The Sun.
London, England, 1839-10-02 00:00:00

LA W INTELLIGEN C.L.

INSOLVENT DEBTORS' COURT.
Elizabeth ilfunday was opposed by Mr. NicitoLs,
on behalf of Messrs. Knights, cheesemongers. It ap-
peared that the insolvent formerly kept a beer shop on
Saffron Hill, and that she bad signed a warrant of at-
torney on behalf of a person named Birch, who was
imprisoned at the suit of Messrs. Knights, for
511. 17s. 6d.

The insolvent was opposed on the ground that at the
time she became security for Birch, she must have
known that she was insolvent, and that she had no
available assets. The insolvent stated that when she
signed the warrant of attorney she was in expectation
of receiving 3% a-week, under the will of a person
named Ball, who had, for some time previous to his
death, lodged with her, and that she had been offered
15s. a-week fbr life for her chance, but which she had
refused.

The case was ordered to stand over till Friday next,
in order that inquiry might be made into the truth of
her statement.

ESTMINSTER COURT OF
REQUESTS.

A BAKER DONE " BnowN."—Petty larcenies which
the law never reaches are daily committed with pre-
scriptive impunity by certain of the " productive"
classes, and will continue to he committed until the
ultra-mundane morality inculcated by the philosophers
of " socialism" shall have extinguished that prevalent
doctrine which teaches the mass of money-seek-
mg mortals to vote, in all cases where self-inte-
rest is concerned, that " black is white." Every body
recollects the story of the honest jarvey, who, after the
labours of the whip were ended, proceeded, according
to custom, to divide his day's takings--one shilling for
master and one shilling for me—and finding that an odd
shilling remained was conscientiously about to " toss
up" which was to have it, when the governor, who,
perdu, had been a spectator of the whole process, sug-
gested that it should be added to his share, on the tri-
fling ground that he had to pay for coach, horses, and
keep. Bakers, too, in the days of their journeyhood,
are another class who exhibit an edifying example of
impartiality; and, as is enjoined on sworn jurymen—if,
indeed, soft-soap legislation does not eventually cashier
the functions of that bulwark of British liberty—without
" fear, favour, or affection," taking toll alike of the
poor and the rich man's dinner. The mystery of
" growing a leg of mutton," and the anatomical ad-
vantages of " deal men " are appreciated and prac-
tised from first moment Mister Doughy is able to han-
dle a dolly. The climax of ingenious larceny among
these worthies has always been held to be the succes-
ful solution of the problem How to rob a beeve's
heart ;" but surely ingenuity may be carried one step
further—" doing' the baker himself. That a " baker"
may be done, end " done crusty" too, let the case of
Andrew Johnson, a recent arrival from " Auld Reekie"
be a sufficient proof.

Al shrewish.olJ woman, as thin as if she had been
kept upon New Poor-law " regulation" diet, answering
to the name of Margaret Benson, conic forward to show
reasonable cause why she had not paid the plaintiff
twenty-one and sixpence, for bread duly sold and de-
livered.

How does it happen," said the Chairman to the
" that we have so many of your summonses ?
&K arc before us to-day, and we must have disposed of
at least twice that number last Court day."
" ! mon," said Andrew, with a dismal sigh, " sic

bocht Jock Anderson's baking business, yO,,ken, an I
an uncanny trick ae Scot never afore pit on il.iiiihri. 1
gird him a hantle mair siller, as there seented,L6-,lttl a
rowth o' gude book customers; but dc'ils be int:.7if, at
auld sinner hadna wiled a' the plackiess buddies in of r
neeberhood to tak tiva or maybe three loaves o' full.
priced wheaten bread a week, just to gar me think he'd
gotten a rattlin trade."
Aki r),tlit
hilfkai Anderson,
Ndl There'seirl s
wmo na,3ltib:et übmnletel
rav
s,m'se. 'ref " when hpityen
CHAIRMAN—But how came you to let the account
run so long ?
Jockov,ilfciO3:lia,
pave-
ment, that the customers didna pay before the full
Io 'st .p e 'errhda t
aboutau l ti ae e-
month was done—so, ye ken, there's about twa dozen
frae, for five or sax weeks' gude bread.
Benson,get the
worth
how o
Mill a youbaw bpayee
the amount ?

Defendant (snappishly )—How, indeed ! I should be
glad to know that myself. I (lido% ask him to lease
his bread, and I dare say it was short weight !
Plaintiff—Hear to that ! Diel rax ver neck, ye eat
the bread and then abuse tha baker!
A comfortable-looking COMMISSIONER, whose rotun-
dity proclaimed he had lived in a land floss ing with
milk and honey," and whosa rubicundity evinced an en-
tire eschewal of one of the principles of teetotalism,
asked for the account.

The baker handed in his books, arid the defendant
produced tv.o pieces of paper.
The comfortable-looking COMNIISSIONLR, saddling his
nose with a pair of gold-rimmed goggles, looked first at
one paper and then at the other. Putting on the never-
to-be-mistaken air of a man who has discovered a
" mare's nest," he knocked loudly on the table to enforce
the
silence,paitiit said with i and then, holding
solemnity,ngonepie "
Youngofpa na, is
paper towards
this here your hand-writing ?"
The baker nodded.
" And," holding out the other piece, "is that there
your hand-writing ?"
The baker again nodded.
" Then, Mister Cheerman," said the interrogator,
"one of these here bills is fur July, and conies to seven-
teen and sixpence, and t'other is in August, and only
says four shillings. Now, if there aint summut wrong
here I'm werry much mistaken. The werry last bill
makes it plain, as only four shilling is owing."
" Hoot men," said the plantiff, "its aye the custom
wi' bakers to send in their bills ilka month, and to
begin wi' a fresh bill wi' every fresh month."
" What do you mean," said the comfortable•looking
COMMISSIONER, waxing wroth ; " where's the words
brought jiirrard,' or bill delivered,' to the last bill ?
I've been a tradesman, and I've sent in bills ; but a
top on 'em I always put, amount brought fbrrard,' or
'bill delivered.' Its unpossible:the Court can receive
two bills of sitch a natur. It must look only at the
last 'un."
The CHAIRMAN, a sensible, gentlemanly man, re-
marked that if it were not the custom among balers,
the omission was not of much consequence.
" I don't see that," said the coinfortalie-looking
CommissioNEa, peeping about the Court-, and shaking
his head profoundly.
The COURT awarded the plaintiff his full demand, at
2s. weekly.

" No the werdiks over," said the comfortable-look-
ing COMMISSIONER, " give you, young man, a word
of adwice. If you horees to succeed as a respectable
tradesman, do at I always used to do—put bill de-
7vercd ' to you' bills, or summut of that ere sort in