The Sun.
London, England, 1832-06-22 00:00:00

VICE-CHANCELLOR'S COURT, JUNE 21.

SHEAN V. BEVAN, VANHOUSE, AND OTHERS.
In this case, which respected the alleged mis-
management of some West Indian property, and
which was not concluded yesterday when we went
to press,

His
HONOUR said that, however ill the estate in
question might have been managed by the manager
in the West Indies, yet there did not appear to him
to be the slightest foundation for charging these de-
fendants (the consignees) with any share in that
mismanagement of the estate. He must, therefore,
dismiss the bill as against them, and order that they
continue to be the consignees of the estate for the
future. He should also allow that part of the bill
which prayed that the Messrs. Andrews should be
appointed the future managers of the estate. The
rest of the prayer of the bill he should dismiss.

COURT OF COMMON PLEAS, JUNE 21.

LAZARUS, ASSIGNEE OF MATTHEWS, v. CHILLCOTT.
This was an action of trover, brought by the
plaintiff to recover from the defendant, a pawn-
broker at Bristol, the value of eleven pictures.--
Mr. Matthews, previously to his bankruptcy, sva.;
the proprietor of a gallery of pictures ut Bristol,
and had 1,500 subscribers; but, in consecrenee of
the outlay of money, he was obliged to pledge a
quantity of articles, such as spoons, plate, &c., at tha
shop of Mr. Chillcott, whom he first became ac-
quainted with by his taking a subscription ticket
for the picture gallery. The articles were pledged
in the usual way, Mr. Chillcott, as a pawnbroker,
advancing the money, and receiving 15 per cent.
interest. On the sth of February, 1830, however,
Mr. Matthews took a picture, the subject of which
was " Abigail and David"' and, offering it to Mr.
Chillcott, wished him to advance 501. upon it.—
This, however, he declined to do, as the sum re-
quired was greater than he was authorized to ad-
vance under the Pawnbrokers' Act, which limits
the highest amount to be given for pledges to 10/. !
but he stated that he had no objection to give
him .50/. for the picture, on the condition that, if
the money were not returned by the 20th of the
following month (March), then the picture, which
was, in the interim, to remain at the picture gallery,
was to become his property. Mr. Matthews ac-
cepted the condition, received the 50/. and after-
wards, in the same month, received, on the same
terms, 34/. for another picture, the " Tribute
Money," and, finally, BL/. further for nine more
pictures, one representing the Laocoon, and eight.
others. At the expiration of the time granted Mr.
Matthews failed to return the money. Matthews
subsequently became a bankrupt, and the defendant,
upon being applied to by the attorney to the estate-,
and another person, who estimated the value of the
pictures at a very high rate, stated that although the
money had been advanced conditionally, and he could
retain the pictures, still he was wiling to deliver
them up upon payment of the sums paid for them,
with five per cent. interest, although in that case he
should be a considerable loser, as the bankrupt had
agreed to give him fifteen per cent. On these
grounds, therefore, it was contended by the plain-
tiff that the money was advanced by the defendant
in his character of pawnbroker, and the arrangement
about the buying the pictures was a mere pretext
to avoid` a charge of lending money at an usurious
interest--aad that consequently the agreement was
altogether, lull, and he was,kcpisid to return the value
of them.. .1 'au
Mr. Matthews was examined as a witness, and
his cross-examination excited infinite amusement in
the Court, from the unblushing way in which he
gave his answers to questions destroying altogether
his claim either to honesty or proper principle, and
also from the extraordinary manner in which he mis-
applied the King's English. He stated that he was
neither a nephew nor cousin to Sir George Cock-
burn. He did not know a 31. Turner, a pawn-
broker, but probably Mr. Turner knew him, as some
time ago, when he was a rake and a random fellow,
he took some spoons to his shop, and, representing
them as silver, he obtained money upon them as
such, although in fact they were only pewter. He
was afterwards taken up on a charge of fraudulently
obtaining money, was tried at the Old Bailey, con-
victed, and sentenced to six months' impri..onment
in Coldbatlofields' prison, where he met with every
indulgence. They did not indulge him with a
walk on the tread-mill, although he certainly tried
it by way of experiment, in the same way as any
of you (pointing to the Counsel at the bar) might.
He afterwards went to America ; but he knew of no
cpolamcepatrheeit.oe,
cnooirdbhaatdh
.fibeelearsi,
ipnrisao7i: which lie
ccoonisi
i-
dered there a public orator, and on the 4th of July
made an oration which was highly applauded, and
on account of which a public dinner was given him,
It was not during the Sessions, although it was de-
livered in the Sessions-house. The witness then
repeated a Latin quotation, to the effect that no per-
ion should be condemned until he was pronounced
guilty ; and then said, looking at Mr. Sergeant Lud-
low, who was cross-examining him, " I dare say,
Sir, you know what I mean ;" but, the Foreman
requested that he would give his answers in English,
and he immediately then gave a translation of what
he had quoted.
verdict for the plaintiff.
The Jury, after a short deliberation, returned a

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twenty. five millions of pounds of foreign wool, and more
than one hundred and forty millions of British wool, are
innually consumed in the manufactuns Great Beitain
that the value of woollens exported is II om five to seven
nillions sterling, and that the cori,umption in .he United
jCindom is estimated at from twenty to twenty-five mil,
iiona sterlioz per anuum.....ifi4ll Packet.

Extract of a letter :—" We called on our friends
and found them going to Evesham, to see the cele-
bration of the passing of the Reform Bill, and whilst
it is fresh in my mind, I will tell you all about it,
because I think it does the people of Eveshern
great credit. Instead of an illumination, a subscrip.
tion was raised to give a dinner to the poor, and ac-
cordingly 700 poor men bad as much beef as they
could ear, set out on long tables in an open place in
the town, with a proper quantity of beer. But in
the management was the merit—all done by the
tradespeople, who carved and presided. A plate
and mug were given to every man, to keep as a me-
morial. They brought their own knives, which ,
after the dinner, were ticketed, and returned to the
owners next day. The Tory party having foretold
great drunkenness and disorder, after the pattern of
their own heretofore beautiful election dinners, the
Reformers resolved to show the difference, so they
prevailed upon the publicans to give out no beer
after a certain hour, and some of their body exhort-
ing them to order and propriety of conduct, there
was not one man drunk, or one left in the streets by
eleven o'clock. To-day was the fete for the women
and children, who had tea and bread and butter,
with a good slice of cold beef; and truly it was a
pleasant sight. The day was beautiful, and the
place was adorned with arches, hung with garlands.
All the poorest people, iu their best attire, looking
tidy and happy—.a procession, bearing dishes and
trays of cold beef, and bread and butter, headed by
a band of music, playing the tune of Molly put the
kettle on.' I was quite touched ; I felt that the
scene was really an indication of an improving state
of society. In as corrupt a borough as any in Eng-
land, and in a neighbourhood where hitherto they
have appeared ready to sell their very souls for
drink, the value of Reform was so far felt as to in-
duce every person at all above want to take a share
in contributing to the innocent enjoyment of those
below them, who, on their part, showed themselves
capable of moral restraint, and alive to a sense of
the most perfect decorum. The beauty of it was,
that it was altogether the people, and nothing but
the people, who contrived and executed this most
pleasing, rational way of celebrating their triumph."