The Sun.
London, England, 1846-12-04 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY ETENING, DECEMBER 4, 1846

METROPOLITAN SEWAGE MA-

body—a British corporate body—the Court was of opi-
nion that the presence of some foreigners in the corpo-
ration was not a sufficient ground to refuse the regis-
tration, and the mandamus must therefore be made
peremptory.

NURE COMPANY.

appeared to be to bring the court of directors into con-
tempt, rather than seek for inquiry.
Mr. Gordon confessed it was his object to bring the
court into contempt, he being a friend to the people of
India.

The adjourned general meeting of the shareholders in
the above company was held yesterday, at No. 7, Waterloo-
place, Pall-mall, in pursuance of the resolution passed at
the meeting held on the 17th September last; J. C.
Blair Warren, Esq., the chairman of the company, in
the chair.

COURT OF COMMON PLEAS, Dec. 3.
LEES V. NICROLSON-SOUTRERN COUNTIES UNION
RAILWAY.

Mr. Alderman WILSON asked if he had ever been in
India ?—Mr. Gordon said he had for twenty years ; he
was a mariner and a merchant, but he had been expelled
from India.
Mr. Alderman WILSON said he did not know what
course the directors might choose to take in respect to
the placard, or the assaalt on their servant. Could he
without inconvenience find two sureties in 501. for his
appearance at the next sessions? The defendant doubted
whether he could find such sureties.

The SECRETARY read the supplemental report, also
an epitome of the previous proceedings. The report
stated that the directors had great pleasure in meeting the
proprietors in their own offices for the first time, and that
the applications for shares greatly exceeded the number
to be allotted. Since the last general meeting applica-
tion bad been made to the Thames Navigation Com-
mittee for permission to lay their mains in the line given
by the Act of Parliament, but their application was
met with a polite but absolute refusal. The duty then
devolved upon the directors of conveying the water by
some other means from the King's Scholars' Pond into
the metropolis. After anxious inquiry, the adoption of
a tunnel-sewer, to commence at the Parliamentary sta-
tion, near Skew-bridge, and thence to pass by the public
way to Stanley-bridge, standing over the Counter's
Creek sewers, was resolved upon. This plan
would be attended by important advantages. It
would intercept the water of all the lesser
sewers of the district, secure an abundant supply
in the dryest weather, and make provision for the future
extension of the company s works. Large steam-engines
in the heart of the metropolis will be unnecessary, the
cost of distribution will be considerably less, and mains
will pass at once through a district abounding
in market gardens. The public thoroughfares and
traffic would not be interrupted, thus avoiding the
great objections urged against the laying down of pipes.
In order to carry the plan into effect, the sanction of
three-fifths of the shareholders will be required in ac-
cordance with the standing orders of the House of
Lords ; and a meeting will be duly convened for the
purpose. The directors have taken the necessary steps
to enable them to apply to Parliament for the requisite
powers, and, amongst other things, to enlarge the capital
by issuing an increased number of shares.
Mr. KYME moved the adoption of the report, and in
doing so congratulated the company on the improved
prospect of their affairs, but regretted the refusal of the
Thames Navigation Committee. But he thought that
refusal would redound to their advantage.
Mr. Dx.sn seconded the proposition.
A PROPRIETOR urged upon the attention of the
erectors the advantage of the tunnel-sewer over the
main sewer line.

Mr. Justice CRESSWELL, on the application of Mr.
MARTIN, ordered the plaintiff to be non-suited, inas-
much as there was no evidence as to the responsibility
of the defendant. The decision of the Exchequer in
" Wyld v. Hopkins" was the ground upon which the ap-
plication of Mr. Martin was founded.
Mr. Sergeant BYLES tendered st bill of exceptions to
the ruling of the judges.

