The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-01-12 00:00:00

THE BENCH AND THE BAR

EQUITY COURTS.—The list of equity causes for hearing
on bill and answer, and for adjudication on pleas, demur-
rers, &c., exhibits an unusually large aggregate of busi-
hess- at the commencement of term ; but of equity appeals
before the Lord Chancellor the number is remarkably
small, being only 24. The Vice-Chancellor of England's
list contains 163 causes ; Vice-Chancellorl3ruee's, 66 ;
Vice-Chancellor Wigram's, 67 ; and that of the Master of
the Rolls, 150 • total- 480.

COUNTY COURTS' 'ACT.—The distribution of the cir-
cuit under. the Small Debts' Act has been completed.
I Mr. Bethune has published a letter, which gives a detailed
I list of them.they
In substance are the same as those
which were proposed in November last, with some few
alterations, which have been suggested by persons whose
local knowledge qualified them to give advice on the sub-
ject. The number of districts will be sixty instead of fifty-
nine. Wales has been divided into four parts, instead of
three ; one circuit has been added in the Eastern Counties,
and one has been suppressed in Lancashire, in conse-
quence of an enlargement of the jurisdiction of the Liver-
pool Court. The whole number of court towns, exclusive
of those in the metropolis, is four hundred and 'fifty-four.
Eleven courts will be assigned to the. metropolis, includ-
ing those darts of Surrey and Kent which form the envi-
rons of London. The basis of the whole scheme is the
division of the country which has been already effected
under the Act for the Registration of Births, Deaths and
Marriages.

LA OF LIBEL.—In some remarks on an action
brought against the Plymouth Journal and the Law of
Libel generally, the London Times of Monday observes :
" There is no duty of a public journal at once so delicate
and so dangerous, as that of exposing fraud or misconduct
in individuals. We do not fear the accusation of par-
tiality or undue regard to self-interest, when we say that
the calm unflinching discharge of this duty is most
essential to the well-being of society, and ought to be
upheld and strengthened by all possible means. It sel-
dom happens now, whatever may have been done in for-
mer days, that a wilful or malicious libel appears in a
public print of any reputation. The worst cases are
never more than instances of negligence. But examples
are numerous of dishonesty detected and villainy frus-
trated through the agency of newspapers. The public,
we know, can express its gratitude in a fitting manner
when once convinced that there is good occasion for it.
It seems to us that a good occasion is always apparent in
every case of fraud exposed. Here the Plymouth Journal
has been the means of showing up a party of blacklegs
(for such the verdict of a jury has pronounced them to
be) who had insinuated themselves into good society,
and who might have done more extensive misithipf

•-ta.V,ll.Cl V G InizuMel UUt ior
the exposure. The people of Plymouth and its neigh-
bourhood are, without question, indebted to them. Yet,
for all return, they are mulct in a sum of £2,000, and
have only the beggar's satisfaction of :being honest men.
Surely this is a hard case."

MARRIAGES WITH A DECEASED'S WIFE'S SISTER.—
Mr. T. C. Foster, in a letter to the Morning Post, says;
"an inquiry has been instigated into the number of these

=marriages
been
in n a
engaged ere ni
fourpa r t s
differento n g i a n
districtsd. gentlementhepro
Four
of
vinces, exactly one month. Their inquiries, so far, have
not progressed beyond fourteen towns ;—Their names are
—Manchester, Huddersfield, Doncaster, York, Rother-
ham, Ipswich, Yarmouth, Norwich, Southampton, Win-
cheSter, Portsmouth, Salisbury, Bristol, and Bath. In
these fourteen towns (a fair sample of every class in Eng-
land), in that one month, the unaided efforts of four gen-
tlemen have ascertained upwards of 500 cases of infringe-
ment of the marriage law of William IV. In all these
cases, the names, residences, occupations of the parties,
the date of the marriages, and the circumstances consti-
tuting their illegality, have been furnished to me ; whilst
the gentlemen engaged in the inquiry have heard of about
as many more such marriages, the names of the parties to
which were concealed and refused to be made known, lest
it should. subject them to unpleasant proceedings or to
injury, because of their illegality. Now, these 500 as-
certained void marriages are far from being all that are
in like manner illegal in those fourteen towns, for in some
of them the inquiry is not yet half finished ; nor are
these fourteen towns more than a mere fraction of Eng-
land ; yet the ascertained result in them by such insuffi-
cient means is five hundred cases of infringement of the
law." Mr. Foster then goes on to argue from these re-
turns, and from the registrar general's reports, that
throughout England we have at the rate of 500 such mar-
riages every year. We hope it is not so, but we have
no precise means of disputing the data.

