The Sun.
London, England, 1863-07-11 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE,--duly 10.

VICE. CHANCELLOR'S COURT.
(Before Vice Chancellor Stuart.)
LOUISE CHARLOTTE ANNETTE AGOSTINI VENEROSI, COUN-
TESS DE LA SETTA V. LORD VERNON.
Mr. Melina stated that the Countesss had gone to Turin
to see one of her daughters, who was in a dying condition,
and his application to the Court was that she might have
all that free access to her children to which a mother under
such circumstances was entitled.
The Vice-Chancellor said he had observed that, although
the case was heard in private, it had been made public by
a vile and scurrilous press, and very severely commented
on such a proceeding. The Vice-Chancellor said he took
no notice, because he found that no injury resulted ; but
in consequence of the baseness of the conduct of the
person who did it, nothing but the contempt which is due
to such a person can save him.
Mr. Malins—l saw those observations in the newspaper,
and I made inquiry of my client.
The Vice-Chancellor—l want to hear no more. I will

have no explanation.
Mr. Malins—Your honour has cast no imputation upon
me. Does your honour mean to say that I had anything to
do with the publication?
The Vice- Chancellor —I know nothing about it. You
never made any application.
Mr. Malins—ls it for me to make an appplication ? Does
your honour suppose that I have made a communication
to the public newspapers ?
The Vice-Chancellor—l know nothing about it but this,
that, from some base misconduct, for a malevolent purpose
against somebody, the thing was done.
Mr. Malins—Does your honour mean to impute that to
me?

The Vice-Chancellor—Oh, no.
Mr. Matins—l can tell your honour that I know nothing,
directly or indirectly, of the mode in which it got into the
papers. I have inquired of my client, and he tells me this.
lie says that he was waited upon.
The Vice-Chancellor—l will have no statement—the
thing is too contemptible.
Mr. Matins—A low me as counsel to make this state-
ment.
The Vice-Chancellor—You have no instructions.
Mr. Malins—Yes, I have. Mr. Collette; who is present,
tells me ho was waited upon by a variety of representatives
of the public press.
The Vice-Chancellor—l will nct hear anything of the
representatives of the public press, The press is too con-
temptible. I shall not permit it to be mentioned. I desire
to hear no more of it.
Mr. Matins—l really cannot be silent.
The Vice-Chancellor—You have no instructions. I cast
no imrutation upon you. From ytur rank and position,
and my respect for your character, I know that you are ut-
terly incapable of any such thing; but there are creatures
about the court who are base enough and contemptible
enough for such a thing.
Mr. Malins—l know not who they are.
The Vice-Chancellor—They are beneath contempt. '
Mr. Matins—On the part of my client I beg to state that
he disclaims all knowledge, directly or indirectly.
The Vice-Chancellor—Let him disclaim it. 'You say
that he was waited on by a representative of the press. I
want to hear no more about it.
Mr. Collette—Most d stlnctly I do disclaim it. I think
the observations the Court has made upon a solicitor of the
court are very improper, and to prevent a solicitor being
heard in defence of his own character is a thing that I shal
not submit to. I have neither directly nor indirectly given
information. Persons have been to my office endeavour-
ing to bribe my clerks, and I gave orders to refuse all infor-
mation, and I have refused information. I think it is very
improper that the court should make imputations on the
character of a solicitor, and then say he is not to be heard in
public in his defence.
The Vice-Chancellor—Who says you are not to be heard ?
I objected to your being heard by Mr. Matins. lam ready
to hear you.
Mr. Collette—The expression " base" ought not to be
applied to any officer of the court.
The Vice-Chancellor—Whoever published that published
it from the basest motives, and for a malevolent purpose.
Mr. Collette—lf your honour does not apply those ob-
servations to me, I have nothing more to say; but I will
not have such observations made of me. I state publicly
that I have had nothing to do with it.
Mr. Malins—As counsell am acquitted, and my client is
acquitted.
Mr. Collette—The public records can be seen for a shil-
ling—every body can see them.
The Vice-Chancellor—The whole thing is contemptible.
Mr. Collette—Such observations I will not submit to
from you, or from any judge in the kingdom.
The Vice-Chancellor--The whole matter is much too
contemptible. What I rejoice at is, that no injury has been
done by such base misconduct.
Mr. Malins—My application is this. Without entering
into the merits of the matter, she is the mother of three
children, who have spent all their lives with her. They are
separated from her. Mr. White, of the firm of 'White,
Broughton, and White, the morning before yesterday, pro-
duc 'd to Mr. Bacon, and showed it to me, a telegram in the
French language, that the second daughter was almost in a
dying state. It is from them I heard it. This was after-
wards communicated to Mr. Collette, and my advice was,
considering the delicate situation of the lady, she could not
do anything until the matter had been communicated.
The Vice-Chancellor--I do not understand your appli-
cation. What do you wish ?
Mr. Malins I wish this ; that the lady, on arriving at
Turin, where probably she has now arrived, should have
a distinct intimation that she may have unrestricted inter-
course with her children. That is all I ask.
The Vice-Chancellor—That is a matter for chambers;
and the whole case is one, as far as the benefit of the parties
interested is concerned, for private adjustment. Why this
case over was heard anywhere else than in chambers, ex-
cept for the purpose of the annoyance of somebody, I have
no notion. If your client comes by a .summons in cham-
bers, as would be done in any other cause, the summons
would do the whole.
Mr. Malins—My application is of a very simple nature.
The lady wants to have free intercourse with her dying
daughter. (The case was then adjourned to chambers.)
The Vice -Chancellor—l will tell you why I disapprove
of the publicity of these applications. It seems too much
as if the case was one in which the object was to get, by