The Sun.
London, England, 1870-01-19 00:00:00

LAW AND POLICE.

TEE SALE OF INVENTIONS.-11l the Court of Queen's
Bench, on Tuesday an important point was decided
in the matter of a demurrer to a plea in an action in respect
of the sale of a patent. The plaintiff, a Mr.
Smith, had "provisionally registered" an invention
- "an improved composition for rendering composition to
be employed in waterproofing or rendering woollen fabrics
impervious to moisture. He sold his inventions to the
defendant, a Mr. Buckingham. In the contract it was
stipulated that the plaintiff should be employed at a regular
salary in the manufacture of the composition. The defendant
however had failed to fulfil the condition of his agree-
ment, and pleaded, amongst other things, in answer to the
action, "that the plaintiff ' had not invented or
improved any composition which could be used
in the production of fabrics impervious to wet."
The plaintiff demurred that the plea was bad. So also
thought the Lord Chief Justice. If a man supposed him-
self to have invented something, which was the subject
matter of a patent, and another man, under
the same belief as the seller, agreed to buy the
supposed invention, and take his chance of its being a
patentable invention, it would not do for the buyer,
wren the invention would not produce the expected
effect, to repudiate his bargain. It would
be different, however, where no invention at all existed,
except in the imagination of the seller. In such a case
the man who paid would not be bound by his agreement.
There must be a distinct something, but if that
was purchased without any warrantry or stipulation that
it should accomplish the object for which it was intended,
and it only fulfilled that purpose imperfectly, the buyer
could not decline to carry out the arrangement he had
made with the vendor.

TILE BODMIN ELECTION.—A case has come before the
Bail Court which had been removed from the Bodmin
County Court by judge's order. Mr. Dymond, the plaintiff
is a colour-sergeant in the Cornish Militia, and has a vote
for the borough. He claimed £35 from Mr. Wyld, the un-
successful candidate at the late, contest, for services in
getting up evidence in support of the petition against the
return of Mr. Gower. The court decided against the peti-
tion, and Mr. Wyld refused to pay the plaintiff. The case
was not concluded.

THE CHARGE OF " SWEATING " GOLD COlN.—James
Clifford, his wife Eliza, and his daughter Ellen, aged 12,
who are charged with " sweating " gold coin, that is to say
with lightening and diminishing the value of sovereigns,
have been re-examined at Worship-street. Mr.
Coleridge prosecuted on behalf of the Treasury, and
withdrew the charge against Mrs. Clifford, as it was pro-
bable that she acted under the control of her husband.
The daughter is charged with uttering the lightened coin,
and, with her father, was remanded.

DE6PERATB ATTEMPT TO MURDER A Lov
attempt to murder has been investigated at the Margie-
bone Police-court. The prisoner was a telegraph
clerk, named Cox, who attempted to cut the threat of
Helen Hughes, a young woman wl:o lived as servant in a
house in St. John's Wood. It appeared that they had been
lovers, but they had quarrelled, and the girl refused to be
reconciled. Cox went to the house and rang the bell;
the young woman opened the door, and he spoke to her
for a felir minutes, asking her if she would come to the
theatre with him She refused, and turned to go into the
house, when he caught her, and tried to cut her throat.
Her screams brought assistance, but she was severely,
wounded. Cox was remanded.

AN ENCOUNTER went A BURGLAU,--J:MCS IZiCherSoll
said to be a cook, has been charged at the Hampstead
Police Court with burglary and assault at the house
of the Rev. W. Perkins, at Hendon. On Sunday
evening, while the family were at Church, tho ser-
vant heard a noise at the drawing-room window,
She called the gardener, who found the prisoner outside,
and a struggle ensued, after which the prisoner was
secured. Several articles were found upon him. He said,
when questioned, that he had a house of his own, and be
could not think what made him act so. He refused his
address, that his family might not be disgraced. He was
remanded.

CHARGE OF MURDER.-At Southwark police-court, a
cobbler, named Clegg, was committed for trial for attemp-
ing to murder a widow. The prisoner was intoxicated,
and stabbed her with a table-knife, causing a dangerous
wound in the face.

DISPUTED VESTRY CH.LnuEs.—A gentleman at Ham-
mersmith was summoned for his share of the estimated
cost of repairing the mews in the rear of his house. He
said that £2l was an extravagant sum to pay. The magis-
trate having examined the case, stated that the money
must be paid.

THE CROYDON RODDERY.—Charles Rowland, who stands
charged with being concerned in the jewel robbery at
Croydon in last September, has been committed for trial
after his fourth eiamination before the Croydon magis-
trates. He reserved his defence.

A SECRETARY OF STATE IN A COUNTY COURT.—A
curious case has been heard in the Canterbury County
Court, the defendant betng no other than the Secretary of
State for War. The magistrates' clerk attempted to re-
cover the sum of 14s. Gd. from the Secretary, the charge
being for fees for reporting to the War-office a case of
alleged desertion, heard before the justices of Canterbury.
The secretary wished for the judge's opinion on the
legality of such charges, as similar cases were constantly
occurring. The judge said he was unable to give
an opinion with reference to the charge, because no
similar case had ever come before him. Ile had great
doubt if an action would lie against a Minister of the
Crown, but to give the plaintiff an opportunity of bring-
ing another action, if this could be dune, he should direct

a nonsuit.
CHARGES OF MIIRDEIL—At the Huddersfield Police-
court, William Hough was charged with the murder of his
wife. It appeared that he came honle intoxicated and
struck his wife on the head, she went to bed and was
found dead the next morning. A post-mortem
examination showed that death had resulted from
fracture of the skull. The prisoner was com-
mitted for trial for manslaughter.—An inquest was
held by the Stockport district coroner on the body of
Daniel Shaw, a railway gateman, who was murdered by
his wife. The prisoner admitted that she killed her hus-
band. She was committed to Chester Assizes on a charge
of wilful murder.—The two men charged with being im-
plicated in the murder of a gamekeeper on the estate
of the Maharajah Dhuleop Singh have been committed for
trial,

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