The Sun.
London, England, 1847-12-01 00:00:00

71Pbt 'Ezrtion
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EXCHEQUER.-(THIS DAY.)
(Sittings at Nisi Prius, before the? LORD CHIEF BARON
and Common Juries.)

CROW P. KENT AND OTHERS. EXECUTORS.
In this case Mr. Crowder and Mr. Prentice appeared
for the plaintiff; Mr. Knowles, with whom was Mr. Bo-
♦ill, appeared for the defendants.
The action was brought to recover of the executors of
a gentleman of the name of Phelps the sum of 189 L,
alleged to be due to the plaintiff, kr services rendered
as a surveyor to the deceased Mr. Phelps, during the last
fourteen yeas of that gentleman's life.
For the purpose of proving the plaintiff's case, a large
number of witnesses were culled, some of whom stated
that they had known the plaintiff to act in the capacity
of surveyor for the deceased. Upon the cross-examina-
tion of one of tbem, a Mr. Wood, it came out that he
had also sent in a claim to the executors fbr a :arge
amount, for work done for a similar period to that of
the present plaintiff; that in the year 1839 he had taken
the benefit of the Insolvent Act, and in his schedule had
returned Mr. Phelps as a creditor to the amount of. 701,
and that in the action which he contemplated bringing
against the executors the present plaintiff was to be his
principal witness. Another witness stated that the
plaintiff was in the habit of frequently dining with the
deceased ; that upon one occasion the plaintiff' asked
him for threepence to buy some paper, and sixpence fur
a chop for his dinner.

Air-. CROWDER, on the part of the plaktiff, said that
ho would not attempt to prove a number of the items tu
the account, amounting to about 120/, as they were
clearly bey oud the statute of limitations.
Mr. KNOWLES, in addressing the jury, denounced the
case as one of the most fraudulent attempts to rob the
estate of the deceased that bad ever came under his
notice. Was it to be supposed that a man who bad not
threepence to pay for paper, or money sufficient to buy
a chop for his dinner, should allow an account like the
present to run on for a period of fourteen years ?
Mr. CROWDER said that he would admit that some
payments had been made on account during the life-
time of the deceased.
Mr. KNOWLES submitted that if such had bean the
case it would have been the duty of the plaintiff to de-
duct those sums from the account delivered to the
defendants. The Learned Counsel was proceeding to
address the jury further on the evidence, when
The LORD CHIEF BARON asked the jury whether
they thought it necessary to hear the Learned Counsel
any further.
The jury intimated that their minds were made up on
the subject.
The LORD Cnirr BARON said that if the claim had
extended only through a period of two or three years,
although it might have been a fraudulent account, still
the plaintiff might have had some chance of success ;
but acting in the manner the plaintiff had done only
showed the extreme folly as well as fraud of the plaintiff
No man would be able to live with satisfaction or die in
peace if such claims were to be allowed to be established
against his estate after his death. The deceased was a
gentleman who, it appeared, lived by himself, and the
present plaintiff was treated by him as a friend, and no
doubt expected that upon his decease his little kind
offices and attentions would be remembered with a small
legacy, but not receiving that it was a most prepos-
terous thing to endeavour now to establish a claim of
this kind. He entirely concurred in the view which the
jury had taken of the case.

Verdict was accordingly given for the defendant'.

REGENT'S CANAL COMPANY.
(THIS DAY.)

The half-yearly general meeting of the grcipfrietors of
this company was held today, at the company's offices,
City-road Basin; Mr. Drinkwster Bethune in the chair.
The minutes of the last meeting having been read and
confirmed,

.
Mr. RAM moved that all the minutes of the committee
for the past half-year should be read, and quoted volu-
minous extracts from the documents in question.
The motion not having been seconded fell to the
ground.

The CHAIRMAN read the report, from which it ap-
peared that the income for the past half-year amounted
to 31,4581. Is. sid., while the expenditure for the same
period was 8,0681. 19s. 7d.; and that there was, up to
present time, a profit of 13,3001. Bs. 6d., which enabled
the directors to declare a dividend of 12s. 6d. per share.
The report also stated that the East and West India
Dock and North Birmingham Railway Company, had
paid the 8,0001. for withdrawing their opposition to the
Bill of that company.

. ..
The report was adopted ; after which thanks were
voted to the chairman.

The meeting then separated.

MORTALITY in the METROPOLIS.

NUMBER OF DEATHS FROM ALL CAUSES REGISTERED IN
2'llE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, NOT. 27, 1647.
Epidemic, Endemic, and Contagious Diseases ... 415
Diseases of Uncertain Seat ... ••• 150
Diseases of the Brain, Nerves, and Senses... ... 174
Diseases of the Lungs, and other Organs of
Respiration
••• ••• 634
Diseases of the Heart and Blood-vessels
•.. 52
Diseases of the Stomach, Liver, and other Organs
of Digestion... ...
Diseases of the Kidne3s, &c.
Childbirth, Diseases of the Uterus, &c.
Diseases vi the Jul,,t6, vvLCD, aut.l bluseles
Diseases of the Skin, &c.
Old Age, or Natural Decay ... ••• ••• S 7
Deaths by Violence, Privation, or Intemperance ... 25
Causes not specified
••• 1
DEATHS FROM ILL CAUSES 1,677

•••
... 26
... I I
... 10

Population
Enumerated,
1541.
West Districts... 301,326
North Districts.. 376,396
Central Districts 374,759
East Districts ... 393,247
South Districts .. 502,483

Average weekly Deaths
Deaths, 1842-6. In the
Five Autumns. Weet.
146 . .•• 179
, 184 ••• 267
196 ••• 310
232 ... 504
2811 ... 408

T0ta15........ 1,948,211

... 1,046

Males
Femalee

-. 1,677
... 819
... 858

BIRTHS IN THE WEEK.

Males
Females

... 613
... 576

Tota 1 .

- 1,189

SALE OF RAILWAY SHARES BY
AUCTION.—(THIS DAY.)
At Messrs. Lamond and Co.'s sale this day, there
was a decided improvement; buyers are beginning to
get confidence, and to operate more boldly than for some
time past. The following are a few of the quotations:—
Great Northern ...... „..
Manchester, Buxton, and Mat10ck....... 019 0
South Staffordshire ..
North Staffordshire
North British, Thirds ......... ....... .
Shropshire Union and Canal 1 13 0
Reading, Guildford, and Reigate 7 3 0
Ambergate, Nottingham, and Boston 0 13 0
East Lancashire 2l 5 0
Eastern Counties, York Extension.-- 8 4 0
Boston, Stamford, andßirmingham ... 310 0
Eastern Counties ......... .... l6 9 0
Caledonian, Halves