RAIL W

IFFAIRS.

It. is supposed that the expenses of the enlarger/lent of
the Euston-square station of the London and Birmingham
Railway, now in progress, will not be short of £50,000.
A machine has been invented by a person at Bradford,
of such astonishing power as to pump up 300,000 gallons
of water a minute. It is to be used in the Leeds and
Thirsk Railway at Bramhope.
Mr. Wakefield of Deptford has succeeded Mr, Watson,
as resident engineer and superintendent of the locomo-
tive department, on the Chester and Birkenhead Rail-
way.

A most friendly alliance has been formed between the
Edinburgh and Glasgow and the United lines, the Edin-
burgh, Leith, and Granton and the Edinburgh and
Northern, on terms honourable and fair to all parties.
The express train on the Brighton Railway had a nar-
row escape on Monday morning. During the journey the
wheels of one of the carriages gave way, and the train ran
off the line. Happily no person was injured.
LIVERPOOI, AND BURY RAILWAY.—It is stated that
the portion of this line between Liverpool and Wigan
will be ready for opening by the end of June next. The
public will, we think, be slow to believe this, to them; in-
teresting news ; but those who should know best, declare
that it can and will be ready at the time stated.
FATAL ACCIDENT ONw. UNION I?

THE NORTH lAILWAY
-On Wednesday, a most deplorable accident occurred
on the above railway, between Chorley and Preston, which
caused the death of a stoker. He incautiously got on the
roof of a horse-box, and coming in contact with a bridge,
he was struck on the head, which knocked him down.
He fell on the rails, and was in consequence dreadfully
mutilated, both arms being cut off, and his head fearfully
crushed. The poor fellow is supposed to have been killed
by coming in contact with the bridge.
RAILWAYS AND PAROCHIAL RATES.—The following
instance of the Great benefits derived by parishes through
which railways pass was related by one. of the speakers,
Mr. Hudson, at a public meeting of landholders and oc-
cupiers, held at Chobham, a few days since, to take into
consideration the proposed Windsor, Staines, and South
Western Railway. Mr. Hudson stated, as a proof of the
beneficial results of railways on parochial rates, that, in
the parish of Weking, a piece of land which before the
completion of railway only paid lls. towards the rates for
the relief of the poor, now paid no less a sum than £175 !
The transmission of messages by the New York and
Philadelphia electric telegraph was recently suspended for
several hours by the following curious incident :—" A
large owl was found suspended from the wires, with his
talons entangled among them, the copper wire having
been twisted roulld the iron cords. The owl was dead
when discovered, and it is supposed that he had lighted
upon the iron wire, and while in that position the other
was blown against him, and a connexion being thus
farmed, he received a shock of the electric fluid, which
deprived him of life."

SAD ACCIDENT.—A shocking accident resulting in the
loss of two lives, occurred between one and two o'clock
on Tuesday morning, at the King's Langley Station, on
the North Western Railway. A coal train was stopped at
the station in order to detach some engines, and the car-
riages were being moved, by means of " points," from
one line to another, when a heavy luggage train, propelled
by two engines, came up, the driver of which, in conse-
quence of the dense fog, was unable to see the signal
lamps of the station-master and the coal train, till it was
too late to prevent a collision. The consequence was that
the luggage train ran into the other (which consisted of
anda b about u
many
twentyany oof the
nooeftrucks)f otjfr w
nit just
tke
Tiabte
hehnufeg fearful
ordnreerdriver
engines
destroyed
eoeerfstatviolencecr nhooedlyliel
ssudtigoo ; b
;luggage
grnaedono
tftdt
rh engines
hateihneescapedwdriver
c eorae
crushed to death. The driver and stoker of the second
l
andweni
tghi tsitetor jumpedkifleirnogf
bruises.o
train were not injured. The jury, at the inquest, recom-
sintaetniod
n. edemployed that more servants should be at the.

