The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-03 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE—(This Day.)

-O.

SHERIFFS' COURT.
(Before Mr Commissioner Kerr.)

THE CUSTOM ON THE STOCK EXCHANGE-CLEAVE V.
IVATSON AND OTHERS.

This was an action to recover £2, an alleged overcharge
on commission, plaintiff being a speculator, and defendants
a firm of stockbrokers of Capel-court.
Plaintiff said he instructed defendants to buy £2,000
consols for him, and there had been an overcharge. De-
fendants had charged 1-16th commission, instead of 1-32 d,
as per contract. It was the custom t 3 charge half commis-
sion where a special agreement was made.
One of the defendants said that his firm did business upon
no such terms as those stated by plaintiff. No respectable
stockbroker would think of charging 1.32 d. It could he
amply proved that 1-16;h was the customary half commis-
sion.

Plaintiff'—But I have here the contract in which express
terms are set out.

Defendant—And I produce the statement of my accounts
with the plaintiff, in which your Honour will see that we
have never charged less than 1.16 th commission.

llis honour--I should think not. It does not seem
likely,

Defendant—lf any alteration has been made in the terms
of the contract, it is an error on the part of one of our clerks,
who clearly had no right to make it
Plaintiff—l go only upon your contract given after I had
seen your advertisement, in which you agree to charge only
halt commission.
Defendant--And I may say that we have only charged
that commission to which we are justly entitled. No
brokers would charge less than 1-16th.
Plaintiff—You perfectly well know that I am entitled to
pay only 1.32 d commission, and this defence is a little
sharp practice on your part.
Defendant—Here is the statement closing the account.
His Honour—You have settled the matter, and now you
try to get the money paid out of the pockets of the defen-
dants by means of the process of this court. I do not think
that defendants would consent to do business upon the
terms you mention,

Plaintiff—l hold in my hand the special contract signed
on behalf of the defendants by one of their authorised
clerks. In that contract there is an agreement to do the
business for ma upon the terms mentioned in it.
Defendant - Shall I cell my clerk

His Honour—Oh, certainly. It does seem necessary.

Defendant's clerk said that the contract put in originally
stood at 1.16 th, but plaintiff requested that it should be
altered to 1-32 d, and witness altered it in error.

Defendant—As your Honour must know, the usual
broker's commission is 1-Bth, and the half of that is 1-16th.
This sum has been charged all through to plaintiff, and
he has paid it. Our statement shows this, and we are pre-
pared to stand by it.

Plaintiff--Will you swear that you never charged as
little as 1-32 d on contango?
Defendant—l do. I never charged less than 1-16th.

His Honour —I find that defendant's elerk has explained
the nature of the contract, which appears to be au error,
and that the customary charges have been made. De-
fendant will have a verdict,
Verdict for defendants.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE—This Day(
WESTMINSTER.

CAUTION AGAINST INTERFERING WITH THE POLICE
ATTEMPT TO RESCUE A PRIbONER —James Paddock,
coal porter, in the service of Messrs Sale & Co., coal mer-
chants, was charged before Mr Arnold with interfering
with the police in the execution of their duty and with
attempting to rescue a prisoner from the custody of a
constab' e.

Policeman 247 B, stated that about five o'clock in the
afternoon of the previous day he was on duty in Brompton
when he totk a man into custody. The prisoner came np
and asked him to let the man go, he refused to do so.
Witness told him that if he interfered with him (witness)
he should take him into custody. The prisoner then told
the man to lie dOwn on the pavement. When he dropped
down, prisoner at the same time observed that he would
not go away until he had witness's name and address.
Witness subsequently had a struggle with the man in his
custody. With the asssistance of another constable the
prisoner was secured and taken to the police station.
By Mr Arnold—The prisoner was drunk, and the man
in my custody was charged with being drunk and incapable.
Mr. Arnold (to the Prisoner)—Well, what have you to
say to the charge ?
Prisoner remarked that he thought the man in the cas-
tody of the police was one of his mates, but he found that
he was in the employment of Messrs Ricketts and Smith.
All he said to the constable was, "Are you going to lock
him up ?'' He (the constable) said, "You have nothing
to do with it."

Mr Arnold—When you found that the man was not your
mate you should have gone away.
B 290 corroborated the evidence, and said that when the
prisoner ran away he went after him and took him into
custody.

Mr Arnold—You are convicted for an improper interfer-
ence with the police in the execution of their duty.
Prisoner was fined 405., or in default 14 days' imprison-
ment.

