The Sun.
London, England, 1839-03-30 00:00:00

DUELLING IN BELGIUM.

BRUSSELS, TUESDAY.—The stock-jobbing duel be-
tween M. do Brouckere and Colonel Bire was fought
with swords outside this city. The latter was wounded
slightly in the hand. M. de Brouckere is left-handed
—rather awkward for a swordsman—and was pinked
near the heart, but not mortally. This terminated the
duel a la more, and the business of the Belgian Bank
being pressing, M. Brouckere went to .his bureau for a
while, but so many kind inquirinc, friends called to see
him that he thought it more seemly to go to bed, which
he accordingly did.

A third duel, the result of an old quarrel, has been
more serious. It was fought between two militaires at
Diest on the 21st instant, and both have fallen,
like Sempronious, for that telterima causa belli, " a
worthless woman." Capt. Hertz, of the 2d Regiment
of Chasseurs a-pied, and Captain Vanderauvera, of the
2d Regiment of Lancers, met at ten o'clock in the morn-
ing with their swords outside the walls, and fought amidst
an immense crowd during two hours without any one at-
tempting to interfere. Captain Vanderauvera at last re-
ceived a deep cut on the chest, near the right shoulder,
and inflicted a similar one near the left shoulder of his
adversary. In this state they still continued to fight,
until Captain Vanderauvera inflicted an awful gash on
the abdomen of his rival, through which his bowels ap-
peared, and in drawing back his sword nearly cut three
of his own fingers off. The mangled combatants were
then laid on straw in a travelling artillery forge, and
attended by their surgeons—in vain. Captain Hertz
died in about two hours. The other lingered
till next day. The police (who stood and looked on)
are now very busy hunting out " the criminal participa-
tors." The judic'al and military authorities are prodigal
of regrets and denunciations, which are all received
with contempt due to their hypocrisy. They won't take
the simple and effective step which the King of Prussia
and Don Carlos do—to declare that any officer who
pleases to fight a duel is disgraced and forfeits his com-
mission—because, amongst other good reasons, the two
nephews of the Minister of War have to fight duels with
young Pirsons this week.

TWELVE YEARS !—How many events have
occurred during that long interval. How many changes
have taken place. The whole aspect of things is altered.
The child has sprung up into a youth ; the youth has be-
come a man ; the man has already begun to feel advances of
age. Beauty has bloomed and faded. Fresh flowers of loveli-
ness have budded, expanded, died. The fashions of the day
have become antiquated. New customs hare prevailed
over the old. Parties, politics, and popular opinions have
changed. The Crown has passed from the brow of one
Monarch to that of another. tidbits and tastes are no
longer the same. We, ourselves, are scarcely the same we
were twelve years ago.—Bentley's Miscellany.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.

INSOLVENT DEBTORS' COURT.

The Court rose on Thursday for the holidays, for a
row days.

A VOLUNTARY PRISONER.-IN RE JOHN SENIOR.

This insolvent was ordered, in February 1837, to be
discharged, on his assignee certifying that he was in
possession of certain property. The property had been
given up, and the poor fellow had been confined ever
since! He might have been discharged two years ago,
on applying to the Court.
Mr. WOODROFFE said the assignee now came, that
the poor fellow might be discharged. It was most ex-
traordinary that he should have been a voluntary priso-
ner for two years.
Mr. Commissioner LAW thought it very sinuglar.
He ordered the discharge to issue instanter.

MPORTANT DEFECT IN THE BAIL CLAUSE,-IN RE

JAMES ASHLEY.

This insolvent on:Wednesday was admitted to bail until
his hearing, but before the order reached the prisoner,
another detainer was lodged. An application was now
made to issue a fresh order to the gaoler.
Mr. Commissioner LAW said he had no power to do
so. The person who lodged the detainer must have
notice.

Mr. WOODROFFE, who made the application, thought
the bail clause without an amendment would be of little
use, if a creditor could prevent the benefit by lodging a
detainer. The time of hearing would come round be-
fore an insolvent could get out of prison.

