The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-10-09 00:00:00

BRAWLING IN A CHURCHYARD.

At the Shire Hall, Nottingham, on Saturday, an elderly I
woolen, named liannah Wood, was sionm.med for creating
a disturbance in the churchyard at Stapletord. Notts, on
Sunday last. The charge was made by the vicar of the
pari,h, the Rev Mr. Redd, under the 22nd and 23rd Vict.,
c. 32, which relates to brawling in churchyards.
It appears that about three weeks ago the plaintiff
baptised privately the child of the defendant's daughter,
,an infant about fifteen months old. A short time
afterwards the child's mother died, and was buried
in Stapleford churchyard. Subsequently the child
died also, and on its being taken to be buried
by its father and grandfather, the reverend gentle-
man refused to admit it into the church on the
ground that it had not been publicly baptised. The
defendant then put the infant into its mother's grave,
and Mr. Budd came up and began to read the latter
Part of the burl el service. The woman then com-
menced screaming, and called the clergyman a vaga-
bond and other names, creating such a disturbance
that he was compelled to return to the church, leaving
the burial service unfinished.
The rev, gentleman said one reason why he brought
the charge was to encourage public baptism, as many.
of the inhabitants of the parish allowed their children
to crow up unbaptised.
The magistrates consulted for some time, and
ultimately stated that they had no alternative but to
convict. They could not go into the question of Mr.
Budd refusing to take the corpse into the church. A
penalty of 59. would be inflicted.

MR. SHERIDAN. M.P., AND THE ALBERT
ASSURANCE SOCIETY.
Mr. H. B. Sheridan has addressed a long letter to
his constituents at Dudley, explanatory of his transac-
tions with the Albert awl other comp:tries. He argues
that ConalliSnOn equal in amount to that which he re-
ceived from the Albert would, for the same considera-
tion, have been obtained from any amalgamating com-
pany. His first transaction related to the purchase by
the Albert of the Times Companv—a business un-
doubtedly sound. In this company Mr. Sheridan says he
had an income secured for life of £7OO. This interest was
bought by the Albert for £8,700, the value according to
the published tables of the cA I,npany ; but it was stipula-
ted that he should bid himself at their disposal for the
guarantee business for a certain time, and should not
for five years accept any appointment similar to that
which he had relinquished. Subsequently he nego-
tiated the transfer of several businesses to the Albert,
for which he was paid in cotntuiesion £28,000, or '2 per
cent. The amount of these transfers was nearly
£250,000 per annum. The payment of this commis.
Pion extended over several years. Mr. Sheridan entets
into a statement of the amount of commissions
usually paid to show that what he received was not
an exorbitant sum, and appeals to the most eminent
commercial authorities, such as Baron Rothschild,
Mr. Goschen, and Mr. Baring, whether they are not
sanctioned by the practice of other insurance com-
panies. The affairs of the Albert, Mr. Sheridan says,
were investigated in 1862 by Professor De Morgan,
viln.n it was stated that there were enough iksets for
every liability, and profit besides. and therefore the sum
of £50,000 was divided as profit. With the amalgamation
with the Western, which took place subsequently, Mr.
Sheridan was in no way concerned. Mr. Sheridan
adds that he has made this explanation voluntarily,
and says he believes his constituents are incapable of
condemning him without an inquiry.