The Sun.
London, England, 1851-01-22 00:00:00

INCENDIARISM.

CUSTOMS' REVENUE OF THE CLYDE PORTS.--It 13
gratifying to state that, notwithstanding the remission of
duties, the Clyde ports show an increase for the year 1850,
and now present a total of more than 1,000,000/. sterling per
annum. The rettlrn is as follows:

Receipts at Glasgow in 1849
)1 1850

... £640,568
... 615,669

Increase at Glasgow
Receipts at Greenock in 1849
/I /7 1850

... £5,101
... £371,992
... 383,487

Increase at Greenock ... 11,495
These are irrespective of the receipts at Port Glasgow, of
which we have not yet received a return. The rapid rise o
the Customs' Revenue at Glasgow is, we believe, unpa-
ralleled in the kingdom. In 1812 the Customs' revenue was
only 3,124/. ; in 1820, it was 11,000/. ; in 1830, it was 59,013/. ;
in 1840, it was 468,9741.; while in the year just closed it
was 645,669/.

CAUTION.—The editor of the Albany Knickerbocker
says that he found the following advertisement stuck on a
lamp-post in Canal-street: —" Strayed or stolen, my wife,
Anna Maria. Whoever returns her will get his head broke.
As for trusting her, anybody can do so who sees fit; for as
I never pay any of my own debts, it is not likely that I will
lay awake nights thinking of other people's.—James Q.
Dobson."

LAW INTELLIGENCE.
COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH, ✓an. 21.
(Sittings in Banco, before Lord CAMPBELL, and Justices
PATTESON, COLERIDGE, and WIGHTMAN )
BUSINESS OF THE COURT.
Notice was given that the Court would sit in batco
on the following days after term—viz., on Saturday, the
Ist; Monday, the 3d; Friday, the 7th; Saturday, the
Bth; and Monday, the 10th of February, and five fol-
lowing days. The business taken would be the Special
Paper end country new trial 9, and any other appointed
cases.

The Court will also sit on Saturday, the 22d of
February, to give judgment in ca..es previously argued.
Toe cases set down on appeal from the county courts
will be taken on the 17th of February.

COURT OF EXCHEQUER, Jon. 21.
(Sittings in Middlesex, at Nisi Prius, in Hilary Term,
before Mr. Baron PLATT and Common Juries.)
)lON TUN Y. WILLIAMS.
This was an action to recover the sum of 231. 4s. 61d.,
a balance of account which the plaintiff alleged was due
to him by the defendant.
Mr. Edwin James and Mr. R. Browne conducted the
case fir the plaintiff, and Mr. Atherton appeared for the
defendant.
It appeared that the plaintiff is a collector of fat and
grease and other kitchen stuff, which he was accus-
tomed to supply to the soap boilers of the metropolis.
Among these soap boilers
.was the present defendant,
with whom an arrangement had been entered into for a
regular supply, the defendant undertaking to inform the
plaintiff what the " yield" was, and upon that yield the
charge was to be made. In the month of January in the
last year an alteration in this arrangement was made,_
by the terms of which, as it was alleged by the detend-
' ant, the plaintiff was to supply " regular stuff," and that
he should charge 2s. per cwt. above the market price,
but that he was to undertake to furnish such a quality
as should produce two-thirds of its weight in " fat"—for
instance, 1 cwt. was to yield 1 cwt., and that cwt. alone
was to be charged for; so that, in truth, by such an ar-
rangement the plaintiff must in most instances, as it
seamed, become a loser. Subsequently to this another
bargain appeared to have been entered into, under which
the plaintiff was to supply at a certain price per cent. for
the actual yield. Eventually there would appear to have
been some difference between the parties upon the sub-
ject of the yield. The plaintiff then claimed the balance
now sought, when, as the defendant disputed the amount,
urging too that the plaintiff had already been overpaid,
the present action resulted.

Mr. JANES having made a humorous reply,
Mr. Baron PLATT summed up the evidence.
The jury gave a verdict for the plaintiff for the ful
amount claimed-231. 4s. 6id.

RICKARDS ANDkANOTHER v. BRAIN.
Mr. Humfrey and Mr. M. Smith conducted the case
for the plaintiffs; and Mr. Crowder and Mr. Unthank
appeared for the defendant.

