The Express.
London, England, 1853-02-05 00:00:00

THE AGAPEMONE.

Matters are not proceeding very smoothly at this
notorious establishment, near Biiilawater, and it is not
improbable that some of its mysteries may shortly be
exposed. An affair has recently occurred which has caused
much gossip in the neighbourhood. It appears that about
five years ago Mr. James Rouse, an attorney, of North
Curry, Somersetshire, became an innrite, with hie wife, of
the " Abode of Love," conforming, of course, to one of its
paramount conditions by conveying all his property in
favour of that institution. Weary, at lust, of the usage
he experienced, and disgusted with the conduct of those
around him, ho contemplated his escape ; but aware of
such intention he was vigilantly kept in surveillance, and
ne opportunity of effecting his object prescoted itself
until the night of Sunday, the Ilith ult., when he ma-
naged to make his way over the walls of the haildiug, and-.
leaving his wife therein, he succeeded in re irking the
house of his brother, a respectable farmer of North Curry,
where he was kindly received, and congratulated on his
return. The retention of Mrs. James Itou..e soon attracted
the attention of the family, and her rescue was undertaken
by Mr. Rouse's brother. Accordingly, with a companion,
I they left North Curry in a light cartißge, and were pro-
ceeding towards Charlinch when, at a four tressway on the
road, they encountered one , f the vehieles beloniring to the
Agapemone, driven by a servant on the box, and Mrs. Rouse
in the rumble, who was delighted at the prospect of her
release from captivity. A few words sufficed to announce
Mr. Rouse's intention, but it was vehemently re-
sisted by the Agapemone charioteer, who resolutely re.
fused to admit of ,her leaving the carriage. Mr. Rouse,
however, was not to be deterred, and, brandishing a stout
oaken cudgel, contested the matter too strenuously to ren-
der his victory doubtful. The struggle, however, continued
for some time, to the great terror of the poor woman,
whose habiliments were disordered is the contest, and it
was not until she was dragged out from the hind part of
the carriage that Mr. Rouse ultimately succeeded in plac-
ing her in his own vehicle, in which he then rapidly drove
off to North Curry. The head of the establishment still
continues to flaunt about the neighbourhood in a carriage
and four, with outriders in rich livery, and escorted by
bloodhounds. It is not improbable that Mr. Rouse will
seek to recover his property, and obtain redress for his
coerced detention. It is stated that several other inmates
have avowed their determination of quitting the establish-
ment.—Globe.

LETTERS FOR AUSTRALIA.—Tho Post-office autho-
rities have advertised that ship-letter bags will be made up
for Australia by the steamer Antelope, which will IMO
Liverpool about the latter end of this month.
ST. PANCRAS. ASSENSSINNT 01, THE LOYND):
AND NORTII-WESTERN RAILWAY. The London and
North-Western Company. through their solicitors, Messrs.
Swift and Wagstaff, have paid the pooes-rate due in Sep-
tember IW, amounting to 1,7161. lls., being the amount of
a half year's rat at Is. in the pound, upon an assessment
of 31,3311. The amount has been paid without prejudice
of previous rate due, and which has been ordered to stand
over until the Court of Queen's Bench has given its decision
upon a special case referred from the Middlesex Quarter
Sessions.