The complainant said he-did wish, though his
mouth was still bleeding, to press upon the gentleman.
He would be content with his undertaking not to conduct
himself in that way again.
The defendant hesitated to make a promise so contrary
to his sense of duty.
Mr. Alderman Wu.soN said he was indebted to the
forbearance of the complainant in not pursuing the
charge of assault, and he should dispose of the case by
taking the defendant's own recognisance in 1001. to keep
the peace for twelve months to all her Majesty's subjects.
Mr. Gordon said he was much obliged to him, for this
restraint would relieve him from a most painful and
onerous duty which he had felt himself bound to perform.
The defendant was bound over, and discharged.
WORSHIP-STREEE

A person of respectable appearance, named William
Richards, describing himself as a land surveyor, residing
at Stoke Newington-common, was placed at the bar,
before Mr. Bingham, charged with indecently exposing
his person with a view to insult several members of the
family of Mr. Simonds, a gentleman living in Great
Chart-street, Hoxton.
The details of the case cannot be further stated than
that at half past eight o'clock that morning, as Mr.
Simonds's niece (a young lady named Nunn) was look-
ing out at the dining-room window, the prisoner so im-
pudently stared her out of countenance that she was
obliged to leave her position ; and, on returning, when
she thought he had gone away, she found him standing
on the opposite pavement, conducting himself in the
most indecent and offensive manner. Ann Stratford, the
prosecutor's servant, entered the room at that moment
to dust the blinds, and was being cautioned by Miss
Nunn as to the insult she was likely to receive if she did
so, when the prisoner, after looking carefully round him
to see that he was not observed, deliberately unfastened
his dress, and in the most open and intentional manner
perpetrated the offence complained of. Both the young
women instantly left the window, and the prisoner
quitted the street ; but the same afternoon, between one
and two o'clock, returned to the spot, and,, stationing
himself opposite to the area window, was supposed to be
about to renew his misconduct, when the servant ap-
pealed to her master for protection, and Mr. Simonds
went out after him. The prisoner instantly hastened
away and was followed by the prosecutor, until he took
refuge in a publie-house, when Sergeant Lambert was
informed of his conduct, and took him into custody.
Upon hearing the nature of the charge against him, he
positively denied it, and,
On being now called upon for his defence, he said, that
being compelled to stop at the spot in question for an
exigent purpose, he might have accidentally given
ground for the allegation against him , but he could
assure the Magistrate it was purely unintentional, as he
had not seen either of the witnesses, and was the last
man who would knowingly be guilty of such infamous
conduct.

One PROPRIETOR said be could not blindly go into the
scheme without consideration.

A conversation then ensued which resulted in its being
said that the directors had been guided in their decision
by the engineering report, and at the request of several
proprietors these reports were read. They were merely
a mass of details, the substance of which was contained
in the directors' report.
After some further conversation, the latter was unani-
mously adopted.
The CHAIRMAN, in conclusion, congratulated the
company on the stage at which they had arrived, and
was glad to observe a disposition on the part of the
public to support them.
Mr. BUCHANAN thought the silt getting into the
tunnel would sink the middle and raise the two ends,
and thus produce great inconvenience.
Mr. MILNE said it would be their duty to prevent the
silt getting into the tunnel at all. They would want the
silt for the purposes of their undertaking.
A vote of thanks was passed to the Chairman, and the
meeting separated.

Both the young women, however, ga►e the most posi-
tive contradiction to this statement, and declared that
the act, which was more than once repeated, was unmis-
takeably wilful, and

WATERLOO BRIDGE COMPANY.
The half-yearly general meeting of the bridge proprie-
tors was held yesterday, at the Crown and Anchor
Tavern.

Mr. i3INGHAM, who considered that it was impossible,
with such testimony to come to any other conclusion
than that the prisoner had been guilty of the offence he
was charged with, sentenced him to be imprisoned in the
House of Correction for three months, and kept to hard
labour, as a rogue and vagabond.
The prisoner was removed to the cells, but still pro -
tested his innocence, and that the whole was the result
of a serious mistake.

Mr. BEDENELL took the chair at one o'clock.

