The Express.
London, England, 1860-07-05 00:00:00

THE ROYAL dOItIOULTITEAL SOCIETY OP

ENGLAND.

CANTERBURY, WZDIIIIIDAT.

At noon to-day, the annual exhibition in con-
nexion with the Royal Agricultural Society of England
—that portion of it devoted to the trial of implement,— was
at Canterbury, under the most promising auspices.
opened
of the spot select3d for the show, and the pro-
pitious state of the weather, were subject, of general re.
mark, and should the latter continue, there is every pros-
' Prot of the present proving one of the most attractive and
successful meetings the society has set held.
The site appropriated to the exhibition forms part of
the estate of the late Sir Edward Hales, Bart, and is
situate in the quiet little village of St. Stephen's, other.
wise Hackington, about • mile to the north-east of the me-
troptilitasal city of Canterbury. It consists of a gentle
eloping lawn. in front of the spacious brick mansion known
as Halss-place, in the direction of the Ramsgate and Mar
gate branch of the South Eastern Railway, and commands a
delightful prospect. In the distance the city is seen
stretching in different directions through the valley, the
majestic towers of its ancient cathedral forming • conspi.
coons object, while the River Stour spread, its mazy course
along the bottom, and gives to the scenery around • beauti-
ful and romantic character.

About twenty-seven acres are devoted to the purposes of
the show yard. This is separated into two distinct divisions,
the larger of which is designed for the live stock, imple-
ments, end agricultural seeds, and the other is devoted
to Quietism engines, stationary and locomotive, and the
more compheated pieces of machinery that requires steam
power to pat them in motion. The implement compart-
ment 26 sheds. These run across the ground, and
are to each other. Each shed is 230 feet long by
20 feet in width, and is again divided into stands, of sites
suited to the requirements of the respective exhibitors.
An area of rather more than six acres is thus occupied, in-
cluding the space required for access to the *tan& For
the accommodation of the live stock about 20 sheds have

been provided, occupying ',nearly as much space as that
appropriated to the implement..
On the upper part of the ground various sheds, &c., have
been erected for the machinery in motion. This forms the
trial yard, while a field belonging to Folly Farm, In the oc-
eof Mr. Cannon, and located a little to the north
o'Vstow-yard, is and for the trial of the steam cultism.-
tots, he. It extends over 16 acres of medium soiL
The raker tiler en hedidlegr-and offices have been
conerebled by Mr. Mareesimg, architect, he., of London,
under the supervision of Mr. Brandreth Gib* the general
manager of the show and ere characterised by their steep-
city and adaptithilitito the purposes for which they were
designed. The general arrangement. are in keeping with
those of former years, excepting that the accommodation
for the exhibition of implements is somewhat extended.
With respect to the machinery a large quantity has ar-
rived, but much still remains to be unpacked and
rr
These embrace thrashing and winnowing machinseed
chaff
and turnip cutting machines, bone crushing mills, brick-
making and washing machines, locomotive sod stationary
engines, from 2-horse power Ind upwards, clod-crushers,
andnurnerous other agricultural implements. And among
the exhibitors are some of the leading firms of the kingdom.
It would be premature, at present, to attempt to describe
their various peculiarities or merits.
The machines for competition are tested under two dis-
tinct sheds, in the centre of the trial-yard, bet it was nearly
3 o'clock before the arrangements were sufficiently advanced
to admit of any of the machines being subjected to this
trial. Then, one of Fcerter's (Lincoln) thrashing machine*
was taken.
In the trial field for steam cultivators, 3 ploughs were
submitted toe private trieL These were those belonging
to Mr. J. Fowler, jun., of London, the 4-furrow balance
plough ; Messrs. Chandler and Oliver's 3-furrow iron plough
and Mr. Beard's 2.furruw plough. The quantity of land
assigned to each plough is about three acres of a clover ley,
rather stiff, on the rising part of the field, but otherwise of
a medium soil. It was expected that the capabilities of the
several implements would be fairly ascertained. The
judgee are Mr. Owes, C.E., Mr. Owen Wallace, and Pro-
fessor J. Wilson.
The judges of the deem machines are Mr. F. Druce and
Mr. Brannet ; and of mills generally, Messrs. Hicken
Hipwell, Fielder, King, and Whittle. Of the miscella-
neous department, Mara Clarke and Tendall are the

