The Sun.
London, England, 1842-02-22 00:00:00

INSOLVENT DEBTORS' COURT, Feb. 21.

IN RE VAN MILLINGEN.
The insolvent, who was a foreigner and general merchant,

was opposed by Mr. 'Nicholls, on behalf of a creditor name
Oran. He was supported by Mr. Cooke.
ThM amount of debts appearing in his schedule was 7,500!.,
and the assets at ailable to his creditors amounted to about
1,4(X)!. A number of bills of exchange was placed to his
crclit in the London and Westminster Bank, and also he had
lodged as security watches and jewellery to the value of
about 4001.

i‘Jr. NICHOLLS said the circumstances under which his
client's debt had been contracted WII3 most fraudulent They
had been in the habit of dealing together for some time in the
way of exchanging goods, and the insolvent purchased
some to the value of about 60/. for which it was dis-
tinctly understood ready money was to be paid. The
insolvent had had some previous transactions with a person
named Boutav, who traded under the firm of Williams,
Boutav, and Co., in Paris, and held a bill of exchange drawn
by hint. The bill was given in payment of the goods bouppht
from Mr, Oran, and the Learned Counsel contended that this
was a clear proof of fraudulent intention on the part of the
insolvent, because M. Boutav had run away from his creditors
with a large amount of money and property, and was now im-
pri:oned in the Cenciergerie in Paris as a fraudulent. bankrupt.
Insolvent consigned goods for sale to Sydney, and there e!as
still a balance remaining in the hands of the consignee, which
could be made available to the creditors. He had been twice
a bankrupt, and under all the circumstances of the case, he
(Mr. Nicholls) contended that he must have well known, from
the character of Boutay, there was no chance of the bill whirls
lie gave the opposing credit, r being ever paid.
Witnesses having been examined in support of Mr. Nicholls's
case,

]llr. Coos addressed the Court for the insolvent.

Mr. Commissioner REYNOLDS said it appeared from the
evidence that M. Boutay was represented to Mr. Oran as a
person who was just about setting up a splendid shop in
llegent street. Now, as matters went at present, that was, in
his (Mr. Commissioner Reynolds's) opinion, the worst recom-
mendation a man could offer with respect to his solvency. In
nine eases out of ten those persons who set np shops in Oxford-
street and Regent-street,with immense windows and expensive
decorations, found themselves in a very short time inmates of a
prison, or applicants to the Bankruptcy Court. Ho thought
there had been enough elicited to open the eyes of the public
with regard to some of those persons in the late bankruptcy
case, before Mr. Commissioner Holroyd. In the presenti n-
stance the insolvent's conduct was not such as to bring it under
the discretionary clause of the Act ; however, he should allow
the opposing creditor the cost of the opposition.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
MANSION HOUSE.
The Loan MAYoa stated that he had received from an
anonymous correspondent, who requested that the contribution
might. be publicly acknowledged, the sum of ten pounds, ter the
assistance of the objects of charity, who fall under his Lord-
ship's notice at the Justice-room).
His LORDSHIP also said, that he had received the following
curious letter from a doctor of Natural Philosophy, resident at
Minden, in Westphalia :
" To the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of London,
" Sir—l have read in the newspapers that there is so great a
quantity of rats in London, as to become the very torment and
calamity of the people, and, in fact, there is no greater calamity
than the unusual increase of these nasty animals; not. only that
they undermine the walls, and ruin all in the houses, disturb
the people in their sleep, but, what is the worst, they even ven-
ture at last, to bite the men, as it was lately here the case, that
a man was bit in his groin when asleep, who must die. Now, I
hear that all usual means to destroy them there, have proved
inefficient, which is always:the case as they do not cat the poison
if they smell it when it is mixed with fat or grease. I myself
was once tormented wii h these troublesome animals, and after
having tried all known means to no purpose I at last found out
a sure one, either to turn them out or even to kill them.

