The Sun.
London, England, 1870-06-15 00:00:00

LAW AND POLICE.

THEATRICAL MANAGEMENT. —All attempts at an ami-
cable settlement having long proved futile, the ap-
plication was renewed to Vice-Chancellor Stuart on
behalf of the Lessees of the Vaudeville Theatre, Strand,
to stay an action of ejectment which had been commenced
against them by the Lessor, on the ground of violation of
contract. The Vice-Chancellor declined to accede to the ap-
plication, directing it to stand over until the motion of eject-
ment had been heard, ordering also that in the meantime the
Lessor should not interfere with the management of the
theatre, and that the defendants should adhere to the
original prices of admission.

CHANCERY APPEALS.—The appeal list in the Court of
Chancery is in a very backward state, and this condition
of things is in a great measure attributable to the delicate
health of Lord Justice Giffard. During the present term
his lordship has been prevented on several occasions
from sitting ; and yesterday, although the appeal list had
been duly arranged, he was unable to attend, the conse-
quence being that the whole of the appeals remained un-
decided. Those delays materially interfere with the
appellate business of the country, and the question natu-
rally suggests itself whether such exigencies cannot be
provided against by a judge who, uniting this with his
other duties, could act as a substitute in the absence of
the Lord Justice.
CURIOUS CHARGE AGAINST A SHIPOWNER.—MT. Wil-
liam Williams and Mr. J. Williams, a Liverpool ship-
owner and his son, has been charged before the stipen-
diary with converting to their own use money which had
been entrusted to them to pay an outfitter for clothing
supplied to sailors. After hearing evidence, the magis-
trate said the case was one which he believed should not
have been brought into that tout, but he declined to
give costs as applied for by the counsel for the defen-
dants.

CHARGE OF LIBEL.--The Bradford magistrates have
had before them the case in which Mr. H. W. Ripley
prosecuted Mr. C. B. Murgatroyd for publishing a
libellous placard respecting him. An education
meeting had been called at Bradford, and Mr.
Ripley had issued a notice calling upon the friends
of religious instruction to attend it. Thereupon
Mr. Murgatroyd issued a placard, the effect of which
was that Mr. Ripley had no right to appeal in the cause
of religion, beause he had corrupted his fellow-townsmen
on the occasion of his election. Mr. Ripley offered a
reward for the discovery of the author of this disgraceful
libel, and Mr. Murgatroyd came forward and avowed it.
The defendant, though he refused at first to apologise, at
last consented to do so, and the matter ended.
THE BOVILL PATENT CASE.—The Court of Common
Pleas delivered judgment in the great Boville patent case,
argued at length last term. The plaintiffs are the execu-
tors of the late Mr. Bovill, a brother of the Lord Chief
Justice, who was the patentee of an improvement in the
grinding of wheat and other grain ; and the defendant is
a miller in Westminster, who is said to have infringed the
patent. The case has been before all the superior courts
in some form or other, and conflicting decisions have
been given. The opinion of this court was now asked, on
a demurrer, as to the construction of the specification ;
and it was urged in argument that the publication of the
original English patent in Scotland vitiated the Scottish
patent afterwards granted ; while the subsequent prolonga-
tion for the United Kingdom must be held to be bad,
through the voiding of such Scottish patent. The court
gave judgment for the plaintiff on all the points raised on
the demurrer, thus sustaining the patent to that extent.

BANKRUPT& OF SIR WILLIAM RUSSELL, M.P.—Mr.
Dejex, Q.C., appeared for the bankrupt on an appeal
against the decision of Mr. Registrar Keen, declining to
register a resolution duly passed by a statutable majority
of the creditors. At the fourth meeting a proposition was
made to assent to the bankrupt passing, on payment of
an agreed composition, the creditors to retain the power
of applying to the Court should the debtor not
carry out the terms assented to. Before the resolution
had been submitted to the registrar the signatures of a
statutable majority of creditors —representing in the whole,
£84,080 is. id.—had been affixed, but the registrar, never-
theless, refused to register the resolution. The judge said
the Act was clear upon the point, it provided that a reso-
lution reduced into writing, and signed by, or on behalf
of, a statutable majority of creditors, prior to the regis-
tration, was all that was required. The registration
ought not to have been refused, and must now be
directed.

THE GODRICH DIVORCE CASE AGAIN.—This case,
which has been rendered notorious by the prosecution of
several of the witnesses for perjury, is again to occupy
the attention of the Judge Ordinary. It will be remem-
bered that the husband petitioned for a divorce on the
ground of the adultery of his wife, and the jury
gave a verdict in his favour. Mrs. Godrich
seeks for a divorce on similar grounds, and Dr. Swabey,
who is for the husband, now asked that the case
might not be put in the list. He apprehended the matter
must come before his lordship in the shape of an applica-
tion on the part of Mrs. Godrich for a new
trial, as the verdict that she had been guilty
if adultery was still standing against her, and she would
have to dispose of that first.—Lord Penzance said it must
come before him in the shape of a motion for a new trial,
as the wife must get rid of the adultery charged against
her before she could go on with her own suit. Under the
circumstances he would see that the wife's suit was
not put on the paper iintil_the motion was disposed of.

THE DISGRACEFUL PROCEEDINGS AT ASHTON.—The
disgraceful Church disturbances at Ashton-in-Mackerfield
still continue. On Sunday they commenced with the
throwing of an egg at the vicar of St. Thomas's. Then
followed the assemblage of a disorderly mob round the
house of Mr. Oldham, and a careful watch on the part of
the police. Presently the mob directed their attention to
Holy Trinity Church, North Ashton, and the police fol-
lowed them, the mob having a long start. Service was pro-
ceeding at Holy Trinity, and the roughs commenced their
attack, the congregation barricading the door with forms.
Stones were sent through the' church windows, and a
panic took place inside, when the rector managed to de-
spatch the congregation home by a side door, a few at a
time. The mob, having found this out, became furious,
and one of the choristers had his surplice torn from his
back, the pieoes being attached to sticks served as standards,
and were waved aloft in triumph. Not until night was
order restored.

