The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-05-25 00:00:00

FT.-PARTE ►ICKERING. IN RE STOCKTON RANK.

Mr. HORNE said, that in this case his Lordship had directed •
meeting of creditors to be convened, for the purpose of deciding
whether they would continue the present assignees, or proceed to
the choice of new ones. It bring the practice for many creditors to
ex cute powers of attorney authorising third persons to vote for
them at the choice of assignees. which practice iiad been followed
ir. the present Instance, the question which he wished to ask his
lowitlship was, whether the powers of attorney that were given on
toe choice of the present assignees would be sufficiently valid to
empower the same parties to vote at the choice of the new as.
wee:, or whether it was necessary that the creditors should go
to the expense of executing fresh powers of attorney.
The Loon CHANCELLOR was of opinion that new powers of
at' wney must be executed, because a preliminary question required
►y his order to be decided wig, whether the panics would consent
tr. retain the present assignees upon which question the powers of
;attorney acres ly executed could not give any authority to vote.

P• TVIINVit, A I.I'NATIC.

in the course of last Michaelmas Term a petition was presented
or. behalf of Sir G. P. Turner, praying that the Lord Chancellor
would permit the alleged lunatic to traverse the Inquisition of
Lunacy, and that the same might be tried ht.fore a Special Jury in
Bedfordshire, that being the county in ohieh Sir Gregory usually
resided, and was consequently more gener_Oly known titan in Mid,
(Ilene. where the Inquisition had been WV. A petition waa sub-
sequently presented on behalf of the Cnoimittee of the lunatic,
praying that the Cann would. according to the late Art of Podia-
r:ent, limit a time for the trying of the traverse. In Hilary Term
the Court seeordinglf ordered that Sir Gregory should he at liberty
to traverse the Inquisition at the then Pest Bedford Assizes.
Hr. Taestor • now presented another petition on the same
SLlbject. He said. that in consequence of there being only a period
of seventeen days between the date of his Lordship's order and the
Bedford Assizes, it had been impracticable for Sir Gregory to try
the traverse as directed, there not being sufficient time for him to
collect all his witnesses, two of whom were then residing in France.
whose testimony it was msterial to obtain. As the Act of Pattie-
mon empowered his lbordshm to limit the time for traversing the
Inquisition within six months, an obiection naturally arose she
(her the order directing it to be tried at the then next Assizes was
within the terms of the Act, for woo (-metal when those Assizes I
mit take plae•. In further support of the present application,
he-bad the affidavits of Dr. Burrows anti Dr. Ilaslam, both of
shorn had seen and conversed whh Sir G. P. Turner, and they
were both of opinion that there was neither imbecility nor delusion
auout the mind of Sir Gregory; and that no necessity existed for
ter- rigid attendance of the two keepers appointed over that unfor- '
tietate gentleman. There had, it was true, been three affidavits
had in answer to these. They were by Ina. W tills. Sutherland, and
Marra, who ail stated it to be their (motion that Sir Gregory was
sill of unsound mind, and incapable of managing his own drain;
tilt they did no: specify any of the eh tracteriatics of his malady.
As there was a confliction in the opinions of these highly respect-
aide physicians, he thought the Court would not undertake to de-
cide without the intervention of a Jury ; and for this reason a pe-
tition to traverse the Inquisition had been preferred to that of one
foe superseding the commission of lunacy.
Mr. HEALD (for the Committee) said that the mischievous
efleets resulting to the estate of the lunatic by these repeated pe:i.
turns were extreme. The Committee were anxious that Sir Gre-
gory should have every means afforded him for showing that he
woof snand mind st the time of the Inquisition, but they were at
the mane time anxious that this question should he decided without
delay* as while it was pending they were plated in the most wirer-
tam to-tuition, not knowing but that every one of their present acts
at' hereafter be treated at to party treapusca. The grounds
• •