po ouret
proposed
Man-
chester ans neoodf-
NOVEL LANCASHIRE SCHEME.
The Parlia-
mentary title of the Oldham Alliance Railways.
rmcahe Mumpselnwsttrailwaysaaeyr andt :ri LecLneniessnercodi anens snhoc
commence by
Railway ee
tb hhGy aeas
azbe
aj
Oldhamet
junction
nenmeareproposed,iuomnßpf
orwsßranch
incor-
porate a company to make the following railways:--l. A
Lancaster, and terminating by a junction with the Ashton,
Staleybridge, and Liverpool Junction Railway, at Ashton-
under-Lyne, in the same county. 2. A line to com-
mence from the Ashton, Staleybridge, and Liverpool
Junction Railway, at Ashton-under-Lyne, and termina-
ting by a junction with the intended branch of the Man-
chester and Birmingham Railway from Stockport to
Guide-bridge, near the latter place, in the county of Lan-
caster. 3. Another railway, commencing from the said
Mumps Extension Railway at Mumps, and terminating
by a junction with the Manchester and Leeds Railway at
Castleton, in the county of Lancaster. 4. A railway com-
mencing from the Oldham Branch of the Manchester and
Leeds Railway, at Oldham, and terminating by ajunc-
tion with the main line of the same railway, at the,Miles
Platting station, in the county of Lancaster. 5. A rail-
way, commencing out of the intended railway last-de-
scribed, at Chadderton, in the county of Lancaster, and
terminating at the Old Oak Colliery, Oldham. 6. Ano-
ther railway from the Oldham Branch of the Manchester
and Leeds Railway, commencing at the Oldham station,
and terminating near Royton-hall, on the road to Roch-
dale, in the'county of Lancaster. It is proposed to take
powers to lease or sell the proposed lines to the Manches-
ter and Leeds Company.—Railway Monthly Magazine.
THE NEW SOUTH I ORKSHIRE AND MIDLAND RAIL-
RrAys.—A new line is proposed, to be called the Sheffield,
Rotherham, and Doncaster Junction Railway. This line
will commence at the Marsborough station of the York
and North Midland Railway, and run to Doncaster. It
is a short line. Power will be applied for to lease or sell
the line to the Midland, the Great Northern, the Sheffield,
Rotherham, and Barnsley ; Wakefield, Huddersfield, and
Goole ; Sheffield and Lincolnshire ; the Sheffield and
Manchester, or any' other company. A very important
line, called the Goole and Doncaster, was last year lost in
committee. It is to be re-introduced this year, under the
title of the South Yorkshire, Doncaster, and Goole Rail.
way. The towers sought are to incorporate a company to
make a railway commencing by a junction with the main
line of the Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsley, Wakefield
Huddersfield, and Goole Railway at Barnsley, and termi-
nating by a junction with the Great Northern Railway at
Arksey, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, with a branch
commencing at Balby, with Hexthorpe, Doncaster, and
terminating by junctions with the Great Northern Ran-
- A intipnnchohewwtt
hoher sefes undercctheme of

Jan. 12, 1847.

way in Doncaster; another railway diverging from the in-
tended main line at Wombwell, terminating with a junc-
tion with the Sheffield, Ashton-under-Lyne, and .Man-
chester Railway, at Thurlestone, together with a- short
branch therefrom at Worsboroug4 to join the main line
of the Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsler, Wakefield,. Hud-
dersfield, and Goole Railway; and another branch there-
from at. Oxspring, terminating by. a junction with the
Huddersfield and Sheffield Railway at Iloyland Swaine ;
another railway diverging from the proposed main line at
Wombwell, and terminating on the southern side of the
head of the Elsecar branch of the Dearne and Dove
Canal, at Nether Hoyland and Brompton Bierlow, or one
of them ; also three short branch railways, one diverging
from the proposed first-described main line at Adwicup
Dearne, and terminatingwith a junction with the Midland
Railway at Swinton, another diverging from the main line
at Swinton, and terminating by a junction with the Mid-
land Railway at Ardwick-upon-Dearne ; and the third di-
verging from the main line at Swinton, and terminating
by a junction with the Midland Railway, in the same
township ; another railway 'diverging from the main line
first-described at Denaby, and terminating by a junction
with the Sheffield and Rotherham Railway, otherwise the
Sheffield and Rotherham Branch of the Midland Railway,
at Kimberworth. The bill also proposes to take-power
for the company to purchase or lease the Sheffield, Ro-
therham, Barnsley, Wakefield, Huddersfield, and Goole
Railway, the Dun Navigation, and the Dearne and Dove
Canal. The scheme will, we understand, receive the sup-
port of the Midland Company.—Railway Monthly Mag.

