The Express.
London, England, 1864-11-19 00:00:00

HRITANNIA.

*lna Eviario. THE MorllEll'i DYING CHILD. MN S.
Lan, Sin;ing . Albert r.tet le and )Lille IA Intl.—\lß
Lb, 0,11'4..1. 1. the Ital. in Lyric,
JoIIN Ll K —CQuicatuct at ty.

1111;H W‘TTr. AT LANDANTIRIDCE.

Tr.IR Dts Aftern.::,;t: fa. 47171.
it• - 31vrtitn.:. !,ro....Alternwo, 64. 31m.

LoNDON, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19.

Terra. are people all around us who seem
capable of acquiring any and every art except'
that of living agreeably with their fellow-
creatures, and who have yet to learn the first,
lesson of social science—the duty of consideration
for others. In some cases, no doubt, an unfortu-
nate physical temperament, an unhappy com-
plexion of body, and in others ill-regulated pas- I
sion, gives rise to this mental disorder. One cause,
however, which we suspect is exceedingly preva-
lent, attaches to intellectual error, and may be de-
scribed as au exclusive and perverted individualism
that incapacitates its subject for the virtue which
springs spontaneously where the social relations
are adequately rye.: gnised as a source of happiness
and a field of duty.
A whole crop of illustrations of this miserable
and pernicious spirit have sprung up under the
attempt to apply Mr. Bass's Act for the regulation
of street musJe, end it is astonishing to find how
many people the are who take pleasure in assert-1
ing their to indulge their personal he-
mour, heedless rf the suffering and injury they
infiet on their neighbours. The equitable and
humane idea of that measure was that, inasmuch
as street music pleases a portion of the community,
it ought not to be unconditionally forbidden ; but
further, that being at most a luxury, it should not
be permitted t become an annoyance to the
peaceful subject. It was considered
better that half-a-dozen people should miss a
gratification they could so well do
without, than that ono person should be
damaged is Lis health or pursuits. It
seems that tnis ~ a consideration far too social
for many persees > apprehend and accept. Dr.
SS N, .TT, who eieeared on Thursday before Mr.
`!tier. at the N‘i.stiiiiiister Police-court, to answer
a charge of threatening to horsewhip a neighbour,
has been lab .hie_ under a disability of this kind.
The cmiplaiiimit, Mr. f;l.-rvx cc K. tiw, stated to
the magistrate that he had been seriously ill on
ditierent occasi ms during the last sixteen months,
throughout which period lie had eoperienced crest
annoyance front itinerant organ-grinders opposite
his door. 11, hid been ordered out of town for
low fever in .'sitgust last, and on his return in
October the aniii.yiince was repeated—an organ-
man regularly p!•ying opposite his windows twice
a week. II: 114.1 months ago given notice to the
person who tile.eir..ged this that he was annoyed,
and had r• IT:It. • i!y applied to the police, who
had given lien ell the assistance in their power
to abate the nuisance. On the evening of
the nth lie was still suffering under indisposi-
tion, when an egen-grinder cause in front of
his dwelling. If. went out to give the man into
custody, whim the drawing-room window at the
defendant's ticet.e opposite was opened, and the
defendant's e if,• iieouraged the man to continue
playing. o k..N 1.. making the natural,
though perli..ps i, edicions observation, that such
conduct was .1. .tracefill, Dr. St NsSTT rushed to
the windo•.c, nd eihd that if he (lid not leave he
wolihl give him a horsewhipping. Mr. s.,c is;
added that he hi lieved Dr. SYN. ,TT meant what he
said, and tli it as i.e should in all probability have
resented such tiaptinent there would have been
a breach of ti.• peace. Dr. Svv..rr admitted the
suh,tantial truth f the complainant's statement.
It was the fact that organ-men played twice a
week before his door, and on Mr. K...NIG inter-
fering he hail made use of the threat referred to ;
bi_ be denh : Cm: the complainant was ill ; talked
about being 1 11 insulted and bullied, and of
the annoyance of having a crowd collected round
his door ; and concluded by asking whether
Mr. K.•s e: had a right to send an organ-man away
front playing front of the house of another
person.
Mr.

wn' at the pains to explain to Dr.
SI•NolT that not he, but Mr. Kest;, had most
reawn to coioplain of annoyance ; that the Com-
plainant watt net e'illed to prove the state of his
health in court : that ho had a right to send off
an organ-man playing in the neighbourhood of his
hoarse, or wilily' I,ii hearing ; that if Dr. Syserr
encouraged the organ-man there he would do so
at his risk ; and that if Mrs. SI'NuTT had been
brought before the court for aiding and abetting
the organ-man in remaining, and the case had
been proved against her, she would have felt the
weight of the law. Mr. SELFE added, he con-
sidered that " it was disgraceful and un-Christian•