The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-12-22 00:00:00

COURT OF CHANCERY.-THURSDAY

His
lordship, after minutely remarking on the facts of the
case and the arguments of counsel, said he felt called upon,
after taking a careful review of all the circumstances, to make
the following decree :—He was of opinion that the £6500.
Three per Cents., and the £5OO lent on the security of
the tolls on turnpike roads, notwithstanding the deed of
May, 1835, continued, and was the property of the corpora..
tion of Leeds at the time of the passing of the Municipal
Reform Act, and subject to all the trusts and purposes pre-
scribed by that act, and all subsequent alienations of such
stock and funds for other purposes than those prescribed by
that act, and the deeds which had been executed were
breaches of trust, and must be considered fraudulent and
void ; and that the three trustees and the other defendants
who were members of the late governing corporate body were
liable, and bound to make good any loss which might be sus-
tained therefrom. He therefore directed the defendants to
re-transfer the several sums which, by the deed of May,
1835, they had transferred to trustees. He also directed a
reference to the master. to inquire what part of the funds
in question had been sold, and in what manner disposed of,
with liberty to state special circumstances. He further
directed that the costs of the suit be paid by the three trustees
and the five defendants members of the old corporation.
His lordship then proceeded to hear causes.

ECCLESIASTICAL AND UNIVERSITY
INTELLIGENCE.

(From the Oxford Herald.)
The Council of Huddersfield Collegiate School have ap-
pointed the Rev. Francis Hessey, B.C.L. Fellow of St.
John's College, to the office of Principal. We hear that the
rev. gentleman enters upon the duties of the office after the
Christmas vacation.

The Rev. Edward Penny, of St. John's College,
and Curate of Hythe, has been collated to the United Rec-
tories of St. Andrew and St. Mary Breadmaw, Canterbury ;
patron, the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The Hon. and Rev. Charles Amyand Harris, M.A., late
Fellow of All Souls' College, Chaplain to the Lord Bishop
of Salisbury, has been presented, by the Earl of Pembroke,
to the Rectory of Wilton, Wilts.
Mr. Arthur Baynham, 8.A., of Pembroke College, has
been elected Second Master of the Free Grammar School at
Brewood.

Emir Pacha, late of Trinity Hall, Cambridge, the cele-
brated Turkish mathematician, has returned to Constantino-
ple from Europe, where he has spent more than five years in
the acquisition of science ; it is spoken of as being probable
that he will be appointed minister of public instruction, or a
director of a polytechnic school.—Globe
PROMOTIONS

The Lord Bishop of Oxford has presented the Rev. J. R.
Rushton, 8.D., Curate of Banbury, to the Living of Hook-
Norton, in this county, vacant by the death of the Rev. Mr.
Turner, who had been the Incumbent for more than fifty
years.

Rev. T. Gregg, to the Perpetual Curacy of Hornby
Chapel, in the parish of Melling, Lancashire, void by the
death of the Rev. Robert Proctor ; patron, P. Dawson, Esq.,
of Hornby Castle.
Rev. Wm. Barlow, M.A., Prebend of Chestcr, to the Rec-
tory of Northenden, Cheshire, vacant by the death of the
Rev. W. Ainger ; patrons, the Dean and Chapter of Chester.
Rev. John Holbeche Short, to the Perpetual Curacy of
Whittle-le-Woods, Lancashire, patron, the Vicar of Ley-
land.

Rev. W. Gibbs, to the Perpetual Curacy of St. Peter's
Church, Ha'Ewell, parish of Dean, Lancashire ; patrons, the
Trustees.
J. Wood, to the Perpetual Curacy of All Saints'
Church, Clayton-le-Moors, Lancashire ; patrons, the Trus-
tees.

Rev. H. Holmes, to the Perpetual Curacy of St. Catha-
rine's, Upper Tranmere, Cheshire ; patron, the Rector of
Bebbington.

Rev. W. Meyler, to the Perpetual Curacy of Prescot, Lan-
cashire ; patron, the Vicar of Prescot.
Rev. T. Boydell, to the Rectory of Coddington, Cheshire ;
patrons, the Dean and Chapter of Chester.
Rev. T. Booth, B.A. Curate of Heapy, Yorkshire, to the
Curacy of Great Bireham, Norfolk.
Rev. John Wilson, M.A. Vicar of Deeping St. James, to
the Vicarage of Wigtoft-cum-Quadring, Lincolnshire, vacant
by the death of the Rev. Edward Ince ; patron, the Bishop
of Lincoln.