A VICAR FINED FOR AN ASSAULT.—At the Hyde
Police-court, the Rev. W. H. Jones, M.A., vicar of Mot-
tram, was charged with an assault on a man named Lons-
dale. The defendant did not appear. Complainant and
some other men were paving the highway in front of the
defendant's house and schools, at Mottram, when the
defendant came out of his house in an excited state and
said that the work was done wrong, which the latter
denied ; whereupon Mr. Jones said he would pull it to
pieces, and commenced to do so. Complainant went
to prevent him, and was shoved away by the rev. gentle-
man, who said, in a very excited manner, " You are a
dirty stinking wastril, and a dirty scoundrel for destroying
my property in that manner. If you put any more work
in I shall pull it to pieces after you have gone away at
night." It seemed that the rev. gentleman had further
" rolled" against complainant in to road, and that the
pavement was during the night pulled to pieces as
threatened. The defendant was fined 40s. and costs, or
one month's imprisonment.
THE PERILS OF GIRLS IN LONDON,—John Josiah Pye,
refreshment-house keeper, No. 25, Poland-street ; Sarah
Pye, his wife ; Elizabeth Wadley, same address ' Edwin
Parker, No. 21, Warwick-street, tailor; and William
Henry Irvine Sheridan, surgeon, Carnaby-street, Regent-
street, were charged before Mr. Tyrwhitt, at Marlborough-
street, with assaulting Eliza Pereh (18 years of age), and
also with conspiring together to render her uncon-
scious and incapable of resistance, with intent
to enable the prisoner Sheridan to commit a
criminal assault upon her. Mr. Froggatt said
he felt it right to state that the offence charged
took place at 25, Poland-street, which was imme-
diately opposite the shop kept by a medical person named
Wells, recently coivicted of attempting to procure abor-
tion ; that Elizabeth Wadley lived with Wells for some
time as his wife, that she afterwards married a person.
named Wadley, who kept a chemist's shop in Carnaby-
street, to whom Sheridan was assistant. He also wished
to state that the prosecution was instituted by a gentle-
man named Roth, residing in Great Marlborough-street,
who, hearing the screams of the young woman, gave
her such assistance as enabled her to make her escape.
Eliza Pereh, a good-looking girl, said she had come from
Hastings with a view to getting a situation. On arrival
at Charing Cross she asked a policeman where she would
be likely to get a respectable lodging, and while she was
talking to the constable, a man said he would take her to
a house, and he accordingly took her to 25, Poland-street,
a coffee-shop. Here she was shewn into a room, and the
accused brought a pillow, which appeared to be sprinkled
with something, and made her faint. She was told to go
to bed, but she refused while the men were in the room,
and on one of the prisoners attempting to undress her
she made a strong effort to get free. She succeeded,
and rushing down stairs gained the street. She heard
Mrs. Pye, when outside her room, say to Sheridan,
" When she is in bed you can go into the room." Mr.
Tyrwhitt considered that the evidence justified him in
granting a remand. He should require two bails in £5O
for all the prisoners, and £lO for Parker. Good bail being
offered for the two Pyes, it was accepted.

SEIZURE BY THE ADMIRALTY.—THE COUNTESS OF DER-
WENTwATER.—The sale of the stock seized for rent by the
Lords of the Admiralty, upon the premises of Mr. W.
Brewis, of Newlands West Farm, Newcastle, took
place on Saturday, Mr. Stainthorpe officiating as
auctioneer. It appears that Mr. Brewis had attended
at Haydon Bridge on the rent day, and offered
to pay the rent to Mr. C. G. Grey, the receiver for
the Admiralty, on condition that he would protect him
from an aggression the " Countess of Derwentwater"
might make upon his stock. Mr. Grey would not give
Brewis a guarantee to that effect, so the latter deposited
the rent in a bank till the indemnity was forthcoming. On
Monday week the bailiffs, acting under instructions from
Mr. Grey, seized the stock inlieu of £240, a year's rent, and
on Saturday the animals came under the hammer of Mr.
Stainthorpe. There was a great number of buyers present.
Mr. Brewis and his hind bought all, with the exception of
two lots ; and when the auctioneer asked for the money at
the conclusion of the sale, Mr. Brewis said he would give
him a bond till Monday, but the auctioneer refused
to take anything but cash, and the animals were again
disposed of to other buyers. While the sale was proceed-
ing the " Countess " arrived at the farm in her carriage.
She entered the farmyard during the time the animals
bought by Mr. Brewis were being resold, and informed
the auctioneer's clerk that she expected the proceeds of
the sale. The bystanders seemed to be amused at the
request. Superintendent Stephenson, of Hexham, and
eleven men were present, but everything passed off very
orderly. Mr. Brewis issued three placards, explaining
the circumstances under which the seizure was made. In
one of them he says " I went and offered Mr. Grey my
rent, but I felt it my duty to ask him for an indemnity
for my money, as the Countess of Derwentwater had sold
my landlord, the Lord High Admiral, off the South New-
lands Farm since the last rent day in November, 1869."
In another placard Mr. Brewis states, " That all parties
on the day of sale who Elhall attempt to tresspass on my
premises will be made accountable to law? and punished
accordingly. "—Northern Express.