The Sun.
London, England, 1857-02-19 00:00:00

COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH.

(Sittings at Nisi Prius, at Guildhall, before Lard Chie
Justice Campbell and Special Juries.)
LORTON V BOSANQUET.

This was an action brought by the plaintiff to recover
from the Imperial Fire As-mrance Company, represented
by the defendant, a sum of 2841. for lose sustained by
him by a fire which brake out on his premises.

The defendants, in whose office he effected a policy
on his furniture, premises, and stock, pleaded that the
plaintiff had not made a bona fide return of his loss, and
that upon that ground, and to that extent, they resisted
his demand.

Toe plaintiff, in his replication, stiatd that he had
made a fair representation of his loss, and furnished the
defendants with a true bill of particulars, and upon those
points the parties joined issue.

•
It appeared from the evilence of the plaintiff, who is
a shipstuith, and whose wife kept a lollypop and general
sweetstuff shop at Greenbank, Rotherhithe, that he bad,
influenced by the advice of his landlord, effected an as-
surance in the Imperial Fire Assurance Company's
Office, upon his furniture, premises, and stock-in-trade,
comprising his tools, &c., and that a fire brok out in
a roam on the premises, by which his furniture, pre-
mises, and stock were injured. In one room in par•
ticular the fire had been more destructive than in
any other part of the premises. The room was ten
feet long by seven feet wide, and contained a quantity
of furniture, consisting of tables, chairs, carpets, looking
glasses, two watches, Bank of England notes, articles
of jewellery, feather beds, and pictures, amongst which
last-named was a work of art, entitled " The King of the
Teetotallers on horseback." Plaintiff called a man
named White, who had been in the habit of making
out inventories of loss and damage in such cases, and
the report drawn up by that person he furnished to
the defendants.
In cross-examination of the plaintiff, it was sought
to make it appear that be had, previously to the fire,
c inveyed away much of his furniture, by night, to a
room taken by his daughter--who had previously oc-
copied the room in question—and that among other
articles, the painting of "The King of the Teetotallers
on hor,eback," alleged by him to have perished in the
fl tmes, was so conveyed away ; but the allegations
failed of proof ; and ace irding to the testimony of the
plainiiff had their or►gin in slanderous imputations
cwt upon him by some of his neighbours, against one
of whom he brought au action for damages, which is
now pending.
The jury retired, and, after an absence of some time,
returned ii.to court and gave a verdict for the plain-
tiff, for the amount of his claim —284/.

COURT OF CONIMON PLEAS.

ALLEN V. THE CHESTER AND HOLYHEAD RAILWAY COY•

PANY.-COLLISION.
The plaintiff in this case sought to recover damages
for injuries which he had sustained in consequence of a
collision which happened upon the Che,ter and Holy-
head Railway on the 10th of May last, and the dam-
ages were laid at 4,0001.

-The plaintiff isa young man of respectable connexions,
and is nephew of Mr Brewster, formerly the Attori.ey-
General for Ireland, but at the time of the aecid,nt he
was a traveling clerk in the service of the P. st-office.
It was his outy to travel with the mails between Chest:A.
and Holyhe.td, and to attend to the sorting of the letters
upon the journey. His salsry was 1001. a-year, but
the amongst, aliowed by the office for expenses made
his total receipts about 2401. On the night of the 101li
of May he left Conway by 11 45 train, and when the
train arrived within two miles of Bangor, just at the
enTrance to a tunnel, the mail ran into a coal
train. The collision was violent, and the plaintiff's
head was struck against one of the Post-office boxes,
:he blow being at the back of the Leal, and just at
the ba,e of the brain.
He wa4 aux on; to continuepe o
ed
his duty, and did continue it. The accident hap
on a Saturday, and on the Monday following he went
to a surgeon, who certified that the plaintiff had suffered
concussion of the brain, which at present incapacitated
him from mental and bodily exertion, and rendered rest
indispensable. The plaintiff, however, thought that the
injury was only of a temporary character, and he con.
tinned his duties for a day er two. On the 15th he
found it absolutely necessary to leave off work, and he
placed himself under the care of Dr. Gully, of Malvern,
at whose establishment ho remained for many mouths
The result of the concussion of the brain was, that the
spinal cord bad been much affected, and many of its

functions had been destroyed, the misery arising from
which was so great'as al nost to render life a burden.
The negligence imput-A t the comnany was, that
only 17 minutes bt-fore the mail train left Cuu way a coal
train bad been started from that station.
The jury found a verdict for the plaintifF.—Damages)
1,400/.

INSOLVENT DEBTORS' COURT.
(Before Mr. Comtniesioner Murphy.)
THEATRICAL TAY AT WINDSOR CASTLE.-IN RI JAWS

ROGERS.
This insolvent, a comedian at the Olympic Theatre,
who, since his application to the Court, presented 13s. 4d.
to the Lambeth Police poor-box, which he had received
for performing at Windsor Castle, made his appearance
before the learned Commissioner, under the Protection
Act.

