The Sun.
London, England, 1870-01-29 00:00:00

LAW AND POLICE.

Tam Nonwicn 4EcnoN,—The trial of the charge of
bribezy against Sir Henry Stracey at the last election for
Norwich, had been fixed to take place in the county.
On Friday, in the Court of Queen's Bench, the application
was argued to change the venue from the city
of Norwich to the county of Norfolk, or some
other county on the ground that it was impossible
t 3 try a case in a district where party feelings run so high.
The Court decided that the venue should be changed from
the city to the county; and that instead of trying the
case by special jury, struck out of the common list of
special juries, the special jurors in this case should be
struck upon the old principle, that is to say
so many chosen by the sheriff, each party to have
the power of objecting to any juror. By this means they
would probably get a jury they would not say less par-
tisan, but less open to observation. The rule was made ab-
solute accordingly.
TnE NEW Cuoss ACCIDENT.—In the Court of Queen's
Bench, on Friday, a very strange case was argued. The
London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway Company
sought to set aside a verdict given for £1,500 damages
given in the case of Dear against the company. They took
this actien on the evidence of a discharged clerk of plain-
tiff's attorney. The plaintiff, who is the wife of a publican,
was stated at the trial to have had four ribs broken in the
New Cross accident of June last, and she got £1,500
damages. The clerk deposed to takirg the evi-
dence of plaintiff in getting up the case, and he
alleged that no medical man bad been called in to attend
plaintig until the afternoon of the day following the acci-
dent. He also charged his master with urging that two
expert medical witnesses ought to be engaged for twenty-
five guineas each, and he further stated that the husband
of plaintiff told him that ho (Mr. Dear) had taken
a slip of paper from a friend on the jury
stating that they had agreed on giving £1,500 damages,
that Mr. Dear handed it to his attorney, who was about to
show it to the learned counsel in the case, but that Dear
snatched it out of his attorney's hand. Mr.
Nasmith now, in shewing cause against the
rule, read several affidavits contradicting in de-
tail every allegation made by the discharged clerk.
and the court decided on discharging the rule, as the
alleged misconduct on the part of the plaintiffs was con-
clusively contradicted. There was such strong evidence
of damage that the court could not interfere with the ver-
dict of the jury.

ANOTHER NEW CROSS ACCIDENT CASE.—Another New-
cross accident case came up in the same court. It was an
action tried before the Under-Sheriff of Middlesex, when
the plaintiff (a drayman of Barclay and Perkins, the well-
known brewers) got £BOO damages for injuries which
incapacitated him from following his vocation.
The injuries were to the hand, knee, and spine, but none
of them were permanent. The Court of Queen's Bench
were not asked to order a now trial on the ground of the
damages being excessive. The Court made the order for
a new trial, unless the plaintiff would consent to £6OO
damages within a week.
A QUESTION AFFECTING TILE the Exchequer
Court on Friday, their lordships decided a point which
affected the members of the bar. It arose out of a motion
submitted to the court to renew certain costs allowed by
the taxing master in one of the now well-known series
of actions brought against the London, Brighton
and South Coast Railway Company for the re-
covery of damages for injuries sustained on the
company's line at New-cross in June last, on the occasion
of the return from the Licensed Victuallers' Fete at the
Crystal Palace. At the trial in Mr. Secondary Potter's
Court, two counsel, a Q.C. and a junior, were engaged
for the plaintiff, and the costs for these learned
gentlemen were allowed by the Master, but now disputed
on behalf of the company, it being contended that one
counsel was quite sufficient for the purpose. The court, how-
ever, held a different opinion, upholding the finding of the
Master. A rich company could command as many as they
liked, and it was therefore only just that a plaintiff of more
limited means should have the benefit of two counsel.

TRADE AND FINANCE.

FRIDAY EVENING.

The announcement of the Russian loan for £12,0)0,030
nominal capital, though not so large as was expected (for
it was understood that that would be the sterling amount
to be raised) has caused considerable stringency in the
money market. There has been an active
demand for accommodation, and the quotat-
tion for prime short-dated paper has been nearly
equal to the Bank rate in the open market. This move-
ment, however, is likely to be of a temporary character, as
the disbursement of the capital in payment for the tele-
graphs by the Government will soon cause a large influx
of money into the market. Tho actual amount to be set
free in this manner is £5,775,050, nearly the whole of which
will require to be reinvested in some manner. The success that
has-so far attended the issue of the new loan may be attr'•
bitted to the fact that there will be so large an amount of
capital available for investment in a short time, and the
period of the announcement has therefore been well
chosen. The loan, however, is not likely to have the field
to itself for long, as we understand that several new tele-
graph companies have been incorporated, the prospectuses
of which will be issued in a day or two.

It may scarcely be necessary to warn investors against
forming too sanguine an opinion as to the probable return
to be obtained from investments in the shares of telegraph
companies. In point of fact, the short time which has
elapsed since many of the companies commenced
operations has not afforded sufficient data to
allow of the formation of an adequate opinion on
the subject. The matter is, therefore, somewhot
of a speculative character, as although rapid strides Lave
been made in this direction, business men have not availed
themselves to the extent they were expected to do of the
now means of communication, or possibly to the extent they
would have done had the profits on their transactions afforded
the expense of telegraphy. It maybe remarked, however,that
the field is a very limited one, and it is difficult to see
how fresh lines can be continually added to those already
existing without diminishing the chances of profit. Of
course every addition to enterprise, of whateN er nature, is
a national blessing, and it is for the original shareholders
—a uniformly unfortunate body—to judge of the prospects
of the successful issue of their undertakings.

Our food prospects continue very favourable. Both
wheat and meat have tended downwards in price, and
there is every reason to believe that the quotations for
both will recede to such a point as to place them Loth
within the reach of a much more extcndel class
tUan at preent. This will probably have a
great influence upon the trade of the country,
generally, and already we see a decidedly cheerful ft cling
amongst manufacturers. At 11IancheLter this week, a
further advance has taken place in the value of cotton
goods, manufacturers being heavily under contract, and
refusing to engage in further business, except at
enhanced rates. In cotton, a steady trade
has been concluded, but prices are still high owing
to the uncertainty attending the out-turn of the current
crop. We believe that the last accounts from New York
considerably under-estimate the yield, and still hold to
oar original figure of 3,00),000 b 41.95, or thereabouts.