The Sun.
London, England, 1853-02-07 00:00:00

county courts the country jurisdiction in bank•

ruptcy.
He says, the present courts of bankruptcy in the
country, having been established, only in a; few of
the principal towns of the kingdom, are too remote
from most of the country districts to dispense the
bankruptcy law to those districts with simplicity
and economy.
He considers the constitution of the present coun-
try bankruptcy courts, by the expense, trouble, and
risk which legal redress in them occasions, amounts
to a practical denial of justice. Nor does he think
the objections to the present system would be got
rid of by sending commissioners on circuit ; " for,"
he justly observes, " the amount of business in all
districts except the largest commercial towns is too
small to furnish any reasonable justification for
throwing, either on the Government or on creditors
in bankruptcy, the expenses incident to a circuit
for the single purpose of bankruptcy cases." But
Mr. Johnes urges a still stronger, it appears to us
an unanswerable, reason against the circuit project,
namely, the absolute necessity for the constant pre-
sence of the inferior officers employed in taking
possession of the estate, in making out the accounts,
in carrying out all the details of management, and
final distribution among the creditors.
Mr. Johnes's remedy is to transfer the country
jurisdiction in bankruptcy to the county courts, be-
cause those courts possess in themselves all the requi-
sites which are wanted in any separate bankruptcy
jurisdiction. He is of opinion that, except in popu-
lous commercial neighbourhoods, where be would
make a slight addition in the number of county
court judges, the bankruptcy business would form
only an imperceptible addition to the labours of
those functionaries. " There is a county clerk and
a high bailiff resident in each locality in which a
county court is held. They are constant residents,
and not mere attendants on the judge, who has to
visit commonly twelve districts in each month. They
are local officers in the strictest sense, and thus have
an opportunity, at the smallest possible expense, of
personally superintending the management and
final distribution of a bankrupt's estate, under the
eyes of the creditors, and subject to the periodical
superintendence of the judge. These very func-
tions they have already exercised in insolvency
cases (embracing the failures of all traders owing
less than 3001.), &c., &c. As a class, they are un-
doubtedly quite equal in intelligence, &c., to those
officers to whom analogous duties are confided in
the Courts of Bankruptcy."
The jurisdiction of the London Bankruptcy Court
now extends over the counties of Middlesex, Herts,
Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, southern divi-
sion of Wiltshire, such parts of Dorsetshire as are
within one hundred miles of London (including the
towns of Poole, Wimborne Minister, Blandford,
Sturminster and Shaftesbury), Oxfordshire, Berk-
shire, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Northamp-
tonshire, Huntingdonshire, Rutlandshire, Cam-
bridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex. The new
bill has the following restrictive provisions :—"From.
and after the commencement of this act, the jurisdic-
tion of her Majesty's Court of Bankruptcy, and the
Commissioners thereof sh all, save and except as here-
in-after mentioned, be restricted to cases in which
ttrhaeder in
petitioners in any matter of arrangement, or the
any matter of bankruptcy, or the trader-
debtor in
any matter of trader-debtor summons,
shall have resided or carried on business for six
months next immediately preceding the time of
filing the petition for arrangement, or petition for
adjudication of bankruptcy, or of the issuing of any
summons against any trader-debtor, within any
parish the distance whereof, as measured by the
nearest highway from the General Post-office in
London to the parish church of such parish, shall
not exceed the distance of twenty miles."
We entertain no doubt but that, sooner or later,
Lord Brougham's bill, or some such measure, will
find its way into the statute-book, and that the
grievous hardship of dragging creditors from such
remote places as Yarmouth and Lowestoft to Bas-
inghall-street, in order to establish a disputed
claim, or expose a knavish bankrupt, will cease to
exist.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

SPORTING NOTES.—No. CCCLXXI.
NOTTINGHAM SPRING MEETING.

