The Sun.
London, England, 1847-12-24 00:00:00

PRICE OF SUGAR.

The average price of'Brown or Muscovado Sugar, computed
from the returns made in the week ending December 21,
1847, is 235. Oihd. per cwt.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.
COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH, Dec. 23.

(Sittings at Nisi Prius, at Guildhall, before Lord
Chief Justice DENMAN, and Common Juries.)

BOAT-RACB.-CHEESHAN AND CONNYGNHAILt V. HART.
This was' an action of trover, to recover a sum of
231., the value of a prize boat, for which their had
been a contested boat-race between two competitors
at Greenwich. The declaration set forth conversion
Gf the property by the defendant, to which the de-
fendant, who is proprietor of the Trafalgar Tarim,
on the banks of the river, Greenwich, pleaded Not
Guilty.
Mr. Sergeant Shee and Mr. James appeared as
counsel for the plaintiffs; Mr. Montague Chambers,
the Hon. Mr. Denman, and Mr. Boville, were for the
defendant.

Mr. Sergeant SHIM stated the case, from which
it appeared that a regatta or boat-race, took place
in June last, opposite Greenwich Hospital, in
which two well-known watermen—Watkins and
Peter Browne, were the competitors. The prize
was a handsome boat, built by Messrs. Chilling-
worth and Burton ; and as the rowers were men 01
acknowledged skill on the river in plying the oar and
managing the skiff, the excitement pending the race
was great, the bets considerable, and the spectators
numerous. There were, altogether, five heats, in
some three or four of which the success was various
and the issue doubtful. The Learned Sergeant said
that it would be attempted to show that Browne was
the best oarsman ; but he would prove, by testimony
which he meant to adduce, that Watkins, in the
fourth heat, was fifty or a hundred yards ahead of
Browne. It would be also endeavoured, as he was
informed, to show that Watkins had been guilty of
attempts at foul play in the race, but he would most
satisfactorily demonstrate that the charge of " fouling"
applied more to Peter Browne than to Watkins.
That foul play took place there was abundant testi-
mony to prove. Everything that was necessary for
the regulation and conduct of the race, was
provided for. The plaintiffs were appointed
managers and judges of the affair, and the
rules of the race, a fair start, &c., were regularly
drawn up. In the fifth heat a charge of " fouling"
speared to be made, in which Peter Browne would
see n to be the aggressor, and Watkins, seeing the
dig ulvantage at which he was placed, very prudently
fel, back and pulled ashore. Browne went ahead
an I pushed on to the appointed goal. Multitudes
of persons who were looking on raised their voices,
some in loud buzzas for Browne, and others in mur-
murs of foul play. Browne, surrounded by his
friends, was placed in the prize boat, and chaired
in triumph through the public ways. The proces-
sion halted opposite the Trafalgar Inn, and the boat,
by permission of Mrs. Hart, wife of the defend-
ant, was deposited in the yard of that establish-
ment. A civil request was made next morning for
the boat, by the plaintiffs, who, as managers in the
race, had not given their decision ; but the defendant
refused to give it up, remarking that they wanted to
give it to their "fancy man," and that they were
rogues altogether."—(Laughter.) The application
was repeated by Mr. Collins, a schoolmaster, with no
better success, and plaintiffs then placed the matter in
the hands of their attorneys, who served a formal
notice of demand on defendant, with an intimation of
a civil action against him, should he not surrender the
boat to the plaintiffs. The defendant remained un-
moved, and ultimately banded the boat over to Browne,
with an accompanying recommendation to name it the
" Trafalgar," and Browne accordingly so named her.
Now this was a clear act of conversion, for which the
defendant had rendered himself liable.

The Learned SERGEANT then called witnesses in
support of his statement, of which the above is an
outline, and among them Captain Rowland, who de-
posed that he had witnessed the race from his draw-
ing-room window, and that Browne was, to his view,
more the aggressor in the charge of " fouling" than
Watkins. He also put in evidence to show that the
prize•boat had been purchased by the plaintiffs for a
sum of 231., money collected for the purpose among
the inhabitants of Greenwich, and produced a receipt
for the payment.
Mr. AIONTAGUE CHAMBERS, for the defence, con-
tended that the race had been fairly and gallantly
won by Browne ; that Watkins, in the fifth heat was
exhausted, and obliged to give up; that there was a
difference between the men, Browne, in a long
-.l'eh, proving to have trie best bottom, :lila that
Watkins, when he saw himself losing the race,
his
rraeoew,
was guilty of fouling, having gone so
his boat in upon Browne's quarter, and even seize
far as