The Sun.
London, England, 1862-01-22 00:00:00

THV SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, JANUARY 22, 1862.

i Id

!Business done

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THE WINDRAIII CASE.

The Master (S. Warren, Esq., Q.C.), this morning, on
taking his seat, said he trusted that during the time the
jury and himself would be occupied in arriving at a decision
in a case of such momentous importance, no attempt would
bo made to impede or interrupt them. It was a most diffi-
cult task they had to perform, and it would require all their
care and attention.

Mr. Karslake, in resuming his remarks on the summing-
up of the evidence adduced in favour of Mr. Windham,
commented strongly on that given by the Llewellins, and
contrasted it with that of the Dignums, who, he said,
was the most reliable. He thought that the great
object of the petitioners had been to damage the value of
the testimony of the Dignoms, because they had refused to
take side with General Windham. He next referred to
what took place on the occasion of young Mr.
Windham being in consultation with his uncle and
a number of lawyers, in the month of August, rela-
tive to the disposal, by exchange, of certain por-
tions of the estate. At that time it did not appear
to him that Mr. Windham was considered a lunatic, and
neither, he supposed, was it so considered by the gen-
tlemen taking part in that consultation, yet it was strange
that it had been said by the other side that Windham had
been imbecile really all his life. With respect to the life
Mr. Windham had been in the habit of leading, it might
be that it was one of vice and profligacy, but then it was
not because a man was vichus and ill disposed that he was
to be considered a lunatic. Mr. 'Windham's marriage
might be considered unfortunate, and a thing to be
regretted, but he looked upon it as an act of infatuation,
and Mr. Windham was not the first person in the world
who had given way to such a thing. Persons very much
superior to his station in society had been guilty of acts of
a similar nature, and therefore he must not be taken as one
who had committed an act without parallel.
(The learned gentleman was addressing the Court when
we went to press.)

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LA TV INPELLIGENCE.—(?his Day.)

COURT OF PROBATE AND DIVORCE.

(Before Justices Wightman and Williams, and the Judge
Ordinary,)
SIIEDDON AND SIIEDDON V. PATRICK.

This morning Miss Sheddon made an application to the
full Court to reconsider the whole of the evidence and the
decision that had been already given in this case, which
was adverse to her father, William Patrick Sheddon. who
claimed to be the son of William Sheddon, of New York,
who died in the year 1798. The whole question resolved
itself on the fact as to the legality of the marriage of the
grandfather and grandmother, acmding to the laws of Ame-
rica. Tb e case was fully heard, and occupied a fortnight before
the full court, when the judgment given was agairst the
petitioners, on the ground that tle letter of Nov. 12, 1798,
was not a genuine document. The petitioners had since
presented a petition for a rehearing, on the ground that fresh
evidence had been received from America, and Miss Sheddon
said s he was now in a position to show the court good grounds
for the granting her a rehearing of the case. The lady
then proceeded to go through the whole of the voluminous
evidence adduoed when the case was first before the Court,
and said she trusted that her application would be granted
as an act of compassion, of humanly, and of justice.
Miss Sheddon was proceeding with her arguments at the
time we went to press.

S FIERRIFS' COURT.
TRADE PROTECTION SOCIETIES AND THE PDELIC.-
IMPORTANT DECISION.--D)0 V. WOODS.

This was an action to recover £lO damages, alleged to
have been sustained through the improper collection of a
certain debt, plaintiff being a grocer of Cambridge, and
defendant proprietor of a trade prctection society, known
as "Wood's Mercantile Informant and Trades' Guide."

The facts of the case appeared to bo these :—Plaintiff
was induced, by a person named Thomas, to become a sub-
scriber in defendant's society, which, as an equivalent, con-
tracted to "collect debts." A person in Ireland owed
plaintiff £lO 9s. 6d., and plaintiff put the debt into defen •
dant's hands. Defendant's agent in Ireland collected the
debt, and received 9s. 6d. in cash and a cheque uncrossed,
drawn upon the Downpatrick Bank, and payable to " Doo
or bearer," instead of "or order." Defendant's agent en-
closed in a letter the cheque and a post-office order for the
9s. 6d., but the letter was alleged to be stolen in transitu,
and some person had cashed the cheque. Under these cir-
cumstances plaintiff sought to recover damages for the loss
of the cheque.

Mr. Gibbons, for the plaintiff, urged that it was not pro-
per upon the part of the defendant's agent to receive such a
cheque as the one in question. It was useless to plaintiff
in Cambridge, and it could not be said that defendant had
used due diligence in the collection of the debt.
Mr. Allan (instructed by Mr. Clarke, of Stanley-place,
Paddington-green), for the defendant, urged that defendant
could not be held liable. Here he collected a debt, and he
forwarded the debt (in the shape that he received it) by
post. Surely the Court would not say that of a postman
st le the cheque defendant was liable. There was the well
known case Warwick and Nokes in Roscoe's nisi prius
Peake's reports, in which Lord Kenyon had laid it down
that the agent was not liable for the loss of the cheque in
transitu.

