The Sun.
London, England, 1869-01-28 00:00:00

LAW AND POLICE.

THE SALE OF ESTATES.—In the Court of Chancery an
appeal was heard from the Master of the Rolls which
raised a question of some general importance. By
p, section of the Leases and Sales of Settled
Estates Act, the Court of Chancery is em-
powered to authorise a sale of the whole or
of any parts of settled estates. By another section it is
provided that after the completion of any sale under the
authority of the court it shall not be invalidated on the
ground that the court was not authorised to order it,
except that no such rule shall have any effect against
any person whose concurrence was not obtained. It was
on the ground of this condition that the action of Beioley
v. Carter was brought, the plaintiff contending that
the interests of some remote heirs were not consulted
in a sale of property. The Master of the Rolls
gave his decision for the plaintiff ; hence the
present appeal. The Lords Justices reversed the
decision of the lower court, holding that as the objection
did not refer to any existing person with a beneficial
interest in the property, but only to the case of a possible
and ultimate interest, such a construction would unduly
narrow the Act and defeat its object.
THE METROPOLITAN BOARD OF WORKS.—Mr. Hughes,
late chief accountant to the Metropolitan Board
of Works, has again been brought up on a charge of
.having embezzled .22,000, the moneys of the ratepayers.
The defendant, who simply denied the charge, was com-
mitted for trial at the March sessions of the Central
Criminal Court.

_ WISBECH ELECTION RIOTS.-At the Wisbech County
-Court, the case of Peacock v. Young and another came
on for trial. The plaintiff, a cabinet-maker sought to
-recover £lO, the value of some windows and looking-
glasses broken during the riots. Mr. Richard
Young, the defendant, is one of the late members for
Cambridgeshire, and a director of the Great Eastern
Railway. The plaintiff gave his version of the riots,
saying that when Mr. Young's carriage was dragged by
the crowd past the shop, Mr. Young pointed to the pink
and white flags, when stones and missiles were thrown,
smashing windows and glasses, Mr. Young meanwhile
encouraging the rioters. Mr. Young, Mr. Brand, M.P.,
. and Mr. Alderman Boys were then examined, and posi-
tively swore that though Mr. Young and Mr. Brand
-acknowledged the cheering, they tried to restrain the
. rioters. The judge said he quite exonerated Mr. Young
from any participation in the outrageous conduct of the
• mob, but the question involved was whether his remain-
' ing in the carriage did not fix him with a share of the
responsibility. He would not decide the case that day,
and he hoped that, whatever his decision might be, the
party against whom it went would appeal, so that a
decision of the superior courts might be obtained.

INTERNATIONAL COINAGE. —The Liverpool Cham-
ier of Commerce has unanimously adopted a motion to
the effect that the present Government should be memo-
rialised with the view of reducing the value of the English
sovereign, so that it may be equal to the American $5; and
'that a coin of the value of 10fr. be adopted as a universal
unit.

VISIT OF THE QUEEN TO THE CONVENT AT
CAnrsnitoorcE.—The Roman Catholic establishment at
Carisbrooke, known as the Convent, or Nunnery, was
visited by the Queen on Wednesday last. Her Majesty
.was attended by Lady Churchill, rind inspected every part
of the establishment, accompanied by Lady Clare, the
loundress of the institution.-- Ilants Independent.

' EMIGRATION TO TEXAS. Messrs. Patton,
-Vickers, and Co., of Liverpool, the agents of the Pioneer
line of steamers to Texas (U.S.), have received a cable
despatch from Galveston, announcing that the State
Legislature of Texas have made a grant to the "Pioneer
line" of 500,000 acres of public land (reserved exclu-
sively to the state on admission into the union), with
other collateral benefits, f;:r 2uptiragiag and 43,315tbg
.inkratleao

NEW LAW ON PETROLEUM.

-6 -

On Monday next, the Ist of February, the new law as to
the safe keeping of petroleum and other substances of a
like nature, passed in July last, will in several enactments
take effect. The statute is to be construed with the 25t1
and 26th Victoria, cap. 66. From and after the Ist proximo
no petroleum is to be kept, otherwise than for private use
within fifty yards of a dwelling-house or of a building
in which goods are stored, except in pursuance of
license given in accordance with the Petroleuix
Act, 1862. There may be annexed to any such license
such conditions as to the mode of storage, as to the nature
of the goods with which petroleum may be stored, as tc
the testing of such petroleum from time to time, and
generally as to the keeping of petroleum as may seem ex•
pedient to the local authority. Any petroleum kept in
contravention of the provision is to be forfeited, and in
addition the occupier of the place is to be liable to a
penalty not exceeding £2O for each clay during which
it is kept in contravention of the Acts of 1862 and 18'38.
There is a section as to the sale of petroleum for the
purpose of illumination. "No person shall sell or expose
for sale or use within the United Kingdom any petroleum
from and after the Ist of February, 18C9, which gives off
an inflammable vapour at a temperature of less than 100
degrees of Fahrenheit's thermometer, unless the bottle or
vessel containing such petroleum have attached
thereto a label in legible characters, stating as follows :
`Great care must be taken in bringing any light near to
the contents of this vessel, as they give off an inflammable
vapour at a temperature of less than 100 degrees of
Fahrenheit's thermonleter.' Any person acting in con-
travention of this section shall for each offence be
subjected to a penalty not exceeding £5," Inspectors of
weights and measures are empowered to test petroleum,
and offences are to be tried by magistrates and penalties
enforced. The mode of testing is set forth in the sche-
dule of the Act. A definition is given of petroleum,
of any bituminous substance as fires off an inflammable
vapour at a temperature of less than 100 degrees of Fah-
renheit's thermometer.