LIVERPOOL. SANATORY BILL.
We resume our abstract of this important bill at clause
124, which provides for the appointment of one or more
inspectors of nuisances, by whom all complaints before
' justices shall be lodged. Clause 125 directs all common
lodging-houses to be licensed and registered to entertain
only a certain number of lodgers, and to be inspected
from tune to time. By clause 126, all furnaces for steam-
engines, or used in any manufacture, or in river steam-
boats, must consume their own smoke; and in all
where noxious or annoying effluvia are emitted, the best
practicable means of mitigating the nuisance must be
adopted. Penalty five pounds per day during continu-
ance after a month's notice given.
Clause 128 inflicts a penalty of £5 for every offence.
upon parties killing beasts in any other than licensed and
registered slaughter-houses. Inspector of slat!ghter-
13p3aipnrtoeldoons
forthe
thepr e premises : penalty
d o
I
slaughter-
houses has the same powers as inspector of nuisances.
ng
Knackers' yards must be licensed, and the name.of the
proved to occasion a nuisance, unless it can
occupiera
u s .
be chewy
that the best means of preventing such nuisance has been
adopted : penalty £5 per day until discontinued after
justices' order. The clause does not bar proceedings for
nuisances at common law. The next ten clauses relate
olsa any trade day-
to the supplies of water. The act of 6th and 7th Victoria
(the Water Act of the Highway Board) is repealed, and
its powers and the property of the Commissioners are
vested in the Council. Its operation is also extended
over the . .

- gn ; i,atJU per annum
are to be paid by the Counciluorou towards the tire police;
water is to be supplied for all existing public cisterns,
pumps, &c., gratuitously, and for any public baths and
waciihnnepQ

enauies are inflicted upon persons da-
maging waterworks, fouling the water, or upon gasmakers
allowing corrupting matter to get info it. Clause 148
inflicts a penalty upon persons permitting gas to'-escape
after notice; but present gas companies. are to remain
subject only to the penalties in their respective-acts.
By clause 151, a humane apparatus may be provided
and maintained. 152 to 160 prescribe the mode of rating.
By 161 the Council are to pay £5,000 yearly in aidof
the sewerage and paving rates, and a further sum of £375
for ten years. The debt already contracted in Toxteth-
park is to be charged on the rate for that district. Rates
may be made prospectively or retrospectively ; and owners
of unoccupied premises may be rated ; but the rates are
not to be collected unless the premises are subsequently
occupied. The clauses to 179 are the usual rating clauses.
By 180 the tenant may deduct one-half of sewer rates
from the landlord. Clauses to 202 are borrowing clauses.
203 empowers the Council to make byelaws for the pre-
vention of nuisances, regulating slaughter-houses, knack-
ers' yards, the keeping of swine, the management of
public privies, the removal of middensteads, and the re-
gistering of lodging-houses, and to fix penalties for in-
fringing; such byelaws to be approved by the Secretary
of State, published in the newspapers, and printed.
Clauses 207 to 226 relate to the mode of enforcing and
applying penalties, and save the rights of the Dock Trus-
tees, and the Railway and Gas Companies. The'remain-
der are the usual explanatory clauses.

LIVERPOOL POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
PERJURY.—On Saturday, Ann Williams was committed
to the assizes for 'trial, on a charge of having obtained
possession of a bed, from a pawnbroker, by means of
sworn declaration that the ticket was lost. The bed be-
longed to another.

HIGHWAY ROBBERY.—On Saturday, a man -of the
name of John Hagan was committed for trial on a charge
of having, with three others, knocked down Thomas
Roche, in Waterloo-road, at the bottom of Chadwick-
street, and robbed him, whilst the other pinioned his
arms. He had, fortunately, only a few shillings in hiS
pocket.

On Saturday, Capt. Leary, master of the Queen, wag
summoned to answer the complaint of three of his hands
of having refused to pay them the amount of wages stipa'
lated in the ship's articles. It appeared that the men had
shipped at Quebec as able seamen, but the captain had
not left that poit many hours when he discovered thcit,
incompetency. Mr. Rushton, in consequence, directed
,stlzwcztitzicuay.itllLem much less than orie half of the
CHARGE OF ROBBERY.—On Thursday, a seaman
named William Summerfield, was brought up 'before Mt'
Rushton, charged with robbing a man named William
Gargell. The complainant, a man of colour, alleged that
on the previous day he .and the,prisoner came over frog!.
Dublin in the Britannia steamer, when he was robbed of
seven sovereigns, his pocket having been cut away when
he was asleep. A piece of string, with which the coin'
plainant swore he had tied his money at the bottom of hi,°
pocket, was found upon the prisoner. He was remanded'
fk POVERTY AND CRIME.—On Saturday a man of the
name of William Jones was brought before Mr. Rushton
on a charge of having stolen a cloak, worth about 305., the
property of Mr. Wm. Okell, linen draper, of Paradise'
street. Mr. Frederick Bibby, an assistant at Mr. °ken's,
proved the case. He-said that the cloak stolen by the
prisoner was hanging, with a number of other cloaks, iv;
side the shop door, and that the prisoner was apprehended
in Church lane with the article in his possession. The
prisoner, upon being called upon for his defence, said'
It`was through hunger I stole it ; I had no food let
four days." Mr. Rushton : " Why not apply to the
overseer ?" The prisoner replied : " I did, sir, and he,
only gave me two pieces of bread." He was committed
for trial.

