The Sun.
London, England, 1868-11-07 00:00:00

LAW AND poLic..,.

CLINCH V. FINANCIAL CORPORATION.—In the Court o 1
Chancery, before the Lord Chancellor and the Lords
Justices, an appeal from the decision of the Vice-Chan-
cellor was heard in. the case of Clinch v. Financial Corpo.
ration. The plainiiff had prayed for a declaration that an
arrangement for amalgamation come to between the
directors of the Financial Corporation and of the
Oriental Commercial Bank was beyond the power
of the directors, and not binding on the shareholders.
The Vice-Chancellor in the court below held that the pro-
posed amalgamation was not within the scope of the
articles of the corporation, neither was it valid under the
161st section of the Companies Act 1862. The Lord
Chancellor now confirmed this decision, and the other
judges concurred, dismissing the appeal with costs.
PROBATE.—The Dendy will cause, which has occupied
so much of the time and attention of the Court of Probate
(one trial, in December 1866, lasting five days, and a second,
in December last, eleven days), has now made its appear.
ance at the Westminster Police-court. On Friday, Mr.
Harris, one of the witnesses, was charged with perjury,
and after a lengthened hearing the case was adjourned
for a week.

LIBEL.—Mr. Ellissen, a City wine merchant, has
again been before the Lord Mayor to answer the
charge of having written and published, in certain
letters to I o:d Stanley, a false and defamatory libel
concerning Sir R. M. Stephenson, the chairman, and
the directors of the Ottoman Railway Company. The
case for the prosecution was concluded by the
evidence of Sir Rowland. The defendant utterly denied
the charge, and said that what he had done was by order
of those who employed him. The Lord Mayor said he had
made up his mind to send the case for trial ; but the exit-
“ng-tion was further adjourned until Friday next,

At the desire of the Paisley Free Church rre.
tery, the 'bus proprietors of that town have agreed not
run their vehicles on Sundays.

The Queen has been pleased to direct letter•
patent to be passed under the Great Seal, granting the
dignity of a knight of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland unto James Lumsden, of Arden, iu
the county of Dumbarton, Esq., Lord Provost of the city
of Glasgow.—Gazette.

QUEEN'S COUNSEL.—We understand that on an
application being made to the Lord Chancellor for silk by
a member of the common-law bar, his lordship intimated
that it was not his intention at present to recommend any
geztleman to her Majesty for that distinction.—Laze
Journal.

THE SCOTCH LAW COMMISSION. —The resolution
adopted by the Society of Solicitors before the Supreme
Courts in regard to this commission was as follows :
" That in the opinion of this society the commission
is not so constituted as to command the confidence of
the country and the legal profession, and to secure
the objects which this society consider it essential to
attain—namely, greater facilities for disposing of busi•
ness, and at a less cost to litigants." Other proposals
were made, hut they were remitted to a committee for
consideration.

The Right Hon. Sir Stafford Northcote as Secre.
tart' of State for India, gave a farewell breakfast yester-
day to the Earl of Mayo, at the India-office, previous to the
earl's departure for Calcutta to enter upon the duties of
viceroy of India. The following guests were present:—
General Lord Napier of Magdala, Hon. Captain Burke,
Mr. Edmund Ashworth, Sir Edward Ryan, General Baker
Sir Robert Vivian, Sir F. Halliday, Sfr Bartle Frere, Sir
Henry Rawlinson, C. 8., Sir Robert Montgomery, Mr. Mel-
ville, Sir C. Jackson, Sir F. Currie, Sir H. Montgomery, Mr.
Arbuthnott, Sir James W. Hogg, Mr. Merivale, Sir H.
Durand, Mr. Mangles, Mr. M'Naghton, Captain Eastwick,
Mr. F. H. Chapman, Mr. E. Cliveßailey, and Mr. Northcote.

CONTROL OF RAIN.—If Nature wants man b
touch the forests with a sparing band, she no less indicates
that he shall put forth his utmost energy in breaking up the
soil of the prairies, and when possible plant trees. Th,
quantity of rain in Western Nebraska and Kansas is re
ported to have doubled since the early settlement in
those regions, and the reason doubtless is to be found
both in the planting of trees and the opening up of the
soil so as to absorb more moisture. Moreover, brooks, o.
" branches" as they call them out there, are starting up in
gullies and gulches hitherto dry. Colorado and California
States, generally utterly dry for eight summer months, have
this year begun to have heavy rains. The same causes are
probably at work all over the " dry season portions of our
country." On the other hand, Ohio and Northern New
York are echoing the complaints of the French Agricul-
tural Report, that the felling of forests is the ruin of rivers.
These natural laws seem plain enough. Man should learn
to follow them.—New York Times.

THE CONGRESS OF THE BRITISH CHESS Associ-
ATION.—It is the practice of this association to hold their
-meetings alternately in London and in the country. This
year it is London's turn, and there are some circumstance,
connected with the gatherings which make it unusually
interesting to chess players. The programme of the pro-
ceedings, which will shortly be issued, contains the follow-
ing arrangements :—On Monday evening, November 23,
there will be a preliminary meeting under the president
ship of the Right Hon. Lord Lyttelton, held at the St.
George's Chess Club, King-street, St. James's, where
players intending to compete in the tournaments will
attend for the purpose of being paired. Play is to com-
mence on the next clay at all the leading London chess
clubs. The Grand Challenge Cup, of the value of £5O,
now held by Mr. De Vere, will be again com-
peted for. If be should win it a second time it will
become his property. The second best in this contest
will be presented with ten guineas by the association.
There will be a handicap tournament open to all comers
in which prizes will be given to the amount of £4O.
Other prizes, ranging from £5 to £2O, will be competed
for in the usual way, and there will be blindfold
play, club, consultation, and other matches. The
proceedings will terminate with a banquet. It is thought
that Mr. De Vere, who now holds the cup, -will again win
it; but the competition will be severe, the entries including
a stronger array of British chess-players than on any
former occasion. The Rev. A. B. Shipwortb, of Bitsdale
Yorkshire, the Rev. J. Drover, of Cheshire, Mr. Bird
ci Lonkni. and neural °there will oxmose Mr. DeiOreret.