The Sun.
London, England, 1868-07-24 00:00:00

LAW AND POLICE.

THE POWERS OF THE COURT OF CHANCERY.—Before
the Lords Justices, the appeal case of Riches v. Owen was
heard. The defendant to the suit was an agent, ship-
broker, &c., and amongst other things possessed a lease-
hold interest in a colliery. On the 20th February he
executed a deed for the benefit of his creditors, which was
duly assented to and registered. This bill was filed,
alleging that the defendant had broken the covenants on
his part contained in the deed with respect to the winding-
up of his business and the realisation of his estate, and
that he refused to submit to the control of the
inspectors, and the bill prayed the appointment of a
receiver. The Vice-Chancellor appointed a receiver, and
the defendant appealed. Their lordships dismissed the
appeal.
CURIOUS DIVORCE CASE.—III the Divorce Court Mr.
John Wormald, a partner in the banking firm of Childs
and Co., petitioned the court that a de facto marriage,
contracted between his daughter and a man who was once
a footman in his service, might be annulled, on the
ground of an undue publication of banns. The
footman persuaded the young lady to run away
with him to be married. The day after the
ceremony she seemed sorry for what she had done,
and returned to her father's house. She gave a false
name to the parish clerk, and this forms part of the peti-
tioner's case for the undue publication of the banns. The
case stands over for argument. The marriage took place
in October 1867, and the young lady has now reached till)
age of 15.

THE TOTTENHAM AND HAMPSTEAD RAILWAY.—In the
Sheriff's Court, the case of the Contract Corporation v.
the Tottenham and Hampstead Railway was heard. It
was a proceeding by the Contract Corporation Company
against the Tottenham and Hampstead Junction Rail-
way Company, by a writ of elegit issued out of the Court
of Queen's Bench, to recover a sum of £35,888, for which
a judgment had been recovered. The counsel for
the plaintiff said that the Contract Corporation, whom
he represented, had obtained a judgment against the
railway company, and they having no goods and chattels
which could be taken in execution in the county of
:.liddlesex, a writ of elegit had been issued, and their duty
was to ascertain what property the company possessed
which could be made available for the purposes of the
judgment. The railway company had, under their Act of
1862, made severalstations, and completed a line of railway
of some miles, which might be estimated as worth, in
round numbers, £lOO,OOO, which, taking the annual value
at 5 per cent., would make £5,000, which could be made
available to satisfy the judgment. All he now required
was a verdict finding that the railway possessed the pro-
rerty in Middlesex, on which an application would be
made to the Court of Chancery for the appointment of a
receiver. The jury found a verdict for the plaintiffs.

ACTION AGAINST A RAILWAY COMPANY.—At the Staf-
ford Assizes the case of Nixon v. the Great Western
Railway was heard. The action was brought by the
daughter and executrix of the late Mr. Nixon, a picture
Healer of Birmingham, to recover damages for the death
of Mr. Nixon, which, it was allege], was caused in conse-
quence of the negligence of the defendants. On the 13th
of November last Mr. Nixon met his death through a
collision between the luggage train beldnging to London
and North-Western Railway Company, and the train
belonging to the defendants, in which he was a third-class
passenger. The collision occurred at the Sedgley Junction,
near Dudley, and was caused by the admitted negligence
of the London and North-Westein Company's servants.
The only question was the amount of damage. The jury
gave £5OO to the widow, and £l5O to the plaintiff.

MR. FINLEN'S GOOD DEEDS AT Holtz.—At Marl-
borough-street Police-court, Mr. Bacon, the landlord of
some small houses in Prince's-row, Newport-market,
applied to the magistrate for advice. He had let one of
the rooms—a back room, second floor—at 3s. 6d. a week
to James Finlen, the person who went with deputations
to Mr. Gladstene's house and made speeches at the Hyde
Park and Reform demonstrations. He would neither pay
rent nor go away. lie had occupied the room for seven
weeks, but had only paid two weeks' rent. His wife, the
applicant believed, was in some asylum. There were
three children in the room, filthy and starving. There
was not a chair, cup, or a plate in the room, and,
indeed, there was nothing in it but a piece of old sack-
ing. The children had no one to look after them ; they
were covered with vermin, and nearly naked. The father
came home generally about three o'clock in the morning.
Finlen had been twice convicted of deserting his children.
One or other of the lodgers gave the poor children food.
Mr. Knox asked how Finlen lived ; to which the applicant
replied that a short time since 400 Fenians subscribed 6d,
each for him. Mr. Knox advised Mr. Bacon to take a
broker into the house, and if it was in a filthy condition
during the hot weather, the inspector of nuilances would
no
,d9t;1,4 i*refere,