The Sun.
London, England, 1850-06-25 00:00:00

Wad TALFOURD.)

BATTY V. MILLELTO—CONSTRUCTION OF CONTRACT.
Mr. Justice MAULE delivered the judgment of the
Courtin this case. The action was to recover 501. for breach
of an agreement whereby the defendant had engaged for
himself and.wife toperform for two months as equestrians,
on the stage or in the ring, at Astley's Amphitheatre or
elsewhere, for the plaintiff, at a salary of 51. per week,
subject to a penalty of 50/. upon breach of the agree-
ment. Before the expiration of the engagement the
plaintiff, who had an equestrian establishment at Peebles,
in Scotland, required the defendant and his wife to pro-
ceed to that place and perform there, which they refused
to do, and upon their suing the plaintiff in a county
court for their salary, he commenced the present action
against them. The defendant demurred to the declara-
tion on several technical grounds, which the judgment
dispo,ed of in detail, and the Court being of opinion
that, though irregular iu some respects, the declaration
was good in substance, gave judgment flr the plaintiff.
(Sittings at Nisi Prius before the LORD CHIEF JUSTICE
aad a Common Jury.)
LONGMORE V. BUSSEY.

The Court was occupied this morning with this case,
which was an action for the recovery of 48/. 17s. Bd., due
partly as the balance of a bill and partly for goods de-
livered. The de:ence was that the date of the bill had
been altered by the plaintiff between the time of its-
being drawn and of its becoming due; and, as regarded
the goods, that by the arrangement of credit entered
into between the parties the payment was not yet due.
The evidence was of great length, and very contradictory
—one witness swearing that an erasure apparent is
the bill had been made before the bill was drown,
and another witness that it was done three months
Afterwards.
The jury returned a verdict for the plaintiff for the
full amount.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
LAMBETH.

THE ALLEGED MURDEN, AND ROBBERY AT CLAP-
atm.—After the night charges had been disposed of,
Mr. Middle, the owner of the house in the Wandsworth-
road, which so rvcently occupied the attention of the
public as the scene of an alleged murd4r and robbery,
waited upon Mr. Elliot, to answer the complaint of a
tes3ale, who stated herself to be the only daughter of
the alleged murdered housekeeper, for detaining the
clothes and other property belonging to the unfortunate
deceased.

Oa Tuesday last a young woman attended before Mr.
Elliot, in company with an elderly female, who alleged
that after the funeral of Mr. Meddle's housekeeper, ap-
plication was made to him by them for the restoration
of the clothes of deceased, which Mr. Maddle, however,
refused to give up. In consequence of such refusal on
his part, the magistrate sent an officer with them, to
see him on the subject. He still persisted in retaining
them, and intimated his intention of attending at this
court yesterday, to answer the complaint.
As soon as the case was called on, Mr. Maddle rose
and stated, that he was sorry that the unfortunate affair
which had occurred in his house should be again brought
before the public. He attended that day to show came
why he did not give up his deceased housekeeper's
, clothei,and other property to ft young woman calling
herself her daughter. His reason would be quite suf-
ficient to satisfy his. Worship why he detained the pro-
perty. The young woman in question was an illegiti-
mate child, and had no right-whatever to the property,
especially when there was a son who migh adminster
to the property. He had received advice from the
solicitor to the Treasury on that point, and was perfectly
right in detaining the clothes until he had a proper
authority.
Mr. ELLIOT considered that he had no particular
grounds for keeping the property, and it could not mat-
ter much to him to whom he gave them up.
Mr. Maddle—But I have written to the son, who is
in the country, and he says all the funeral expenses will
fall on him. Therefore, I think I a not bound to give
up the things to the female. Not only that, they have
behaved ill to me or I should have been more liberal.
Mr. ELLIOT—After what I have heard respecting the
daughter's illegitimacy, I cannot interfere in the matter.
Mr. Maddle—Then what am I to do, your Worship?
If something is not done to protect me I shall be con-
stantly troubled. I am quite willing to give them up
if your Worship will give me a written acknowledgment.
Mr. ELLior —I have nothing whatever to do with the