The SECRETARY read the Committee's report on the
state and condition of the undertaking. It stated that
the tolls for the last half-year, ending the 23d August
last, had been 7,643/. 2s. 10d., showing an increase over
the income for the same period of the preceding
year of 294/. 18s., and that from the 23d of
August last to the 2d December instant, the tolls
for horses and carriages were 4,8051. 9s. ld., the amount
of the corresponding period last pear being only 3,2781.
9s. 6d., which the committee accounted for by the clos-
ing of Westminster-bridge, adding, however, that pre-
vious to that, and since the reduction of fares, there had
been a steady increase. Formerly the horse and car-
riage tolls were not more than one-fifth of the foot tolls,
but were now more than a half. The committee fur-
ther informed the proprietors of various notices which
had been gives of intended applications to Parliament
for the erection of various bridges across the river, and
for the construction of various railways in the neighbour-
hood of their property.
The accounts showed an income for the last half-year
of 8,295/. 18s. 6d., and an expenditure of 1,117/. 18s. 6d.
The report and accounts were unanimously approved
and confirmed by the proprietors, and the retiring direer
tors and auditors were re-elected.

Mr. BINGHAM requests us to acknowledge his receipt
of a letter from a gentleman residing in Paradise place,
Stoke Newington, whose signature, which could not be
very clearly deciphered, was either " W. Trewheeler,"
or "W. W. Wheeler," enclosing 5L for the poor-box of
this Court, the funds of which are now nearly exhausted,
and which contribution the benevolent donor desired
might be noticed in the papers.
7 NAMES.

Mr. Moss and Mr. Shaward, tradesmen residing in
Whitechapel, came before Mr. Ballantine for the pur-
pose of handing to him the sum of 11. 12s. 2d., the re-
sult •f a penny subscription opened at the Gloucester
Arms, Commercial-road East, for Thomas Nott, who
was falsely accused of a robbery, and convicted at the
Clerkenwell sessions, on the evidence of a girl named
Evans, who, it afterwards appeared, bad perjured her-
self. Nott underwent five weeks' imprisonment before
he received a pardon, and has since received various
small sums from benevolent persons who sympathised
with his sufferings.
Mr. BALLANTINE said the subscription did much credit
to the feelings of the persons who had promoted it, and he
had no objection to take charge of the money until Nott
came to the Court to receive it.

The meeting, after a vote of thanks to the chairman,
then adjourned.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.
COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH, Dec. 3.
A RAILWAY TATERN RILL.-BASANT T. GREY.

(Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.)
Mr. M. CRADIBZRB held, on behalf of the de-
fendant, that he was not liable to pay the demand of the
plaintiff, and he should show that the surveyors who
used the house were sent there by Mr. Higgins, who had
contracted with the company to defray all the expenses
of the survey, and those incidental to it. The ordering
of the champagne by the defendant, and its ommission
from the bill, showed, at his request, that he did not wish
it to be confounded with the bill of Mr. Higgins. When
the surveyors first went to the house, the defendant was
in Staffordshire, so that it could not be held that they
were sent by him. The plaintiff himself had admitted
that Mr. Higgins was liable; he attended a meeting of
his creditors, and claimed the amount of his bill; so that
it was quite an afterthought to turn round and demand
the amount from the defendant, and first of all he claimed
only 671. Bs. 9d., then the amount for which the action
was brought. He then called the following witnesses in
support of his csse

The money was soon afterwards handed to the poor
fellow, whose health was much impaired by his impri-
sonment. He is in great distress, and the donation was
received with gratitude.
The following correspondence has recently taken place
on the subject of Nott's conviction:—

"TO THE RIGHT HON. SIR GEORGE GREY, SECRETARY

OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT.

`• Sir,—l beg leave respectfully to lay before you a
statement of my case, which is one of peculiar hardship.
I was convicted on the 29th of September last, at the
Clerkenwell Sessions, of felony, and sentenced to three
months' imprisonment and hard labour. The only wit
ness against me was Mary Ann Evans, a girl aged 14
years, the servant of the prosecutor, who subsequently
endeavoured to fix a charge of robbery and assault on a
poor woman named Mary Swift. A statement was
afterwards forwarded to you by my prosecutor, Mr.
Still, by the Commissioners of Police, and others, ex-
posing the perjury and wickedness of the girl Evans,
and clearly showing that I had been unjustly convicted,
and was innocent of the crime laid to my charge. After
an imprisonment of five weeks I received her gracious
Majesty's free pardon, and was liberated by virtue of an
order, signed by you, and forwarded to the governor of
the prison in which I was confined. My health has
been greatly impaired by the imprisonment I underwent,
and my wife and family were reduced to great distress
in consequence of my incarceration and long absence
from home. The wicked and unprincipled girl Evans,
who endeavoured to ruin two innocent persons, and par-
tially succeeded in one instance, is still at large. I am
unable to defray the expenses of a prosecution, and un-
less the case is taken up by the department over which
you have the honour to preside, the girl will escape that
punishment which she justly deserves. I therefore
humbly pray, that you will be pleased to direct a prose-
cution at the public expense, and that you will also be
pleased to take my case into your favourable considera-
tion, and order such compensation to be made for my
false imprisonment and losses as in your judgment may
be deemed fit.—l am, Sir, with great respect,
" Your very humble and obedient servant,
"THOMAS NOTT.
"2, Gurney-place, Lucas-street, Commercial road East,
November 30."

