The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1850-05-28 00:00:00

The choler

LAW INTELLIGENCE.

VICE-CHANCELLOR'S COURT, MAY 22.
THE AGAPEMONE.

THOMAS V. ROBERTS.—This is not a case of taking an
infant from its father; but the case of a father who, hav-
ing abandoned the mother of his child before its birth,
seeks to obtain possession of the child, against which
attempt the next friend of the infant asks the aid of the
Court of Chancery. Judgment was reserved last term,
which was now delivered. His Honor (Sir J. K. Bruce)
denounced the Agapemone and all in it in the most severe
terms, and said—" God forbid that I should be accessary
to condemning any child to such a state of probable
debasement As lief would I have on my conscience the
consigning this boy to a camp of gipsies." He declared
that the mother was to have the care of the child. who
was to be kept from the father. Of the latter the Vice-
Chancellor spoke in most severe terms, for having got
possession of his wife's money, abandoning her, and now
living in a state of heathenism.

.The Queen has appointed the Attorney-General, S.
Martin, Esq., W. H. Walton, Esq., G. W. Bramwell,
Esq , and J. S. Willes, Esq., barristers-at-law, to be her
Majesty's Commissioners for inquiring into the process,
practice, and system of pleading in the superior Courts of
Law at Westminster and on circuit.
RESIGNATION OF THE LORD CHANCELLOR.—We be-
lieve we may announce as a fact that the Lord Chan-
cellor has at length actually resigned his high office. His
Lordship has, we understand, been urged to this step
both by the recommendation of his physicians and the
entreaties of his family, and by a regard for the public
inconvenience occasioned by his continued absence from
the Court of Chancery.

RAILWAY

AFFAIRS.

The rumour has again been revived that the extension
of the Furness railway, through Ulverston, to join the
Lancaster and Carlisle railway near Carnforth, will be
brought forward in the ensuing session of parliament.
LONDON AND NORTH-WESTERN RAILWAY,—THE
FORTHCOMING DIVIDEND.--We learn, from competent
authority, that this company will be able to pay a five per
cent. dividend for the present half-year' and carry over a
balance of upwards of £140,060 to the December or
better half-year's traffic receipts. The balance carried
forward from the Jude account of last venr was £15,000
only.—Railway Record_
VALIDITY OF RAILWAY PREFERENCE SHARES.—
We are informed that doubts of a very serious nature ex-
ist as to the validity of the preference shares of many
companies. Eminent legal authorities have been con-
sulted, and it is stated that the great majority of opinions
are unfavourable to this class of securities. According
to this view of the case, not only have preference divi-
dends been illegally bestowed, but the holders of such
shares have no claims on the companies for a restitutien
of their money. This is a question of great importance,
and which demands immediate solution.—Globe.

THE BRITANNIA BRIDGE.—The operation of turning
the third tube round, by a semicircular sweep over the
water on its four pontoons, assisted by large cable chains
and a huge upright beam attached to the shore, which
formed the fulcrum or centre of motion on which it was
swayed round, took place with success on Thursday even-
ing last, under the superintendence of Mr. Stephenson,
M.P., and Captain Claxton. Its journey to the bearing
point, from whence it will have to be floated to the foot
of the piers on the 10th of June next, occupied about 40
minutes, the distance traversed being about equal to its
own length.