The Sun.
London, England, 1857-04-16 00:00:00

LONDON, IHURSDAY EVENING, APRIL 16, 1857.

Sporting Intelligence.

NEWMARKET RACES-WEDNESDAY.

Ilandicap Plate of 50 Bova each, for 3 yr•olds and up•

wards. A.F. (1 mile 2 fur. 73 yards.)

Mr. R. E. Cooper's Claude Lorraine, 3 yrs; sst 91b
(Dear)

Mr. Raxwortby's Knight pf Avon, 4 yrP, let 81b

. _
(Hughes) 2
Lord Exeter's Noisette, aged, 84 (Norman) 3
The following also ran :—Tyre, Uzella, Druid, Tame
Deer, Bracken, Laura Selina, c by Sotterley, Tam
O'Shanter, and Admiral of the White.?
Betting-5 to 2 agst Claude Lorraine, 6 to 1 agst
Bracket, 7 to 1 each agst Tame Deer and Druid, 8 to 1
each agst Noisette and Knight of Avon. Won by a
neck ; bad third ; Druid, Bracken, and Admiral of the
White passed the post close together, about four lengths
behind Noisette ; Laura Selina was !wt.

Sweepstakes of 50 sous each for 3-3 r-olds ; colts, 84 71b;
fillies, Bst 41b; not engaged in the Column Stakes ;
those by stallions or out of mares that never bred a

winner:allowed 41b ; only one allowance. D.M. (7

- -
fur. 201 yards.) 8 subs.
Sir R. Balkeley's Bel Esperanza, Bst 4lb (Bumby) 1
Mr. Chambers's Hegira, Bst ,411 (S. Rogers) 2
Captain White's Moose, Bst 71b (E. Sharpe) 3
General Peel's Messenger, Bst 31b (Flatman) 4
Betting-6 to 4 agst Bel Esperanza, 2to 1 aget He-
gira, 4 to 1 each agst Moose and Messenger (at first 2 to
1 was taken about Messenger). Moose made the running
with Bel Esperanza second, the other two lying together.
On entering-the cords Bel Esperanzo took the lead and
won by a length and a half; half a length between the
second hod third ; Messenger who pulled up lame, was
beaten fire lengths from the third.,

Sweepstakes Plate of 50 sovs; 3 yr7olds, Est 121 b; four,
8-4 71h; five, 94; sir and aged, 9st 31b; the winner to
be sold for 300 sous, if demanded, &c. D.M.
111 r. Bern's StorrnFaA, 3 yrs, fist 121 b (Snowden) 1
Lord Exeter's Beechnut,-3 yrs, 6st 121 b ...(Fordham) 2
Mr. Bayley's Thrd-in-liand, 4 yrs, Bst 71b...(Flatman) 3
Refreshment and YEthon also ran.

Betting-6 to 4 agst Stormsail, 2to 1 agst
Hand, 3to 1 apt Beechnut. Won, after a good race
in, by a head, the second beating the third by a length •
bad fourth. dEthon broke a bloodvessel, and was
-topped after going half way.
The Column Stakes of 50 shvs each, .h ft, for 3-yr-olds ;
colts, Bst 71b; fillies Bst 4lb ; those by stallions or out
of *mares that never produced a winner allowed 31b ;
if both, 51b. R.M. (1 mile 17 yards.) Eighteen subs.
lord Portsmouth's Ayacanora, by Irish Birdcatcber,
fist 41b
Mr. R. E. Cooper's King of the Forest, 8-t 71b,
(Flatman) 2
Mr. J. Merry's Special Licence, Bst 41b (Kendall) 3
Church Langton and Dundas also ran.
Betting-7 to 4on Ayacanora, 4to 1 agst King of the
Forest, 10 to 1 agst'Special Licence. Dundas made play,
followed by Church Langton and King of the Forest
second and third. Aftergoing about half way, Ayacanora,
who had been pulling double, took up the running, and
Dundas dropped back. The favourite was not after-
wards headed and won easily by a length ; the second
beating the third by a head ; bad fourth. Dundas was
beaten off.

