The Sun.
London, England, 1870-11-26 00:00:00

THE NORWICH ELECTION PETITION•

The arguments in the case of " Stephens v. Tillett,"
after occupying the attention of the Court of Common
Pleas for three days, were brought to a conclusion yester-
day afternoon, and their lordships at once proceeded W
give judgment in a crowded court. The question arose 011
an order made by Mr. Justice Byles, striking out two
paragraphs in the Norwich election petition, alleging cor-
rupt practices at a previous election, which election had
also been the subject of judicial inquiry. •
Lord Chief Justice Bovill said there was nothing
in the statutes or parliamentary usage to stop
the present petitioner going into the allegations of im-
proper practices at the former election ; and therefore the
court had no authority, to strike out the paragraphs. The
election judge (Mr. Baron Martin) had only found the
charges not proven against Mr. Tillett, and left the case
open for the reception. of new evidence. Under all the
circumstances, in his opinion, the sth and 6th paragraph°
in the petition must be restored.

Mr. 'Justice Willes concurred, Although the juris-
diction in these cases was new, the court must not invent
new principles or now procedures for the purpose of ad—
ministering their jurisdiction.
Mr. Justice Keating concurred.
Mr. Justice Byles, who had made the order appealed
Against, said that the judgment must be taken as that of
the whole court.

THE BANKRUPTCY OF LORD DE MAULE Y.
The adjudication in this case was made on the Bth of
October. His lordship is described on the proceedings as
Charles Frederick Ashley Cooper Ponsonby, Lord do
Manley, of 39, Mount-street, Grosvenor-square, and of
Longford Lechlade, in the county of Gloucester. The
petitioning creditor is Mr. Frederick Yates, gentleman, of
74, Harley-street, whose debt is £1,897. At the first sitting
a trustee and inspector were appointed, and debts to the
amount of about £16,000 were proved. A sitting for
public examination was now held at the Court of Bank-
ruptcy, before Mr. Registrar Pepys, sitting as chief judge-
No accounts had been filed, and the bankrupt did not
appear, but it was stated that he was in the neighbour-
hood should his presence be necessary. Mr. Lawrence,wbe
appeared for the trustees and inspector, said that the
case must necessarily be adjourned, no accounts having
been filed, and at present the trustee was without any
information whatever, which his lordship was wholly un-
able to give, having neither, books nor accounts. The debts
were believed to be of considerable amount, principally
due to dealers in bills and promoters of companies,
and many of them being of old standing, as far back
as 1864. The family solicitors, Messrs. Ranken, Ford,
and Co., were well acquainted with his lordship's dealings,
and had promised to give all the. information in their
power. Under those circumstances the trustee could only
ask for an adjournment ; at present there was not a shil-
ling of assets. His honour directed an adjournment
till tho 13th of January.

SERVICE OF WRITS ABROAD.

The case of Durham v. Spence, in the Court of Exche-
quer raised an important question with regard to the ser-
vice of writs abroad. The defendant, Captain Spence,
while at the Cape of Good Hope, wrote a letter to the
plaintiff, a lady resident at Calcutta, offering her mar-
riage, and by letter also she accepted the offer, it having
been arranged that the marriage should take place in this
country. The plaintiff having arrived in England the defen-
dant followed her, but during the voyage he changed his mind,
and when off Plymouth he handed to a pilot, to post in
that town, a letter addressed to the lady breaking off the
engagement. Subsequently a writ in an action for breach
of promise of marriage was served upon him at the Cape
of Good Hope, under the provisions of the Common
Law Procedure Act. Mr. Day now moved to set aside
the service of the writ on the ground that the cause of
action did not arise within the jurisdiction of the court. The
question turned upon a clause in the Act, which said that
where the cause of action arose within the jurisdiction of
the court, or where it was in respect of a breach of con-
tract made within its jurisdiction, the writ might be
served abroad. The point had arisen before in each of the
courts of Westminster, but they had differed in opinion.
Mr. Baron Pigott, following the judgment of the Court
of Common Pleas, thought the statute meant by " cause
of action " not the whole cause, but that which gave rise
to the necessity for bringing the action, which in this case
was the breach of contract. He was, therefore, of opinion
that the writ was rightly served. Barons Martin and
Cleasby concurred. The Lord Chief Baron differed, but
in accordance with the opinion of the majority of the
court, the application was refused.

THE SEFTON LIBEL CASE.—A circular, signed by
the Mayor of Sheffield, is being sent round, soliciting sub-
' scriptions to a fund for defraying the costs of the recent
proceedings against Mr. W. C. Leng, the proprietor of
the Sheffield Daily Telegraph, who was recently fined 250
for the libel ou the Countess of Sefton and the Prince of
Wales, as fully reported in these columns. It is urged
that the law has smitten with unjust and exceptional
severity the defendant in this case, and his services in
regard to trades unions, &c., are mentioned as entitling
him to public sympathy and consideration.—Standard.
BABY FARMING IN LONDON.—At the weekly
meeting of the St. Pancras guardians, Mason, the warrant
and detective officer in the employ of the board, brought
up a report in reference to the recent case of baby-farm-
ing, in which a woman named Iredale had had a child
left with her, for which she was promised 10s. per week,
and which, in consequence of the promise not
being kept, she had endeavoured to foist upon the
parish. Mason reported that in his inquiries with a
view to the capture of the absconding parties, he found
that Mrs. Iredale had received a letter, which, although
anonymous, he had hoped would have resulted in tracing
them. This letter was merely an envelope, addressed to
"Mrs. Iredale, 17,-Circus-road, Gospel Oak-fields, Haver-
stock-hill," and containing on the inside the following :
"If Mrs. Ireland will go to No. 2, Jamaica-row, Ber-
mondsey, she will find a party who parted with a small
dark baby about six weeks since, and I believe it,
from the description given, to be the same." Mason had
accompanied Mrs. Iredale to the address, and found it
occupied by a Mr. Baker and his wife. He saw Mrs.
Baker and the servant, and they denied all knowledge of
either the envelope or the baby, and stated that they had
no lodgers. A call at another house elicited no more infor-
mation. Mason was directed to co4tinue hisinquiries.