The Press. — 1857-04-25 (London, England)

THE QUESTION OF MRS. CUMMING'S SANITY 15 again to be decided by a jury. Since this eccentrie lady's death much litigation has ensued with respect to her large property, and the Lord Chancellor has nJw granted an application for an issue to try the question whether the deceased lady was of sound mini between certain periods of her life, during which she executed some important deeds. Our readers will probably recollect that Mrs. Cumming was alleged to be insane on the following grounds :Ist, on account of her eccentricity in keeping four cats in the house ; 2nd, because she was represented to entertain a morbid aversion to her relatives ; 3rd, because she was said to have some delusion respecting poison. Dr. Winslow considered all the,e imputations of insanity as utterly frivolous and vexation a, and wrote a strong opinion to the Court of Chancery in support of Mrs. Cumming's mental soundness and capability of managing her own affairs.  THE LAW AS TO PROVING GUNS was illustrated this week by the case of " Goodman v. Spence," when the question was raised by the plaintiff whether the Gunmakers' Company of London were not bound to receive for "definitive " proof, barrels which bad been " provisionally" proved in Birmingham. It was stated that though all the gun barrels used in the kingdom were made at Birmingham, many of them are sent to London, where they are finished, and fitted up; that provisional proof is a test to which barrels are subjected whilst eley are in the state in which they come from the forge, but if they were subsequently bored or have their substance otherwise decreased, they must undergo definitive proof. If the two provjogs were required to take place at the same proofhouse, it was said that this inconvenience would arise, that barrels would frequently have to be sent two journeys between London and Birmingham where otherwise only one journey would suffice. Another hardship which it was said would be inflicted upon the Birmingham trade was this, that if they were required to send barrels to London for provisional proof it would frequently happen that barrels which would not bear that test would be sent, so causing expense and delay, which would be avoided if the first testing took place at Birmingham and the second in London. The court, after hearing counsel at some length, decided that the action was not maintainable, and that their decision must be in favour of the defendant..  THE GREAT SHOEBLACK BRIGADE QUESTION WaS brought under the notice of the Lord Mayor this week. Mr. D. W. Harvey, the Police Commissioner, vindicated the conduct of the police with respect to the charge against them of having interfered unnecessarily with the boys. Mr. Harvey explained that the Ragged•school Society desired to establish a system which an irregularly self-constituted set of shoeblacks materially interfered with. These boys were principally thieves and vagabonds, and annoyed the public. Mr. M'Gregor, of the society, attended to explain the objects of the society, and the Lord Mayor promised to put down the irregulars if they interfered with the public. BACON AND HIS WIFE, it is understood, will be jointly tried for the murder of their children, and in such case the statement of the wife that her husband committed the murder may be tbed as evidence against herself. It is expected that a joint defence will be made, and that it will be that the act of murder was committed by Mrs. Bacon while in an unsound state of mind, and that she is consequently nut criminally responsible, and tbat the husband had nothing whatever to do with the same. If this should be successful, and Bacon shoals be acquitted, he will then be removed to the county of Lincoln to take his trial at the summer assizes for the poisoning of his mother.  THE CalM.