The Sun.
London, England, 1856-06-13 00:00:00

ALDERSHOTT CAMP BILL.

This bill wag read a third time and passed.
SPECIALTY AND SIMPLE CONTRACT DEBTS
PILL.

Mr. SPOONER and Mr. VANCE having objected to this
bill being read a second time,

Mr. MALINS said ho believed it would have boen foun

a very useful measure, but it had been delayed and post•
poned so many times that he would withdraw it alto
gether.

The bill was then withdrawn.

The remaining orders of the day were then disposed of,
and the house adjourned at a quarter before two o'clock.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.—June 12.

COURT OF COMMON PLEAS.
(Before Chief Justice Jervis.)
STAMMERS V. HUGHES AND ANOTHER.
Mr. Watson, Q.C., and Mr. Pearce showed cause
against a rule to pay money out of the hands of the
sheriff of Lancashire, which had been deposited by Miss
Emma Stanley, one of the defendants, in order to get
free from an arrest at the suit of the plaintiff. The cir-
cumstances under which the matter came before the
Court aroso out of an engagement between the plaintiff
and Hughes to employ Miss Emma Stanley to perform
a musical entertainment called the "Seven Ages of
Woman," at St. Martin's-hall. The rule had been
granted by the Court upon the affidavit of the defendants
that there was no debt whatever due to the plaintiff, and
that so far from their having ever employed the plaintiff
to do any work, that he and Hughes had employed Miss
Stanley to act for them upon certain terms, among
other,, that she was t receive one-third of the gross
receipts for each entertainment. The performances went
on fur a considerable time, but ultimately she put an
end to, the engagement, as she was enabled to do by
the terms of the agreement. The plaintiff then set
up his claim ; and as Miss Stanley was about to go
to America, he bad her arrested, and she was forced
to pay the amount of claim and costs into the hands
of the sheriff, in order to get rid of the arrest.
Affidavits of the plaintiff were now produced i❑
court, from which it appeared that he claimed 651. for
work done by him in preparing materials, &c., for the
entertainment which was to be performed by Miss Stan-
ley. The learned counsel contended that the Court
mull not entertain the question whether there WAS a
debt or not, and that if it was sworn by the plaintiff
that he had a good cause of action, they would allow
the cause to go on in its regular course. But if that
were not so, it was sufficiently shown that there was a
good cause of action.
Lfr. W. G. Harrison, in support of the rule, was not
called upon.
The Lord Chief Justice—This rule must be made ab-
solute. It seems that Stammers and Hughes negotiated
together to get an entertainment performed by Miss
Stanley. While the negotiation was going on he makes
certain preparations for it ; he then enters into agree-
ment with her, by which he binds himself to pay her
one-third of the gross receipts for each night, and also
to pay 3/. 10s.; for every default ; and he is to find a
stage apparatus, and everything necessary. Well, after
a time the engagement goes off, and because he has done
something before the agreement was made, he has the
boldness to swear that a debut was due to him fur do:rig
that work.
Mr. Justice Cresswell—l am quite satisfied, from the
affidavits, that the plaintiff has no cause of action at
all.
Rule absolute.