MARKETS—This Day.

MARK-LANE.

The supply of English wheat on sale here to day was
small. The demand, however, ruled far from active ;
nevertheless, Monday's currency was supported.

The market was moderately supplied with most descrip-
tions of foreign wheat. The amount of business transacted
was somewhat restricted, yet prices ruled fir m.
Floating cargoes of grain were steady in price, although
the trade for them was in a sluggish state.

Grinding barley sold steadilyat full quotations; other-
wise, the barley trade was quiet, on former terms.
In malt about an average business was transacted, at
full prices.
The supply of oats on the stands was but moderate. On
the whole, the trade ruled steady at very full prices.

Bens were in small supply, and steady request, at es.

treme rates.

Peas moved 6ff steadily, and prices ruled firm.
The flour trade was steady, and no quotable change took
place in the currency.

ARRIVALS THIS WEEK.
Wheat. Barley. Malt. Oats. 14' lom
Miglit34.• .. 450 I 8) 1 IA9O 1 3,430 I 1,180
Irish.. — 2,160
, nrQw-n 5,570 690 - 7,110
Do

sks.
brie.

NEW GATE AND LEADENHALL.
These markets are but moderately supplied with meat,
and the trade rules firm at fully late rates.

Per 81b. by the carcase.
stied
inferior beef .. 3 2 3 6
Middling do. .. 3 8 3 10
[rime largo do. 4 0 4 2
Do. smalldo. .. 4 2 4 4
Large pork .... 3 6 4 4
Inferior mutton. 3 10 4 4
BOROITI

dsd
Middlingmutton 4 6 4 8
Prime do .. 4 10 5 0
Veal
Small pork 4 6 5 0
Lamb .. 5 8 6 S

H HOP.

We have to report a firm trade both for English and
foreign hops, and all qualities fully support last week's
currencp. The accounts at hand from the plantations this
morning are less satisfactory.

Mid and East Kents.. £5 Os to £9 108 per cwt.
Weald of Kents 5 Os to 7 7s 1)
Sussex
Yearlings 3 Os to 5 Os „
Bavaiian ..
Belgian ....
American

COLONIAL.
TEA.--A fair amount of business has been transacted in
most kinds, and prices are well supported. A large quantity
is announcei for public competition on Tuesday next.
SUGAR.—The demand for West India has not been quite
so active, although prices continue to be well maintained.
In the refined market rather lower rates have in some
instances been current.
COFFEE —There has been a better inquiry for Plantation
Ceylon, and lull rates have been realised for superior
qualities.

lticE.—Only moderate dealings have been reported, and
quotations show no change of importance.
TALLOW.—Market dull, with tew transactions either for
present or future dealings. P.Y.C. on the spot is quoted
40s to 40s 3d, and last three months 43s 6d per cwt.

ORANGES IN THE AZORES.—Nowhere are oranges
of more importance than in the Azores. 'ruse
islands live on them, bpth directly ss food, and indirectly as
a profitable industry. Just as in other.parts of the world
a man's wealth is reckoned by the number of sheep, cattle,
or horses which he can call his own, so here the orange.
tree forms the unit of value. You do not say, such a one
is worth so many thousand pounds, but that he has a
quinta containing so many trees, High and low, rich and
poor alike, derive their incomes from oranges. Whether
it be for good or evil, the population are certainly not
" divorced from the soil" in the Azores, for while the great
proprietor has his 1,000 or 1,500 stems, the peasant rejoices
in the "orange tints that gild the greenest bough" upon
his own dozen or half-dozen trees. During the years when
the orange-trees are yielding no fruit, maize or beans are
grown between their ranks, but seldom afterwards, unless
the owner be very poor or very greedy. The islanders de-
vote their whole time, thought, and energies to the cultiva-
tion of the orange, and watch over the trees with great care
and anxiety, to preserve them from the violence of
the elements, or the ravages of that destructive in-
sect, the coccus. The crop is generally bought by
the merchant before it has reached maturity, and
there are professional valuers who have attained great pre-
cision in calculating the produce of each tree. After the
bargain is made, however, the weather or the insect may
play sad havoc with the quints, and cause heavy loss to the
purchaser. the well known St. Michael oranges, so much
esteemed in this country, come from the Azores, which,
upon an area of 229 miles, yields annually oranges to the
value of about £90,000, and to the number of nearly
300,000,0001 A seventh of this quantity is usually con-
sumed by the inhabitants ; the rest is exported,—Chambers'
Journal,