The Sun.
London, England, 1850-08-23 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE.

INSOLVENT DEBTORS' COURT, Aug. 22.
(Bolore Mr. Commissioner PHILLIPS.)
IN THE MATTER OF RICHARD THOMAS SHEIL.

This insolvent (highly connected). a surveyor of
money presses at the Royal Mint, made an application
for a discharge from prison, and a day to be named far
the first examination.
Mr. Duncan and Mr. Griffiths appeared for creditors;
and Mr. Nichols for the insolvent.

Although the application was only for a day to be
named for the first examination, and for the discharge,
Mr. Commissiener Phillips went fully into the case,
on the point that debts had been incurred without rea•
atonable expectation of paymefit. It appeared that the
insolvent owed nearly 1.6001. He was appointed to his
situation at the Royal Mint in 1848, at 200/. a year, with
10/. a year increase after the first two years. Ho pro-
posed to set aside 701. a year for his creditors, but the
offer was declined. He had some time back petitioned
the Court of Baakruptcy, under the Private Arrange-
ment Act, and proposed to set aside 1001. a year, which
proposal he did not carry out. He had been engaged
in some bill transactions with a person named Bevan,
who had held a Government situation, and had bor-
rowed money and obtained wine of Mr. Holloway, the
pill maker. He had lived in a furnished house at Green
with of one of the opposing creditors when he was in-
volved in debt.

On the part of the creditors it was urged, that if the
discharge was granted the insolvent would not again
appear. There was no security for his appearance, as
iu a bail crse, and the creditors could place no confi-
denc. in him.

A question was raised in the course of the case, whe-
ther the court had jurisdiction to entertain the case on
account of the application in the other court, but no
evidence was given whether the estate was or was not
vested in the Court of Bankruptcy.
A creditor who had cashed a bill of exchange with the
insohent's endorsement, said he thought he was Richard
Sheil, the Master of the Mint, and he was not aware
that there were two Richard Sheils at the same place
until afterwards.

Mr. Commissioner PHILLIPS gave the parties an op-
portunity to settle; hut it could not be done, although
the insolvent offered 1001.. and to pay 501. into court.
His Honour said, that holding the scales in a proper
manner, he could not say that debts had been contracted
wi;h reaaoneble expectations of payment; and, therefore,
uo day would be named.
The REGISTRAR of the Court suggested that a day
should be appointed. The application was for a hearing.
Mr. Commissioner PHILLIPS said the case had been

An application was made to dismiss the petition on
the pare of the insolvent, to enable him to petition
under the other jurisdiction, but it was refused.
Mr. Commisasioner PHILLIPS said he might come up
at the end of the vacation, and the Court would consider
the imprisonment he had undergone.
The insolvent was remanded to prison.

BUCKS COUNTY COURT, Bedding, Aug. 19.
(Before J. B. PARRY, Esq., Q.C., Judge.)
CIIAPNAN V. STANFORD, M.P.--ELECTIoN FAVOURS.
This was an action to recover the sum of 18/. for goods
sold and delivered, in the shape of rosettes and favours
used at the late election for Reading, in the room of
Mr. Justice Talfourd. The case excited considerable
local interest, from the fact of several other actions
being likely to be commenced.
Mr. Griffiths appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr. J. S.
Williams for the defence.
The plaintiff and another witness were examined, and
proved the delivery of the articles to different members
of the defendant's committer..
The defence was that the extent of the order was only
to the amount of 51., which they admitted; but the
plaintiff produced a letter from the Hon. Member,
wherein he desired him to go to the committee-room
and take orders, and no limit was spoken of in that do-
cumetit.
Judgment, with all costs, for the plaintiff.

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.
OLD COURT.
TRIAL OF DIXON I)AWSON.
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.)
Mr. BODKIN replied shortly upon the evidence adduced
on b, half of the prisoner.
Mr. Baron PLATT summed up, and
The jury, after a short consultation, found the prisoner
Guilty, but strongly re:am:mended him to mercy.
Mr. Baron PLATT sentenced him to ten years trans-
portation.
The case did not conclude till nearly four o'clock.
COMPLAINT AGAINST AN ATTORNEL—The Sheriffs
hauing called the attention of his Lordship to a com-
plaint that had been made to them by the wife of the
man Percival, who was convicted on Wednesday of at-
tempting to drown a gentleman named Shirreff, and
sentenced to be transported fur life, he directed that Mr.
%V. B. Diaries, an attorney, against whom it was made,
should stand forward and give an explanation.
Mrs. Percival having been sworn, stated that she had
given Mr. Davies 4/. for defending her husband. She
at first gave him 2/. to employ one counsel, and he after-
wards obtained 21. more from her, for the purpose of en-
gaging a second counsel, which was not done.
Mr. Davies, in explanation, said that in the first in-
stance he received 21., and he gave Mr. Payne, who
conducted the defence, 11 3s. 6d. He afterwards advised
that a leading counsel should" be engiged, and he told
Mrs. Percival this could not be done without a further
sum of 21. 4s. 6d. She gave him 2/., and promised to
bring 4i. 6d. more the next day, and as she did not do
so he, of course, could not fee a second counsel.
Mr. Baron PLATT —Then you kept the second 21. for
doing nothing.
Mr. Davies—l prepared the brief, and have it here.
Baron PLATT said he thought the 21. ought to be
given up.
Mr. Davies said he had not got the amount in his
pocket.
Baron PLATT said if all were not given up he would
direct an indictment to be preferred against him. It was
monstrous that a poor creature anxious to defend her
husband should be treated in such a manner.
Mr. Davies said be would bring the money, the next
morning.
Baron PLATT —That will not do. The money shall
be returned before the grand jury are discharged.
Mr. Davies, upon this intimation (rem his Lordship,
said he would get the money in half an hour, and shortly
afterwards it was stated that he had refunded the amount
to the complainant.