Rev. Wm. Fitzwilliam Wharton, M.A. of Christ's College
Cambridge, to the Rectory of Barningham , Yorkshire ; patron,
the Lord Chancellor.

Rev. J. T. Ward, Vicar of Askam, Westmorland, to ba
Chaplain to the Earl of Mexborough.
Rev. M. T. Farrer, 8.A., of Trinity College, Cambridge,
to be one of the Domestic Chaplains of the Earl of Eldon.
Rev. Edward Forbes, of Bath, to the Perpetual Curacy of
Ramsey, Huntingdonshire, void by the death of the Rev.
Henry Mawdesley ; patron, Edward Fellowes, Esq.
Rev. John Winpenny, to the Perpetual Curacy of Yarm,
Yorkshire; patron, the Archbishop of York.
Rev. R. Daly, to the Deanery of St. Patrick's, Ireland.
Rev. Cecil Smyly, to the Vicarage of Drtimcar.
Rev. Moorbouse James, to the Curacy of St. Thomas's
Church, Bedford.

Rev. Matthew Wilkinson, M.A., late Fellow and Tutor
of Clare Hall, Cambridge, to the Head Mastership of Ken-
sington Proprietary School.

The BishOp of tonaOriTas licensed the Rev. D. A. Beau.
fort, M.A., to be the Assistant Minister of Portman Chapel
London.

Rev. R. C. Ward, of Trinity College, Cambridge, to the
Rectory of Tollerton, Nottinghamshire, vacant, by the death
of the Rev. R. Smith.

Rev. W. Gresley, M.A., to be an Honorary Canon it
Lichfield Cathedral.

Rev. James Horrox, to the Vicararage of Dinnington.
Yorkshire ; patron, the Lord Chancellor.

DESTRUCTION BY FIRE OF THE TOWN MAN
SION OF P. HOARE, ESQ., THE BANKER.

(From the Standard of Thursday.)
Between one and two o'clock this morning, a fire broke
out in the splendid town mansion of P. Hoare, Esq., the
banker, situated in Queen-square-place, Westminster, which
has been reduced to a complete mass of ruins.
The followingaccount of this calamitous event will be found
(as far as information up to eleven o'clock this morning could
be obtained) to be cerrect :—About half-past one o'clock, as
police constable Wilcox, A 97, was passing the premises in
Bird-cage Walk, his attention was drawn to the sudden ap-
pearance of a large body of fire, which appeared to shoot
through the house. He instantly gave the alarm, and the
sentries who were on duty conveyed the intelligence to the
barracks, when the guards were immediately turned out. The
account of the fire spread with great rapidity, and while
some of the police and soldiers were dispatched to the vari-
ous fire stations, others went to the station-house in Gard-
ner's-lane, and in a short time Superintendent May, of the
A, and Lerone, of the B, with about 100 men of the two
above-named, and C divisions, hastened to the spot. Within
a quarter of an hour after the discovery of the fire several
engines arrived ; a plentiful supply of water being obtained,
they were speedily got into play, and by dint of great personal
wasexertionsnoe
dn
tt
oh et
hpea rmt
aonf the firemen
wean d
re
gt hr
eetto s military,ayt htahte fit
there
whole of thwaluable property and paintings are entirely de-
stroyed, wait several of the adjoining houses, and the back
of St. Peter's episcopal chapel, in Queen-square, are damaged.
About ten o'clock this morning, Mr. Hoare, who we under-
as
ante,
under-
stand,
faasroaustiotfwtoenwtn;wwaesnitndtohwe ns,nannFdisrtea.toeffid ,eeth, ahtuht st
Winosnuirci
not cover a third of his loss, which is supposed to exceed
£20,000.

MODEST.—We find the following in the N. 0. Crescent :
" The gentleman who left his penknife upon our table is re-
quested to call and sharpen it."

A SON CHARGED WITH THE WILFUL MURDER
OF HIS MOTHER.

