The Sun.
London, England, 1861-01-21 00:00:00

RECENT WIJ;LS AND BEQUESTS.

The will of the Right Hon. Lady Amelia Need-
ham, of Datchet Hou :be, Bucks, who died at Wind-
sor on Dec. 25, was proved in London on the Bth
inst., by H. F. Bristol Esq., of Lincoln's-inn, the
sole executor. This ht dy, who is highly connected,
being thedaughter of t he late Earl of Kilmory, and
sister to the present et trl, has left her property to
her sister and nieces, her ladyship being unmarried
and has appointed he rniece, Lady Selina Needham,
residuary legatee. ' the testatrix has not been un-
mindful of the poor Datchet, having:bcqueathed
the sum of £5O for t beir benefit.

The will of Lady Maxwell, relict of Sir C. W.
Maxwell, late of Chi ester-street, Belgrave square,
who died at George-si veet, Bathwick, Bath, on 17th
Nov. last, was proved in London on the 7th inst.
Lady Maxwell dispose* of her property to her sister
nephews, and n;eces, bequeathing amongst them
various articles of coslcl y jewellery and plate, and
appointing her sister r es iduary legatee.
The will of Aldermi in Sir G. Carroll, Knt., was
proved in the London Court of Probate on the 15th
inst., and the persona lty sworn under £120,000.
The executors nominaitol are his relict and Joseph
Maynard, Esq., of Col e man-street. The w ill bears
date April 6, 1859. Sir G. Carroll died suddenly,
on the 18th December last, at the advanced age of
77. He was well k)anwn in the City from his
former extensive blisiness as a stockbroker,
and being very promin Lent as a member of the cor-
poration of the City o 1 London, having attended
with great assiduity ant 1 vigilance to the corporate
affairs. Sir George sei •ved the various offices of
Sheriff, Alderman, and ultimately of Lord Mayor.
The testator's will mat sins the following disposi-
tions :—He bequeaths to his widow a life interest in
his entire property, su Meet to the payment of cer-
tain legacies and charit-able bequests; to his son-in-
law, the Rev. H. E, Cl. Cobden, M.A., Rector of
Larnbley, Notts, he lea yes a life interest in the sum
of £lO,OOO, and on the 'decease of this gentleman,
the principal is directed to be paid to the testator's
grandchildren, who also, on the decease of Lady
Carroll, take the entire .residue of the estate. There
is a legacy of £5,000 to his great nephew, Horace
Tahourden, and also one of £l,OOO to his executor.
Sir George has contribut ed the sum of £5OO to each
of two institutions, one o, f them being the most•pro-
minent of our city chariti es—we allude to St. Bar-
tholomew's Hospital ; the other gift is to the Asy-
lum for Idiots.—lllustrated London News.