NEW COURT.
(Before the COMMON-SERGEANT.)
AN IRRECLAIMABLE THlEF.—Henry Tucher, 19,
tailor, pleaded guilty to an indictment for stealing a coat
two pal. of trousers, and other articles, the property of
Lord Ashley.
Mr. PAYNE appeared for the prosecution, and said
that in this case the prisoner had been before convicted
and sent to Tothill-fields, and having been recommended
by the chaplain of that prison as a fit object. he was ad-.
mitted in April to the Ragged Dormitory, Westminster,
intended for the reception and preparation of persons
for emigration under Lord Ashley's plan. He stayed
until the middle of July, when he absconded with the
clothes found him by the society, sad ekvu,e • pair

POLICE IN TEL LIGENCE.
MANSION-HOUSE.
FALSE WEIGEITS.—A man named L, uis Myers was on
Tuesday brought before Alderman Gibbs upon the fol-
lowing charge:—
Mr. Turner, assistant-inspector of weights and mea-
sure?, said—l was in Lower Thames-stte,t, with Mr.
Harvard, the city of London inspector of weights and
measures, and I saw the defendant selling nu's there
with this weight (producing a weight which appeared to
be a half-pound weight). It is only a quarter of a pound
weight. I was not near enough to him to see whether.
he sold the nuts by it as a half pound weigh.. Upon
examining it I found it to be untanaped. There is a
fictitious stamp upon it. and impositions are constantly
practised with weights of this kind. r got bold of the
weight, and he snatched it away. He had a barrow with
his nuts, and there was a machine upon it. There are
two other weights which he had in his possession, and
which are also unstarnped.
A policeman said, I was called by the inspector of
weights and measures in Thames-street, and took the
defendant into custody. I saw him try to throw some-
thing away, add I afterwards picked up the two weights
which I produce.—(A weight which was spreal out to
appear like a pound weight but was no more than a half•
pound, was then produced.)
Turner, the assistant inspector, added—The hal

pound weight produced was in use on the occasion. The
other weights he had in his pocket, to be used, no doubt,
when opportunities occurred.
Mr. Harvard said the defendant had-been marked as a
dealer in the unfair way described, and contrived, by,
substituting the expanded weight, to charge his cus-
tomers just double the quantity be,sold, so that the trick
was more profitable than the old one of cbeating by
light weights. The defendant was in the habit of let•
Ling out barrows, which were supplied with similar bad
weights, and he gave a wrong address on being ap-
plied to.
Alderman Gums said he had heard of the extraordi-
nary success with which the ingenious deception was
practised, and had given directions to the police to
watch the movements of the numerous vendors in the
streets. He trusted that buyers would be on their guard
against the barrow gentry, who were thus availing
themselves of the appearance of the weights to inflict a
heavy imposition.
The defendant said he never had used the weights for
more than they actually represented, and pleaded that
he was justified in using stamped weights, whatever
their appearance might be.
Alderman GIBBS said the weights were not only made
for the purposes of deception, but were unstamped, and
the defendant must pay the penalty of 205., or go to
Bridewell for 14 days. The weights were, of course,
forfeited.
Thedefendant declared that nothing should induce him
to pay the penalty, and his commitment was accordingly
made out, and he was sent to prison.
Next day, after the routine bu,iness of the justice-room
was ouncluded, the defendant, who did not relish the in-
terior of our City prison, having paid the penalty, and re-
leased himself trom the disagreeable alternative, walked
into the presence of the Alderman, and said he was de-
termined to " pull" the witnesses for perjury committed
in swearirg that the weights which had been taken from
him were unstamped. He produced a weight which he
said was the counterpart of one of those which had been
taken from him, and said that nobody could deny the
fact that it was a legitimate weight. lie had purchased
it of a tradesman, who assured him that it was regularly
stamped.
Alderman Gitlin said the weight produced was not
City stamped, and was not recognised by the City autho-
rities. He also informed the defendant that there
were some tradesmen who refused fictitious stamps, and
that the weight produced was one of that description, and
he advised the indignant costermonger to exercise due
caution in pursuing his trade, as he might meet an in-
quisitive policeman at every corner.
JOSEPH Any AT WORK AGAlN.—Joseph Ady ft-
voured the Lord Mayor with the following communi-
cation:—

" 13 & 14 Viet., cap. 61.—August 14, 1850.—Act to
extend the Act for the more easy Recovery of Small
Debts, &0., under 501. at the County Courts.
"My Lord Mayor,—The Act above quoted is lying
before me. lam of opinion that it supersedes all former
Acts relative to debts, &o.; that it is beneficial to cre-
ditors by enabling the Judge of the Sheriffs' Court to
give time to a debtor to pay by instalments, instead of
imprisoning him with felons, to gnaw his food like dog.,
even when he has no teeth, and for no other crime than
poverty.—Respectfully.!osEmADx.—Aug. 19, 1850."