The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-04-11 00:00:00

NISI PRIUS COURT
NSON V. ABBINETT.-Thf

SATURDAY

WILK'

plaintiff in the action

was Mr. Thomas Wilkinson, and the defendant Mr.
Henry Abbinett, and the declaration was in debt for the
hire of a flat, on account of materials furnished, and an
account stated, to the whole of which the defendant
pleaded that he was not liable. Mr. BAINES stated the
case, the short particulars of which were, that a flat,
called the Union, belonging to the plaintiff, in conse-
quence of an accident, had sunk in the river Mersey, and
the plaintiff had made several fruitless attempts to raise
the vessel, and ultimately, in consequence of complaints
made to the Corporation, as conservators of the river, they
engaged the celebrated Mr. Abbinett, the defendant, to
raise the vessel, and he, as alleged by the plaintiff, en-
gaged one of his (plaintiff's) flats, and two men for the
purpose, and the present action had been brought to
recover the sum of £2O 145., the amount incurred in
doing so. For the defendant it was contended that the
case had been brought to extort money, and that the
plaintiff, knowing that by the Mersey Conservation Act
he could be compelled either to raise the flat, or pay the
expense of it being raised, he had solicited the defendant

to allow him to use bis flat and men in the discharge of
the work, to lighten the burden which would otherwise
be thrown upon his shoulders, and that Mr. Abbinett had
not charged one farthing to the Corporation on account
of the plaintiff's vessel. Mr. Askew, the harbour-
master, confirmed the statements of Sergeant Wilkins as
to the circumstances under which the plaintiff's flat and
men had been engaged, and stated that, although the
Corporation had the power, by their Act of Parliament,
to:enforce parties to pay the expense for raising vessels
which by any act of theirs had been sunk, yet this clause
had never yet been carried out. Mr. Abbinett, jun., son
of the defendant, and a boatbuilder in this town, stated
that, after the flat was raised, he purchased it for £3l,
and, after it had been repaired, it sold for £230. Mr.
BAY..NEs replied, and eouteuded that uultbzi the stun
sought to be claimed by the plaintiff had been included in
Mr; .A.bbinett'k bill to the Corporation, it MO .difficult W

April 11, 1848.

conceive how the amount £llB 18s. for raising the flat
had been incurred. His Lordship having directed the
jury, they retired from court, and after an absence of
an hour and three-quarters, returned a verdict for the-
defendant.

BRADLEY V. GEE AND OTnERS.—MT. CROMPTON
opened the pleadings. The plaintiff was Jane Bradley,
and the defendants were Edward Gee, John Stamper, and
Charles Fay, and the declaration stated a trespass upon
the house, fixtures, and goods of the plaintiff, in Fair-
clough-lane, London-road. The pleas put in upon
record were, first, that the defendants were not guilty ;
second, that the house was not the house of the plaintiff,
neither were the goods, chattels, or furniture ; third, that
one Staniford was seized in fee, and by indenture, dated
23d December, 1843, had demised the premises for sixty-
three years to Bradley, and that Bradley assigned the
premises to Atkin and Gee.

The case occupied a considerable time, and at the close
the jury found that the defendants had right of possession.
The verdict does not therefore incur damages.
This case closed the business at the Assizes.

Dtslri rt rb3s.

The Manchester Guardian of Wednesday states, that
in that city, 4,600 special constables have already been
sworn in, and that the number will probably reach 11,000.
The Lord Lieutenant of Manchester has appointed
William Crouch Davies, gentleman, a lieutenant in the
2d regiment of the Duke of Lancaster's Own Militia, vice
Shand, resigned.

NEW MAGISTRATES.-At the sessions held at Preston,
on Wednesday, Thomas Miller, Esq., Preston ; Robert
Theakstone, Esq., Bootle, Liverpool ; and Thos. Grim-
shawe, Esq., of Peersclough, Accrington, severally took
the oaths and qualified as magistrates for this county.
TRIAL OF A MANCHESTER TRADESMAN.—MT. John
Howard, sil;ersmitn, of Manchester, charged with having
purchased stolen silver, was tried at Chester, on Friday,
and acquitted. He had purchased one parcel of old silver,
for which he gave the usual price. The witnesses relied on
by the police of Stockport, who took great pains in getting
up a case against Mr. Howard, were a couple of convicted
felons, who told most improbable stories, and evidently
perjured themselves.

