The Express.
London, England, 1848-11-07 00:00:00

SURREY.

SUICIDE OF LORD liiIDDLE-TON.—The inquest on
the body of the deceased nobleman was held betore Mr. C.
J. Woods, coroner, on Friday, at the mansion at Pepper-
harrow. The body, from the appearance of which it wined
seem that he had died without a struggle, having been
viewed by the jury, 0. Caner detailed the manner in which
the deceased had conducted himself on the night of his
death. His lordship, he said, had dined heartily off a roast
pheasant, and at 11 o'clock, when he (witness) went to clear
away the dessert, his lordship rose and drank a wine-glass-
ful of something, but whether it was wine or
brandy ho could not say. Having described the position in
which be found the body, witness added : I have seen his
lordship every day, but did not notice any change in his
manner, nor had I any suspicion that his lordship's mina
was impaired. He always appeared perfectly rational. I
sever knew him to he depressed in spirits.—Mr. Parsons,
sargeon, Godalming, said he had no doubt that death arose
from apoplexy caused by charcoal, and under such circum-
duces he did not think there was any necessity for a post
swiss. examination.—Thomas Lee said I have been in
the service of the late lord and that of his father 33 years. I
have seen kis lordship every day when he has been at Pepper-
borrow, with the exception of two, during the last six months.
Fur the last five or six weeks his lordship has been very dull
and in low spirits. I took the letter-bas to his lordship
every morning, and waited upon him at dinner. He used to
dine between three and four, but latterly it has been half
pm eight. I used to fetch the candles about eleven. I
Gave no doubt his lordship used frequently to sit up until a
late hour alter he retired to his bedroom. I have not
noticed anything beyond lowness of spirits. His lordship
never gave me any reason for his being in low spirits. I
told my wife on one occasion I thought something would
happen. I have no reason to suppose his lordship
has ever attempted to do anything to himself before.—
Mr. J. Stedman, of Guildford, surgeon : I have known the
late lord all his life, and attended him in his childhood.
Since his ooming to the title I have attended him in several
illnesses ; in net, I believe I have been his oaly medical
attendant when he has been in the country. I attended his
lordship from the 16th March lad to the 25th April, in all
seven visits. On them ocarina his lordship said he felt de-
pressed, but did not think he was ill. He added that he had
been living alone, and had not taken his usual exercise. I
advised him to adopt some change of resident. His
lordship, in consequence, desired I would go to London and
see his solicitor, Mr. Robinson, and make an arrangement
for Pis travelling, which I did, but did not find him at home.
On the neat day, however, be came to Pepper-harrow, and I
met him. It was arranged that his lordship should have a
gentleman to travel with him, but he rallied, and the plan
was not carried out. I have not seen La lordship since
the 2.5.11 of April. I always considered him of a waver-
ing disposition. I wrote to a part of the family respecting
the solitary manner in which his lordship was living. I
thought the life he was leading might make him tired
of it. I always considered his lordship an eccentric man.
A man named Bickentofi was sworn I have been sem*
time in his lordship's employ, and have looked after the
pl aastion. I have not noticed anything particular about his
lordship. I saw him last alive on Tuesday between 4 and 5
o'clock, a htle I was at work at the river welsh runs through
the park. His lordship spoke to me, and said the sky looked
very particular. About a month ago I saw his lordship sit-
ting on a rail about two and a halt feet from the ground :
he had a gun between his knees. I went toward the spot,
coughed, and opened a gate, in order that his lordship should
notice me, bat he did not. lat last went to him, and
he said he was very ill, and begged that I would not disturb
bin I then went away, but on leaving work I mentioned
the circumstance to Thomas Lee of his lordship having sat
there for several hours. His lordship got up and Lee went
towards him and took the gun from him.—By ajuror : Had
not noticed his lordship with a gun baton during the season.
—The inquiry was then adjourned in order to give time fur
the &deadens of the butler living in London, who was
formerly in his lordship's service.—lt is ism that the
decoded nobleman has not been onside his perk since his
separation from her ladyship, which took place twelve
months age.—The inquest was resumed yesterday, when
William Bone said that he had been in his lordship's service
20 years. He had lately seen him low spirited, and he com-
plained of pains in his head. He was also very forgetful at
timid—Mr. J. Debenham, clerk to Mr Henry Marshall,
solicitor, said, that he was frequently in his lordship's com-
pany—sometimes for a day together. He often noticed that
he .as very low spirited, and he seemed to suffer much in
mind en account of a law suit he had with a Mr. linden. The
last dens he was with him he was speaking of some.
thing he wanted completed; for, in the event of his
dean, he said, it would be difficult to add. He
then burst out crying. He left the room, and
on his return he noticed that he had been crying
Yr. Parsons, the surgeon who had since the last court made
a pod aortas examination of the body. described the cause
of death, which was suffocation from charcoal fueses.—The
Rev. Lawrence W. Elliott, of Pepper Harrow, said that he
had known the deceased for many years. In July, 1847, he
same to him and communicated the intellieenceot her lady-
ship having let him, end added that it was all his own fault.
He wee then in such a distressed state of mind that witness

