The Sun.
London, England, 1861-01-25 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE.-(THIS DAY),

COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH.
THE ROAD MURDER.

It will be recollected that some time ago a rule nisi was
elbtained by the Attorney-General, calling upon Mr.
Sylvester, the county coroner, to show cause why the
inquiry gone into before him relative to the late mysterious
murder should be re-opened. It has been arraigned that
Sir F. Kelly and Mr. Cole, on the part of Mr. Sylvester,
will show against the rule on Wednesday next.

COURT OF DIVORCE.
(Before Sir Creswell Creswell, Judge Ordinary.)
ROBERTS V. ROBERTS AND HURDMAN.

This was a suit instituted by the petitioner, Percival
Benjamin John Roberts, a master in the Royal Navy,
against his wife, Cosetta Roberts, formerly Cozetta Petit,
an Italian, for a dissolution of their marriage by reason of
her adultery with the co-respondent, a mill-owner and
linen yarn spinner, at Strabbane, county of Tyrone, Ireland.
The wife did not appear, the co-respondent pleaded action
and payment of damages.
Dr. Phillimore, Q.C., and Mr. Pritchard appeared for the
petitioner, and Dr. Swabey, for the co-respondent.
From the evidence adduced it appeared that the parties
married at Malta, in July, 1840, by dispensation, from the
Pope, according to the rights of the Roman Catholic
Church, in the sacred form of the Council of Trent. The
petitioner was then the master of H. M. S. Daphne. He
returned to this country with his wife, and resided with
her. In 1842 the Daphne was ordered on the South Ame-
rican station. His wife accompanied him in the ship from
Scotland to Portsmouth and Plymouth, and remained
until the ship's departure on the 20th October, 1842. Mrs.
Roberts went to reside with Mrs. Moody, the wife of a
brother officer of the petitioner, Mr. Moody, surgeon of
the Daphne, Union Cottage, Strabbane, county Tyrone.
In 1843 she became acquainted with the co-respon-
dent, who was a married man, and ♦isited his
wife and family, and on one occasion she
stayed on a visit for a week, and during this visit
the co-respondent succeeded in seducing Mrs. Roberts.
Mrs. Moody had complained to her of her improper fami-
liarity with Mr. Hurdman, and discovered some lettere
which caused Mrs, Moody to speak to Mrs. Roberts, and
told her that she had better go home to her friends at
Malta or England, as she did not seem to understand the
usages of English society. Mrs. Roberts admitted her
guilt, and said she had been seduced by Mr. Hardman, and
that she could not go home to her friends as she was in the
family-way. Mrs. Moody sent for Mr. Hurdman the same
day, when he came over and admitted his guilt. Mrs. Roberts
left, and soon after gave birth to a child. /Or. Roberts
was communicated with, and on his return to this country
he brought an action of aim. con., which was tried in July,
1845, before Chief Justice Pennefather, in Ireland, when
a verdict was given for £l,OOO damages, which has been
paid. Mrs. Roberts returned to her friends at Malta.
The Judge granted a decree nisi, subject to the produc-
tion of evidence that the marriage was a legal marriage
according to the law of Malta.
Tho question of costs was reserved.

SHERIFFS' COURT.
(Before Mr. Deputy Joyce.)
AUCTION SAXES.-IMPORTANT JUDGIIIENT..--1117MPHRT

V. FELL.

This was an action to recover £llss. 6d., loss upon the
resale of certain lots, plaintiff being auctioneer and defen-
dant a bidder, who refused to clear his lots.
Mr. 0. B. C. Harrison, for the plaintiff, called witnesses,
who deposed that defendant bid for certain lots at a sale
presided over by plaintiff. He paid the deposits, but when
he went to clear his lots one lot was damaged (not by plain-
tiff or any of his servants), and defendant then refused to
clear them, and they were resold, entailing a loss of 355.
upon the undamaged lot and £3 upon the damaged lot.
Mr. Buchanan, for the defendant, contended that the
property in the goods had not passed to defendant, and that
the auctioneer was not the party to sue. He (admitted that
a verdict must pass for the 355. loss upon the undamaged
lot, but urged that defendant was not bound to clear the
damaged lot.
His Honour read the written judgment by Mr. Griffits.
He had no doubt that by the sale and payment of deposit
the property passed to defendant ; and, t hat being so, plain-
tiff would have a verdict for the full amount with costs.

POLICE IN7ELLIGENCE—(This Day).

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

ANNOYING A. TRADESMAN.—Ann Warner, a married
woman, was charged before Mr. Tyrwhitt with annoying
and threatening Robert Searle, a fishmonger, of 3, Fitzroy
market.

