The Sun.
London, England, 1870-04-27 00:00:00

LAW AND POLICE.

LEGACY DUTY AND REAL ESTATE.—III the case of
"Forbes v. Stevens," the question came before Vice-
Chancellor James whether legacy duty was pay-
able out of certain real estate in Bombay held
by the late extensive mercantile firm of Sir Charles Forbes
and Co., as part of their partnership assets. The part-
nership was an annual one at the end of each financial
year in August, the balance being transferred to a new
partnership account. In delivering judgment his honour
said he had no doubt that the produce warehouses at
Bombay, being the produce of a partnership estate, was
a personal asset to all intents and purposes, and must be
subject to legacy duty.
How DIVORCE EVIDENCE IS OBTAINED.—In the
Divorce Court, Dr. Tristram, in the cause of Plowden v.
Plowden, applied for leave to amend the petition by
filing further allegations. The respondent, who
appeared in person, said that he had been
followed about day and night by private detec-
tives employed by his wife's solicitors. He could not
go any way, but they were there also. Women were put
in his way, and it was evidently their desire to get him
to commit himself so that they might have evidence
against him. His witnesses had been got at, and one of
them had been offered £5, but had refused it.—Lord
Penzance said that he had before said that it
was intolerable that a man should be followed
about everywhere. He did not say it was so
in this case ; but the respondent alleged that it
was, and he had better file affidavits in support of what
he said.—Mr. Plowden said that the other side had
plenty of money, and he had none, and they
were trying to crush him.—Lord Penzance said
that the application of Dr. Tristram must
stand over till next week.—Dr. Tristram said that the
allegations he desired to add related to acts of the respon-
dent some time ago.—Lord Penzance said that, after
what the respondent had said, the application had better
stand over.

A JURY PUNISHING A PLAINTIFF.—The Court of Com-
mon Pleas granted a rule for a new trial in the case of
"Statham v. the London, Brighton, and South Coast
Railway," which was heard before the Under-Sheriff for
the county of Surrey and a jury, and a verdict given by
default with a farthing damages. It appeared that the
fact of the plaintiff having received injuries on the rail-
way was not disputed ; but as he had overstated some of
his expenses, the jury had punished him by awarding him,
only a farthing.

Tnx LEDBURY SCANDAL—The Dean of Arches has
appointed to give judgment in the case of " Martin v.
Jackson " on Thursday next.
PAYMENT IN " GREENBACICS."—An action was brought
last term at Westminster against a firm of attorneys for
negligence in not arresting a man under a capias, and a
verdict for £l,OOO was obtained. An application for a
new trial was granted on the ground that the damages
were excessive. Another application has now been made
on the part of the plaintiff for a cross rule to raise the
question whether the judge had misdirected the jury in
saying that the sum was to be paid in United States
greenbacks. The sum which the plaintiff had lost was
really £5,000, and the supreme court of the United
States had decided that payment in " greenbacks " was
wrong. Arule nisi was granted, the court expressing a strong
opinion that a second rule was unnecessary, and if it were
discharged the plaintiff would have to pay the costs.
SELLING BAD COKER NUTS—Two men were charged
at the Guildhall with selling coker nuts unfit for human
food. Evidence was given to shew that the prisoners had
sold coker nuts at a penny each, which were absolutely
putrid. The nuts were chiefly bought by children. One
of them was fined 10s.' the other, who had aggravated
his offence by assaulting the police,:was fined 20s.
CUTTING A MAN'S THROAT " FOR A LARK."—A barber
named Edwards has been charged at Liverpool with
cutting the throat of a soldier named M'Conville. The
barber went into the barracks to see M`Conville, who was
a friend of his, and seeing that he was about to
shave, he offered to shave him. No sooner had he
got the razor in his hand than he drew it across the man's
throat, wounding him dangerously. He explained when
arrested that it was "for a lark." He was remanded.
BOY GAMBLERS.—John Ferguson has been fined £5 and
costs, at Willenhall, Staffordshire, for keeping a gaming-
house for boys. The house was sometimes crowded
with locksmiths' apprentices, who paid defendant a fee
upon every game of dice and cards. Boys seven years
old were amongst the gamblers. Wine, whisky, and ale
were drunk, and heavy sums were won and lost. Defen-
dant was stakeholder. The evidence chewed that he
counselled the boys, if they had no money of their own
to stake, to rob their master of two or three sovereigns.
DANGEROUS CELLAR TRAPS.—In an action, Arnold v.
I_llou_g,gan, tried at Liverpool, the jury returned a verdict for
(I)vfhiheihs fvta,angeotnhsrtoruugcl:edtheonceltlahre
L7o damages sustained by the plaintiff, a boy, by reason
ptnhne
cdiimefleen;daanntd
which was incautiously til t rparpo o f
ted up. Mr. Crompton
moved •in the Court m
of Exchequer for a new
trial, on the d that the was play gon the spot, angrodun that defendant waschild only liable for damages to persons properly walking in the road,
Their lordships now unanimously held that, inasmuch as
the trap was in itself a nuisance, the owner had it at his
own risk, and that it must be maintained in as safe a state
for children, who might play upon it, as for adults who
Q nly jyalka 4tuml.satQA refused. ,

