JUDGMENT DELAYED

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 82, 5 April 1924, Page 16

JUDGMENT DELAYED

LENGTHY OASES IN LAW COTTKTS.

. The.Frerich Courts afford.instances of much lengthier lawsuits than, that in which the, Naples -Court .of Appeal has. just delivered''judgment after litigation extending over' 82. years; says a 1 "■: correspondent.of the '.'Manchester. Guardian." ln:;l2.lo,\the Comte de .'Nejvers started legal proceedingsagainstthe municipality of.Donzy to settle a dispute concerning jins rights as seigneur. Tho case thus' started continued century. after. centiiry --fresh, poiufa of law being raised at long ' intervals—until . a final settlement •was reached in 1848. A generation .later '.there, ibegari'.two other lawsuits...which, .betwfcen < them;, ilasted nearly thirteen .hundred years. , In; both cases the feud wasi between the':citizena of Camp'an and' :the: inhab'itanti .'of certain 'neighbouring villages,.,and jthe subject'-of dispute iwas .theiright to graze cattte-'abd :cut>'^mber. The^Beirkeloy .suit,";-' arising-. ■.out.-pf'the marriage of Elizabeth,' daughter; of'the fourth Eord,;.Berkeley,.. -.with''Richard Beauchamp, 'Earl of Warwick,: Weai-s to 'be tne longest.suit on record in-EriK-iland. ..In. 1416 their, descendants'iiled a suit for the-possession'of.'Berkel'ey.'Castle', and'in 1609 it was decide'd'in'favourj of ;.Henry, eleventh- Lord ' Berkeley:'! Meanwhile! several -attempts ; were made','to seize .Berkeley ■ Castle 'by "force,'no'tably in 0+69/ when "Viscount' Lisle 'ffreat-gran^on^of-the above '.Elizabeth, wa 6 killed._ He^was heading 'av.battre;bet^eeii - sor? e.-J ive hundred of ;■ his 'own- retainers :and about as' miuiy retainers Berkeley, whom he had-fchaUe^ged.'-alrid •fISS: tv ,°^. lu3 men- So^ercefwas-the fight that the casualties, on both:,-aides .totalled over. 150 and 300.wounded.-Lord .Lisle.was .an .only' son,'. so :.his",sisters :>and covheiresses, followed upv the,'- suitf ids theiv'.descendants''dirt-after them/aU to .^purpose, for in the bug run they