RELIEF OF THE POG'R AT THE THAMES
POLICE COURT.
On Saturday immense numbers of poor and hun-
gry people thronged to the Thames police-court to
(Amin relief from the pooeebox fund, and, owing to
the munificent contributions forwarded to the
magistrates from all parts of the mete opolis and
from many in the country, nearly 3,000 persons
were assisted in the course of the day. Many
urgent cases were relieeed in the morning.
At four o'clock the gates of the large yard
between the court and station-house were
thrown open, and a eremendous rush took
place. About 1,500 were admitted into the yard
and as many remained outside. The people gener-
ally were very orderly, bu t the eagerness of others
was manifested by their occasionally rushing
towards the doors of the court, only to be driven
back by the police, whose duties were of the most
arduous description, and executed with firmness
combined with forbearance and good humour. Mr.
Howie, superintendent, au d Messrs. Hayes, Griffin,
and Allison, inspectors of the R division, imposed
sonic excellent regulations for the admission of the
numerous applicants into the court. Those pro-
vided with the printed forms issued by the Court
and filled up by gentlemen, lay and clerical, in the
district, were admitted into the court, where Mr.
Selfe presided, all the officers having deserted him
to attend on Mr. Livingston, the chief usher of the
court.
Mr. George Gowland, of the firm of Walton and
Gowland, Ratcliff-cross, volunteered his services,
welch were readily accepted, and he ably assisted
the magistrate in dispensing relief until nearly mid-
night. Inquiries were made relating to the family,
cause of distress, and other circumstances, of every
one, and the money awarded by the magistrate was
handed to each person by Mr. Gowland. About
500 persons were presented with small sums, the
11 lowest being is., and the highest, where the case was
a peculiarly distressing one, 10s. One woman, with
a sickly baby in her arms, said it was five months
old, that her husband was very ill at home, was 83
years of age, and she had four other little ones to
maintain. Another woman, with an infant in
her arms, said it was her second child, and that
her husband, who was ill and out of work,
was only 18 years of age. In answer to the inquiry
addressed by the magistrate to many women,
" What is the matter with your husband and child-
ren ?" "They are ill for want of food," was the reply
in numerous instances; and Mr. Gowland vouched
for the fact that in many houses containing families,
which he had visited in ltatcliff, neither food,
household furniture, or fuel were to be seen. Mr.
Livingston relieved upwards of 2,000 starving men
and lads. No working man received less than 25.,
many 35., others 4e., and about 100 ss. each. The
c'eief usher and brother officers, Denny, Taplin,
Kent, Martin, and Smith, only discontinued their
work of charity when all the silver they could
obtain was exhausted, and about 250 collected in
the street were necessarily sent away empty
handed.
A vast amount of goods has been effected by Mr.
Yardley and Mr. Salfe during the past week. The
two gentlemen di Eler as to the mode of dispensing
the funds of the benevolent—both, however, are
actuated by the most humane and honourable feel-
ings, and have not been sparing of their time or
their attention to the really deserving poor in the
course of the win ter. Mr. Selfe was repeatedly
interrupted in tlae discharge of his magisterial
duties by applicat ions from clergymen of the Church
of England, disse sting ministers, Roman Catholic
priests, and deputations from district committees,
for assistance out of the ample funds sent to the
court by the benevolent, and which continued to
flow in the whole of Saturday from eight o'clock in
the morning untih midnight Mr. Selfe was com-
pelled at last to state that the regular business of
the court had been so often interrupted that in
future he should not hear any applications which
had reference to the poor-box fund, whether the
applicants were clerical gentlemen or not, until
after three o'clock in the afternoon. The magistrate
awarded £4O to the Rev. Mr. M'Gill of Christ
Church, Watney-street, and better known as the
East-end incumbent for the poor in his district,
where the sufferings of the people for want of food
and fuel have been very great ; £3O to Father Kelly,
a Roman Catholic priest of the church of St. Mary
and St. Michael, in the Commercial-road, in addi-
tion to £3O on Friday ; £lO to Father Haresnip,
of Poplar, in addition to a like sum on Friday ; £lO
to the Rev. Mr. Smicox Lea, of Trinity Church,
Stepney, who came very early to the court, in addi-
tion to £lO on Friday ; £25 to the Rev. Mr. Cay,
the minister now in charge of the parish church of
St. George-in-the-East; £lO to the Rev. Mr.
Atherton, of St. James's Church, Ratcliff, and £5
to the Rev. J. Brown, Presbyterian minister. The
magistrate has altogether awarded to the clergy of
different sects in the district about £5OO, and inti-
mated that he should expect an account from each
as to how and in what manner the money was
expended.
Mr. Edward Coleman and Mr. R. Houghton
Thomas, a deputation from the parish of All Saints,
Poplar, waited on Mr. Selfe, and said a meeting
was held at the Town Hall on Friday, a committee
appointed, and subscriptions collected for the relief
of the destitute. The distress in the parish, owing
to the severity of the weather and want of employ-
ment, was quite overwhelming. The parish con-
tained 33,000 souls, and comprised Millwall, Black-
wall, the Isle of Dogs and Poplar proper, and it
had been divided by the committee into ten districts
for the purposes of a house to house visitation, and
inquiring into every case of distress. The com-
mittee were now distributing the funds already
collected.
Mr. Selfe said this was the sort of organisation
for the relief of the poor which ought to exist in
every parish. If organisations had existed
similar to this before the winter commenced the
public would no doubt avail themselves of them,
instead of sending such large sums to the police-
courts. Local knowledge and local committees of
respectable inhabitants were infinitely preferable to
what police courts and magistrates could effect.
The funds placed at his disposal by the benevolent
were so large that he should most willingly give
£5O to the Poplar Relief Committee, and he be-
lieved in doing so he should fulfil the substantial
wishes of the donors, who could not expect magis-
trates to do what was physically impossible. He
did his best to carry out the wishes of his charita-
ble correspondents, but he had more money than
he and his colleague and all the staff of the court
could distribute satisfactorily.
Mr. Coleman—Poplar is well provided with
philanthropic societies, but the poverty of the dis-
trict is so fearful that they cannot meet it.
Mr. Selfe—l have not been able to take stock
yet, but if, upon investigation, I can spare you some
more money, you shall have it. I should like to
retain this amount of cognisance over the amount
I give you, as to give an account of the quantity of
cases relieved and a fair balance-sheet.
Mr. Coleman—Mr. Green, the shipowner, has
kindly consented to give away soup to the poor four
days in the week.
Mr. Selfe hoped the public would stay their cha-
ritable hands as far as the Thames Police-court is
concerned. The benevolent must see that it is bet-
'ter to send their contributions to such committees as