Mr. Commissioner Law could not assist the insol-
vent, he must give notice. This Court had not the
power to carry out the provision.—Application refused.

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

ROME CIRCUIT-KINSSTON, MARCH 29.

The Learned Judges attended Divine Service in the
forenoon, and at two o'clock they proceeded to dispose
of the remaining business of the Assize. _ _

CUTTING AND MAlMlNG.—Richard Taylor, a la-
bourer, was indicted for feloniouFly stabbing and wound-
ing William Waterer, with intent to do him some
grievous bodily harm.
It appeared from the evidence that the prisoner and
the prosecutor were labouring men, and resided at Bis-
ley, in this county. On the sth of March they were
in a beer-shop together, when a dog belonging to the
prosecutor, bit the prisoner on the thigh. This led to
an altercation between them, and the prosecutor and the
prisoner stripped to fight, and the latter was knocked
down by the prosecutor and his brother, and the
dog bit him a second time. The prisoner then
drew his knife, and declared that if they struck him
again, he would stick them with his knife. They at-
tacked him after this, and in the scuffle the prosecutor
received the injury in question.
The prisoner, who, according to the calendar, could
only read and write imperfectly, cross-examined the
witnesses very cleverly, and in his defence alleged that
he-had merely committed the act in self-defence.
The Jury returned a verdict of Not Guilty.
Mr. Justice LITTLEDALE cautioned the prisoner not
to make use of a deadly weapon again.
George Walker, an apparently decrepid old man,
and who was stated to be eighty-four years of age, was
indicted for a criminal assault upon a young girl named
Elizabeth Chesley.
Mr. Wordsworth appeared for the prosecution, and
Mr. Chambers defended the prisoner.
The case was of a horrible description. The alleged
offence was said to have been committed so far back as
the month of December, and the circumstances under
which it was said to have taken place were altogether
of a most improbable kind. The chief witness
against the unfortunate old man was his own
son, who spoke to certain admissions made by
his father. It appeared, however, that this son had
been turned out of doors by his father for robbing
him. The defence was that the charge had been
trumped up by the parties out of revenge.
The Jury, without troubling the Judge to sum up
the evidence, returned a verdict of Not Guilty.
A burst of applause immediately issued from the
crowd in the Court, which the officers could with diffi-
culty repress.
The Court ordered the poor old man to be imme-
diately set at liberty.

NORFOLK CIRCUIT, CAMBRIDGE, MARCH 27.

FEMBERTON V. HAWES.

This was an action of trespass, for cutting a chain
belonging to the plaintiffs ; to which the defendant
pleaded that it was placed across and obstructing a pub-
lic navigable stream and highway, and so justified the
cutting it as a cause.
The question involved in this cause is, whether that
portion of the river Cam which lies between Cambridge
and Grantchester is a common and public stream, on
which the public have a right to row, or whether the
plaintiff has a right to prevent its use altogether by her
Majesty's subjects. The river at this part, as is well
known to all who have graduated at this University, is
very beautiful, and terminates the pretty and pictu-
resque village of Grantchester. On one side of it
stands the village of Trumpington, where the plain-
tiff lives, which is the scene of Chaucer's " Miller of
Trompington."
" At Trompington, not far fro' Grentebrigge,
Thair goth a brooke, and over that a brigge,
Upon the which brooke thair stout a melle,
And this is the very sothe that I you telle."
• _

This " melle" stands to this day upon the stream,
and forms one of the termini of the disputed part. The
defendant, who admitted the trespass, first entered
upon his case, in support of which ho► called twenty-
five witnesses, whose evidence occupied the entire day,
and at seven o'clock the further hearing was postponed
till to-morrow, at the end of which day it is likely to
be again adjourned. Among the witnesses examined
were Mr. Gunning, of Christ's College ; the Rev.
W. Romilly, the Registrar of the University ; the Rev.
Mr. Jeffrey, of St. John's College, and other members
of the University, who spoke to a free and undisputed
use of the river by boats for more than half a century.
The interest felt, both by the town and the University,
is very great, and public sympathy was strongly in
favour of the defendant.