The Express.
London, England, 1867-01-17 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, THURSDAY EVENING, JANUARY 17, 1867.

A ReIIBISROP uAN.W.VO ON RZLIOIOUR

TOLERATION.

flho thirtasmth annual Catholic reunion, in aid +
of the Itonuan catholic poor schools of the town, was held
in the Townhall, Birmingham, on Tuesday evening. Dr.
Jti...mono was peceident, and was supported by the Rev.
Di. I 'llethot ea: laud a large number of catholic ;clergy and
hymen.
Dr. Maras:se, in the course of his address, aaid-ft
gi, ex me great happiness to come and accept the w leer
you have -o kindly given, and to suture you that there is
salting which is more dear to the heart of a catholic p: dor I
than to see a catholic bishop in the midst of his people
lentil sad enerated as the bishopof this diocese. (Cheers.)
may u4l that I see in this the proof of the present
eirein,tli. and the pledge of the future extension, of ti e
entholic church in England. (Applause.) The catholic
church in this lend comes not In union with royalty.
thoin,h it is loyally submissive to the crown. It comes
act by rdatute of parliament, nor by favour of aristocracy,
nor by the influence of wealth-but in poverty united with
the people. It is the church of the poor all the world over- -
(cheers) --eminently in Ireland-thud cheers)-sad in all
the great torus of England ; and the whole catholic !lock
in England, without distinction of rank or class or wealth,
is united together with such a perfect union and perfect
equality under the spiritual care of its pastors that there
is no unity to be found throughout the catholic world
more perfect or more compact. (Cheers.) What I see be-
fore me tumight ia a sample of what I have seen in the
grent t owns of England in the many years that are past,
and most especially in the last one ; and this gives me
confidence that so long as the catholic church is united.
pastors and people together, no power on earth can hinder
its contiunal exteon. I think that Liverpool, Man.
cheater, and Birmingham have set three bright examples,
which 1 taunt the whole of England will follow. In Livet •
p vd the catholic population is mixed with the population
of that city with • perfect equality of public and of private
respect ; mod the catholic' of that town and city are
treated with the greatest consideration by the municipal
aatlioritiee. I would point to the borough gaol of Liver •
pool on a luminous example of what the justice and the
wisdom of the Liverpool men have 'done. (Hear, hex.)
3.: like manner, I will say of Manchester, which has token
the lead in the matter of education with an equity, and a
justice, and a prudence for which every catholic ought to
Var his tribute. I will say the same of Birmingham.
knowing, as I do, that in a time when England was swept
by a tempest lin mingham seemed to be the only spot
where tranquillity reigned, like the centre, as we are told,
o` a whirlwind, which is always still, and that it was the
iethience of this great town, wise in its industry. wise in
its social pm.lence, which been to diffuse a calm when
uthei men hag lost the tranquillity of their spirit. I know
el,* that the catholic population of Birmingham is treated
with respect, justice, and equity, both impublic and in
private ; and I believe that the esthetics of Birmingham
leer a very true and sincere attachment to their town.
end to every person who inhabits this town. (Cheers.)
Now I believe we are living in a period of the history of
England which will be marked hereafter by one single
characteristic. Before her gracious Majesty ascended the
throne great changes in the law and constitution of Eng.