BOTANICAL SOCIETY of LONDON. —The ordinary
meeting was held last evening at the society's rooms, 20,
Bedford-street, Strand; Arthur Henfrey, Esq., V.P., in
the chair. Various donations to the library and museum
were announced. Mr. Bardin presented a collection of
plants collected by him on the late expedition sent in search
of Sir John Franklin. Mr. Syme, the curator, stated that
the distribution of the British duplicates, comprising up-
wards of 20,000 specimens, would take place this month.
Mr. Syme read a paper, being " Notice of some of the rarer
plants found in the neighbourhood of London."
GROSS INHUMANITY TO A VERY AGED MAN.—An
old seafaring man named James Benet Welch, who has
been living for some time past in the neighbourhood of
Portsmouth and Gosport, gaining,.a very precarious subsist-
ence by means of charity, was on Tuesday taken before
the Gosport bench of magistrates, charged with vagrancy.
The presiding magistrate was Captain Samuel. The old
man was set down as 103 years of age, and his appearuiee
was wretchedly deplorable ; he seemed paralysed, and had
hardly strength enough to support himself on two crutches.
On his leg he had an open sore, which was said to be the
remains of an old wound he had received in war time, and
by the exhibition of which he was in the habit
of exciting pity and charity. The charge of vagrancy
and exposing this wound was fully proved, and Captain
Samuel sentenced him to be imprisoned in the county gaol
at Winchester for 21 days, and during that time to be kept
to such hard labour as he was capable of undergoing. This
sentence on a man so old, and in such a physically de-
plorable state, was thought at the time to be severe, 'spa
eially when it was recollected how stringent is the system
adopted at the county prison of Hants, where the silent and
solitary systems are carried out in perfection, and with the
utmost rigour. On the following day the old man, with
three or four persons committed to take their trial for fe-
lony, were conveyed by the police from Gosport to Win-
chester, per the South Western Railway. At Bishopstok•
he asked for a drink of water, but the train being in
motion, or from some similar cause, this request
could not be complied with. When the train got
to Winchester, the old man took no notice of the order of
the police for him to get out of the carriage, and a shake,
not the most gentle, was applied to him, with the observa-
tion, " Come on ; don't let us have your hypocritical pre-
tences here." This having no effect, he was taken hold of
and forcibly ejected out of the carriage ; but when the
police got him on the platform of the station, he was found
to be dead ! The cue has excited great sensation in the
places where the old man was known, and his inability to
undergo such a sentence as that imposed upon him is the
remark of all who had seen him of late years.
REPRESENTATION OF BLACKBCRN.—It is reported
that Mr. Eccles, one of the liberal members for Blackburn,
is about to resign his seat, and it is also confidently stated
that addresses will be issued in a few days from Mr. W. H.
Hornby, in the Tory interest, and Mr. Montague Fielding
in the Liberal interest. Mr.. Hornhy is the gentleman
whose name appeared in the papers some months ago in a
paragraph, headed "Assault by the Mayor of Blackburn,"
and Mr. Fielding is a son of the late baronet Sir Williams
Fielding. A considerable and respectable party in the town
seem to be anxious to deviate from the rule that has hither-
to prevailed of having a gentleman of heed interest merely,
and prefer a straager of greater political mark to represent
their borough, which has become in consequence of the
great increase in its population one of the most important
boroughs in the country. Viscount Duncan, it is also re.
ported, is likely to come forward.
THE MADIAI AND THE ENGLISH GOVERNMENT.—
The General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland
have lost no opportunity of bringing the case of the perse-
cuted Christians in Tuscany under the notice of her Ma-
iesty's Government. Repeated memorials have been sent
on the subject, to the latest of which the following answer
from the Earl of Aberdeen has been received :—.• London,
Jan. 2,5, 1863.—Sir,—I have had the honour of receiving
the memorial of the Committee on Popery appointed by the
General Assembly of the Free Church. of Scotland, setting
forth the case of the Medial, husband and wife, who have
been imprisoned by the Tuscan government for no other
apparent offence than that of reading the Scriptures. I beg
to inform you, in answer, that representations have been re-
peatedly addressed to the government of the Grand Duke
on la, half of these Tuscan subjects, and that a strong re-
monstrance was very recently made through her Majesty's
Minister at Florence. I have only to add that her Ma-
=government will lose no opportunity of pronnttnit
t an act so much at variance with the civilisation of
modern times, and will use all justifiable means to procure
the liberation of these two unfortunate persons.-1 have the
honour to be, sir, you obedient humble servant, ADZILDIZIC.
Rev. Dr. Tweedie."