The Sun.
London, England, 1868-04-27 00:00:00

LAW AND POLICE.

lIIPORTANT DECISION AS TO DEPASTURING.—In the
Court of Queen's Bench the case of Lawrence v. King
came on for hearing. It was an appeal against the convic-
tion of the justices of Hertfordal:re. The complaint was
preferred by King, a constable of the Herta county police,
against Lawrence, a farmer, of Hatfield, for that, on the
17th June last, at Hatfield, sixteen sheep and twelve
lambs, his property, were found lying about the highway,
contrary to the Highway Act ; and the magistrates for the
petty sessional division of Hertfordshire convicted him of
the offence, and inflicted a fine of 2s. 4d., i.e., at the rate
of a penny per head for the twenty-eight animals so found
lying about, and 16s. 6d. for the costs. But they found
as a fact that the animals were under the control of
a keeper at the time they were found lying about, and
the defendant appealed mainly upon that fact, contending
that the absence A a keeper was essential to the offence,
whereas the magistrates thought otherwise, as the words
" without a keeper" are omitted from the 25th section of
the Highway Act of 1864, under which they convicted.
The court affirmed the conviction, holding that a distinct
offence was committed against the 25th section of the Act
of 1864 if cattle or sheep were lying about the highway,
even although they were under the control of a keeper at
the time.

THE LATE LORD CARDIGAN AND HIS GROOM.—In the
Court of Common Pleas the notorious case of. Lilley v.
the Earl of Cardigan was again brought foward. In
this instance a rule for a new trial was applied for,
on the ground that the verdict was against the evidence,
and also to enter a verdict for the defendant. This action
was brought for false imprisonment on a charge of having
stolen a money letter, and the plaintiff had a verdict. Mr.
lluddleston, Q.C., on the part of the plaintiff, consented
to allow the damages given by the verdict to be reduced to
£167, the actual expenses to which the plaintiff had been
put ; the rule to be discharged. Mr. Coleridge, Q.C., on
the part of the defendant, said he had advised the late
Lord Cardigan before his death to adopt this course,
and he had since the assent of his executors to its,
as the plaintiff's innocence of the charge against
him had been established beyond all doubt, and he
thought that, although there were technical difficulties is
the way of the plaintiff's succeeding, yet, as a gentleman,
Lord Cardigan ought, after the expression of opinion
given by the jury, to recoup his servant the expenses he
bad been put to. Mr. Justice Byles said he was very glad
this course had been taken, as it had been clearly esta-
blished that the plaintiff was innocent. At the same time
he was bound to say that he never knew a case in which a
master bad behaved with greater kindness. Rule dis-
charged accordingly.
CONVICTION QUASHED.—In the court for bearing Crown
eases reserved, the conviction in a case tried at Lewes
was quashed. 'The prisoner, George Alford, was
indicted for stealing a bedstead, the prepert3r of
Stephen Bindon. It appeared that the wife of the prisoner
had hired the bedstead of Bindon, and that some months
afterwards the man sold it in the presence of his wife. The
Court asked Mr. Smith what evidence there was that the
prisoner knew that the bedstead had been hired. Ur.
Smith said the presumption was that the wife had told her
husband. 'The Court considered that there was no evidence
such knowledge, and that the conviction could not he
nistained.

The next meeting of the Fox Club will be held
e.t Brooks's, on Saturday, May 2.

THE LATE ROYAL VISIT TO KDIDOLTVN,--fila
Royal Highness the Prince of Wales has prvseutect the
vicar of 'Chub°lton with a Wellingtonea Gigantea, which
had been planted in the vicarage garden, Lady tar
Montagu, assisted by Lord Charles Mo ettlelating.
,In the occasion. The tree is intended to be a' sotectrair vt
visit paid to the vicarage by the Prince en the occusion.
of his recet.t sojourn at Kintholton Castle, the teat or the,
Duke of Manchester.

TUE PRINCE AND PRINCESS of WlLEiss VISIT TO
TarvrnAm.—At Crewe the train was met by the priitelpal
3fficialS of the North Staffordshire Railway, over which
line it then pasaed on its way to Trentham, The train
was due out at five, but was seventeen minutes late, anal
then was driven at a rapid pace, stol.ping nowhere between
Crewe and Trentham, to the great disappointment cf
crowds of people who had gathered on the station plat-
fortis along the route in the hope of seeing the ItoyalpaiY.
The Duke of Sutherland met his illustrious+ xLsitors at
Crewe, and rodo with them to Ttenthaan, where the
Duchess of Sutherland awaited them at the atatbm, and
wherewitness a
the of people were rosembhxl to
arrivalge numberof theirßoyal thisbnessee. Posh the
l so a l
Prince and Princess looked reogsrkably 'Y U 1 after their
long journey and fatiguirg week..