STATE OF MANCHESTER.—A number of political mal-
contents are endeavouring to stir up a bad feeling amongst
the distressed artizans. The speeches delivered at several
meetings during the week have been of a most inflamma-
tory and licentious character. But in the exemplary con-
duct of the people hitherto, and in the prudent precau-
tionary measures adopted by the authorities—measures
calculated to crush effectually all attempts at open vio-
lence—we repose a firm confidence in the continued peace
and tranquility of the city.
THE ARLINGTON MURDER.-At the Chester Assizes,
on Saturday, William Bates and John Walmsley, were
tried for the murder of William Wyatt, at Adlington on
the 11th February, when the deceased was attempting to
apprehend them on a charge of highway robbery. The
prisoners were both found guilty. Bates seemed para-
lysed for a moment, but soon resumed his indifference.
Mawdsley said that poverty was the occasion of it; had
he been paid his hard-earned wages he would not have
been there. His Lordship sentenced both prisoners to
death. Bates said—" Well, my Lord, I shall die very
cheerfully."

EMPLOYMENT IN MANCHESTER.—It appears from die
usual reports of the condition of the working classes in
Manchester, that of the cotton mills, there are three more
working short time, one of which was previously working
full time, and two more stopped altogether. Of the
total number of hands in the cotton mills, 621 are now'
working short time, of whom 251 were previ-
ously working full time, and 370 were out of employ-
ment. Of the total works included in the table, there
are eight more working on short time, six of which were
previously working full time, and two were stopped
altogether. There are 1,121 fewer operatives working on
full time, and 193 fewer out of employment, all of whom
are now working on short time. Upon the whole, there-
fore, the return is of a rather unfavourable character.
At Chester, Samuel Shepley, 29, was convicted of set-
ting fire to a mill at Dukinfield, on the 29th of January,
and sentenced to transportation for life.—Patrick Duggan,
23, and Alexander Duggan, 17, convicted of assaulting
John Armstrong, at Tranmere, and stealing various arti-
cles from him, were each sentenced to six months' impri-
sonment.—William Lowe, 19, and Thomas Evans, 17,
convicted of breaking into the dwelling-house of William
Walker, at Runcorn, and stealing therefrom a quantity
of silver plate, were each sentenced to six months' impri-
sonment.—John Anderson, 26, and Charles Bailey, 29,
charged with assaulting Thomas Wood, at Sandbach, and
stealing from his person two half-crowns, were convicted
and sentenced to seven years' transportation.—Michael
Healey, 45. charged with stabbing Elizabeth Dunnegan,
at Birkenhead, with intent to do some grievous bodily
harm. Guilty, seven years' transportation.—Thos. Nor-
bury, 25, George Oliver, 23, and Samuel Jackson, 22,
charged with robbing and assaulting Mary Ellison, at
Nether Knutsford, were convicted and sentenced to 15
years' transportation.
WARRINGTON COUNTY COURT.—ASSAULT UPON AN
OFFICER OF THE COURT.—This Court was holden On
Thursday last, before J. W. Harden, Esq., the judge.
There were 171 plaints entered, 120 of which were entered
for trial. About one o'clock an occurrence took place in
Court which caused great sensation. Mr. John Webster,
a pawnbroker, residing in the town, had occasion to speak
with Mr. Harrison. one of the assistants to the Clerk of
the Court. Mr. Harrison, after conversing with Mr.
Webster for a short time, returned to his seat beneath the
witness box, in which a witness was then being examined
by the judge, and almost on the instant Mr. Webster put
forth his arm in front of the witness, and seizing l‘le•
Harrison by the hair of the head, lugged him most severel •
His Honour, before whose eyes the assault was committed,
directed Mr. Webster to be taken into custody, which was
immediately done, and required from him an explanation
of his conduct. This Mr. Webster gave in so unsatisfac-
tory a manner that his Honour, after commenting upon
the gross outrage he had committed in a Court of Justice
in terms Mr. Webster will not readily forget, fined bin%
underivi payment,
rtiei
COUNTYbe selteelsvr3zetwnshsadiss
oae
sycNutssi
tronr
eoTdf
imprisonment.
eA
sessionsc t
depart. 2
Ts.h,
eorfinine
wdaesfaiuniltnno.r.
diately paid, and after humbly apologizing to the Cour"
were held at Preston
on Wednesday. The chairman (T. B. Addison) said
that, for general purposes, the county treasurer had a
balance of £4483 19s. Id., and required a sum of £lO,OOO
for the exigencies of the quarter, which would be raised
by a rate of id. in the pound, which would give an amount
of £7753 ss. Bd., which sum came as near the sum re-
quired as the treasurer can collect.—Agreed to. 11::
chairman said that the sum in hand, on account
•of, toe
County Lunatic Asylum, was £6777 13s. lld and d
sum of £6600 would be required. The treasurer lop-
for a rate of id. in the pound, which would raise the stun
of £3876 12s. 10d. The treasurer asked for an assess-
ment of id. in the pouna for Kirkdale, Id. in the wino'
for Bolton, and id. in the pound for Warrington, on !!c:
count of expenses incurred by an increase of the p0a.,7
force in those districts.—Agreed to. Mr. Garnett s j•L!
that the Finance Committee had taken the subject of the
county advertisements into their consideration, and they
now begged leave to state what was their opinion on n•
They recommended that advertisements of the quarter
and intermediate sessions should be inserted once in the
following papers, viz.:—Law Times, London; Gazette
and Guardian, Lancaster; Pilot and Guardian, Preston
Standard, Blackburn ; Chronicle and Times, Bolton;
Guardian and Courier, Manchester ; Standard and
Mercury, Liverpool. In the same papers should be in'
serted once the Adjourned Annual Session, and the Re'
vviizsi.n:g_BmaarrLstkeerssteCrirGclutaitrsd.
ianlt:Lthiveef:ploloo
Pres-
ton Chronicle, and Blackburn Standard,wl Sin tgashnpdoaulapreddi7bpoenise..:-
serted the visitors of the private lunatic asylums. Fe:
occasional advertisements, such as Assistant Poor-le"
Commissioner's visits, &c., once in the Preston Chronicle.
Any special advertisement to be under the direction of the
court. He (Mr. Garnett) would move that the Finance
Committee's recommendation should be adopted. Mr'
Watts seconded the motion.—Agreed to.
THE THUNDERSTORM.—The thunderstorm of Sunder
week seems to have been felt throughout the entire king"
dom—At Oldham, about half-past four o'clock, the eke'
tric fluid descended a chimney in ar.—.._ch—m- near the

