The Sun.
London, England, 1847-10-07 00:00:00

COURT OF BANKRUPTCY, Oct. 6.
(Before Mr. Commissioner SHEPHERD.)
IN RE METEYARD.
Mr. Horace Meteyard, the insolvent, is a barrister,
and resided in Bedford-place, Russell-square. He
came up for his final order. The debts and liabilities
are stated in the schedule to be upwards of 72,000/.,
arising chiefly out of transactions connected with
railways.
Mr. DuNcia, who opposed, said he had no wish to
enter into the particulars of this case, and to save the
insolvent the pain of a protracted investigation, would
propose that protection be granted from time to time,
upon the condition that Mr. Meteyard should set
apart from his professional earnings such sum for the
payment of his debts as the Court might think it
right to order.
Mr. STURGEON, as counsel for Mr. Meteyard, de-
clined to accede to the proposal.
Mr. Duncan then took a technical objection, viz.,
that as Mr. Meteyard had been buying and selling
railway shares to make a profit by them, he was a
trader within the meaning of the Act.
The Court overruled the objection, and declared
that Mr. Meteyard was an insolvent debtor.
Mr. DUNCAN said, the chief ground of opposition
was, that Mr. lleteyard had contracted debts without
reasonable or probable means of payment. His
Honour would perceive, that at a time when the pro-
fessional earnings of Mr. Meteyard were very scanty
he rented an expensive house in Bedford-place, kept
a carriage, and became a director or provisional corn-
mittee•man of numerous railway companies. It could
not be denied that the insolvent had entered into im-
mense liabilities with no means of discharging them
—that such conduct must be reprobated by the Court,
because when men in the position of Mr. Meteyard
lent their names to such schemes, people of inferior
condition and education were induced to join in them
and be ruined. Surely such conduct was not less
blameable than that of the poor insolvent, who, for
dealing in accommodation bills to the amount of 2001.
or 3001., was refused protection, and sent back to
prison. In conclusion, he called upon his Honour to
affirm the principle that rash and excessive specula-
tion could not be countenanced by a Court of a mer-
cantile character, and to refuse the final order for at
least a considerable time.
The COMMISSIONER asked Mr. Duncan for whom
he appeared ?
Mr. DUNCAN said he appeared in support of a
claim entered in the schedule to the amount of 760/,
MY. STURGEON said he altogether disputed the
claim.
Mr. Meteyard said this was the only claim upon
which he was opposed, and characterised it as a
fraudulent one. The moment his final order was
granted he would pay off all his just debts, but as for
this one and the railway liabilities, he did not consider
that he was fairly or honestly indebted.
COMMISSIONRR—I am decideily of opinion that any
man who enters into speculations beyond his means
comes within the category of those who contract
debts without reasonable or probable prospect of
paying them, and ought to be punished accordingly.
Mr. STURGEON said that the debts in the schedule,
independently of railways, were a mere trifle, in fact
they d d not amount to 400/.
Mr. Meteyard-160/. is the decoration of my house,
and a portion of the remainder to a tailor. In fact
they were such debts as were ordinary incurred by
parsons in my station of life.
Mr. STURGEON—And the house decorator is here,
and perfectly willing that my client should have his
final order.
Mr. Meteyard—l was connected with various lines
of railway, and my nzme was appended to various
others. My co-directors and fellow-committeemen
left the country—men of rank and title. I was left
alone.

COMMISSIONER—But that is no justification for
your incurring liabilities to the amount of 70,0001.
without any means of discharging them.
Mr. Meteyard said he did not leave the country
like others, because he conceived that would be a
dishonourable action. He went down to stand for
Stafford, and would have been returned, but he
was arrested for a debt at the suit of I\lessrs. Rogers
and. Olding. His friends interfered, and would have
paid it, but seeing that he could not extricate him-
self from his position, he allowed the law to take its
course.

Mr. STURGEON called to his Honour's mind the
state of things during the railway mania. Men who
were directors in particular lines were every day
selected to become directors or committeemen of others.
Some of the first men in the country were speculators
in railways, nor was the judicial bench, or even the
bench of bishops, exempt.
The COMMISSIONER said he did not wish to be bard
upon a gentleman who had been bitten during this
mania ; but, for the sake of principle, must impose some punishment.
Mr. DUNCAN hoped his Honour would consider the
whole case.

