The Express.
London, England, 1868-11-30 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, MONDAY EVWNING, NOVEMBER

1718 COLLINRY MEMNON "CAR WIGAN.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.

MIRII.OPOLITAN COUNTY OMNI.
Melon days appointed tee the prames6 walk.)
Wsnausvms, limemerhas.—Temslay, Das. I ; Well-
alleasy. 2 ; Misleads,. S.
Biaousauay. Fninned-road.—Tusiday, Dan ; Wadeasday,
ii-Timmiar, ; Friday, 4.
MAITYI3OII3. 34/7/4lbtost-Kall.-lessloy. Due. 1; Wanes-
Lama; Friday, 4.
WAIIMWORTII,ISOIIth•IitTI44.—TOOMI33. Dee. I.
CLeasisawsu., Ihnuan-teavese.—lnesday, Dee. 1; Wednes-
day, 2; Thursday, 3 Friday, 6.
ftoasurren, Old-street-rosd.—Toesday, Dee. I ; Iliussday, a.
Bow, Bow-roed.—Friday,
in., .Dee. 4.
Warrace•e (treat Presootediest.—Wadianalay, Dee. 2;
Thursday, 3; Friday, 4.
Ouubsrviell ITTWAFOll3.—Themda7, Doe. I ; Wed-
nesda, 3.
CITTy LOWMT, Olaildila44llldin34.—Nondsy. Nov. 90;
Tuesday, Dee.l ; Wednesday, 2 ; Thursday, 3; Friday, 4 ;
day, 6. b.

COURT OF QUERN'S BENCH.—Nov. 28.
After Term Nisi Priue Sittings at Westminster.—(Before
the Lord Chief Justice and 'special juries).
earraxi e. WILIGHT.—rns ILITR•OIDINART MAROS
•0•11182' • maaonua.

After our report left on Saturday,
The Lord Chief Justice, in summing up, mid it was
quite impossible to treat this case too seriously, and the
leaned counsel on both sides had not in the slightest
degree exaggerated its importance to both parties. In
addition to the penury that must have been committed on
one side or the other, if their verdict was for the defen-
dant it would be ruin to the plaintiff's character, and if
for the plaintiff they would mark it with such exemplary
damages as must pecuniarily ruin the defendant. It, was
one of the most painful inquiries over which it had been
his lot to preside. At the outset one could not but be
struck with the remarkable character of the defendant's
story, tbatj the plaintiff bad not in any way ascertained
beforehand whether the defendant was likely to
become a willing participator in such revolting
acts; but on the other hand they must not hold
that absolutely conclusive, because the lamentable in-
stances of these cases in courts of justice did unfortunately
show that there were men in whom the natural instinct&
for good had become perverted. The defendant's state-
ments involved discrepancies of a vei important charac-
ter, to which he directed their particular attention. He
regretted more positive evidence had not been produced
where Hr. Sankey was on Sunday evening, the 30th Aye,
It was extraordinary that such a charge should have
been made falsely, without any motive for so doing,
by an. apparent) respectable man. There was not
the shghtest at pt to extort money, and there
appeared to be no quarrel or misunderstanding
between the parties. There were, however, some circum-
stances in the case which told in favour of the defendant's
statement. The conduct of the plaintiff was deserv-
ing of serious consideration. So far back as 1806 those
rumours reflecting so seriously upon his character had
become rife, and he was called upon by a friend to vindi-
cate his character. In November, 1866, he brought his
action. One would have supposed that when that action
was brought the plaintiff would have proceeded with it
with the utmost speed, unless the defendant made a fall
retractation of the charge and an ample apology. Unfor-
tunately that was not done, and when the defendant re-
fused to retract, what was still to his mind unac-
countable was that the plaintiff should remain in
abeyance, and nothing further was heard of it until the
defendant forced the case on to vindicate his character.
By the pleadings, it was not the duty of the plaintiff to
put Franklin in the box, but what he (the Lord Chief
Justice) complained of was the plaintiff's putting it out
of the power of the defendant to call him. And when in
the box there was a manifest reluctance on the witness's
Tart to say a word against the plaintiff. A man who had
a good i aurae need have no desire to keep a witness back.
lie deplored their position in having to decide this painful
issue, but decide it they must ; and he was sure they
would do it according to their conscientious conviction
Which side they considered had spoken the truth.
The jury retired at a quarter past two o'clock, and after
an absence of one hour and a quarter returned into court
with a verdict for the plaintiff, damages MM., on the
ground that the justificabon had not been made out.

NAVAL AND mairaar.

/fovt 29.

The Niger, 13, sere;;o;vethe,&—itiiitilaners
W. Brom, which arrived at !gifted from the-North
America sad Wage India Sanas es isiday, sailed to be
tag eut of munnimion es
Intelligens& was reesivedßatidA.meedb yesterday that
the Habeas iimpatch vessel will Nam Plymouth on
licsday, sad proceed direst to Lisbon to lola the
remainder of the Channel deet at that place.
The Dutch war steamer Amstel arrived at Cowes from
the West Comet of Afrioa on Saturday.
Tux Recur DOCRTAZD Dews--Cosiderable pri-
vation still prevails at Portsmouth in oensequesse of the
recent discharge of 1,600 men from the deeityard at that
place. Whole families are reduced to a es edition ap-
proaching
.starvation, and in many Matinees several who
were previously in comfortable pentane have he.. ease-
pelled to seek the shelter of the mien keels Hem to
ameliorate the condition of these now wretched pee*
has engrossed the attention of the authorities or
some time past, but as yet no definite plan has been
dots mined upon. The efforts of the pkilentbropse have
been recently supplemented by the assidesee of those
men who still remain in the government esselja=
some good is anticipated from a meeting c[ the
which was held in the boat-hone is the dockyard en
Raturday last. It was than reaohed to raise esliserip-
Sons and to make • with the view of soft-
ening the effects orlvirs:tilloisi which prevails, and
such appeal, we hope, will not be made in vain.
WOOLWICH, Nov. 29.
The Boxer twin screw composite gun-vessel,
having been commissioned by Lieutenant Commander J.
W. Egerton for service on the Pacific station, proceeded
down the river yesterday on a trial trip, under the charge
of officers from the engineer department, to test her
engines and machinery. She is ordered to have a crew
of 70men, and the following officers have been appointed
Sub•Limitenant Wadham D. Nigle ; Navigating
Sub-Lieutenant Henry W. Davidson ; Assistant, l'ii-
master-in-Chuge Robert IL Caldwell_• Assistant-Surgeon
Ilobert Potter, M.D. • Engineers Andrew Watt and
Thomas Wilmot; First-class Amistant Engineer R. Irwin.
The discharge of workmen from the Royal Animal is
ordered to mese for the present; but the clothing sore
will be closed on the 16th December and the estehmmt
removed to Pimlico.