The Court held that that case was decided upon the
ground that the agent transmitted the cheque in the mode
usual with the parties. Here it could not be said that the
defendant had "collected a debt" by accepting a cheque so
loosely and improperly drawn that any person might receive
upon it. It was a hard case upon defendant, but plaintiff
must have a verdict with costs.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—(This Day.)

THE INEFFICIENT BLOCKADE OF THE

SOUTHERN PORTS.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

The English funds, in the face of the increasing
ease in the discount-market from the influx of gold
to the Bank, continue with a heavy tendency. The
fact that, if France or any other Power should
demand the concurrence of England in disavowing
the inefficient blockade of the Southern ports by the
Federal fleet, it would be difficult to find a logical
plea for refusal, is apparently the main considera-
tion that induces the public to look cautiously at
future contingencies. Theevidence seems complete
that, if the present nominal blockade is to be re-
spected, the provision of the Treaty of Paris that a
blockade shall not be recognised unless it be real
must be looked upon as cancelled, and an impression
prevails that this result would be distasteful to all
statesmen who recognise the claims of commerce
and civilization. The meeting of the French Cham-
bers on the 27th inst., and of the English Parlia-
ment on the 6th of February, may be followed by
some important declarations on the subject. The
initiative is thought likely to be taken by France,
since the effects of the cotton dearth are more severe
upon that country than upon Great Britain, where
a great compensation is found in the impulse given
to India. At the same time, it is seen that this
country can have littlt inducement to forego joining
in an imperative enforcement of legal principles, as
the popular and almost universal cry in the Federal
States seems now to be that every advantage which
can be gained, whether from success at home or from
the forbearance of foreign nations, is to be hailed
as a means of hastening the time when the Trent
affair can be " avenged." Still, notwithstanding
this consideration, the feeling here would be in
favour of leaving the Washington politicians to
work their own way through their anarchy and
bankruptcy undisturbed by foreign reclamations, if
it were possible to do so without a sacrifice of prin-
ciple.—Times' City Article.

LANDING' O 1 THE TROOPS AT ST.
JOHN'S', NEW B.RUNSIVICK.

FREDERICTON, NEW BRUNSWICK, Jan. 5.
Great credit is due to our newly-appointed Lieu-
tenant-Governor, the Hon. A. H. Gordon, for the
prompt steps taken by him for the reception at St.
John's of the troops destined for Canada. On hear-
ing of the probable arrival of the Australasian and
other transports, and there being no existing ac-
commodation for such a force as the vessels were
likely to contain, the Lieutenant-Governor at once
assumed a responsibility not strictly belonging to
him, being one of a purely military character, and,
in the absence of a qualified military officer, gave
immediate orders for the commencement of the
necessary works. The Volunteers were called on
for sentry and fatigue duty, and with a hearty
good will they responded to the call; nor were the
city and inhabitants of St. John behindhand in the
alacrity and liberality with which they performed
their part. Buildings were at once placed at the
disposal of the Government. It was late on Sunday
when the works were commenced, and by Tuesday
night, and before the troops arrived, quarters for
nearly 3,000 men were provided, completely and
comfortably arranged, each man having a separate
crib, with bedding, shelves and benches, arm-racks,
pegs, and everything in perfect order, ready for the
soldier and his kit. The exertions of the Lieute-
nant-Governor and the energy shown by him were,
it is stated, cordially acknowledged by Colonel
Kennedy, commanding the Military Train, on his
arrival at St. John's from Halifax, whither he had
been despatched by Major-General Commanding
the Forces to see to the due provision for the
expected troops. In fact, all worked with a will ;
and, while the forethought, energy, and good sense
of the Lieutenant-Governor are highly praised, the
earnest, loyal, and generous spirit that animated
every class, even to the workmen engaged, is a sub-
ject of honest pride to us all, and ought to serve as
one among the many hints now being given to our
neighbours of the thorough anti-Yankee feeling that
pervades the entire population of British Notth
America.

TEE " INQUIRY DODGl."—Patrick M'Namara was
charged before Mr. Tyrwhitt with being concerned with a
woman, not in custody, in stealing a purse containing some
silver from the pocket of Mrs. Harriett Rowbotham, of No.
8, Greek-street.

THIS DAY'S iiIAREETS.

