The Express.
London, England, 1867-09-24 00:00:00

••THE HOMBURG QUARREL.

Mr. Labonchere, M.P., writes to the Timm :-
" Sir,—l trust that your sense of justice will cause you to
insert this letter in your columns. I lUD not about to reply
to or to discuss the article you have deemed it proper to
write in relation to my conduct. lam anxious only to
place some facts before your readers ; the inferences from
then. I must leave to be drawn by those who read them.
While walking on the Kursaal-terrace in this watering-
place I saw an Italian, named Farina, sitting at the same
table, and apparently in conversation with three American
ladies, who were frequently together. One of them was
well known to me. 'When she left the group and, with her
husband, approached rne, I, knowing Farina to be an unfit
associate for honest men or virtuous women, felt it to he
my duty to warn her against him. This caution was com-
municated by the lady to her friends. The natural effect
of it soon became apparent to Farina. He appealed first
personally to the lady's husband and then by letter. The
only reply which he received from this gentleman was
that he was ready to accept the responsibility of anything
that his wife had said. So soon as I heard what had taken
place I told my friend that by no code of honour could •
gentleman meet Farina, and that, as I had made the aceu-
sation, I felt that I alone ought to maintain it, and alone
take upon myself the responsibility of my opinion respecting
the impossibility of • duel. In the evening I saw Farina, and
told him that his application for redress ought to be tome.
I was met by loud words anti a menacing attitude. As I
had no wish to be a party to a personal altercation, I con-
tented myself with preventing his menace being carried
into execution. The whole affair did net hud a minute,
for the spectators, as was natural, interfered. He says he
horsewhipped me. It is simply untrue. He cites two
witnesses, Count Rocourt and Count Miraglia. The former
has left ; the latter has addressed to me • letter, in which
he says :—' I have the honour to inform you that I never
authorised Farina to make the use he did of my name,
and I have written to him to complain of this proceeding.'
Here my part in this affair ends. I made no appeal to the
police. They appealed to me. A promise was sought from
ins that I would not molest Farina ; I gave it, and have
kept it. There were others, however, Englishmen and
foreigners, who of their own motion did communicate to
the police their views of Farina's character. It was upon
this information, since confirmed, as they informed me to.
day, by communications from the police of France and
Belgium, that the authorities here acted. It was no act of
mine that caused Farina to be excluded from the Kursaal.
I did not apply, nor should I have applied,to the police,for
I had no thought or knowledge that the power of exclusion
was exercised by them Indeed, when I heard that he had
been excluded I told the commissary that I trusted this
was not done on my account, as I could take care of
myself, when he replied that the measure had been taken
on other grounds. Such being the case, am I not right in
saying that there are only three matters in relation to
which I have to be judged by my constituents and the rest
of my countrymen ? Did I do well in warning a lady with
whom I was acquainted in relation to Farina's character?
Secondly, was the warning made on sufficient grounds!
And, thirdly, have I shown myself deficient in personal
courage! We are all liable to form erroneous judgments,
and mine possibly might have been wrong. I acted
in giving the warning I did from the sense of
a duty incumbent on a gentleman. If to-day I
had to act in the matter again, I should do as I
have done. Doubtless I am wrong if I cannot prove the
charge I made, which was (it was not rightly translated
in the English newspapers) that Farina provided for his
expenses by means of a vile sod dishonourable nature ; but
I undertake, and have undertaken, to substantiate this
in the courts of this country, or in those of England, where
Farina frequently resides. Lastly, as to my personal
courage, those who know me, and those who saw what
here took place, will, I think, acquit me of the deficiency
Farina hints M. It has been open to him to come to the
town of Homburg all this time. He remains absent. I
do not court a brawl. but if ever he attacks me I shall
need no help to defend myself. And now, sir, as far as I
am concerned, this controversy has come to an end. I
believe that I have done my duty; it has been a dis-
agreeable one, for it is no wish or habit of mine to render
myself conspicuous either at home or abroad.—l am, air,
your obedient servant, " H. LABOCCHEILC.
" Homburg, Sept. 19."
M. Stefan Poles, late agent of the Polish national govern-
ment at Stockholm, and who was a whored' to the pro-
ceedings, writes to the Times .—" The fracas did not last a
minute. To the best of my belief Farina did not once
strike Mr. Labouchere. On raising his stick to strike, Mr.
Labouchere mired him any pushed him backwards with
such force that I, who was standing close by, was myself
almost thrown down by Farina staggering against me. I
may also add that the two gentlemen to whose testimony
Farina appeals have loudly protested against aso unwar-
ranted use of their names.

DEATH FROM Civizers. —On Sunday morning a
lad named Joseph Adams, aged 14, by trade • miner, re-
siding with his father sad mother-in-law, at Kate's-hill,
Dudley, died, as alleged, from the effects of violence, in-
flicted by Maria Adams, the mother-in-law. It is mid
that the lad had been subjected to a coulee of ill.trefttment,
and on Monday last be was beaten about the body by the
woman with a pike-handle, and, according to some state-
ments, was " bodged " in the stwasch severely by the same
weapon. He complained of the injuries he had received,
but continued at work until Saturday, but on coming
home at about five o'clock be complained of illness, and at
ten o'clock Mr. Mainwaring, surgeon, was called in, and
administered medicine. The lad, however, died at about
half-past two o'clock on Sunday morning. The police
arrested the woman, and she was brought to the station
amidst the execrations of oho mob, many of whom ex-
pressed • wish to employ Lynch law.
Despatches were received yesterday at the Colo-
nist-offiee from the Governor of Heligoland. Despatches
were sent to the governors of the settlements on the West
Comet of Africa.