The Express.
London, England, 1853-02-17 00:00:00

ALBERT PARK, FINSBURY.

DEPUTATION TO THE EARL OF ABERDEEN.
Yesterday an influential deputation, headed by
Lord It. Grosvenor, and including the Right Hon. the Lord
Mayor, Mr. T. Duncombe, and the members for the City of
London, and some gentlemen interested in the borough,
waited on the Earl of Aberdeen at the Foreign-office, in
order to lay before his lordship certain plans for the con-
struction of a park for the borough of Finsbury, and if
possible to interest the government in the projict. His
lordship was accompanied by Viscount Palmerston.
Loyd R. Gansvemoa gave a brief outline of the object of
the deputation. Hs. said that the notion of a park fa the
inhaliitants of the populous borough of Finsbury had been
for a long time entertained. The ground hail been actually
marked out, and very considerable efforts had been made
by parties locally interested. A map had been prepared
and submitted to the government of Lord John Russell,
who with Lord Seymour was deeply impressed with the
necessity of doing something in the matter. Matters went
so far that government consented to the introduction of a
bill, but went out too soon to carry their intentions into
execution. Similar applications were made to Lord Derby's
government, and Lord J. Manners was most anxious that
something shouli be done, but thought that 470 acres, the
quantity of land projected, too much. His lordship sug-
gested a park of 165 acres. He (Lora It. Grosvenor) men-
tioned these facts to show that the subject had occupied the
attention of successive governments, hoping that the
present government would also consent to take it into

The Earl of ABMIDEEN was not aware that so much had
already been done in the matter, but could fancy that all
governments would entertain the same desire to promote
objects having in view the sanitary improvement and in-
creased comfort of the people. The only impediment was
the cost, and with respect to that he could not, of course,
give any pledge, further than a promise to look at the matter
in the most favourable point of view. Until he bad con-
sulted the Chancellor of the Exchequer, be could not form
any exact notion of what obstacles might be in the way in
the nature of expense.
The Loup Maxon. urged the importance of the matter.
as it affected the morals, health, and improvement of the
vast population of Clerkenwell and its neighbourhood.
Another point to be considered was that land was rising
rapidly in value, so that every day's delay increased the
financial difficulties in the way of the project. Land which.
when the notion of a park was first started, could be bought
for 150/. the acre, would now fetch 1,0001. He believed
that of the land now purchased as much could be spared for
building as would create an estate sufficient to give a rea-
sonable interest on the whole outlay. Under these circum-
stances, he wished to impress upon her Majesty's ministers
the conviction that if anything serious was meant, there was
no time to be lost.

Mr. T. DUNCOMBE confirmed tho statement of his right
hoe. colleague, and said that Lord Seymour when in office
had told him he had a plan for a park which would remove
all difficulties, and enable the park to be constructed with-
out entai.ing a farthing of expense on the public.
After an observation or two from gentlemen present the
deputation withdrew, having thanked the Earl of Aber-
deen for the courteous attention they had received.

CHARGE OF FRAUD AGAINST LIVERPOOL

MERCHANTS.

On Tuesday and the previous day the magistrates
at Liverpool were engaged in hearing serious charges
alleged against Messrs. Fletcher and Firth, fruit brokers,
of No. 4, Temple-court, against whom warrants had been
issued, charging them with conspiring to defraud her Ma-
jesty's Customs. Mr. Win. Kerfoot, their clerk, was al se
involved. The nature of the alleged offence may be
gathered from the statement of Mr. Felix John Hamel, the
solicitor on behalf of the crown, who stated that with refe-
rence to the importation of oranges and lemons, there were
two modes of charging the duty. In the first place, the
rateable duty was charged by measure; but, as the goods
were perishable, the duty was, in the second instance,
charged upon value—the latter being. generally settled be-
tween the officer of customs and the importer. The prac-
tice in Liverpool was for the fruit brokers to lodge the full
amount of the rateable duty with the customs officer, to re-
ceive the oranges, and put them up for sale, and then sub-
mit to the officer an account of prices, upon which the duty
was charged.
In the present case, Mr. Hamel said that, in a large
number of instances, the defendants were charged with
returning amounts below the prices realised. He proposed
to take three cases only—relating to the cargoes of the ships
paella, Dauntless, and Afetto. The amount of the frauds
charged was, in the first ease, 111. 12s. Id. ; in the second,
8/. 4e. 41. ; in the third, 221. Gs. 101 In these transactions
Messrs. Fletcher and Firth were the brokers, Mr. Wm.
Kerioot their managing clerk, and Mr. Howse the im-
porter. The latter gentleman, however, Mr. Hamel quite
acquitted of participation in the alleged frauds.
The evidence involved the rroduction of a large number
of Custom-house document. and certificates on the part of
the crown, witnesses being cooed to prove that the amounts
which the respective lots produced at the auction sales ex-
ceeded those which were returned by the Messrs. Fletcher
and Firth.
After the three cases had been fully gone into, Sir Geo.
Stephen addressed the court on behalf of Messrs. Fletcher
and Firth, contending that there was no case against them,
it having only been proved that some inaccuracies had oc-
curred in the transactions, but which were attributable to
errors on the part of the clerk, and which he bad no doubt
could hove been satisfactorily explained had opportunity
been alt'orded.

Mr. Brunner also addressed the court on behalf of
Kerfoot.

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Mr. hatnel replied, tripling that eonniranet on the part
of the maatate was eessaittel w the commission of the ai;eged
offence.

11. e t::ree prisoners were committal for trial at tl.c
sizes, 1).1.4 betas accepted to the amount of 5041. each.