The sporting public, if fine weather continues, will be
gratified with a day's capital sport at Nottingham to-
morrow. The meeting is under the stewardship of
Captain Percy Williams and J. Whitaker, Esq., with
Mr. Richard Johnson, of York, as Judge, and Mr.
Bradfield, as usual, Clerk of the Course. o the last-
named person's energy we are indebted for a Spring, as
well as a Summer Meeting, in this locality. The sport
commences at half-past twelve with the Nottingham
Spring Handicap of 14 sous. each, 5 ft., with 50 added
(mile and a half). This"gtake has obtained an ac-
ceptance of seventeen,- above a moiety of which will be
found at the post. The range is only two stone between
the top and bottom weights. Mr. T. Parr has a couple
—Bardolph and Pride—one at the top, and the other
one at the bottom of the list. I cannot imagine that
either has a chance of winning. May-day is over-
weighted at Bst. 71b. Humphrey, same weight,
I have no doubt will run very well, and there are
mere apparently impossible things brought about
than his winning. Little Davie's running is du-
bious. Prestige, at Bst. 51bs., if her former self;
is not weighted too much ; but I fancy she is not
in that perfection she once boasted of. Psyche, I pre-
sume, will not run. The Bishop, although he has never
accomplished anything particularly grand, yet, I fancy,
from his present condition and appearance, will be the
winner on this occasion. Ricardus de Pigburn I know
nothing about. Tower is a perfect brute. Chilton, the
best horse in the entry, is overweighted. Llanforda, if
meant, ought to run well. Bold Davie, lam given to
understand, is sure to figure in front. Lady Sarah,
Anne Page, and the Liverpool filly are not likely to
trouble the judge this time. The Grace Darling filly,
whose performance hitherto, have been anything but re-
spectable, is an improving animal, and will do something
good presently, but not this bout I reckon. To sum tip
their pretensions, I should place THE BISHOP and Bold
Davie first and second ; with Old Humphrey and Mr.
T. Parr's animal in the next two berths. _

A Sweepstakes of 5 sovS.e;cll, with 30 added, for two-
year-olds, is the second race on the card, colts, Bst 71b ;
fillies, Bst 41b (about half a mile on the straight run in).
This race will, of course, be nothing more than a spurt,
the horse in the best condition, and first off, if possessed
of speed, being almost certain to be the winner. Taking
into consideration that not one of the twelve entries have
yet appeared in public, it is not altogether the easiest
task to select the winner. I have ascertained, however,
that the majority are not forward enough in their pre-
paration ; and that the race is almost certain to be con-
fined to the Jewess, Bridesmaid, and Lady Audrey, all
three of whom are in very good condition, considering the
time o' year. I feel inclined to give the palm to Lady
Audrey, and to place Bridesmaid and the Jewess in the
second and third positions.
The Selling Sweepstakes of 5 sovs each, with 25 added
does not close and name until this evening.
The Free Handicap Hurdle Race is said to be a posi-
tive certainty for Caurire or Sir Robert ; but about this
raco I know but little.

The Hunters' Stakes is also said to be a good thing for
Cropwell, a well-known hunter in those parts.
A Sweepstakes of 5 sous, to close to-night, brings th•
day's sports to a conclusion.
THE SPIRIT OF THE TURF.

WILTSHIRE CHAMPION COURSING
MEETING.--FEB. 1 TO 4.
The Druid Cup for all a'es (16 subs.) was won by Mr.
Brown's Bedlam Bess ; M. Rendall's Rabbi ran up.
The Great Western Stakes for 12 puppies of 1851,
were won by Mr. Jardine's Marmora and Miss Hannah.
The Amesbury Stakes for 16 puppies of 1851, were
won by Mr. Etwall's Evangeline ; Mr. Lawrence's Lucy
Locket ran up.
The Stonehenge Stakes were won by Mr. Etwall's
Egypt.
The Elston Stakes were divided by Mr. Brown's
Bright Eye.
The Beacon Hill Stakes were won by Mr. Biley's
Roscelle.
The Bulford Stakes were won by Captain Wyndham's
Whiff and Caffree.