AMERICAN CORRESPONDENCE.

(From the Anglo-American Times.)

NEW YORK, April 9.
The new charter for our city has been rushed
through the Senate, and signed by Hoffman, coupled
with a very stringent Election Bill as a bribe to the
Republican members to give us over, bound band and
foot, to the Grand Sachem, Mr. Tweed, and his co-
adjutor, Sweeny. .By the way, Mr. Tweed his just
ce:ebrated his birthday, and another year dawns on
him, op ning with the greatest of all his triumphs.
Fifteen aldermen are to be elected on a general
ticket, which is considered an improvement on the
old plan. This board must sanction unanimously be-
fore any increase of salary can be made or new office
created. The heads of departments are, however,
appointed by the Mayor without the concurrent
vote of the aldermen, and these heads cannot be
removed without cause, but the Mayor has power
to impeach, and, after conviction, to dismiss. The
Mayor becomes the great power, on whom here=
after rests the responsibility ; for he appoints also
the members of the various commissions, and the
departments are simplified, those of the Street and
of the Croton aqueduct being united and named the
Department of Public Works, with one bead in-
stead of the former four. A much-needed Dock
Department has been created for improving the
river front, and providing accommodation suitable
for such a trade as that of New York. George
Francis Train has been lecturing in his general
and diffuse style at the Bowery Theatre, for the
benefit of the Fenian botherhood, and John Mor-
rissey gave $3OO and O'Brien $5OO (both leaders
of the Young Democracy), and so enthusiastic
did the " man from Tipperary" become, that he
jumped up and began to sing till he was suppressed
by the roars of laughter, which followed his per-
formance. This mau made himself conspicuous on
a previous evening by his declaration that he
would follow Train wherever he led, with the
freedom of Ireland for his object. Train com-
menced by asserting " that fishes go in shoals, and
birds in flocks," hence the graceful and easy con-
clusion that "shoulder to shoulder we will free Ire-
land." I confess I did not see it, and dimly heard,
while pondering this difficult bit of logic in my mind
that England had killed all the men of the late
civil war, and rolled up the national debt on the
head of the working men, that the present in-
cumbent was a miserable flunky President, that
the Cabinet and Congress had been on their
bellies begging for invitations to Prince Arthur's
banquet, and at last I was aroused by three deep
groans for the President, the Cabinet, and Con-
gress; and I awoke to the conviction that our
Train was grandly announcing the spirit of pro-
phecy with which he is gifted. He said, " I be-
lieve that I have foreshadowed great approaching
events. 1 foreshadowed that there would be great
earthquakes on the Pacific shores. They came,
and I now believe that before twelve months have
passed an earthquake will swallow up San Fran-
cisco." This was too much for your correspondent,
who has a deep interest in a " wild-cat," so he left
bathed in tears. But next day I read how George
had been elected by some man in D üblin (!), on March
22, President-Elect of the great Republic of Ame-
rica. At the same time he was informed that Ire-
land was rebel from centre to sea, the Protestants of
the North, as well as the Catholics of the South.
O'Neill entered, and had been heartily embraced by
Train, who assured the audience that he meant
fight, and he took the opportunity to ask O'Neill
if he would shake hands with Savage, to which the
General graciously assented, and the reconciliation
then and there took place. How the tyrants of
the Old World must tremble! General O'Neill
then came forward, and said there was no man who
desired more to see Irishmen and Irishwomen hon-
ourably united than he. You might imagine that
O'Neill meant a general union in wedlock ; but he
meant, shoulder to shoulder, as the fishes in shoals,
and the birds in flocks, against the tyrant England,
adding that when the Union was achieved, the green
flag would be unfurled, and the junction cemented by
the best blood of the Irish race. General O'Neill
means what he says, and he said very emphatically
that his audience would soon see the green flag
unfurled, and your readers must not bo surprised
if they hear of a movement against Canada, for the
information I have obtained and forwarded to you
leads me to believe that the Fenians mean mischief,
and are now on the move to execute their long-
talked of design. Mr. James Gordon Bennett
sailed in the Lafayette for France to prepare for
his contst against Mr. Ashbury of the yacht