judges.
The present show possums peculiar interest to the resi-
dents of the county of Kent, on account of the nature of
the local prizes offered by the Canterbury committee.
These embrace the following
For the plough on the Samaria, principle, or otherwise,
best adapted to turn the furrow-slice according to the
Kentish system of ploughing, the depth of the furrow not
to be less than eight inches.—Three prizes.
For the implement best adapted for the general cultiva-
tion of hops.
The machine best adapted for pressing hops (in cloth for
1 the home market).
For the design for the most economical building the best
adapted for drying hope.
For the appatstus bast adapted for drying hope.
For the best sample of Golding hops ; also of any other
1 kind of hops.
For the .1.11 moat valuable Kent fleeces, combining quality
and quantity, of one year's growth.
For the six most valuable long-wool fleeces, Kent or other-
via°, combining quality and quantity.
For the six most valuable short-wool fleeces.
Prises are also offered for Sussex cattle, and Kentish or
Romney-marsh breeds of sheep.
The *gee on the part of the local committee are—
Means Thomas Abbott, J. Rammell, F. Murton, and IL
Andes.
The list of entries has not yet been published, so that it
is impossible to form say adequate idea of the extent of the
exhibition, though from the appearance of the implement
yards, and circumstances that have tnir.spired with reference
to the cattle, &c., there is every probability of its surpass-
ing in most respects many elite predecemors.

THE Ramoions Cznata But..—Last evening a
numeronaly attended meeting of the inhabitante of the
Ward of Farringdon Without was held 'at the Beasions-
house, Old Bailey, "to consider the proposed Census Bill
now before parliament, especially in relation to the new
demand it makes of having • return of the religious per.
suasion of each individual. Mr. Deputy Obbard, in the
absence of Sir James Duke, Bart., M.P., presided. The
worthy deputy having briefly stated the object of the
mesting. Kr, James Harvey, the Chairman of the Board of
Gaud:ens of the West London Union, in a speech of some
length, condemned the Census Bill as proposed by the
government, and concluded by moving as follows :—"That
this ward meeting_ espressos its astonishment that the
government should propose at the nest minus to
compel every occupier of a dwelling house to
make • return of the religious persuasion of
its inmates, that such return,if made, ma
stbe defective, inconclusive and dsleading, and that
this ward meeting regard such au inquiry as an tinwarrant-
&Ma interference with personal opinion, and as likely to be
followed by inbabievous results." Mr.
aeconded Hamad
the imelution,which was carried =ulYeilaniation.
Mr. H. Potter then wowed that a petition in opposition
to thebill be prepared,and that Sir James Duke, Bart.,
M.P., is requested to present the same, and that a memo-
rial to the same effect as the petition be sent to Lard John
Rumen, • deputation being appointed to fitment the
and represent to his lordship the strung feeling entvtaimed
upon the matter by the inhabitante of the ward. Mr.
Butcher seconded the resolution, which was also unani-
mously carried.
LONDON GINN:Oki ONNINtri COMPANY (LIMITED).
—TaMo receipts week ending July 18511 12, . 3s. Bd.