CASE OF STABBING.—On Tuesday, a female of quest
onable reputation, who gave her name Mary O'Neil, wag
brought before Mr. Rushton on a charge of having ill',
flicted several stabs with a knife upon the person of one of
.her companions in misfortune, named Mary Cumrniskl,
It appeared that they lived together in a house of ill-farad
in Williamson-street, and that on Monday evening thel
had a quarrel, and created considerable disturbance. The
stabbing took place in the lower part of the house, an
the injuries were so severe as to prevent the complains/0
from making her appearance in court.' The prisoner 4'
leged that the wounds were not inflicted with any mao'
cious intent, and that herself and complainant were more
in play than in anger when the occurrence happened. sl;e
i
was ordered to be remanded until the complainant coin'
attend.

CAUTION TO CAPTAINS AND SHIPOWNERS.-1311
Thursday, Mr. Todd, of the firm of " Todd, Jacksos'
and Co." applied to Mr. Rushton under the following
circumstances, which he said were interesting to shit'
owners and the public generally. He stated that the C
ledonia Bramber was lately consigned to his house, with' ,
miscellaneous cargo of cotton, corn, and flour, and tho
after the ship had been discharged, a quantity of loos
corn and flour was found as usual, and divided among the
consignees,consignee supposing that he received sj?
sp thatect
d-a s
a d everyueto him. When the ship came•to be 0°
considerable quantity of loose born and tioll
was found concealed in the hold. A fellow then well,
down to the ship, and offered £2 10s. to the captain f();
the sweepings ; and the captain, in utter ignorance of th
extent of those sweepings, and desirous of having the shLf
cleared, inadvertently sold the stuff. When it came.);
`q (Mr. Todd's) ears. he nut a stop to it, and 0

upon -,
vestigation it turned out that the sweepings amounted
a very considerable quantity, the extent of which may P,
judged of by the fact, that the man who made the 011,4
chase for 505., came to the office since and offered'
subsequently he offered £lO, and that very morning P 0
S
offered £l2. If it was worth his while to give £l2, it
fair to presume that the sweepings were worth £2O. A,'
Rushton said they had been long familiar with this pr
tice of plundering cargoes. He remarked that the piv
chaser of the sweepings, who was a client of Mr. Dave,s
port's, was now threatening the captain of thevvessel r
an action at law, for non-delivery of the sweepings. fit,
Davenport gave rather a diffekent version of the story.
said that he had been applied to by a young man to, A,
cover £2 10s. from the captain of the Caledonia; BrampT
to whom it had been paid for the sweepings of his vesse4,
which sweepings had been detained as well as the £2
His instructions were that his client had paid the 141
named to the captain, and had taken five men on bo
the vessel to collect the sweepings; whilst thus engar,,
another man came up and made an offer of £5 to the p
tain for the same sweepings ; this the captain refused, id
afterwards, when the same man came back and dont')
the offer, the captain ordered his client from the vessel rtg
refused to refund the £2 10s. The young man applieoo
him, and he wrote a letter to the captain requesting 13,0
to return the money which had been paid to-him;
letter was delivered to the captain in the street, but 'lit
stead of complying with the request contained in it, d
flung it from him contemptuously ; another letter .°:gi
written, and had been taken to the vessel that
rnorniP7l
that letter was now with the mate.—Captain Boyd sit,
that when he understood the property was of some inlOtito
tance to the consignees, he offered the young man
money, which was declined ; in fact, he had that mornid
---
offered him £3 45., which was also refused. Mr. 14
port said he would have no objection to let the matterne
to an action.—Mr. Rushton entirely exonerated Mr.. f..)

..v.a. ....a,az ge us unproien—
conduct,and said something must be done to st9P,,
depredations daily committed on board ships by this f'd
tem of " sweeping. Todd said the Chamber d
Commerce had taken measures to prevent the recurl
of such frauds : they had printed a number of patice,l4
wherein it was stated that all loose portions of cargotol
the property of the consignees, and not the caP,
these papers were sent on board all the vessels from.' of
rica as soon they arrived in port. The captain was,i„o
dered to refund the £2 10s., and also to pay the five 1"
employed to collect the sweepings, for their labour,.