The Sun.
London, England, 1863-06-19 00:00:00

COURT 01? QUEEN'S BENCH,

DICKSON V. THE EARL OP WILTON, VISCOUNT COMBER-
MERE, AND GENERAL PEEL.

Mr. Coleridge continued his opening of the case on the
part of the plaintiff this morning, the first of which will be
found in another column. He read and commented upon
the letter of Lord Combermere to General Peel, in which
he recommended that Colonel Dickson should be removed,
and set forth certain charges preferred against him, that
he had received certain moneys from the Wellington
College in respect of clothing and arms lost at Cre-
morne, and portions of which moneys he had retained in
his possession, although applied to by the Quartermaster of
the regiment on the subject; and also that Col. Dickson
had been guilty of conduct unbecoming an officer and
a gentleman in threatening his brother officer. To this
letter General Peel wrote a reply, in which he stated, that
after reading Lord Combermere's letter, and the document
accompanying it, he felt authorised in directing the
aismissal of Colonel Dickson. The learned counsel
commented strongly on the unfair and unjustifiable
course that had been pursued by Lord Combermere upon
the mere representations made by Lord Wilton, without any
inquiry or allowing Colonel Dickson to refute or explain the
charges that had been made against him; and also the
course pursued by Gen. Peel. He then referred to the motion
brought forward by the late Mr. Thomas Duncombe in the
House of Commons on the course that had been pursued
towards Colonel Dickson, and which led to General Peel
requiring a statement of the charges against Colonel Dick-
son from Lord Combermere. A court of inquiry was after-
wards formed, composed of Col. French, Lord Arthur Hay,
and Colonel Hall. The proceedings of their inquiry were
not in the possession of Colonel Dickson on the occasion
of the former trial against Lord Wilton, and the learned
counsel said he would show how the inquiry had been
conducted and how Colonel Dickson had been fettered
throughout it. At the former trial, Lord Arthur Hay,
one of the judges, actually came down to the court and
volunteered ;communications to Lord Wilton, his at-
torney, and counsel. It would be absurd to suppose such
a thing; but let the jury only imagine one of our judges
pursuing such a course. To show the manner in which the
inquiry was conducted, Colonel Dickson was refused the
assistance of a solicitor or counsel; but it so happened that
a Mr. Harrison, who was connected by marriage with Colon'
Dickson, was wilted by him to assist him ; but so soon as
they found that gentleman had some legal blood in his
veins, they prevented his offering any assistance, under
threat of expulsion from the room. There was also a Govern-
ment shorthand writer present, and also one on the part of
Col. Dickson, but they were prohibited from taking notes of
the full inquiry, but only such parts as the Court thought
proper, under threat of expulsion. The learned counsel
then read extracts of the proceedings before the Court
of Inquiry, into the conduct of Col. Dickson ; and the evi-
dence of Capt. O'Shaughnessey, the paymaster, Capt.
Cooper, the adjutant, and the witnesses relating to the
charges ; and which mainly consisted of questions in respect
of the regimental mess and other accounts, and in which
charges were reflected upon the very professional existence of
Col. Dickson as an officer and gentleman, and commented in
strong terms upon the irregular manner in which these
proceedings had been conducted. The learned gentleman
then read all the correspondence that had taken place
between Col. Dickson and Lord Combermere, on the request
of the latter that Col. Dickson should resign, and his
dismissal. The learned counsel then adverted to the more
serious part of the case, in which Col. Dickson had brought
before the Horse Guards the fact of Lord Wilton bringing a
lady, not his wife, and having the regiment paraded before
her, and also obtaining her presentation to the Queen by a
lady whose name he would not mention, upon which a
court of inquiry was instituted, as also the manner in which
the second action had been settled by arrangement entered
into between Mr. Edwin James, as counsel for Col. Dick-
son, and Mr. Thomas Duncombe on the part of Lord Wil-
ton, in which it was arranged that Colonel Dickson should
go before the court of inquiry, and ask leave to
withdraw this charge made by him. That Lord Wilton
should use all his personal interest to obtain a restoration of
Colonel Dickson, and to obtain military employment for
him, and also in consideration of the loss and expense Col.
Dickson had been put to in respect of the regiment, and the
action brought against Lord Wilton that Lord Wilton should
pay Col, Dickson £6OO, that sum was paid by Lard Wilton
and by Col, Dickson over to Mr. Harrison. The learned
counsel then read some correspondence between Mr. T.
Duncombe, Mr. Edwin James, and Colonel Dickson,
with Earl Wilton, on the subject of carrying out that
part of the arrangement by which Lord Wilton
was to use his influence at the Horse Guards in
reinstating Colonel Dickson. The learned counsel
having gone through all the letters and documents
relating to the case, proceeded to state how he proposed to
show that Lord Combermere and General Peel were re-
sponsible for the conspiracy which they had been drawn
into by Lord Wilton, and having summarised the evidence
he proposed to adduce, concluded by a brilliant peroration
reflecting upon the high and illustrious character of Lord
Combermere, now verging upon a century in duration, for
the most part passed with honour in the service of his coun-
try, and also upon the career of General Peel, but at the
same time passing some very severe and caustic remarks
upon the conduct of Lord Wilton, whose only aim had
been to crush and destroy the very existence of Colonel
Dickson as an officer and gentleman of honour.
The learned counsel did not conclude his speech until
late in the afternoon,
The trial will occupy three or four days.