LATEST BETTING.
GREAT NORTHERN.
4to 1 offered on tho field
7to 1 agst Skirmisher (off)
CRESTER CUP.

13 to 1 agst Minoepie
TWO THOUSAND GUINEAS.
9 to 2 agst Vedette
5 to 1 agst Kent (offered)
6 to 1 agst Loyola
15 to 2 agst Anion
Anton in force; 1,000 oven that he is one of the first
;hree (taken)

DERRY.

25 to 1 agst Anton
45 to 1 agst Chevalier d'lnclustrie

DURHAM RACES.—TIIESDAY.
(ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS )
The Scurry Handicap Stakes of 3 sovs each, with 20
added. T.Y.C. Five nibs.
Mr. Sulpitia, by Vatican, 3 yrs, Est 12,
(C hal loner) 1
Mr. Wanlass's Lady Durham, 5 yrs, 7st 10ib (Evans) 2
Mr. Henderson's Phcedra, 5 yrs, Bst 7113 (Wilberforce) 3
The following also ran :—Keplar, and Potboy.
Betting.—Even on Sulpitia, 2 to 1 agst Potboy, 3 to 1
agst any other. Won by two lengths ; a length between
the second and third.
The Juvenile selling Stakes of 3 80V0 each, with 25
added, for two-yr-olds. T.Y.C. Five subs.
Mr. J. Osborne's Spider, by Woolwich, 7st 31b (251.)
(Challoner) 1
Mr. J. Bell's Queen of Trumps, Est 13lb (251.) (Ducker) 2
Mr. Harrison's Hadji, Sat 2lb (601 ) (Bates) 3
The following also ran :—Crdumbia, and Busy Bee.
Betting.—Even on Queen of Trumps, 2 to 1 agst Co-
lumbia, 3 to 1 agst Spider. Won cleverly by half a length.
There was no bid fir the winner.
The Hunt Cup, value 50 gs, by subscription of 5 ga each,
with 20 added for horses that have been regularly
hunte.l, &c. ; llst 41b each ; thoroughbred horses,
101 b extra ; gentlemen riders. (Two miles) Six out.
Mr. Deighton's The Emperor (late Radcliffe Hero„
aged, 12st .. (0 ever) 1
Mr. Curry's Phcenix, 6 yrs, 12-t (Mr. Coxon) 2
Captain Spoor's Cavendish, aged, 12st (Owner) 3
The following also ran :—Rifleman, and Polka.
Betting.-7 to 4 aget Cavendish, 2to 1 agst Phenix,
4to 1 each agst Rifleman and The Emperor. Won by
three lengths, the same distance between the second and
third.
The New Stakes of 5 sovs each, with 40 added, for two
and three-yr-olds ; allowances and penalties ; the se-
cond to save his stake. T.Y.C. 6 subs.
Capt. Grey's Duneany, 2 yrs, Est 111 b Forster) 1
Mr. Dawson's Gorse Hill, 2 yrs, 7st (Bullock) 1
Mr. Jackson's Spread Eagle, 2 yrs, 7st ... (Challoner) 3
Betting-5 to 4on Spread Eagle, 2to 1 agst Gorse
Hill, 7to 2 aget Duneany. Won by a neck ; bad third.
The North Durham Handicap Stakes of 5 sovs. eaob,
with 50 added ; the second to save his stake. (One
mile.) 13 subs.
Mr. J. Osborne's Walhalla, 3 yrs, sst 101 b (Challoner) 1
Mr. Davidson's Baroria, 5 yrs, Est 131 b ...(J. Forster) 2
Mr. Damson's The Little Cob, 3 yrs, Est 6lb (Bullock) 3
Thefollowingalso ran—Cardsharper, Plausible, Coom-
burla,nd Stathesmon, and Blarney.
Betting-5 to 2 agst Cardsharper, 3to 1 agst Plau-
sible, 4 to 1 agst Baroda, 9to 2 agst Walhalla. Won
by a head; a length, between the second and third, and
a neck between the third and fourth; Plausible was a
good fifth.
The Selling Stakes of 3 soya. each, with 20 added.; the,
second to save his !stakes. (One mile and a quarter.)
6 subs.
Mr. Allen's Sulpitia, 3 yrs, sst 41b (301.) (Challoner) 1
Mr. Barron's Honesty, 4 yrs, 7st 41b (501 ) (Ducker) 2
Mr. Stewart's Potboy, 3 yrs, 7st (501.) '(Bullock) 3
The fnllowing also ran—Young Napoleon and Angelo.
Betting-2 to lon Sulpitia. Won by hif a length;
good third. The winner was bought in for 33 guineas.

