The Sun.
London, England, 1868-03-14 00:00:00

LAW AND POLICF

liE THE LONDON AND MEDITERRANEAN BANE.—
WRIGHT'S CASE.—The Lords Justices have had before
them an appeal from an order of Vice-Chancellor Stuart
in the matter of the above-mentioned company. The
articles of association gave powers to the directors to
cancel shares in certain cases. There was a proviso that
notice should be given of the objects for which every
meeting of the company was convened ; and that
no 'other business than that specified in the
notice should be transacted at the meeting. In
September 1865 the company agreed to amalgamate
with the London and Bombay Bank, and the agreement
was confirmed at a meeting of the company held on the
16th of October, 1865, at which meeting a resolution was
also passed that all shareholders who had paid £2los. per
share might have their shares cancelled and their deposits
returned. Mr. Wright took advantage of this offer, and
received back this deposit money, and his shares were
cancelled. It was, however, objected that the transac-
tion was irregular, inasmuch as the notice convening
the meeting contained no reference to the proposed can-
cellation. The company was subsequently wound up, and'
the Vice-Chancellor held that the resolution authorising
the cancellation of the shares were irregular, and the can-
cellation invalid. Mr. Wright appealed from this de-
cision. The Lords Justices were of opinion that the
directors had power, under the articles of association, to
forfeit the shares of any shareholder who dissented from
a sale or amalgamation, and even if the notice given for
the meeting was insufficient,tbe power of the directors still
remained. Mr. Wright's shares had been duly forfeited,
and his name must be removed from the list of contribu-
tories. He would have his costs out of the funds in the
hands of the official liquidator.

THE RECENT RIOTS IN DEVONSHIRE.-Mr. Justice
Blackburn has been engaged at Exeter in hearing cases
arising out of the recent riots in Devonshire. Eight
persons were charged with felony, and endeavouring to
" demolish " the bakers' shops of Torquay. A large
number of witness.es proved that there was a riot in the
town on November 5. A great mob-1,000 at least—
marched through the streets crying, " Down with the
bread ! " " Down with the beef ! " '• We'll have cheap
bread." The mob threw stones at the bakers' shops, at the
police, and at the special constables. Mr. Phillips, J. P.,
read the Riot Act at nine o'clock, but the mob did not
disperse till two next morning. There was a lengthy argu-
ment as to the " intention " of the prisoners, and his lord-
ship ruled that they were cases of misdemeanour only. On
this charge the jury brought in a verdict of guilty against
James Potter, William Bulley, Richard Vanstone, George
Shepherd, Thomas Brooklands, Charles Avent, and
Thomas Pillar Way. Sentences deferred. There were
also similar cases at Exmouth, and several charges of per-
jury arising from recent trials for the bread riots.

THE ALLEGED MURDER OF A WOMAN AT BROMLEY.—
At the Maidstone Assizes, on Friday, the two men, Part-
ridge and Deadman, committed on the cl:arge of throwing
a woman, named Jackson, down a well at Bromley, in
January last, were indicted for wilful murder. The facts
of the case have already been given. The woman Jackson,
being tipsy and violent, was turned out of Partridge's
house, where she lodged, and Partridge and Deadman
were seen quarrelling with her and following her about at
a late hour. Cries of murder were heard, and deceased
was not again seen alive, but a fortnight afterwards her
body was discovered in a well in an advanced state of
decomposition. The evidence was very long, and of a
purely circumstantial character. The jury found both
prisoners not guilty.

THE SCALDING OF A CHILD IN A CONVENT.-At the
Westminster Police-court on Friday, Margaret Walsh,
teacher at the school held at the convent of the Sceurs de
Charit4, Ashley-place, Pimlico, surrendered to her bail on
a charge of having assaulted one Ellen Brown, a child of
the tender age of four years. The case for the prosecution
was that the prisoner had taken this child and corrected it
for crying because it was sent to school, by placing it on
the edge of a copper four feet high, the copper being full
of boiling water at the time, and although the serious
charge could not be brought home to the prisoner of
feloniously assaulting, it was contended that the
placing the child in that position was an assault in law,
Had the child fallen in and been killed, the offence
charged against the prisoner would be manslaughter. In
support of this case witnesses were called, and the child
was shewn to be in the hospital. For the defence the case
was that the child was put there to be frightened, and
accidentally fell in, and the prisoner expressed her deep
regret at what had happened. Mr. Arnold, in stopping
the case, said his presence was required to take the depo.
sition of a dying man at the Westminster Hospital, and
the case was further adjourned till Wednesday next, the
same bail being required.

A CURIOUS POINT OF CAB LAW.—A point of cab law
was in dispute before Mr. Barker at the Clerkenwell
Police-court on Friday. A gentleman was summoned by
a cabman for a fare. The defendant, an invalid, had
hired the cab by the hour at Holloway, and told the
cabman to drive him down the Green Lanes. The
cabman did so, and when the hour was up the
invalid found himself in a very green lane at
some distance from home, and was told that
if he wanted to return he must take the vehicle
by distance. On his return he refused to pay the money
(simply for the purpose of having the matter settled by a
magistrite). The cabman contended that by the words of
the Act the hiring by the hour was good only for one hour,
at the expiration of which the driver was competent to
insist on a fresh hiring and and fresh terms. Mr. Barker
thought so too, and ordered the defendant to pay the fare
and the cost of the summons.

The Dorsetshire papers record the death of Mr.
Mowlem at the age of 80. He was one of the principals
i i the firm of Messrs. Mowlem, Burt, and Freeman, stone
merchants, London. Mr. Mowlem gave away large sums
of money to charities, and he was a munificent benefactor
to the town of Swanag,e, in the Isle of Purbeck, where he
worked as a poor quarrier boy.

The Rev. William Awdry, M.A., son of Sir John
Awdry, has been elected second master of Winchester
College by the warden and fellows of the college. There
were twelve candidates. Mr. Awdry was a candidate for
the second mastership in 186 d, when the Rev. J. John
Hornby (now head thaster of Eton College) was appointed.
Mr. Awdry has been connected with Winchester College
about four mouths as a tutor.