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

FEE PELPANI OP MP. :JAMS FROMM

IVILKINSON.

The following communications have been published
with regard to the release of Mr. James Freeling Wilkin-
son, the late general manager of the Joint-stock Discount
Company, who was criminally convicted eighteen months

:-

" 5, Pancras-lane, July G.

" ewith I send you a copy of a letteraddressed
by me this day to the Secretary of State, since which I
Lave reuived a reply, informing me that the immediate
release of Mr. Wilkinson has been ordered.—l am, sir,

yours obediently, " HENRY F. }lota."
" TO THE RIGHT HON. GATHORNE HARDY, M.P., &O.

" 5, Pancras-lane, Bucklersbuiy, July 6, 1868.

" Sir,— Referr:ng to my previous communications to
you relative to James Freeling Wilkinson, I have now the
honour to announce the perfect realisation of the statements
submitted to the Crown on his behalf, by the unconditional
I,dinission of Mr. Lawson that the criminal proceedings
instituti ' the official liquidator of the Joint-stock Dis-
count C . ..y (Limited) against my unfortunate friend
were founded on a mistake— or, in other words, that the cele-
brated interview of the IGth August,lB6s,between Messrs.
Lawson and Wilkinson did not take place, and consequently
that the supposed fraudulent appropriation by my client of
the company's £4,860 was purely imaginary. Such being the
case, Messrs. Capper, Escombe, and Lawson have (in
addition to the £335 3s. ld. paid into court by them during
the action in respect of interest due by them to the com-
pany on loans wholly unconnected with the said £4,860)
submitted to repay the balance claimed from them by the
action to the uttermost farthing, viz., by paying the COM..
pany interest on the 24,000 lent them from the 16th August,
1865, to the 19th September following, and the principal
sum of £B6O borrowed by them with interest thereon, from
the 28th August, 1865, to the 3rd July inst., amounting
together to £l,OOl Os. 7d. The cause was appointed
for trial before the Lord Chief Justice of the Queen's
Bench and a special jury, on Friday last, at Guildhall, and
Mr. Wilkinson was in attendance as a witness on behalf
of the company, who were represented by Mr. Overend,
Q.C., Mr. F. J. Clark, Q.C., Mr. Henry Matthews,
Q.C., and Mr. Robertson Blaine. Very shortly,
however, before the case would have been com-
menced, Mr. Hawkins, Q.C., on behalf of the de-
fendants, exercised their power of withdrawing the ease
from public consideration bi- the acknowledgment and
submission I have hereinbefote mentioned. Mr. Overend
then, on the part of the company, accepted the declaration
of the defendants, that Mr. Lawson's belief had been a
mistake, and consequently withdrew any imputation
against him that such mistake had been wilful ; and thus
this melancholy case, from which my client has so cruelly
suffered, came to a close. I may add that, in consultation
of the counsel for the company on Thursday last they de-
cided that the defendants were entitled to credit for the
£4,000 on the 19th September 1865, and that Mr. Overend
would open the case to the jury to that effect. Under
these circumstances, whereby the perfect innocence of
Mr. Wilkinson has been placed beyond all rossible doubt,
and the statements to the Crown made on his behalf by
the merchants, bankers, and brokers of the City of Lon-
don been fully justified, I venture to hope you will
believe the time has now arrived when you can recommend
Mr. Wilkinson as a fit and r roper person to receive the
benefit of the royal prerojative by forthwith restoring him
to liberty. —I have the honour to be, sir, your most
obedient humble servant, 4' HENRY F. Holz."

LAW AND POLICE.

