The Sun.
London, England, 1863-09-05 00:00:00

past nine before the pE&rty started on their return
home, and nearly mid night before. Newcastle was

reached, after a very fatiguing but exceedingly
pleasant and interesting dory.
More than 200 ladies and gentlemen accepted
Mr. Beaumont's invitation to visit his extensive
lead mines at Allenhead, and as the district

Lies in a remote corner of the county of Northum-

berland 16 miles from a. railway station, it was ne-

cessary to muster at an, unusually early hour. The
train carried the party as far as Hayd on-bridge, a

station a little to tb.e west of Hexham, on the Lan-

caster and Carlisle Railway, and here were waiting
a heterogeneous collection of omnibuses, wag-
gonettes, and drags, by the aid of which the rest of
the journey was to be performed. The first eight
miles ran through a pleasant country of a mixed
agricultural and mining character, once part of the
estates of the unfortunate Earl of Derwentwater,
and now administered by the trustees of Greenwich
llospital, and it was not till the party arrived at
Allendale that the black barren moorlands were
reached which contain some of the richest and
most extensive veins of lead ore in the county. The
southern agriculturists accustomed to the smiling
crops of the Vale of Aylesbury or the pasture lands
of Lincolnshire, would turn up their noses at the
wide expanse of bracken and heather ; but under-
neath lie riches far exceeding any which the pro-
digal farming even of Mr. Mechi could extract
from an equal tract of the most fertile soils. From
Mr. Beaumont's mines in this and the adjoining
valley of Weardale are extracted a full sixth of the
lead which the United Kingdom produces. At
Allen-town, after discussing a substantial and most
welcome breakfast, provided by Mr. Beaumont, the
excursionists separated into two parties. Some
went to visit tho works to which all the lead ore is
brought to be smelted. Few miners smelt their
own ore, for the uncertainty of lead mining is such
that unless the proprietor has the command of
several veins the works might be idle for want of
material. Mr. Beaumont and the London Lead
Company are the principal exception to the rule.
It is said that in 801110 years ore has been raised
trona these mines sufficient to furnish 10,000 tons of
metal._ Mr. Sopwith, the director of all the mining
operations here, explained with great clearness the
various processes through which the ore passes
before it reaches the market, but the greatest at-
traction was the extraction of a large cake of silver
by Mr. Pattison'a well-known desilvering process.
In this process the chief feature is that the lead
crystallizing first the silver is left behind, squeezed
out as it were from the less valuable metal during
congelation. The crystals, still containing some
silver, are melted again a second and a third time.
In a paper which Mr. Pattison read before
the British Association some years ago he calculated
that by his process at least 50,000 ounces of silver
were annually added to the produce of the country.
The rest of the party went down to visit the open-
ing of the level edit, perhaps one of the greatest
mining engineering works in the county, which is
to be.driven from this point to Allenhead, a dis-
tance of rather more than seven miles. The rest of
the journey was made in one of the persistent driv-
ing showers which Mr. Sopwith assured the
dripping savans was the normal state of the
weather in the district. The usual rainfall here is
about 70 inches—more than twice the average of
the Eastern half of the kingdom. A halt was
made midway at one of the shafts which have been
driven down to assist in the excavation of the level,
and here Sir W. Armstrong, who accompanied the
party, explained the the powerful hydraulic
machinery by which the whole operations of the
mine are conducted. Everybody agreed, and the
appearance of the party was abundant proof, that
no neighbourhood could be better suited for the
employment of hydraulic power. When Allenhead
was reached the ladies of the party were so
thoroughly drenched that they gladly accepted Lady
Margaret Beaumont's offer of fires to dry them-
selves, and leave the gentlemen to explore alone the
workings of the mine, the crushing machinery,
and the other numerous objects of interest. At 3
o'clock an amplarepast, which was called a luncheon,
but which in its amplitude and liberality deserved
a more ambitious name, consoled the party for the
shortcomings of the weather, and when Newcastle
was reached at half-past Bat night, everybodyagreed
that the last was the most enjoyable day of the
British Association.
There was an excursion steamer also to South
Shields and the Marsden, but the rain spoilt all the
pleasure which the geologists anticipated from the
day. In crossing the bar of the Tyne—where there
is generally a heavy swell—Mr. Clifford illustrated
his admirable system of boat-lowering while the
steamer was going at full speed.