Town.hall, when the house caught lire. A fire-engirt
was on the spot immediately, and the flames were extin-
guished. A man was reading a newspaper in the 1101
at the time, and the paper got on fire, but the man vi!,,
not seriously injured.—At Huddersfield, much injury via 7
done. In Herefordshire the floods swept away brides'
many large trees, and injured the dwellings of many vla-
habitants.—At Lancaster a barn and a quantity of stra _
was destroyed. At Hest Bank, near that town, the 1107
of Mr. Willan was also struck, and the fluid went dow„f
the chimney, tearing the plaster from the walls of one "A
the bed-rooms, and crashing one of the posts of the be`a
to splinters, tearing the bed-hangings to shreds, Ile
„t
blowing out nearly all the glass in the window. A fe:^l
along the ceiling of this room points out one course which
the fluid took. It leads to a hole in the ceiling througra
to the garret, along the wall of which the plaster is t°_,L.
away to a very large extent. In the second front b7is
room, a piece of praster about the size of the crown °:ho
hat, was found lying near the door, and on observing "io
opposite side of the room a corresponding hole is see° rig
the plaster, whence it is presumed that an electric sPilea
found its way through a crevice of the wall, and pr.:Weiler,
this piece of plaster from one end of the room to the et
In the first front bed-room is a hole of considerable siie
a
made in the floor behind the bed, and in the Patric
underneath, the fluid came down smashing the stone-"t to
of the fire-place, breaking a picture to pieces, one Pal:ieep
the opposite side of the room (where it has made a_",ber
indentation), and the other right through into the fa,
gin
end of an adjoining front parlour. Nearly all the gl6: ht
this parlour window was also blown out. Altogethertlo
and twenty squares were smashed. The most renclarinth
thing is, that the heavy hearth-stone in the parlour, w
an iron fender on it, was lifted out of its place. S° n'f'lthe
for the interior. On the outside, the terrible power o.
storm was equally evident. A portion of one of the ell'„oc
lying about, some on the roof, which has a large brick
nies is completely smashed, large pieces of stonehosi7i,
it, and some on the ground below. One piece 0, fortl
was propelled from the chimney top, a distance c"-_arlc-
or fifty yards, into the adjoining field. The most rec._'
_eo.
able part of the incident, perhaps, is the almost
intirtriing
bus escape of the inmates. At the time the I.g fire
fire
struck the house, Mr. Willan was sitting close to just
side in the kitchen, and about a foot from the wall,
so tre"
where the ravages of the fluid appear to have been d coal
mendous. In a moment, he found himself covV.it side,
on the 'V
soot and dust, and deprived of hearing
but otherwise not at all► hurt. A more wonderfalqi,eper
the t"
from instant death was never recorded. The 11011' 'f6
was in the front room, regulating the clock, when the vial
fragments of the mantel-piece flew by ber,l"liv 0101
described. She wAs happily out of their read
few indices