The inqnest on this case, of which we made a brief mention
last week, closed on Tuesday. The deceased, Martha West,
purchased a stone of flour of a baker named Shortland, re-
siding at Floore, the day. before Heyford feast, the 17th of
October. It was taken to Heyford, by Shortland',s son, and
was by him tipped into a stone jar, which was placed in a
recess on the staircase. It does not appear when any portion
of the flour was first used, but on the sth of November a
pudding was made, of which the deceased and her husband
partook. Immediately after, they were both taken ill; they
sent for the doctor. but- after several days recovered. On
Monday, the 16th November, the eldest sons Isaac West,
went to the house to clean a clock ; on that day the mother
made another pudding, and after dinner all were taken ill with
extreme sickness. On the 18th a grand-daughter of the de-
ceased, having made and partaken of a small pudding of the
same flour, was taken ill, with precisely the same symptoms.
The child of a woman named Pinnock, who had eaten part of
the remainder, also fell ill. On the 21st, Mrs. West died.
On the 22d a woman named Charlotte Townsend came to
assist in the management of the house for the widower, and
made some broth, which she thickened with flour from the
same jar. The old man having eaten of the broth, was again
extremely sick. Still no suspicion seems to have attached to
the flour ; and on the 25th Charlotte Townsend made some
more broth, which she thickened in the same way, and of
which nine persons partook, every one of whom suffered
precisely as the others had done. Some suspicion was now
excited, and Mr. Elston, the surgeon of Badbrook,was called
in, who confirmed them. Portions of the flour were analysed,
and were found to be strongly impregnated with arsenic. It
was now deemed squisite to institute an inquiry into the
circumstances, hnd by the direction of Mr. Abbey, the body
of Martha West was disinterred on the sth of December.
An examination took place, and the presence of arsenic in the
stomach was distinctly ascertained. The connexion between
the flour and the death of the deceased seemed now to be
proved, but the presence of the arsenic in the flour was still
unaccounted for.

Through the indefatigable exertions of superintendent
Young, the following facts were at length elicited :—George
West, a son of the deceased, and a keeper of a general shop,
in the same village, purchased a pound of arsenic in August
last. On Monday week he had 14 ounces left ; the remain-
der he represented as having been sold. The next day, when
the constable made inquiry about the 14 ounces, West at first
said the constable had taken it away with him the previous
day, and afterwards that it must have been stolen during the
night. He had been at Weedon on the Monday night, and
on his return he was, he said, taken very poorly, and in put-
ting up the shutter he had fallen forward, and had broken
the window. Through the opening he presumed the drawer
containing the arsenic to have been abstracted.
On Wednesday superintendent Young found him in bed ill.
Young took him into custody, and under the mattress dis-
covered a bottle of laudanum, which was missing from the
shop.

At the close of the third day's inquest he was brought to
this town, and kept in custody until Tuesday, last, when he
was taken to Heyford, and the inquiry was resumed.
It appeared from the evidence of Mrs. Blackwell, one of,
the daughters of deceased, That on the Sunday following the'
death of Martha West, George was asked to stay and dine
at the house. He said he would, and proposed to go and
order some flour of a person near Claridge. Mrs. Blackwell
then reminded him that there was flour in the house, upon
which he begged her not to use that flour, his mother was so
set against it that he should never forgive himself if anything
happened to them. He told her she had better give it to the
pigs.

- Ultimately, at the close of the inquiry, which lasted till
between 12 and 1, the jury returned a verdict of " Wilful
Murder against George West."—Northampton Mercury.

ATTORNEY - GENERAL V. WILSON AND OTHERS -

CORPORATION OF LEEDS.-IMPORTANT JUDGMENT.
The Lord Chancellor, on taking his seat in court to-day,
gave judgment in this case. His lordship said this was an
information filed by the Attorney-General, at the instance of
the present corporation of Leeds against certain members of
the late corporation, who, shortly previous to the passing of
the Municipal Roform Bill, came to a resolution disposing
of £6500 Three per Cents., and £5OO lent on mortgage of
the Wakefield turnpike-roads, in order, as it was alleged in
the information, to deprive their successors of having the
management of property which belonged to the borough.
The property in question, it appeared, had been transferred
to three trustees, with directions to give 500 guineas to the
Recorder, 120 guineas to the Deputy Recorder, and various
sums to different charities in the town, and to increase the
stipends of several ministers. The Recorder and Deputy
refused to receive the sums voted to them ; and it was also
in evidence that £4OOO out of the £7OOO bad not been dis-
posed of, and was now in the hands of the trustees. The
information therefore prayed that the defendants might be
ordered to retransfer the whole sum of £7OOO to the present
corporation.