land were carried by the legislature ; but it is one thing
L. alter the laws on the statute book, it is another to carry
them into effect. ;deco the accession of her gracious
Majesty, the changes which took place in the ten preceding
years have been perpetually reationg themselves in the
pahlic and private life of England. We, I am happy to
say, have entered into another period-into the light of the
r. n end the free air of heaven ; and at this day a perfect
social, political, and religious equality among all the
subjects of her gracious Majesty is extending itself through-
out the whole of her empire, and I trust before she closes
her happy reign there will not remainanomptus the small-
est remnant of the past. (Cheers.) I know with whatequity
and with what justice all catholic persons in this town and
county aro treated. I know also the respect and considera-
tion with which the poor and the little children of
the poor are treated in the workhouse and the workhouse
ectuads. (Applause.) I look to those two as the indict-
Lions like the degree in the thermometer which fixes the
equity and the Christian justice of those who administer
the law. I know that all that your lordship desires is not
yet :accomplished. and I know that until every little
ciath,..d: child is in a catholic school the whole work will not
be ac,:omplishol. (Cheers.) Equitable, just, and con-
siderate as the administration of the pour law is at this
time, it is impossible that the catholic children in the
worCiionse schools an be trained in their faith as they
ought to be. I Hear, hear.) It is impossible that under the
Lune roof there can be two systems of education, and
thee is only one way to remota, so great an evil as that
catholic children should nil the day long breathe an stmt.-
sphere which is not the atmosphere of the catholic
church. namely, by their beim. freely and justly placed
under the care of their own pastors, according to the desire
of their parents, as it would be from their hearts in schools
which imperfectly and strictly's( the catholic church. That
this wish of your lordship may be speolily fulfilled is my
sanest desire and petition. (Cheers.) Now let me say
that it Aeons to nie that the happiness and the most
blessed condition of a people is to be perfectly united in
relk;ion. If there could be one faith, one heart, one mind,
one worship, one altar round which a whole population is
gathered, as I see it in Ireland, with very little to disturb
it-.;cheers)-such would be the happiest condition of
people. I say that religious unity, that unity in faith is
the greatest gift of (Soil to man, and that because first of
all it is the pledge of truth universally known and believed,
and that one truth which admits of no division and no
contradiction because it is the guarantee of universal peace;
no controversy and no conflict, no divisions of households,
no intestine and domestic strifes ; and, lastly, because it
ensures the inheritance of truth and of faith in posterity to
be hereafter born. Whereas, where the religious unity of
a people is divided and fractured, truth escapes, and chil-
dren are born, generation aftergeneration disinherited of the
heirloom of Christianity. (Cheers.) For these reasons I
du dedre, from my heart, to see the unity of faith spread-
ing more and more amongst us. This I believe to be the
golden state of a people. I believe the worst state of a
people to he one of conflict, controversy, religions strife,
theological bitterness. It seems to me that the plagues or
Mgypt are the type. of such a state. (('Leers.) I do not
know whether to call it the iron or the brazen age.
(Lei(;hter.) But us religious unity is past-fur men have
forfeited it- -I earnestly desire that the period of conflict
may pass likewise as speedily as it may ; and if we cannot
re-enter into a perfect unity we may at least enter upon
that silver period, less perfect than the first, in which,
though we are not united in one faith, we may be united
In kuidlineas, in mutual consideration, and iudice one
with :another, and equity to those who differ from
ua. (Cheers.) Now, in order that I may illustrate my
meaning, I will take an example not far off, and per-
baps from a field where you would not expect it. I will
take an example of how • minority in mligion is treated
by a vast majority in Ireland. I find in Ireland that in
every gaol, and in every workhouse, the protestant in-
mates and the protestant prisoners have not only the most
periect freedom of religion, the most perfect freedom of
eownition for their children, but the freest access for the
ministers of their religion and chaplains, duly appointed
arid duly maintained for their care. I hind, for example,
in the workhouse at Limerick, where at the utmost there
are sometime' live protestant inmates, usually there
are not so many as one on an average daily, that neverthe-
leas the other day, when the protestant minister of a
neighbouring chapel applied for a salary as chaplain, the
board, composed of a majority of esthetics, unanimously
voted it. (Cheers.) Again, in the west of Ireland there
is often not asingle protestant in the workhouses, neverthe-
less there are protestant chaplains receiving never less
than 10/. a year ; and from the
report of the poor law com-
missioners it would appear that in nearly two-thirds of the
appointments as chaplain the houre to which they are
attached have no protestant inmates. (Cheers.) I call this
• fair example of the equitable treatment of a minority in
religion. (Cheers.) In respect of prisons in Ireland in
the year 1863. it appears that ille2 presbyterians were in
the prisons. The average number daily in the prisons
would he about B'.L Bat this, of course, is over a number'!
