The Press. — London, England, 1854-08-26 00:00:00

802 gitttin Inttlhotna. THE ABERDEENSHIRE ELECTION came off 011 Tues day, and resulted in the unopposed return of Lord Haddo, eldest son of the Premier. The noble can didate being indisposed did not appear on the hustings, but was proposed by Sir J. D. Elphinstone, who stood sponsor for his personal and political qua lifications. Though Lord Haddo, he said, had not had much experience in public life, he was possessed of more than average abilities, and his experience in the walks of science, literature, and art, was above that of most men, while in the quiet paths of domestic and social life lie had unambitiously won his way. When better known he would be generally esteemed, and the electors of Aberdeen would have no cause to regret having elected him. Respecting free trade his noble friend held very advanced views, believing that 6 we were only at the beginning of the great work, and must go on with it until not only the customs but the excise were entirely and for ever done away with." For education, also, he announced that " Lord Haddo would be prepared to promote the cause of educational reform, not on secular grounds alone, but on the principle of combining the secular and the religious, and providing for the education of the poorest child in the land. The question of parliamentary reform, like some other questions of great importance, was hindered last year by the war; but it would be resumed, and Lord Haddo, while ready to maintain in all their integrity those parts which were found to be good and useful, was prepared to amend the constitution so as to bring it into harmony with the altered circumstances of the age, but without conceding the ballot, a mode of voting which he did not approve. With respect to the war, if Lord Haddo were elected, he would be prepared to support the present Government in their most vigorous efforts to humble the pride of Russia, to bring the Autocrat within such limits as his power would no longer be the occasion of uneasiness to Europe, and until material guarantees were obtained that in time to come our commerce and our happiness should not be disturbed." THE RESULT OF THE HULL ELECTION VMS as fol lows :—Seymour , 1,820 ; Watson, 1,800; Dickson, 1,600. The two former were elected. IT is stated that wi.hin a few hours of the return for the boroughs of Barnstaple, Maldon, and Hull, Mr. Edwin James, Q.C., was retained in support of petitions against the returns, upon the ground of corrupt practices having procured such returns, and to defend the seats of the sitting members for the borough of Cambridge, against a petition announced by the Conservative party in that town. THE Norwich Mercury announces that Lord James Hay, a brother of the Duchess of Wellington, is mentioned as a candidate for Lynn, to fill the vacancy made by the death of Viscount Jocelyn. The erasLiberl c andidate, Mr. J. H. Gurney, presented himself meeting of the electors of this borough on Wednes day, and made a long speech enunciating his political creed. VISCOUNT DUNCAN will, it is stated, come forward as a candidate for the seat for FORFARSHIRE vacant by the death of Colcnel the Honourable Lauderdale Mettle. Viscount Duncan will, of course, command the most influential Liberal support in the county. LIVERPOOL PROTESTANT SOCIETY. A 31F.ETIN a of the Liverpool Working Men's Protestant Reformation Society was held yesterday week, when a resolution to the following effect was adopted, and the president directed to transmit a copy to the Right Hon. B. Disraeli, M.P.:— " That the Protestant working men connected with this society have read with deep interest and indescribable plea sure the noble speech delivered by you in the House of Common' on Thursday evening, the 3rd instant, in defence of the motion of that excellent man, Mr. Spooner, and in reference to the uncourteous remarks of the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the subject of Burnish concessions, and the avowal of determination on your part that the great question of Protestantism shall receive at your hands, at all times, that attention its importance demands. Such a de claration from one commanding wisdom, uprightness, stern integrity, rarely concentrated in one man, and the uncompromising determination to defend the principles upon which rest the noblest monuments of human greatness, which, with the blessing of Almighty God, diffuse peace to our beloved country amid revolution and anarchy in con tinental nations—happiness to the subject, and, in propor tion as they are extended, wisdom and blessings to the human race—is cheering, and will induce the Protestant working men of Liverpool, united in determination to aid in upholding these principles, to confide in our wio and determination, and to regard you es the centre of future operations in reference to all measures that. will have to be discussed in the House of Commons effecting the Protestantism of England. And may Almighty God give you strength and prolong your valuable life, that the cause the Protestant working men of Liverpool commit to your charge may prosper and triumph." THE INHABITANTS OF THE TOWN OF BRECON are about to raise a statue of the late Duke of Wellington, and the site for its erection has just been selected. The height of the statue and pedestal will be 18 feet, the former being 8 feet and the latter 10. John Evan Thomas, the eminent sculptor, will be the THE PRESS. WHAT IS A " TRAVELLER "? Sown; definite solution of the question " what is a traveller ? " or at all events some information as to the police interpretation of the phrase in its applica tion to the new Beer Bill, was sought from