The House of Lords, on Tuesday, coefirmed the decision of
the Court belcw against the claim of Mr. Scales to be the Alderman of Port- soken Ward.
In the Prerogative Court, on Wednesday, Sir Herbert Jenner gave judgment in the long-pending cause respecting the will and codicil of the late James Wood of' Gloucester. The Judge set aside both docu- ments. The will, he said, had been put forward by the executors, Alderman Wood, Mr. John Phillpotts, and others, with nada fides. It appeared that they had represented two separate documents, instruc- tions for a will and a paper purporting to be a will itself, as one paper, though they had themselves wafered the two together, subsequently to Wood's death. Sir Herbert was not satisfied that either together or separately they could be received. as the last will and testament of the
deceased. He also decreed that the famous codicil, which was sent by the threepenny post to a Mr. Helps—it did not appear by whom, but which materially altered the disposition of the deceased's property —had not been proved to be in the handwriting of the deceased : there- fore, that document must be set aside. The effect of these decisions in to declare that Wood died intestate ; and to make over his personal property, amounting to nearly a million, to two second cousins, as next of kin, while his real property, valued at about 250,000/., goes to the heir-at-law, who was no party to the cause, and is not even known. The proctors for the executors gave notice of an appeal from the Court's decision.
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