of prisons. There were no less than 14 maid presbyterian
chaplains for the are of 82 prisoner*. (Laughter.) In
ltd.% I find another case, in which there was no presby-
terian prisoner at all ; nevertheless, there was a chaplain,
with a stipend of W. a year. I find that in Louth there
was one presbyterian prisoner, with a chaplain and • std. '
pend. In Fermanagh there were two presbyterian
Boners, with a chaplain at 30?. a year. In Cavan there
were two presbyterian prisoners, and likewise a chaplain,
at :90/. a year. (Laughter.) In Donegal there were
111 protestant prisoners, and a chaplain at 401. a
year. (Laughter.) In Monaghan there were Id pro-
testant prisoners, and a chaplain at 30/. a year. In the
county of Dublin there wete 23 protest.nt prisoners, and a
chaplain at 551. • year. (Loud laughter.) Mark that
these stipends which I do not grudge and would not
rescind, be it known are paid out of the seas or rite con-
tributed by • vast majority of catholic poor. (Cheers.)
Now, I would only recall the words I spoke in the outset.
Liverpool has set a luminous example of justice in this
matter ; hut before the year Ise3 only thirty-six catholic
prisoners were visited annually by the catholic priest, for
at that time there was no catholic chaplain appointed.
Since that time Liverpool has set the bright example of
doing fall justice is this respect. Now, what is the result?
That in the year ending 1666, 4,375 catholic prisoners
passed under his care. In the last sessiou Major O'Reilly
moved for a return of the county and borough prisons of
England, to ascertain how many had acted upon the
Prisons' Ministers Act, and as far as I am able to make
out oat examining that return, from about 35 or 36
various prieuns at least 25 have not lost it into effect.
(Cries of " Shame.") Now it appears to me we have a fair
example of how a minority in religion ought to be treated.
Let me now apply what I have said a little to this country.
I am quite aware that those who hitherto have not car-
ried the statute law into effect have not done so with any
deliberate intention of depriving the poor catholic pri-
soner, or poor catholic pauper, of his religion. I believe
that its the effect of old passive habit, of old IMMO-
Allay -that old stagnation which, if it runs, runs like
these streams so thick and turbid that their motion is
hardly visible; and therefore I must say, excepting ex-
ceptions-and I have them exemptions with chapter. verse,
date, and name-1 do not believe that what I must call
the misadministration of the statute law respecting poor-
houses and prisons has been the deliberate result
of an intention to be unjust. Now, as I have
given an example how a minority in religion may be
treated, I will give another example of whet a minority
in religion can do ; and I must beg that the remarks I

am grin,; to ...ale may not excite anything of :r: :tat i,,n. ‘ot
• little more. if you please, of a steadfast nooiution to put
au end to it. but to put an end to it very kindly, very
amicably, and very firmly. There is a perimlical. w}.::l-: is
lulditheel every month, under the title of Tl.• .Voith, and
commend to every one who bean me to read the 6r4
article in the number for December List, under the very
A rcadiati title of " Irish Birds' Nests.- (Loud 1....;:.t. tel.)
Now, in order that I may make you understand what these
Irish birds' nests are—and mark, forms e me saying it. they
are nests nut built by birds. (Loud laughter.) They are
mats th.“. me built by human angers, and which have no
purpose of ornithology about them. You will hardly believe
when I tell you that in Dublin and in Ireland tre are
not loos than one and thirty what I call prisons for little
children. And that thousands and tens of thousands
of English money are collected every year for the pur-
pose of founding and supporting refuges, orphanages,
ragged schools, nurseries, convert relief funds, ragged
school relief funds, sleeping asylums, and birds' nests, for
the sole purpose of perverting poor little catholic chil-
dren. (Cheers.) There is one of these birds' nests at King-
ston, and a catholic who visited it last summer held this
conversation with the manager of that birds' nest :
, " Have you many Roman catholic children here ?" " Oh,
yea. they are all Roman catholic children." (Laughter.)