property. The only legal claimant is the party who ad-
ministers to the effects, and has such has not been
done, I think you might safely deliver them to the
daughter.
Mr. Maddle—l have been twice to the Treasury on
the subject, and have been advised to keep the pro-
perty until it has been administered to. The brother
declines to do so, as he would be liable to her debts. But
I can assure your Worship that she owes nothing. It
was a painful thing to have my name in the papers, and
to be talked about by all the world, as if I had not used
precaution. I warned the deceased oftentimes against
adtnitting people into my house, and had she taken my
'advice the unfortunate occurrence would not have
taken place. Some of the people had stated I gene-
rally kept thousands in the house. that would Le
foolish.
Mr. ELLIOT—I have nothing whatever to do with the
case, neither can I interfere in any way, therefore I
must beg you to drop the subject.
• Mr. Meddle then left the court, asserting that he
' should still retain the property of his deceased house-
keeper until he had a proper certificate drawn up in a
legal manner.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON'S BitEECHES.
A very droll story has been in circulation in private
circles for some days past which is, we think, too
good to be lost to the ",general public," particularly,
us it numbers among its dramatis persona no less per-
sonages than the Commander-in-Chief, a Bishop, and
• an accomplished authoress.
". Our story sets out, in politeness, as it ought to do,
with the lady.
It is only necessary to mention the name of Mrs.
Loudon to recall to the reader's memory the clever
writings of that lady on horticulture. Well. Mrs.
Loudon was lately in the neighbourhood of Strath-
fieldsaye, and being always anxious to visit spots re-
markable for fine specimens of the vegf table world,
and hearing that she was likely to gratify her taste at
the gardens of the Duke of Wellington, she wrote to his
Grace, conveying her special desire to see some
44 beeches" for which the spot is celebrated. The
letter was duly delivered, and, opening it with his
usual promptitude, the octogenarian Duke raised his
glasses, and, glancing at the contents, his eye
caught
hastily at the signature of the note " O. J. Loudon,"
and be at once came to the. conclusion that it came
from Charles
James Bishop of London, more parti-
cularly as the band-writing of the bore a. close
resemblance to that of the Right Reverend Prelate.
But, whilst there was nothing very remarkable in the
fact of a note from the Bishop, the object of it did
raise his Grace's " most especial wonder; for that
same rapid glance which had converted g
ertesdh6acnessamwihabielhe
iv
• lady into a learned Bishop, also,
the very spirit of mischief, Puck,ith
himself could
, not have surpassed, metamorphosed the mejestie
beeches of Strathfieldsaye into the nether garments
- of their noble owner—in fact, the note ran thus, that
"C. J. London" (the ordinary laconic mode in which
Charles James Bishop of London sums up his honours
and dignities) was desirous of viewing the Duke of
Wellington's breeches !
How the Duke looked, as he eyed the note, it is
not our province to picture ! but, with his usual dis-
patch—and et-inking, probably, that the request ap-
plied to the Waterloo inexpressibles, that they might
be wanted for artistic purposes—he directed his valet
, to look out the article and dispatch it with all polite
forms to the Bishop
In due course the packet arrived at the Bishop's,
and the amazement with which the Prelate re-
ceived, with " Field-Marshal the Duke of Wel-
lington's compliments," his " Waterloo breeches,''
may be conceived. But the ludicrous was soon
changed into the painful as the idea flashed through
the Bishop's mind that all was not "quite right"
with the great veteran ; and, to solve this painful
doubt, off his Lordship went to the Premier's to make
Lord John a party to the ex.traordioary present he
had just rec,Aved.
Now, it so happmed that, after dispatching the
parcel as above-related, the. Duke himself was
struck by a slinils.r thought as to the mental state
of the Right Rev. Writer, and he, too, thought it
his duty—though the Bishop did not come under
the discipline of the Horse Guards--to report to
the Premier the probable state of mind of one of the