The Sun.
London, England, 1866-12-18 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE.—This Day.

COURT OF PROBATE AND DIVORCE.
(Mote Sir J. P. Wilde.)
MELFORD V. MELFORD.-JUDGMENT.

This was a suit instituted by the wife for a dissolution
of marriage on the ground of her husband's cruelty and
adultery and the case was heard before the learned judge
without a jury, but judgment was reserved.
His lordship delivered the judgment this morning. He
said that, after mature consideration of the evidence, he
could not pronounce that the question of cruelty
alleged was established, although the adultery was fully
proved. Although no doubt the wife might naturally be
anxious to sever her connection with a man of adulterous
and drunken habits, still a clear case of cruelty must be
made out before the Court could grant a petitioner relief.
It appeared that during the ten years of the cohabitation
only four cases of cruelty were alleged as having been in-
flicted on the petitioner, but it did not appear that these
injuries were of a nature calculated to endanger her life or
her bodily health. Oae of the principal of these acts was
that the respondent had put a pillow over his wife's head
with a view to smother her, but the evidence did not
satisfy him there was any such intention on his part. Ho
believed that a great portion of the misconduct of the re-
spondent towards his wife was occasioned by her-
self. For instance she insisted on ono - occasion
in walking to Exeter against his wish, and she was
in the habit of speaking to him about looking at
a woman ho had not seen for two years. There must be
violence calculated to comprorhise the wife's safety to con-
stitute legal cruelty, the ground upon which the Court had
always acted. He must therefore grant the petitioner only
judicial separation on the ground of adultery.
On the application of Dr. Spinks, it was made part of the
order that the petitioner should retain the custody of the
children for the present, the husband to have reasonable
access to them.

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT—This Day.

OLD COURT.
(Before the Recorder).

THE ATTYQED FRAUD AGAINST THE MANAGER OF THE

JOIST-STOCK DISCOUNT COMPANY.

The indictment against James Freeling Wilkinson,
under the act of Parliament passed some years ago,
wherein it was provided that whogver, being an
officer of any company, shall appropriate to his
own use any of the property of the company
should be guilty of misdemeanour, was postponed un-
til next session. It will be recollected that the
defendant was the manager of the Joint-Stock Discount
Company, and he was indicted for appropriating two
cheques, one for £4,000 and another for £BOO, which he
reported as having been lent to Messrs. Gaffer. Messrs.
Caffer denied this, and affirmed that they were given in
payment for certain shares which they had purchased from
him. On giving the cheque for £4,000 defendant stated the
money would be paid to him by a person who was to supply
the fund for the shares, and by his direction no interest
was charged, as was always done in the case of loans.

WRECKS IN 1865.

