The Sun.
London, England, 1855-03-26 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE.-{THIS DAY).

COURT OF CHANCERY.

(Before the Lord Justices of Appeal.)

HASTIE V. HASTIE, 11. P.

, I This case came before their lordships to-day, upon an
appeal from the judgment of the present Master of the
Rolls, ordering the defendant, Mr. Archibald Hastie,
M.P., to pay into Court the sum of 24,2301., which it
was alleged the defendant had received, and was due
from him to the estate of his brother James. It appeared
that three of the brothers of the defendant, John, Robert,
and James, carried on most extensive transactions in
Calcutta as coach makers and indigo and silk merchants,
and in the course of those transactions remitted large
amounts to the defendant in this country. Robert
died in 1834, John in 1840, and James in 1848, and
upon his death a snit was instituted in the Supreme
Court of Calcutta for the purpose of administering and
taking the accounts of the estate. The defendant in
' the present suite was the peroonal representative and
executor of all the brothers, and in that character the
funds in question caine into his hands. The defendant,
Mr. Archibald Hastie, submitted' by his answer that he
was entitled to retun the amount in his hands until
judgment had been pronounced, with respect to the
accounts in the Supreme Court at Calcutta, and further
asserted that the sum of 24,2301. which the Master of
the Rolls had entered to be paid into court, would not
cover the amount due to him upon the taking of the ac-
count of the estates of his brothers.

The Lord Justice Knight Bruce inquired whether it
would not be satisfactory to all parties to take a decree
at once for an account., as the matter must come to that
at last.

Mr. honpell, with whom was Mr. Clarke, objected
to the adoption of that course, on the ground that, as
the plaintiffs were infanta, it was unwise and dangerous
to allow the defendant to retain in his hands so large a
sum.

The Lord Justice Knight Bruce.—Is there any alle-
gation that the circumstances of the dekodant are likely
to endanger the funds in his hands?

Mr. Roundell Palmer.-0, dear, no; he is a Lnembzr
of Parliament, and a gentleman of large fortune and
unimpeaohable integrity.

After some further arguments,

The Court ordered the proceedings under the judg-
ment of the Master of the Rolls to be stayed, and the
case to stand in the paper for Thursday next, to enable
the parties to agree as to the decree to be pronounced for
taking the accounts.

THE FIRE AT THE FRENCH HOSPITAL.

CONSTANTINOPLE, MARCH 12.
It seems as if it were the lot of one writing from this
place to chronicle nothing but calamities. Last night the
large French hospital above the Grand Champs des Alerts
was totally destroyed by fire. About midnight the light
which is the note of a conflagration was hung out on
Galata Tower, and the rush of Turkish idlers and French
cavalry through the dark street below indicated the di-
rection of the calamity, which soon became more appa-
rent by the bursting flames illuminating the hori-
zon. On reaching the spot, which is at a distance of two
miles from the centre of the town, we found the whole
of one wing in flames, which rapidly spread until they
enveloped the entire face of the building. The hospital,
which was formerly a Turkish medical school, is a fine
and spacious edifice, which extends its long, low, stone
front along the road, and fortunately stands alone, with
the nearest louses at a distance of more than 100 yards.
It was a moving sight to see the unhappy patients
driven from their beds in the dead of a- damp and
chilly night, some of them scarcely able to walk,
others perfectly exhausted, and carried in the arms
of their comrades, or of the Turkish soldiers, all in
scanty attire, wrapped in their blankets, hastening to
seek for shelter in the neighbouring barracks or in pri-
vate houses. Whole trains of them might be seen
trudging through the deep mud, slipping into holes in
the wretched road, or sitting down on stones, to await
some one who might help them onward. Happily, the
hospital was by no means crowded, or some loss of life
must have taken place. As it was, all the sick were
safely transported to adjoining buildings, and no acci-
dent worth mentioning appears to have happened. The
wind was strong ; to day, indeed, it blows a gale.
The sparks were blown to a considerable distance, and
the chief use of the little Turkish engines was to play
against the wooden houses on the other side of the road,
which were thus saved from destruction. The skill with
which the French troops acted was wonderful. From the
lower end of the stone building our allies had built a
long series of sheds for the reception of convalescents
and of wounded during the ensuing summer. It wa,
feared that these would extend the flames to another
Turkish barrack which stands near, and the French, with
a prty of Turks under their directions, set to work to
drag the whole structure down. They mounad on the
top with strong hooks, kept for the purpose al over
Constantinople, and in an incredibly short time a hun-
dred yards of shed were level with the ground. The
smoke in the meantime increased so much as greatly to
inw fere with the operations. It was blown right into
the faces of the men at work, arid gave a notion of the
trouble which a burning village must be to:ati attacking
party in war. However, all laboured on, and their
last efforts wore directed to ray ng the lover end
of the building which contained the' lecture-rooms,
awl was filled with books and philosophical intr.'
ments. But the flames gaining ground, it was
determined at least to save the contents of these
rooms ; and in a short time barometers, electrical ma-
chines, maps, and portfolios were being handed out from
all tho windows, and piled up in a confused mas; in-the
mud and filth. The Turks behaved very well. Nothing
appeared to bo carried off, and very little to be da-
maged. The value of the property saved is, of course,
small, compared with the cost of the buildings which
have fallen a prey to the flames. But the chief loss is
the accommodation which the hospital afforded to so
large a number of the French, sick. The city is now so
crowded that room is not to be had for military or do-
mestic- purposes.