the one formed at the Poplar Town-hall, than to I
magistrates at police-courts, or to any lay or clerical
gentleman. I hope the public will not send me
any more money, for I am forced to delegate the
powers entrusted to me to others.
The deputation then withdrew.
Mr. Preece, an influential member of the Mile-
end vestry, applied to Mr. Selfe for a grant from
the poor-box fund. There had been a meeting in
the westward of the hamlet. It contained 16,000
inhabitants, nearly all poor, and a committee had
been formed to collect subscriptions and relieve the
poor. Mr. Baddeley, a respectable solicitor, was
the treasurer, and the Rev. Mr. Hill, of St. Phil-
lip's, Stepney, was on the committee. In the dis-
tribution of the funds there would be no distinction
made as regards colour, country, or creed.
Mr. Selfe—That is as it should be. lam sure
that any funds with which I entrust you and
your committee, Mr. Preece, will be most effectually
and justly administered. I will give you £2O. Has
anything been done for the poor in the other four
wards of the hamlet ?

Mr. Preece—Nothing collectively by the vestry-
men or ratepayers. There have been no meetings
and no committees formed.

The St. Katherine Dock Company forwarded £4O
by a messenger, with a request that it should be
g►ven away in small sums by the magistrate, with
especial reference to the men in the employ of the
coin pally.
Mr. Selfe said he did not like to be churlish and
send baci::. any money, but he thought the Dock
Company could distribute the money among their
own distressed labourers by their own officers.
He sent back the money. which, however, Mr.
Collet, the secretary of the Dock Company brought
back to the magistrate, and induced him to accept
it, on the ground that if it was distributed by the
company's own officers they would be suspected of
partiality.

REVISION- OF THE FRENCH NAVIGATION

LA M'S.

