The Sun.
London, England, 1841-02-06 00:00:00

LOFTUS V. LOFTUS-DIVORCE.

Two witnesses were sworn on the part of the defendant,
to give evidence.

EVERITT AND CRESSWEL L V, BINGO AND NINE OTHERS-

CHURCH-RATES, ST. MAROARETS, LYNN.
Mr. Steward, for the plaintiffs, had alleged to put in a
counter-allegation, and he stated that as all the facts of
the case would then be before the Court, he should pro-
pose to the other side to take the decision of the Judge
thereon without prcceeding through all the usual forms.
THE SAME V. REED AND TWO OTHERS.-THE SAME SUBJECT.

Mr. Steward offered to consolidate this suit with the
preceding, but as Mr. Skipper repeated that the defence
in this case was different from the other, it was agreed to
consolidate the three, if Behar, one of the defendants on
whom the plaintiffs had not been able to serve a citation,
would consent.

Will ['TAKER AND WIFE V. REEVE.
ALI.PRESS AND WIFE V. THE SAME.
TOWNLEY AND WIFE V THE SAME.
Three suits tor defamation. Advanced a stage.
HAMMOND AND WIFE V. QUAILES.-DEFAMATION.

A new case brought into Court.
DODSON AND I.IIELDRAKE V. BARKER -CIIURCII-RATES,
ST. ANDREW'S, NORWICH.

This case stood for hearing and judgment. Mr.
Barker and Mr. Seward were heard on their re-
spective sides, the former msintaining that as it
had been proved in evidence that all the parishioners were
not assessed, the rate was invalid, and Mr. Steward con-
tending that several of the alleged omissions did not exist,
and the others were legally made.
The Judge summed up the whole case, and remarked
that whereas the suit had been commenced in October,
1838, it bad been removed from that Court by the de-
fendant, who moved in the Queen's Bench, for a prohibi-
tion, the proceedings on which occupied fifteen months;
and further, the defendant had, as he was entitled to do,
rejected a proposition from the other side to bring the case
to a speedy settlement. Ho went on to say, the defence
rested on seven alleged omissions of property from the rate,
the whole rateable value of which was proved by the de-
positions to be about 71. 10a. In the first of these cases
it appeared from the witnesses that the property alleged to
be omitted was included in the assessment of the occupier.
In the second, the occupier was so poor as to be unable to
pay, and it was therefore lawful to emit him. The third
and fourth related to certain charity schools, which it had
always been the custom, and the legal and preisewortby
custom, of the parish to excuse from rates. The
fifth and sixth were tenements valued at ten shil-
lings, and these it was lae ful to omit, as it had
Leen decided by Lord Denman that parish officers were
not bound to insert assessments in the Poor-rate which
were so small that the collection was greater than the
sum collected. Questions as to the Poor-rate were decided
much more strictly than as to Church-rates, and that deci.
lion would therefore apply to the present case. The whole
defence, then, rested on a single instance, in which it was
alleged that property of the value of 303. per annum was
omitted. The depositions did not entirely bear out the
fact, but left it doubtful whether the occupier was not
rated for this in the amount of his assessment. But even
supposing it had been proved, as no fraud nor wilful mis-
conduct was charged upon the Chnrchwardens, he was
❑ot prepared to say the omission of 303. was sufficient to
invalidate a Church-rate, and he must therefore condemn
the defendant to pay the rate sought to be recovered, and
also the costs of the suit.
(Next Court, Feb. 22.)

REWARD OF £lOO FOR THE AP-
PREHENSION OF HOUSTON WALLACE.

DESTRUCTION OF THE Lccy.—A reward of 100/. has
been offered to any one who shall lodge in gaol the body
of Houston Wallace, who is charged with having effected
the destruction of the ship called the Lucy, insured on a
voyage from Bristol and Llanelly to Valparaiso, in South
America, for the purpose of defrauding the General Ma-
rine Insurance Company. Roe, the officer who appre-
hended Houston Wallace's brothers, who are now in New-
gate, was sent by Mr. Phillips, one of the solicitors em-
ployed in the prosecution, to Bristol, as soon as the letter
of the agent of Lloyd's announcing the loss of the ship
was exhibited. The vessel in which Hauston Wallace ar-
rived, as the officer soon learned in that place, is called the
Margaret, Captain England, from whom he learned that
Captain Houston Wallace had left the vessel in a skiff in
the King Road. He traced Houston Wallace, who no
doubt learned, on reaching the town, quite enough to in-
duce him to act cautiously, to Queen-square, Bristol, to
the house of Mrs. Longford, where be had applied to be
accommodated with a lodging, at 12 o'clock on Saturday
night, and had been advised, as there was no room, to go
to the Bush Inn; in which he procured a bed. The officer
then traced hint to the train for London, into which he
went at eight o'clock on• Sunday evening, so that in all
probability he is now in the metropolis. Roe leatnad
on board the Margaret that Houston Wallace went
on board to see Captain England at nine o'clock
on Monday morning ; but, having heard there
were two gentlemen below with him, retired quickly,
stating that he would call again, but never repeated the
visit: that Captain England said the unfortunate man-ap-
peared to be much discomposed, and had apparently lost
everything by the shipwreck of the Lucy, except an o'.(1
family watch. Even a favourite dog, which he had on
board the Lucy, was said to have been drowned. Mr.
Phillips, the solicitor, ordered hand bills and placards, of-
fering the reward for the apprehension of Houston Wallace,
to bo sent all over the metropolis, and to all the seaport
towns, and the insurance companies are determined to spare
no pains or expense in the search after him. Tae accused
is represented in the placards as a thin spare man, about
28 years of age, wi.h white teeth and a Scotch accent,
and evidently a seafaring person.

EFFECTS OF TILE COLD
WEATHER.

The present extreme severity of the weather has greatly
affected the police, both in the City and Metropolitan
districts. Since Monday there are no less than fifty of the
men belonging to the six City divisions who have been
entirely disabled from doing duty in consequence of the
extreme cold. In the Metropolitan force the number is
between four and five hundred. At Hampstead, High-
gate, Hackney, Brixton, Woclwieb, Greenwich, Nor-
wood, Putney, and those districts exposed to bleakness,
the sickness is three to one of that of the metropolis. The
sensation felt by the men is giddinness and inclination to
sleep, with great difficulty of respiration. The military
doing duty at the Tower, Woolwich, Chatham, Dover.
and Windsor, have also suffered greatly from the effects of
the weather, so much so, that instead of being on sentry
two hours (the usual period), they have at times been
obliged to be relieved every hour, especially during the
L
night. At the Horse Guards the two mounted sentinels
are relieved every hour.

- -
PAVEMENT. —The opinion is almost
universal that the whale of London will ultimately be paved
with wood, the final execution of that immense under-
taking being merely a question of time. Should this
turn out to be the fact, it is of the last importance that
recognised principles should become the guide of those
who are called upon to act in the business; and solely
with the view of enforcing the consideration of this im-
portant point upon general attention have we taken up
the subject. The superiority of wood over stone as a
material for paving carriage-ways, seems, indeed, to be
finally acknowledged; and it is now no longer asked
whether wood shall be substituted for stone, but which
plan is mist deserving of public favour.—Polytechnical
Journal.
The following circular has been issued to the
supporters of her Majesty's Ministers Lord J. Russell
presents his compliments to —, and particularly requests
his attendance at the House of Commons every Monday
and Friday at a quarter before four o'clock precisely, to
put the Speaker into the Chair."