" I am ready to communicate you these means fora con-
formable gratification, if you think it convenient ; if not, an
answer is not necessary.
" I am, Sir, your most humble servant,
" CHARLES Horne, Doctor of Natural Philosophy.'
" Alinden, in Westphalia, Feb. 4th, 1842."
A man named William Knotclder, who stated that he was
an engineer, and :that he had an independent property, was
charged with having upwards of a hundred cigars and a quarter
of a p"und of tea.
A Thames-police constable said that he met the defendant
that morning in the neighbourhood of the river, and knowing
that the man was a smuggler, asked him whether he had any-
thing about him, to which he replied in the negative. Witness,
however, found the cigars and the tea on his person.
The defendant declared that he had purchased the articles
for his own use, and paid a high price for them. He was
fined 31.

GUILDIL4LL.
ROBBERY IN AN OIINIBUS.—James Rice, a well-dressed
man, was placed at the bar before Alr. Alderman Wood,
clizrged with stealing a purse and money from the person of
Mrs. Freeman of Bristol, in an omnibus. It appeared that this
case was one of those which have become so frequent of late,
in which persons have been robbed by their fellow travellers in
an omnibus. The prisoner got into the omnibus is the City,
and on its arriving oppositeßell- vard,in Fleet-street, he alighted,
and the prosecutrix immediately missed her purse. An alarm
was given, and the prisoner was pursued up Bell's-buildings,
and, upon being closely pressed. threw the purse from him.
He was taken into custody, and immediately conveyed to the
Guildhall Justice-room, but was remanded to yesterday. The
prisoner was identified by several policemen as a well-known
member of the swell mob, and as the associate of thieves.
Air. Alderman Woon said he thought the best course to pur-
sue was to summarily convict the prisoner, and he was, there-
fore adjudged under the Vagrant Act to two months' imprison-
ment in the House of Correction with hard labour.
There was another charge against the prisoner, together
with his wife, of keeping a brothel and a disorderly house for
the reception of thieves in the neighbourhood of Whitechapel,
but 'this charge was abandoned.

BOW-STREET.
SELLING FRUIT IN THE. STREET.—A decent looking man,
with a strong Irish brogue, well known in the neighbourhood
of liungerford Market as a ♦endor of " the very best oranges
and apples" was chsrged with selling apples in New-street,
Adelphi, and causing an obstruction on the foot-path, so that
passengers were obliged in passing to go off the pavement into
the road.

The policeman who brought up the charge said, that about
ha:f-past four on Sunday, the prisoner was standing on the
pavement in New-street, with two sieves of fruit before him,
and a crowd of boys around him. Witness had frequently cau-
tioned the prisoner that he was breaking the law, when he
would go away, but would as often return.
The prisoner, who was very deaf, stated that he was stand-
ing opposite a public-house, where he was well known, and the
occupiers of which had given him permission to stand where
he did.
MAGISTRATE—You have no right to do that.
The prisoner said he had been in the habit of selling fruit in
the street for nine years. He never went out on a Sunday,
except on extraordinary occasions, when not having disposed
of his little stock on Saturday, he was obliged to try and dis-
pose of it on Sunday, lest it should be destroyed and rendered
useless alike to himself and the public generally.
.MAGISTRATE—You seem a very obstinate man ; to let you
go would be to encourage you to break the law again. Yon
are 'fined :).s. fid., or three days' imprisonment.
The remainder of the morning charges were made up of
drunk and disorderly cases. In every instance some plausible
excuse was offered for the disgusting state in which the a veral
prisoners had been discovered. One poor man's wife had been
brought to bed en Sunday moving, in consequence of which
be had been up all night, and, to use his own words, " I tuk a
dhrop too much, till it tosticated me, and 1 got lushy." Others
had been seeing old friends, and needs must taste ; as the wine
went in, the wit went out, till reason's seat was ocenpied by
nacelles, and thus they became insensible. The ladies, how-
ever, universally had only just taken the slightest drop in ex-
istent e, but being so unaccustomed to take anything, the rosy
god knocked them down, and left them where the Police had
tound them.
This universal statement from the ladies drew forth from the
worthy MAGISTRATE the following remark:—" Yes, but yon
never can drink anything, and you always drink so much;
yoe're a great deal worse than the risen."
In almost every instance the votaries were fined in sums
varying from Is. to 55., according to their circumstances, and
the number of libations which they had poured—not exactly
upon the altar of Bacchus, but down their own throats. The
fines were in most instances paid, and having received a salu-
tary admonition front the Magistrate, the prisoners were dis-
charged, probably to appear again next Monday in a similar
degraded character, at this or some other of our Metropolitan
Police Courts.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.
;trillium Clarke, a journeyman tradesman, residing in the
neiblibourhood,was placed at the bar, charged vi ith being drunk
and disorderly, at. nine o'clock on Saturday night last, in Co-
ventry-street, Haymarket, and on police constable, No. tzs, of
the C division, requesting him to conduct himself properly,
making use of gross expressions, and behaving in a riotous
manner.