(From the Shipping Gazette.)
When, towards the close of last November, we
assured our readers that a revision of the French
Navigation Laws, so far as they affect British
shipping, was at hand, we spoke advisedly, and we
pointed, in confirmation of our statements, to the
urgent appeals of the shipowners of the leading
ports of France, made at that time to the head of
the French Government, against the adoption of
any such policy ; and while we admitted the pro-
priety of such appeals, we felt ourselves justified in
assuring our readers that, so far as they were de-
signed to effect any change in the determination
of the Emperor, they would be made in vain..
Such an assurance was, under the circumstances,
easily given, for had our information respecting
the intentions of the French Government been
less exact than it has proved to be, considerations
of the necessities of the French trade, into which
we fully entered at the time, and on subsequent
occasions, made it apparent that the opening of the
French ports must follow, as the necessary conse-
quence of the removal of prohibitions and the remis-
sion of import duties involved in the commercial
treaty. We do not say that the French government
contemplates the immediate abolition of all differen-
tial duties in favour of French shipping, but we are
so satisfied of the intention of the Emperor, that we
shall not be surprised any day by the appearance of
en imperial decree placing British vessels on a foot-
ing of equality with French vessels, in an important
branch of the French trade from which our ship-
owners are practically excluded by the operation of
the existing system. In which direction this de-
sirable change will commence remains to be seen.
Foreign flags supply already more than one half of
the tonnage required in the French foreign trade,
' under which designation is included the trade be-
tween France and the British dominions in Europe,
the British colonies, and other foreign countries.
The French coasting trade is absolutely reserved to
French vessels ; and the colonial trade, so strictly,
that of 625.252 tons entries and clearances in 1858
but 112 tons were foreign. The French Govern-
ment, in revising the Navigation Laws of France,
will no doubt be guided in the first instance by a
consideration of French interests alone, and there
is no branch of the French commerce more seri-
ously affected by the operation of the existing
law than the trade between France and her
colonies. That it is so has been recently esta-
blished by the memorial of the merchants and ship-
owners of Martinique, addressed to the home
Government, and praying for a change in those
regulations which, by excluding- foreign shipping
from the ports of that island, have pressed so inju-
riously upon her commercial prospects. What is
true of Martinique is true of every other French
colony. We have before us a circular, addressed by
a house of eminence in Calcutta to their correspon-
dents in Liverpool, in which we find it stated that
the shipping of coolies for Re-union under the recent
treaty with France has commenced—the St Berpard,
a British ship, having taken a cargo at 70 rupees
a head. This trade will probably be deue
altogether in British vessels, the French having
few, if any, ships adapted to the trade. " But in
that case (we quote from the letter referred to),
they (i e. British ships) must ballast their lower
holds with grain for the Mauritius, for French
vessels alone can import food into the island—
unless, indeed the French Navigation Laws are
altered in that respect, which is not improbable, as
the Bourbonnais are now clamorous for free trade,
and for the same advantages as their countrymen
enjoy under British rule in the Mauritius." We
cannot doubt that the French Government are
fully in possession of the opinion of the French
colonists at Bourbon and elsewhere; and they
who are at all acquainted with the Imperial policy
need not be told of the great importance attached
by the Emperor to the advancement and prosperity
of the French dependencies. He has already
liberated the trade with Algeria, and we may be
quite sure he knows that the commerce of the out-
lying colonies demands the adoption of a similar
policy in respect to them. It is impossible, with
the limited amount of tonnage at the disposal of
those colonies, that their commerce can develop,
and, as a matter of fact, it has not developed, or at
all kept pace with the demand for colonial produce
in France.
We shall not be surprised if the Emperor applies
himself in the first instance to remedy this state of
things, and that the first extensive breach in the
French Navigation Laws will be made in favour of
the colonial trade. But the principle once admitted
the French Government cannot stop, even if they
were disposed, and that it was consistent, which it
is not, with the present commercial policy of
France to do so. The opening of the foreign and
coasting trades to British vessels, and, eventually,
to the shipping of other nations, will be sure to
follow. The opening of the French colonial trade
to British shipping will be, so far as it goes,
an advantage to the British shipowner. Not that
it will afford•anything like a harvest of freights--
for the admission of additional shipping into any
trade must bring down the rates—but because it
will give him the choice of two markets occasionally
instead of one, and enable him to make a profit
"on the round," where it may be impossible to do
so outward or homeward bound. These, however,
are not considerations which we need expect would
enter into the mind of the French Emperor and his
government. No doubt they are fully sensible of
the advantages which have accrued to the French
trade from our system of open ports, and the Em-.
peror ia sufficiently well-informed and liberal to
admit the cruelty and injustice inflicted on the
British shipowner by an exposure to competition
with the shipping of non-reciprocating states.
But the approaching revision of the Navigation
Laws in favour of British shipping will be
effected, just as the commercial treaty was framed
and concluded, from a conviction that the com-
mercial interests of France imperatively require
it. From the moment the Emperor was con-
vinced of the necessity of a change, he has never
wavered or hesitated in giving effect to his con-
victions ; and he knows as well as any economist
can tell him, that the revision of the French tariff
must be followed by a relaxation in the French
Navigation Laws. Those who have had the best
opportunity of forming a settled opinion as to the
views of the Emperor speak with the utmost confi-
dence of their settled character. He has resolved
to make the commerce of France free by sea and by
land. In effecting so great an achievement there
must be great difficulties to be surmounted ; but
the present ruler of Frtnce has proved himself
equal to them, and so satisfied is he of the wisdom
of the reforms he has so recently effected, and of in-
creasing the commercial intimacy of this country
with France, that he is about to anticipate the
time originally fixed for the complete operation of
the commercial treaty. We are not given to pre-
dictions, but we need not withhold the expression
of our conviction that the complete revision of the
French Navigation Laws, so far as they affect Bri-
tish shipping, is at hand, and that, before another
year has expired, France will cease to appear in the
category of non-reciprocating states.

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TEE BANKRUPTCY OF JOS. BARTLEY,

CALTTERLEY.

EXTRAORDINARY REVELATIONS.
Ou Friday, at the Leeds Ceurt of Bankruptcy, before
Mr. Commissioner West, Joseph Hartley, cloth manufac—
turer, of Calverley, near Leeds, came up on his last exami-

nation. lie stated that he commenced business in 1852, but
that his balance sheet was commenced on Jan. 1, 1859,

because he could have a far better idea as to how he stood

than in any previous year." Ascertained that he was in-

solvent in 1860, and told his creditors he had lost money by
alpaca wool. The firm of J. Asquith and Co. appeared in
the balance sheet for £364, but this was a mistake, and the
item ought to be struck out. Israel and Co. are stated to be

creditors for £263 13s 9d ; the sum should be about £l,lOO,
There were other mistakes in the balance sheet, which, if
corrected, will make the profits appear to be nothing at
all. Ho put down in his balance sheet "manufactured"
to everything which was marked consigned. Had no
losses by bad debts during the period of the balance sheet,

