The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1854-01-24 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

THR KIRKDALE SESSIONS.—The Epiphany Quarter Sessions for the hundred of West Derby, commenced on Tuesday, at the Court-house, Kirkdale, the Venerable Archdeacon Brooks presiding. The calendar was unusually light, containing the names of only 37 persons for trial. The number of prisoners in the gaol were, males 275 ; females 80 ; total 335. The sum of £l3O was granted for the repair of the bridges during the next quarter. Captain Woodford, superintendent of the constabulary, submitted his report, from which it appeared that the total number of cases for the quarter were-2,105 taken into custody by the police ; 1,954 summoned by ditto ; 2,447 summoned by the parish authorities ; total 6,506, as compared with 6,526 in the corresponding quarter of last year. In reply to the bench, Capt. Woodford stated that all the colliers in the neighbourhood of Wigan and Bury were now at work again, and the districts quite quiet. The question of refreshments at the sessions occasioned a warm discussion, Mr. Tinne proposing that all who partook should pay for what they called for ; eventually, however, it was agreed that the lunch be continued as heretofore. On Thursday, the criminal business commenced. One feature of interest in the proceedings of which was the introduction of a new barrister—Mr. B. C. Aspinall—brother to the gentleman of that name who has for some years been a respected member of our local bar. On that day the court was occupied for upwards of four hours in hearing a charge brought against three young men for cutting the wires of the electric telegragh on the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, near Wigan. The Rev. Archdeacon Brooks, in passing sentence, commented strongly upon the " enormity" and " absurdity" of any persons being irrational enough to frustrate a means of communication which was beneficial to all. The prisoners were sentenced to six months' imprisonment, with hard labour.—On Thursday, an appeal by Matthew Atkinson was heard. The appellant had applied for a license for a house at Garston, in August last, which had been refused on the ground that the house was unfinished at the time. The same objection being still in operation, the appeal was dismissed. On Friday, an appeal by James Berry, publican, Vauxhallroad, whose license had been suspended, was heard, and after three hours' discussion, the license was renewed. William Henry Spencer, publican, Peter-street, appealed against a decision of the borough magistrates refusing to renew his license. The appeal was dismissed, and the decision of the borough magistrates confirmed. A LEASE ON LivEs.—On Friday, before Vice-Chancellor Sir J. Stuart, Mr; Cairns moved, under the 6th Anne, chap. 18, entitled " An Act for the more effectual DiScovery of the Death of Persons pretended to be alive, to the prejudice of those who claim Estates after their Deaths," to compel a lessee pur autre vie to produce the ceatuique vie to the reversioner. The facts were as follow :—On the 4th of June, 1849, Mr. William Johnson, of Liverpool, haberdasher, became the purchaser, at a sale by public auction at Parkgate, in the county of Chester, of a house and offices situate at Parkgate, the description of which was, that they were occupied by Miss Storer, and " were claimed to be in lease for one life, then 60 years of age or thereabouts, but no evidence of such lease was in the possession of the vendor ;" and the house and offices were conveyed to Johnson, subject to the existence of the said lease, dated the 30th of November, 1791 (if any). On the 27th of July, 1852, Johnson gave notice to Thomas Whitehead, who was the tenant then in possession of the house and offices, to pay to him (Johnson) the future rent to become due in respect of the same, as he had requested Mr. William Byrne, of Shoe-lane, Dublin, bone-merchant, who claimed the life interest, subject to which he had purchased the house and offices, to prove to him that such life was still in existence, and Byrne had made no reply to such request. Under a threat of distress, however, at the instance of Byrne, Whitehead had paid the rent due on the Ist of October, 1852, to Byrne's agent. Johnson, thereupon, on the sth of August, 1853, gave Byrne notice, requiring to know from him whether the person for whose life he held the house and offices was then still alive, and, if alive, he required to know his or her address within one month. On the 3rd of November, 1853, Byrne wrote to Johnson's solicitor to the effect that he believed the lives for which he held the Parkgate premises were then existing, and that they were resident in England, but that if satisfactory proof could be given to convince him to the contrary, he would give the property up. In October, 1863, Whitehead paid to Byrne's agent the rent then due in respect of the Parkgate premises. Johnson, in support of the present application, deposed to the effect that he believed that the persons for whose lives the said lease was granted were now dead. The motion was, that William Byrne should be ordered, on the Ist of February next, provided the order of the court for that purpose should be served upon him ten clear days previously, to produce and show at a time and place therein mentioned, to two parties therein named, Elizabeth Clossey, widow, Jane Anne Galway, & Elizabeth Anne Galway,the persons named in the lease of the 30th of November, 1791, or any one or more of such persons. In support of the application, the first section of the 6th of Anne, chap. 18, was read, and " In. Re Lingers," 12 Sim., 104, was cited. The ViceChancellor made an order in the way mentioned in the case of "In Re Lingo," 12 Sim., Wit  Jelin CHAMBERS, a watchmaker, residing in Lukestreet, Toxteth-park, committed suicide on Monday by cutting his throat.