The Sun.
London, England, 1862-03-04 00:00:00

CHURCH RATES.

On the motion of Sir C. DOUGLAS the Church Rates
Abolition Bill was also postponed till the 14th May.
On the motion of Mr. NEWDEGATE the Church Rates
Commutation Bill was also postponed to the 14th May.
The house adjourned at five minutes to 1 o'clock.

ASSIZE IN TEL LIG EIV CE.

OXFORD CIRCUIT.-OXFORD, MARCH 3.

Mr. Justice Crompton arrived in this city yes-
terday from Reading, and was met at the station by
the High Sheriff in the old English style. His
lordship proceeded to open tha commission with
the usual formalities.
Mr. Justice Crompton and Mr. Baron Channell
yesterday attended divine service at St. Mary's, and
this day took their seats in court at 10 o'clock. Mr.
Baron Channell presiding in the Civil Court, and
Mr. Justice Crompton in the Criminal Court.

The cause list Contains an entry of four causes.
The calendar contains the names of 23 prisoners,
one of whom is charged with wilful murder, three
with firing farm buildings, and the rest with
offences of an ordinary description, chiefly larceny.

CIVIL COURT.
Before Mr. Baron Channel and Common Juries.

POTTER AND ANOTHER V. MEDDOWS.
Mr. Huddleston, Q.C., and Mr. Dowdeswell ap-
peared for the plaintiffs; and Mr. Sergeant Pigott
and Mr. Phipson, Q.C., for the defendant.
The plaintiffs in this action were William Potter,
the surviving trustee of the late Robert Potter, the
elder, and John Meddows, the heir-at-law of Robert
Potter, the younger; and they brought the present
action in ejectment against Hannah Eliza :Med-
dows, the widow of Robert Potter, the younger, to
recover possession of a farm, consisting of 45 acres
of copyhold land of the manor of Horley and Horn-
ton. It appeared that, by the will of Robert Pot-
ter, the elder, made on February 5, 1854, the tes-
tator devised the lands in question, charged with
certain annuities, to trustees their heirs, &c., to
carry on the farm till the said Robert Potter, the
younger, should attain the age of 25 ; and, charged
as aforesaid, the trustees were to stand seised of the
said lands to the use of the said Robert Potter, the
younget. The testator died on the 6th of April,
1854, and the trustees were admitted as tenants of
the manor; and the son, Robert Potter, having at-
tained the age of 25, took possession of the lands in
1859, but died without issue and intestate on the
23d of August, 1860, and without having been ad-
mitted. His widow continued in possession, and
claimed a life interest in his copyhold lands, by the
custom of freebench, which she alleged was a cus-
tom of the manor. The plaintiffs were the sur-
viving trustee of Robert Potter, the elder, and
the brother of Robert Potter, the younger,
who claimed the lands as heir-at-law. Two
questions were :raised—viz., first, whether the
custom of freebench existed in the manor of Honey
and Hornton ; and, secondly, whether as the Sta-
tute of Uses does not apply to copyhold land, the
defendant's late husband, Robert Potter, the
younger, died so seised of the property that the
custom of freebench would attach. As the property
in dispute was but small, and the question of law
was likely to protract the litigation, it was sug-
gested that the parties should come to some ar-
rangement, but for a long time they were unable
to agree. Eventually the learned juege kindly
offered his mediation, and the counsel and parties
retired into his lordship's private room, where they
came to an arrangement which was mutually satis-
factory, it being arranged that the heir-at law
should have the estate, and the widow an annuity
for her life.
Mr. Baron Channell, on his return to court, told
the jury he thought the parties had acted wisely in
coming to an arrangement, under which each party
had given up something.
The jury were then discharged from giving a
verdict, and the cause was settled upon terms
agreed upon.