Star.
London, England, 1821-10-05 00:00:00

INSOLVENT DEBTORS' COUR D.

Yesterday Joseph Strange was brought up to be
heard on his Petition to be discharged, and was op-
posed by Messrs. BARRY and COOK, on behalf of his
landlord and several other creditors.

The insolvent had been a farmer and cattle-dealer
at Stonehaven, in Dorsetshire ; and it appeared by
the evidence, that being in arrear of rent, he sent his
cattle and furniture to his brother's, and shut, up his
house. A witness who saw the insolvent removing
his property by night, stated that be (insolvent) re-
quested him to keep counsel ; and the landlord's So-
licitor deposed( that when he accused the insolvent
of having made away with his property, he appeared
very sorrowful, and cried, but did not deny it.
The insolvent said he was indebted to his brother,
and gave him the property in payment.
The COURT said it was very evident that the in-
solvent had either concealed his property, or given
an undue preference to a creditor, and in either case
it was necessary that he should be visited with the
consequences of his conduct. The judgment of the
Court therefore was, that he should not be dis-
charged until he should be imjisoned 18 months
after the date of filing his Petition.
William Humphreys was brought up to be heard.
It appeared by his examination, that he had been
sent to prison on the 11. th of May, and that he did
not file his petition till the 27th of July; that the day
after, he sold his furniture, which was valuable; and
on the 4th of August he assigned the property then
in his possession, which was of trilling value, to the
provisional assignee of the Court, without making
any mention .of what he had sold. The insolvent said
he had sold his furniture to support himself in prison,
and to defray the expense of obtaining his discharge.
The Coma animadverted on the insolvent's con-
duct, in not truly stating all the property he was pos-
sessed of at the time of his going.to prison, the whole
of which should be assigned to the provisional as-
signee of the Court, after which the insolvent might
apply to the Court to be allowed a sufficiency for his
support and necessary expenses. The judgment of
the Court was, that the insolvent should not be dis-
charged until he should be in prison nine months from
the date of filing his petition.
James Robinson, a sailor, was brought .up to be
heard, and was not opposed ; but it appeared by his
letamination that he had sold his watch while in pri-
son for his support; and, on reference to his schedule,
that he had not mentioned having a watch when he
was arrested.

The COURT told the insolvent, it was his duty to
have stated in his schedule all the property, of every
sort, that he had in his possession at the time he was
arrested ; and as he had not done so, he could not be
discharged immediately. " I am sorry for it, Sir,"
said the insolvent. 'll am sorry too," said the Chief
Commissioner, " but your case is one I am bound to
notice for the benefit of others ; but as I believe you
acted in ignorance, and were probably urged by dis-
tress, the judgment of the Court is, that you shall be
discharged in two months from the date of filing
your petition."

Finxs.—Yesterday morning, at three o'clock, a fire
broke out in an uninhabited house, in Monmouth-
street, which is undergoing a thorough repair, be-
longing to Mr. Nicitocs, a bui:der, residing in Cole-
man-lane, Cannon-street. It originated in the cellar,
in consequence of some unslacked lime which was
there having ignited, which burned with almost in-
credible rapidity for some time ; and, before it was
got under, destroyed the cellar, and almost the whole
up to the first ficor.
Yesterday morning, about four o'clock, an alarm-
ing fire broke out in one of those retreats of poverty
and wretchedness, situated in Church-lane, St. Giles's.
The house being a receptacle for the accommodation
of persons of the very humblest description, who take
up their nightly lodgings, was much crowded. On
the alarm of fire being given, men, women, and
children, were seen running in all directions, in a
half state of nudity, to escape from the devouring
element, the poverty-stricken appearance of whom
presented a most finished picture of human misery.—
By the active exertions of the watchmen and others,
the fire was fortunately subdued, without extending
its ravages beyond the house in which it began. The
lire is supposed to have been occasioned by one of the
lodgers coming home intoxicated.
ACClDENT.—Yesterday, between the hours of one
and two, a shock of a most violent description took
place in the neighbourhood of Oxford-market, incon-
sequence of the falling in of several houses contain-
ing families, who narrowly escaped with their lives.
The leases of some houses in Castle-street, Oxford-
market, it appears, had expired last week, and it was
intended to have them pulled down; but Mr. Brown,
a green-grocer, who resided in the house that first
fell in, not being prepared to leave immediately, was
allowed to remain a week beyond the expiration of
the lease, but the whole of the lodgers fortunately
quitted the house at the appointed time. At the above
hour the inmates were alarmed by a creaking noise,
and shortly after the house of Mr. Brown gave way with
a tremendous shock. The streets were immediately
tilled with dust ; the neighbours rushed out of their
dwellings in a dreadful state of alarm. The falling
of Mr. Brown's house brought down with it that of
Mr. Bridges, in which some persons narrowly escaped
with their lives. At the time that the houses fell in,
an elderly Lady, named Allen, was with her son in
the garret : she was sitting on the side of her bed,
whilst her son was at work near her; they were both
suddenly precipitated in with the floor, and covered
with a small quantity of bricks, timber, and rubbish
however, they were got out with their lives. Mrs.
Allen was much injured on the legs and arms, and
received various bruises, and likewise her son; she
was carried to a neighbour's house, and from thence
to the Middlesex Hospital. The neighbours were
busily employed during the day, removing their
goods to places of safety, and about half-past two an
adjoining (third) house fell in with ittremendous crash.
Other houses in the street were so much shook, that
labourers were immediately employed to place sup-
porters against them to keep them up. There were
no less than twelve families altogether, who provi-
deutially escaped.
Yesterday Mr. BRIANT, a coachmaker, in Hatton-
wall, was thrown out of bis gig by a stage-coach
running against him in the New-road, by which he
received several severe contusions.