CATTERICK-BRIDGE. RACES—WEDNESDAY.
Craven Handicap. (About one mile.)

Admiral Lyons
Martlet
Baroda

/Nine ran. Won easy.
Ninth Easby Triennial Produce Stakes for two-year-olds.
Straight run in.

Meta
Night Ranger
Kelpie

Norton
Gaudy
Greencastle

THE ALBBEDA CONVENTION.

The Albreda Convention, though relating to a
subjeat of no great 'magnitude, is creditable to the
good sense and moderation both of the French and
of the English Government. It settles two con-
troversies which have been ever and anon bursting
cut in a small way for the last forty years, and
which any indiscretion' of local officers might at any
time have ripened into a very unpleasant quarrel.
By this ConventiOn France transfers to England a
small factory called Albreda, which she has per-
sisted in regarding as national property, up the
river Gambia on the western coast of Africa ; while
England formally abandons certain rights of trad-
ing iu the Bay of Portendic, 'which her merchants
have not, we believe, exercised-for the last twelve
or fifteen years. By the cession of Albreda Eng-
land becomes, in point of fact, what she has long
been in point of law, complete mistress of the im-
portant river Gambia. By England's cession of
a right to trade at Portendic, France hopes at last
to gain what it has. long Veen an object of her
national policy to secure, a complete monopoly of
the trade in Gum Senegal, and the concentration of
that trade in .her own settlements on the river
Senegal.
On the abandonment of that right, the Trazar
Moors, who collect the gum iu the forests which
bo7der on the great Sahara, will lose all chance
of inducing English traders again to enter into
competition with the. Frelich for the purchase of
that commodity ; and aq, in all human probability,
the. French will not go to the trouble, inconve-
nience, and'expense of appearing in the Bay of Port-
endic as buyers, the Moors will be compelled to
carry their gum for sale, to St. Louis, on the Sene-
gal. But by this change England will not be any
loser, and the Moors, let us trust, will in some re-
spects be gainers. Ve shall not lose ; for, since
our merchants were, some twenty years ago, driven
by Lord- Aberdeen's lathes out of the Portendic
trade, the progress of chemical science has econo-
mically superseded the uss of gum by starch in
our manufactures. Gradually, therefore, the Eng-
lish Government has (very wisely as it now turns
out) diminished the relations which it once assidu-
ously cultivated with the 'Trazar Moors. It was in
the habit, down to Within the last few years, of
making them considerable annual presents. These
have, however, latterly been discontinued ; and
though the Moors lately offered to renew the trade
in gum on the coast on receipt of one-half their ac 7
customed presents, the houses engaged in the Afri-
can trade felt no disposition to renew a commerce
which, owing to the mismanagement of Lord
Aberdeen, had formerly involved them in such
seriowslosses. At best the trade in itsmost profitable
,times was full of inconveniences. The coast of the
Bay of Portendic is a desert, and the Moors com-
ing down laden with their gain had to be fed from
on board ship ; a compulsory hospitality which pro-
tracted the trade and augmented the cost of the ven-
ture. Henceforward we shall get the little gum we

