The Express.
London, England, 1868-02-18 00:00:00

COURT OF COMMON PLEAS.

Sittings stiisiPrius inLondo;iliefore Lord Chief
Justice Bovill and Special Jury.)

SPICES AND ANOTHEII v. WILDER! AND ANOTHER.
This was an action to recover damages for libel
Mr. Coleridge, Q.C., mid that the plaintiffs, Marra
Bpieer and Grcieff, were ship-brokers in the City,
and the defendants, Messrs. Belden and Linden,
were also in the same line of business. The libel was
contained in a letter written or rather eon toted by Mr.
Linden, and addressed to one of the correspondents of
that house, and which letter made a charge upon the
solvency of the plaintiffs' firm. They had therefore been
obliged to bring the notion, but he learned from the detain-
danta' counsel that the statement had been made under some
mistake or misapprehension, and that be was prepared to
withdraw all imputation and express his clients' regret for
what bad occurred.
Mr. Gifford, Q.C., for the defendants, said that very
soon after the letter was written the defendants discovered
that they bad made a grievous mistake and ever since
then they hail been desirous of withdrawing the imputa-
tion and expressing their regret at having made it. He
now did so on their behalf, and wished to state that the
retraetation was full, ample, and complete, and that there
weep° thought of inainctati4 anything at all against the
*Miffs.
A verdict was taken by consent for the plaintiff
for 40s.

COURT OF ADMIRALTY.
(Before the Right lion. Sir Robert Phillimorsi.)
TUC GMAT ZAWMIX.--JUDGMENT.

This ease, which was reported in our paper on Wednes-
daat, was now decided. It was the first action for re-
and equipment against the unfortunate Great
rn, and the question raised was most important. It
was, whether the Steamship Company (Limited) were liable,
or M. Jules Despecher, a French gentleman, who had char-
tered the vessel on account of the French Exhibition was.
The speculation failed, and the ship returned to Liverpool.
Messrs. Morten and Clint, ship chandlers, had painted the
vessel at Liverpool, whilst on a gridiron, en the order of
Sir James Anderson, the master. Further paint had been
ordered as stores by Mr. Yates, who was secretary to
the Steamship Company, and also for M. Jules Deapecher.
The vowed had been let to the Telegraph Company, and char-
tered to Jules Ike her. It had been employed in laying
down the cables, and afterwards chartered to the French
company. The liability of the limited company was
denied, and the question was one of public importance.
His lordship in pronouncing judgment reviewed the
facts given in evidence and said he had to apply
the principles to be derived from the cases of
" Frost v. Oliver," and " Mitchener v. Oliver," to be
found in the sth Ellis and Blackburn. The question he
had to decide in this case was whether the owner had
with possession to the charterer, and whether the
parted with
Sir James Anderson had held himself out as
muter of the owners. After referring to the evidence of Sir
James Anderson, who had stated that he had acted as
agent for both, and also to that of Mr. Yates, who was
aleosgentforbotb, be was of opinion that Sir James Ander-
son had held himself out as the master of the owners, and
that the limited oompanl not by the charter parted
with possession to Jules her. As to the stores the
claim wee abandoned as ordered by Mr. Yates, for the
French company, and he therefore found for the plaintiffs
for 1884 ll*. 2d., and east*.
On the question being asked whether the court would
order the ship to be sold for 188/., Mr. Butt pro-
tested against such an order, and it wee not made.
The Solicitor-General and Mr. as
were for the
plaintiffs ; Mr. Mellish, Q. 0., and Mr. Butt for the ship.
Judgment accordingly.

COURT OF BANKRUPTCY.
(Before Mr. Commissioner Winslow.)
IN HZ JOHN ILLIIDON WOICISTIR
The bankrupt was described as late of Lloyd's,
since of Cannon-street, shipowner and underwriter,
and of Upper Belgrare-pleos, Pimlico, shipownsr
and merchant's assistant. He ascribes his failure
to that of Hallett, °minima, and 00., who had
guaranteed dividends of 10 to 12 per cent, on ammo=
shares in coffee companies held by the beakrapt, and their
oonsegcnt depreciation in the market. The aosounta, pre-
MT;, Messrs. Johnstone and Co., show en mpegetelie.
of 107,0751., with assets and peaoertyheld as security
of 276941. The liabilities comprise 87721. on shares in
the Marine Investment Company (Limited), sad 7,6501.
on shares in the New Zealand &mina Oorporatioo, sad
2001. on the Corporation of the Hall of Arts and itaieneen
This was the sitting for examination and dis
There was no opposition, sad the bankrupt obtainegM
order.

POLICE COURTS.-(THIS DAY.

GUILDHALL.
♦ COlOllBBlOlll.lll 111 TROIID.I.

Richard Young, a 00111misionaire, 339, wee placed at
the bar before Alderman Tlllll/11, having been apprehended
on a warrant under rather peculiar circumstances, for
committing an unprovoked assault on Major Thomas
Brown
The assault was committed on Wednesday morning last,
when the prisoner asserted that be had witnesses who
could prove the complainant struck him first, and the cane
was adjourned till Saturday last for him to being his
witnesses forward. The defendant came to the court on
Saturday. but before it came to his tarn to be beard be
left the court, declaring that he would commit salside.
The complainant now stated that on Wednesday bat
he was coming down Angel-court, Tbregmortonoteset,
when the prisoner ran against him and butted him with
his bead, knocking him down an his back. He got up
and went into No. 1, Angel-court, bat the prisoner ran in
after him, dragged him out, and &pin mantled him. He
then tried to walk away from hint, but the prisoner
followed him along Old Broad-street to Leadoss-wall,
when he again smutted him. ♦ polfe►eanstable then
coming in sight, the primmer ran down one of the smarts,
and fell on his face, injuring his DONS very much. He was
so drunk that he fell three or four times. He never
struck the prisoner at all, nor said anything to him.
The prisoner admitted he was drunk, but persisted in
the statement that the complainant snook him first. He,
however, was not prepared to call the witnesses, who,
he said, could prove that assertion.
An *Sleet Irani the posnu#si?Dain mar said the

Ooomer had owe before beep diamimod for intemperance,
bat Cattalo Walter had gine him anodise dunce to re-
cover kw position and character. He would now be die-
mimed the service.

The primmer was fined 20e. or fourteen days' imprison.
meet.