The Sun.
London, England, 1871-01-20 00:00:00

LAW AND POLICE.

BREACH OF PROMISE.—In the Court of Exchequer an
action, " Borch v. Young," was tried for an alleged breach
of promise of marriage. From the evidence, it appeared
that the parties became acquainted about two years ago,
when, according to the plaintiff's case the defendant
made her an offer of marriage, which she accepted, with
the sanction of her relations. She lived with him as his
wife for about a fortnight, and eventually the defendant
declined to fulfil his promise. The defence was that the
plaintiff had voluntarily agreed to live with the defendant as
his mistress, and that no promise of marriage had been made.
The learned judge (Baron Bramwell) in summing up ob-
served that it was right he should state publicly that a
promise of marriage given in consideration of a woman
consenting to allow a man to become possessed of her
person, was invalid, on the ground that it was given for
an immoral consideration. It was a sad fact that in many
agricultural districts young women consented to allow the
young men with whom they kept company to have con-
nexion with them on the understanding that if nothing
happened things should remain as they were, but
that if they became in the family-way the
young men should make what was called " honest
women" of them by marrying them. This custom resulted
in gross immorality and in wide-spread misery, young
men and women, without a chair to sit upon, a bed to lie
upon, or a blanket to cover them, getting children whom
they were utterly unable to maintain. So greatly was
the vice and pauperism of the country increased by this
practice that he•almost felt inclined to say that a man
ought not to be allowed to marry a woman by whom he
had had a child. The jury must say whether in this case
the promise was an innocent one or was given for an im-
moral consideration. The jury returned a verdict for the
plaintiff, with £2OO damages.

BILL TRANSACTIONS.—SIXTY PER CENT.—In the Court
of Queen's Bench, Mr. Holkar shewed cause against a
rule which had been obtained for a new trial in the case
of " Morris v. Bayley." The action was brought on a
bill of exchange for £750, drawn by a Captain Metcalf
and accepted by the defendant and endorsed
to the plaintiff, to recover a sum of £5lO alleged
to be due to the plaintiff on various bill transac-
tions, for which he held this bill as security. The action
was tried before Mr. Justice Brett, and, on the accounts
between the parties produced, and on the evidence of
Captain Metcalf, the jury found a verdict for the defend-
ant. —The plaintiff's case was that he advanced money to
Captain Metcalf, a young officer, at is. in the pound per
month, or £6O per cent., taking his promissory notes and
bills as security, and renewing these securities, and charg-
ing 60 per cent. upon the 60 per cent. interest
accrued, and had taken the security of the de-
fendant, another young officer, for these debts
until Mr. Metcalf got into hopeless difficulties,
and was obliged to sell his commission, which was sold for
£1,650, the proceeds of which were charged with various
advances made by the plaintiff ; and, according to the
plaintiff's account, there still remained due to him £5lO,
or at any rate a sum of £3OO. The Lord Chief Justice
said he believed the jury were entirely warranted in
coming to the conclusion they did, and, therefore, the
rule would be discharged.

THE CONVICT WILLIAM ROUPELL.—The health
of this individual is ain precarious condition. He is an
inmate of the infirmary of Portland Prison, where he is
undergoing the sentence of penal servitude for life for
forgery. He has long ceased to work at the stone
quarries, and has been an assistant in the sick infirmary,
but the confinement and remorse have told upon his wiry
frame ; he is most submissive in demeanour and a strict
adherent to prison discipline. His political acquaintances
have long ceased to visit him. He is much respected by
the sick prisoners and officers with whom he comes in
contact. His relatives are still sanguine of a remission of
the sentence.
HIGHWAY ROBBERY IN AMERICA.—The New
York, Times of the 7th prints the following story, in the
form of a telegram from Albany, with the date of the
previous night :—" This evening, just as the 8.20
Boston train started from the Union depot, in this city,
to cross the Hudson River Bridge, a man sprang into the
American Express Company's car and shot the express
messenger, Thomas A. Halpine, through the neck, in the
right eye, and in the right ear. The robber then took the
keys from the messenger and opened the safe, from which
he extracted $2,259 in bills. He accomplished all this
while crossing the bridge, and on arriving at East Albany
jumped off the train and made his escape. The crime was
not discovered until the train had stood at the Albany
depot some minutes, when the wounded messenger crawled
to the door of the car and attracted attention. He was
immediately taken to the City Hospital, and, notwith-
standing his terrible wounds, was able to converse and to
give an account of the robbery. Halpine resides in this
city. His recovery is not considered possible."

THE EMPIRE ASSURANCE CORPORATION. - Vice-
Chancellor Stuart had before him an aplication on be-
half of Captain Hubbard to have his name removed from
the list of contributories of the Empire Assurance Cor-
poration. Although Captain Hubbard had not taken
any shares in the company, and had always refused to
take any, he had on many occasions acted as director,
and in that capacity had signed a considerable number
of policies issued by the company, and had
received five guineas as part payment for his services as a
director. Under these circumstances the official liquida-
tor had put his name in the list of contributories as the
holder of the number of shares which by the company's
articles of association was necessary to qualify as a direc-
tor—namely, fifty. The Vice-Chancellor said that by
signing policies of this company as a director he held him-
self out to its creditors as a properly qualified director, and
he must be treated as the holder of fifty shares.

SYMPATHY WITH THE LONDON CABMEN.—The
other evening Mr. and Mrs. George Moore received about
150 London cabmen at supper at their residence. Th°
supper was laid in the servants' hall and other rooms in
the basement decorated for the occasion with holly
and mottoes. The guests did honour to their
hosts by the heartiness with which they partook of the
meal and the good order which they kept. The clear-
ing of the tables was followed by a succession of
short addresses. Mr. Moore expressed to the men how
glad Mrs. Moore and himself were to see them there. If°
rejoiced in the fact that of late years they had risen in
the estimation of the public, and he (using cabs very
much) could testify to the great improvement that had
taken place. Referring to the Education Act, and the
new opportunieties it offered, he exhorted them to take
care to send their children to school—day-school, and
especially Sunday school. Colonel Henderson, Commis-
sioner of Police, next expressed his interest in the cab-
men, and his desire to promote official regulations which
may tend to their welfare. The Marquis Townshend
and the Rev. Daniel Moore also spoke. The proceedings
were then brought to a close with the doxology and
benediction. A vote of thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Moore,
proposed by Colonel Henderson, elicited loud cheers. -
the men left, their hosts presented each with a copy of
a book, a British Workman Sheet Almanack, and a neW

shilling.
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