use, as in paint of fact we have latterly done, from
France. We lose nothing, then, by this surrender
of our right to trade on the gum coast.
Our former competition with the French for the
gum collected in the Sahara forests might, perhaps,
in some degree have raised the price to the Moors ;
but it brought, we fear, greater evils than benefits
on the Trazars. For not only did the French
Government contest our right to trade in the Bay
of Poitendic, but whenever we began seriously to
assert that right, the French local authorities were
sure to pick a quarrel with the Moors, declare war
against them, and then institute a blockade of the
coast. Out of a proceeding of this kind arose the
celebrated Portendie claims (so zealoinly asserted
by Lord Palmerston, and so shabbily abandoned by
Lord Aberdeen), involving an immense mass of angry
controversy with Louis Philippe's Government. And
down to the present time these attempts to coerce the
gum trade have constantly led3o wars between the
Trazar Moors and the French at Senegal, which the
secure possession of the commerce under the conven-
tion of London will, we venture to hope, completely
terminate. At all events, while wo lose nothing by
the surrender of the tight, France gains a long-
cherished object of her national policy in 'Western
Africa.

The cession of Albrech by the French to the
English Government is, however, in every way a
very substantial gain to England. In the first
place, it is the surrender of a national factory,
which it is plain to all who have followed the di,-
cussion or studied the question, France had no right
to possess in the river Gambia, the sovereignty of
which even the French Government in Louis
Philippe's time admitted to be in England. It was
by very gross neglect, after the peace of 1815, that
the English authorities permitted a French private
establishment at Albreda to assume a national cha-

ratter. It is true that by the treaties'of 1814 and
1815 we restored to France her African settlements,
of which we had deprived her' during the war, but
Albreda was not a settlement within the scope of
those treaties. Nevertheless, the French perse-
vered in treating this little comptoir as a French
sett'ement, entitled to hoist the French flag and to
receive French protection. The poisession of this
small factory in a great British river was used by
the French under Louis Philippe in a manner cal-
culated te give serious offence to the Colonial au-
thorities of St. Mary's, Bathurst, and annoyance to
the English Government. In December, 1842, the
Prince de Joinville, it will not be forgotten, forced
his way up the Gambia to Albreda, and refused, in
passing, to salute the British flag at St. Mary's.
This act of discourtesy produced a correspondence
between the two Governments ; and on the 21st of
March, 1843, M. Guizot was compelled to express
the disapprobation, of the French Government of
an act in which the son of his sovereign had been a
prominent party.
It is not, however, in the temptation which the
possession of Albreda offered to breach(); of inter-
national etiquette that its chief inconvenience as a

French factory consisted. As the factory was
limited to the ground on which it stood, so far as
the import trade of the Gambia was concerned, it
was to all intents and purposes a smuggling depot,
and set at defiance those English customs duties
and regulations whichc overed the rest of the river.

The trade of the Gambia is on the increase ; and as
it is a stream navigable for large vessels much
higher up the river than Albreda (as far, we believe,
as Macarthy's Island, 200 miles up), Albreda had
become a great practical nuisance both to the Colo-
nial authorities and the British traders in that

river. On the ground, then, of fiscal and commer-
cial, as well as political considerations, its cession
is a measure of very considerable local importance.
To have spoken in Louis Philippe's reign of such a
cession to England would have produced a shout
of unreasoning disapprobation throughout France ;
but now, when the relations of the two countries

have been placed on a rational foundation, the
abandonment of this claim will receive the applause
of every reasonable Frenchman. It removes a
source of irritation and simplifies the possessions of
the two countries.—Daily lYews.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.-April 15.

COURT OF COMMON PLEAS.

(Sittings in Banco.—Before Chief Justice Cockburn,

and Justices Cresswell, Crowder, and Willes.

LING V. CROKEE..--EXTRAORDINARY CASE OF 'CREW.
. CON.

