Star.
London, England, 1826-07-19 00:00:00

BRIGHTON, Jinx 17.

The Chain Pier this morning had many visitors, in-
cluding divers families in high life. owing to the beauty
of the weather, and its being known that the Life-pre-
serving apparatus of Captsin Manby, in cases of ship-
wreck, would be carried into practice, at its outer
extremity. The great object of this apparatus is to
convey a rope. by means of a ball, to which it is fixed,
from a mortar, to a given point. It has been used here,
and about this line of coast, with the desired effect.--
This morning the ball, with a rope attached, was dis-
charged from the mortar, but in almost every trial the
rope was snapt in twain, and the design for which it
was so propelled frustrated. These disappointments
gave rise to a suggestion, that a chain should be con-
nected with the ball, and the rope to the chain, to insure
soccess with the explosion ; and the suggestion was in-
stantly acted upon. No danger was anticipated, and
the elegant crowd at the southern head of the pier
became mere dense. The mortar at length was again
discharged, but the chain, not three yards in length, was
severed by it, within two links of the rope, and was
whirled through the air in a zigzag course, while the
rope, with the brace of haks attached to it, recoiled.—
The latter (though upon that subject there is a differ-
ence of opinion, many supposing it to have been effected
by the former) struck a fine boy, about nine years of age,
named Bedford, whose father is a S.ilicitor, of Bedford-
place, Holborn, and who, with his family, has occupied
a house on the New Steyne for some little time past, on
the lower part of the face and on the neck, literally
smashing the under jaw, dividing the carotid and jugular
arteries, and destroying him on the spot. A Gentle-
man was struck with the roFe or chain at the same times
which rent his habiliments, and slightly wounded him
in the breAst. A third person, a boy, bad his hat Whisked
cff by it, but he escaped unhurt. I shall not attemFt to
describe the confusion, and the sympathetic feeling
which the fate of the little boy Bedford occasioned on
the pier. He was kneeling at the end of the pier, on the
seat, and peeping through the fence there, to notice
what was going forward, when the fatal shot was fired ;
he fell instantly on the stone platform, without a sigh or
a struggle ; and those nearest to him did not know
what had occurred for the space of half a minute. His
mutilated remains were borne to the White Horse Inn,
there to await the Coroner's Inquest.

CHANCERY COMMISSION REPORT.
(Concluded from the &mu of Saturday.)

THIRD PAPER DELIVERED IN BY Ma. FOSTER.
BANKRUPTCY.
The Lord Chancellor and V.

both take

cognitince of applications in matters of bankruptcy :
but these applicatioos are attended with great expense
and delay to the parties, by reason that all such appli-
cations must be made by petition, and can in no case be
made by motion.
The Court has of late, in many cases, acted upon a
most wholesome rule; by discountenancing all peti-
tions for superseding commissions of bankrupt, until
the question of the legality or validity of the commis-
sion had been tried at law in an action of trespass, where
that course could be taken.
Several petitions of this nature have been dismissed
with costs. This should, however, be a standiegyule.
Rut there are many other objects to which this junsdic-
tioll is addressed, viz. for proving and expunging the
proof of debts ; for liberty for joint creditors to prove
under separate commissions; tor removing assignees;
Me appointing new assignees ; for taxation of solicitors'
and for many purposes arising out of the porti-
co s. circumstances of every case. In all cases of bank-
rupt petitions, much inconvenience and expense is occa-
• sinned to the suitors, by the want of a rule as to the
• time for filing affidavits, in support, and in opposition
to the petition; for, according 'to the present course,
the petitioner and his opponent may proceed almost in-
definitely by filing affidavits in answer, reply and
contradiction, to each other, without either party know-
. ing where this war of oaths is to end; for, to have the
labt word appears tole an object of equal importance to
both. Upon all applications to the Courts of Common.
Law, the general rule is, that the applicant files his
affidavit in support of his motion, and his opponent In
like manner answers them; but neither party can go
further; and a similar rule, as far as circumstances will
admit, ought to prevail with regard to bankrupt peti-
tions. Tim Court, however, entertains no application
whatever in b.nkruptcy unless made by petition.—
Whenever, therefore, a difficulty at ices in settling the
minutes of an order, a petition must be presented to
vary the minutes; if, upon any refere.rce to the Master,
it be expedient that as to part of the subject matter, he
should be at liberty to make a separate iepOrt, an order
fur that purpose must be obtair.ed by petition; and a
petition must also be presented to confirm cverT report.
If, on the hearing of the petition, an issue be directedi
the patty, successful on the noun, roust inform the Court
of the result, and bring the subject again under coml.

r deration by petition ; and if it be requisite to apply f 01..,
T
a new utalp.ll petition for This purpose is in like mann
necessary. The attempt to enumerate all the cases f
this nature would be vain ; but it is suggested that mu h
time and expense would be laved. if many of these ap-
plications were allowed to be made on motion. It wotAd
also be advantageous if a general order were made to
enable joint creditors to prove under a separate Com-
mission, without the present necessity to obtain a special
order for that purpose. Thewriter recollects an instance
where a joint creditor, whose debt did not exceed twenty
pounds, was induced, by his solicitor, to petition fur and
obtain an order to prove under a separate commission,
on the assurance that the costs would be ordered to be
paid out of the estate; these costs exceeded the amount
the petitioner's debts, and as the assignees had no assets
wherewith to pay the costs, the unfortunate creditor was
obliged to pay the amount out 0 his own pocket.
There exists an anomaly in the laws of bankruptcy,
which the writer cannot help noticing in this place.—
A joint creditor of two or more partners can, in right of
his joint debt, take out a separate commission against
one partner, and receive a dividend equally with the
separate creditors out of the separate estate. An
instance of the great injustice of this law occurred
stithin the writer's knowledge. A joint creditor of two
partners, whose joint debt exceeded seven thousand
pounds in amount, took out a separate commission
against one partner; the bankrupt's separate estate was
considerable, and was divided amongst his, separate
creditors, and the petitioning creditor, who, in that,
character alone, was entitled to receive a dividend out.
(if the separate estate ; the dividend was Very consider:
cable; and the joint creditors did not receive a .shilling.
If the docquet had been struck by a separate creditor,
all the separate creditors would have received 20s. in
the pound, and there would have been a surplus divisi-
ble amongst the joint creditors.