" How many are there?" " Oh, 156," " Have their
parents turned protestant!" " No ; perhaps one or two."
'• Do the parents object to the children being brought
up protestant'!" "It would be of no use if they
aid —(loud laughterh-for they know it will be done, when
they bring them here.' " What is theme/on that the parents
send their children here P"' Principally poverty." (Hear
hear.) "Haveyou any difficulty in getting the Roman catholic
religion out of these children's heads?" " Yes, the greatest
sometimes. But it is our first endeavour. All our efforts
are directed to it. Controversy is the first lesson of this
school.- (Cries of " Shame.") What I desire is that that
which is done by • minority in Ireland may by the manly
Christian justice of England be rendered impossible. (Ap-
plause.) When I remember that this is done in Great
Britain, in a country which, of all others, proclaims just
and fair dealing to every man in matters of conscience—
that it is done in a land which is entirely catholic, devot-
edly catholic, always and unchangeably catholic—in a ca-
tholic land that has been spoiled of all its endowments,
reduced to the utmost poverty, but which out of
that poverty has, since the beginning of this
century, expended, as I am credibly informed, five
million* of money in covering the face of the land with
catholic churches, catholic conventa, catholic achools, oath°.
lie works of charity of every kind, of magnificent propor-
tions—when that people, in their poverty, are so treated
by those who possess all the wealth that once was
theirs —(appLituie)—l would wish nothing more than this,
that that religious minority had to support its OMB pas.
tors, build its own churches, maintain its own schools,
and that it hail lees overplus of superfluous wealth to use in
the perversion of the little catholic children. (Laughter.)
Now, I wall add but very little to what I have alrthdy said.
I will add only a few words—they comefrom • great autho-
rity —I mean Archbishop Whately. We had lately a life,
moat fortunately published from the documents he left
behind, published by a member of hie own family; and from
those documents from his own pen we have the positive
proof that the system of education in Ireland was de-
signed by him to undermine and enfeeble the faith of the
Irish people ; and that when assailed, as he was, and
called on to defend his conduct its the establishment
of that system of education, he said, " I am defending
myself at a disadvantage, with my right hand tied behind
me. because I cannot declare the principle of that
system which was designed for the purpose of diminishing
the influence of the Homan catholic religion." I will
reed one or two of the sentences in the life of Archbishop
Whately:—" The great instrument of conversion in Ire-
land is the diffusion of scriptural education. Such I be-
lieve to be the process by which the minds of • large per-
dun of the Roman catholic, had been prepared, and are '
now being prepared, for the reception of protestant doe.
( tenors. The education supplied by the national board is I
i gradually undermining the vast fabric of the Irish Roman
catholic church." Again, he says in • letter, " I think
) with you that the Bible will not make a man • prot4-
1 tent—(loud applause)—that is, a member of our chureli,un-
! less he shall first have thrown off his reverence for the
, priest, and reads it against his prohibition." (Laughter
I and applause.) I will only read words of another mind,)
and of another period of time. They are the words of oat
of the most philosophical and greatest statesmen that Eng-
land
has ever produced. In the year 1795 Mr. Burke
spoke thus of Ireland :—" In Ireland particularly,
the catholic religion should be upheld in high re- 1
sport and veneration, and should be, in its place,
provided with all the means of making it a blessing to the
people who possess it." (Applause.) Again, " Let them
(the Irish) grow lax, sceptical, careless, and indifferent
with regard to religion, and, so sure as we have an exis- ,
tenet, it is not an Anglican or Scottish Church principle, '
but direct Jacobinism which will enter into the breach.