COMMISSIONER—WeII, Mr. Sturgeon, what do you
say to postponing the final order fur six months?
Mr. STURGEON—I cannot consent to it.
Mr. DUNcAN—Am I to understand that such is
your Honour's decision ?
Mr. STURGEON—Nothing of the kind. The Learned
Counsel then went on to remark upon the occurrences
at the period of the mania, which he said surpassed
anything in the hiitory of the country, not excepting
even the South Sea bubble. Many of these claims
were in reality no claims at all. He knew a matter
which happened when the carriages of earls were
drawn up at Capel-court, which resembled many of
the transactions of the period. A gentleman was
asked by a solicitor to become a member of a railway
board, on the understanding that the solicitor should
guarantee him from all liability ; but what was the
fact ? Why, that very solicitor sued the gentleman
for those liabilities.
Mr. PUNCAN said it was upon the faith of such
men as Mr. Meteyard being directors that engineers
and surveyors, levellers, and other professional men
gave their valuable time, for which they had received
no recompense.
The COMMISSIONER asked Mr. Meteyard regarding
the expenditure.
Mr. Meteyard said he did not think his expenditure
at all excessive. He had kept a carriage ever since
he was a Tithe Commissioner in 1836. His profes-
sional earnings were about 6001. or 7001. a year. He
repeated that he was willing to satisfy every just and
fair claim.

COMMISSIONER—WeII, I think I may grant the
final order.

Mr. DUNCAN—Then you will have all the railway
speculators pouring into the Court.
Final order granted.
IN RE I. HUDSON KIR/IT.
The insolvent, an actor at the Surrey and other
theatres, came up for his final order.
After much discussion the petition was dismissed,
in consequence of an informality in it.
IN RE WILLIAMS.
The insolvent, who was a Custom-house clerk, at
a salary of 1561. a year, came up for his interim order.
Mr. Bagley opposed, and Mr. Sturgeon supported
The insolvent, who is the son of a naval officer, had,
according to his own admission, borrowed money at
the rate of three hundred per cent. He was rather
extensively engaged in bill transactions. The debts
were 3601. The assets nil. Amongst the creditors
was a Mr. Maybury, a surgeon, living at 3, Little
Tower-street, who would not swear that he had not
charged at the rate of two hundred per Cent. to Go-
vernment clerks for discounting bills.
The COMMISSIONEIL refused to grant the final or-
der, unless the insolvent allowed the half of his in-
come to the payment of his debts.
The insolvent's counsel consented that this proposi-
tion should be entered upon the file of the Court.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
MARLBOROUGH-STREET.
...aAN EX-POLICEMAN PICKPOCKET.—Yesterday Win.
ellhar"eY' a person formerly in the police force, was
ofged with having picked the pocket of Mr. J.
Steventon,
Clarence-place, of a silver snuff-box,
value 4/.
The prosecutor said he was walking in Regent-
street on Tuesday, went he felt a sudden jerk at his
pocket. He instantly
the prisoner was stoppegdapwerrteh;nutT-
missed his snuff.box, and, see-
inggave an alarm and
the prisoner running
saidlLthe street.
box vas after-
wards picked up by some
Henry Webb, a labourer,
heard the cry of
siosP hkj
and saw the prisoner
t
stop attempting to make
h
the prisoner,
escape.tt; le ran forward
to
lle parried a heavy blow aimed at him, closed with
the prisoner, and succeeded in throwing him down.
The prisoner was fully committed.
CLERKEN WELL.
James Waller, aged 17, was placed at the bar,
charged by Mr. John Watling, of High-street,
Camden-town, with wanton cruelty to a half-bred
Spaniel dog.
It appeared in evidence that on Tuesday afternoon
12st the prisoner was seen to take the dog into a mews
in High•street, Camden-town, and to fasten a strap
round its neck. He then pulled it tightly, so as
nearly to choke the animal, an 4 he kicked it on the
head and body with all his might and vengeance until