This was an action on a promissory note for 150/,
The defendant put a variety of pleas on the record,
end by which he denied making the note; then he said
that the note was en accommodation note; that the note
had been given wiihout any consideration; and then
that when it was wade there had been an arrangement
that the note should not bo negotiated unless it were for
the mutual accommodation of Cornelius and Thomas
Brain; and that it, had been passed to the plaintiff when
overdue. It appeared that some time in 13-16 one
Ephraim Brain, who was a bookseller and stateoner Cr,
Pimlico, being in some difficulties, was desirous of
raising the sum of 2001. For that purpose he made an
application to the Commercial and General Insurance
and Loan office. Eventually the loan was obtained, his
two brotherr, Cornelius and Thomas (the present plain-
tiff), the owners and workers of some coal mines in the
Forest of Dean, in Glocesterehire, becoming sureties fur
the amount. By the terms cf the advance, Ephraim
was to repay the loan by the payment of quarterly in-
stalments, and upon each payment a fresh bill seas to he
drawn. At length, when
.the fourth bill for 1501. had
dwonerfeor sued
the
arrived at maturity, Ephraim made a default, where-
auspothnebsiusrtewtioes. hrTothheeiteiwoColarntteelirucsamane up to
and Thomas
Purpose of trying to arrange the matter, and so put a atop
to the action. This object was accomplished by the
brother Cornelius advancing the required amount, and
Ephraim and Thomas drawing the note in question at
12 months after date in hie favour. The note bore the

From all parts of the country the most alarming re-
ports reach us of the prevalence of incendiarism. A cor-
respondent from Theme, in Buckinghamshire, writes,
" Incendiarism is terribly on the increase in our neigh-
bourhood." In Hertfordshire, on the estate of Mr.
Dickinson, the extensive paper-manufacturer at Hemel
Hempstead, a very severe loss has been incurred from an
incendiary fire; and letters from the same locality inform
us that this terrible crime is increasing in that district.
A gentleman, who was last week in the village of
Thrapston, between Northampton and Peterborough, re-
ports that incendiary fires were of almost nightly occur-
rence, and the engines constantly driving about the
country. Even the metropolitan counties are not exempt,
as the late fire at Mr. Jacob Bell's, East-hill, Wands-
worth, Surrey, and that of Lord Abingdon's farm, at
Cumnor, Berks, testify. That the leading Fire Assu-
rance Companies should have adopted, in consequence
of this serious outbreak, a higher scale of premium than
ordinary circumstances have heretofore required for the
risk of farming stock and farm buildings, is nothing
more than reasonable, and consistent with prudence and
foresight. But even the hint, which a large increased
rate of premium should have given to the farmers gene•
rally, seems to have had hitherto little effect; the incen-
diaries seem almost invariably to escape detection, while
so little attempt is made to put down this fearful crime
that we can scarcely mention one among the Midland,
Eastern, and Southern counties which has not, within
the lust quarter, been disgraced by incendiarism. We
say disgraced, for it cannot be supposed that the sup-
pression of this infamous crime would be, with proper
activity among the constabulary, and determination on
the part of the resident gentry, either impracticable or
even difficult. The end and object of the insurance is
to guard against the ordinary and unforeseen casualties
of life, but when it prevents or restrains men from a
reasonable care of their property, and from adopting the
ordinary precautions of prudence, the system of insur-
ance, whether life, marine, or fire, ceases to be a bless-
ing, and speedily becomes a curse.
We trust that the nobility and country gentlemen of
England will at once exert themselves to arrest this fast-
spreading calamity; or, in common prudence, the Fire
Assurance Offices will be compelled to adopt totally pro-
hibitory rates of premium upon farm property. The
mere increase of the rate on ordinary farm out-build-
ings from 3e. to 4s. per cent, was, we always conceived,
perfectly useless either as a hint to the insured to use
great precaution and circumspection, or as a remunera-
tion for the increased risk to which the prevalence of in-
cendiarism had subjected insurances on agricultural
property. We feel convinced that a general communi-
cation to the insurance agents in the country, to the
effect that the offices decline all further insurances on
this description of property, would immediately cause a
general activity, and a determination to suppress incen-
diarism. How is it then, that the delay of such an
order is attended with the constant, almost daily, recur•
rence of incendiary fires?—Post Magazine.