The Sun.
London, England, 1833-11-14 00:00:00

HAMER V. RIDSDALE.

This was an action brought by the plaintiff to
recover the amount of a bill of exchange for 5001.
from the defendant, a gentleman of sporting cele-
brity on the turf, and the owner of the celebrated
horse Giles, who won the Derby stakes last year.
A person of the name of William Ford, %sell known
in the sporting world, had many transactions with
the plaintiff to the amount of several hundred
pounds, and so far back as 1828 he (the plaintiff)
discounted for Ford the bill in question the accept-
ance of the defendant, and which, from numerous
circumstances, remained over unpaid until about a
year age, when the present action was brought for
the recovery of it. For the plaintiff the defendant's
hand-writing was proved.
On the part of the defendant Mr. William Ford
was called, and he appeared most fashionably dressed,
and stated that the plaintiff and he had numerous
transactions since the period of the date of the bill,
so much so that he had paid 1,7001. bills for his ac-
commodation at his bankers, and that to close all ac-
counts he passed plaintiff a bond for 1,0001. with a
policy of insurance, which he subsequently re-
deemed, and the 5001. bill in question was included
in the bond which he had then in his possession.
He was on the turf; many thousands passed through
his hands in sporting transactions.
Mr. Sergeant TADDY then put in a letter from the
witness to the plaintiff, stating his anxiety that the
bill in question would be taken up, and that he had
the acceptance of the defendant on a 12s. 6d. stamp,
and if he (the plaintiff) would take the bill up, be
would be enabled to meet any renewal of it.
The reading of the letter caused great laughter.
It stated that he would not wish to exhibit the de-
fendant's acceptance in the county town, lest it
might injure him, as the stupidity of the Yorkshire
people prevented their understanding the system of
" finance." _ .

The Learned JUDGE summed up, and the jury
round for the plaintiff—Damages, 500/.

COURT OF ADMIRALTY, Nov. 13.

(Before Sir Jons NicuoLL.)

THE RAPID.-IMPORTANT DECISION TO SHIPOWNERS,

Dr. ADDAMS stated this was a proceeding insti-
tuted by a seaman named Tulloch, against
the owners of the Rapid, for wages due to him, but
which the owners had paid into Greenwich Hospi-
tal, notice having been served upon them that the
mariner had deserted from the Sir John Beresford
while at Montreal. The case was an important one
to the shipping interest, as it involved a question as
to the construction to be placed on the 4th Geo. IV.,
relative to the desertion of seamen, which had not
yet been decided. The claim of the seaman was at
first resisted on the ground that, though hired at
Montreal at 71. per month, yet that as he was not ca-
pable of efficient duty he was only entitled to wages at
the rate of 41. per month. Notice, however, having
been served upon the owners of the Rapid that
Tulloch had deserted, the wages, pursuant to the
Act stated, had been paid into Greenwich Hospi-
tal for the use of that esiablishment, after the ex-
penses of the owners occasioned by the desertion
had been first deducted. The summary petition
given on behalf of the owners admitted the- hiring
of the man at Montreal, and also that he had done
his duty ; and on his behalf he claimed at least the
minimum of wages the owners said were due,
if the Court should not think fit to give the full
claim, which he considered ought to be allowed, as
the owners of the Rapid had not complied with the
Act, which (hinted that the wages should be paid
into Greenwich Hospital as soon as notice was
served upon them that the mariner in question had
deserted, the money having been paid in only re-
cently, and the seaman had no opportunity to pre-
pare his defence.
Sir J. Nteriou, felt no difficulty as to the duty of
the Court. The Court must protect the mariners
as well as the shipping interest. A case of deser-
tion had been set up, arid the owners of the Rapid
ought to have been satisfied that the party bring-
ing the suit was a deserter. It was admitted that
the seaman had been hired at 71. a month, and that
he had done his duty. The charge of desertion had
riot been established, as the Captain of the Rapid
had riot inquired if the seaman had deserted, arid
the Court was bound to decide that the mariner
was entitled to his full wages, with costs.

A few nights ago, a shoemaker named
Wright, who resides a short distance from Wisbeacb, re-
turn, d home in a state of intoxication, and on awakening
from his sleep the next morning, found his wite lying
dead by his side.—Boston
THE AMERICAN NAVY. -- I don't like
Atneticans ; I never did, and never shall like them ; I
have seldom met with an American gentleman, in the
large and complete sense of the term. I have no wish to
eat with them, drink with them, deal with or consort
with them in any way ; but I,t me tell the whole truth,
nor to fight with them, were it not for the laurels to be
acquired, by overcoming an enemy so brave, determined,
and alert, and every way so worthy of one's steel, as they
havd always proved. One used to fight with a Frenchman
as a matter of course, and for the fun of the thing,
as it were, never dreaming of the possibility of Johnny
Crapeau beating us, where there was any thing ap-
proaching to an equality of force; but, say as mush
as we please about larger ships and more men, and a
variety of excuses which proud John Bull, with some
truth very often, I will admit, has pertinaciously thrust
forward to palliate his losses during the short war, a
regard for truth and fair dealing, which I hope are no
scarce qualities amongst British seamen, compels me to
admit, that although I would of course peril my life and
credit more readily with an English crew, yet I believe a
feather would turn the scale between the two countries, so
far as courage and seamanship goes ; and let it not be for-
gotten, although we have now regained our superiority in
this respect, yet, in gunnery and small-arm practice, we
were as thoroughly weathered on by the Americans
during the war, as we overtopped them in the bull-dog
courage with which our boarders handled those genuine
English weapons, the cutlass and the pike.— Tom
Cringle's Log.

THE ALLIGATOR.—Upon commencing our
voyage up this magnificent river (the Ganges), we were
particularly struck by the exquisite delicacy of form and
grace of motion displayed by the young Hindoo women,
who were continually performing their daily lustrataans
in the sacred stream, or bearing away its consecrated waters
with a sedate reverence either for domestic or devotional
purposes. They carry the water on their heads in three
globular vessels of brass or of earthenware, placed upon
each other, each diminishing in size and forming the figure
of an indented cone with the apex flattened, and nothing
can exceed the ease and elegance of their movements under
these becoming burdens. lam indebted to the kindness
of Sir Charles Wilkins for the following melancholy nar-
rative of one of these beautiful Hindoos :—As he was once
passing up the Hoogley, he saw an immense alligator
plunge in among a party of bathers, and seize a lovely girl
just rising into womanhood, with whom he dashed into
the middle of the current that was them running at the
ra'e of eight miles an hour. The creature darted through
it like an arrow, defying pursuit, which was immediately
attempted by the lighter boats that were then upon the
river. They could not, however, make head against the
force of the stream. Meanwhile the poor girl who had
been seized, her legs hanging on one side of the monster's
jaws, and her head and shoulders on the other, was seen
to raise her hand as if supplicating that assistance which
no one' bad the power of rendering her. The alligator
rushed with his burden up the most rapid part of the
current, as if determined at once to baffle all attempts at
a rescue; and having then turned into the calm deep
water, sank with his prey, and was seen no more. Alli-
gators have been frequently caught in the Hoogley, and
opened, when several pounds weight of armlets and ankle
rings, with other ornaments worn by women and chil-
dren, have been found in their stomachs.--Oriental
Annual.