Sir It. Mayne, at Scotland-yard, on Tuesday, by a deputa tion of hotelkeepers and licensed victuallers, headed by Mr. Simpson, of Cremorne-gardens. Mr. Luce, of Hampton Court, urged the complaint of hardship now suffered under the act by himself and fellow deputationists. His customers were principally gentle men who came more distinctly under the designation of travellers than those who had been so defined by Mr. Long in his decision respecting Jack Straw's Castle. He had requested some of them to put down their names in a book, and to state their opinion of the new act. Mr. Luce then produced a book containing the signatures of persons from almost all parts of the world—Cairo, Turin, United States, Ireland, Scotland, Germany, &c., who, having visited his house on Sundays since the passing of the act, protested in various languages against its inconvenience and oppressive character. He inquired how the inspector was justified in summoning him for supplying such parties with refreshment? The following colloquy ensued Sir H. MAysz said that it was the duty of the police to obtain cases for the decision of the magistrates. His duty was merely executive—to see that the law was obeyed. It was for the magistrates to decide on the proper interpreta tion of the law. With respect to the travellers' book which Mr. Luce had produced, the probability was that all the travellers had come last from London. He had not the slightest disposition to carry out the law in an inconvenient or oppressive manner, but it was important that the meaning of the word " traveller" should be decided by the proper tribunals. He was sorry if trade was incon venienced, but he should not be doing his duty did he not bring the cases before the magistrates. Mr. LUCE supposed that at all events in districts where the magistrates bad decided the police would not again interfere. The COMMISSIONER said it was not for him to say. If a number of magistrates decided the same way, it would of course be a guide to him in carrying out the acts. Mr. Luck: observed that, from the mode in which the act had been hurried through Parliament at the close of the session, one half the public were not aware of its provi- sions. Sir R. MAYBE had nothing to do with that matter. His duty was to see the law executed; but it was no part of his intention to have it carried out in a harsh or oppressive manner. He had told the superintendent to caution Mr. Luce on last Sunday that he was infringing the law, and he intended to take the opinion of the magistrate. By that opinion he of course would be guided in future pro• ceedin - gs. Mr. T. B. Stursort said that his case differed somewhat from that of Mr. Luce, but equally showed the unfair operation of the act. He had endeavoured to conform to the law as much as possible, but last Sunday had not been able to please the inspector. He had closed all the bars and ceased to serve customers before ten o'clock, but found it impossible to clear the people out for twenty minutes after. The inspector said he must report, but he (Mr. Simpson) wanted to know how he was to clear 1,500 people out of his grounds in less than twenty minutes. He had been told that at Gravesend the act was set at open defiance, and that at the Star and Garter, Richmond, business was carried on just as usual. The inspector had told him he must clear out at ten, as an example to his neighbours, but it should be recollected that they had probably to clear out only twelve feet square, while he had twelve acres. They might have twenty people to remove, while he had 1,500. The inspector further asked him why the house could not be cleared on Sunday as well as on Saturday night; but his answer was, that in one case the people knew the law, and thought it just; in the other they did not, and thought the curtailment of their liberty unreasonable. On Saturday night the bell rang, and in five minutes every one was out; but on Sunday, on the same signal, there was almost an imeute in the grounds, so angry were the public at what they considered to be an arbitrary and tyrannical restriction. They yelled, hooted, and tumbled the lamps and glasses about He had had averages of 7,000, 8,000, and 10,000 people at Cremorne on Sunday afternoons, and order and decorum were preserved by one policeman. These crowds were no drunkards, but respectable members of the community, who, having saved their money during the week, came out to enjoy the fresh air on Sundays. Sir R. MAYNE could himself speak to the good order which prevailed in Cremorne gardens, but the question they had now to consider was that there was a certain law, and that they must conform to it. He should think, how ever, that, if the sale of liquors was honestly closed at ten o'clock, a reasonable time might be allowed by the police for clearing the grounds. He meant, of course, a bond file closing; as the law might be evaded by buying a large quantity just before the time. THE REV. DR. Cuatmiso was announced to preach in a sequestered country church, near the seat of Sir John Heron Maxwell, Bart., of Spring Kell, in Dum friesshire, on Sunday evening last. The crowds that assembled from the surrounding parishes were so great that the church could not contain one-fourth of the multitude. The preacher took his place on a hillside, on the south side of the church, and the vast auditory, lairds and tenants, filled the deep glen below. It was a shadow of scenes that have long passed away, having all the likeness, but none of the perils, of the days of the covenant. SATURDAY, Xabl an Volta. THE INTERPRETATION OF THE NEW BEER BILL is giving much perplexity to the parties upon whose business it operates, and hardly