Two hundred years dreadfully spent in experiment, to
force that people to change the form of their religion have I
proved fruitless. You have now your choice for full 1
tour-fifths of your people of the catholic religion
' or Jacobinisin. The worst of the matter is this; you are
partly leading, partly driving into Jacobinism, that
descrintion of your people whose religious principles,
' church polity, and habitual discipline might make an in-
' vincible dyke against that inundation." (Applause.)
' And I will add, show me an Irishman that has lost his
faith, and I will show you a Fenian. (Loud cheers.) For
every lax sceptical Irishman that you show nie I will show
you a Fenian in return. The inundation which is now
' setting upon Ireland is not a flush of water from the coast
' of France, but the gulf stream which traverses the Atlantic
from the shores of America. It is for this reason that we
' rejoice that we have passed from the iron and the brazen
periatl into one which, if it be not golden, at least is silver.
That we are coming to a time when equality, justice, fair-
' ness. equity, consideration for the conscience, the heart,
' the feelings of catholica is pervading the society of Eng-
land aed of Ireland ; that it is penetrating into the legis-
lature that is directing the course of public events; that it
' is softening the hearts of the administrators of public
' 1 law that, as sure as the frost which binds hard theground
; I at this hour will give way in a little while to the genial
approach of spring, so the present temper of men's minds
' will, whether they have the intention or no, give way be-
fore the warmer and brighter influences of • more Christian
' and a more equitable spirit. The year 1866 has closed with a
', universal shaking of the nations of the earth, France, Prussia ,
' Austria, Russia, Italy, mid I will say Ireland also, has
' been in agitation. There is one point alone stable, one
; point alone unmoveable, that which was thought to be
' the feeblest of all—the Holy See. (Cheers.) The
' Sovereign Pointiff, the Vicar of our Divine Master, stands
" alone, by a power which depends not upon empires, nor on
' dynasties, nor on legislatures, nor upon the will of man,
but he is walking on the water—walking by a supernat in al
,t power—suspended by the providence of God, which is the
' will of His divine law. Here is the only point of sta-
L bility in the world, for if nations are to be stable, it is to
be in justice, and if justice is to be done, the religion of
men must be respected. Look at Australia and at
Canada, the two most flourishing outskirts of the British
, empire. Why are they peaceable and prosperous? Be-
cause perfect equality and equity prevail between
catholic) and protestant, and they all stand alike upon one
' level. The mother country has to learn a lesson of wis-
' dog of her daughters. Australia and Canada may teach
England and Ireland, in like manner, to walk hand in hand
in equity and in charity. A structure cannot be stable
which has a flaw in its foundation, and if the British
Empire is to be stable it must be solid at home, and to be
solid at home it must be just. I have gone far beyond
that which it was my intention to do. We have met at •
friendly and amicable reunion. I did intend to begin by
speaking of little children, but it was the bird's nests that
seduced me away, and if I have gone bird's-nesting I must
ask your to forgive so boyish • fault. (Laughter.) I
earnestly hope that this reunion will have the effect of
stimulating the catholic* of Birmingham to • great effort
for the education of poor children. The measures most
needed for England at this moment I believe to be this,
a vast increase in the grant of public money for edu-
cation, leas for penal laws and penal colonies, for retri-
butive justice niter the evil is done, and more for preven-
tion, amelioration, and reform. Next, to great deve-
lopment of what is called thefidenominational system :
let every community of Christians form and extend
their own systems of education, and freely at their will.
Let us have no goring and goading into one another the
fell development of the denominational system to the
utmost extent of its liberty. Third, a perfect and abso-
lute freedom for all to seed their children to be
educated where they will ; and I claim this above all for
the poor catholic paupers in workhouses, that their chi'.
drea may all of them be placed in catholic schools.
Once more I acknowledge I ani not unwilling to accept this
' law, that any parent who culpably neglects the education
of his children shall be punished. If I neglect the fence
of say flel.l, and my cattle trample down your field, I am
liable. If any parents neglect their children, and they
become pickpockets and robbers and pilferers, and pests of
society, the parents ought to be punished ; and there-
fore I should not object to see such a preaentive of the
misery and loss of the souls of little children as by the
punishment of the parents.