(From the Bath Chronick of this day.)
A murder ea horrid and mystericiii% 'Male was
perrs6ated it the village of Road, North Bradley, Wilts,
on Y =rime list, op the pen= of • liple boy,
aS years Ind ten months, son of S. S. K*, Ent,
yr rondo at Roadhlllhouse, Road.
the entrance to the village, on the right from Trate.
there stands • modern stone-built, specious
=
g, approached, through a gate, by en divnue of
tm:ie tees., enclosed by thick shrubbei7, 'within
lire to be seen well laid out burden, dotted with
tonere, Mid • smooth lawn frontiug the house. Oe enter-
leg y and pawing around the building, we
that was neonsary to render the house • corn-
. residence. The occupants are Mr. S. S.
sent, • =man holdings lucrative situation as inspector
for the district, Mrs. Kent, and • family of seven
khakis, four of whom, via, three girls and one boy, are
children by a first wile ; the two youngest, Constance and
William, having juin retann*frain schooL It may be re-
salable= that these two rUdrm, shoat Wee pens ago,
nem alleged =pleasantness at hems, see away,
rihresighaving cut of heel= and otherwise illegeised her-
mit as • bop-pintathey- =se =lopped at Beth, and taken
his sepia. Thu members of the family are two
littlegirls and isossomd, childrea by the pre-
e sent Ml.. then, the scene, and this the
faith in
hes marred by one of the foulest
and ODA 11117Aseleas murders that it has ever been our
painful duly I. =see& 'Mee rider et Leigh Woods.
Cliftoo, was tread to the perpetrator by a chain of cir-
cumstances which proved Ins guilt and betrayed his motive.
The double murder of Creech St. Michael, Taunton, was
supported by overwhelming circumstantial evidence, which
left no doubt of the prisoner's guilt or object. And the
dark deed at Exmoor Forget pointed to a similar result,
although the evidence of guilt had to be sought far in the
very bowels of the earth. But in the present cam, after •
searching and minute investigation of all the circumstances,
material and immaterial, important and unimportant, of a
murder clearly proved to have been committed within the
space of six bons, within a building, and by some person
or persons supposed to be secreted within that building, not
the remotest clue can as yet be obtained to the perpetrator
of that deed.
The ease stands thus :—On Friday night last, between 10
and 11 p.m., the whole of the family retired to rest, the
housemaid having, as is her duty, seen all the doors and
windows properly fastened. In one of the bedrooms slept
the nureemaid, and in the same room the deceased in a little
cot, and in another part of the room another clilLi in •
second cot. The bedroom door was left open, as usual, for
the purpose of admitting Mrs. Kent to kiss the children,
and See If they were ash before she went to bed. On the
same floor slept Mr. ail Mrs. Kent. All the family appear
to have gone to bed in perfect unanimity. At 5 o'clock the
next moraine the nurse awoke, and, on getting
up to dims, looked into the cot occupied by
the deceased, bet saw that he was gone from
it. The imptendon of the child's body still remained on
the bed and pillow, but the under blanket was gone, and
the coverlid carefully folded down. Mr. and Mrs. Kent
were applied to by the nurse, to know if they hail removed
the child into their bed, but they had seen nothing of it
ince the previous night. Further search was made, and
the drawing-room door, window, and shutter—all of which
bad been fasted on the inside the previous t—were
found • little opened. The hue and cry of the child being
lost so= meched the village, and some of the villagers
came to the house and parched for the child. After
a time, the body of the poor child was discovered in his
night clothes, and wrapped in the blanket, bait-down
the water-closet, with its little throat cut to the very
spine, and a fearful gash in the left aide. as if inflicted
with a sharp-pointed dagger or knife. The body
was cold, having been dead about fire hours. Some
pieces of newspaper, with smears of blood upon them, were
picked up in the vault of the closet, where there was also
• peat quantity of blood. Information was immediately
forwarded to the polies, when Mr. Superintendent Foley,
of the Trowbridge force, was soon on the spot with a staff
of men, and took charge of the body and clothes, and all
connected with it that had been found, and immediately
communicated with George Sylvester, Esq., coroner of
Trowbridge. An active and diligent search was then made
by the police all over the premises and grounds for the
instrument with which the deed was committed, but their
search proved fruitless. Every inmate of the house was
also searched, by male and female searchers, but not a spot
of blood, or the slightest clue tending to criminate any one
do the commission of the crime, could be found.
How an individual could have taken the child from his
eat, pitied the bedclothes tidily, carried him through
the drawlegianin (which is on the ground floor), across
the lawn through • shrubbery and stable-yard, where
a watch dog was loose roaming about, thence into tho
water deist, deprive the child of life. and decamp, without
leaving behind them the smallest clue to their guilt, or
disturbing the inmates, or awakening the child, or coming
into oollisiot with the dog—is a mystery indeed' which
we shall not attempt to unravel, knowing that the
attempt would be hopeless.
Toe route from the drawing-room window to the place
where body was found deposited is o circuitous one, and to
• stranger, se we found it, quite a labyrinth ; so that it is
clear the murderer must have been acquainted with the pre-
mises. Nothing especial must be inferred from the fact
of no presumed murderous weapon having been discovered.
Three knives found on the premises would have moduced the
injuries which slew the little fellow. It was the custom of
the house for • boy to clean the knives the first thing in the
morning, and they had all been cleaned by him as usual be-
fore the child was mimed.
We understand that in the morning when the child was
missed, and before a policeman arrived on the premises,
the father drove off to Trowbridge is distance of four miles),
asserting that the child had been stolen, and for the pur-
pose, as he intimated, of requesting Mr. Foley to send out
men to scour the neighbourhood. As be was returning
froin his interview with Mr. Foley he met a messenger who
told him that the body had been discovered.
It will be seen from the evidence that the witnesses were
subjected to • rigid cross-examination, both by the Chief
Constable of Wiltshire, Captain Meredith, and the jury,
for the purpose of ascertaining whether their food or drink
had been tampered with to produce sound sleep, bat their
evidence remained unshaken, end not the shadow of • sus-
picionnitei.uppoocennanty of them respecting the blood of this
murdered
The police are actively engaged in the matter, and no
doubt the mystery will shortly be unravelled.
On Tuesday, at the urgent request of Mr. Kent, a body
of Wilts police, under the direction of Mr. Superintendent
Foley, renewed the search of the premises and grounds ed-
liut nothing further has been elucidated to throw a
+it on the matter.

