The Sun.
London, England, 1863-09-09 00:00:00

THE SUN, LOIN D O.N, WED NE S DAY EVENING, SigP LW 9, 186

LAW INT,

.This Day.

COURT OF BANKRUPTCY.
(Before Mr. Commissioner Fane.)
RE LIEUT.-COL. DICKSON.-RELEASE FROM CUSTODY.
This was an application on behalf of Lieut.-Col. Dickson,
late of the Royal Tower Hamlets Militia, for discharge
from custody. The case of Dickson and the Earl of Wilton
and others are fresh in the memory of our readers, and it
is stated that the bankruptcy mese through the bankrupt
not being able to meet his engagements, in consequence cf
the result of the verdict and consequent costs.
The bankrupt, who had been for some time in a " lock-
up" house, but subsequently was removed to Whitecross-
street prison, now surrendered under the bankruptcy.
Mr. Linklater said ho appeared
..for Mr. Vick, the
petitioning creditor.
Mr. Lucas said he appeared for Messrs. Lee, detaining
creditors, to oppose the release on the first ground that
there was no petitioner's debt, that none was due to the
petitioning creditor, and therefore that the petition was
invalid altogether.
Mr Linklater said that the adjudication had been made
by his Honour, and this is the time to dispute it,
Mr. Lucas said that the petitioning creditor is amply
secured.

Mr. Linklater—The learned counsel denies the petitioning
creditor's debt, yet says he is amply secured.
Mr. Lucas—Secondly, the bankrupt bad not given up his
property. At all events, if your Honour think it a case for
release, it ought to be on bail.
Mr. Linklater— You are raising a legal issue as to the
existence of the debt, and that cannot be tried in this way.
Mr. Lucas--There must be both a legal and equitab.e
debt.

His Honour—l am asked not to release the bankrupt
from custody, but you do not give any evidence.
Mr. Lucas—l will examine the bankrupt as to his pro-
perty.
Mr. Linklater—lt is a most ungracious opposition.
His Honour—What have I got to do with the matter
further than to say whether the bankrupt ought to be re-
leased ?
Mr. Lucas—lt is a fictitious debt, and he has not given
up his property,
His Honour—lf he has not he must meet his creditors;
he can meet them out as well as in prison.
Mr. Linklater said that the property was well protected,
to the satisfaction of his client and the ol2cial assignee.
His Honour—Then you do not object.
Mr. Linklater—Certainly not.
His Honour—Then I grant the order of release.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE—This Day,

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

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female named Mary Widdey, her next door neighbour.
The complainant, the upper part of whose head was en-
veloped in a bandage, said that between 10 and II the pre-
vious night she was in the Red Lion publie•house, Little
Windmill-street, when the prisoner came in and began
joking with her, and called her an out-of-the-way name,
and afterwards took up a pint glass and flung it at her.
Her head was badly cut, and Mr. Harris, surgeon, of Great
Windmill-street, was called in to dress the wound.
A young man named Thomas Webb, of 11, Little Wind-
mill-street, said ho heard some joking going on between
the two females, who seemed to be very jealous of each
other. He saw the prisoner take up the glass and throw it
at the complainant, cutting her head very badly—the wound
being a very serious one. He did not think at first that
the prisoner meant to throw the glass, and could not say
whether it was intentional or not.
Thomas Dennison, 113 C, said he found the complain-
ant's head badly cut, and the prisoner said she had received
great provocation, the complainant having thrown some
water over her.
Prisoner said complainant threw a quantity of water over
her before she threw the glass.
Mr. Knox said he should remand the prisoner for a week,
as it was impossible at present to tell the result of the in-
jury complainant had received, and the surgeon must then
attend. Even if the Complainant had thrown water at the
prisoner, the prisoner had no business to throw a glass at
her.
The prisoner was then remanded.

A Claim upon

Governraent.

Mr. R. It. Belshaw has addressed a letter to Lord
Russell, setting forth a series of wrongs which he
alleges he hes sustained at the hands of the Confe-
derate gevernment. He states that he was engaged
in business at Montgomery, Alabama, when the
war broke out. He was a British subject, and was
very generally known to be so. This, however, did
not save him from the conscription, for he tells us
that--" Last February I was arrested as a con-
script in my own house by the enrolling officer of
the de facto government, and, under a strong mili-
tary force, conveyed to the guard-house, where I
was detained three days and nights and then re-
leased. Notwithstanding the production of my con-
sular certificate of nationality and compliance with
the requirements of the Secretary of War, I was
again arrested in the name of the de facto govern-
ment, taken from my residence, hurried off to Camp
Watts, in Alabama, and from thence to Gen. Bragg's
army in Tullahoma. Several other British subjects
were also sent at the same time by Major Swanson,
the commandant of conscripts for the state. He had
them forwarded under guard, in chains, with heavy
iron collars riveted on their necks. On our arrival
in Tullahoma we were all put into the guardhouse,
an abominably filthy den. After being there nearly
a week, a Confederate officer came in one day to
know if we would volunteer. Under the circum-
stances, we declined to embrace the opportunity of
fighting for his country. In this way he called seve-
ral times to know if we thought any better of it,
until at last, finding the inducements were not suffi-
ciently strong, he came one day and took us out to
the Provost Marshal's office. While there, he tried
to coerce us into takihg the oath of allegiance to
his Government amid the jeers and taunts of a
crowd of commissioned officers whose hatred of
England was only equalled by their affected
ignorance of her power. Our party, consisting of
Danish, German, and British subjects all refused to ,

renounce our allegiance. We were then put into
the camp of the Ist Louisiana. On refusing to do
duty the next day (in obedience to the Queen's
proclamation), I underwent the punishment known
as " bucking," in front of General Bragg's head-
quarters, and also the others, after which we were
turned into the guardhouse. On our refusal again,
some days,;afterwards, "bucking," was repeated,
with the addition of water being thrown over some
of us. Still continuing to refuse, I was subse-
quently tied up by the thumbs half an hour

to the rafters of the guardhouse, along with an-
other Britsh subject named Kelly, a graduate of
the Queen's College, Galway. I saw him after-
wards undergo the punishment called by those
who practice it "spread eagle," a kind of cruci-

iision. On another occasion I saw him hold head
downwards in a tank of water three times until
almost drowned. The punishment of slaves has
been inflicted on us with a full knowledge of our
nationality, and within a few yards of General
Bragg's head-quarters, in the presence of at least
50 or 100 spectators. For refinement of cruelty
and democratic insolence generally, Colonel Straw-

bridge and his creole commissioned officers of
the Ist Louisiana stand unrivalled. The de facto
Government have now assumed the respon-

sibility by a decision of their highest court at
Mobile, of declaring me liable to military service.
This trial cost me 4,000 dols., to which must be
added 3,000 dols. for a substitute, which was only
good for a short time, as I was notified by the
authorities for six months' service in North Alabama.
Seeing there was no end to the imposition and out-

rage, I left, and at the expense of 3,000 dols. more
I am so far home out of the Southern Confederacy.
Having been unable to close my estate, I have left

my sister in charge of it, as to her exertions on my

behalf, more than to the money actually expended

lam indebted for my deliverance from captivity."