Loud applause greeted Dr. Manning on the conclusion of
his address.

THII PROPOSED REFORM DEMONSTRATION.—A
large meeting of delegates from trades unions, reform,
temperance, and friendly societies was held od night
in Cambridge-hall, Newman-street, Mr. E. Beale, in the
chair. The subject to be discussed was the proposed
monster reform demonstration on the 11th of next
month, and numerous speeches were made approving of
it, and urging a wide and complete organisation to carry
it out. It was resolved unanimously to appoint a delegate
from each trade, or branch of a trade, to co-operate with
the executive of the Reform League in organising the
affair. The chairman in his speech told the meeting that
London, which in previous reform movements had been
behind Manchester and Birmingham, was now in its
right place—in the front, and the eyes of the country and
the world were npon them, to see what would be done
on the 11th of February. He hoped the demonstration
on that day would be worthy of the people and the
cause.

The Liverpool Town Council yesterday agreed to
go to parliament for powers to erect, at a east of 200,000/.,
a monster abattoir at Stanley, a suburb of the town, and
to abolish all the existing local abattoirs. This bill will be
strongly opposed by the butchers of the town and district.

CITY OF SEWERS.

The Cominisaionert of Sewers of the City of
London held their first weekly meeting after the Christmas
holidays on Monday, at Guthihsß, Mr. De Jersey, the
chairman, presided, and the proceedings created some in-
terest, on account, among other matters, of a number of
the oontractota for cleansing the City having been sum-
moned for neglect of duty during the snow storm at the
beginning of the year. The Chairman, in alluding to this
circumstance, said be thought it right to inform the com-
mission that, as at the time in question no meeting of the
court was appointed to take place, he thought it right, on
the morning after the great snow storm, to give notice to
the inspectors that they should take care to inform the
several contractors that it would be their duty to remove
the snow from the streets, awl to strictly perform the con-
ditions of their contracts, and that if they failed to
do so, proceedings would certainly be taken against
them for neglect ; and he at the same time gave the
inspectors orders to report every case of neglect.
Mr. Bedford said that a great deal of abase
had been cast upon the court for their supposed neglect of
duty in not having the streets cleansed more effectually,
and for allowing them to be in the disgraceful state they
were during the four days the frost lasted. (Hear, hear.)
It appeared to him that a special court ought to have
been called to afford an opportunity of discussing what
steps should be taken in the emergency, but instead of
that everything seemed left to chance, and the conse-
quence waa that the City was left for three days in a most
disgraceful condition. Deputy Bone said he should like
to be informed whether, by the terms of their contract,
the contractors were not equally bound to cleanse the
streets upon an ocmaion like that now under consideration,
as at other times? Mr. De Jersey, in reply, said un-
doubtedly they were, but still some allowance must, of
course, be made for such an extraordinary state of things
as existed at this time. He said he was quite ready to
accept any responsibility that devolved upon him
as the chairman of the commission in the mat-
ter, and he considered be had done all that
was possible. Mr. Haywood, the engineer of the com-
pilation, had, at his request, prepared a report upon the
subject, which he would read, if they pleased, and thecom-
miesioners would then be able to see what extent of work
was required to be performed. and would be better able to
form an opinion whether there had been any wilful
neglect in any quarter. With regard to the calling of a
I special court for considering the subject, he reminded the
commissioners that according to the act of parliament,
two clear days' notice must be given before a court could
; be held, and a meeting could not have taken place before
I Monday, the 7th of january, and by that time the mow
was all gone. Deputy Ferrer said that he and every
gentleman present, he was sure, were satisfied that the
chairman had done all that was in his power to remedy the
inconvenience ; but still he thought the streets committee
should, stall events, have had their attention directed to the
subject, and they mighThave adopted some remedy for the
disgraceful condition of thestreets during the time tbefrost
lasted. Mr. Haywood. the engineer, then read a report
he had specially prepared upon the subject, from which
it appeared that the quantity of snow in the thorough.
fares of the City was computed at 116,546 cart-loads, of
which 54,548 cart-loads were in the main thoroughfares.
