The Sun.
London, England, 1846-04-06 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
GUILDHALL.

On Saturday, Mr. Jones, the chairman of the Joint
Committee of Shareholders of the ME tropolitan Rail-
way Junction Company, for pursuing certain complaints
against a portion of the provisional committee men,
again appeared before the magistrates to support three
informations to penalties under the Joint Stock Com-
panies Registration Act. The first information was for
not registering, with the other documents, the list of
subscribers, within one month after they had become
such ; and, by a clause in the Act, the solicitor of the
company was liable to the penalty for the neglect.
Mr. Wire, for the defendant, and Mr. John Bar-
ber, of Furnival's Inn, the solicitor to the company,
raised an objection that railway companies were
not within the scope of the fourth clause
of the Act, which requires the list of subscribers to be
filed. In the case of " Young v. Smith," decided last
term, the Chief Baron said the second clause excepted
railways from the provisions of the Act, except as here-
inafter specially provided, and in the 26th clause there
was no reservation in respect of railways, therefore the
Act applied to all Joint-stock Companies except rail-
ways. On the other hand it was urged that as the rail-
way Companies complied with the various other clauses
in the Act, it clearly showed that they were public bo-
dies within the meaning of the Act, and therefore could
not be exempted from any particular clauses ; also that
the Attorney-General would never have permitted
penalties to be sued for unless he bad considered that
Act extended to railways.
Sir PETER LAURIE said they must take especial care
that they did not arrive at a decision contrary to that of
the judges. He had had nothing to do with railways
thank Heaven, and nothing gave him greater pleasure
than the recognition of the principle on the judicial
bench that those who held out their names to lure the
public to purchase should be personally responsible for
the result.
The magistrates reserved their decision on Mr. Wire's
objection, and proceeded to receive the evidence.
Mr. Thomas Reynolds, the high constable of the
Tower Hamlets, proved that he was a subscriber. He
wrote for fifty shares, received forty, and obtained the
scrip on signing the subscribers' agreement and parlia-
mentary deed.
Mr. James Matthews, of Bexley Heath, applied for
and received 200 shares as a provisional committee man,
but had not paid anything for them.
Mr. Wire said it was such conduct as Mr. Mat-
thews's that had brought the concern to its present state.
Several other persons proved that they had been sub-
scribers. No list of subscribers had been filed, but Mr.
Barber's acceptance of the office of solicitor to the com-
pany was registered.
Mr. Alderman Gibbs and Sir Peter Laurie consulted,
and deferred giving judgment for a fortnight.
The second complaint was against Mr. Barber, as so-
licitor to the Company, for neglecting to register the
form of the letter of allotment.
Mr. Wire said the Bth requisition of the 4th clause
was, that a copy of every circular should be filed that
was addressed to the public, or to the subscribers, as
to the formation or modification of the Company. The
form of letter of allotment did not answer that descrip-
tion. It was not addressed to the public, and no per-
son was a subscriber till he had paid his deposit.
The magistrates postponed their decision on this case.
The third complaint was against Mr. T. B. Kemp, for
acting as a director, he not holding at least one share i❑
the company.
Mr. Wire submitted that this was substantially the
same complaint as had been dismissed last week, and a
new fiat ought to be produced to show that the Attor-
ney General sanctioned the proceedings.
Mr. Jones said the defendants had committed from
twenty to thirty offences, and the fiat was intended to
cover the whole proceeding.
Mr. Alderman GIBBS called for Mr. Kemp's written
consent to become a promoter, registered on the 15th of
October. This also contained an agreement to take one
or more shares.
Sir PETER LAURIE said the principle of the last de-
cision must be applied to this. Here was an engagement
to take a share entered into before he acted as a
director, and at the time he became a promoter. He
was, in offset, a shareholder, and saddled with all the
liabilities of one, as he ought to be.
Alderman GIBBS said he should concur in that deci-
sion, and they dismissed the complaint.
The magistrates stated that, pending the considera-
tion of the reserved points, no new iatormation would
be received.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.
Edward David Veasy and Wm Moak, gentlemen, of
Trinity College, Cambridge, were charged with having
disturbed the audience and interrupted the performances
at the Pi ieccss's Theatre, on Friday evening, by violent
conduct end language, and also with having broken a
plate of glass, value 50s.
The boat race between the students at Oxford and
Cambridge, which took place in the morning, had the
e&et of bringing to town a large party of collegians.
In the evening a batch of Cambridge men went to the
Prif:cess's Theatre, and many king, as asserted by the
police, Bacela plenus, a disturbance ensued under these
circurust acct. s.