The parties to this action are Captain Ling and
Major Croker, and the case was one of an extra-
ordinary kind, its principal feature being that at
the trial letters were produced purporting to have
been written from Captain Laing to his wife, from
which it appeared that he was cognisant of the in-
timacy between her and Major Croker, and offered
to take money to settle the affair, and also detailing
in most disgusting terms what had taken place be-
tween himself and a woman at Shumla. On the
part of the plaintiff it was said that these letters
were forgeries. The trial took plaue before Mr.
Justice Willes, in Middlesex, and the jury gave .a
verdict for the plaintiff, damages, 1,0001.
Mr. E. James now moved to set aside that ver-
dict, and to have a new trial, upon certain facts dis-
closed on affidavits. He said that the case mainly
turned upon the question of the genuineness of the
letters, for everybody acquiesced is the ruling of his
lordship, that if the letters were genuine the smallest
possible amount of damages would satisfy the jus-
tice of the case, even if there should not be a verdict
for the defendarit upon the ground of leave and
licence. The case was one that would demand the
utmost attention of their lordships, from the serious
and most painful issues which were raised between
these parties. ' The plaintiff, Capt. Ling, had married
the daughter of Sir J. Littler whilst in India, a, d
Major Croker ,was at that time adjutant of Sir
John Littler's staff. An acquaintance had existed
between the lady and Major Croker previous to
her marriage, and that was renewed on the voyage
home, and it was conceded on both sides that adul-
tery had been committed. The case, as he said; de-
pended much upon the genuineness of certain letters
which were now in the hands of the associate, and
which he need not disgust their lordships byreading.
Captain Ling had gone to Turkey after he returned
from India, and was with the Turkish contingent
at Shumla down to September, 1856. Mrs. Ling
went down to reside with her mother in the neigh-
bourhood of Torquay. During his absence there
was no doubt that criminal intercourse took place
with Major Croker, and the letter showed that
Captain Ling had sanctioned this intercourse wi, h
his wife. Immediately after his return from
Scutari he wrote to his wife, addressing her as
"My dear. Madam," and stating, "You. had better
when you write to Croker, direct under cover to,
the dgent. For God's sake take care Lady Littler
does not see the letters passing to and fro between
you. I sent you yesterday a letter from C."
Mr. Justice Willes—As to the other letters, it
was enough to say that they were written after
hearing of the infidelity of his wife, and he asked
to be paid for it.
Mr. James would not disgust their lordships by
referring to the terms of the letters, but would
come at once to the serious question whether they
were genuine or not ; but he must remark that it
did appear to be an anomaly in Our law that the
only three persons from whom the truth as to the
genuineness of these letters could be elicited were
not capable of giving evidence, the plaintiff, his
wife, and the defendant. Major Croker's affidavit
stated that he had nothing to do with the concoc-
tion of these letters, and Mrs. Ling asserted that
they were genuine.

Slr. Justice Wiles inquired if there was any affi.
davit of surprise y

Mr. James—There was an an affidavit of surprise
at the handwriting being disputed,
The Chief Justice—What was' the evidence of
handwriting ?
Mr. Justice Willes---A sergeant who came home
with invalid troops,. and he had every day to take
his accounts to Capt. Ling, who signed them. There
was also a soldier, who produced a certificate of cha-
racter from Capt. Ling.
Mr. James—And there was also Mr. Carnell, the
mate of the vessel in which they came home. He
trusted their lordships would direct a further in-
vestigation of the matter. Mrs. Ling now asserted
in the most distinct terms that those letters were
in her husband's handwriting, and that they were
written to her, and that he had written similar let-
ters to her before. It was never anticipated that
Sir F. Thesiger was instructed to deny that these
were in the plaintiff's handwriting, and therefore
the question of handwriting was not tried as it
might otherwise have been tried. The lady was of
high respectability in all except this occurrence, and
she handed the letters to the solicitor, and the de-
fendant did not bring the same, proof of handwrit-
ing as if it was an action on a banker's cheque.
Mr Justice Crowder inquired whether there was
an affidavit of the plaintiff ?
Mr. James—Oh, yes ; distinctly swearing that

the writing was not Jim. It was a most painful case.
Mr. Justice Cress well said there was a difficulty
as to the wife's affidavit. He did not think that
they could look at it at all.
Mr. James—Then their lordships must exclude
the husband's affidavit also.
Mr. Justice Wales said that when the case was.be-
fore him on an application to stay execution other
affidavits were produced as to handwriting.
Mr. James—ln "Hawker v. Seale" the court
decided that they would not read the affidavit of
the wife, denying the adultery; but here the affi-
davit of the wife was only as to the genuineness of
handwriting. If suchan affidavit wal inadmissible
it would be ,a perfect impediment to the investiga-
tion of the truth. He submitted that there was a
distinction between an affidavit denying the adul-
tery and an affidavit as to handwriting.
Mr. Justice Cresswell thought that there was no
difference.

