The Sun.
London, England, 1855-07-02 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE.-(TIIIS DAY.)

QUEEN'S BENCH, GUILDHALL.
(Before Lord Campbell and a Common Jury.)
FRAY V. POTTER. -SLANDER.
This was an action for slander brought by the plain-
tiff, formerly lady's maid to the Countess of Zetland,
against the defendant, who was, and is now, housekeeper
in her ladyship's establishment.

Mr. Sergeant Wilkins and Mr. Hance were for the
plaintiff, and the Attorney. General and Mr. Boville for
the defendant.

It appeared from the opening of the case that
the plaintiff, who had been in the service of Lady Stan-
ley of Alderley, and the Hon. Mrs. Dunbar, niece of
the Archbishop of Armagh, entered the service of the
Countess of Zetland in June, 1854; immediately on which
some unp'easantness occurred between her, the defend-
ant, and Gunn, the groom of the chamber, in conse-
quence of some remarks she made respecting
them, Gunn at the time being engaged to the
defendant's niece ; that she had found Gunn in
Mrs. Potter's private sitting-room in the town estab-
lishment in Arlington-street, Piccadilly, and had heard
him kissing her hand, and that she was a bad woman.
Shortly after plaintiff went into her ladyship's service a
pair of easy shoes was wanted for her ladyship, which,
after some time, was found with others in Mrs. Potter's
drawers, which circumstance the plaintiff, at the request
of Lady Zetland, mentioned at the steward's table. A
day or two after this her ladyship went to her country-
seat at Marlborough, in Yorkshire, whether she was ac-
companied by the plaintiff and defendant, and it was
there the slander complained of was spoken. She was
summoned one morning to Lady Zetland's room, where
she found the defendant. Lady Zetland said to plaintiff,
"I have dreadful charges to make against you," and, after
some conversation, asked Mrs. Potter, "What are the
dreadful things you have to bring against this wicked
woman." The defendant replied she had received an
anonymous letter, which she believed to have been writ-
ten by the plaintiff, but couched in language unfit to be
produced in a court of justice. The defendant then
said that plaintiff was often under the influence
of drink, which she bad admitted at the steward's
room table, and that she had made, on
every possible occasion, improper overtures to Gunn
in every hole and corner of the house, but that the young
man had been a second Joseph in her hands. Plaintiff
denied the charges brought against her, which, however,
Lady Zetland heeded not, but discharged her.
The plaintiff was being cross-examined by the At-
torney-General when our despatch left.

CENTRAL CRIMINA L, COURT.
(THIS DAY.)

The petty sessions of the above court was opened this
morning, Lefore the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor, the
Right Honourable the Recorder, Mr. Alerman Finnic,
Sir Henry Muggeridge, and Sir C. D. Crosley, Sheriffs,
Mr. Under-Sheriff Farrar, Mr. Under-Sheriff A.
Crosley, &c. •

The first edition of the calendar contains the names of
54 prisoners.

The Recorder, in charging the grand jury, said that
owing to the short period that has elapsed since
the last session there were only fifty-four prisoners
for trial, but some of the charges were of• a
very serious nature. There were two cases
of murder to be disposed of. The first was a
charge against a man named Tuley, of having caused the
death of his wife by brutal ill-treatment, and there ap•
peared to be no doubt from the evidence that the violence
he had exercised toward her was the cause of her death,
and the only question was whether that violence was
committed under such circumstances of deliberation
ae
to make the crime that of wilful murder. The other
case of murder was one in which a woman of pro•
fligate character was charged with the Murder of
her child by refusing it sufficient nurture ; and
it appeared to him, from a perusal of the
depositions, that it would be the safer course for
them to find the bill in order that the case might be
fully inquired into by the petty jury. His lordship then
said that he observed that several prisoners of the class
known as ticket-of-leave men were charged with veil
serious offences, and he thought it was well deserving
of con,iideration whether some alteration ought not to be
made in the granting of tickets of leave to convicts.
They had nothing, however, to do with the matter is
that Court, but if the system should turn out to be really
injurious to the public interest, he trusted that the Go-
vernment and the Legislature would take some steps to
remedy the evil.

MARLBOROUGH-ST.REET.-(THIS DAY.)

THE HYDE-PARK DEMONSTRATION.
In consequence of its becoming understood that the
persons who were apprehended yesterday for creating
uisturbances in Hyde park, by shouting and hissing,
and also for assaults upon and obstruction of the police
in the execution of their duty, would be brought up for
examination, before Mr. Hardwick, this morning, large
crowds of people assembled in front of the court, and
thronged the adjacent thoroughfares so as almost to im•
pacle the ordinary traffic over them. The most intense
excitement appeared to prevail amongst the mob,
who occasionally set up a derisive shout as from time to
time little incidents which took place outside attracted
their attention.

