The Sun.
London, England, 1832-03-09 00:00:00

BOW-STREET.

Yesterday Mr. Patten, a land-surveyor, residing in the parish
of St. Clement Danes, appeared before Mr. MINSHULL, on a
summons issued against him at the instance of the officers of
that parish, calling upon him to show cause why he had refused
to serve the office of overseer of the poor.
Mr. Patten, who appeared highly indignant at the attempt
" to buckle office on his back whether he would or no," replied
that he had made up his mind not to accept the situation, let
what would be the consequence. He was a land-surveyor, in
considerable practice, and as his professional avocations called
him repeatedly from town, he felt that it was utterly impossible
for him to perform the duties of overseer.
Mr. Collier, vestry clerk--Then I suppose Mr. Patten has no
objection to pay the fine for refusing to fill the office ?
Mr. Patten demanded to know the amount of the fine, and
called upon Mr. Collier to point out the Act of Parliament
which gave power to enforce it.

Mr. Collier—l am not aware that there is any Act of Par-
liament which gives power to inflict a fine in case of refusal to
'fill the office of overseer, but it has always been the custom in
St, Clement Danes for gentlemen who decline the office to pay 201.
Mr. Patten—Other gentlemen may do as they please, but I
am determined neither to pay the fine nor serve the office. It
is all a trick to get the money, and I jim determined not to be
made a dupe.
MINSHULL—You will be appointed overseer on the
nomination day—namely, the 35th of the present month ; and
if you feel yourself aggrieved, you will have the power of appeal-
ing to the Sessions, when the right of the parish to compel you
to accept the office may be tried.

Mr. Patten then withdrew.
Q UEEN-SQUARE.

Yesterday William Henry Capps, a hackney.coach pro.
prietor, was summoned by Byers, the informer, before Mr.
GREGORIE, for having his name painted on his coach in
white letters on a black ground, instead of black letters on a
white ground, whereby he had subjected himself to a penalty
not exceeding 51.
It appears that by that precious jumble of nonsense and ab.
surdity called the " New Hackney-coach Act," which appears
to have been framed for the purpose of perplexing the public,
.that all carts, waggons, and vans, must have the name of the
owner and his place of abode painted either in white letters on
a black ground, or in black letters on a white ground, and the
letters must be of an inch in length. Byers has, however, dis-
covered, that by another clause all hackney-coaches, chariots,
cabs, &c., must have the name of the owner painted only in
black letters on a white ground, and the defendant's coach
being painted in white letters on a black ground, he summoned
him for the offence.
The defendant pleaded ignorance, and said that lie thought
he was perfectly right, as his name was painted so plain that
any person might read it.
Mr. GREGORIE was of opinion that Byers was right, and
tined the defendant in the mitigated penalty of 20s. and costs.
Thomas Smith, the proprietor of a cabriolet, and George Bush,
the proprietor of a hackney-coach, were fined 20s. each, and
costa, for a similar offence.
It is necessary by this clause to have the name of the owner
o_f a hackney-coach, chariot, or cabriolet, painted in black letters
7,r!ea white ground; but as the clause makes no mention of the
of the letters, any owner may paint ,them as small as he
pleases,
orso that no person can discern the same without the aid
side or the
and he may place the same either on the out_
e inside of the coach plate ; but if he paints his name
in
the
penalty.forbidden.is colour, let it be ever so plain, he is liable to a
was proved the other day, when Byers summoned
the proprietor
Plates of a cabriolet for having his name painted on his
letters not larger than the sixteenth part of an inch in
height, so that 't
inspection.
Thei ciould not be made out, except on a very close
whittground, and lame was, however, painted in black upon a
complied
with
the the Magistrate decided that the defendant had
jaw, Sinnott,
oft 71
Parliament, and dismissed the case.
9ns. and costs, for not 71i.ng-green-lane, Clerkenwell, WAS fined
his eutt.merely I aving his place of residence described on
ktnwelL
had " James Sinnott, St. James's, Cler_

(\o. 12,321.)

COURT OF BANKRURTCY, 31Ano1 8.

