The Sun. — 1844-08-24 (London, England)

LAW AND POLICE. In the Bankruptcy Court, Mr. Commissioner Fonblanque delivered a very important judgment as to the construction to be placed on the attestation clauses of the Insolvent Act. He said that he had had a conference with three other Commissioners on the subject, and that, in their opinion, the "attorney or agent in the matter of such petition," who was directed by the Act to make the attestation, meant " an attorney at law, and not such a general attorney as a party can make to do such acts as himself might have done." This judgment is directly opposed to the opinion of Lord Brougham, as to the proper construction of the attestation section. There were twenty-three insolvent- cases disposed of by Commissioners Fonblanque and Fane, but they possessed no features of public interest. Philip Turner was indicted on Wednesday, at Gloucester, before Mr. Sergeant. Atcherley, for sending on the 15th of July last a letter to his daughter, threatening to kill his son-in law, William Salmon. After the trial had commenced it was agreed, at the suggestion of the Judge, that the prisoner should withdraw his plea of not guilty, pleading guilty instead, and entering into his own recognisances to the amount of 1,0001., and come up and receive judgment if requisite. At Liverpool, Michael Riley, convicted of a robbery from the person of John Ashton, at Manchester, was sentenced to be imprisoned for twelve calendar months ; and Thomas Hurst, indicted for shooting at George Taylor, with intent to do him some grievous bodily harm, was found guilty of an assault. In the civil side the case of Gregory v. Williams, which was an action for libel was tried, before Mr. Justice Cresswell. The libel which imputed to the plaintiff, the agent to a Mr. Wynne, improper conduct in the execution of the duties of his agency, was contained in a letter addressed to that gentleman. The jury found for the plaintiff, damages 150/., which, however, was reduced to 100/., the sum claimed in the declaration. In the case of Dresser v. Clarke and others, the jury found for the plaintiff for 1301. This was an action by the Yorkshire District Bank against certain parties whO had become sureties for advances made by the bank to the contractors for the erection of a church at Wetherby. The church was to have been erected by subscription. The poisoning case at Stepney has terminated in the acquittal of the accused James Cockburn Belaney. The trial occupied the attention of the Central Criminal Court for two days. In the New Court, the Common Sergeant sentenced Justinian Burrell to seven years' transportation, for embezzling 54/. 165., the property of his employer. Octavius Clark, the gentleman thief who pleaded guilty to a variety of indictments, was sentenced to be transported for ten years. A builder, named William White, was indicted for confederating and conspiring with William Atkins, and by means of false pretexts, to obtain from a person of the name of Dunn a quantity of grocery of considerable amount, with intent to cheat and defraud him thereof. Atkins opened a grocer's shop at Fulham, and in order to obtain goods from Dunn on credit referred him to White, who was represented by Atkins to be a man of large property. The goods were sent, but before the time of payment arrived the shop was shut up, and both Atkins and White were off. lie was convicted and sentenced to twelve months' hard labour.  The Lord Mayor committed a man named William Harden for trial, from the Mansion. house, for stealing several bags of sugar, the property of Messrs. Fenn and Co. The prisoner had represented himself to the prosecutors as Mr. Joseph Morris, of Kingston, a gentleman of known respectability, whose card he produced, and which he had obtained by representing to Mr. Morris that he was the traveller of Messrs. Hands and Co., of Mincing-lane, and that he had called for orders.  Richard Robinson, a boy eleven years of age, was fined 101. at Wandsworth, and in default of payment sentenced to six weeks' imprisonment for having placed a piece of wood across the rails of the South• Western Railway at Wimbledon.  Mr. Cottingbam, at Union-hall, ordered Edward Hornblow, who had attempted suicide, to be detained until he should provide sureties not to renew the attempt. Thomas C. Cowley was again remanded from Lambeth-street on a charge of fraud and swindling. This is the man who obtained credit at several public-houses by representing himself as the executor of the late Dr. Harvey, of South Australia.  C01731T-