The Sun.
London, England, 1851-07-02 00:00:00

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THE CROSSED CHEQUE CASE.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
Silt,-1 have read with attention the ve:y able re-
marks on the cross-chequed case contained in your
journal of last evening.
Permit me to call the attention of your readers to the
circumstance that the counsel for the plaintiffs, who
maintains that a cheque (payable by Act of Parliament
to the bearer) becomes by the act of crossing payable to
an individual firm, and thus renders a stamp unnecessary,
is no other than her I.dajosty's Attorney-General. How
can such an officer ever conduct a prosecution for eva-
sion of stamp and excise duties?
As this is one of the main points, it is important
that the public be reminded that by the Act of
Parliament regulating these matters (55 Geo. 3,
e. 184) cheques on bankers are specially exempted
from stomp duties on condition (among other things)
that they are payable to the bearer on demand. And if
this be not strictly observed an unstamped cheque can-
Lot in general be read in evidence for any purpose ex-
cept to prove a crime cr fraud.
It should also be borne in mind that a banker is liable
to an action for damages if ho refuses to pay a draft
legally drawn and issued when presented by the holder.
One word as to the evidence respecting custom. The
attempt to establish the plea that custom warranted the
defendants in refusing the draft signally failed, inas-
much as the representatives of several leading house,
(differing as they did on many points) concurred in
stating that they would have paid the draft to the
payee's bankers under the circumstances. Custom,
therefore, as well as law, was in favour of the defendants.
As you observe, the question is by no means settled,
unless the Attorney-General's argument be admitted
that a crossed cheque and a bill of exchange are one and
the same thing, and her Majesty's Government are pre-
pared to jeopardize half a million of annual revenue.
Your very obedient servant,
MERCATOR. London, July 1, 1851.

ABOLITION OF BRITISH CONNEXION WITH
JAG GERNAUTH.
Some time ago it was announced that the authorities
in Leadenhall-street had sent out instructions to the
local Government of India to discontinue the annual
payment to Jaggernauth's Temple, should it appear, on
a investie ti
w-on, that the Government was not pledged to
continue such a donation. We have now to give the
following extract from Allen's Indian Mail, which may
,bread wit!' intTtaX by those who • have perused Lien-
tenanttaurie s Mien; and-Ten:rite Of ''jeggernauth"
(reviewed in The Sun, Feb. 13th, 1851).
" CONNEXION WITH TEMPLES.—The Legislative
Council has issued a draft Act, which, when made law,
will have the effect of severing the last links of the com-
pany's connexion with the idol worship of India. It
cancels the Act which placed the Temple of Jagger-
nauth under the care of the Raja of Kburdah, and, of
course, the allowance granted to the custodian will be
withheld."—Hurkaru, May 15.
The tributary Mehal of Nyaghur, likewise described
by Lieutenant Laurie' in " Orissa, has, according to
his prophecy, at length been the scene of a petty rebel-
lion. We cannot but wish that these tributary estates
were abolished, the rajas pensioned, and all brought
under an entire and national dominion.