This snow when compressed would still amount to 18,112
cart-loads. It appeared that a large number of extra
hands were employed by the contractors, and that during
I the four days 217 scavengers and 107 single horse and 119
double horse carts were employed in the work of re-
moving the snow. A greet many extra men were employed
besides the regular scavengers, and three times the ordi-
nary number of el' ts, and in a great many instances the
men were employed the whole of the night. The report
went on testate that. in Cheapaide alone, on the Wednesday
there were 1,430 yards of snow, or 513 cart-loads; in Fleet,
street there were 563 cart-loads, and in Newgate-street
'lO2 cart-loads. The report concluded by stating that the
whole of the main thoroughfares were cleared
on the morning of Monday, the 7th of January,
and every street and alley in the city was
entirely cleared on the evening of the same day. Mr.
Bontems observed that the report of their engineer was
satisfactory, inasmuch as it would inform the public of the
extent of work that was required to be done, and that, at
all events, this commission had not been guilty of any
neglect of duty. He snored that the report be printel
Mr. Itudltin, in seconding the motion, said he considered
there was no just cause of complaint on the part of the
public, and that everything was done that was possible
in such a rudden emergency. He believed that the City
of London was better cleansed after this sudden snow
storm than any other part of the metropolis ; and that
the statement that had appeared in the Times about Paris
being so much bettercleanaed than London was utterly falla-
cious. (Hear.) He believed that, on the contrary, the City of
London after the late snow storm was much better and
more speedily cleansed than the city of Paris. Some fur-
ther discussion then took place, in the course of which Mr.
J. Symons stated that in the years 1854 and 1855 the coat
of cleansing the City was 9,1271., and at the present time
the amount paid was 22,65 W., so that no expense was
attain the object. (Hear, hear.) The motion of
1711 to
ntems was then agreed to, but as the discussion had
occupied so t a portion of the time of the court, it
was that the hearing of the summonses against
the contractors should be postponed. In the coulee of
the sitting a motion by Mr. Elias Davis, that it be referred
to the Streets Committee to inquire into the defective
lighting of the streets, and the best means to effect an
improvement therein, and how far it may be expedient to
offer premiums for an improved system of lighting, was
brought forward, and after some discussion was negatived
by a small majority. The court shortly afterwards ad-
journed.

CHARGE OP BEING IN POSSESSION OF
FORGED RUSSIAN BANK NOTES.

At the Mansion-house, yesterday, a fer.-dressed
German, named Jacob Schneuhr, and ho was described
in the police-sheet as a merchant, having no fixed resi-
dence, was brought before the Lord Mayor, on a warrant,
by Sergeant Scott, the detective officer, charged with hav-
ing feloniously in biz possession, and with Living uttered,
with a guilty knowledge,, seventy-five five rouble notes of
the Imperial Bank of Russia, with intent to defraud the
Russian government. The prisoner had been apprehended
in l'aris, and was given up by the French authorities
under the Extradition Treaty exiting between France and
this oountry.
Mr. Sleigh conducted the prosecution on behalf of the
Russian government, instructed by Messrs. Vanning,
Naylor, and Robins, of Tokenhouse-yard, the solicitors to
the Russian embassy. The prisoner bad no legal adviser,
and, as he did not understand English, the evidence was
translated to him by Mr. Albert, who was retained for
that purpose.
The learned counsel for the prosecution argued the Cafe
at some length, and the circumstances narrated by him
were of a somewhat extraordinary character. It appeared
that in the year 1864 the prisoner introduced himself to
Mr. Harbottle, a highly respectable general merchant, and
who also has extensive business transactions with the
empire of Russia, carrying on his business in Alder-
man's-walk, in the City, by making inquiries, and having
• supposed connexion with some friends of that gentleman ;
and owing to his specious and plausible manners, and his
apparent intimate acquaintance with various part. of the
world, he so won upon the confidence of that gentleman,
that a sort of intimacy was created between them. The
result of this was that the prisoner frequently visited Mr.
