The Sun.
London, England, 1848-12-21 00:00:00

:I)trb EVition

QUEEN'S BENCH.-(THIS DAY.)
(Sittings at Guildhall, before Lord PENMAN and Cont-
imon Juries.)
GODEBERT V. SPALDING AND SLOWNITZ.
This was an action to recover comiensation in
, damages for an assault on the plaintiff by the defendants.
It appeared that the plaintiff* is a Frenchman, and a
teacher of languages, and that he bad resided in this
country for the last 30 years. He occupied a house in
Eastbourne-terrace, Sussex-square, Hyde-park, and the
defendants came to reside with him as partial boarders
in the early part of the present year, the defendant
Spalding, who holds an appointment in the Post-office,
agreeing to pay 604 a year, and Slownitz, a teacher of
the German language, 401. Spalding having
been absent about a month was excused the
payment of his board during that time.
When the bills were presented, which were stated to
have been but indifferently discharged, Slownitz claimed
" exemption for two or three. •' teas," which he had drank
elsewhere. The plaintiff declined to make any exception
for so trifling a matter. 11l .feeling, therefore, sprang up,
and the defendants having been pressed for payment of
their rcept cti% e accounts, they b( came offended, and gave
I notice to leave. On the 28th of August, the day they
were going to leave, Slownitz followed the plaintiff up
stairs, collared him, and called upon the other defendant,
who was above, to come out of the room. Spalding came
down, and struck the plaintiff a violent blow between the
eyes which produced a black-e3e and confined the plain-
tiff to his home for a fortnight. He also threatened to turn
him out of the house; and told the plaintiff's wife that
if she was a man lie would strike her.
No evidence was adduced to dispute the facts pro-
duced on behalf of the plaintiff. It was shown, how-
ever, in cross-examination, that Spalding had said that
he would rather have give 1,0001. than the occurrence
should have happened.
The jury found a verdict for the plaintiff—Damages
204

EXCHEQUER.-(THIS DAY.)
HILLARD EXECUTRIX V. THE LANCASHIRE AND YORK

SHIRE RAILWAY C,AHPANY.
This was an action brought, under Lord Campbell's
Death by Accident Act, to recover compensation in
damages for the loss sustained by the plaintiff in conse-
quence of her husband having been killed on the de-
fendants' line, through the negligence of their servants,
The defendants had simply peaded not guilty.
On the 16th of September, 1847, the deceased, a young
man, twenty-seven years of age, who was an inspector in
the service of the Manchester and Leeds Electric Tele-
graph Company, was travelling on the defendants' lino
by the evening express train from Manchester to Wake-
field, when the carriage in which ho was got off the
line, and after being dragged for a considerable distance,
and through a tunnel, came in contact with the
platform of the Sowerby-bridge station. A little be-
yond this point the carriage was detached from the train,
and the wheels torn off by an ash-pit, and hence it was
that the deceased was dashed from the carriage. The
carriage at the time contained Mr. Weston, the Sur-
veyor-General of the Customs, Captain Ellis and his
secretary, Mr. Moon, and the deceased. The deceased
was killed on the spot, Mr. Weston died almost imme-
diately after he was taken up, and Mr. Moon was carried
home insensible.

For the defence it was alleged that the accident was
caused by: a broken rail, and therefore it was una•
voidable.

The jury returned a verdict for the plaintiff—Damages
7501.

PRESIDENCY OF THE FRENCH

REPUBLIC.

The following is the state of the gross poll for all
the candidates as officially announced to the National
Assembly :
Louis Napoleon Bonaparte .. 5,434,226
General Cavaignac .. 1,448,107
M. Ledru Rollin .. .. 370,119
M. Raspail .. 86,900

M. Lamartine • • 17,910
General Changarnier • • 4,790
Votes lost 12,600

The Committee of Public Instruction examined on
Tuesday the proposition of M. Rolland, tending to
transfer the National Library from the Rue Richelieu
to the Palace of the Tuileries. In general, the com-
mittee appeared favourable to this change. Several
members connected with it the idea of tinibhing the
Louvre, with a view to see the libraries and conserva-
tories placed near the museums. The expense of ap-
propriating the Tuileries to the above purpose could
be defrayed by the sale of the buildings and ground
now occupied by the National Library, the funds re-
maining over being employed in the completion of
the Louvre.

During the sitting of the National Assembly yes-
terday, the Members of the Montagne passed trom
hand to hand a pamphlet, which caused a certain sen-
sation. It contains counsels from M. Emile de
Girardin to the future President of the Republic.
The following is said to be, in substance, the measures
which M. Emile de Girardin thinks useful, and even
indispensable A reduction of the number of
Ministers to three; a Minister of Direction, a Minister
of Receipts, and a Minister of Expenses, with nu-
merous secretaries-general and directors charged with
special duties. 2. A general amnesty, without other
exception than for persons convicted of ordinary
crimes. 3. An absolute and unlimited freedom of
the press, and no caution-money. Interdiction of
the sale of journals in the public thoroughfares. 4.
Unlimited liberty for associations and clubs. A
strict repression of attroupements. 5. An unlimited
freedom of education. 6. A recal of the exiled princes
as simple citizens. 7. To give the government of
Algeria to the Duke d'Aumale, and the Presidency of
the Board of Admiralty to the Prince de Joinville.

RUMOURED DEFEAT OF THE

AUSTRIANS BY THE HUNGARIANS.

The National of yesterday states that letters have
been received in Paris from Hungary, announcing
that the Hungarian army posted in front of Pres-
burg, under the command of General Gorgey, had
had an engagement with 30,000 Austrians, in which
the latter had been completely defeated. The Aus-
trian cavalry which had, it was said, been drawn into
an ambuscade in the midst of uneven ground, bad
suffered immensely. It was also said that several
pieces of cannon had fallen into the hands of the
Hungarians. The National, without guaranteeing
the authenticity of this intelligence, says that it ema-
nates from persons of honourable character in whom
reliance may be placed, and that the report of the
entry of the Russians into Transylvania seems to
confirm its accuracy, as the Austrian Government
would only solicit Russian intervention in the last
extremity.