When the case was called no creditor appeared in
opposition. _

Mr. Sargood held a brief to support the application.
Mr. Comrni3,inner Murphy inspected the schedule
filed by the insolvent, and said "Nell, Mr. Rogers may
have his day named."
Mr. Sargood inquired of the Registrar the day
pointedap-
for the final order.

The Registrar (sir. Clark) said it was appointed for
the 13th March.

The insolvent obtained his protection to the day men-
tioned.

The schedule filed contains several creditors, whose
claims only amount to 1031. 9s. 3d , from the year 1852.
In last year his earnings were 1301. His appearance be-
fore the Court is attributed t the illness and death of
his late wife, occasional illness of himself and insuffi-
ciency of earnings as a comedian. In the description
he is stated to be at present engaged at the Olympic
Theatre, and his wife as stated to be an actress known
as Miss Dormer. His ba!anca•sheet states his salary at
41. a week, and hence the sum of 13s. 4d. for a eight
performance at Windsor Castle.

THE .1)1-ST1-MSS AMONGST THE COAL-
-IVIIIPPE, 8 OF THE PORT OF LONDON.

A deputation of coalwhippers of the port of London,
accompanied by Lord R. Grosvenor, M.P., Lord Gode-
rich, M.P., Rev. J. T. Rowse'', of St. Peter's, Stepney ;
Rev. Mr. M'Call, Mr. T. J. Furnival, and Mr. Flynn,
had an interview yesterday with Lord Stanley of Alder-
ley, the President of the Board of Trade, for the put,
pose of making known to tile Government the serteus
grievances under which they now labour, arising from
the withdrawal of the bill which protected them from the
cli public-house truck system.
The men stated their case. Some years since the
Government, in order to better the conditian of the coal-
whippers, and to secure them from the vice and misery
attending the public-house agency, establishe I an office
from which they were employed, and which secured
to thew the full amount of their earnings. Some of
the coal merchants became dissatisfied with the
working of the office, and when the proposal for re-
ne4ing the bill creating the office came on in the
ordinary course last session, they asked the Government
wit co continue it, but to allow them to establish a new
model office, from which they would engage the men.
The coalowners and merchants signed a document that
they would protect the men from being employed through
a public-house, or in any way exposed to that system ;
and upon that understanding the bill was withdrawn,
and the merchants left to establish the office. It has
been several months in operation, and the men assert
it to have proved an utter failure as regards preventing
the work going to public-houses, and that the old drink-
ing system was rapidly reviving. That when the new
office was created there were 123 gangs of nine men in
each gang, with 40 supernumeraries. The number of
gangs had since been reduced to 85, and the men dismissed
must either go into the workhouse, or accept the public
house employment, with all its debauchery and misery
to their families. That a large portion of the men con-
nected with the office were often without work, and
when they were occupied their wages at times did not
exceed 9s. a-week. It was stated as a fact that a large -
proportion of colliers in the Pool were discharged through
public-houses, and that the number was daily increasing.
It was also asserted that two of the merchants who had
signed the document only to employ men through the
office had broken their promise by engaging hands
through another channel. They added that the renewal
of the old bill would supply a remedy for this state of
things.

Lard R. Grosvenor, the Rev. Mr. Rowsell, and the
Rev. Mr. M'Call, addressed some few remarks to his
lordship as to the condition of the men.
Lord STANLEY of ALDERLEY said the position of the
men, as had been represented to him, appeared certainty
very hard. He would cause some inquiry to be made into
matters which had been submitted to him, and perhaps
the men would also prosecute their inquiry for facts.
Mr. FLYNN said poor labourers with only 9s, a-week
had some difficulty in paying waterage to go out on the
river and collect " fact-,," and the names aud number of
ships discharged by publicans.
The deputation then withdrew.

CountrygiMarkets.

EDINBURGH HAY AND STRAW BIA.RILET
FEB. 17.

Supplies of all kinds these last six days again large•
Oat straw, from 8s 01 to lOs 6d per kemple of 16 stones
tron; wheat do., 6s Od to 8s 6d; barley do., 7s OA. to 86
Od. Hay from 12d to is. 2d.

EDINBURGH MEAL—FEB. 17.
There were in the market to-day 12 sacks oatmeal, each
weighing 2301 b imp,:rial, which sold at 37s and —a.

DALKEITH MEAL .I.IARKET—FEu 16.
There were in the market to-day 6 bags of oatmeal, oof
barleymeal, and 0 pot barley. Sales dull.
Oatmeal, per sack of 2801bs First. Second.
imperial
Barleymeal, per ditto -s Od —s Od
Peasemeal, per ditto
Flour, new, per ditto —a Od —a Od
Pot-barley, new, per ditto —s Od a Od

'Third.
8 oa
-5 Oa
—9 oa
--S

BRISTOL SUGAR—FEB. 18.
Beyond the sale of three cargoes of Mauritius and one
of Havainah aft :at, at very full prices, we have nothing to
report. The brokers' offices are quite bare of samples, And
further arrivals are anxiously looked for.