although he had "estimated" losses to the extent of £3OOO.
Some goods, the bankrupt acknowledged, might have
beQn sold under cost price. He delivered goods on the
sth Oct. to the amount of £214, and on the 11th Oct. goods
to the amount of £275 to Messrs. Hargreaves and Nussey,
of Leeds, and the last cash he received from that firm was
on 29th September, when he obtained £4lO 7s. The goods
thus delivered were in consideration of previous advances.
When he received the £4lO on 29th September, he gave
the firm a bill for £2OO. Had also dealings with Messrs. A
Cooper and Co., from whom he received on Bth September
a bill for £270, which he got discounted at Beokett and Co.'s.
Could not recollect what he did with the money. On 30th
September he delivered the goods to Cooper and Co. to the
amount of £751 3s. On 3d October he received £7O more
from that firm, who were now creditors for £4 6s. On 4th
September he purchased wool to the value of £1,330 front
Messrs. Musgrave, wool merchants, of Leeds. Told
these gentlemen that he wanted that kind of wool to
make army clothes of, but did not recollect whether
ho told them that he had an order for army clothes.
Did not tell Mr. Musgrave that he was about to
invest £3,000 of his surplus capital in the Airedale Mill.
In the balance-sheet was this entry, under date September
25, " S. and J. Birchall and Co., cheques given 14th Sep-
tember not presented, £5OO ; " and this entry under date
Sept. 25, on the opposite side of the sheet, " W. W. Brown
and Co, cheques not presented, £500." He gave Birchen
and Co. cheques for £3OO and £2OO on Sept. 14, and took
them up on the 25th and 26th Sept. He purchased wools
between the 14th and 22d Sept. from Dodgshon, Dickinson,
and Co., of Leeds, to the value of £559 ; from Rayner and
Co. £77 17s 11d, £2B 5s sd, and £ll9 4s—the latter pur-
chases being on the 17th. He pledged these wools with
Padgett and Co., of Leeds, on the 25th Sept. for C 550, at .
five per cent. per annum, as he understood. Obtained
goods on the 9th Oct. from Mr. Riley, to the amount of
£lOB 2s 11d, but did not remember telling that gentleman
that he purchased it because he had no greasy wool by
him. Bankrupt called his creditors together by a circular
dated October 12, or three days after this transaction.
The wools bought of Messrs. Musgrave had been con-
signed to Padgett's on the 13th and 18th September'.
Messrs. Israel and Co., to whom bankrupt only paid in
cash £66 on the 26th September, were in possession of
eleven bales of their wool, the remainder being sold as
above stated When bankrupt raid this £66 for his first
transaction with the Messrs. Israel, he did not remember
telling them that he wanted wool for an army order. Whoa
he purchased wool of Mr. Israel, on the 26th of September,
he told him that he did not want all of it delivered imme-
diately, but only a part. Twenty bales were sent on the 27th
of September to him (bankrupt), by the Messrs. Israel.
Bankrupt learnt the wools were at the Calverley Railway
Station from the way bill, which ho brought with him to
Leeds on the 29th September. Trent with the way bill to
Messrs. Hargreaves and Nussey, and asked them to advance
some money upon it, and Mr. Nussey did make an advance,
but not upon that wool. Mr. Nussey had learnt that Mr.
Coverdale, the railway superintendent, had found fault
with the way bill. Mr. Nussey advanced £4lO. The rest
of the wool ordered from the Messrs. Israel (25 bales) was
sent by that firm on the 4th October, in consequence
of a letter which he (bankrupt) addressed to them to that t
effect. Had not made any entry of this wool in any of
his books. Had done business with Messrs. White and
Grayburn, in Russell-street; had pledged cloth with them
on certain terms agreed upon; but had made no entry in
his books of these transactions. Bankrupt had no cash-
book ; did not keep the bill book after Sept. 15, or the day
book after July 19.—0 n being cross-examined by Mr.
Simpson, bankrupt said—According to the estimate I have
made, Messrs. Hargreaves and Nussey will make £2,000,
by reason of the reduction below the market price, and
they would also get the advantage of there being no profit
on the cost price. During the month of September, I
bought wool to the value of £4,550, and of that wool I
pawned more than £2,400 worth. When I bought the wool
of Mr. Riley my goods had been stopped at Messrs. Roberts,
Ross, and Co.'s. I sent Mr. Riley's goods to them. I got
the goods back from Messrs. Roberts, Ross, and Co. by pay-
ing the money they required. I consulted Mr. Cooper on
the Monday in the week in which I called my creditors to-
gether. I was with Mr. Cooper at Harrogate, a few days
before the meeting. We went for the " out." I asked his
advice on different matters. The wool that went to Roberts,
Ross, and Co. was used for the purpose for which it was
bought. The Commissioner adjourned Hartley sine die,
without protection, and also gave an order to the trade
assignees to prosecute him criminally.