did not like to leave him by himself. lie therefore tried to
cheer him up. Two or three days afterwards he told witness
that he was in such a distressed state that he had hardly
been able to keep himself from laying violent hands on
his person. He was then in a most unhappy state of mind,
and witness thought it dangerous to leave him. He could
net attribute his state of mind to anything else than the sepa-
ration between himself and Lady Middleton. About the
middle of Much, 1848, whilst conversing with witness. he
said, "Oh, my life is a hall on earth ;" and added, that he
had had such a night that he would net have another like it
for all the world; and he concluded by saying, that he had
been on his knees all the night. He was extremely violent
in his language,
_and seemed to suspect hie best friends of
wanting Lady Middleton to set him at defiance. He often
said he hoped he should be tithed with a fit of apoplexy and
die. Dorms the last two months he had spoken of how he
bad diapeth of kis property, and what would be the result
after his death. On the morning of Wednesday last he
attended at his lordship's late residence. In the room where
he was lying were some verses and letters, with a docu-
ment headed, " The last will and testament." Several
other witnesses were examined, who merely corroborated
the main features of the above evidence ; one, however,
stated that his lordship felt most acutely the death of Lord
Omega Benda*, and said he bad himself a fit of a similar
character when in France. There being no other witnesses
to examine, the coroner proceeded to theme the jary. He
went over the evidence in every careful manner, remarking
on the most important features. He said there were three
things for the jury to consider—the first was, did his lordship
wilfully destroy his own Ws ? He apprehended that there
was little doubt on that point. The next thing they had to
decide was the state of his mind. The learned gentleman
was reading several lawmen bearing on the point, when the
report was despatched.

DISTURBANCES IN A CHURCIL—The pariah of
St. Indwell was the seen, on &today week, of some strange
disturbances It was whispered about the pariah that in case
Mr. J. Ingle, the mate of St. Olave, who had already
mused some open manifestations of displeesure, by preaching
in his surplice, should spin attempt to do so, there would
be " a row," and the parties who • ted a dis-
turbance, and who meet probably it, kept their
word to the letter. The service en Sunday week went on as
usual up to the time of the sermon. When Mr. Ingle pro-
ceeded, in his surplice, from the desk to the pulpit, and as
soon es he began to announce the teat, there was a movement
on the part of =ay persona from their seats
towards the doors. This created a good deal of
noise and confusion, which was afterwards increased
by coughing, hisses, and other discordant noises, such
as are occasionally heard istbe gallery of a theatre.
Finding all his own efforts to restore silence sad to proceed
with his sermon fruitless, Mr. Ingle asked for the church-
warden, end, finding that be was not present, requested that
he might be sent for to preserve order in the church, so that
he might be able to proceed with his duties. Meanwhile the
sionWon continued and increased. A message was sent to
Mr. Ingle in the pulpit, entreating him to put off his sur-
plice and to preach In his gown, or else to give his blessing,
and dings- the congregation. He declined to do either. Mr.
W. B. Hill, formerly a spirit merchant in Dice's-field, stood
up and addressed Mr. Ingle, and requested him,
in the name of the parishioners and of the con-
gregation, to preach in his gown, in compliance with
then. wish. Still Mr. Is.le persisted in maintaining his
position, in spite of the noise and uproar, and of the sugges-

