The Express.
London, England, 1863-11-11 00:00:00

THE MITSOPOLITAN COMMONS.

don in the adjoining (not common) land. On the
right hand side of the high road, from Clapham to
Wandsworth town, an extensive settlement has
sprung up, called New Wandsworth, consisting of
hundreds of handsome villas and cottage, and so
great is the demand for these residences in conse-
quence of the railway facilities for getting to
town, that no sooner is the foundation of a new
house dug than the contractor is pestered with ap-
plications from intending tenants. This thriving
colony is deeply interested in the preservation of
the common rights, and its numbers increase every
day. The Patriotic school took a tremendous slice,
fifty-two acres, the school buildings form-
ing a conspicuous feature in the prospect,
and the great telescope requires some twelve or
fifteen acres for its accommodation. These
are a few of the greater encroachments, but there
are, in addition, numberless smaller ones of which
there is no very distinct record as to how they
came about ; but there they are, and their tendency
is to spread until the whole common is swallowed
up if steps be not taken to preserve it for some
public) use, either a park, a recreation ground, a
volunteer review field, or some arrangement which
shall answer all these purpomis. There is, for
example, a row of houses called Beathfield, running
scrag the centre of the common, of which the
history is a little curious. In the year 1832 the
spot was nornapied by a few tumbledown old houses,
' mere eqsateene huts, and when the lira visitation
of the cholera broke out in that year theee huts
were wed as a sort of suburban cholera hospital.
When the pestilence ceased, the present row of
handsome houses roes mysteriously in their pleas,
but their very situation shows them to be nothing
but as encroachment on the common.
The condition of the ground, which is still left
intact, is not satisfactory. The inhabitants of the
neighbourhood complain that it is the resort of bad
characters, and the some of a great deal of pro-
fligacy and immorality. One of the large prisons
impinges on the common—we are not sure whether
it rs not also an encroachment—but it has a
custom which renders it a great nuisance to the
neighbourhood. The male prisoners whose time
has expired are all let loose at nine in the morning,
and the females at ten, and they generally spend
, the day on the common, surrounded by their friends
from town, making holiday in a manner which
doss not at all conduce to the tranquillity of the
vity. A small patch near the western boundary
is used as a cricket ground, but the tenant of a
neighbouring villais making strenuous efforts to hate
the orieketing 'appraised, on the ground that ahem
the cricketers are tired of their game they are apt to
seek variety in the less genteel pastime of "knock
'em downs," a practice to which this gentleman and
his family have, it appears, a decided aversion.
Should he succeed in banishing the cricketers, ano-
ther enclosure will most probably follow, and thus,
one by one, on one pretence or another, the whole
common will be enclosed. Lord Spencer has, we
understand, the right to let, but net for enclosure
or building purposes • and on the other hand, the
copyholders, who ceaim exclusively the common
rights, can only insist on " tetherage," and the
right to cut turf and dig gravel. It is therefore
obvious that it is in jut such a case that the go-
vernment ought to step is, purchase the slender
rights of both parties, and seam the common foe
the general public. Clapham-common is protected,
so is Streatham, and Battersea-fields have been
purchased. There dill remain Wandsworth, Wim-
bledon, and Tooting, all which are now brought by
the nilways within a few minutes' ride of the
oinkre of the town, and the opportunity is moat
favourable for securing them for eves for that por-
tion of the public who are the head landlords of all
English ground, but who can show no title-deeds
for their ancient patrimony.