A return issued by the Board of Trade records
1,656 wrecks and casualties as having occurred in
1865 on and near the coasts of the United King-
dom. The number in 1864 was 1,390. The annual
average number during the five years ending 1859
was 1,204; in the five years ending 1864 it was
1,483. The number for 1865 was therefore above
the average. This is partly attributable to an
increase in the number of vessels frequenting
the coasts, and it is also to be noted that the
numbers for any one year will be. increased or
diminished according to the prevalence or ab-
sence of gales. The return mentions that in Nov.,
1864, there were 264 casualties, with the wind
chiefly in the south south-east and south-west ;
but, owing to the absence of any special gales of re-
markable duration and violence, the total number
of casualties in that year was '274 below the num-
ber in 1863. In 1865 the gales of January,
February, and March, and October, November, and
December, gave 766 casualties. It appears by the
returns that westerly gales are far more fatal than
easterly gales, the most fatal being those from the
south-west. The number of ships lost or damaged
in 1865 was 2,012, and is in excess of the number
of wrecks and casualties (1,656), because in
cases of collision two or more ships are involved
in one casualty. Out of the 1,656 casualties,
863 occurred on the east coast, 386 on the
west coast, 187 on the south coast, and 146 on the
Irish coast. While the greatest number of casual-
ties happened on the east coast, yet the greatest
loss of life occurred in the Irish Sea. Taking the
last seven years the number of lives lost in the Irish
Sea has been more than double the number lost on
any other part of the coast. Of the 2,012 ships
lost or damaged 1,914 were vessels employed in the
regular carrying trade, out of which number 934
were unseaworthy, overladen, or ill-found vessels
of the collier class, chiefly employed in the coasting
trade. Of the total number of casualties in 1865
354 are referred to collisions, of which 114 occurred
in the daytime and 240 at night: It is remarkable
that although the collisions in 1865 are in excess
of any year slim 1855, yet the number of lives
lost by this class of casualties is, with only
one exception, less than that recorded in any
year since 1858. Of the remaining 1,302 casualties
470 resulted in the total loss of the vessels, 99 were
lost through inattention, carelessness, or neglect,
and 38 are stated to have been lost through defects
either in the ship or in her equipments ; no less
than the 30 out of the 38 foundered from unsea-
worthiness. Out of the 832 partial losses, other than
by collision, 137 arose from carelessness, and 48 from
defects in the ship, or her equipments. The total
number of ships which, according to the facts
reported, appear to have foundered or to have
been otherwise totally lost, on the coasts
of the United Kingdom from unseaworthines
alone during the last ten years was 423 ; and
the number of casualties caused through unsea-
worthy ships, unsound gear, &c., during the same
period was bB6. It is noticed that of the total
number of casualties in 1865 the comparatively new
ship bore a very high proportion. Out of the
2,012 vessels lost or damaged 82 wererigged as ships,
130 were steamships, 542 schooners, 419 brigs, 187
barks, 187 brigantines, and 196 were smacks.
Among them were 1,267 old ships from 30 to 50
years of age ; 230 were between 50 and 60 years
old ; 102 from 60 to 70 ; 48 from 70 to 80 ; 14 from
80 to 90 ; 6 from 90 to 100 ; and 4 of 101 years
and upwards. It is mentioned that the state of rot-
tenness and of want of repair of some of the ships
above 20 years old often calls for remark ; and even
at the age of 25 to 30 it sometimes happens that a
ship is so rotten as to fall to pieces immediately on
touching the ground, without giving the crew the
slightest chance of getting-out the boats. As re-
gards the loss of life the returns show that the total
numbers of persons lost on and near the coasts of the
United Kingdom in 1865, in 164 ships was 698. Out
of this number 275 lives were lost in vessels thatfoun-
dered, 53 were lost through collisions, and 335 were
lost iu vessels stranded or cast ashore. On the
other hand, 4,162 lives were saved from wrecks
during the year—viz., 396 by lifeboats, 409 by
rocket and mortar apparatus, &c. ; 323 by lug-
gers, coastguard boats, and small craft ; 914
by ships and steamboats, 1,768 by ships'
own boats, 6 by individual exertion, and 346 by
other means. At the close of 1865 there were
234 lifeboats on the coasts of the United King-
dom ; there were also 249 rocket and mortar sta-
tions, and 553 coastguard stations provided with
cork life j aeirpta Aad lifv —AGLeutlOll is airectea
in the report to a new double rocket, invented by
Colonel Boxer. This rocket is so arranged that on
the first rocket being expended the second takes
fire and completes the range. During the present
year, 1866, a new decoration, styled the " Albert
Medal," has been instituted by ber Majesty, to be
awarded to those who endanger their lives in the
effort to save the lives of others from shipwreck and
from perils of the sea.

THE ANCIENT TENNIS COURT IN JAIIES-STREET,
Haymarket, which retained its former service until two
months ago, is now disused, and in process of conversion
to other purposes.
THE FENIAN HEAD CENTRE. There is not a
word of truth in the story printed on Saturday evening as
to the capture of Stephens, the Fenian head centre, at
Reepham, near Norwich. The hoax has excited much
amusement in the neighbourhood.

