The Sun.
London, England, 1852-02-07 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL LAND COMPANY.
Yesterday, at three o'clock precisely. Master Burn-
play took tin) seat in the court of Vice-Chancellor Kin-
dersley, at Lincoln's En, for the purpose of further
proceeding with the inquiry into the general affairs of
this company by the examination of witnesses and other
moans.

This was the fifth day of the investigation, which
has almost exclusively occupied rho attention of the
Master since Monday morning, and the attendance was,
if anything, more numerous than at the previous sit-
tings.

asked Mr. Roxburgh why he did not appear in his
On entering the court, Mr. Feargus O'Connor, M.P.,
u big wig" as usual; to which the Learned Counsel re-
plied that he did so because he would not have the plea-
sure of examining Mr. O'Connor to day. The latter
gewiernan took the hin!-, and almost immediat-dy re-
tired, evidently to the infinite disappointment of the
motley asscnablage which had by this time completely
filled the court.
It will he remernb2red that the proceedings on Thur -
dey terminated with the understanding that the parties
should endeavour to corn,, to some arrangement which
would result in Mr. Roberts, the solicitor of the com-
pany, handing over the deeds and papers now in his
pcesession relating to the affairs of the company—and
upon which decumeets he now claims a lien for several
thousand pounds—to the official manager, it being found
to be impracticable to proceed satisfactorily in the
winding-up of the scheme until the bookF, &c , were de-
livered up to Mr. Goodchap.
Mr. Rexburg,, on the
part of the official manager,
and Mr. Wheeler, as counsel for Mr. Roberts, conferred
earnestly together for several minutes; ultimately, Mr.
Wheeler said that there was SOl2lO difficulty respecting
the suggestions of his Learned Friend which he did not
wish to allude to publicly, but that he would feel no he-
sitation in explaining what
he meant to the Master in
presence of Mr. Roxburgh
Wheeler requested his lioliour to withdraw with them
into the private reo. ; and for this purpose Mr.
The Master did not think he was entitled to accede
to this proposition for a private conference between
counsel on both sides and hicasel:'. There was no meet-
ing of whatever kind held in this winding-up that every
person having an interest in the matter had not a right
to atten, and, if he thought fit to make observations
upon the proceedings,
Mr. Wheeler remarked that his impression was that
all these matters ought to be the subject of conference
and consultation between the professional gentlemen on
both sides, and not be made the subject of discussion in
open court.
The Master rather coincided in the observations of
Mr. Wheeler, but that was very different from asking
him (the Master) to retire with counsel, and he repeated
that any person who was interested in any way in the
winding-up of that matter—whether a creditor, an al-
lottep, or a shareholder—was entitled to attend at the
meetings before the Master, and make such remarks as
he thought proper upon the proceedings; provided such
observations were relevant to the matter under discus-
sion. It had been only recently decided that there could
be no meeting held at which a party interested was not
entitled to-attend.
Mr. Roxburgh said he had reduced to writing a pro-
position which he now begged leave to submit. It was
to the effect " that Mr. Roberts deliver into the hands of
the official manager, on oath, all the books, documents,
or relating to
pthaepe erffsir
manager undertaking to pay
,Mr. Roberta out of the first
a, &sce., of the
National in biscustLodaye, Land
cloenmgpinagey,
the official
assets such sum as the Master charged with the wind-
ing-up of this company shall find to be due to Mr.
Roberts on taking the account between him as the soli-
citor of the company and the official manager."
The Master—As solicitor and treasurer of the com-
pany.
Mr. Wheeler—Any proposition. of this kind in which
sanction t
termio n any arrange-
ment the word treasurer is used, as referring to my client, I
this Master—And
h
must decline to accede to.
The
of
" treasurer,"
until it has been proved to my satisfaction that Mr. Ro-
berts did not fill that character.
Mr. Wheeler—l was about to prove that most com-
pletely yesterday, when the examination was stopped
in limine. nature et h t willh as not
tt

Lion; and I will not,
The Master—Excuse me, Mr. Wheeler, but the exa-
mination was not stopped in limine in the way you men-
any arrangement in which the word " treasurer" is
omitted, until it has been satisfactorily proved that Mr.
Roberta was not such.
Mr. Wheeler—l wish it to bo clearly understood that
I am prepared to go into evidence upon the subject at
any time; but in my humble opinion, as regards the
question whether Mr. Roberts was treasurer or not,
my Learned Friend will find, in the result, on reference
to the Act of Parliament, that it has, in fact, nothing to
do with the proceedings in this matter.
The Master—Whey, Mr. Wheeler, it is your time to
address an argument to me I shall pay every attention
to it that it deserves. I shall hear both sides fairly and
impartially, and decide the question to the best of my
Judgment. At present I think the Court may be ad-
journed sine die.
Sere the Master rose and was about to withdraw,
when Mr. Wheeler made an application for leave to
tender an affidavit.
The Master—The Court is now adjourned, and I can-
not receive it.
Mr. Wheeler—l think it rather-- I did not know,
practising in courts of law, that in courts of equity
matters were done in quite so summary a way. (Here
Mr. Wheeler withdrew.)
theTdheelii‘vie'r'syteorf—the Ishdaolcluamdevnerts.tise a meeting.
Mr. Roxburgh—The question is still open as to the
The Master—Oh, of cnurse.