_.~_

APPLTCATION TO REMOVE A CHIEF JUSTICE.—At a
meeting of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council,
an application was made to remove Chief Justice Beau-
mont, of British Guiana. A memorial had been pre-
sented by the inhabitants to the Court of Policy, praying
that he might be removed ; and Mr. M`Dermott, the pro-
prietor of the Colonist newspaper, made a similar request.
In opening the case, the Attorney-General stated that
several charges of misconduct were brought, especially by
Ur. M`Dermott. The case is still proceeding, and is
likely to last for some days.
IMPORTANT CASE UNDER THE COMPANIES Act--In
Vice-Chancellor Giffard's court the case of Mr. Hornby,
who applied to be struck off the list of contributories to
the Ottoman Bank, was heard. In 1865 the applicant was
induced to become a director by Farley, the manager of the
company, and to accept 100 shares for the purpose of
qualification. The shares were allotted, hut llornby paid
nothing on them, and lie never took any part in the business
of the company. In April 1866 he wrote to the secretary,
71sisting that Lis name should not appear either as a share-
holder or director, and asked for an official notification to
that effect. The resignation was accepted, and the
100 shares transferred to Farley. It seemed that the
transfer was not actually registered till the 18th of
May, when notice was given of a meeting to wind up the
comp any, and at the meeting held on the 16th of May
resolutions were pre..s:el approving of such a course being
ad‘pted. On behalf f Mr. Hornby it wag contended, (1),
dint he bad never rendered himself liable as a shareholder;
and (2), that if lie had there was a valid transfer of the
shares before the commencement of any proceedings
for winding up the company. The Vice-Chancellor
hell that under the Companies Act of 1862 the
winding-up could not be considered to have commenced
as to iuvalidate any transfer of shares until a resolution
had not only been passed, but also confirmed. At the
Lime when this transfer was registered, what had occurred
was that a resolution had simply been passed for winding
up the company. Mr. Hornby's name would therefore
have to be removed from► the list of contributories.
EXTENSIVE EMBEZZLEMENT BY A CLERK.—At the Cen-
tral Criminal Court Edward John Clarke, a collector,
pleaded guilty to embezzling and stealing £32 and
£ll 9s. odd, the moneys of Messrs. Tyler and others, of
Newgate-street. It was stated in evidence that the pri-
soner had been between eight and nine years in the service
of Messrs. Tyler, awl had embezzled altogether about
£5OO, which he had received on their account.
The Recorder sentenced him to five years' penal
servitude.

ANOTHER CASE UNDER THE COPYRIGHT ACT. —At
Marlborough-street, John Hall, a hawker of photographs,
was charged with selling photographs of " My First Ser-
mon " and nine other paintings. Mr. Graves was the
prosecutor. It was stated that the prisoner had been twice
convicted at Bow•street, and each time fined £5O. After
hearing the evidence, Mr. Tyrwbitt said he should
have no hesitation in ordering the prisoner to pay the
penalty of £3 for each spurious copy sold by him, or a
month's imprisonment in each case if default occurred.
The trade of pirating copies appeared to be a very profi-
table one to some persons, and he bad no doubt the
prisoner would not be inconvenienced by the penalties he
was now called on to pay. The penalties and costs,
amounting to £5l 25., not being paid, the prisoner was
locked up.

USING OMNIBUSES IN AN UNFIT CONDITION.—Mr.
Joseph Edwards, an omnibus proprietor, was summoned
before the Lord Mayor for using two omnibuses, running
between Mile-End and Bayswater, after receiving notice
from the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police that
they were no longer in a fit and proper condition for
public use. The Lord Mayor inflicted a penalty of £2,
together with Gs. costs.

TITE MEETING OF TIIE BRITISH ASSOCIATION.
it is now understood that Mr. Gladstone will not preside,
as had been anticipated, over the Economic Science section
of the Norwich meeting of the British Association for the
Advancement of Science. Mr. Goschen, M.P., will pro.
bably be present.

S:n ROBEILT NAPIER. —The commander of the
orces in Abyssinia has announced his intention of visiting
the Crystal Palace to-morrow, with Lady Napier and his
staff. Sir Robert will arrive at half-past one, and the
great fountains being played at two, he will witness the
display from the balcony of the Queen's Corridor.
Luncheon will be served shortly afterwards, and the con.
cert, at which Sir Robert Napier will be present, will
begin at four o'clock. Military bands will perform in the
grounds from seven, and at a quarter to ten there will be a
display of fireworks with special devices appropriate to the
occasion, and illumination of the fountains and park as on
Saturday last.

FATAL ACCIDENT TO A CRICKETER.—nn Monday
a young man named Thomas Bridges Gillow, 18 years of
age, of Greenstreet, near Faversham, was batting against
the Borden Club, at Borden, a village near Sittingbourne,
when he was killed by a ball hitting him hard under the
left ear. It appears that Gillow had made a very fine
cut at the ball, when the bowler threw again, and the ball
bounded from the ground. Mr. Gillow turned on one
side to escape the effect of the rebound, when the ball
struck on the jugular vein, and killed him at once. He
was seen to fall, and the game was stopped. He was a
player of considerablo promise, and his death has cast a
gloom over the cricketing circles in the neighbourhood.

The unhappy dispute between Mr. Hugh Mont-
gomery Moore and his wife respecting the custody of their
children came before the Lord Chancellor at Dublin on
Saturday for his decision upon a petition presented by
Mrs. Moore to be allowed to retain possession of the
younger child. Some time since her husband applied foi
a writ of Habeas Corpus to the Queen's Bench, but that
court allowed the matter to stand over pending judgment
of the Lord Chancellor upon the petition. In the meantime
Mr. Moore took away to France the boy whom he, had
taken from her in Waterford. At the suggesti6n of hit
lordship, an understanding was come to that the father
should retain the boy and the m, )ther the infant daughter,
and that mutual facilities for sewing the children should be
afforded.