The Press. — London, England, 1857-06-20 00:00:00

JUNE 20, 1857. That this meeting believes that the fifth clause of the bill re-enacts the Catholic oath, which is acknowledged to be offensive in its terms even by Protestant gentlemen and subjecting Catholics to offensive imputations, and therefore hopes that Catholic members of both houses will be induced to continue to oppose its re-enactment. A petition to both Houses of Parliament, in accor dance with the spirit of the above resolution, and protesting against the " invidious distinction " still maintained in the disfavour of the Catholic body, now lies at the Stafford•street Club for signature. It has already been signed by most of the noblemen and gentlemen above mentioned, as well as by the Duke of Norfolk, the Earl of Dunraven, and about sixty other Catholic gentlemen. rttropplitan. THE CONDITION OF THE POOR OF THE 'VICTORIA DOCK MARSHES has given rise to the foundation of a philanthropic and religious scheme under the head of the " Plaistow and Victoria Dock Mission," for the purpose of providing means of education and religious instruction for the 4,000 poor lately set tled in the district. A numerous and influential meeting was held at Stratford, on Wednesday, the Bishop of London presiding. Resolutions in accordance with the object of the meeting were passed and a committee appointed. Miss Burdett Coutts has headed the subscription list with 1001., which she has promised to contribute for five years. THE NATIONAL REFORMATORY UNION held their second annual meeting on Saturday, at Willis's. rooms. Lord Brougham was in the chair; and the noble and learned lord in his opening address ex pressed himself in tavour of using transportation as long as we could, but at the same time to improve and continue our reformatory policy. Letters were read from M. de Metz, with regard to reformatories. He made two principal suggestions—that the sites chosen should not be too far out of the way, and that the institutions should not be too large. The report of the society, which stated that thirty five reformatories had already been established in Eng land, and was altogether highly satisfactory and encouraging, was read and adopted, and various resolutions in accordance with the objects of the meeting passed. The provincial meeting fof 1857 will be held in the autumn at Birmingham. Piu 30 Voila. THE Maw. of the eccentric Captain Erlam for the abduction of the daughter of the notorious Levi Goodman, the owner of " Running Rein," took place on Wednesday, before Lord Campbell and a special jury. It was the old story once more. Captain Erlam, attached to one of the ➢liddlesex regiments of militia, then (in July, 1t156) stationed at Hammersmith, on several occasions met Rose Goodman walking in the neighbourhood. Now the gallant officer was a man of some experience in life, for he bad been married some sixteen years. One day in July Miss Goodman stopped with her cousin to hear the militia band play. Captain Erlam was there ; Rose Goodman was pretty, piquante, and young ; and of course Captain Erlam introduced himself by offering her a programme of the performance. The next day they met again ; the acquaintance speedily ripened itito a flirtation. The girl was flattered by the attentions of an officer, and threw herself in his way : _ . _ I saw him again (she admitted in her evidence) the next day near Turnham•¢reen; we spoke together. I met him several times at the same place. -- - On one occasion he gave her his card. Some little time after she gave it to her father, who threw it into the fire. Beyond this her respectable parent appears to have done nothing to check the girl in her career, to remove her from temptation, or even to exercise the slightest control over her actions : I used sometimes to go out to meet him ; never after dark. It was sometimes by appointment. I never wrote to him while I was at Hammersmith. I told him where I lived in London. At the end of July she returned to town : I then met Captain Erlam frequently, and wrote to him several times, making appointments to meet him. Mr. Page was generally with him when I met him. I came alone on several occasions. We generally met about four o'clock, and remained together for an hour or half an hour. We walked together. I met him once at my dress maker's by appointment. In August, the family go to Brighton, but before leaving town, from the following letter it would appear that matters bad come to a critical point in a very short time Morning. Dearest Erlam,—l should have written Saturday evening, but I had not time. You asked me what made me so serious and changed. I had been thinking of the promise I made you, and for the first time fully understood bow dreadful the consequence would be to me if, after a few years, you no longer loved me. I cannot repent my promise. Ought not this convince you that I love you? I shall expect to find • letter from you at Miss Morgan's on Tuesday.