The Sun.
London, England, 1855-12-17 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE—(This Day.)

COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH.
(Before Lord Campbell.)
MEAGER V. EASTERN COUNTIES RAILWAY COMPANY.
This was an action brought by the survivors of a
gentleman named Meager, to recover damages from the
defendants, in consequence of the death of that gentle-
man from an accident of the defendants' railway.
Mr. Lush, who appeared for the plaintiff, said he
was instructed to take a verdict, by consent in this
case, for 1,9001. The action had been brought under
late Act of Parliament, giving parties power to sue for
compensation, on the death of their relatives, from ac
cidents on railways. The sum in question would be
divided, 9001. to the widow, and 5001. to each of the
deceased's two children.
Lord Campbell said lie was happy to find the Eastern
Counties Railway had come forward in so handsome a
manner, and agreed to a verdict, which was an example
worthy to be followed by all other railway companies.
In former times, wl en coach accidents occurred, an
many of the passengers were killed, the proprietors
greatly rejoiced that the state of the law was such as
prevented the survivors from, bringing actions against
them for damages. The passing of the Act in question
had remedied that evil, and he was happy to say that it
had been found to work extremely well.
Verdict for the plaintiff. Damages 1,9001.

ROLLS COURT.
CANDLER V. TILLETT.- JUDGMENT.-DEFAULTINO

SOLICITOR AID EXECUTOR.

The Master of the Rolls gave judgment this morning
in this case, which came before him in the nature of an
appeal, from the certificate of his Honour's chief clerk
He considered that his chief clerk had come to a correc
conclusion on both' rdnts, and entered his certificate to
stand.

CRIMINAL COURT-(THIS DAY.

The December session of the above court was opened
this morning by the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor,
the Right Honourable the Recorder, Aldermen Sir C.
Marshall and Sir R. W. Carden, Mr. Sheriff Kennedy.
Mr. Sheriff Rose, Mr. Under-Sheriff Stone, and Mr.
Under-Sheriff Rose, &c., &c.
The first edition of the calendar contains the names of
65 prisoners.
The Recorder, in his charge to the grand jury, con-
gratulated them upon the fact that owing to the short
period thal had elapsed since the last session the
calendar was unusually light, and that their labours
would consequently not be of very lengthened duration.
The most serious case in thecalendar was a charge against
an unfortunate woman named M`Niell, for the murder
of two of her children by cutting their throats.
There appeared to be no doubt that she had committed
the act, and it appeared that she had previously been a
most kind and affectionate mother, and there seemed to
be no doubt that at the time she committed the fata
deed she was not iu a sound state of mind. The grand
jury, however, could not consider that matter, but it
would be their duty to find the bill for murder, and theen
question of the state of mind of the prisoner would
another
then
be investigated by the petty jury. T
charge against a woman of having attehniepreteldttoapmpueardraedr
three of her children by drowning,
tbhoefr•
laboured under some
in this case, also, that the prisoner
delusion of mind, and that whiteasufferingfrd twomito
she
went out with three of her children, an
of
them were found struggling in the,
he river at
hCehlieelseda,
and were taken out, but the third,
since been heard of. The evidenee appeared
htoad erhinmaetr present to be very slight against the prisoner;
but, if the grand jury should consider it was sufficient
to j,:stify further inquiry, they would be justified in find-
ing the bill. There was another case of a rather un-
usual character, in which two prisoners, father and son,
were charged with the crime of abduction. By a spe-
cial Act of Parliament the act of taking any young girl
from the custody of her parents, with the intention of
marrying her or of obtaining her property, was made
felony, but the present case he believed would assume the
shape of a charge of misdeameanour, and to support
that charge it was only necessary to prove that the par-
ties had taken a girl under sixteen from the custody of
her parents without their consent ; and it was not nece
nary to prove any object or motive in the present CAM*
He believed it would appear that the girl in quell•
tion was entitled to an income of 701. or 801. SI
year at the death of a relation, and it seemed
that she bad gone away willingly, and there was
reason to believe that although she was only thirteen
years of ago she had cohabited with one of the defen•
dents. His lordship then informed the grand jury that
be believed that bills would be preferred at the present
session against those policemen who were alleged to have
made use of unnecessary violence npou the occasion of
the disturbances in Hyde-park, and he said that although
there had been no inquiry by the magistrates, yet there
had been a very full investigation by a Commission,L
which he (the Recorder) was a member, ei
tra t wold
dlourtdyshto. findi
charges were made out by the eviden
thwoiuthgihnt
the
be laid before them, it would be theirce
bills against the parties accused. . His ip, n,
concluding his observations,of
right to call the attention
practice that had sprung up,
th the pd. strafes he
toa
operated very unfairlyconsidered
ulrlaa
depriveddof being made to.
they'a—
p r i prisoners,
werene rs , acquainted with the
would be called
charges that they
appeared to be the practice to commit a prisoner upon
one charge onlyland to return the depositions upon tint
charge, but when the session came on the officers in•
aenndtitle
structed the officials of the court to prefer other indict.
ments for offences of a totally distinct character, and
they represented that this course was adopted under the
direction of the magistrates who committed the prisoner.
He could hardly think this was the case, but the pre&
tics had certainly extended, and it had the effect of re
venting the prisoners from knowing what charges they
were committed upon or which they would have to an-
swer, and repeated complaints were made of the hard-
ship that was thus entailed upon them, and he hoped the
magistrates would consider the propriety of
in the course to which he alluded.
The grand jury then retired. persevering,