Mr. Boyman, the secretary to the railway, examined
by Mr. JAMES—He said Mr. Higgins was the engineer
of the line, and received about 1,0001. from the com-
mittee for the purpose of paying the survey and sur-
veyors. The committee had nothing further to do with
the expense of it. The plaintiff called on him on the 3d
of December, ar.d stated that Mr. Higgins had informed
him that he (Higgins) had enclosed his (the plaintiff's)
bill to him for payment. The account was received
with a letter from Mr. Higgins, requesting a cheque on
account of the expense of the survey, The bill he sub-
sequently returned to the plaintiff, telling him that Mr.
Higgins was the person to look to, as he had contracted
to furnish the survey. The plaintiff, in reply to ques-
tions, stated that Mr. Higgins sent the surveyors to his
house, and that the articles charged were supplied to his
order and to his account. A few days after the
defendants called with the plaintiff and told him (wit-
ness) that he was very apprehensive that Mr. Higgins
would not be able to pay his bill, and hoped that the
committee would pay it for him. The bill was given
back to him in order that he might make out two sepa-
rate bills, that the board might know what he had sup-
plied to the account of Mr. Grey. The whole of the
first bill was made out in the name of Higgins ; he
made no claim in my presence upon Mr. Grey for the
bill.

To this communication Nott received the following
reply :

Cross-examined—No authority was given to Mr. Hig-
gins by the committee to incur tavern bills on their
account.

" Whitehall, Dec. 1.

" Sir,—l am directed by Secretary Sir G. Grey to
acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 30th ult.,
complaining of having been convicted and imprisoned on
the false evidence of a witness (from which imprison-
ment you were afterwards discharged by means of a par-
don), and petitioning Sir George Grey to direct a prose-
cution at the public expense, and to order compensation
to you as haring suffered false imprisonment.
" Sir George Grey directs me to inform you, that as
soon as he had ascertained, by inquiry, that there was
good reason for believing the evidence produced against
you to be false, he recommended the grant of a pardon,
and at the same time gave directions for a prosecution
against the witness for perjury, in case the law officers
of the Crown should be of opinion that a prosecution
would be advisable ; and lam to inform you that Sir
George Grey, having since fully considered the question,
thinks it would not be advisable for the Government to
institute a prosecution in this matter. lam further to
inform you, that compensation is never made by the
Government in such cases, and that Sir George Grey is
not able to comply with your request in that particular.
—I am, Sir, your most obedient tumble servant,
S. M. PHILLIPPS."
Addressed " Mr. Thomas Nott," &c.

Mr. Bickerton, railway agent, of Cannon-row, West-
minster, deposed to a conversation taking place at
Gerard's Hall between a Mr. Hill, the company's
solicitor, the plaintiff, and the defendant, in which the
defendant offered him 10/. in addition to the 6L lent, and
31. for champagne, to give him a discharge ; but the
plaintiff declined to accept it, saying that if he took it
where was - he-to look for the balance of his account.
Both Flint and the defendants admitted owing some-
thin.. for themselves and their clerks.
_ _ _

Mr. Illidge, the defendant's partner, deposed to having
been present at a meeting of the creditors of Mr. Higgins,
which was held at the Law Institution, Chancery-lane,
and the plaintiff claiming 1201. from his estate.
Mr. Nichol, an engineering surveyor, living in Duke-
street, proved sending several persons to the Boar and
Castle by Mr. Higgins's order. Murphy, he thought,
was one of them, but he did not send him by Mr.
Higgins's order.
Mr. Wilson and Mr. Gagent, surveyors, gave similar

testimony.
This was the case for the defence.