LAW INTELLIGENCE—Sept, 4,

LORD MAYOR'S COURT.
(Before the Recorder and a Common Jury.)

MILLEN AND ANOTHER V. FORSTER-AN INFANT MEW
CILANT-SINGULAR CASE AND SPECIAL VERDICT.

This was an action to recover moneys paid for defendant
as premiums for insurances upon certain ships. Defendant
pleaded infancy.
Mr. Day, instructed by Messrs. Ashley and Tee, appeared
for the plaintiff, and Mr. Joyce instructed by Mr. Davies,
for defendant.

Mr, Joyce said that the simple issue to be tried was the
question whether defendant was an infant at the time this
debt was cmtracted, If he were, then it was clear that de-
fendant was entitled to a verdict, though the debt was ad-
mitted,

Mr. Forster, sen., said—l was present at the birth of my
son, the defendant. I made an entry in th 3 family Bible.
Defendant was born on the 4th February, 1842.
Cross-examined—I live at Evesham. My son came up
to London four or five years ago. He came up as a clerk,
but soon became a merchant. I lent him £3OO to start as
a merchant about four years ago. It may have been in
15.58, but I do not think it was. He became a merchant
on his own account about four years ago. He did not tell
me that the plaintiffs had laid out £7lO premiums for in-
surances on his ships. He may have done business to the
extent of thousands when an infant, but he did not tell me.
He now lives in lodgings in Kendell-street. He was to
repay me the £3OO out of his profits. I had no interest in
the business.

Mr. Day said this was a most disreputable plea, and de-
fendant
yhrecovered ashamed
defendant of it. Here
ecevfant owed
£3OO in
waaan and hisasewher father
eplaintiff
hnatto b
had
antue
aITI
re.
this Court under an attachment.
them £7OO, money actually paid for his business,
he sought by this miserable plea to deprive
elar'rn and now
Pe
t
£3OO they had already got. The plaintiffs w
spectable ship and insurance brokers of this city,andthey
had dealt with defendant upon the faith of his beinglffs highly of the
He himself stated so, and it was a scandalous thing thatof age.
merchants in the city of London should be so deceived bya
person in this manner,
Mr. Thos. Boden said—l known defendant, and have
known him four or five years. I have had business
dealings with him on his own account since I have known
him. He had au office in Cross-street, and traded as T.
Forster and Co. One day we had a conversation in the
autumn of 1860, and he said " I have just turned 22. My
transactions with him were largo. He was a merchant.
lam a cornfactor. lam 28. I began business in 1858.
Cross-examined—He was debtor when he said he was 22,
and I dealt with him afterwards, but I should not have
done so had I known he was under age.
Mr. Day then quoted a case recently decided by Mr.
Commissioner Kerr as to the privilege and liabilities of an
infant trader in the city of London, but his lordship said he
was not aware of any custom or law by which an infant
trader could be made liable in this City.
Mr. Day admitted that he had no authority but the report
in the City Press, and, after Mr. Joyce had replied,
His Lordship summed up, and said that the father was
boundorth to tell the truth, and could not be blamed. It was
f Familyo jury to say which side was most to be believed, the
Ilia Lordship—Ail
by Plaintiffs.
The jury
tand Mr. Forster, sen., or the witness called
vthvery great regret."
eßnibalnee on sul tetl , and the foreman said, " We find for
honest men must feel in that way.

Mgr. DarboT, Archbishop of Paris, is at present
on a visit to Blois.
3haF,inulg.l
Hbcoorneituoefs
reduced
Tea;
duty obtained by pur-
r dd
e" 1 iat
't. o4u:sa 'ci
' imported..
Agents in every
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s4ts;ong"etistigahndStmanodsat
town supply it in packets.
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