HILTON COURSING MEETING.
This great coursing meeting took place on Thursday
and Friday last, when the following was the result of
t
the two days' sport, which was of a first class
2/. character :
The Hilton Cup by 16 dogs, all aged, a 10s. each,
the winner to receive 13/ ..the second,7/., anTinners of
two courses 21. 10s. each,— was won by Mr. . Con-
stable's r. d. Luck's All, Mr. Gouland's Bonnie Dundee,
Mr. Aungle's Sandy o'er the Lea, and Mr. Hilton's Tip
received the second and Ciird monies, having won two
courses each.
The Levey Stakes, by 13 dogs, at 11. 10s. each ; the
winner to receive 10/ , the second 31., and winners of two
courses 11. 10s. each.. Our correspondent from Stockton-
on-Tees has omitted to say which dog won this match,
but Mr. Aungle's ZilMr. Sweedy's Voltigeur, and
Mr. Menburn's sMacaroon‘ won two courses each. The
meeting on the whole was a very successful one.

RACING FIXTURES FOR 1853.
The figures within parenthesis denote the number of
days' racing.
FEBRUARY.
Nottingham Spring (1)... 8 llereford (2). 1 7
Lincoln Spring (2) 15 Coventry Spring (2) ''2

MAT CI.
Carmai thenshire Hunt 1 Newcastle Spring (2)....23
Liverpool Spring (1) 2 Leamington (1)
09
Doncaster Spring
(2) 8 Catterick Bridge (2) 29
Salisbury (2) lO Northampton (2) 3O
Warwick Spring (2) 15 Abergavenny (1) 31
Kiplin Coates (1) l7

APRIL.
Croxton Park (2) 5 York Spring (2) .......... le
Epsom Spring (1)
.. 7 Mahon (2) .................. 21
Newmarket Craven (5)...11 Newmarket F. S. (5)....25

MAY.
Chester (4) 3 Redditch (2) ............... 15
Newmarket Sec Sp (3) 10 Bath (2) ..................... 17
Liverpool Hunt (2) 11 Manchester (3) ............ 18
Shrewsbury (2)
Edinburgh (2) ll2l Epsom (4) .................. 24

GENERAL BROTHERTON AND MR. COBDEN.

General Brotherton has thus handsomely terminated
the very petty quarrel between himself and Mr. Cob-
den :

" Travellers' Club, Feb. 3, 1853.
" Sir —I have this day received your reply to my let
ter of the 29th ult.

"As my whole object in taking up your challenge
was to test your sincerity, which I have now done, I
therefore decline to accept your bond. But, of course,
I, nevertheless, still hold myself bound strictly to per-
form my part of the agreement—viz., the payment of
the weekly subscription to the Manchester Infirmary,
and I have accordingly directed my solicitor to wait
upon yours, and give him all the satisfactory security he
may require for the due payment of this subscription,
from this day henceforth, which, believe me, 1 shall
always feel gratified in paying in support of such a
benevolent institution, and to which I shall add a do-
nation of 51., transmitted to the treasurer.—l am, sir,
your obedient servant,
_

" T. W. BROTHERTON

"To Richard Cobden, Esq."

EXTRAORDINARY WAGERS.

Apropos of Cobden's wager, the Observer says :—" We
have in our minds a great many such " bobble bets,"
that have come to nothing, and all without the aid of
dramatic incident or effect. Instances are numerous
enough of such extravagant and hasteless wagers, full of
sound and fury, signifying nothing. There is one at
hand, so apt and appropriate, that we shall quote it here
entire—the more so, as it is not entirely foreign from
the question at issue, and that it reproduces, in the
language of the learned Chief Justice Lord Ellenbo-
rough, 'who was moved for a new trial, the some-
what apposite statement that in those days French in-
vasions were annually threatened, and were depre-
cated weekly in every church. In spite of all the terrors
that are daily endured by timid or sanguine people, we
are not come to that yet. We are not yet past praying
for. Indeed, we have heard of no church—nor even a
Quaker meeting-house—where the invasion is deprecated
every week. The chances of war and peace are now
discussed in the United Service Clubs—not in the
churches or the conventicles. And yet, in the remark-
able case which we select out of many—and which is
here subjoined—the parties to the suit are a well-known
sporting baronet (of Yorkshire, too), Sir Mark M.
Sykes, Sire of Sir Tatton Sykes we believe—and a clergy-
man, the Rev. Mr. Gilbert, who, in spite of the weekly
praying in churches, had no hesitation in standing to
win upon the continued existence of the daring Emperor
of the French, Napoleon the First and Fastest.
The following is an accurate abstract of the case,
which will not be read without interest in the present
day. The time is 1812, and the scene the York As-
sizes, and the Court of King's Bench, at Westminster.
Before proceeding any further, however, it is but fair to
inform the reader that General Brotherton has declined
to "take the odds," as will be seen by his last letter,
also subjoined ; and that, therefore, the affair, as regards
the parties, is virtually at an end. The moral of the
case, however, remains the same, and is held to bear out
these observations :