don, mare than once made audibly, to " tura him out."
At length the churchwuden Mr. G. Hayman, arrived, and
standing upon a bench addressed the congregaion request-
ing those who were not disposed to liven quietly to the
sermon to leave the church, and intimating that it any fur-
ther disorder ensued be should proceed against the authors
in tie eeelesia.tical court. About the same time the mayor
arrived, and, joining his remonstrances to those of Mr. Hay-
man, their efforts were so far successful that the bulk of the
congregation having retired, the sermon was permitted to
proceed without interruption to the end. Immense mous
of people, however, still hung about the chcrchyard, and in
the adjacent streets, and, there being great reason to
apprehend that Mr. Ingle's appearance among them would
lead to a breach of the peace, the mayor strongly urged him to
quit the church by a smaller door, aol to proceed to his home
by an indirect way. This the rev. gentlemaa was extremely
' unwilling to de, and it is reported that the discussion was
carried en with some warmth; the mayor, however, in the
end, prevailed. Mr. Ingle left the church by the way indi-
cated, and, after some time, the voids gradually dispersed.
There was some hissing and hooting in the street, which led to
the apprehension of a young man named Fry, by order of the
mayor, and the city was a good deal excited upon the matter.
Oa Friday the bishop investizeted the case at the Chapter
House, observing that at present nothing had come to his
knowledge to make a judtcial icquiry necessary, hut enough
to make it his duty to call his clergy together that the
might know their bishop's vi:ws on a question which had
caused such a scandal in the church. Ha lordship then pro-
duced a teeter which Mr. Ingle had written as a defence of
his conduct, and in which he stated that he had felt it to be
his duty to refuse taking part its the services in any other
church than that in which he had been licensed, unless he
was permitted to wear the surplice ; that he had preached
nine times in the surplice, the last time being on Sunday
last; and that he bad preached previously in St. Edmunds
and St. Mary Majors and no notice bad been taken of his
mode of performing the service. His lordship having read
the letter, observed that it was very hard that Mr.
Ingle should be held up to the degree of blame
he had been, if he had openly avowed his views.
Mr. Ingle had declared to the clergy in the beginning of the
year, that he would only take part in the lectures on one
condition ; that condition had existed during nine months of
the year without remonstrance, and without any exhibition
of public feeling, beyond some few reasons going out of the
church of St. Sidwells. He (the b.shop) could net, there-
fore, consider Mr. Ingle in the position in which he owned
he had regarded him until he received hi: letter. It ap-
peared that ten months before he had given notice of hie
intentions, which bad never been objected to. lie (the
bishop) therefore thought it would be tl.e summit of in-
justice to charge Mr. Ingle with being the wilful, the care-
less, or the reckless cause of the scene of Sunday last ; and
having said that, he must alto say that be thought Mr. Ingle
would have exercised a much sounder discretion if
before he came there he had written to his bishop, and
stated that he had conscientious views which would
prevent him officiating except on certain conditions.
The Bishop then referred at some length to the behaviour of
the laity in the church on Sunday night. He could not rail
them " the mob," for he understood they were very re-
spectable people." They had evinced that tremendous spirit
of puritanism which, two centuries ago, had levelled the
church and throne with the dust. To that feeling of pu-
ritanism he would by no meatus advise his clergymen to
succumb. He advised them to do nothing rash that would
excite the feelings of thou other and better men whose sym-
pathies were friendly to the preservation of pubdc order, and
who wished for a continuance of things as they were. He
hoped the c'ergy would comply with the express wish of their
bishop with regard to the surplice, though he guarded
himself against being suppo.ed to have any disposition to
advise clergymen to yield to the threats of a puritan mob
The Rev. F. Courtenay wished, as incum!,ent of the parish,
to say, that he had felt bound to el .so the church in the
evening, and he desired to give his reasons for ao doing. He
then proceeded to describe a state of dissoluteness and diem-
der, as the usual state of things at this church on a Sunday
evening, which is handy credible. In a part which he de-
gloated the ante-church, a rube man bad been known to
light his cigar by the gas. Parties talked, and young girls
flirted there ; young people had been seen making
sigma to each other across the gallery, and many
young females had been mired by their attendance
at these Sunday evening lectures. Under these cir-
cumstances he felt bound to close the church.—
, The bishop then declared that ho would not order Mr. Cour-
tenay to keep the church open against his will —that would
be tyrannical—to direct a clergyman to open his church
except when the law required. The time to consider these
things was at the beginning of the year, who n the arrange-
ment for the Sunday evening lecture was made. This
. cloud the proceedings.

Put flirts.
LORD GEORGE BENTINCE BY COUNT D'ORBAY.—
Amongst the novelties in the fine arts we may mention a
small bust of Lord George Bentinek be Count D'Oreay. The
likeness, to the truth of which Mr. Disraeli has borne testi-
mony, is pleasing and flattered. A suial.er cast from it, in
Parian, published by Mr. Hogs rth, of the Haymarket, islets
sharp and crisp than the original, an effect given by the
polish of the material : but this does not deprive the head of
its resemblance, though it slightly takes from its robleness.
We noticed at the same publisher's some proofs of a series of
lithotint engravings by Cattermole, which promise well.
THE EARL or ELLEsitzer's GALLERY.—We have
already noticed the fact of this nobleman's gallery being
about to be opened to the public. A further proof of disin-
terestedness is given by the fact that Mr. Barry has been
commissioned to build a staircase at Bridgwater Howe, by
which the public will be enabled to ewer the gallery without
any restriction or condition. It is to be supposed that no de-
triment will ensue from this step, though a spirit of destrue-
&emu has often been shown by individuals, of which it is
yet needful to have a wholesome fear—witness the man who
thrust his umbrella through the picture at the National Gal-
lery, and that other destructive who broke the Portland
Vase. This seems, by the way, to be quite an English fail-
ing. At Berlin and Vienna you may walk in and through
an entire gallery without meeting a keeper, yet no harm is
ever done to works of art.

