The Sun.
London, England, 1849-02-12 00:00:00

HARDYt 8 PATENT.

This case came before their X.ordships upon a petition,
praying for the extension of the patent granted to the
petitioner for the making of axles for railway carriages.
The examination of witnesses on behalf of the peti-
tioner occupied their Lordships the whole morning.

VICE-CHANCERY.--(THIS DAY.)
(Before the VICE-CHANCELLOR of ENGLAND.) •
No case of any interest came before his Honour dur-
ing the morning.
(Before the Vice-Chancellor KNIGHT BRUCE.
His Honour heard bankrupt petitions to-day, but
,they were totally devoid of any interest.
(Before the Vice-Chancellor WIGRAH.)
His Honour having disposed of the cases of " Lau-
rence v. Kent," and *6 Hart v. Fulk," proceeded to hear
causes, but nothing calling for a special report came
before the Court during the morning.

QUEEN'S BENCH.—(THIS DAY.)
;Sittings at Nisi Prius at Westminster, before Mr. Justice
ERLE and a Special Jury.)
DOE DES!. CONANT AND OTHERS V. WARNER.

This was an action of ejectment brought to recover
the possession of property of very considerable value
situate in the neighbourhood of Poland street and Great
Marlborough-street. The leases under which the pro-
perty was held were dated very far back, and expired in
January, 1848. The property devised by them was
formerly called Little Gelding Field, in the parish of St.
Martin's-in-the-Fields, end, although now of very great
value by the lapse of time, was originally only subject
to a rent of 201. a year. The first lease was dated in
1699. The lessors of the plaintiff founded their claim
to the property in question upon a devise contained in
the will of the late Sir Benjamin Maddox, dated in Feb-
ruary, 1714. The defendant's title was sought to be
deduced from their relationship to the coheiresses of Sir
Benjamin Maddox.
Mr. Kealing, Mr. Dowdeswell, and Mr. Pigott were
counsel for the lessors of the plaintiff, and Mr. Bovill,
Mr. Vowles, and Mr. Dawson represented the de-
fendants.

The case was proceeding when we went to press.

EXCHEQUER.-(THIS DAY.)
:Sittings at Nisi Prius at Westminster, before the CHIEF
BARON and a Special Jury.)
WAKLEY V. HEALEY ♦ND COOKE.

This action was brought to recover compensation in
damages for certain alleged libels which appeared in the
Medical Times reflecting upon the character of the
plaintiff in his public capacity as coroner for Middlesex.
The Attorney-General and Mr. Edwin James ap-
peared for the plaintiff; and Mr. Sergeant Wilkins for
the defendants, one of whom was the proprietor, and the
other the publisher of the journal.

The libels were publi;hed in August, 1846, and
they had reference to the proceedings of an in-
quest which was held at Hounslow, on the
body of a soldier named John Frederick White,
whose supposed death from flogging created at the time
a good deal of public discussion and indignation at that
mode of punishment. The inquest was adjourned from
time to time, a great number of medical and other wit-
nesses having been examined, and the jury ultimately
came to the conclusion that the death of the deceased
had been caused by his receiving 150 lashes on the back
and neck in compliance with the sentence passed upon
him by a court-martial, and they coupled with that ver-
dict a strong expression of their condemnation of the
system of punishinent adopted in the army. The libels
accused the plaintiff of having induced several of the wit-
nesses to perjure themselves in order that he might get a
verdict of manslaughter or murder against some of the
parties, and thus increase his popularity, and stand a better
chance of being returned for F►nsbury at the next elec-
tion. It also accused him of having employed a Mr.
Erasmus Wilson to examine the body, and called that
gentleman Mr. Wakley's hanger-on and partner, with
'whom he shared the post-eaortem examination fees. To
these different libels pleas of justification had been put
in by the defendant, but the truth of them was de-
nied by the plaintiff. The Attorney-General stated
that the plaintiff had no desire to create any popular
feeling in his favour, and was anxious only to fairly and
impartially discharge his duty as coroner ; that
he had issued his coroner's warrant on receiving a letter
from the Rev. Mr. Trimmer, the rector of the parish,
who had refused to inter the deceased until some inquiry
was instituted into the cause of his death, and that the
accusation with respect to Mr. Wilson was untrue, he
having been engaged only in 25 cases out of 1,000 cases
which had come before Mr. Wakley.
A great number of witnesses have to be examined,
and the case is likely to extend over more than one day.

GRIMSBY DOCKS.—The fine first•class ship Albion,
upwards of 1,000 tons burden, entered the old dock,
Grimsby, on Tuesday last, from St. John's, with a cargo
of timber and deals for Messrs. R. Armitage and Co., of
this port and Huddersfield. This ship, the property of
William Harland, Esq., M.D., the present Mayor of
Scarborough, is the largest that has hitherto entered
this port, and one of the largest that ever floated on the
Humber, being nearly 160 feet long. She is also the
first vessel that has been towed into these docks, the
steam-tug Wilberforce, Captain Richardson, having been
brought from Hull for the purpose. The entrance of
this ship through the lock, on the level, sufficiently
proves the applicability of the dock now formed at this
port. We understand that the Great Northern Com-
pany are contemplating a line to branch from the Man-
chester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire, at the lock, to a
jetty (by the basin) which has been undergoing a tho-
rough renewal for the purpose of landing goods of all
descriptions at the Old Dock, without having recourse to
the tedious and expensive mode of carting. This must
eventually prove a great public convenience both for ex-
port and import traffic, particularly as regards the
transit of coals from sloops. The Great Northern
Company have also erected a very spacious and sub-
stantial warehouse near Pasture-street, which also will
be appreciated by the business men of Louth and
Grimsby. It is expected that very shortly first-rate
steamers will ply between Grimsby, Rotterdam, and
other Pachet.