Mr. Maddox, the lessee, said, about ten o'clock his
attention was called to a party of young gentlemen who
were coaductinf, themselves in an outrageous manner,
and who were using very bad language. lie went up
to the party to remonstrate on the impropriety of their
behaviour, when he was asked what he had to do with
the affair, and called an opprobrious name by one of the
party. Another of the party said he would show them
what Cambridge lads could do, and this was followed up
by the defendant Vesy and others making a resistance
against the constables who were in attendance at the
theatre, and who had hewn called to sup-
press the disturbance. The defendant Veasy
broke a plate of glass in one of the doors before he
was secured. The reason alleged by rho defendants and
their party was that they could not get seats in the
dress circle. 'nitre was quite sufficient room in the
boxes, but the defendants, thoueli they carte in after
half-price had commenced, would not be satisfied with
the vacant places, but exr.ected to have these seats
which an early visit to the theatre could only en Li! le
them to. The defendants, who wished to be accoranio
dated with seats together, were told that this was im-
possible, but that they might have a private box or stalls
if they chose to pay the difference. This the defen-
dant refused to do, and as their conduct disturbed the
audience, the police were employed to take the most
riotous into custody.
Massinghum, the boakeeper, said a party of
sixteen or seventeen gentlemen came to the theatre
about half an hour after the half price had commenced.
The party paid their money, but in a short time they
all returned, complaining tiler could not get such ac-
commodation as they approved cif in the dress circle, and
demanded a return of their money. There was sufficient
room in the boxes, but of course the best places were
occupied by those visitors who came earlier. The de-
fendants and their friends were very riotous and abusive,
and Veasy broke a glass plate in one of the doors.
Police-constable Sheppy, A 1, proved that the de-
fendants and their party were very violent in their con-
duct, and used very foul language. The defendants
made resistance when given into custody.
The acting-manager, Walton, said he was behind the
scenes when his attention was attracted by the noise in
the box part of the theatre. He went forward, and he
heard a number of gentlemen, friends of the defendants,
abusing Mr. Maddox, the lessee, in language that would
have disgraced a costermonger. One of the party called
out as soon as the police were summoned, that they had
taught the police at Cambridge their duty, and they
would give the same lesson to the London police. The
conduct of the party had the effect of stopping the per-
formance and alarming the audience,
In defence Maule said there were no seats to be had
in the boxes. They demanded the return of their money,
when they were called a pack of schoolboys, and that
led to an altercation.
Veasy said his friends and himself could not see the
performance, and this induced them to ask to have their
money returned, which was refused. He denied break-
ing the glass in the door.
Both defendants also declared they were not intoxi-
cated.
The police, however, said that the party were more or
less under the influence of drink.
Mr. HARDWICK lectured the defendants on the great
impropriety of their conduct. It could not be for a mo-
ment endured that persons of the rank of gentlemen
should enter a theatre, and conduct themselves in such a
manner as to put a stop to the performances, and to ter-
rify the timid portion of the audience. If the deft ndants
chose to demand the return of their money, and if the
demand was resisted, they had a remedy, and they must
therefore not attempt to effect their purpose by violence
and abuse.
Veasy fined 34, and 21. 10s. damages; Maule fined 31.
LAMBETH.
John Tapson, a smartly-dressed young man, was
placed at the bur before Mr. Elliott, for further ex-
amination, on a charge of stealing a portmanteau, con-
taining a variety of valuable property, from the terminus
of the Great Western Railway Company.
Mr. Justins, from the office of Messrs. Maples and
Co., solicitors to the Great Western Itailwp4 company,
attended to prosecute, and Mr. Collar :A,
the superin-
tendent of police on the Great Wes sera line, was also
,
in attendance to watch the case.
The first witness, Henry an intelligent
a.
Weatherdon
little boy, stated that on auesday or Wednesday last,
the prisoner, who lotted at the house of his father,
asked him to go witli him to see the railways. The
prisoner called a cr,o, and they proceeded to the Great
Western Railway terminus. While there the prisoner
went up to one of the carriages on the line, picked up a
portmanteau, which lay inside, looked at the address, and
desired the witness to lay hold of one of the handles. He
did so, and they carried the portmanteau to the cab, and
drove home with it to his (witness's) father's house, 16,
Palace; New-read, Lambeth. Sion after, the prisoner
left the house with a large bundle.
James .Ayres, a shopman to a pawnbroker in the
Westminster-road, deposed that on Thursday morning
the prisoner offered to him in pledge a fashionably-made
laciy's satin dress, and a polka of the same material,
eoth of the best quality. Suspecting from the account
which he gave, that he had not become honestly by the
property, witness sent for a policeman, but while the
messenger was in search of one, the prisoner went away.
In the afternoon he returned, and insisted on having the
property back or the money advanced upon it, and then
stated that it belonged to his sister, who resided at St.
John's Wood. Witness again sent for a constable, who
took the prisoner into custody.
Francis J. Harrison, shopkeeper to Messrs. Whistler
and Edwards, pawnbrokers, in the Strand, produced a
variety of articles which the prisoner had pledged at the
shop of his masters, on Wednesday last, for six shillings.
Mr. Justins severely censured the conduct of the
witness for having taken such a quantity of valuable
articles from a perfect stranger for so small a sum of
money.
Harrison said that the prisoner had told him he bought
the things from au Invalidai impital. •"