The Sun.
London, England, 1844-07-19 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE.
HOUSE OF LORDS, J►►hy 18.
Their Lordships sat to-day in a Committee for privileu,.. s.
The Peers present were, the Earl of Shaftesbury, the Lord
Chancellor, Lord Kenyon, Lord Sondes, the Earl of R ,des-
dale, the Earl of Eldon, the Bishop of Lichfield, and Lord
Bexley.

THE FITZWALTER BARONY.
Mr. L. IVlGuam summed up the evidence on behalf of the
claimant to this barony, Sir Brooke William Bridges.
The Somerrou-GENERAL shortly replied on behalf of the
Crown ; and

Their LORDSHIPS declared that the claimant had made out
his claim.—Claim allowed.

ADAM V. FARQUHAR.
The arguments were then resumed in this part•heard
Scotch case, and occupied their Lordships the remainder of
the morning.

INSOLVENT DEBTORS' COURT, July 18.
IN RE GEORGE AUGUSTUS BEVEL CHAPMAN-DRURY..

LANE THEATRE.

The Court was crowded during the hearing of this
case by persons connected with the theatrical profession.
The insolvent't petition was opposed by Mr. Nicholls,
on behalf of the proprietors of Drury-lane Theatre, and
by Mr. Crouch, on the part of Mr. Pitcher. He was sup-
ported by Messri. Cooke and Woodruff'.

- Mr. BURGESS, Solicitor to the Committee of Drury-
lane Theatre, stated that the insolvent rented the saloon
in this theatre for 400 L per annum, having the privilege
of selling hooks, bills, fruit, &c. The rent was to be
payable halt yearly, and in July, 1842, he owed rent to
the amount of 2501., and when applied to for payment
he replied, that the alteration in the rules and customs
of the theatre, introduc,d by Mr. Macrearly, in prohi-
biting females of a certain class from frequenting the
saloon had so far lessenei the receipts and pmfits of the
saloon that he was quite unable to pay so high a rent.
Although the Committee had refused to take 6001 a-
year for the saloon, they consented to tale 1001. out of
the 250/., and release him from his engagemmt, but the
insolvent would not accede to this proposal, and an ac-
tion being brought by the proprietors the insolvent put
them to 1001 costs by vexatiously defending: it.
Cross-examined by Mr. COOKE —Mr. Mit2ready de-
prived the insolvent of many of the privileges which he
possessed previous to that gentleman be-oming lessee of
the theatre. Mr. Maeready also reduced the number of
acting nights from 200 to 116, and then, of course, the
insolvent must have suffered. He had also forbidden the
admission of females of loose character, and had fixed a
reduced rate of prices for the refreshments served in the
saloon. The Committee had nothing to do with these
arrangements. There was also a Sub-Committee, con-
sisting of four members and a chairman. The Earl of
Glengall was the chairman of this Committee, and the
members Sir W. Curtis and Messrs. Ramsbottom, Allen,
and Cabbell. The insolvent's family had rented the
saloon for upwards of twenty years, during which time
they had paid to the proprietary nearly 20,0001.
Mr. Pitcher's opposition rested up,m the insolvent
having employed him to defend the action brought by
the proprietors of the theatre, and having vexatiously
defended an action brought to recover the incidental
law costs.

Mr. COOKE having addressed the court, in favour of
the insolvent,
Mr. Commissioner LAW said the insolvent had no
right to complain of harsh treatment on the part of the
proprietors of Drury-lane Theatre. In the case of Mr.
Pitcher a gross fraud had been committed. In the pre-
sent stage of the proceedings he should adjourn the case,
in order that the schedule which was now very imper-
fect, might be amended.

SUMMER ASSIZES.
HOME ClRCUlT—Chelmsford, July 18.
CROWN SlDE.—(Before Mr. Baron PARKE.)
Elizabeth Belcham, 22, a good-looking young womv,
was indicted for the wilful murder of her male illegati\
mate child, by casting it into the waters of the Chelmer
river, and thereby suffocating it.
Mr. Clarkson, with Mr. Espinasse, conducted the pro-
secution. Mr. Ryland appeared for the prisoner.
Mr. CLARKSON addressed the jury, and from his state-
ment and the evidence adduced, it appeared that the pri-
soner had resided with her mother at Southminster, in
this county, but about twelve months ago she became
acquainted with a man named Dean. a carrier at Chelms-
ford, and eventually went to live with him, her friends
being induced to believe that they were married.
They continued to cohabit together for several
months, when the prisoner proved in the family-
way, and it appeared that when this became apparent
Dean behaved very unkindly to her, and at length
turned her out of doors. The prisoner returned to her
mother's house, where she was delivered of a child, the
un'brtunate infant in question, about five weeks ago;
and it appeared that she had several times applied to the
father of the child for assistance, but could not obtain
any from him. On the morning of the sth of July the
prisoner left her mother's house, taking the infant with
her, and, just as she was about to depart, she told the
nurse to kiss the baby, for perhaps it might be the last
time she would see it. The prisoner represented that
she was going to take the child to Chelmsford, to place
it with a wet-nurse. She was traced along the road,
and at a beer-shop in the evening, at a short distance
from Chelmsford, she had some beer and a biscuit, and
she was seen to chew a portion of the latter and give
it to the baby. The last time she was seen
With the infant alone was about ten o'clock
the same night, at which time she was going
towards the river, and at eleven she went into a
public-house, where it was observed her clothes were
very wet, and her boots were also wet and covered
with gravel of a similar description to some that had
been placed on the banks of the river. The next morn-
ing a labouring man, who went to the river to water his
master's horses, found the dead body of an infant in the
water. There were no marks of violence upon it, and it
had evidently died of suffocation. To prove the identity
of the deceased it was found necessary to call the mother
of the prisoner as a witness for the Crown, and she was
obliged to admit that the deceased was the off-pring of
her unhappy daughter. The man was also examined, in
order to prove that the day before the dead body was
discovered in the river the prisoner wrote a letter to
him, to the effect that the child was no more, and that
it had died on the previous night. An additional fact,
tending to show the identity of the deceased, was also
proved by the medical man, who said that upon opening
the stomach of the deceased he found in it a portion or
masticated biscuit. Other facts were also disclosed,
which made out a very strong case of suspicion against
• the prisoner.
Mr. RYLAND made a very forcible appeal to the feel-
ings of the jury on behalf of the prisoner, and commynt(ll
in severe and ap.ropriate terms upon the conduct of the
man Deans, who, he said, had first ruined and then de-
serted his unfortunate victim. He admitted that a case
of suspicion had been made out, but contended that the
evidence was not conclusive of the prisoner's guilt, and
that, und-r the circumstances, they ought to give him
the benefit of any doubt that appeared in the case.
Mr. Baron PARKE having summed up, the jury, after
a short deliberation, returned a verdict of Not Guilty.

