The Sun.
London, England, 1854-02-07 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE-(THIS DAY).

BANKRUPTCY COURT.
(Before Mr. Commissioner Evans.)
IN ZE WALLOW.-THE BATTERSEA PARK A BUILDING

FAILURE.

This bankrupt was described as of Nine Elms, Bat-
tersea, &c., and to-day was appointed for consideration
of his certificate.

Mr. J. R. Chidley, of Gresham•street, appeared for
the assignees to oppose the granting of the certificate
mmediately, on the ground that there were legal pro-
ceedings pending, the result of which might materially
affect the question.

The balance sheet prepared by Mr. Watson, of Basing-
hall-street, extending over only 9 months, from February
to October, 1853, shows—Debtor to creditors—unse-
cured, 1,9811. 2s. ld. )ik to ditto holding a mortgage on
property, for 4051. Capital, 9th February, 1853, 2,309/.
10s. 6d. ; profits on rents, 1501. 4s. ld. Creditor by
debtors—good, 191. 10s. ; leasehold property at Bethnal-
green, realised, nett, 2121. 16s. 4d. ; leasehold property
at Battersea (for which there is an injunction in Chan-
cery) cost 3,8841. 19s. 3d. ; law charges, interest, &c.,
161/. ; house and personal expenses, 2321.
It appeared that the bankrupt purchased some land
at Battersea, and erected the " Park" Tavern, but pro-
ceedings were taken against him in Chancery through
some family dispute. The tavern, however, had been
let to Messrs. Money and Martin, brewers, at a rental
of 501., to be increased to 901. per annum, in the event
of a spirit licence being granted, and this was expected
in consequence of the formation of the new park.
The bankrupt was examined by Mr. Chidley, and ad-
mitted that he had sold some property whilst in prison,
but he had rendered an account of it.

His Honour said that the bankrupt ought not to have
sold property while in prison, but there did not appear
to have been any wrong intention ; he would therefore
take an immediate certificate.

A certificate was granted of the second class.

CAB FARES.

The little work on this subject published by Mr.
Charles Knight, by the authority of the Commissioners
of Police, does infinite credit to the compilers, whoever
they may be. It will form a most useful companion to
all who are in the habit of using cabs, because the infor-
mation it conveys will at once obviate those annoying
disputes about fares which formerly arose between Jehu
and his customer in at least two out of every three for
stances in which a vehicle was hired. By an ingenious
but yet simple and intelligible arrangement a person can,
without scarcely a moment's delay, ascertain the distance
and fare from all the principal streets, squares, or other
places within a radius of four miles of Charing-cross, to
every important point or centre in the metropolis, such
as railway stations, churches, bridges, theatres, and
other public buildings, parks, exhibitions, and so forth.
Indeed, it will be singular if, with such a voluminous
list, any should not be able to discover the legal fare
from a few yards of their own dwelling to all those pro-
minent spots which we have indicated. There is attached
to the book a concise abstract of the Hackney Carriages
Act, ample enough, however, for all the purposes of
reference, whether in regard to disputes or other mat-
ters provided for in this important statute. We should
mention that all the distances given have been measured
by the direction of the commissioners, who guarantee
their accuracy.

TIE PRINTING AND STATIONERY DEPART-
MENTS OP GOVERNMENT.

The attention of all financial reformers should be
directed to an enormous abuse in the printing and sta-
tionery departments of Government. We have received
two enormous bluebooks, purporting to be the report of
the commission which has investigated the alleged acts
of corruption at Hull. These two volumes constitute a
load which a man of average strength would hesitate to
carry from St. Paul's to Charing-cross. We find in
them no less than 82,800 cross-questions and crooked
answers with reference to the enormities of the Hullites.
Now, we should very much like to know the cost to the
nation of so bulky a report. Nobody will read it,
nobody has time to read it, nobody could read it, except
a German professor who was afflicted with a monomania
upon the local politics of Hull. It should be the first
duty of commissioners under such circumstances to pre-
sent the Houses with such an epitome of the results of
their labours as could be read by mortal men and paid
for at a reasonable cost. Let them by all means be re-
munerated for the labour of condensation—it would
probably be the most tedious portion of their duty, but
a little money spent in this way would save the public
an enormous loss. It is high time that a stop should
be put to such a waste of the public money.—Times.

FOLKESTONE, Feb. 6.—Last night, about a quarter to •
8 o'clock, during the prevalence of a heavy sea fog, the
Hannibal, a fine ship of 600 tons, outward bound for
Sydney, came ashore on the Church Rocks, about half
a mile to the westward of this harbour, and close to the
spot where the Santipore was wrecked in October last.
The attention of our boatmen was immediately arrested
by the firing of signal guns, and several yawls put off
to render assistance. Captain Hathorn, naval superin-
tendent of the South Eastern and Continental Steam-
packet Company's Fleet, at once ordered steam to be
got up in the vessels under his charge in harbour, and
the telegraph having been set to work, information of
the disaster reached Dover and Ramsgate within a very
short period of its occurrence. At the former port
two steam'tugs were lying off the harbour with steam
up, and, a communication having been opened from
the shore, they immediately proceeded round the point
to Folkestone, where the Hannibal was discovered
set fast on the rocks, in a position of imminent danger.
Before midnight, a third tug had arrived from Ramsgate,
and, under the direction of Hobday, a Dover pilot, ar-
rangements were made for getting the ship off at flood
tide. A number of warps having been made fast, an-
ohm s were carried out by the Folkestone boatmen, and
at 2 o'clock a.m. an effort was made to tow her off. The
wind proving favourable, and the tide answering at half
past two o'clock she again floated in deep water. Within
an hour afterwards the wind veered, and a brisk gale
sprung up, which, but for the fortunate circumstance of
the ship having previously floated, must have inevitably
caused her destruction on the rocks. The utility of the
South Eastern Company's telegraph has never been
more satisfactorily shown than in the salvage of this fine
vessel, which, had it not been for the prompt and timely
aid of the steam-boats, must have been lost. As it has
bappened the ship has merely lost her false keel, and she
is now being towed back to the river to be overhauled.
The Hannibal is the property of Messrs. Cook and Co.,
of Aberdeen, at which p,)rt she was built about two years
ago. She was commanded by Captain Walker, and had
several passengers and a valuable cargo on board.
DESTRUCTION OF THE ENGLISH VESSEL HOWARD AT
&Nom —The following is a copy of a letter posted on
the Manchester Exchange yesterday, addressed to
Messrs. Nash and Nash, of Liverpool, from the Foreign-
office :—" Gentlemen,—In acknowledging the receipt
of your letter of the 9th inst., upon the subject of the
destruction of the English vessel Howard at Sinope, I
am directed by the Earl of Clarendon to acquaint you
that be has been in communication with the owners of
that vessel, but he is not yet in possession of all the
facts that must have occurred in the case. The atten-
tention of the Board of Admiralty has been called to the
necessity of taking such measures as circumstances may
admit of for the protection of British vessels in the
1314c1; Sea. I am, 44c.)-11. J, ADDIEOTAIT."