Upon inquiry we found that a portion of the prisoners,
who in all number between 90 and 100, had been sent to
B ,w-street, the labour of dealing with the whole of the
cases being obviously too heavy for one magistrate,
whilst the process would be a tediously long one.
Up to the time our report was despatched the remain-
ing charges had not been commenced, although the or-
dinary business of the day had been disposed of. The
cause of the delay, we were informed, was that the ma-
gistrate was waiting for a message from the Home-office
with directions ai to whether the prisoners were to be
dealt with by him, or with the rest at Bow street.

If any cases are heard here, we shall give the pa,rti-
c&ars of them in a later edition.

TILE SCREW STEAM TRANSPORT

TRANSIT.

The newly launched screw steam transport Transit
was handed over by Mr. Mare to the Government on
Satui day last. Being in commission she hoisted her
pennant and shipped some of her crew, and hauled froth
the East India Docks into the river with a view of pro•
ceeding direct to Chatham. Captain Johnson, R.N.,
awl late of the Diver, is commissioned to the Transit.
Mr. Watts, surveyor of the Admiralty, and other naval
gentlemen, on the part of the Government, held an in-
spection of the ship, and expressed themselves highly
gratified at the excellent arrangements of everything
onnected with this splendid ship ; indeed so perfect has
everything been in the Transit for the a2commodation
and conveyance of troops that the Government Inspector
declared that there never was a transport better adapted
for the conveyance of troops. The fittings of this sbiP
reflect the highest credit on the shipwrights and other
artisans of the firm of Messrs. Mare of Blackwall. Stalls
for 100 horses have been fitted up between decks. r[er
pumps are capable of discharging 2 tons each of water
per in;nute. Her condensing apparatus will be enabled
to distil 200 gallons of salt water into fresh water per
hour. Her hospital, bath, and store rooms, &e., are
also fitted up on the most improved plan. Never has
there been a ship better ventilated. This magnificent
vessel well deserves a visit from those anxious to seehoW
the Government provide for the health of our brave
soldiers.

THE EX-QUEEN OF FRANCE.—We are glad to state
that this venerable and amiable lady, after the numerous
vicissitudes of her lengthened career, is in the enjoy-
ment of excellent health. She visited Mr. Burford's
Panoramas of Sebastopol and the Battle of Vie Alma,
in Leicester-square, on the day succeeding her Majesty's
visit, and evinced the deepest interest whilst viewing
these pictures.
DEATH of Ma. JOHN BLACK._We regret to announce
the death of Mr. John Black, the oldest and one of the
most reFpected members of the London press, in the 72d
year of his age.
Mr. Black was a native of Dunse,
Scotland, and born in 1783. We believe that he "came
south, from Edinburgh, in 1810, and in that year NOS
engaged by the late
Nlr: Perry as a Parliamentary re-
porter. Two years previous to the decease of the old
• proprietor of the .lifeTtng Chronicle Mr. Black acted al
editor ; and he continued under the proprietorship 01,
the late Mr. Clement and the succeeding proprietors 0'
the paper, upwards of a, quaiter of a century, to the
year 1846 7- After this long and honourable service,
Mr. Black retired, and closed his long literary and
political service of the public. Of late years he has re'
sided in a cottage. on the estates of his friend Mr. Vir•
Coulson, Q.C., near Rochester, occasionally only visiting
the metropolis,
but retaining his ardent and indpety dentinterest in politics. Mr. Black was an honour to
the British press. His integrity and courageous ado'
cacy of progress were above all praise, in times wheo
only two or three metropolitan journalists dared to
assert popular rights. Under his long editorship the
Morning Chronicle of old, and two or three other Low
don journals, kept the lamp of liberty burning uncle
adverse and difficult circumstances. He was the eon'
temporary and friend of Barnes, Murray, James Mill,
D. Ricardo, Maclaren, the Hunts, Hazlitt, C. Lamb,
M'Culloch, Albany Fonblanque—of that forlorn Ito/
who mounted the breach and stormed the fastnesses ei
corruption, bigotry, and self-election. Mr. Black die'
on XI onday last, and his remains were attended to the
grave in Kent yesterday by his old friends and allieth
Mr. Walter Coulson and Mr. Joseph Parkes. gri
Black's illness was of short duration, and his neglect 4:
surgical advice was the real cause of his unexpected
death.--Observer,