The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-03-09 00:00:00

DEMONSTRATION IN HYDE-PARK.

The promised demonstration against the Parks
Regulation Bill was made in Hyde-park on Sunday
afternoon, and we give the following graphic descrip-
tion of the meeting from the Deify /Veto:—
One of the speakers in the course of the proceedings
boasted that there were scores of thousanda present. Al-
though this was an exaggerated estimate, there must at one
time have been very few short of 20,000 persons in the Park.
Of these a very small proportion indeed were avowed ad-
herents of the demonstrating party. The majority made up
a singularly motley gathering. The sunshiny afternoon
allured unusually large numbers of ladies, in which
term we include the wealthy and the fashionable,
shop-girls of all kinds and damsels radiant with the
liberty of a -Sunday out." The blackguardly element,
hitherto so prominent at Hyde-park demonetnitiona, was
the smallest we can remember to have seen; at the same
time the roughs who did attend were roughs of the
purest water. There was a fair spripkthig of the best
rank of working area and their families, and these pressed
near the speaking stands, and, with the processienists formed
the real audiences. Outside of the dense throng continually
moved the largest half of the gathering, chiefly well-dressed
and gloved gentlemen. The Houses of Parliament furnished
a contingent at least a hivadred and fifty strong. A small
orange girl, who had a moment before directed a volley of
shocking oaths at a youth who trod on her bare toes, went
up to a popular duke and tried to coax him into buying a
box of fuseee ; but although his Grace comes from a
land which has the reputation of getting money's worth
all the world over, he stood reso:utely out against the
temptation of three boxes a penny. Further on we passed
a Tichborne juryman, who, espying a certain legal orator,
seemed to ehudder and disappear. The hon, member of
Parliament who is great on the Ballot, and the hon. member
who is strong on the Liquor Traffic Question, were the centre
of a group of advanced Liberals: and they intensely disgusted
a man because they shook their heads at his pine-apple rock.
A gentleman attached to the Royal Household we saw hust-
led by some dirty youngsters chasing each other. A red-
checked girl, fresh, no doubt, front the dairy, was motion-
less with admiration of the manly proportions of the
biggest member, and one of the best rifle shots, of
the House of Commons. Ile also was the centre of a
senatorial group, which included a marquis who is
heir to a dukedom, the second tallest member of the
House of Commons, and three or four representatives of the
country party. Under the trees wOobserved a dean convers-
ing with two lads, and a pace or so off a successful author
and theatrical manager, evidently regarding the affair with
an eye to scenic effect. We had seen laws, and learning, and
arts, and commerce directly represented, and then to make
the catalogue complete, the poetical champion of the old
nobility strolled by arm-in-arm with a friend. We might
follow up them observations to the end of the eolumn, but
there came a sound of approaching music, and a simultaneous
rush towards the southern entrance to the park.
The tune heard was the " Marseillaise," played by a baud
leading a procession that had mustered in Trafalgar-square.
It wars stated at a recent meeting of the committee which
organized the demonstration that Republican flags and
emblems would not be allowed, but in the marching party
advancing towards the trees there was borne a Land and
Labour League flag which had on the reverse aide the
inscription, "Liberty, Fraternity, Equality." Some yards
in front a small union jack fluttered. A silken banner
indicated the whereabouts of the " Free Sunday Society."
The flags, how-ever, were so few that it was patent
they were merely used as rallying standards for the
contingents that had met in eleven different parts
of Loudon earlier in the afternoon. The march woo
direct to the broken stump of the Reformers' tree. Three
roughish looking nteu climbed to the top, and while two of
them stuck the flag-poles into the rotten pith, a third un-
furled a placard, which stated that "freedom of speech
is the bulwark of our liberty." The tree cannot in any
sense a bulwark for the bearer of this motto. Ile held
on by one hand for a long time writhieg, while the crowd
below laughed, and was finally hoisted up into safety by
his compatriots. It was now after four o'clock—the hour
fixed for the taking of the "chair." rending this event,
the usual traneactiems were going briskly on around,
There were four sets of mock Litanists. These in-
dividuals are a melancholy enough spectacle in them-
aelves, but much more sad was it to witness the en-
couragement they received Li the laughter and pence of
apparently educated and respectable godlenien. Hawkers
abounded, and actually did a good business. The trees un-
fortunately were being rapidly stripped of the few low
branches which have survived previous demenstrationa, and
the tumbles from decayed limbs were greeted with peals of
laughter. By-and-by other bands arrived One played "See
the Conquering Hero Comes," and it was naturally thought
the expected lion of the day had arrived, but no Mr. Odger
appearing the central audience was again broken up, and the
naml recitations of the mock-litimists were again heard and
enjoyed. Mr. ()tiger paid the penalty of his unpunctuality
by havipg to play second to Mr. Bradlauglt This gentleman
suddenly arising as If out of the tree trunk, from all sides
anxious inquiriee were made as to the announced chairman.
lie was compelled to state that Mr. Odger was In fact blot:Keil
out by the deurrity of the throng. This was the case,
and he found all that remained for him was to preside at
second meeting, composed principally of a pro,cssion that
hail marched through the Marble-arch with the red hag and
cap at their bead. After a little difficulty the six bands were
persuaded to stop playing. Mr. Bradlaugh commenced his
remarks at the moment when four or five boys in the trees
were in the act of falling bodily !Arleen or sixteen feet to the
ground. Their terror-etricken faces, as si ith lost eape and
torn trousers they came down on the heads of the crowd,
created ouch hearty laughter that Mr. Bradlaugh, defiantly
shaking his fist at the audience, declared that lie had
sufficient force at his command to keep order if it
was necessary. It was fortunate there was no need
of proving how far this was a silo challolge, for
our observation as the crowd gathered was that an ex-
pectation of riot prevailed, and that the thick sticks which
a certain class of young men always bring to these meetings
and flourish bravely would have been used on one side or
the other. However, all passed elf decently, in order, and
with considerable enthusiasm. The speeches fairly begun,
the park presented the appearance of a dozen equally-au
ported meetings, two of them to protest against the l'arks
Regulation Bill, the remainder to hear what the broad-
sheet salesmen had to otter.
The speakers hail been previously seleated by a repre.
[imitative meeting of sixty win king-closs organisations for
their ability and prudence, and were therefore the best
specimens of workingtuan's oratory, Naturally but little of
what waif said maid be heard, air. Bradlaugh was the most
successful in this respect. First lie explained that, not
being in favour of unnecessarily gathering iarge masses of
the people together, only four times "during the whole of
his political career" had he attended these demonstrations.
tlis argument was that the Parks Regulation Bill had
aroused the just indignation of all classes of werking-men ;
that the measure had not the merit even of boldness and
openness; that it was especially annoying this proposal
should be made not by Tomes, but by a Government that
came in on the shoulders of the people ; that Mr. Gladstone,
who, more than any other man, had declared the right of
j free speech, wished to hand over the parks "to some sub-
ranger, perhaps a German who hardly speaks our own lan-
;gime, who has none of our sympathies, arid who does nothing
I but take a penzion n' and that if the bill was passed the
,e people would defy its execution. A succeeding speaker de-
pounced the attempt which the House of Commons was
at makiug to give the rightof arrest to a park keeper; and another
,„. said the bill would create a riot, became as the hallt were
closed against them, and publicans threatened with a sus-
pension of licence for harlmuring them, there was nothing
tat
air left to meet in but the parks. There was a good deal of
nee abuse all round of the Gladstone Goverlinient ; but, so far
as we heard, the speeches were not as a rule marked by en-
le° travagaut language. The speakers had been specially asked
to abetaiu from Republican talk. By half-past five the pro-
itely cessions were marching home, the following resolutions
mied having been declared carried :
con- "1 That this meeting expresses its astonishment at, and
enters its protest against, the introduction of the Parks Re-
cut of milation Bill, which is calculated to produce serious irrita-
alders tion, and perhaps riot, amongst a peaceable and order-loving
bore people."
2. That the present conduct of the Government, after
having opposed all such measures when Introduced by the
nettre, Conservatives, is clear evidence of their having used the
"e" people for their own personal elevation, and of their trea-
ain ex- cherous, unscrupulous, and time-serving policy."
aiu his
an ; the "3, That this meeting pledges itself to hold meetings,
!astened organize demonstrations, and use every available means to
a jjaajj ef defeat so odious a measure, and that this meeting also warns
rjethjapa the Government against passing the Bill, whi 7.11 will not
with the deter the people from meeting in the national parks."
8.011.43,