The complainant said that 'about 5 o'clock the previous
afternoon, the defendant and her husband greatly annoyed
him in his business, the only reason he could suppose
being that he had taken out a summons against a friend of
the defendant's. The defendant said he was the man who
had taken out a summons against her brother. A large
crowd assembled, and the husband said if he thought he
(complainant) was the man he would knock his - eye
out, and put a knife through him. He sent for a constable
and gave tho defendant into custody, but the husband see-
ing the constable coming ran off.
Mr. Tyrwhitt asked the defendant what she meant by
threatening the complainant. He would take her husband's
bail for h',r good behaviour. _ _ _

Subsequently the complainant applied for a summons
against the husband, which was granted.

THAMES.

THE POOR-BOX FUND.—A considerable number of poor
individuals collected in front of the court this morning in
expectation of obtaining some relief from the poor-box fund,
but they were of a different class to those who have hitherto
sought for and obtained assistance. There were few coal •
whippers and labourers among them, and it was reported to
Mr. Selfe that the various dock companies were now em-
ploying a groat many hands, and that the Victoria Dock
Company, at Plaistow, sent "over the border" to Middlesex
for 500 labourers yesterday. The large engineering firms,
and proprietors of chemical works in Ratcliff, Limehouse,
Stepney, and Poplar are about to resume their operations on
the same scale as before the frost commenced, and there
is no doubt that, should the present mild weather continue,
10,000 workmen and labourers, in addition to those who
have been taken on in the course of the last three days,
will resume their industrial occupations. Mr. Selfe an-
nounced that, for obvious reasons, there would be a discon-
tinuance of the general relief of the poor after to-morrow
evening, and that he should attend to no applications for
temporary relief (urgent and pressing cases of want ex-
cepted), unless the applicants produced one of the printed
forms issued by the court, and properly filled up by some
honourable and trustworthy gentleman known, and he ex-
pected, before they recommended any one, they would make
themselves personally responsible, by visiting and inquiries,
of the applicant's position, character, cause of distress, and
number of family. Mr. Selfe also announced that he
should not receive any of the applicants, or examine their
forms, until three o'clock, by which time he hoped to get
through the legitimate business of the court.
Tho poor and unemployed were accumulating every
minute near the court when our report was despatched.

CONSEQUENCES OF 2H.E SECESSION.

The Albany Journal, a New York paper, among
other warnings on the consequences of secession,
tells Florida and Mississippi that if they leave the
Union they will be exposed to the chance of being
coerced by the British Government to pay their re-
pudiated bonds. It does not harmonise, however,
with the indignant protestations of the last 20 years
against the stains of single States being charged on
the national character to find it at length hinted
that it is owipg to the strength derived from their
partnership in the Union that these defaulting com-
munities have been enabled to defy their creditors.
" If," says the journal in question, " Florida goes
out and becomes an independent nation, the bond-
holders will probably ask the British overnment
to compel payment of these claims by armed force.
Mississippi has a similar prospect before her in re-
gard to her bonds. Here are two wars laid out for
the new Southern Confederation." Are they to
understand from this that the power to practise
repudiation with impunity is one of the advantages
of their connexion with the North ? The fact is,
however, that the danger which is held up to the
seceding States has no existence. The British Go-
vernment does not interfere by any other than
moral force to induce foreign Governments to fulfil
their loan obligations, unless there is some absolute
robbery of assigned property, when the claimants
are, of course, entitled to plane their case in the
hands of the Foreign Minister for full redress.
Thus the Turkish, Mexican, Equador, and some
other bondholders who have had distinct posses-
sions handed over to them are in an exceptional
position, and can claim protection just on the same
ground as would be urged if the Sultan were to
seize the house or the garden of a British subject
at Constantinople. In all other cases the lenders
must trust to the honour of those with whom they
have dealt, and it is this fact that they have no de-
fence against being cheated that renders the offence
of cheating them—after the manner, for instance,
practised by Spain—so much the more disgraceful.
As regards the repudiating States of America, the
prospect of the bondholders is not likely to be da-
maged by any results of the secession movement.
If two great communities are formed, there may
arise something like competition between them for
a good financial name in Europe. Florida, Missis-
sippi, and Arkansas may perhaps desire to show to
the free and repudiating State of Michigan that
the South can wipe out its disgraces sooner than
the North. On the other hand, if Michigan
should first repent, and Indiana should make some,
amends for the deceptions by which she contrived
to get quit of her liabilities, the Soutn would then
sland alone in her want of character, and from the
disadvantage at which in comparison with the
North she would thus be placed in the eyes of the
world the stimulus toward a return to honesty
Would be proportionably increased.