The Sun.
London, England, 1869-12-06 00:00:00

BANJKING COMPANIES IN CHANCERY.

The matter of the Bank of London and National Pro-
vincial Assurance Association came before Vice-Chancellor
James on Saturday, when an application was made for the
appointment of a special examiner—in order to save
the expense of an appointment in Chambers—to examine
a petitioner in the case. The order was made.—Vice-
Chancellor Malins was engaged during the greater part of
the day with the claims of the Oriental Commercial
Bank (Limited), and the Eastern Commercial
Bank (Limited) against the European Bank (Limited).
The questions involved relate to matters of account, and
his Honour, in the course of the arguments and reading of
affidavits, expressed some astonishment at the course
of management pursued by one or two of the assessors
concerned. The cases are likely to occupy the court some

AMALC .1 MA TED COMPANIES IN CHAN-
CERY.

Two petitions came before Vice-Chancellor James
on Saturday to wind up companies connected
with tho Albert In nuance Company. The first

petition was presented by a creditor of the Metro-
politan Counties Association, for whom Mr. Kay, Q.C.,
appeared. This company some years ago granted
an annuity to Mr. Jameson, who had been its actuary and
secretary, to be paid to him first, and on his death to his
wife, to the extent of £BO per annum. The wife now
petitioned, through her trustee, for a compulsory winding
up. In 1802, the Metropolitan declared itself to be dis-
solved, and transferred its assets to the Western Life
Assurance Company, which subsequently became amalga-
mated with the Albert. When that occurred, the peti-
tioner's trustee gave notice to the original society that he
refused to release them from their liability. With the
exception of this fact, the case was identical with the
Family Endowment Society, on which his Honour had
already given his decision.
Mr. Fry, Q.C., on behalf of the company, said he was
prepared to assent to any order which might be made.
Mr. Eddie, Q.C., appeared for the official liquidator of the
Albert Company, who had obtained leave in Chambers to
oppose the petition. There being an appeal against the
decision in the Family Endowment case pending, the

liquidator desired to be at liberty to avail himself of any
alteration which might be made in that decision by the
court above, while in the meantime ho wished to avoid
expense by deferring affidavits until they became abso-
lutely necessary. The respondent also asked his Honour
to allow the petitions to stand over until some inquiry
had been made into the circumstances under which the
annuity to Mr. Jameson had been granted. The peti-
tioner had received between £1,600 and £1,700, and only
£:2O was due on the last quarter.
The Vice-Chancellor observed that the only person who
could represent the company did not oppose the petition,
and the Albert Company would have an opportunity of
seeing what debts were proved for which they might bo
liable. Ho should therefore make an order for winding
up, giving the petitioner costs out of the estate, and
leaving the Albert to pay their own.

Tho second petition was from an annuitant of the
Western Life Assurance Company, and of the assurances
amalgamated with the Albert, and referred to in the
previous case. Mr. Kay, Q.C., who supported the petition,
stated that the Western transferred its property to the
Albert in 1855, but the petitioner was never informed of
the agreement by which this arrangement was made until
very lately, and had never assented to it.

His Honour made the winding-up order, and appointed
the official liquidator of the Albert, provisional liquidator
to receive any premiums which might be paid in respect
both of the Western and of the Metropolitan Counties
companies.

THE A.lt mrDE A C °MIX OF SUDI3 IT ItY.—ller Maj esty
has been pleased, on the recommendation o_ Mr. Gladstone,
to appoint the Rev. F. R. Chapman, M.A., vicar of St.
James, Bury St. Edmunds to the Archdeaconry of Sud-
bury, in the room of Lord Arthur Hervey, elevated to the
Bishopric of Bath and Wells. Mr. Chapman is described
as an "active and moderate Churchman."

CRUELTY TO ANIMALS.—At the County Police
Office for the Leicester division, on Saturday, William,
alias "Nutty" Miles, a poultry-dealer, was charged with
cruelty to a dog and a cat at Rearsby on the 30th ult.
Mr. Haxby, who appeared on behalf of the Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, requested the Bench to
send the prisoner to gaol without the option of a fine.
The prisoner, it appeared, on returning from Melton Mar-
ket on the day specified, had gone into the Horse and
Groom Inn at Rearsby. When there he took up a small
dog which was lying on the hearth and threw it on a large
fire. He then took up a kitten and put it in a boiler full
of hot water, and closed down the lid. When taken out
the kitten was quite dead, and the skin was peeling off.
Prisoner pleaded drunkenness as an apology ; but the
magistrates sentenced him to six months' hard labour
(three months in each of the two cases). The chairman
said be regretted that tho law did not allow him to order
the prisoner to receive corporal punishment.

"POISONING."—Just now, when authors are rack-
ing their brains for horrible stories suitable for the "jovial"
time of Christmas, the following advertisement, which has
been inserted in several London and other papers, must be
a most seasonable godsend :—" Whereas, it is believed that
attempts have for some time past been made to poison a
lady in Lancashire, a reward of £l,OOO is hereby offered to
any one who may turn Queen's evidence, or who may
give such information as may lead to the conviction of the
guilty party.—Address to the lady herself, as well as
to the constabulary," &c. A "Younger Son" writes as
follows :—" If the advertisement refers to my mother, I
know what's poisoning her. It's that horrid lager beer she
now drinks herself and gives to us all, because it's cheap.
In my opinion the chap that sells it ought to be hung
right off." A young lady, who signs her name as "Mariana
Vere de Vere," says, "There can be no doubt but that this
extraordinary advertisement refers to my aunt. She will
dress as a young girl, and I am sure the horrid stuffs she
puts on her hair and face cause the extraordinary pains
she feels. Please tell me where I am to call for the
reward, and can I have it all in sovereigns, as I don't under
stand paper money ?"

AUSTRALIAN DIAMONDS.—ACCOTding to the latest
accounts an extensive area of ground has been taken up for
diamond mining on the Cudgegong River, New South Wales,
the only locality in that colony where diamond mining has
as yet been prosecuted on a large scale. The Australian
Diamond Company have provided themselves with a steam-
engine for working their gem machinery. Fresh discoveries
are continually reported, and Mullet, Abercombie gold-
fields, and the river Page arc indicated as places whence
precious stones have been received. Another diamond has
been discovered recently at Sebastopol, Victoria ; its weight
is stated at three carats. Diamonds have been found along
the greater extent of the Reedy Creek, at Eldorado,
Sebastopol, Woolshed, and higher up at Wooragee. A
gem found in the Epsom district was recently forwarded
to Mr. Crisp, of Melbourne, who pronounced it to be a
diamond; this is the first Bendigo diamond that has been
heard of. A Lyttleton (New Zealand) journal states that a
miner has brought a number of coloured crystals into
Christchurch, and on inspection one stone, about half the
size of a pea, was found to be a diamond, but it was so
rough and jagged that its intrinsic value when worked
up would be very trifling. As the finder declared that he
knew where "any quantity" of this sand was to be found,
it is thought that something better may be brought to

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