The Sun.
London, England, 1869-07-26 00:00:00

LAW AND POLICE.

A PATENT CAGE.—In the Rolls Court, a day or two
since, the case of " Crossly v. Dixon" was heard. The
question was whether the defendants, who are carpet
manufacturers at Kidderminster, were bound to pay
Messrs. Crossley, of Halifax, a royalty for the use of
certain looms, portions of the mechanism of those
rooms being, as the plaintiffs contended, protected by
patents. The Master of the Rolls decided that the
defendants had not used any of the protected inventions,
and the bill must be dismissed with costs.
CATTLE INSURANCE COMPANY.—In the Rolls Court an
application has been made to place the executors of
Mr. Macnab on the list of contributors to the Agri-
culturalists Cattle Insurance Company. Mr. Macnab,
who was a shareholder in this company, did not accept
the terms of what was known as the Chippenham
compromise, but, in 18M, agreed with the directors that
his shares should be declared forfeited. In ISGI the
company was ordered to be wound up, and an application
was made to put his name on the list of contributories, but
was not adjudicated on. He had recently died, and the
present application was to put his executors on the list.
His lordship decided that the Lames must be put on the
list, as Mr. Macnab's transaction with the directors was
unwarranted by the deed of settlement, and could not
Alter Lis status as a shareholder.
MURDER OF A CHILD.—At Worship-street Police
Court, on Saturday, Levena Tompkins, laundress, was
charged with the murder of a child. The child had been
put out to nurse by a Mr. and Mrs. Wallace,
with Mrs. Davis, who put it in bed with her own children,
and went out. When she came home the infant was
missing, and its body was afterwards found in the street.
The prisoner lodged in the house. After a great deal of
evidence had been given she was remanded, the magis-
trate ref vsing bail.
BETTING PROSECUTIONS.—At Windsor, on Saturday, a
betting prosecution came before the magistrates. Mr.
Valentine, a well-known commission agent, was sum-
moned for being the owner of a betting-box at the
recent Ascot races. He pleaded guilty. Mr. Montagu
Williams, in addressing the magistrates in mitigation
of the penalty, said that some persons believed the grand
stand came within the operations of the Act ; but he con-
tended that-the Legislature never intended it to sanction
such prosecutions as were now taking place. The
summons, with these of seven other betting men,
was taken out by a common informer, and several
of the summonses had been withdrawn on payment of
money to the informers. The magistrate's clefk said if
summonses had been withdrawn in that manner they
might order the proceedings to go on. The magistrates,
having consulted, inflicted a penalty of .£1 and costs,
and the chairman expressed his disapproval of these
prosecutions being carried on by private individuals, The
matter should be taken up by Government if it was
intended to suppress the betting-houses. Six other com-
mission agents of London were fined in the same amount,
the fines being paid, and 110 presented to the Windsor
Infirmary by the defendants, in consideration of the
leniency of the magistrates. Four summonses were
withdrawn.

ANOTHER BETTING CASE.—On Saturday, the judge of
the Woolwich County Court had before him a case
connected with betting. The defendant was an agent in
the " Deptford Spec," who, after it was quashed by legal
proceedings, refused to give up the money got by the sale
of the tickets. The plaintiff was nensuited, on account
of the illegality of the transaction.
CHARGE OF MURDER.—At the Lewes Assizes, Jeremiah
Stubberfield was indicted for the murder of his wife. A
child of the prisoner cave evidence to the fact of his father
having suffocated his mother. It was shewn that insanity
was hereditary in the family of the prisoner, and that be
had been depressed in spirits for months. The jury
found him not guilty, on the ground of insanity.

General Garibaldi writes to a correspondent in
London that he does not intend to come to England at
present.
ELECTION SATIJIMAY AT ETON COLLEGE.—On
Saturday, at Eton College, there were the usual celebra-
tions with which "Election Saturday" is annually marked.
Ihe Committee of the House of Commons on the
extension of the Contagious Diseases Act have completed
their report. It is rumoured that the committee have re-
commended a return to the old custom of inspecting soldiers.
William Johnston, who was indicted at the Cork
assizes for distributing treasonable documents among the
soldiers of the garrison there, having pleaded guilty, and
thrown himself on the merciful consideration of the Crown,
has been allowed his liberty ou bail until next assizes.
The Congregation of the Index at Rome has
just condemned "Les Questions Contemporaines," by M.
114nan, "La Bible dana l'lnde," by M. Jacolliot ; and
three other works, one Italian, another Mexican, and the
third Canadian.
We learn from Oxford that the eldest son of
the Viceroy of Egypt will commence a course of study at
that university as a member of Christ Church in October
Term. His Royal Highness will occupy a house at
Oxford daring his three years of residence, and will be
accompanied by a suite in the same manner as the Prince
of Wales in 1839.

The editor of the Weekly Registrar referring to
Mr. Whalley's allegation in the House of Commons, that
" it was the boast of the Weekly Registrar that every
gentleman in the reporters' gallery, every writer in the
newspapers, was completely tinder that influence," desires
it to be stated that no such foolish boast has appeared in
his columns.
THE ROYAL AG RIC CrLT I7RAL Ex H IBITION.
;iaturday was the closing day of the Royal _Agricultural
Society's Exhibition at Manchester—one of the most
successful they have held. The total number of
visitors admitted was 189,107, and the receipts amounted
to £15,926 13s. sd. The largest show before the present
was that at Leeds when £145,738 persons were admitted,
and the receipts were £9,8:.9. The total entries when the
show was held at Battersea were 124,328, and the receipts
were £9,539. In these receipts at Manchester are not
included the sixpences received for admission to the trial
shows of implements, or the admissions to see the leaping
of hunters, a shilling each day, besides eighteen•pence to
the galleries, and to these leaping shows the visitors were
on three days over 27,000.
THE HAYDOCK COLLIERY CATASTROPHE. —On
Saturday morning, Mr. C. Driffield, the county corol, r,
opened the investigation at the Ram's Read Inn into the
circumstances attending the deaths of the fifty-seven
persons who lost their lives at the llaydock
The scene long before the coroner arrived was very
exciting. The streets adjacent to where the inquest was
to he holden were much crowded. The whole of the
bodies were lying in a shed close to the scene of the
explosion, and were ready for the jury to view.
The coroner, upon taking his seat, said the first thing he
intended to do was to take evidence as to the identifica.
tion of the bodies, and give orders for interment. lie
should afterwards take evidence as to the cause and eir.
cumstances which led to the disaster. The jury were then
sworn, and proceeded with the coroner to view the bodies.
Evidence as to the identification of the bodies was then
taken, and the inquiry was adjourned.
The Dundee Advertiser ropor-s a speech of Dr.
Laing in the Mordaunt Divorca ease, delivered at t!.e
D. idge of Earn on the wedding celebration of Major Ar-
buthnot to Miss Selina Moncreiff. In proposing the toast
"The married members of the Moncreiff family" he added the
name of Lady Mordaunt, and, amidst loud cheers, said the cloud
hanging over her ladyship would soon pass away. He Lad
known her personally for many years. She was a happy,
lig ht-hearted girl—just such a one as might be sometimes n et,
who, though the beat of womankind, were apt to have their
wiions and words misconstrued if people could be found.
willing to misconstrue them. From what he knew from
Lady Mordaunt herself, and from Sir Thomas Moncreiff,
he believed the cloud that now hovered over that lady would
soon pass away. The fact was, that Lady Mordaunt was
temporarily insane, and in that state gave utterance to sen.
timents that had boob taken aayantago of.