—l remain yours faithfully, It on. T HE PRESS. The promise to which I refer in that letter was to leave England with him before I was married. He told me he expected an appointment at the Cape of Good Hope, that he would take me there, and most probably I would never come to England again. It was to that I referred then, as it would be dreadful to be without a friend. Of course the young lady does not tell Captain Erlam that she was going to Brighton; it was only a re markable coincidence that she met him a day or two afterwards : I was walking on the parade with my mother. I took no notice whatever of him. I scarcely saw him. Ido not know whether he saw me at the time. His friend fol lowed me home. The next day she saw him again : He asked me what hour I would meet him. I wrote it on an envelope and threw it out of the window to bim. I told him where I should be, and at what time. He could not see the time, as it was rubbed out ; hut I met him the same day, or the next, and made another appoint. went to meet him at the Pavilion•gardens. I met him there nearly every morning, about eight o'clock, while I remained in Brighton. I never met him in the evening. The affair was going on delightfully. Captain Erlam, concealing the fact of his marriage, professed towards the Oil the most honourable intentions, and she of course believed him. Mr. and Mrs. Goodman, good innocent creatures, appear to have discreetly kept in the background, and to have known nothing of these pleasant morning meetings ; but a confidant to play propriety was necessary, and so Mrs. Mitchell, the amiable landlady, was selected with consummate skill by Captain Erlam : Mrs. Mitchell keeps the house where we lived. We have lodged at her house for two summers. J went out with her twice. I went to Rottingdean with her and Captain Erlam. It was at Brighton be first spoke to me about leaving home with him. He did not tell me he could not marry me. He did not say anything of the kind, and I did not say that I would rather live with him as his mistress than marry one of my own people. After a week or so the Goodman family return to town, and on the morning of leaving Brighton Captain Erlam receives the following letter : Wednesday Morning. Dearest Erlam,—We do not leave here until five o'clock ; but I think, as you say, that it is not worth while to let them find out anything for the sake of being tcgether for half an hour, although I look forward anxiously for the time to see you again, which, though we are only to be separated three days. seems to me as many years. I told Mrs. Mitchell that you were coming to see her when we had gone. If you please not to forget to have your likeness taken for me. I shall write to you from town, as I promised.—l remain, yours faithfully, A very few days would appear to have passed in London before the girl's resolution was taken : I again saw him frequently. He spoke again of marriage ; he said his mother was a very religious woman, and would not give her consent to our marryirg in England ; he said if I would leave England with him his mother would give her consent. I said, '' No." The matter was several times talked of by him. On the 23rd of August I left my father's house ; he was then living in Oxenden-street. I did not mention either to my mother or father that I was about to go. I met Captain Erlam at the bottom of the Haymarket by arpointment. I took nothing with me. This was on a Saturday. To Lord CAMPBELL: The appointment was made on the Wednesday before. There was a brougham waiting. We drove to the South- Eastern Railway. We found a coupe engaged, and went dawn to Folkestone, and thence to Boulogne the same day. We went on to Amiens without stopping. We passed the night there. We slept together in the same bed. Before we got to Amiens I asked him about our marriage. He said he would write to his mother; he would have an answer in two days, and would marry me at Frankfort. From Amiens we went to Brussels, and ultimately to Mayence. He said frequently that be would marry me directly we came to Frankfort. We never went there. He made no other excuse for not marrying me. He said he was perfectly able to do so directly he got his mother's answer. ROSE. The poor girl still believed in marriage, but at ➢lay ence she found out that the gallant captain was married ! In about three weeks' tiwo he showed me a letter which he said be had received from his mother, in which she said that my "papa knew he was married." tip to that time I did not know he was married. This was at Mayence. After that I did not live with him in the same way as before. We were staying in apartments. He told me there was no use in my leaving him, but that if I would stay in the same house with him he would write to England and get a divorce, and marry me in a few weeks. From that time had another room ; he did not leave the apartments until I wrote to my father. After this the two do not appear to have agreed very well together, but on the whole the story of the mar • riage does not seem so much to have affected the young woman : When I said I would write to my father he struck me several times, and threatened to cut my throat. Ido not recollect his saying anything about a Prussian officer at the table-d'hate. I did not want to ride out with one while Erlam was sick. I know who you mean. He gave me a bouquet and Erlam another at the same time. T never saw him but when Erlam was there. I did not crush Captain Erlam's before his face and put the other in my bosom. I believe I threw both out of the window because Erlam said something aboutit. The father was written to, and the following letter