Mr. James—The position, then, would be that
the three persons who alop.e could know anything
about the matter could not give evidence at the
trial, and if there was a miscarriage the only per-
sons who could know whether the letters were
genuine or not were not allowed to make affidavits.
The Chief Justice—That clause was found3d
upon a notion that much public scandal would
arise from the examination of parties to cases of
this kind. As these persons could not be examined
if a new trial were granted, the question was what
other evidence there was ?
Mr. James—There was abundant evidence. It
was usual on long voyages to write a sort of news-
paper on board the vessel, and Capt. Ling when he
went out took a very active part in editing or writ-
ing in the newspaper. They had obtained that news-
paper, and if the rule were granted a most minute
examination might be made of It would be seen
that there was a most extraordinary similarity as to
handwriting, showing that Capt. Liug wrote diffe-
rently at different times. Some of the experts stated
that they did not believe the letters to be in the
handwriting cl Capt. Ling, and one of the principal
reasons for that opinion was that there was a parti-
cular turn in the letter D. This newspaper had
been examined, and in almost every instance the D
had the particular form from which the experts rea-
soned that the letters were not genuine. They had
procured the newspaper from Captain Webb, who
commanded the vessel in which they sailed, and the
genuineness of the document, he believed, would
not be disputed on the other side. These letters
detailed circumstances which had taken place in
Captain Ling's tent in Turkey, and if they were
forgeries they were the most skilful ones which had
ever been produced by the greatest criminal.
Mr. Justice Cresswell inquired whether there
was any evidence as to who had forged the letters ?
Mr. James—There was not the slightest sug-
gestion.
Mr. Justice Willes—There was this : Mr. BrenaL
ridge in his evidence was proceeding to say that the
letters *ere like, Mrs. Ling's handwriting, when
there was a sort of desire not to bring that on, and
nothing further was said. The witness blurted it out
without any question being put to him.
Mr. James said that Sir F. Thesiger did not sug-
gest, in his summing up, who it was that hadforged
them. The trial had caused great excitement, and
it having reached Mrs. Ling's ears that it was im-
puted that she had forged the letters, she at once
made the affidavit, denying in the most solemn
terms that sbe had done so.

The Chief Justice said a rule would be granted,
but there must be some futtlaer affidavits as to the
surprise and as to the handwriting. As to the ad-
missibility of the wife's affidavit, that must be dis-
cussed when the case came OD, on cause being
shown.
Rule granted.

COURT OF BANKRUPTCY.—APRIL 15.
(Before Mr. Commissioner Ponblauque.)
BANKRUPTCY OF COL. WAUGH.

An adjudication of bankruptcy was made this
morning against the well-known Col. Waugb, late
of the London and Eastern Bank. The petitioning
creditor is Mr. William Samuel Price Hughes,- of
Worcester, gentleman. Waugh is described in the
petition as follows :—" William Petrie Waugh, of
Brankeea Island, in the county a Dorset, and of

[PRICE 4D. STAMPED 5I)

Little Ab in gdoUrstree Westminster, tra,ling there
under the title or description of The 'Branksea
Clay and Pottery Company,' and lately residing at
10, 'Upper Grosvenor-street, brick and tile-maker,
lime-burner, trader; dealer and chapman." The
petition bas been hallotted to Mr. Commissioner
Evans, and Mr. Bell is the official assignee. Me3srp.
Linklater and Hackvvocd are the solicitors acting
under the petition. Messengers were immediately
despatched to take pbssession at the places above-
named.