THE ARTISTS' BENEVOLENT FUND.—A report
which has been published of a meeting of the members
of this fund, shows its lamentable mismanagement
as a charitable institution. Like most of its contem-
poraries, it seems to require much in the way of re-
form. It would seem that the late secretary, Mr.
Edward Wyon, had been re-instated atter having
been a defaulter to the amount of &51. his sureties
having paid the money. Mr. Wyon was re-elected
secretary to retrieve his character by being put a second
time into this office of trust, and the result has been a second
defalcation of 8261. 18s. It war quite szefficient that Mr.
Wyon did not suffer in the first instance, but to entrust him
a second time with an office that he had not previously filled
with honour, was a mistake, and the society now perceives
its fault ,—" Mr. Edward Wyon," says the Observer, " was
re-elected in preference to men of untarnished reputation, on
the ground of charity, for the purpose of enabling him to
recover his character. At the election nomination the mem.
bets refused to bear evidence as to Mr. Wyon's personal
character, as being private and personal, and therefore not
within the cognisance of the society ; and they required se-
curities to the amount of 1501., instead of 1001., es hereto-
fore—a sum leis than a filth of the present defalcation.
In the course of little more than a year this gentleman, with
a business of his own, beside' 801 a year from the society,
has managed to squander from 8001. to 9001. [at least], al.
though one of the rules of the society enjoins an audit every
three months. There is a charitable fund attached to this
benefit society, of subscriptions for the relief and mainte-
nance of poor widows of artists who were members of that
benefit club. Under advice the most prudent m misers kept
the allowance to widows small, from the expectation of a
great increase of claims; whilst those of a sanguine disposi-
tion accused them of unjust and unchristian stinginess and
want of feeling. At length claims multiplied and the funds
diminished ' so that, iastead of augmenting, it was found
necessary to reduce the allowance. It is much to the credit of
some of the opposition that on this occasion last winter they en-
deavoured to alleviate the sufferings of the widows and archaize,
and screen them from disappointment, by a subscription
among themselves. Sixty pounds thus collected were un-
wisely left in the hands of Mr. E. Wyon. The committee
of inquiry recommended, besides the removal o. Mr. Wyon,
the suspension of the mutate. Had the latter gentleman
exercised his wanted abilities and energies, the secretary
would no doubt have been checked in his career ; but he
was absent from town, through long and severe family affilia-
tions. Under the eireusastsnees he ought probably to have
resigned ; but amidst the jealousies that distract the society
it would be difficult to istsraine whether the treasurer or
the committee of management is most decervung of blame
for negligence."

liEbt Mum.
STRAND.—A musical piece, called " Jeannette and
Jeannot," was produced et this theatre last evening. Pis
scarcely necessary to say that it is founded on the popular
ballad which for some time back has been ground on every
street organ in London ; Jeannette being a French village
girl, and Jeanne[, her sweetheart, who is toreed by the con-
scription to go fen a soldier. The idea is a happy one ; but
the playwright (whoever he le) has overlaid this sicrple sub-
ject with a kid of higtt-flown sentiment and melodramatic
incidents wrich greatly mar its effect. When AkirillOi is
cameo off to join the grand army, Jeannette follows hint in
the disguise of a trumpet-boy, and, without his knowledge,
I 'lmes in the perils and hardships of a campaign amid the
I snows of Poland ; but while there it is discovered somehow
that she is the daughter and heiress of a Polirh lady of rank!
And whey she comes home and gives her hand to her lover,
who has fought his way to the rank of sergeant, she seems
no the same person, her change of position having
robbed
er
her character of its simple and pathetic
interest. Notwithstanding this great mistake, then
are some pleasing soma in the piece, though they
derive their effect almost entirely from the admirable acting
of Mr. H. Webb and Min Rebecca Isaacs in the puts of
the rustic lovers. The little popular autg—a very pretty
thing, both from the maker( of the words and the simple
sweetness of the melody—was introduced with great effect
in their parting seen, and sung by Kin Isaacs with great
beauty and feeling. The piece was well iterated by a fall
house, bat it would be much improved by the excision of a
great deal of worse than useless matter.
OLTIIPIC.—A sketchl,wboi Mr. Stirling, called "The
Bould Boger Boy," was nced here yesterday evening,
with average success. It Is taken from that part of Lever's
" Charles O'Malley," the leading incident of whisk is the
mystification of old Colonel Dogwood by Harry Kildare,
(inch is the name of the hero of the farce), under the guise
of the antiquated, but still animated, Mss Biddy Mamas.
Mr. Redmond Ryan, as Harry Kildare, singing • couple at
enng" The Bould Boger Boy " and ' The Widow
Mahone, oeh-hcne!"—with good effect. The theme of the
latter song appears to us somewhat too sentimental for ea
jocose as affix. Miss Murray looked the part of All.. Dade-