The Sun.
London, England, 1842-03-31 00:00:00

f;-x,.TgNsivE FIRES AND LOSS OF
Lirg„..Bujoi;a OF AN AMPHITHEATRE. I
ipsterday intelligence of
ifi the course oaf TitegdAy anti
the following distietreets efonflagratione WAS received by
the authorities of the different insurance compau:Ps
in
the metropolis :—On Saturday night lag, ttt about a
quarter to 12 o'clock, a dreadful fire happened in the
town of Manchester, which, in the course of an hour and
a half, terminated in the total destruction of the amphi-
theatre belonging to the celebrated equestrian, Mr.
Batty, situate in Great Bridgewater-street, and consider-
able damage to several premises that adjoined the build-
ing. It was erected about five years ago, and was some-
what capacious, having in the centre a large circus, sur-
rounded by an extensive pit and one tier of boxes, capa-
ble of containing 3,000 persons. There was a splendid ,
chandelier suspended from the ceiling, which was elabo- I
rately gilded, and the other parts of the building were
tastefully decorated. From the account received it tip-
pArs, that at the period above mentioned an unusual
glimmering light was observed by the police through
one of the windows of the building fronting Bridgewater-
street, who, suspecting that a fire was kindling, imme-
diately sent information to the head-quarters of the Fire
Biigade establishment belonging to the town, and in a
very short time after several powerful engines with fire-
men arrived. In the meantime the doors leading into
the body of the house were forced open by the inhabit-
ants and police, who endeavoured to obtain an entrance,
but were utterly unable to do so on account of the smoke
and heated state of the place. Several valuable horses
be,longing to the equestrian stud of a gentleman named
Wells, who was to have opened the theatre on Eas-
te, Monday, being known to be in the stables, which
e tended along both sides of the building, all e'er-
tiOns were then used in saving them, which,
we are happy to say, met with success, though not
without very great difficulty,. Shortly before the
engines came up the flames made their appearance from
the numerous windows, and subsequently burst forth
through the roof with tremendous violence. By one
o'clock the fire had extended over the entire fabric, also
the stables adjoining, and the scene was awful in the
exltreme. Several of the surrounding buildings having
caught, namely, those belonging to Messrs. Brougham
and Co., timber-merchants, the factory of Messrs. Boyle
and Crompton, and the Albion Mills, the efforts of the
firemen were wholly directed to their preservation, which
was in the course of a short time accomplished, but the
fire continued raging till after four o'clock on Sunday
morning. The theatre is totally consumed. All that
remains of it are the outer walls, which are standing.
Every means have been taken to discover the origin of
the fire, but as yet no clue has been obtained. The loss
sustained by Mr. Wells is between 2001. and 3001. This
is the second amphitheatre that Mr. Batty has had burnt
down within the last five years. The former took place at
Glasgow. He estimates his loss at 2,0001., and, unfor-
tunately, he is not insured.
On Sunday morning, between nine and ten o'clock, the
village of Hovingsea, a few miles from Cambridge, was
thrown into a state of very great confusion, by the out-
break of a destructive fire in a homestead, the property
of Mr. Baynard, and it was not got under till two o'clock
in the afternoon. It commenced in an extensive barn,
seventy feet in length, which was soon enveloped in
flames, and, notwithstanding the strenuous exertions of
nearly two hundred persons, a corn stack caught, and in
the course of an hour was completely destroyed. For a
considerable time it was feared that the entire farm would
fall a sacrifice to the dreadful element. However, addi-
tional engines afterwards arrived, and a good supply of
water being procured, the destruction was confined to
the barn and stack. The value of the property destroyed
is stated to be somewhat heavy. It is supposed to be the
act of an incendiary, for whose apprehension a reward
of 501. has been offered.
On Good Friday, at about four o'clock in the morning,
a fire of a fatal character and of extensive magnitude
was discovered raging in the farming establishment be-
longing to Mr. Muggeridge, situate at South Darenth.
It burnt furiously for five hours, destroying a large gra-
nary (containing 100 quarters of malt, and 20 quarters
of corn), a barn, malthouse, several ricks, and outbuild-
ings, the whole covering nearly half an acre of ground ;
also a dwelling occupied by two families. The unfortu-
nate person who lost his life was a labourer in the em-
ploy of a farmer named Jackson, living, close to the spot.
Soon after the outbreak of the flames he forced an
entrance into the granary to save some clothes belonging
to a workman of Mr. Muggeridge, and immediately
afterwards the place fell in upon him. His body has not
yet been found, in consequence of the heated condition
of the ruins. The cause of the fire cannot be discovered.
The loss is estimated at several thousand pounds.