THE SLAVE TRADE lir THE Sours 131ta8.—The
Oemeeittee of the Aberigiees Protection Society recently
addressed a letter to the Peruvian minister on the kidnapping
of South Sea blenders by the captains of Peruvian vessels.
His exeellency has returned the following emineatl gads-
(eatery reply :—'• Albemarle Hotel, Brighton, Nov. 6. 11363.
Geutlenten,—l bad the honour to receive the day before
yesterday your respected letter dated the 26th in which
iou cell my 'Mentes to the iojruies whisk, as you
_state, are
nflicted on the iolialatants of the Polynomials Islands by ne-
eds belonging to Peruvian citizens and sailing from Peruvian
pone. la reply I am happy to inform yea that theyelnelybe
of human liberty, oe behalf of which you are so zealous,
will speedily as possible be recognised everywhere by the
Peruvian government ; and that coemenently the avers-
meat, following those philanthropic arid liberal
which have ever guided its policy, has that the
natives of Polynesia who have been taken to Peru shall be
metered to their reentry is Peruvian vessels an alThire
meet which bee, indeed, been already earned into complete
effect; and that aaxions in this respect to provide against
fstunromgenciea, the government has establiabed a canal-
ise's:al at am, with the greatest coesideration,
your obedient servant, (Signed) MARIANO Joan BAHL
To the Committee of the Aborigines Protection Society.'
SIIICIDie OF A Boy.—AL most painful case of
IOW& MUM before Dr. Laekeeter, the coroner for esetral
Middlesex, yesterday, in the University College Heental.
The deceased was a boy aged thirteen years, named Wawa
Frederick Hospice. son of Thomas Hampton. a pianoforte
maker, living at No. 7, Fitzroy-row, Boston-read. The
principal vitas= is the case was Hie. Charlotte Reareme,
mother of the deceased. She said that be was a hey at
very violent temper, and that ou Friday last he threw
fork at one of his little sisters, which stuck ia her leek.
His father then threatened that he would beat him if he
was guilty of any similar act of violence in future. This
threat did not appear to have had mach effect, foe oet
Saturday, while the family ware at dinner, hie father being
absent, be threw a pion of bread at one of his sisters,
which striking a cup from which she was dunking, broke it
and caused it to cut her mouth. His mother reprimanded
him for this, and ordered him to leave the room. He
did so, and taking up a position rai the shin
outside the apartment, used such insolent Loewe to lha.
Haapton that he canoed her to cry. Emma Knsptoa, his
sister, told him he ought to be ashamed of bin conduct, and
in reply be was very tto her. He thee ran rep to a
bedroom and slammed the door after him. As he was
accustomed to do this, and to sleep ill-humour of, his mother
thought he had pee to be down, and told eat of his little
brothers who wanted to get into the bedroom not to disturb
him. She then left the house to visit a neighbour; but
had not been lung out when sbe beard screams hoot
several of her adding, sad on returning foiled the &owed
hanging by a cord from a hook behind the bedroom door.
She lifted him off. cut the cord sued conveyed him is a cab,
to University College Hospital, but all efforts to restore
respiration were mum:maul. Emma Kaaptva stated that
it was she who discovered the deceased hanging. One of
his younger brothers requiring something from the bedroom,
and being unable to epee the door. she pushed it io and found
it had been fsateeed with pincers. Dr. Sidney Ringer,
resident medical officer of University College Hospital, said
he thought deceased bad been dead a quarter of to boar
before he reached the hospital. For • period of three
quarters of en hour unsuccessful efforts were mode to
restore respintino. The parr found that the deceased com-
mitted suicide while in an unmated state cf mind.

A RIFLEMAN 81101.-01) Friday afternoon •
serious accident took place at the rtfle range of the 4th
Lanarkshire Rifle Volunteers, at Milton, near Proven Mill.
While a squad was engaged io practice under Stiff-Bergamot
Instructor D. leTsirish, &young men named James Muir. •
tanceomiorel in the corm was 'hot by Carteret Andrew
Gibson. It appears that Muir, who was acting Pe muter,
had left the mastlet to wartime the target, without baring
properly displayed the red flag, used as • danger siguaL
The flag, It is stated. was simply rested no the seat. and
allowed to hug over the back of the mantle!. The atmo-
sphere at the time wee somewhat hay, Lad Cahoon, wbo
we. the only rifleman shooting at the distance of 700 yards,
declares that he did not see the signal. The unfortunate
marker was struck on the back, the ball mitering at the
left shoulder and coming out in front, having graved one of
the lungs in its paresis. Up till Sunday night Muir was
ooesiderod by his medical &Modest to be is • pescerions
wedition.—Olastrova Herald.
Till COLLIERS' STRUM IN FRI NORTH. —SO far
from approaching • termioatioe, the breach between Mr.
Love sad hie workmen seems gradually to deepen. Jis to the
future siaodarduf weight,noundersteading has yethesaleOlue
to, sod a serious impediment to any derision ea this wait la
the alleged desire no the part of the neaten to accompany
the reduction of the average by a propretiumite diminution
is the price of labour ; but anxious as ever to bastes a
amicable arrangement, the men have appointed a deputation
from their another to wait upon Mr. Lew and further di-
me the matters at issue. Connected with the Roost sou-
' dition of the miners an important onsiemue• was opened
Lesbos Monday, at which all the more important collieries
in the kingdom este represented. The proceedings so far
have been chiefly of • preliminary nature. but questions of
grave and deep importance await dircursion. Macaw".
i over by Mr. William Pickard, of the Wigan die.
t.—Reicoarrile Chronicle.