The Sun.
London, England, 1841-04-15 00:00:00

IN RE JAMES ALEXANDER.

The insolvent in this case was a baker in Walwortb,
and was indebted to several millers, none of whom ap-
peared save the detaining creditor by his attorney.
He was opposed by Mr. Manning, a solicitor, who
contended that the insolvent had been taken under a
friendly arrest.
Mr. Young, of the firm of Young and Son, so!ici-
tors, Mark-lane, stated to the Court that he was en-
gaged to recover a sum of money due by the insolvent
to Mr. Ward, a {bur factor in Malden, and caused an
execution to issue against his effects ; but they were
already taken possession of by the landlord. He would
acknowledge that the insolvent was taken in capias as
a matter of compassion, and at his (the insolvent's)
own request, that he might pass through the Court, and
hove whatever effects he might be possessed of adminis-
tered by it. At the time the execution was put in, one
of the insolvent's chdiren was lying dead, and another
died since. •

Mr. Commissioner BOWEN said that he could not
consider the presvnt case came under the classification
of " friendly arrests" in the usual acceptation of that
term. A parallel case had occurred some time since,
vrhere the detaining creditor acknowledged that he was
actuated by a kindly feeling in arresting the insolvent,
yet it was the only way in which he could be serve;], or
his ascots made profitably available to his creditors.
He should therefore order that the insolvent be dis-
charged forthwith.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MANSION ROUSE.

Win. Lloyd, Secretary to the North StaffordAire
Colliery Company, was summoned before Sir PETER
LAURIE under the following circumstances :
Mr. Henry Brown, engrave: and printer, of No. 14,
Nichol-square, Cripplegate, stated that in the month of
September, 1839, he was applied to by Messrs. Lloyd
and Robinson, Secretaries to the North Staffordshire
Colliery Company, to print prospectuses and to make
account books for the Company. The term of credit
was said to be about two months, and all orders were
signed by Messrs. Lloyd and Robinson, servants of the
Company, a course which prevented them from being
amenable for the amount of the debt incurred. They
lived in New Basinghall•:treet, and described them-
selves as Secretaries to the Company, when he (com-
plainant) had his dealing with the concern. The time
arrived for settling the account, which amounted to
451.115., but as no attention was paid to his applithition,
he placed the business in the hinds of his solicitot, who
wrote to those of the parties whose names appeared in
the prospectuses as Directors ; Mr. Woollett, of Hol-
born-hill ; Mr. Maclean, of Basinghall-street ; and Mr.
Luntley. The two first gentlemen returned the follow-
ing answer :

" 92, Holborn, Dec. 10, 1839.
" Sir—l disclaim any connexion with the Company
you wrote to me concerning. My name, it is true, was
published, but without my consent. I have had nothing
whatever to do with the Company, neither intend to
haves You must look to those who contracted the debt.
Ido not even know the party for whom yoti
am, Sir, your's, obediently. GEO. WOOLLETT."
" 7, Basinghall-street, Dec. 10, 1839.
" Sir,—l am neither a Director nor Shareholder in the
North Stafforshire Colliery Company, and never was,
and I know nothing at all about the concern.
" My solicitors are Messrs. Sweet, Sutler, and Co.
of this street.

" I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
" D. MACLEAN."
The third party did not think proper to make any
reply. Thus the account remained unsettled, and he
(complainant) thought that, under those circumstances,
the most proper course ho could pursue, was to sum-
mon Mr. Lloyd before Sir Peter Laurie to explain the
conduct of the Company.
Sir P. LAURIE--Do you mean to say that in conse-
quence of the issue of the names of these parties as
Directors you gave credit ?
Mr. Brown--Yes, in consequence of that and having
known Mr. Lloyd before.
Sir P. LAURIE—If any Company put forth the names'
of parties without their sanction, there can be no second
opittioe as to the character of that Company. Lord
Denman has done great good in expressing himself
recently on that point, in the case of the Independent
and West Middlesex Life and Fire Assurance rob.
berg ; and Mr. Thesiger, the counsel, has done him-
self credit in throwing up the brief of one of the persons
concerned. Now, Mr. Lloyd, it remains for you to
defend yourself. You have come here at once to meet
this complaint in the most prompt and candid manner,
and I give you every credit for" such conduct.
Mr. Lloyd-1 should with to be informed first
whether Mr. Brown attended a Board of Directors of
the Company in Basinghall-street—whether he saw
any of the Directors there, and whether he received any
directions from them ?
Mr, Drown said that at one time he did attend at
Basingball-street about some alterations in thu printing,
and he saw, he thought, Me., Luntley there. He was
told that was the Director's name.