THE COST OF A CHANCERY SUIT.—A corres.
pondont gives the following statement of accounts, show
ing the result of a Chancery suit just concluded:

RECEIPTS.
Proceeds of the sale of real estate and invest-
ments of the dividends by the Accountant-
General in Chancery ... ... ... ... £717 310

PAYMENTS.
Plaintiff's solicitors costs. ... £449 14 2
Defendant's solicitor's costs ... 204 8 4

£684 2 6
Fees of taxation of costs ,„ ~, 18 5 0
702 7 6

Leaving a balance of „. £l4 16 4
—Manchester Examiner.

NEW EDITOR FOR THE MIS-CALLED " FORT-
NIGHTLY."—Mr. John Morley has succeeded Mr. G. IL
Lewes as editor of the Fortnightly Review —a periodical
which, despite its name, is to appear in future once a
month.
FOREIGN TRADE OF 1866.—1 n the first eight
months of the year 1866 the exports of British and
Irish produce and manufactures reached*the unpre-
cedented value of £125,265,820. Foremost in the
return stand the exports to the United .States—
£9,4B3,oB4 in the first eight months of 1865, and
£19,893,445 in the corresponding period of 1866.
The exports to British North America also advanced
from £3,203,499 to £5,407,253. China (including
Hongkong) also presents a remarkable return—
£3,284,242 in 1865, and £5,151,695 in 1866.
France has taken of us in the eight months of 1866
merchandise to the value of £1,500,000 more than
in the same period of 1865 ; the trade with Turkey
shows an increase of more than £2,300,000 ' • with
Egypt more than £1,600,000 ; with Brazil
more than £1,600,000. Our trade with India
and Australia has not advanced by such an
extraordinary stride; but, nevertheless, has reached
the respective values of £13,075,871 and £8,883,838.
The trade with some parts of the continent of
Europe has, as might be expected, declined
in this year, many of our customers being
otherwise engaged. But the whole result is an
advance in the trade with foreign countries from
£70,229,031 in the first eight months of 1865 to
£89,080,404 in 1866 ; and with British possessions
from £32,171,665 to £36,185,416. The increase in
our exports to the United States has extended to
all our great staple articles of commerce, and is
very marked in cotton piece-goods, of which we have
in the first three-quarters of this year despatched
to that house of King Cotton 92,398,850 yards—a
million yards in every three days. Of linen piece-
goods we have also sent thither in this year
87,744,821 yards, of worsted stuffs 63,135,367
yards, and of woollen cloths 4,391,621 yards. In
the increased trade with other countries also our
cotton manufacturers have got the lion's share ;
they have sent in the first nine months of 1866
123,020,062 yards of piece-goods to Brazil,
123,051,313 yards to China and Hong Kong,
156,220,400 yards to Turkey, 160,232,122 yards to
Egypt, 443,176,474 yards to India. In the first
three quarters of this year we have sent abroad
more than 1,902,000,000 yards of cotton piece-
goods—nearly 7,000,000 yards a day. The exports
of coal, of iron, of tin plates, of earthenware, and
of haberdashery have Increased greatly this year.
The exports of British and Irish produce and manu-
factures now average in value more than £500,000
a day.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

SALES BY MESSRS. TATTERSALL AT ALBERT

GATE.

Yesterday (Monday) there wore several valuable lots in
Messrs. Tattersall's sale list, including, besides a draft
from Mr. Merry's racing stable, several hunters, the pro-
perty of the Hon. F. Calthorpe, Colonel Scott Thompson,
14th Hussars, and Henry Compton, Esq. The Hon. F.
Calthorpe's horses, of which there were five " put up,"
failed to reach the reserved price, but Colonel Scott
Thompson's three—Hardwicke, King Death, and Sampson
brought respectively 100 gs., 70gs., and 60gs. ; while two
of Mr. Compton's, The Colonel and Saxon, brought re-
spectively 70gs. and 90gs. The draft from Mr. Merry's
horses in training comprised seven lots, two of which,
Zambesi, who is not much bigger than when two years
old, and Beelzebub, realised fair prices, but the others
went for a mere " song." Throe other blood horses were
disposed of, including Freedom, whom Mr. Nightingall got
very cheap for 80gs., as he is big enough to make a steeple-
chaser.