The Express.
London, England, 1868-06-13 00:00:00

THE LEZDS Wei TORGERIEB.

The trial of Themes Edgefry, for conspiring with
other persons to defraud the Leeds Banking Company of
106,000/. was to have been resumed thie morning, before
Mr. Baron Pigott. at tO o'clock.
In consequence, however, of the non-attendance of an a'.
derman, it was impossible togo on with the case at the time
appointed. After the learned judge had been kept waiting
for more than half an hour, he tame into court accom-
raided by Mr. Under-Sheriff Roche, and said he thought
it right to state that the cause of the delay was that
Ito alderman was in attendance to act as the second
commissioner, which is required by the act of par-
liament. He said that messengers had been de-
spatched to endeavour to find an alderman, but without
success. He added that este would be taken that such a
thing would not occur again, and in the meantime all
that could be done was to wait until an alderman cam?.
The learned judge then left the court.
After some further deity, Mr. Alderman Causton, who
was not upon the rota, arrived at the court, and the trial
was then proceeded with.
Mr. Sleigh then summed up the case for the defendant,
and called upon the jury to mall the precise
point at issue, and to disabuse their minds of
all extraneous matters. The point at issue was substan-
tially this, whether the defendant with Van Chef, De
Tillers, and others, did oonspire to represent that certain
hills sent to Mr. Greenland to be discounted were bills
of the Meydampeck Forest Company with intent to cheat
and defraud. Did it not occur to them, there-
fore, that they should have had Mr. Greenland
in the bus as a witness for the prosecution? He was jus-
tified in placing before them that Mr. Greenland was the
head and front of this offending. Upon his testimony and
that of others, the defendant was committed from the
inferior court, and he asked why, if he was a witness to
truth, he now refused to come forward, and sheltered
himself in a foreign country? It was most pertinent to
the inquiry that they should have Mr. Greenland present
to know whether he was really imposed upon or not, but
after the evidence given for the defendant yesterday it was
idle to suppose that he was imposed upon, and if he really
did know the circumstances connected with the
renewal of the bills that had been given by Van
Chief, it appeared to him that there was an end of
the case for the prosecution. It was possible that a great
commercial fraud had been committed by some one, but
the question now was whether the defendant was any
party to that fraud. He contended that the defend-
ant had been brought into all this trouble] through
Van Chief, and that it was a black and dismal day for him
when he first became acquainted with him, as the
acquaintance had ended in his entire ruin. The learned
counsel then proceeded, at considerable length, to
contend that the evidence for the prosecution had
failed, and that the defendant was entitled to a verdict,
and had not concluded his address when our report left.

THE GOVERNMENT AND THE ELECTORAL
RATING QUALIFICATION.

On the consideration of the Boundary Bill, a
amended, Mr. Disraeli intends to move the following
clause :—" (First registration of occupiers in boroughs with-
in extended boundaries.) Where by reason of an alteration
of the boundary of any borough by this act the occupier of
a dwelling house or other tenement (tor which the owner
at the time of the passing of this act is liable to be rated
instead of the occupier) would be entitled to be registered
as an occupier at the next registration of parliamentary
voters if he had been rated to the poor rate for the whole
of the required period ; each occupier shall, notwithstand-
ing he has not boon so rated, be entitled to be registered.
subject to the following conditions :-1. That he has been
duly rated as an ordinary occupier to all poor rates in
respect of the premises made after the paining of thin act.
2. That all poor rates which have become payable after
the 31st day of July, 1867, and before the 6th day of
January, 1868, is respect of the premises, have been duly
paid on or before the 20th day of July, 1868."

THE BISHOPRIC OF NATAL.

The John Bull publishes the following despatch,
which has been addressed to the governors of the Cape of
Good Hope and the Mauritius:

Downing-street, May 23, 1868.
Sir,— In my despatch of 30th January last, I informed
you of a report which reached her Majesty's Govern-
ment that it was in contemplation by some of
the colonial bishops to consecrate a bishop to
take charge of the diocese of Natal on the assump-
tion that Dr. Colonic, had been legally deposed, and I
instructed you as to the course which you were to pursue
in such an event. I have, however, since received from
the Bishop of Capetown various communications on this
subject, which render it necessary that I should again ad-
dress you respecting it. His lordship entirely disclaims
the idea that he and those who act with him contemplate
interfering with any legal rights which Dr. Colenso
may have ; he explaine that it is only proposed to
colleen ate a bishop who shall perform episcopal func-
tions for such of the clergy and laity as well in Zulu land
and the adjacent parts as In Natal, &c., who may be will-
ing voluntarily to submit themselves to him. lam in-
formed also by his lordship that, although the particular
title by which such bishop should be consecrated will be
a question for the decision of the several bishops of the
province, ho does not desire that such bishop should be
consecrated by the title of Bishop of Natal, or of any
place within that diocese, or by any other title which
might be regarded as an infringement of rights
purporting to he conferred by the letters patent.
Under these circumstances I do not think it necessary that
her Majesty's government should interpose any obstacle
whatever to such proceeding, or that you should use any
influence to prevent it. I should wish you to communi-
cate a copy of this despatch at once to the }bailor of
Grahamstown. I shall also communicate a copy of it to
the Bishop of Capetown.-1 have, &c.,
(Signed) Bvcznrolux L.VD Clusnos.