herents

CHARGE OF STEALING COINS.
At the Mansion-house in London, Henry Ash graham,
aged 23, a footman, has been charged, before Sir Thomas
Habriel, on remand, with a robbery, as a servant, nutter
peculiar circtunstato•es.
Michael Hayden, a detective sergeant, deposed that
on Saturday week he was called into the premises of
Messrs. Baum, bullion merchants, in Lombard-street,
where he found the prisoner. After some conversation
between the prisoner and one of the firm, wit-
ness addressed the prisoner, telling him he was
police officer, and that from inquiries he had
made respecting certain coins which then lay
on the counter before Mr. Baum, he should
have to ask him a few questions—namely, to
whom the coins belonged and where he had got
them. ile replied that they belonged to him, that he
was senior, and hail served in the navy in India, China,
Japan, and Australia, and had been engaged in the cap-
ture of ships concerned in the slave trade, and that the
coins in question were his share in the plunder. Wit-
ness told him his account was not satisfaaory, and
that he should charge him with being in the unlawful
possession of thesis. Witness took him to the Bow-
lane p ,liceatation, where the charge was entered
and read over to him. The prisoner again said the
coins were his and that the account he hail given
was true. Shortly afterwards he said he would tell wit-
ness the truth about them, as he did not a-ant to get
anybody else into trouble about them. The fact was,
he said, he had stolen them, that he was in the service
of Captain Moir, of Hartsfield, Bletchworth, Surrey,
and that he had taken them from a collection his
master had and had offered them on Friday week for
sale to Mr. Baum. He added that he had previously
sold some to Mr. Baum and did not know what pos-
sessed him to do it., except that he had had a sunstroke,
and did not know what he NVONS doing.
Replying to a question from the Bench, witness sail
the Coins on the counter during this conversation in-
cluded l;.; gold coins and 3e, silver coins, English and
foreign. •
The pripner had been remanded, and on this occa-
sion Mr. his master, deposed that there•were
more coins still missing from his collection. He had
examined his cabinet since the last examination of the
prisoner, and had found 25 more were missing from
it. three of which were of more money value than
all the rest. A five-sovereign piece of Victoria
was Missing, as were also a two-sovereign piece
of the reig_n of George 111., a two-guinea piece
of George 11., and an American dollar, a large piece
called the double eagle of '5B, and many more. He
now recognized among those stolen one of the date of
1839. Those were all extraordinarily scarce.
Henry Harris, clerk to Maws. Baum, bullion dealers,
58, Lombard-street, said the prisoner had called there
twice, the lust occasion being about the latter part of
wits he offuoi to sell own OW* wing