Mrs. Rowbotham said—On the evening of last Monday
week she was crossing Greek-street, and a man and woman
came up and asked the way to Euston-square station, and
then to Museum-street. She told them as well as she
could, and they appeared to doubt the way, and said they
had been directed the reverse Way. The prisoner is the
man, and altogether she was at least from five to eight
minutes in conversation, and she could not getrid of them,
so offered to point the way to Oxford-street, going out of
the way to do so. She then felt a sudden jerk at her side
where the manwas—the jerk being so sudden that it moved
her, and she felt the man's hand pass behind her towards
the female. As soon as she got to Soho-square she said
" Here is a policeman, and he will direct you rightly," and
he did so. The man and woman then went on, and after-
wards she thought their conduct very strange, and on feel-
ing in her pocket missed her purse containing some silver.
She saw the prisoner again last night.
Mr. Lewis cross-examined the prosecutrix with the view
of showing that she was not certain as to the prisoner's
identity, but she said she was certain the prisoner was the
man.

CORN EXCHANGE.

There was a very small supply of English wheat on sal•
here to-day, and the trade ruled firm for all qualities, at
quite Monday's quotations.
In f,,reign n heat a fair business was transacted, and late
currencies were well maintained. The supply on offer was
somewhat extensive.

Floating cargoes of grain changed hands to a moderate
extent, at full prices.

Mrs. Rowbotham—The man was on my pocket side.
Mr. Lewis—Then he got on the right side of you.
(Laughter.) _

Robert Hallen, 34 C, proved that on the night in ques-
tion the prosecutrix called to him to direct a man and
woman—the prisoner at the bar was the man. The man
asked the way to Museum-street, and he directed him.
About 10 minutes after she came back and told him that her
pocket had been picked, and she believed by the man and
woman.

Sergeant Joy, 9 C, apprehended the prisoner Prom a de-
scription he received from the prosecutrix. He was in
company with thieves at the time. He said he (Sergeant
Joy) was wrong, but would go to the station. The prisoner
was put with others, and she identified him, as also did
Hallen.

Mr. Lewis addressed the magistrate on prisoner's behalf.
Sergeant Joy said he wished for a remand, as there were
other cases, and prisoner had been convicted.

Mr. Tyrwhitt refused to deal with the case, and commit-
ted the prisoner for trial.

Barley moved off heavily, at Monday's decline in the
quotations of is per quarter.
Malt was in slow request, at late rates.
Good and fine oats were steady in value ; but low an&
damp parcels were a dull inquiry, on former terms.

THAMES.

In beans and peas, a very moderate business was passing,
yet no change took place in the quotations.
The flour trade, though far from active, was firm, at full
prices.

ARRIVALS THIS WEEK.
Wheat. Barley. Malt. Oath. Flour.
310 50 350 270 sacks.
Wish
1 1,580
F0reign........ 10,980 1,200 $ 4,3501 sks.
23,740 brls.

DARING WATCH ROBBERY ON TOWER•HILLe-JOhll
Crawley, a well-known thief, about 21 years of age, with a
Jewish cast of countenance, from the robbers' colony of
Fashion-street, Spitalfields, was brought before Mr. Wool-
rych, charged with stealing a silver watch, value £7, from
the person of Neal Delany, a mariner.
The prosecutor said that yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon
he was passing over Tower-hill when he saw two men
fighting. They were surrounded by a mob of low charac-
ters. He attempted to separate the cpmbatants, and at the
same moment the prisoner and another man pressed against
him and jammed him close to the railings which surround
the
e two Tower
uf moat, very much. He called out
to th can't you let me pass ?"
lhe two thieves continued pressing against him, and the
rfia n "Let hurt
me hi
pass m ;
prisoner made a violent snatch at his watch, possessed him-
self of it, and handed it to his companion, who ran away
with it. He seized the prisoner, who said, "There is the
man that has stolen your watch," and pointed to the man
who ran away. He retained fast hold of the prisoner, and
secured him until a police-constable arrived. His watch
was worth £7. The bow of the watch was broken by the
force with which it was snatched from his pocket.
Mr. Edward Clark, master mariner, confirmed the state-
ment of the prosecutor.
Child, a police-constable of the I division, said that he
was on Tower-hill and saw a man he knew to be a thief
running fast. He was not then aware a robbery had been
committed, and did not stop him. A. few yards further on
he saw the prosecutor and the prisoner struggling, and then
learnt a robbery had been committed. He knew the man
who escaped well, and should be able to secure him if the
prisoner was remanded.
Mr. Woolrych asked if Tower-hill was not a notorious
place for watch and handkerchief robberies ?
Child—lt is, sir. A great many robberies have been
committed there.

Mr. Woolrych asked the prosecutor how long he intended
to remain in London, to which he replied eight or nine days.
The prisoner was remanded for a week.