less to the magis trates at the police courts. The latter are exposed to the first necessity of solving queries and incurring responsibility upon points which Parliament left avowedly uncertain, or whereon hereafter the higher tribunals of the country will have to pass a formal judgment. Among a multitude of other cases in dif ferent districts, the proprietor of the well-known tavern at Hampstead called Jack Straw's Castle, Mr. Robert Ware, was summoned to Marylebone Police Court on a police information for having infringed the new act: — Inspector Byron, it seems, visited Mr. Ware's house at half- past three o'clock on Sunday afternoon, and saw four gentlemen and a lady iu a room on the first floor, seated at different tables ; they had wine and ale before them. The defendant was present. In reply to some observations made, two of the gentlemen said they had ordered and got their wine before half-past two o'clock ; the fourth gentleman, who had some ale before him, said, " I dine here every Sunday; I live in towu." The defendant said that he had served the parties before half. pest two o'clock, in strict conformity with the act, and after that hour he requested them to leave the house, but they refused to do so. The parties assured the inspector that they were " travellers." Two of the guests then present, it appeared, had come to the house in a phaeton, others in a gig, with a horse much jaded and very dusty. One gentleman had walked, but came all the way from town, and gave his address in Northampton square. There was no suspicion of concealment or evasion, and no charge of misbehaviour. The mittr door of the house was closed, and the bar whence liquors were dispensed shut up when Inspector Byron went in. Two ques tions were, therefore, placed before the magistrate: one, whether customers to whom refreshments were served before the appointed hour for closing must suspend operations and depart at the given minute ; the other, whether the special customers found in Mr. Ware's dining-room were or were not " travellers." Upon the former point, Mr. Long said it " had been ruled over and over again" that while liquors re mained on the table it was a continuous service. Respecting the latter, his decision was in favour of the tavernkeeper : He felt that the question was one of the utmost importance and required the most careful consideration. Now, for his own part, he was diaposed to think, after all the definitions he had heard and read on the subject of " travellers," that the persons alluded to did come under this category. The facts were plain enough and were not disputed. Two of the parties drove there in a gig, two others in a brougham, and another gentleman went from his residence iu Ashby-street, Northampton-squarc. It was quite clear that none of these parties were resident in the neighbourhood, and it could not be urged that the supply of wine or other liquors on the occasion had led to intemperance, or any immoral or objectionable occurrence. He did not mean to say that, if a man left his residence in Fleet-street and went to Pic cadilly and ordered dinner there, he would be entitled to Le considered a " traveller" within the meaning of the act. The line must be drawn somewhere; but he did consider that &person going to Richmond or Greenwich, or Hampton or Hampstead, was entitled to be treated as a traveller. In the present case the edndt of the landlord appeared marked by great propriety, and, nader all the circumstances, he should dismiss the summons. AN ACTION FOR CRIB!. CoN. between two parties moving in highly-respectable circles in Gloucester shire came on for trial at Liverpool on Monday. The plaintiff, Mr. Evans, is a magistrate of the county, living at Cheltenham ; the defendant, whose name is Robinson, is a gentleman of wealth, residing in the same town, aged about 50. The plaintiff married a Miss Carrington, whose father also resides at Cheltenham. The plaintiff and his wife were married at the close of the year 1850, and shortly after their marriage differences arose between them, and they agreed to separate. A deed of separation was drawn up, the plaintiff allowing his wife an annuity of 2501. a year. She went to reside with her father. The defendant was an old friend of her father's family, and used to visit there constantly. The plaintiff's wife, in 1853, came to London and lodged at 13, Edgware-road, the defendant taking the lodgings for her, and visiting her very frequently. This came to the plaintiff's ears and excited his suspicions. In June last the plaintiff's wife again came to London, the defendant accompanying her, and the defendant took lodgings for her at No. 2, Bryanston-street. The plaintiff, bearing of this, engaged Field, the detective officer, to watch his wife's proceedings. She was constantly visited by the defendant. By the advice of Field, a hole was bored with a gimlet in the drawing-room door, through which a woman whom Field had selected and got placed as cook in the house watched the de fendant and the plaintiffs wife. She bored gimletholes in a door, through which she deposed to having witnessed proceedings which left no doubt of the criminality of the parties. Two other women were also examined who gave testimony as to what they had seen through the holes in the door. For the de fendent no witnesses were called, but his counsel succeeded by cross-examination in shaking the testimony of the three women summoned on behalf of the plaintiff. The jury after a long trial returned a verdtct for the defendant. APPLICATION was made under the Passenger Act against Cornelius Prout Newcombe, of the firm bu of Newcombe, Gri ffi ths, and Co., carrying on the si- .