EX PARTE SObARTE, IN RE A LZEDO, A BANKRUPT.
The facts oft is petition were shortly these :—A commission
issued agaih.lt Mr. Alzcdo in 1823, under which the petitioner,
Mr. Solarte, was appointed assignee of his estate. Among other
assets of the bankrupt were bills to the amount of 1,3701., ac-
cepted by a Mr. Keats, who had died without paying them.
The assignee brought an action against his widow and execu-
trix, Mrs. Keats, for the amount. In answer she put in a plea
of plene administravit, and several special pleas. Upon this the
assignee summoned her before the Commissioner for the pur-
pose of examining her as to the truth of that plea. The Corn.
missioner thought he had not authority so to examine her, and
declined to do so.

Mr. RICHARDS now applied to the Court on behalf of the
assignee to refer back the matter to the Commissioner, or to a
subdivision Court, in order that Mrs. Keats might be examined.
The COURT was of opinion that the Legislature intended to
confine the examination to matters strictly relating to the bank-
rupt's " person, trade, dealing, or estate," and not to extend it
to matters more properly connected with the person, trade,
dealing, or estate of another.
The Commissioner had, therefore, exercised a sound dis-
cretion in refusing to suffer the examination to proceed, and
the petition must be dismissed with costs.

SPRING ASSIZES.

LINCOLN, March O.

Jame, Hill, aged 22, was indicted for shooting at Robert
Hawker, at Sutterton, in October last, with intent to murder
him, or do him some grievous bodily harm.

On the day in question the prisoner, who had travelled from
Beaton, went into the prosecutor's public-house, in company
with another man, a farmer, and asked for some beer. After
he had drank a part of it, he accused the prosecutor of having
robbed him, in taking toll from him to which he had no right.
This was after the decision of the Boston toll cause. The pro-
secutor told him to sit down, and have no bother ; upon which
the prisoner drew a small pocket pistol from his pocket, and pre-
sented it near the prosecutor's breast, who, having hold of the
prisoner's collar, gave him a jerk, and thereby caused the
muzzle of the pistol, when the prisoner drew the trigger, to be
turned on one side. The ball, therefore, passed in another di.
rection, struck the wall, and rebounding, struck the prosecu-
tor's wife on the elbow. When the shot went off, the priming
burned the prosecutor's chin, who immediately called out" I am
shaved," his wife at the same moment exclaiming," I am shot."
The Jury found him Guilty, and sentence of Death was re-
corded against him.

CHELMSFORD, March 8.

Timothy Corby, aged 19; Thomas Dyer, aged 2l; together
with John Dyer, aged 22 (who pleaded guilty), labourers, and
part of a numerous gang of sheep-stealers with whom Essex has
been for souse infested, were capitally convicted for stealing and
killing a sheep at Arkesden on the 7th day of November, 18.29,
the property of Mr. Hurrell, a gentleman residing in that neigh.
bourhood. Sentence of death was recorded against all three
prisoners, and John Dyer, against whom there were a vast num.
ber of similar charges, was told by the Learned Judge to be pre-
pared for the worst.
James Reed, a tall, gaunt, grim-looking veteran Hussar,
with only one eye, but who seems by his female acquaintance
to have been considered a perfect Adonis, was indicted for
marrying with Sarah Falkner, his former wife, Mary Anna,
being alive.
In 1819, he was discharged from the army, and shortly after
contracted an intimacy with his first wife, who proved with
child. He was then put into Chelmsford gaol, and liberated by
the parish authorities of that place, on condition ofhis marrying
the said Mary Anna. The marriage accordingly took place,
and he and his wife subsequently separated and lived apart.
He appeared, however, to have known she was living when he
contracted the second marriage, and was cautioned against the
consequences of it. These he treated with indifference, and
was married to Sarah Falkner in December last, at Chalgrave,
in Bedfordshire. The facts of the case were clearly proved.—
Verdict, Guilty.
The JUDGE deferred pronouncing sentence, observing,
there were some peculiar circumstances in the case which re-
quired consideration.