The following was the evidence of the nursemaid at the
inquest :
Elizabeth Gough said—l have lived with Mr. Kent, as
nurse, for the last eight months. The deceased child was
a cheerful, happy bey. Ile slept in a child's crib, in the
same room as myself. 1 rut him to bed on Friday, the
29th of Jaime at eight o clock ;he was well and happy.
At five minutes past eleven I went to bed, but previously
looked at deceased, who was asleep. Mn. Kent came and
kissed the children before I was in bed. I awoke at five
o'clock in the morning ; the nursery door was a little
open. I immediately missed tho deceased from his crib.
the impression of his body still remained, and the bed
clothes were placed neatly, as if I or his mother had done
it.. The night shirt and flannel waistcoat I put on the
deceased, when I put him to bed, were gone. The piece
of flannel produced does not belong to the house. On
I missing deceased, I went to his mother's room, expecting
she had taken him while I was asleep. Not finding him,
I searched through the house and grounds. In the draw-
ing-room I noticed impressions of footmarks like a man's
boot with hob nails. I could not discover any footmarks
on the lawn outside. lam a light sleeper, and generally
hear say movement of the children or crying Mr. and
Mrs. Kent sleep on the same door as myself, viz., the first
floor. I had the deceased and a little girl in my room.
On the second floor slept two elder girls in one bed, and
Coogan,* (another girl) in a room by herself. The cook
and housemaid also slept in one bed; and William Sa-
ville Kent, a boy fifteen years of age, in • room by him-
self. A watch dog is loose at night, and can roam round
the back of the home ; I did Dot hear the dog beck on
Friday night.
By Captain Meredith—The dog appeared as well in the
morning as he always is. I took • little bread and butter
and water for my supper on Friday night. I had my tea
upstairs. I did take one cup of tea in the kitchen with
the cook, standing, as I sometimes do when she asks me.
I slept very soundly on Friday.

THE 00'
The &bee. eireumsl

110ENT REWARD.
baying bean communicated to

her Majesty's Secretary of State fO'r the Horne Department,
as active and intelligent detective officer of the matron°.
than police has been despatched to the scene, for the pur-
pose of Madng the inhuman murdeter, for whose appmben-
mien a nersed hes been offered by the government sad a free
panics to say acomemy, not being the actual murderer,
who may give such information as may lead to the same
melt. This reward is in addition to that offered by the
association for prosecuting Worm within the county.

Tux Lion or on= DAYS.—(To tho Editor of
41. RePrall.)—iiir,—Tbe following may at the present
time be of some little interrst. It in from the Public Ad.
vernier of the 13th say, 1./66 : " Many well-wisheni have
lint Lithe follow*, qw,,,,Whetber a severe law against
killing sow pigs, ewe Lambe, and cow calves would not de-
serve the atfeiition of the legislature, as sal_ ng, by multi-
phoxikn and increase, both to the future rant of the poor
sad the interest of ownero or restored lead ? Ou the 16th
Nay I find the present peon of butter in 10d. beyond the
reach of the poor."—H. W.