SHERIFF'S COURT-BRIGHTON.
An inquisition was held at the Pavilion Hotel on Mon-
day night, before a Jury empanelled by the Under-
Sheriff (Mr. France, of the firm of Messrs. Palmer,
France, and Palmer, of Bedford-row), to inquire as to
what goods and chattels, lands, and tenements, were in
the possession of Messrs. Isaac Newton Wigney and
Clement Wigney, bankers, in the county of Sussex, and
whether the value was sufficient to answer an extent in
aid • from the Crown for the recovery of the sum of
7071. 45., being so much of the Crown money. deposited
by John William Ferguson, Postmaster of Brighton, on
account of the Post-office revenue, for her Majesty's use.
Mr.-Weston, the Sheriff's officer who made the seizure
under the extents, having been sworn, stated that he had
made an inventory of the goods of the bankrupts, which
were worth 7301.
The UusnEn-SHERIFF remarked that the inventory
contained an item of 401. in Union Bank notes.
Mr. Verrall, solicitor, said he appeared to claim these
notes as a set-Off on the part of the Union Bank, who
were creditors of Wigney's Bank to a. very much la,rsr-
athount, the debt of Messrs. Wigney being 5791. 16s. lid.,
as a balance of exchange made on the morning of Thurs-
day, the day on which the bank closed in the evening,
and 255/. in notes of Wigney's Bank received during
the day.
The UNDER-SHERIFF inquired whether there was
sufficient to pay the extent, if the 401. was struck out of
the inventory ?
Mr..WEsToN replied in the affirmative.
The Jury thereupon, at the suggestion of the Under-
Sheriff, excluded the notes from the schedule, and re-
turned a verdict that the bankrupts were in possession
of property of the value of 730/.
The Jury were again sworn to inquire further whe-
ther the Messrs. Wigney were in possession of property
to pay another extent in aid for the recovery of 3181. 3s.
6d., being so much of the Crown monies deposited by
James Ireland, collector of the assessed taxes for the
parish of Hove, deposited by him for safe custody till
called for by the Receiver-General of taxes for the county
Of Sussex.
Mr. Weston having deposed that the property was
sufficient to meet this demand also,
The Jury found accordingly.

In reply to a question,
The Under-Sheriff stated, that unless the sums so
found by the Jury were paid by the assignees, a writ of
venditione exponas would be issued for the purpose of
selling the property and satisfying her Majesty's claim.
The Under-Sheriff stated further, that the two extents
would consume nearly the whole of the property seized,
and that, with the exception of the proceeds from the
Glasgow manufactory of Cochrane and Company, and
from the sugar manufactory carried on in St. George's-
in-the-East, London, by Messrs. Wright and Tdplin,
there would be nothing for the creditors beyond about
7001. or 8001. of debts for money advanced by the bank,
and whielf.might be considered recoverable.
The Mr. Ireland named above died suddenly this
morning. Ile was the original projector, and for many
years the proprietor, of the Brighton Zoological Gar-
dens, now known as the Royal Gardens and Cricket
Ground.
COURT OF REQUESTS.
A case of considerable interest to the inhabitants of
Brighton was decided on Wednesday before Mr. Furner,
the Judge. The action was brought by Messrs. Bass
and Co., extensive grocers and merchants, against Mr.
Edlin, landlord of the Gloucester Hotel, to recover 101.,
under the following circumstances, connected with the
failure of Messrs. Wigney and Co.:—
Henry Eiddet, clerk to the plaintiffs, stated that
about nine o'clock on the morning of Friday, the 4th
of March, the porter of the Gloucester Hotel came to
the counting-house of the plaintiff's, and asked for
change for Mr. Edlin for a lot note of Wigney's bank.
Witness changed"the note accordingly, giving the porter
ten sovereigns. A little after ten o'clock witness went
with the note to Wigney's bank, which he found
closed, with a notice on the door, announcing that pay-
ment had been stopped. In consequence of this, witness
Went to Mr. Edlin. the landlord of the Gloucester, showed
him the note, told him the circumstances, and asked him
to return the money. Mr. Edlin said he had changed
the note the night before for one of the officers of the
Scots Grays, whom he would see on the subject, and wit-
ness had better call again. Witness did so, when Mr.
Edlin told him that he had seen the officer, but as he had
not obtained the money from him, he could not return it.
Witness called again, but Mr. Ecilin would not pay him.
The JUDGE, without hesitation, gave a verdict for the
plaintiffs, remarking that there was no lathes on their
part in getting the note changed, they having, in fact,
received the note after the bank had finally closed.
A great number of similar cases will be governed by
this decision.

WIGNEY'S BANKRUPTCY.
BRIGHTON, WEDNESDAY.—The debts proved yes-
terday amounted to about 55,000/. and on the pre-
vious day 10,0001. being about half the amount of the
liabilities on the bank. The affairs present such a
gloomy appearance, that numbers of persons, some of
whom had came out of the country, would not prove,
fearing, that in addition to their loss, they would
`eventually have to contribute to the legal expenses.
Amongst the largest amounts proved yesterday were :
Robert Mott, 12,0931., William Homford, 4,5111.,
John Pollard, 2,654/., Thomas Tillstone, 2,2841.,
Thomas West, 2,3601., Charlotte Norton, 2,9961.,
Caroline Dixie, 1,1411., Thomas Tack, 1,7761., Ga-
briel Grover, 1,2041., and fifteen other creditors,
whose claims range from 9591. to 4501.

Two days ago 'a woman, living in the Place du
Chevalier du Guet, having occasion to go out, left her
two daughters, one eight and the other three years old,
shut in the apartment. The eldest, having found a bun-
die of phosphoric matches, amused herself with igniting
them, one by one, until the whole took fire, and caught
the wicker cradle in which her little sister was sleeping.
Before the accident was discovered, by the cries of the
elder girl, the whole of the furniture of the room was in
a blaze, and it was impossible to enter until the younger
child vas nearly reduced to ashes.
The Leoutaud family have taken the diamonds
found at Glandier from the hands of the regi:-tray at
Tulle. M. Lecointe, the jeweller, is commissioned to sell
them, and the money they produce is 02, be distributed
among the poor of Brives and Tulle. •