Mr. Sergeant SHEA, in his reply, explained that the
different sums applied for by the plaintiff arose from his
being induced by the defendants to believe that
Mr. Higgins was liable for part of the ac-
count, and that finding he could not get
any part of it from either—that, in short, he had been
misled, and that the defendant was clearly liable—he now
brought the action for the full amount of his claim. He
held that the plaintiff was entitled to a verdict on the
evidence adduced.
Mr. Justice ERLE told the jury that they ought to
find for the plaintiff if they believed the contract was
made between him and the defendants; and for the de-
fendants, if they believed it, was made with Mr. Hig-
gins. It was for them to say whether there was or
was not a reasonable presumption to believe from the
evidence, and particularly from the personal conduct of
the defendants that he was liable for the refreshments
supplied.
The jury, after deliberating about half an hour, found
a verdict for the defendant.

HAIRCUTTING GRATIS.--1
village of Oxford-
must tell you a ridi-
culous thing that occurred
in a small
shire last week, and which caused a diminution in my
congregation of yesterday.sed A man, wearing a certain
badge of authority,
i through the village, and call-
ingP
at each house, informed the inhabitants that he was
a Government barber,
sent from London to cut all the
poor people's hair
gratis, it having been ascertained to be
the most effectual way of keeping off the cholera, which
had already made its appearance. The fellow succeeded
incarrying away with him sufficient hair to make several
wigs and
the deluded people were obliged to set to and
make, warm caps to defend their bare heads from the
cold which set in next day.—From a Correspondent.
TAKING TUE VEIL. —Wednesday the imposing ce-
remony for the reception of two postulants to what is
termed the Order of Mercy, took place in the chapel
adjoining the Convent of Mercy, in Parker'a-row, Ber-
mondsey. It having been known that the Hon. Miss
Middleton and Miss Byrn were about to seclude them-
selves from the world by taking the white veil of th•s
order, long bef Ire the appointed hour a very numerous
assemblage, including several of those ladies' friends,
had tilled the body of the chapel. Shortly before
twelve o'clock the wax candles on the high altar were
lighted, and immediately after the tolling of the convent
bell announced the approach of the sacred procession.
The usual ceremony, service, &c., was then performed,
and the novices invested with the white veil and cloak.
The ceremony, which commenced at twelve, did not con-
clude till two o'clock, and the young ladies, who looked
in remarkably good health and spirits, each answered
the interrogatories of the celebrant with an exceedingly
firm and clear voice, and bore, without apparent fatigue,
the very long and somewhat arduous parts they had to
bear.

BAIL COURT, Dec. 3.
THE QUEEN V. ARNOLD.

In this case a writ of mandamus—had been issued
ordering the defendant to register a certain vessel
belonging to the Pacific Steam Navigation Company.
To this the defendant had demurred, on the ground that
the vessel was partly owned by foreigners.
Sir F. Thesiger was heard in support of the demurrer,
and Mr. Hill in support of the mandamus.
The LORD CHIEF JUSTICE, in giving judgment. said
that the object of the mandamus was to coispel an
officer in her Majesty's Customs to register a vessel be-
longing to the Pacific Steam Navigation Company.
That was a corporation by charter. It was not attempted
to be denied that the corporation was a British one, but
the question was whether it was qualified to own
British built vessels under the statute 8 and
9 Victoria. It had been stated that several
members of the corporation were foreigners, and not
British subjects. and consequently the vessels did not
belong exclusively to British subjects, required by the
sth section of the Act. These persons, as individual
members of the corporation, would not be enabled to
have privileged vessels registered with their names as
the owners, but being only members of one corporate

THE SCOTT MortumENT.—We understand that the
corners of mouldings and pieces of corbel heads in seve-
ral of the galleries of this splendid work of art have
been chipped off, while letters have been rudely carved
into the atone in different parts of the building. We
caa scarcely find words sufficiently strong to denounce
the conduct of the individuals who have been guilty of
such Vandalism—Caledonian Mercury.