The Sun.
London, England, 1860-01-16 00:00:00

IMPORTANT DECISION.

An important decision respecting the payment
of a Bank of England note has just been given in
the Sheriff's Court at Glasgow. The facts of the
case are as follows :—ln the month of March,
1859, Mr. W. Rhodes, rag dealer, Halifax, York-
shire, sent an order for £lO worth of rags to a
dealer in such articles, named Nathaniel Turner, at
Edinburgh. With the order Rhodes enclosed the
half of a £lO Bank of England note, promising
that on receipt of the goods he would remit the re-
maining 'half of the note. Turner, however, not
only failed to send the goods, but paid the half-
note to another person, named Dixon, for a supply
of rags which he had sold and delivered to Turner,
the latter undertaking to deliver to Dixon the other
half of the said note, thereby defrauding Rhodes,
who stopped payment of the note ; and in August
last Dixon presented to the bank the half-note, ap-
plying for payment of the whole note, which was
refused, and he was referred to Rhodes; the parties
having up to this time been in ignorance that each
possessed the severed half. A correspondence en-
sued between them, which resulted in mutual ex-
planations as to the manner in which Rhodes parted
with, and Dixon received, the half-note ; and even
tually Rhodes required Dixon to deliver the note
up to him, which the latter refused. Accordingly
an action was brought by Rhodes against Dixon,
which was tried in the Sheriff's Court, Glasgow,
the judgment on which was given on the sth inst.
by Mr. Sheriff Strathern, who decidtd that, in
point of law, Rhodes in the transmission of the
half-note to Turner, did not quit the right of pro-
perty therein, but by the retention of the remain-
ing half he controlled the use of the entire note,
and so prevented its negotiability ; and that Dixon,
by receiving the half-note from Turner, did not
acquire any title to the entire note, but, on the
contrary, he accepted the half-note at h.isownrisk
and peril. Rhodes was, therefore, entitled to re-
ceive the half-note from Dixon, and the Sheriff
ordered it to be delivered up to Rhodes, with
expenses.

ACCIDENTAL DROWNING AND
DEATH BY .FRIGHT.
Last week Mr. G. H. Hinchliffe, coroner, held an
inquest at the Swan Inn, West Bromwich, on the
body of Joseph Timmins. The Coroner, in opening
the proceedings, said he h-id received information
of the death of the mother of the deceased, who was
reported to have died from the effects of fright
occasioned by hor son having been brought home
dead ; but he (the coroner) did not propose holding
an inquest on the body of Mrs. Titumins unless the
jury requested him to do so. The jury did not con-
sider any inquiry necessary, and the inquest on
Joseph Timmins was then proceeded, with. From
the evidence it appeared that the deceased was a
boatman, of about 20 years of age, and that on
the previous Saturday he and another man went
with an empty boat from the Albion station to-
wards Tipton. When they arrived near Dudley
Port, between five and six o'clock in the morning,
they had to pass near a turn in the canal, and in
doing so ran against another boat. The collision
caused the deceased's boat to run against the bridge,
and the line broke. He was then seen swimming
in the water some distance from the side. - His
companion took the boat back and went to him as
soon as possible, but he had sunk. He was got out
however in about ten minutes, when he still ex-
hibited some signs of animation. His companion
then put him into the boat and allowed him to re-
main there some minutes, whence he was taken to
an office by the canal side, and then removed to a
publichouse about three hundred yards distant. At
this time he was insensible and breathing with
difficulty. A surgeon was sent for, and all the
usual means were tried to effect his restoration, but
he died about twelve o'clock. Deceased's companion
fuither stated that he could not say what caused
him to fall in the canal, because it was so dark.
A man named Griffin, who is in the employ of the
canal company, was present when the deceased was
taken out of the water, but said—" I don't see that
there is any life in him ;" and although his house
was only 20 yards distant he did not take the de-
ceased there, urging that there was no time. The
boat which contained the deceased was under his
direction, and no blame attached to the parties in
charge of the one that ran against it. The coroner
said it was much to be regretted that the deceased
had not immediate assistance, and that his clothes
were not removed when he was taken out of the
water. If this had been done his life would pro-
_ bably have been saved. The jury expressed is simi-
lar opinion, and said they wished Griffin had been
present: A verdict of accidental death was returned.
The mother of the deceased was 55 years of age,
and had previously been in good health, but died
in abut an hour after her son was brought home.

COUNTRY MAREBTS,

NORTHAMPTON-JAL 14.

At this corn-market wheat was in tolerable show, with
a more healthy trade, at fully the rates of this day se'n-
night, prices ranging from 43s to 47s for old, and 38s to
45s for new. There was a slow business passing in barley,
—2Bs to 40s per qr. Oats in limited show, with a good
sale, quoted at 20s to 35s per 24 stone. Beans, old, 500
to 525; new, 35s to 40s. Rye, —s to —s; malt, 64s to
66s ; flour, 31s to 34s per sack.