The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-06-17 00:00:00

KIDDERMINSTER.

CEMETERY QUESTION.—The Kidderminster Burial
Board held a prolonged meeting on Monday afternoon,
when the proposed allotment for Catholics was very
freely discussed. The ROY. F. R. Evans presided. At
the last meeting a deputation of Nonconformists attended,
to object to any special ground being allotted to the
Roman Catholics; and a deputation from the latter
communion also attended, to support the proposed
allotment. The Board deferred any discussion on the
matter, till Monday, when the whole of the members
were present.—Several alterations in the plans were
agreed to, which will lead to a saving of about £4OO,
and enter alia it was agreed to reduce slightly the size of
a room attached to the lodge, and which will be probably
used for Board meetings. Some members of the Board
regarded this room as one which might also be used by
the Roman Catholics ah3n their funorals took place, and
Mr. Herring moved that Dr. McCave have the use of
the room at such timer, and also that a cupboard should
be provided, in which to keep his surplice.—Dr. McCave
seconded the motion.—Alderman Naylor moved an
amendment that at present there should be no specified
use for the roon. in question.—Mr. Parry seconded the
amendment, which was carried by 3 to 2, 4 not voting.
Alderman Naylor moved that the burial ground be
divided into consecrated and unconsecrated parts, with-
out fixing any specified ground for Roman Catholics.
Dr. McCave, at the last meeting, gave the names of
various places where a separate allotment of ground
was made to Roman Catholics, but it had since been
ascertained that out of forty-three places to which cir-
culars had been addressed a separate allotment of ground
to Catholics was made in nineteen, and ne such allot-
ment was made in the other twenty-four, so that the
majority of places were against the custom Dr. McCoys
spoke of. Taking the chief ground, as it appeared to
him, why it was said this allotment should be made,
viz , that it was done generally, it did not appear borne
out by the facts. If they agreed to what the Roman
Catholics wished, they should be adopting the principle
of concurrent endowment, which was obsolete and im-
practicable. They had to make a division of the ground
Into consecrated and nneonsecrated, and beyond this
they should not go. The expected legislation on the
burials question would be in the direction of perfect
equality, and he thought there were abundant reasons
why they should not do anything to perpetuate the
divisions which had hitherto existed.—Mr. Stooke
seconded the resolution, remarking that if they gave
any separate part of the cemetery to the Roman
Catholics they were giving them a special privilege, to
which he contended they were not entitled,—Mr.
Harvey moved an amendment to the effect that the
division of the cemetery, with the allotment of an acre
to the Roman Catholihs, be adhered to. He thought it
perfectly fair that the ground should be allotted to the
Roman Catholics, in proportion to their numbers, and
the proposed arrangement of the ground appeared to
him an equitable one.—Mr. Herring seconded the
amendment. The Nonconformists wanted to dictate
about everything, and the objection th >y had made to
the Roman Catholics having a portion of the ground
was the most paltry one he had beard in his life.—Dr.
bleCave, in supporting the amendment, quoted what
was done in other places in contradiction to the bearing
of Alderman Naylor's statistics, and stated kW in
several places where no allotment of ground was made
to the Roman Catholics in public cemeteries, it was ow-
ing to their having cemeteries of thtir own. It was a
question of doing unto others as you would they should
do unto you. There should be justice, and equal rights,
and equal consideration for alt.—Mr. Parry reminded
Dr. McCaye with regard to his last observations that it
had been declared in a special organ of the Pope's that
in a free State Catholics claimed all the rights they
could, because it was a custom there to grant them; but
where they (the Catholics) were in power they did not
grant such rights, because it was not their practice to do
so. He was, therefore, suspicious of these common
phrases about liberty in the mouthe of those who, when
in power, did not allow people to think for themselves.
Mr. Parry contended that the Roman Catholics had no
right to ask for themselves privileges in the cemetery
apart from the Nonconformists, and the latter would not
consider themselves fairly dealt with if the Board passed
the amendmeat.—The discussion was continued by Mr.
Morton, Mr. Bache, and the Chairman, all of whom
supported the amendment. —Alderman Naylor replied.
and the amendment was carried by sto 4, and the
Reiman Catholics will accordingly have a separate allot-
ment of ground in the cemetery.

BROMSGROVE.
CHARGB or Raps.--At IhiPetty Sessions, on Wades-
day, before Captain Bourne and Mr. IL. Smallwood, John
Walters Byng. of Catshill. nailer, was charged with com-
mitting -a rape'liponthd pereon of Mary-Hannah Alit:Oa'
a girh between 'slew a And twelve- years or. Egli dauggtei,
of firearge Alleock, of Holly Hill; !arta 'atwitter.'
The girl's ,statimenti'‘ which, vas givdir 'very ' OrdatlYl
showed thatslae hid 1:10 matirer living, and VAL 'she acted'
as nurse to prisoner's children. On Satuzdity night" Mre.
Byng left home for &time; and during her absence Byng
sent the girl for some tobacco. She tocsk the-baby'with
her, and had to go through the garden and into a lane at
the back. On her return she was met by Byng at the
gap in the hedge leading into the lane, and he took the
baby from her. and
,laid it on the grouni, and then
pushed her down in the lane and corainitted,the offence
with which he was charged, promising her a penny if she
was quiet, but that he would ",give her something if J
she said anything about it. She afterwards told another
girl about it, and she told a neighbour of prisoner, and
hence it came to the knowledge of the police. The girl
was examined by Mr. W. L. Batten, surgeon, Bronas-
grove, whose evidence showed that the offence had been
committed, and prisoner was apprehended early on
Monday morning by Police-constable Beardsmore, at
Halesowen, having left his home the previous day.
Prisoner, who was defended by Mr. Holyoake,.was cornt
mitted for trial at Worcester Assizes, the magistrates
consenting to take bail, himself in £200., and two sure-
ties is £l5O. each. As the required bail was not forth-
coming, prisoner was removed in custody.