified to be the prisoner
George by young Goodwin, who bed Icemen him for some
time, and who bad a full view of him close to a bright gas
lamp. By this time it was seen that the stable was nn fire,
and on the alarm being given, the pot boy at the Nunhead
Tavern, thinking there was a bone in danger, rushed clown
to the spot., and on removing some tiles from the roof was
I enabled to look in, when he saw that there was no horse
I there, that the place instead of being full of goods
was comparatively empty, mid that the stable was
on fire in two plum,. The engines did not arrive
until the house and promisee were mainly gutted. Nothing
was seen of the prisoners during the remainder of that night,
and on an examination that was subsequeetly made by the
firemen, it was ascertained beyond all doubt that the place
had been set fire to io two places, and it was also discovered
that • door had been broken through, from • part of a
pantry wider the staircase, by which • commuolostion had
bee° obtained to the stables, and that it was at this point
that the tire bail begun. The extent of the fire in the stable or
warehouse had exceeded three feet from the floor, and
• peat number of bundles of quill. of the communed and
least valuable description were found, though they had been
described is the policy as being of the beet quality. A
Weer number of swan quills than was ever known to be
held by one merchant was described in the policy as being
es the premises. but of them not the slightest trace
was discovered, though it transpired in the course of the
trial that quills and feathers are most difficult of destruction;
indeed, • fire had weer been known at which a bed was
entirely destroyed. Is the dwelling house there was no trace
of say furniture or bedding. bat • quantity of flocks was
found. The prisooerFrederick subsequently pat in a claim,
setting forth hie lows at 4,0001., and on being questioned as
to the aromestanine of the fire, be Amid that iss could set