The Sun.
London, England, 1852-02-11 00:00:00

of Ihe deepest gratitude, this kind ar.d fistteri T ex-
presiion of your feelings. OF the entire sincerity
what you have said I do not entertain a doubt, and
though lam painfully conscious that the sentiments
you nave expressed ire_ beyond.rvhat I have deserved,
yet I shall not be guilty of the aftectalion .of supposing
that such praises, coming from so large and deserving
a body of men as you, can be wholly unmerited.
Mine is one of many cases which show that if a public
man, without any pre-eminent ability, will exercise
such talents as God has been pleased to give hint
honestly, without ostentation, and independently, ho
will receive public approval, commensurate with and even
exceeding what he deserves. I thank God if I have
not been found wholly deficient in the use of those
talents with which He has entrusted me. I; is with
great regret that, while still in possession of much of my
intellectual and bodily strength, I feel myself compelled
to retire from a profession in which I take and always
shall take the greatest delight. It is not now that for
the first time I have contemplated such a necessity. I
have found it difficult to avoid on the one hand the pre-
mature surrender of my office while I felt myself capa-
ble of performing my duty, and on the other of clinging
to it when a physical infirmity might bring the due ad-
ministration of justice by me into jeopardy. I endea-
voured with the kindest advice of my brethren, and with
the assistance you have rendered me, to avoid either ex-
treme. I am sadly afraid that I have deferred my re-
tirement too long. You know that I have for some years
been obliged to use ingenious instruments, which have
much assisted me in hearing, and which are great com-
forts both in public and private life; but they cannot
prevent the increase of the infirmity. Of this lam con-
fident and sure—that nothing but the unceasing kind-
ness of the bar, and constant exertions on my behalf,
painful and indeed sometimes distressing, and the affec-
tionate and unceasing support of my brethren on the
bench, could have enabled me to continue, so long as I
have done, in the discharge of my duties. I am aware
that in some instances I have given way to impatient
expressions to the bar, and to the witnesses, as if they
were to blame, when in fact it was my own deficiency. I
have been, and am, heartily sorry for such a want of
command over myself—l have striven against the repe-
tition of it earnestly, but not always with success. My
brethren, you and the public have been very kind to me,
and a grateful recollection of that kindness will remain
with me and be a solace to me as long as my life shall
last. I bid you farewell affectionately. I wish you many
years of health and happiness, and success in your ho-
nourable profession, the duties of which require not only
zeal and learning, but high honour and integrity, and a
deep sense of responsibility to God and man, and which
being so performed are, in my judgment, eminently con-
ducive, with the blessing of God, to maintain the just
prerogatives of the Crown and the rights and happiness
of the subject.
At the conclusion of this address the strangers again
applauded, but as before the applause was checked. The
bar again bowed to the Learned Judge, who kindly re-
urned the salutation, and the Court then broke up.

BIRMINGHAM DISTRICT COURT OF
BANKRUPTCY, Feb. 10.
(Before Mr. Commissioner BALGUY.)
TUE STOURBRIDGE AND BROMSGROVE BANNS.

This was the first dividend day. Messrs. Motteram,
Knight, and Co., appeared as solicitors for the assignees,
and Mr. E. Wright for certain benefit societies.
Mr. KNIGHT drew the attention of the Court to the
fact that in the first instance the petition of bankruptcy
was issued against Messrs. Rufford and Raiford, carry-
ing on business as bankers at Bromsgrove, under the
style of Rufford, Rufford, and Biggs. Subsequently that
petition, previous to the choice of assignees, was an-
❑ulled, and merged into the proceedings under a fiat
issued and confirmed against Messrs. Rufford, Raiford,
and Wragge. Bat, before the first petition was annulled,
a considerable number of proofs had been taken by Mr.
Ntinshulf, and these proofs were now presented to the
Court as against the estates of Messrs. Rufford and
Wragge. Tho accounts so proved were perfectly right,
and he (Mr. Knight) now suggested that, to save time
and expense to a large number of creditors who resided
at a distance, these proofs should be admitted. The
proofs were against the two Ruffords, but not against
Wragge.
His Honour, decided that the parties must prove again.
They were given under a petition which did not at pre-
sent exist.
Mr. E. WRIGHT applied to the Court that a certain
sum of money (...bout 5,0000 should be set aside to meet
the claims in full of certai❑ benefit societies, for whom it
was contended that the bankrupts acted as treasurers.
His Honour had recently decided that the societies were
not entitled to receive their claims in full; and against
that deci,ion an appeal was about to be made to the
Lords Justices. A petition for that purpose had been
presented, and it was to await the decision of their Lord-
ships that he now asked the retention of the money
claimed by the societies.
Mr. KNIGHT thought that under the circumstances an
adjournment of the dividend would be the best course
which could be adopted.
Mr. Waterfield, the registrar, concurred in this opinion.
His HONOUR declined to make any order for setting
aside the money, as suggested by Mr. Wright, and, after
expressing his wish that the opinion he had given might
be reviewed by a higher court, adjourned the dividend
until the Bth of March.