Sir 121: LAt/Itit —Pray, is the Company prosperous?
Mr:,ployd--It is now in abeyance.
flit. PEtkit LAtiltit—What amount was subscribed?
Mr. Lloyd—About 2001. altogether.
Sir PETER LAURIE—By the public?
Mr. Lloyd—By the public and the friends of the
Diretidrss
Sir i#a2 ER LAURIE--the th-ospeaus says the caPhal
is to be 100,0001., with power to ettend it to 150,0001.
It contains a long lift of Directors; and twel Out of
three of those t) *lloiii the complainants solicitor wrote
occlaretl that they knew nothing at all about it, and dis-
Clair» it altogether. What soft Of a f3oropany is this?
Mr. tilokd said that Mr. ..11rOli;ii atififidt..ll
btners, to solicit the printing from the Directors whose
names were appended to the prospectus; bet.* he (Mr.
Lloyd) and his partner hetiiiie:"kietarleil PreOlotisly
CartAiti secretary to the Company, which
WAS by no theans what was termed a bubble, but was
certittenCed With the tttostl pure intentionsi to the best
of hi's belief. Sitic4uentty to the appoinirnefit
NUteessor to Captain Hooker; a qucs!ien of tome leg d
importance, as regarded. the Oorripany; arose; and
Messrs. Hardwielt and Davit Were the Solicitors con-
sultedt *he stated that the Company was not so legally
V-Mtied at to justify them in signing their names ; and
that; if certain legal stil3i soete not takitil;,iliek, wtitild
resign: As the steps suggested verc not adepte.l, they
t,,,t resign, and he (Mr. Lloyd) finding that the Drec-
tors were itnpracticabh., upon
the subject; aid t,ndered
his resignation, The bookii Wero than removed to the
office of a highly respectable solicitor, and the Com-
pany *tit in his (Mr. Lloycrs)
debt 150/.4 tO recover
which he *ottld Feet greatly obliged to Mr, Brown to
tehtlek• pith assistance.
Sir P. LAURIE--Who concocted the Company? Mr.
Lloyd— I do not know. It was formed beloro I had
anything to do with it,
Sir R LAUII./E-=l4o:# Was the 00E. spent ? Mr.
Lloyd—ln bringing samples of the coals to London.
The samples of the North Staffordshire collieries were
displa3ed in this very house ; and if the plan had been
carried out, the same sort of coals which are now upon
sale in London, would be now selling at a considerably
ever price. It was an unfortunate connection for me,
and I quitted it. I can state this positively, that every
Director, whose name was stated in the prospectus, gave
his name.
Sir PETER LAURIE—What, was Mr. Maclean, who
has so distinctly denied it, a Director?
Mr. Lloyd said that he feared he was making himself
a witness against the Directors, but he was desirous of
rendering Mr. Brown all the assistance he could, and
he felt that he was in a position to prove against all the
Directors. Mr. Brown might surely have brought
actions against the Directors, and against him too, and
he was disposed to affard every facility. It was, there-
fore, not very courteous in Mr. Brown to bring the mat-
ter before a Magistrate.
Sir PETER LAURIE said that in cases relating to
bubble companies it was, he was lure, much more wise
to complain at the Mansion-House than to appeal to a
Court of Law. He had, he was convinced, done some
good in the exposures he-had made, •:1-1a had obtained

a Committee of the House of Commons to (vire into
Joint-stock Companies by calling the attend :n Of the
Government to the atrocious West Middlesex Assur-
ance Company. In the Times of that day he observed
that Ady was recommended to go to America, to which
place he (Sir Peter Laurie) had recently banished the
tooth-manuf teturer, and where he believed some of the
Directors of the Assurance Company alluded to were
located. He trusted that he should succeed in expatri-
ating many more of the class ; but it was quite impos
sible that he could answer the many letters he received
requesting him to state what Companies were good and
what bad.

Mr. Lloyd—l submit that this is dog eating dog. I
am a greater loser than Mr. Brown, and I am
tc; give evidence for him. if Mr. Woellett thinks
proper to deny that he knows anything at all of the
Company, I am ready to state upon oath that he at-
tended a Beard of Directors as a Director. His ab-
solute repudiation of the Company frees me from all
obligation as between secretary and director.
Sir PETER LAURIE—I believe that Mr. Lbyd is a
more severe sufferer than Mr. Brown by this Company ;
and I eertlinly advise an action to be brought against
some of the Directors for the amount of Mr. Brown's
account.

Sir Peter then read over the list of names in the
prospectus as Directors, and Mr. Broxn declared that
they were, most of them, to his knowledge, Directors.
He also particul Orly assert:id that it had no bubble in-
tentions, and that when difficulties presented tLea-t-
-selves it was stopped at tl•p earliest time possible.
Mr. Maclean, who had been mentioned as a Dirce-
tar, and had been sent for by Sir Peter Lauri•, having
entered the Justice-room, and utterly denied any con-
nection of any kind with the Company, who had, he
declared, used his name without permission or an-
thority, _ _

Lloyd stated that he had called, together nith a
person of the name of Houseman, upon Mr. Mac-
km, at Mr. Maclean's office, and left some prospec-
tuses of the Company there. He at the same time
admitted that he had never seen Mr. Maclean at the
Board or any where else before the present moment.
Mr. Maclean—l refused to have anything to do with
it, and "wrote a letter denying that I was either Di-
rector or shareholder.

Mr. Lloyd—Did you, ever, Mr. Maclean, writa to
the Company disclaiming any connection with it ?
Mr. hfac;ean—Why I should I write disclaiming
any connection with such a Company ?
Mr. Lloyd—Your name was attached to it as a
Director before I had anything to do with it, aid your
name constantly appeared in the advertisements on this
subject. _

Mr. Maclean—l repeat that I had nothing whatever
to do with it, and I am molt thankful to Sir Peter
Laurie for giving me the opportunity of most distinctly
disavowing all connexion with it, and I am sure the
public are deeply indebted to him.
Sir PETER LAURIE said he thought it was very im-
probable that Mr. Maele.m would have anything to do
with such a concern, and strongly advised Mr. Brawn
to bring an action against the Directors, and subpoena
Mr. Lloyd as a witness.
Mr. Brown returned thanks, and said that he should
follow the advice of the Alderman to the letter.

BOIV-STREET.
James Cawley was brought up, charged with attempting
to hang himself in Whitehall Gardenf.

It appeared that as a gentleman was passing through
Whitehall last night, he perceived a man suspended from
a tree, and at once proceeded to the spot, and suc—
ceeded in extricating Lim from his perilous situation.
He gave information to a police constable, and had the
man, who was in,ensible, conveyed to the station-house.
On being asked what he wished the ,Magistrate to do
aitb him, the prisoner did not seem to comprehend the
question, and the officer was directed to convey him to the
parish workhouse, there to be taken care of.