The Sun.
London, England, 1845-01-28 00:00:00

EXCHEQUER.-(THIS DAY.)

THE NEW BARON.
The new Judge, Mr. Baron Platt, having been pre-
viously made a sergeant in the Court of Common Pleas,
and sworn in with the customary forms, took his seal
with the other Learned Barons at half past ten. There
was an immense bar to greet the Learned Judge on
entering upon his new career ; and his own family, and
private friends also, attended in considerable numbers to
witness the interesting spectacle.
HARVEY V. PRITCHARD.
This case was tried last week at the Guildhall, before
Mr. Baron Rolfe. The verdict was given for the
defendant, leave being reserved to the plaintiff to move to
have the verdict entered for himself on the first issue,
and a verdict of non obstante veredicto on the second.
The action was brought on a guarantee given by Mrs.
Pritchard to the plaintiff for the supply of goods to
his daughter, Mrs. Barnes. a bonnet-maker in the City.
It was dated the 22d of March, 1844, and was to the
following effect:—" All goods purchased of your firm by
Mrs. Barnes I hereby agree to pay for when due."
It appeared that at the time this guarantee was given
there was a sum due to the plaintiff of 891.
odd. Accompanied with the guarantee, the defendant
lodged the lease of a house, and a paper, which stated
that she would be answerable to the extent of 2001.
About the month of October, last year, the new claim
of the plaintiff in respect of goods supplied since
tho date of the guarantee, amounted to 1851.,
and a demand of payment was made by the plaintiff.
Mrs. Barnes, upon this, called on him, and tendered that
amount, which the plaintiff, however, declined to receive
as the payment of that specific sum, though he was will-
ing to take it on account of the two claims jointly. Mrs.
Barnes and a gentleman who went with her, thereupon
again tendered the sum of 1851., and demanded back the
guarantee and the lease. The plaintiff declined to re-
ceive the money or to give up the documents, contend-
ing that the guarantee and the lease had been deposited
as security for the whole amount of his claim. The
action was therefore brought, and on the trial Mr.
Baron Rolfe held that the guarantee and the lease were
intended to cover the value of any goods supplied to
the extent of 2001. subsequently to the date of the
guarantee.
Mr. JERVIS now moved, in pursuance of the
permission given by the Learned Judge, to enter the
verdict for the plaintiff on the first issue, having refe-
rence to the guarantee, and a verdict of non obstante
veredicto in reference to the second issue. The Learned
Counsel also moved for a new trial, but
The COURT, after considerable argument, refused both
applications.
(Sittings at Nisi Prius, before Mr. Baron ROLFE and a
Common Jury.)
This was a running down case. The Diamond Steam
Packet Company sought damages from the Watermen's
Company, for injuries occasioned to their steam-boat,
the Gem, in a collision with the boat No. 1, of the
defendants.
Mr. Martin and Mr. James were for the plaintiffs,
Mr. Hugh Hill for the defendants.
(The case was part-heard yesterday, it concluded this
morning.) Several witnesses were called on both sides,
and, as his usual in such cases, a large amount of con-
tradictory evidence was adduced. It was stated, on the
part of the plaintiffs, that on the 26th of last
September, about nine o'clock in the morning, the
weather being somewhat hazy, the Gem left
London-bridge, and proceeded on her passage to Graves-
end. When she was off the Tower, passing between
two tiers of colliers, separated by a water-way of 250
feet, the fog had considerably thickened, so that the de-
fendant's boat, the Waterman, coming from Woolwich,
had advanced within 70 yards of the .Gem before the
crew of the latter perceived that she was approaching. On
board the latter vessel orders were immediately given to
ease and stop her, and the helm was put to port. In
spite of these precautions, however, the Waterman came
stem on, and struck her on the larboard sponson beam,
which she cut through, though it was eleven
inches square, and the main beam afterwards. The
vessel bounded back from the effect of the colli-
sion, and almost at the same time the upper part of
the stern of the Gem sliced off the outside of the lar-
board paddle-box of the Waterman.
Such being in substance the statement on the part of
the plaintiffs, the defence consisted in a denial of all
blame on account of the accident. A disinterested
witness, who was on board a collier, and saw the acci-
dent, gave his opinion that the accident was unavoid-
able, and that both parties did all that was proper under
the circumstances.
Verdict for the plaintiff—Damages, 2741. ss. 4d.

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.
(THIS DAY.)
(Before the ASSISTANT-JUDGE and a full Bench of
_ _

Magistrates.)
The adjourned General Quarter Sessions for the
county of Middlesex commenced this morning, at ten
o'clock, at the Sessions-house, Clerkenwell-green. The
Calendar w as by far the heaviest which has been printed
since the consolidation of the two districts of Westmin-
ster and the county of Middlesex, there being no less
than 180 prisoners for trial, of whom 160 ti ere charged
with felony, the remainder being charges of assault and
misdemeanour.

The grand jury having been sworn, the Learned
Assistant-Judge proceeded to deliver the usual charge.
THE HOSPITAL ROBBERIES.—Ebenczer i'aron King-
sbn , a most respectable-looking young man, aged twenty
years, was indicted for stealing a coat and other articles
value 41. 10s., the property of John Farmer, the
younger. There was a further charge against him of
stealing two printed books, the property of Edward
Sandford, and another of stealing a vice and other arti-
cles value 2/. 3s. 6d.' the property of John Forrest. The
case stood over by adjournment from the last session.
The prisoner pleaded guilty to the first charge. He
was defended by Mr. Ballantine, and Mr. Wylde ap-
peared fur the prosecution.
It will pe remembered that the prisoner had been in
the habit of calling at several of the hospitals under the
pretence of seeing some of the students, and availed him-
self of the opportunities thus afforded him to steal what-
ever articles he could lay his hands upon. The robbery to
which the prisoner pleaded guilty had been committed at
the University Hospital, when he was engaged with Dr.
Lodd for upwards of four years; and, upon the coat and
other articles named in the first indictment being missed,
they were found locked up in a cupboard, of which the
prisoner had the key, and which was used for the purpose
of keeping anatomical preparations.