The Express.
London, England, 1861-11-26 00:00:00

BUSINESS OP THE COURT.

The rush of bankrupts info the iiaieTte which has been
going on for the last few weeks has being to make itself
manliest in the business of the court. nay are no fewer
than 125 first sittings appointed to take place during the
present week ; but most of them are eases of small traders,
artisans, or persons out of business, who would have gone
before the Insolvent Court had that court continued its
functions. Meantime the cases which were first adjudicated
oo are progressing to their final stage ; and about a dozen
bankrupts in the muse of the week will apply to pass their
last examination and ask for an order of discharge.

INSOLVENT DEBTORS COURT.—Noy. 25.
(Before the Chief Commisioner.)
MINDING BUSINESS.

The subject of "pending came under die.
cussion, and until a new order is made by the Lord Chan-
cellor, or the law amended, it is likely to be productive of
great inconvenience. In past cases, adjudicated upon, this
court has no jurisdiction except in the administration of
sante, and no power to re-bear a case, or appoint assignees,
after the 12th of October, in cases decided. The Court of
Bankruptcy do not wish to interfere is such matters—and
hence the perplexity ; and parties are most anxious to avoid
the expense of an appeal to the Lents Justice..
The Chief Commissioner, on taking his seat to-day, gave
au explanation of his view on " pending business," and
dwelt on several of the provisions in the new act. He con-
sidered that " business pending" should be construed to
mean only judicial matters incomplete, such for instance as
an insolvent's discharge, or the granting of a final order. It
did not include the appointment of assignees or the removal
of those already sppoluted, nor appliodieus for rules call-
ing upon the provisional assigeee to join in the conveyance of
rotates. In the case of proofs of debts, or the declaration
and payment of dividends, these and other administrative
duties would be continued to be discharged by the prowl-
sioual Enigma of the court, who was au official assignee of
the Court of Bankruptcy. AU the officers of this court
were officers of the Court of Bankruptcy, and would act in
this court or to the administrative duties of the court.

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.

THE CARS OF TEC NLV. YR. MOLLOY:AT.

After our report left yesterday, the prisoner was charged
upon another ',abetment with stealing a carpet bag and its
contents, the property of Mr. Addison, a member of the
her.

This charge was clearly established against the prisoner.
It was proved that on the rith of August the prosecutor was
at the Victoria station, intending to proceed to join the
Hume Circuit at Croydon, and having placed his carpet bag
upon a form in the waiting-room, while he was getting his
ticket, the prisoner was 61:012 to pick it up and walk off
with it.

The jury returned a verdict of Guilty.
Sleigh said he felt it to be his duty to inform the
court that there were three other indictments against the
prisoner of a similar character to those that had already
been disposed of. In one of those a geutleman
named Beside was the prosecutor, and it appeared
that the umbrella wee stolen at one of the
railway stations, and this umbrella wan found in the primes.
lion of the prisoner when he was taken into custody.
Robberies of this description had become .0 frequent that
the railway companies wile compelled to take proceeding
to detect the depredator. and the officer Caipeoter was
specially employed in the matter, and the prisoner, who
was suspected, wee continually watched. Upon one occa-
sion a reticule was purposely pieced in the waiting-room at
cue of the railway stations, and the prisoner was peen to
pkk it up and place it in a carpet bag which he had with
him. He was immediately taxed with the robbery, and
upon the reticule being discovered in his carpet beg, he
said he could not possibly account for its being there. (A
laugh.)
The prisoner, before sentence was passed, declared his
innocence of the offences of which he had been convicted,
and said he had no doubt that he should be able to prove it
at some future time.

The itecorler, in Pursing eenteme, said that the conclu-
sion that had been arrived at by the jury was entirely cow
coned in by the court, and It was quite clear that it was
not • Weigle act, but that the prisoner had been pursuing •
long course of dishonesty. His guilt was 'aggravated by lie
being a member of a sacred prohnion which he bad die-
paced, and be bad most grfeennely abased the advantages
with which he had base fairsarld. Hs this sortesood the