The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-11 00:00:00

THE ALEXANDRA CASE.

HOUSE OF LORDS-THIS DAY.

THE ALEXANDRA CASE-APPEAL-mE QUEEN V. SELLEM
AND OTHERS CLAIMING THE ALEXANDRA.
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This ease came before the House of Lords on appeal this
morning. There were present the Lord Chancellor, Lord
Wensleydale, Lord Kingsdown, Lord Cranworth, Lord St.
Leonards, and Lord Chelmsford.

The Attorney-General opened the case on the part of the
Crown. He said this was an appeal from a judgment of
the Court of Exchequer Chamber. An appeal from a de-
cision in the Court of Exchequer was made to the Court of
Exchequer Chamber ; but their lordships dismissed the
appeal on the ground of incompetence. The Alexandra was
seized in April, 1863, under the Foreign Enlistment Act.
The case came before a special jury in the Court of Exche-
quer in 1863, when a verdict was found for the defendants.
The Crown then proposed to tender a bill of exceptions, and
it was arranged that there should be no difficulty in settling
the terms. However, when Michaelmas term arrived, no
bill of exceptions bad been settled, and it was thought
better that a new trial should be moved for, in order that
the whole matter might be brought before the Court of
Appeal. Their lordships had now to decide whether the
rules of the Court of Exchequer, en which the appeal was
dismissed by the Court of Appeal es being ultra vires, were
properly made. If so, the refusal of the Exchequer Cham-
ber to hear the appeal on the part of the Crown was clearly
wrong. The learned Attorney-General proceeded to read
and comment on these rules, and to show how the Com-
mon Law Procedure Act bore upon the question. He cor-
roborated the objections urged by Sir Hugh Cairns on the
part of the defendants in the Courtof Exchequer Chamber,
and held that the process and mode of procedure in dealing
with matters on the revenue side olthe Court of Exchequer
meant the entire procedure in suits commenced on the
revenue side of the Court from beginning to end. He next
proceeded to contend that the Queea's Remembrancer's Act
and the Common Law Procedure Act obviously contem-
plated an appeal in error. He dwelt particularly on the

126th clause of the Common Law Procedure Act for that
purpose, and on the tact that by the .228th clause of the
Common Law Procedure Act it was provided that it

should be lawful to her Majesty, by Order in Council,
from time to time, to direct that al or any part of the pro-
visions of the Act should apply to ill or any court or courts
of record in England and Wales.

The learned gentleman was proceeding with the argu.
ment when we went to press.

The feeling of their lordships seems to be decidedly
against tho Attorney-General's view of the case.

LAW INTELLIGENCE—This Day.

COURT OF DIVORCE.
CARSTAIRS V. CARSTAIRS, I3ILLSON, AND BIGG.
(Before the Judge-Ordinary and a Common Jury.
This was a petition presented by the husband, a cora-
mercial traveller, residing at West Mailing, on the ground
of adultery committed by his wife with the co-respondents,
who were brewers. All the defendants denied toe allega-
tions in the petition, and recriminated the charge.
The parties were married in 1851
_ _

Mr, Howe, landlord of the Bull Inn, West Mailing,
stated that Mr. Dickinson and Mrs. Carstaira had been at
his establishment together.
Henry Ware, formerly a pantry boy at the Bull from

1861 to 1863, stated that he recollected Mr. Dickinson and
Mrs. Carstairs visiting the place several occasions, when
they sometimes had a private room. The gentleman used
to call the lady Ellen.

Lewis Trumpell, a fly-driver proved conveying the re-
spondent to Staplehurst with the co-respondent.
Lanra Lynch, a female domestic servant at the Bull, said
she had frequently seen the respondent in Biggs' as well as
Dickinson's.

Two other witnesses, one of whom was a discharged
policeman, said ho had seen Mr. Dickinson and Mrs. Cat-
stairs together in a field. Dickirson havicg his arm round
the female's waist.
Eliza Bowaher had also seen Mrs. Carstairs with Dickin-
son. She had threatened to tell Mr. Carstairs, and Dicken-
son promised her brandy and water not to do so. This
witness spoke to the alleged act of adultery with Billsou.
In cross-examination she said she was a single woman
and a dressmaker. She had had an illegitimate child, of
which Cole was the father.

Walter Cole corroborated the last witness with respect to
his position. He had seen Mrs. carstairs with Billson.
The case was proceeding when we went to press.

COURT OF BANERUPTCY.
(Before Mr. Commissicaer Goulburn.)
IN RE G. C. PARSON.

This was an adjourned meeting for order of discharge.
The case has been before the Court on several occasions
and fully discussed.

Mr. Bagley opposed on behalf of Messrs. Pearce, Howe,
and Howe, bankers, of Hull, ant Mr, Broderick, a wine
merchant of the same place,
Mr. Lewis contended that the tankrupt was entitled to
his discharge.

His Honour said he would take time to look through al
,he evidence before giving judgment.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE—This Day.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

OPENING of THE NEW Collar —Thanke to the magis-
trates presiding at this court (Messrs. Tyrwhitt and
Knox) the old building in Nthich the police business of
the district has hitherto been carried on has been aban-
doned, and this morning Mr. Knox opened the new court
—a handsome structure, erected on the ground which in
former days was the courtyard of the premises in Marl.
borough-street. Before mentioning same of the advan•
tages of the new bulling, it bay not be oat of place to
allude to a few of the disadvAntages of the old one. It
was upstairs (a great fault initself), there being a stair.
case common to all, the system cf ventilation was so bad that
persons attending the court hadeither to submit to the chance
of being poisoned by foul air or 'tatching a severe cold, as its
construction was such that there was no accommodation
for any one, and at times the grtatest confusion unavoidably
prevailed in consequence of professional men, complainants,
defendants, and witnesses,
all being jumbled amongst those
only attending from curiosity. In the new building great
attention has been paid to the accommodation of everybody.
There is a box set apart for counsel, and seats ex-
clusively for attorneys, witnesses, and the police inspec-
tors on duty. The ventilation and warming of the court
has been admirably effected by
deans of shafts. A furnace
of ample dimensions being 'teed for the purpose of
supplying the warm air. The building is lighted by
a lantern roof, and when necsssary by depending gas
branches with star burners,
aimilar to those in use at St.
James's Hall. The fittings are of oak and varnished deal,
and have a very neat and tasteftd effect. All the offices are
attached to the court, and not as before in different parts of
the building. Great credit is dtm to Mr. Charles Reeves,
the Government architect, Mr. Cowdry, the clerk of the
works, and to Messrs. Holland and Hannen, the builders,
for the manner in which the work has been carried.