MIDLAND ClRCUlT.—Northampton, July 17.

CROWN COURT.—( Before Lord Chief Justice DENMAN.)
Peer 11PDonald, aged 34, was indicted for a rape on the
4th of June last, at Potterspury, in this county, upon Sylvia
Ann Hatlev.

Mr. \Ving conducted the prosecution, and Mr. Miller de-
fended the prisoner.
From the evidence of the prosecutrix it appeared that be-
tween eleven and twelve o'clock on the day in question she
was walking from Shenley to Towcester, when the prisoner,
who was a stranger to her. overtook her between Stony
Stratford and Potterspury, and offered to carry her
.box, and
asked her to go into a public-house to have some beer. She
refused. He went in, but overtook her before she got out of
the town, and again offered to carry hor box. She bade him
to walk on, as she didn't wish his coMpany on the road. He
walked on for about a mile, and then stopped and asked her
to shake hands with him. She refused He laid hold of her
and said, "Come, sit down." She said, " No." He then said,
" I'll make pill," and threw her down and committed the
offence charged. She struggled with him, and screamed out
as loud as she could, and told him she would have him taken
care of. It was by the side of the road, in a lonely place,
that he threw her down, with her feet towards the hedge.
She felt his hand in her bosom, and tried to force it away,
but could not. As soon as she got off the ground she felt in
her bosom for her money, and found it gone. It consisted of
one sovereign and four shillings in silver, wrapped up in a
piece of paper. Two men came up to her, and she said,
"That rascal has insulted me and robbed me, and if you will
take,hirn; I will satisfy you." He was by this time running
away as fast ds he could; but she now swore to him posi-
tively, and to his having completed his purpose.
William Foster was hoeing beans in a field by the side of
the turnpike-road at some short distance, and heard a woman
say "Go along." I shortly afterwards heard her scream out
" Oh, dear, oh V,' I went up to the spot and found the pro-
secutrix on the ground with her clothes disordered, and the
prisoner going away from her. He walked two or three
yards and then ran off, looking behind him several times.
John Wilcox deposed to his having seen the prosecutrix
lying on the ground crying, and appearing very faint, and
her clothes all over dust. She told him, "That there
has robbed me of 245., and insulted me." A man was running
up the road, dressed like the prisoner, and looking back se ,
veral timer.
William Sanders deposed to having seen the young woman
and the prisoner comirg along the road, about three yards
apart, the prisoner being first. It was then about a quarter
to twelve.
Thomas Henson proved that at about half- past twelve the
prisoner inquired of him the way to Northampton. He was
walking fast, and appeared very hot.
James Howard was at home about mid-day, having his
dinner, and saw John Wilcox, the witness, and another man
run by. He made an inquiry of them, and being told by
them what had happened, he took his telescope, and dis-
tinctly saw a man running along the road, and sometimes
looking back. He took a horse immediately and pursued.
He went down to Towcester and gave information to the po-
lice. On afterwards finding that the man had not passed the
turnpike-gate, he went back a little way, and went down a
lane, and soon heard of him; and when he had gone a mile
and a half further on saw the prisoner walking fast, and
looking very warm, and wiping his face with his hankerchief.
He entered into conversation with him, and rode by his side
nearly half a mile, and then made an excuse and got off his
horse and collared him. He then, with assistance, brought
him down to Towcester, and gave him into the custody of
the police. The prisoner said that he knew nothing about
the girl, and that he had come from Wolverton that morn-
ing, and had collected 6d. there.
John Nicholson, constable. of Towcester, about half-past
twelve received information from Mr. Howard, and went up
to the prosecutrix, who gave him a description of the man.
She was crying, and her clothes were covered with dust.
The prisoner was given into his custody by Mr. Howard, and
witness searched him and found in a pocket, inside his waist-
coat, one sovereign in gold, two half-crowns, and one six-
penny piece in silver, and eighteenpence in copper. The
young woman had complained to him of having been robbed
of 11. 45., and violently assaulted by the young man in such a
way as she had never been as-multed before. The description
she gave him of the young man corresponded with the ap-
pearance of the prisoner.
Mr. William Elston, surgeon, of Potterspury, examined the
prosecutrix, but did not find any marks of external violence,
but saw other appearances which led him to believe that the
act had been done and by violence.

Mr. John Huntley, of Shenley Brook-end, deposed that the
prosecutrix was his servant, and bad lived with him about
eight months. She had had leave to go and see her friends 1