Cambria, and he was dined and wined, and escorted
on board by his many friends who take a deep in-
terest in the race. There are always rumours afloat,
and one is that Bailey, the fugitive collector, had
been seen in Broadway, near Union-square; but
the detectives believe these reports to be circulated
to put them on the wrong scent. There has been a
h( avy fall in the value of real estate, and in rents
too ; in fact, every one who knows this city is asto-
nished at the number of stores to be let in Broad-
way. The business in real estate has received a
severe check, and those who purchased in eligible
spots two years ago on the speculation of realizing
on the anticipated rise have had all the juice squeezed
out of them, and are the mere rind of an orange or
a bag of dry bones, or anything else in that line
you choose to imagine for me. The late Commo-
dore Perry's mansion in Thirty-second-street, near
Fifth-avenue, was bought last week by Dr. George
Brooks for $40,000, though but a few months ago
645,000 had been refused for it. There has been
a meeting to get up a remonstrance against any
change of Commissioners on the Central Park, and
a strong committee will proceed to Albany to see
to it. Early in the week business was dull and
the weather bad : rain and snow and sleet, cold
and dreary. But latterly finer weather has set in,
and a more cheerful feeling pervades financial and
business circles, and trade is steadily improving.
The Stock Exchange appointed a sub-committee to
inquire if Power's Hotel, in Park-row, could be
obtained as the site for a new building, and, as this
looks like business, the effect has been to send the
rents of Park-row up and of Broad-street down ;
but Wall-street is strong and active, and such a
move cannot be made until a powerful opposition
is overcome. Mr. Edward Matthews offered, to
erect a suitable building between the present Ex-
change and Delmonico's for $1,300,000, but the
board favours an up-town movement. The great
sensation of the week is the M'Farland trial,
though there is more talk in it than any-
thing else, for the shooting of poor Richard.
son has already been written to death, and seems
to have reflected little credit on any one concerned.
Every effort is made to blacken Richardson's cha-
racter, and that of his friends, and the upholders of
Mr. M'Farland or Mrs. Richardson, or whatever
name that lady adopts. A crowd of witnesses for
the defence, have been subpoenaed, among them
Vice-President. Colfax, Rev. Henry Ward Beecher,
Rev. 0. B. Frutiiinghatn, Rev. .11. M. Field, Samuel
Sinclair, Horace Greeley, Mrs. Sinclair, Mr. and
Mrs. Oliver Johnson, Miss Gilbert, Mrs. Calhoun,
and the mother of Mrs. M'Farland, Mrs. Sage. Mr.
M'Farland was always accompanied in Court by his
bright little boy, Percy. The defence will be
mainly grounded on the temporary insanity under
which the act was committed, and there is scarcely
any chance of an adverse verdict. Yesterday, the
jury, which, after a great deal of trouble had been
empanelled, and some points had been argued
out and dismissed, was addressed by Mr. Charles
S. Spencer; for the defence, in a long and powerful
speech, in which he painted, without reserve, the
character of all the actors on the other side in the
_ _

blackest possible colours Unfor tunat
son was styled thoroughly corrupt, and the demon
who had placed before her such extraordinary temp-
tations as Mephistopheles pl aced before Faust was not
the devil, but poor Richatdson; but the penalty was
the same, for, according to the counsel, she has to
pay with the price of her soul. The counsel has
drawn a very strong case against Richardson and
Mrs. M'Farland, which he will have to prove before
what he states can be accepted; buthe openly alleges
adultery, asserting that they lived together in the
same apartments night and day, and were found
hugging and kissing without the slightest reserve.
All sorts of stories of course are current. Recor-

der Hackett, who tries the case, is said to hate
Horace Greeley and the Tribune. The Herald, the
Ledger, the Sun, and other papers strongly support
11.Tarland, and he is defended by very able coun-

sel, while certainly the last scene iti the life of

Eichardson prejudiced the public against his side,
which was fully shown in ihe attempt to empanel
the jury. Apropos of hatina, one of the stories
told is that the proprie or of the Herald has just
as great an aversion for the leading counsel
for the defence, as the Recorder has for Horace

Greeley and the Tribune, and perhaps with bet-
ter reason ; for a long time ago these now
distinguished men dropped words and took to
fisticuffs ; and the lieraldnever permit§ the coun-