Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1864-03-24
LOCAL NEWS.


TIE RHPuBLIoAN NEWSPAPER IN CHAN.
oERV-Equ,ty Court.-Justice Wylie at cham.
hers, yesterday morning heard the arguments
upon the prayer Of Simon p. Hanscom, editor
of the National Republican, who asked that an
injunction might be issued restraining VIM. J.
Murtagh ard Geo. NJ. Weston from exercising
authority in said Republican Office.
The case presents some legal points of interest
to the newspaper fraternity. The particulars
set forth are follows:
APPLICATION FOR WRIT OF INJUNCTION.
On Saturday last, Mr. Hanscom, through his
attorney. J. II. Bradley, Sr, made application
1or writ of injun ction, and the bill OF com.
plant recites that on tne eth OF January, 1888,
thr petitioner purchased Of Geo. NJ. Weston,
with the knowledge and consent Of the part
ners OF the latter, an undivided third part OF
1he stock, properly and effects and interests of
tne printing and publication sstablishm mt of
fhe National Republican. Since that time be
AYERS he has purchased another third part,
and Is therefore now a two-tnird owner Wm.
j. M urtegh is admitted to be The owner of the
other third part, md the business has been car
ried on under the name and firm of William J.
Murtagh Co. The complainant further AYERS
that the said Murtagh without consultation
with him, with intent to injure, harrass and
oppress the complainant, made "a assignment
on March 18th, 1864, to George M. Westoa of
the whole OF the property, effects and business
OF SAID copartnership that being ad vised of
this fact the complainant addressed letter TO
VI urtaEh, which Is as follows:
WASHINGTON. March II, 1864.
W. j. Rurtdgh-Sir: have received copies
OF the transaction between yourself and MIR.
weston respecting the traustpr Of the property
OF Inc National Republican,, and have taken the
advice OF counsel as 10 my rights and interests,
aDd how far they are affected by the transac.
pon. am advised, and shall act upon it, to
regard those papers and treat them as nullt-
ties. But as 1t is evident you desire to get rid
OF the responsibilities OF the paper, 1 propose
to buy out your interest on the following terms ::
An account snail be taken by proper person
Of the condition of cur copartnership to the date
of its dissolution, and 1t shall be referred to
two flt persons, one to be chosen by each of US,
with power to them to choose a third, who
shall fix the price and terms on which shall
take your interest in the firm.
"a will give yon satisfactory security TO
pay you the price on the terms 80 fixed, and to
tneemnity you from all loss by reason of our
Sd. The copartnership shall be closed on the
day You assent 10 tnis proposition and give
the security.
Fir ally, il this ls not accepted, shall adver-
tise dissol ution OF our cOpartnershipan and take
charge OF the business as having the majority
in interest.
1 respectfully request an answer to this be.
lore l2 O'Clock TO- morrow. Yours, &C, &c.
). p. HANsUoM.
The bill Of complaint then continues, and
AYERS that On the 18th of March complainant
publishtd d notice OF dissolution, he not having
received an answer to his letter.
The notice is as follows:
Copdrtnership Dissolved.-The copartnership
heretofore existing between William !. Muir
tagh and 5. P. HaDscom is hereby dissolved.
). =. Hanscorn will hereafter conduct the
paper an d be responsible for ali its obligations
Washington, March Is, 1864
The complainant then says that shortly after
wards ne saw Geo M Weston sitting in the
business office OF the Republican, and was iu-
formed before the second edition was issued
that ssid Weston or said Murtagh had exhib.
tied without the knowledge of compIainant)
to the foreman and engineer of the off ce the
assignment above referred to; although they
well knew this complainant in express terms
deEie d the authority of said Murtagh TO make
such CONVEYANCE and that the complainant
claimed the same to be null and void, and that
be denied the right Of said Weston to Interfere
in any manner with said premises; aud the
said Weston and M Murtaeh csused the follow.
ing notice tn be inserted in the second edition
Of the pc per of that day:
'THE NATIONAL REPuBLIcAN.-The proper
ty, coed will, and subscription list of th- Ma.
tncnol Republican, together with all debts due
to the establishment, were transferred, on the
18th instant, to Geo. M. Weston, who assumes
the payment Of all debts due from it, and W no
will, until further notice, continue the publ
cation OF the paper.
WIN. J. MuRrAGH i Co.
WASHINGTON, March Is, 1864.
"Mr. WESTON will, al an early day, announce
the arrangements under which the publication
OF the National Republican is to be contin ued
merely r. marking. tor the present, trat SO long
as he is connected with il the ID per will ad yo.
" hich he has been heretofore editoriGlly iden-
tilted at this capital. and which, in their adap.
tion 10 existing exigenciss. may be summed
mp in the expression OF the faith that in n
new sense, rot anticipated by Mr.. Webster.
Liberty and Union are one and inseparable, now
and forever"
The said Weston then assumed control over
said paper and the business connected with 1t,
and interfered with its publication The COM
pIainant further says that he Is advised that
tbe action of the said Murtagh worked dsso-
-ka.
the complainant to close the business as the
largest owner, and he holds himself ready to
give ample security 10 the ssid Murtagh for the
ment of his one third interest of the property
and profits OF said copartnershp. All the
actions and doings OF said M urtagh and Weston
are claimed to be az ainst equity and good con.
science, and tend to the manifest wrong and
oppression Of the complainant, and to the end
that full justice may be done HIM, an IN junction
is prayed restraining the said MurtaRh and
Weston from intrudiDg into the premises Of the
the properly, effects or affairs OF that paper,
NE It'll further order of the Court.
To the above statement Mr. Hanscom made
oath On the 10Th instant, and Chief Justice
defendants to show cause on Monday morning
why the injunction should not be granted.
ANSWER TO THE BILL OF COMPLAINT.
The notice was duly issued. and ~ O'Clock
Monday was fixed for the hearins; but it was
postponed until Tue sday morning at 10 o'clock,
when Mr.. VIM. J. M Murtagh, one Of the defend
ants, FLEE en- answer to the bill of complaint.
and averred that the fact Of the purchase of
the share OF Mr.. Clephane by Hanscom, on Jan.
uaIy 8, was correct; but AYERS also that said
purchase was subject to the debts o. said CO.
partnership.
The answ er further states that the said estab-
lishment prior to said purchase was the prop.
erty of defendant, and of said Weston and
Lewis CIephane, and that each of them owned
an undivided third part 1t is not true, as al
Legged, that the com plainant subsequently, pur-
chased one other third part OF said establish
ment; nor that at The fling OF the bill he was
the owner of two-thirds thereof On the con.
irary this res espondent ayers that the said Lewis
CIepbane being desirous to retire from said
firm. his interest therein was purchased on or
about January 2Sth, 1864, by This respondent
and complainant jointly. and that said inter-
est was ass gned 10 Robert Lamon, to be held
by h,m as collateral sec urity for the pawn N.
of the unpaid purchase money aereed on. and
then to be assigned TO respondent and com.
plainant jointly.
The AGREEMENT OF DISSOLUTION MADE WITH
LEWIS OLEPHANE.
TTbe agreement o dissolution made with
Clephane and the assi2nm-nc of the latter to
Lamon are filed with the answer The agree