COURT OF BANKRUPTCY.
PETITIONS IN FORMA PAUPERIS.

The cases during the morning were devoid of interest.
There were a great number of meetings to audit accounts,
so numerous, indeed, that the names were neither published
under the usual head of Law Notices or on the Court List,
but simply designated " Before Mr. Registrar Hazlitt, vari-
ous, at 11, 12, 1, and 2 ; before Mr. Registrar Miller, 29
estates, at Ik." As under the new act the accounts arc
audited about every four months, a great amount of trouble
is occasioned without an equivalent benefit, for the peti-
tions in forma pauperis increase, and, probably, two-
thirds of the audits to-day there was not a shilling to
divide—in fact the bankrupt got completely whitewashed at
the expense of the general fund—the solicitor appointed by
the Lord Chancellor receiving three guineas in each
case where no assignee is appointed, and few creditors
choose to become assignees where they may possibly have to
pay all the expenses should legal proceedings be necessary.
In fact, as it has been recently said by one of the learned
Commissioners, the law was all in favour of the debtor.
His Honour, Mr. Commissioner Goulburn, to-day in-
stanced a case where a bankrupt had assigned all his pro-
perty to a sister-in-law residing in Scotland, and she being
out of the jurisdiction of the Court refused to be examined.
The bankrupt had in this case denuded himself of all his
property and then came before the Court as a pauper.
Such cases were frequent, and must be carefully watched.
He wished in this particular case that Mr. Aldridge would
look into the matter.
A clerk to Mr. Aldridge said that he would leave the
matter in the hands of the Court.
His Hon sir said that it ought not to be left to the Court
—there must be some stop put to these petitions in forma
pauperis.
Thu case was adjourned for the attendance of Mr.

Aldridge.
The trial of the prisoners concerned in the Cremorne
riots has been postponed until the next sitting of the Mid-
dlesex Sessions.
,ROCIIESTER, June 16.

THE HOP PLANTATIONS,-
—The late genial rains have had a
beneficial effect on the
hops. There are still complaints that the bine is attacked
by vermin on a few. grounds. Up till now there is every
ow, if not a large, will be fully an
indication that the
/flitch will depend on te weather
average one, although
the hop, of all our vegetable
few wee
during ks
most ati, ,
acted by atmospherical varia-
the nest
-a sunny weather, in which
productions, being
tions. About a month of \Vat.
the hop delights, will undo much ...'f the mischief caused at
the commencement of the season b)' the cold winds. In
many of the plantations the bine has tu:eacly reached the
top of the poles, and altogether the l .i' pantp,, expectations
tyre exceedingly promising,

SECOND EDITION.

SUN OFFICE, HALF-PAST 4 O'CLOCK.

SPAIN.

The Madrid Gazette of the 15th contains a royal
decree appointing the President of the Council,
the Marquis de Miraflores, to be Minister of the
Interior, ad interim, during the absence of Don
Rodriguez Vaumonde, who is proceeding to Vichy
to drink the waters. The Correspondencia pub-
lishes a telegraphic despatch from Vigo, dated the
15th, announcing the arrival there of the steamer
Puerto Rico. The mail would not reach Madrid
till the following day. It was reported that she
brought details respecting the capture of Puebla.