Harbottle at his counting-house, and in the beginning of
the year 1865 the prisoner represented that he was in want
of cash, and he asked Mr. Harbottle to let him have the
money for a bill of exchange for 2171., which was appa-
rently accepted by a highly respectable firm at Odom..
Inquiries were instituted with regard to this bill of ex-
change, and under the belief that it was a genuine instru-
ment Mr. Harbottle gave the prisoner the amount. When,
however, the bill becameMue and was presented to the firm
at Odessa whose acceptance it purported to bear, it was
ascertained that the acceptance was, if not a forgery, at all
events of no value, aa the bill appeared to have been ac-
cepted bya person whose name was the same as that of the
supposed acceptors, but who was in reality nothing more
than a chevalier d'industrie, and Mr. Harbottle lost the
whole of his money, the prisoner having before this time
absconded from England. A short time before the bill
became due, however, the prisoner committed the act
that was the subject of the present charge. He was, as
before stated. on very friendly terms with Mr. Harbottle,
and in the month of June, 1865, he went to that gentle.
man and stated that he wanted some money, as he had
been disappointed in not receiving a remittance from
Russia, and he asked Mr. Harbottle to advance him some
money upon the security of a number of Russian five
rouble notes. Mr. Harbottle consented to do so,
and he gave the prisoner a cheque for 361.,
and received from him seventy-five pieces of paper,
purporting to be Russian five rouble notes, the whole
of which turned out subsequently to be forged. That the
prisoner was perfectly well aware of the fact that these
notes were forged was proved by the extraordinary circum-
stance that the prisoner appeared to have been in conenu-
nication not only with the authorities of the Russian
empire, but had also actually written to his Majesty the
Emperor himself, upon the subject of a number of persons
being, as he said, engaged in this country in manufacturing
forged Russian notes, the object of this correspondence
being to induce the Russian government to place a large
sum of money in his bands, in order that be might in the
first instance apparently join with the parties who were
engaged in the illegal affair, with a view to eventually
betray them and hand them over to justice. On the 20th
of May, 1885, the prisoner addressed a letter to M.Micbael
Christophervitch, the Minister of Finance, the following
portion of which was read and given in evidence:—
" Honoured Sir,—From my most humble letter addressed
to our Lord the Emperor, to which were annexed the
credit note produced here, and from my letter to the
chief of the gees d'armes, which doubtless were trans-
mitted to you yesterday, you will see the details of the
affair of the manufacture of the credit notes here in
London ;" and the prisoner then went on to offer his
services to detect the guilty parties, at the same time
stating that it was no use spending pence when the
makers of the notes were able to spend pounds, and
that he should require a sum of 2,0001. to be at once
placed at his disposal before he could take any
active steps in the matter. In the letter addressed to
the Emperor, the prisoner enclosed one of the forged
notes which he described as being perfect, but faulty, as
one of the figures was turned upside down, and he stated
that he did this in order that his Majesty might be satis-
fied that be was in a condition to give information that
would lead to the detection of the jruilty parties, and that
he had obtained possession of this forged note from them.
The learned counsel then proceeded to state that after
placing the seventy-five forged notes in the hands of Mr.
Harbottle, the prisoner absconded, and it appeared that
for some time he was living in great style at Paris. hut
it appeared that he eventually got into debt and was ar-
rested and lodged in the prison of Clieby, and a warrant
was obtained for his apprehension, mid he was delivered
up by the French authorities to Scott, the officer, under
the Extradition Treaty.
A variety of evidence having been adduced,
The prisoner requested that facilities might be afforded
him to obtain other letter from Paris that would ma-
terially aid him in his defence.
The Lord Mayor said that he would have every facility
afforded him to obtain those letters.
The prisoner Irma then committed for trial.