was received in return : Newmarket, Oct. 14, WC. received your letter this day inclosed from Jos:Th. I cannot come or send till next week. Has the vagabond left you ? for I can not make your letter out ; you say nothing but to send for you. I have seen his mother, and I believe her to be as bad or worse than himself. This is a concocted thing be tween them: but never mind, for I will never leave him till the hour of my death. Your mother will not live long; then I will find him if he is on earth, and woe be to him unless he behaves right to you. Mr. Goodman soon makes his appearance at Ostend, whither " Joseph " had conducted the daughter, but this excellent father, without expressing any grief either for his child or indignation with Captain Erlam, dines with the two in his daughter's bed room, He did so b€cause I" did not know whether he would allow me to tnke my daughter away. I was told he was in the habit of shooting people ": Papa dined in my bedroom, and Captain Erlam dined at the same table. We all dined together. I went to London with my father; Captain Erlam came part of the way to the boat with us. I think he would have come to England with us but that my father said if he did he would give him into custody. To Lord CAMPBELL : They were not very good friends when they were dining together. My father scarcely spoke to him. There was no objection wade to his being in my bedroom. Papa refused to dine there unless he was allowed to pay for his own dinner. I believe he paid for all the dinners. I do Lot know that they had two cigars. Papa always carries his own. Ido not remember them smoking. They had wine. I did not notice that Captain Erlam poured it out for my father. I did not bear my papa, when drinking, say, " Here's hoping we may settle this matter amicably." I beard Captain Erlam tell him he would be able to get a divorce directly. I did not hear my father say, If you had been going to stay together I could put you in the way of making money." Levi Goodman and his daughter came bock to town, and nothing more was heard of Captain Erlam until one day this spring Rose Goodman saw him in Regent-street. The police were put on his track, and he was arrested on the charge of abduction, Rose Goodman being in Aug. '56 only fourteen years and ten months old. Sergeant Shee, for the de fence, admitted that he could not prove a " previous consent " on the part of the father. The Jury at once found Captain Erlam guilty, and Lord Camp bell, animadverting in strong terms upon the dis graceful conduct of Levi Goodman, sentenced Captain Erlam to three months' imprisonment in the House of Correction. The gallant officer was then removed to prison. THE ADMINISTRATIVE REFORM ASSOCIATION has this week exhibited signs of resuscitation. It has appeared and defended itself with success, at the Court of Queen's i3ench, in an action brought by its late legal electioneering agent, for 1512. 18s., salary due. The details of the case exposed to us some of the proceedings of this ambigions association. Mr. Henry Wait Hall having. in June, 1856, read Mr. Roebuck's inauguration address, became fired with enthusiasm, anti wrote to him the tollowing letter : Sir,—For the first time we have now got the right man in the right place. You have propounded the only remedy for existing evils ; for if the people from without will not reform the House of Commons it is a mere waste of time to attempt it from within. But, sir, even you. I fear, will fail in your object, unless supported by an efficient subor. dinate staff. With that Ido not now despair of living to see you where you ought to have been long since—at the head of our Government, and I believe you would, as • matter of course, if the people were truly represented. I now cheerfully tender my services, and on any terms you please. My heart is in the cause. Mr. Roebuck was rude enough not to reply, so on the Ist July, Mr. Hall, whose heart could brook no delay, wrote to Mr. Morley. In sixteen days Mr. Morley replied, and after several interviews with that gentleman, the then possessor of the office, who did nothing but read the Times and take snuff for 3001. a year, was ousted, and on the Ist of August Mr. Hall was installed in the conduct of the election petitions, at two guineas a week and perquisites, estimated at least at 1,000/. a year. Then Mr. Hall was to prepare a gazetter of the constituencies, and address letters to Mr. Roebuck "on real or imaginary grievances." Finally, Mr. Hall com menced a pamphlet on the " House of Commons for the Pecple," commencing with the" Degraded Condi tion of the House of Commons," but in the midst of all these multifarious labours he received an intima tion that his services would be dispensed with. The council of the association objected to Mr. Hall de voting all his time to his pamphlet ; be did too much, be was too zealous, and so they got rid of him. The question for the jury to decide, was whether the en gagement was " weekly or yearly." Mr. Revans, the Hon. Sec., showed that the engagement was week' as " the funds of the association were derived subscriptions that might fail at any moment, produced a receipt of the plaintiff for eigl guineas salary for nine weeks. The jury f verdict for the association. reealy, i flom ," and ;lateen Itticl ,