" CARR ON A BET.-GILBERT V. SYKES.-At the
York Assizes in March, a trial came on, in which the
Rev. B. Gilbert was plaintiff, and Sir Mark M. Sykes,
Bart., defendant. It appeared that the baronet, at his
own table, in a dinner-party, during a conversation re-
specting the hazard to which the life of Bonaparte was
exposed, had offered, upon the receipt of 100 guineas to
pay a guinea a day as long as he should remain alive.
Mr. Gilbert suddenly took up the offer ; but finding that
the sense of the company was against making a serious
matter of a bet proposed at a moment of conviviality, he
said, If you will submit, Sir Mark, to ask it as a fa-
vour, you may be off.' This the baronet refused to do ;
the 100 guineas were sent by Mr. G., of which Sir
M. acknowledged the receipt, and he had continued
paying the guinea a-day for nearly three years. At
length he declined further payment, and this action was
for the recovery of the sum still due upon the contract.
"Mr. Topping, for the defendant, eontended, first,
that there was no serious intention of betting on the
part of Sir M. Sykes, but that he was surprised by the
hasty acceptance of the offer by the clergyman. He
then, on the supposition that it was regarded as a real
bet, advanced an argument, that Mr. Gilbert, having
thus a beneficial interest in the life of Bonaparte, might
be induced, in case of his invading this island, to use
means for protecting from personal danger an inveterate
enemy of his country.
"The judge, after stating the evidence to the jury,
with his observations, left them to decide the fact,
whether there was an intention of betting on the part of
Sir M. Sykes, and reserving the point of law. The jury
returned a verdict for the defendant.

" On 16th April the case was brought before the
King's Bench, where Mr. Park moved for a rule to show
cause why the verdict for the defendant should not be
set aside, and a new trial granted, the verdict having
been found against all the evidence produced. Ile
recapitulated the circumstances of the transaction,
and said that Baron Thompson, in his charge to the
jury, had treated the contract rather as annuity than a
wager, and, however hastily it had been adopted by the
plaintiff, put it to them whether it had not been per-
sisted in by the defendant. It was no wager that Bona-
parte would come to his end by violent means.
" Lord Ellenborough, in granting the rule, said that he
was very sorry this question should come to be argued
in a court of law ; but unless there was in the nature of
the bet anything of an immoral or impolitic tendency, it
was a legal contract, and must be supported. He would
not declare what relief might be obtained elsewhere
under all the circumstances, but as the defendant went
on paving for three years, the fact of the contract seemed
to be clearly established, and the jury had certainly gone
beyond their province in finding for the defendant.
" The case was again brought under consideration
before the Court of King's Bench on June 11 and 15.
After the counsel had held their arguments respect-
ing the nature of the contract, and the interest of
the parties in the event which was its subject. Lord
Ellenborough said, that although the Court might
differ as to the grounds of their opinion, they all con-
curred that no new trial ought to be granted in this
case. The objection to this wager was its tendency to
produce public mischief. At a time when the enemy's
threats of invasion were annual, and deprecated weekly
in every church, could it be said, that in the event of
Bonaparte's landing, the interest of 365 guineas per
annum to preserve his life was too remote ? Besides,
one great object of the nation ought to be to obviate
the suspicion of attempting the assassination of Bona-
parte, with which it had (he hoped unjustly) been
charged ; and to prevent a war of assassination, with
which any attempt of that kind would not fail to be re-
venged. He could not say that the verdict for the de-
fendant was proper on the ground that the bet was not
deliberately entered into ; but looking into all the cir-
cumstances of the conversation upon which this contract
was founded, and the contract itself, he thought the
rule for a new trial ought to be discharged.
" The other three judges delivered a similar opinion,
and the rule was'accordingly discharged."