......
The defendant pleaded, as an excuse, his being excessively
intoxicated.
Mr. .51AurnY said that a person in his station of life roast be
aware that, although drunk, he was still answerable for his ac-
tions.
The defendant said he was very sorry, and hoped the Alagis-

trate would overlook it on this occasion.
Mr. MA "Toy—lndeed I shall not. It is a practice which,
although so disgraceful to humanity, I am very sorry to find
persona of respectability degrading themselves by, and I shall,
therefore, fine you 405., which I hope will he a caution to
others. The defendant said he would not pay it ; he would
sooner be locked up.
Mr. MA LTIST—Then I commit you for seven days to West-
minster liridewell, to bard labour. The defendant was then
led by the gaoler to the lock-up cells.
Yesterday Michael Reynolds, a very tall, aged, respectable
looking man, was charged with begging. It appeared that the
prisoner was apprehended by John Horsford, one of the officers
of the Mendicity Society, asking alms in Piccadilly, of several
' different ladies and gentlemen, to whom he was very importu-
nate, and persisted in following them for a considerable distance,
alleging that he was nearly desperate from hunger, not having
tasted food for three days. Knowing that he was a common
impostor, and had been several times committed for begging,
the officer took him into custody, and found on him 15s. in
silver, Is. in copper, and a silver watch. He was committed
for one month, and is. 6d. of the money found on him de-
ducted for his keep in prison; the remainder and the watch
were given up to him.
Four omnibus drivers, and nine cab drivers, appeared on
summons to answer the complaint of Sergeants Smith and Rogers
of the C division, for causing an obstruction in Piccadilly—the
drivers of the omnibusses by stopping longer than necessary to
take up or set down, facing the end of the Burlington Arcade ;
and the cab drivers for plying for hire, eastward of the west side
of Sackville-street. They were fined in sums varying from 10s.
to 3s. and the costs. The nuisance i 3 loudly complained of by
the shopkeepers on the spot.
William Foote, a stalwart and very powerful young man, who
has long been a pest to the West-End as a street beggar, was
committed for 3 months to hard labour, for beating, in a most
brutal and unmanly manner, John Horsford, one of the constables
belonging to the Mendicity Society, who apprehended him on
Saturday night in Arlington-street, Piccadilly.

. ._, ..
WORSIIIP-STREE7;.
Upon taking his seat on the bench, Mr. IlitoucirroN pub-
licly announced that he had received a letter from the Domestic
Chaplain of the King of Hanover, relative to the case of a
woman named Harriet Bolps, the wife of a page in his Majesty's
service, who was last month convicted at this Court of stealing a
coat and other articles, and committed to prison for two months.
The Reverend Gentleman stated that his object in writing
was to contradict a statement made by the woman on that oc-
casion, to the effect that she was impelled to commit the offence
in consequence of her having been deserted by her husband,
and left in a state of utter destitution. It was true that her
husband had been compelled to live apart from her, but it was
in consequence of her inveterate habits of drunkenness, her ad-
dictione to pilfering, and the cruelty she had been in the
habit of exercising towards their only child, who was
she
the father at Hanover ; and so far from her asserti.ootrinrt:l7tat
was urged by distress to commit the robberytati,negoft-5_., ,t she
/ being
had only a few days before received a remittance
JO guineas
to her out of his salary, which amounted
a half-yearly allowance which her husbandliacl regularly
rularly for-
wardedper annum.
The MISTRAT that the intention of his Reverend
id E
Correspondent won A o
diction through the same medium by which
'• • statemento were brought under his netiec.
;:raokblahly be best answered
by a publica.
lion of his contradiction
the woman S nits

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE THIS DAY.
Morning l3 minutes after 11. I Evening .... 52 minutes after 11.