The Express.
London, England, 1866-11-17 00:00:00

THE POLICE COURTS.

WESTMINSTER.
Mr. James Parker, in the employ of Mesas. Msppin
and Webb, Cornhill, was brought up from Newgate by the
deputy-governor, on habeas, having been committed by
Mr. Justice Blackburn, on Wednesday, for perjury.
Mr. Inspector Bradstock, of the A division, had been
bound over by the judge to prosecute ; Mr. Bury Hutchin-
son, instructed by Mr. Avis, of Lincoln's-inn, defended.
Mr. Justice Blackburn having taken his seat on the
bench,
Mr. Hutchinson contended that the committal was not
good, inasmuch as the judge had only power to commit if
the defendant failed to put in bail, and in this case the
bail had been offered, but refused to be taken.
Mr. Selfe disagreed with Mr. Hutchinson. There was
no evidence before him that bail had been offered.
There now arose a difficulty about a prosecutor ' • the
commissioners of police did not prosecute, and Mr. Self°
said a public prosecutor was required,.
Mr. Justice Blackburn then read the evidence given by
the defendant on the trial, he being the defendant in an
action in the Common I'leas brought by two ladies to re-
cover 200 f. awl interest, defendant alleging that he boi-
lrowed it for a friend, and the other side alleging that he
had it himself.
Two sureties in 2001. each were taken for the prisoner to be
produced at the Old Bailey on Monday next, and the pri-
soner entered into his recognisance of 100 f. to appear
at this court on Monday,when the evidence of perjury will
be given.

WORKING MEN AND THEIR DAY OF REST.—A
public meeting of the inhabitants of Lambeth was held at
the Lambeth-baths on Thursday evening for the purpose of
forming a branch of the Working Men's Lord's Day Itest
Association. There were from 600 to 800 persons present;
almost without exception working men. Mr. George M.
Murphy occupied the chair, and Mr. Booker, a working
man, offered a short prayer. Mr. Charles Hill, secretary
of the parent society, said that there were more than
500,000 persons unnecessarily compelled to work on Sun-
days or give up their employment, and these men who
were required to labour seven days a week, like the rail-
way servants and country postmen, were the worst paid
and most oppressed elassee of men. A man employed on
the Great Western Itailway had told him in a letter that
he had nut had a Sunday for 20 years. A rural
messenger who walked 18 to 20 miles daily had told
him that it was 17 years since lie could get up
and go to a place of worship like his fellow men.
A rural postman who walked twenty miles a day, seven
days a week, was set at liberty on Sundays by the univer-
sal request of the persons who lived on his beat, but the
authorities of the Post-office had knocked Is. per week oft
the poor man's inserable remuneration, although he had to
deliver the Sunday letters on Monday. Such treatment
was a disgrace to the name of Great Britain, and the
efforts to increase Sunday labour, by throwing open places
of amusement on Sundays, made it necessary for working
men to combine to defend their right to one day's rest in
seven. A resolution, approving the object of the associa-
tion and appointing a committee to form a Lambeth
branch, was moved and seconded by Mr. Salmon and Mr.
Spry, working men. An amendment was proposed in op-
position by Mr. Stafford and Mr. Mickeson he amend-
ment was put to the meeting and lost. The orisinal re-
solution was carried, with loud cheering. Mr.
l'ritchard moved, seconded by Mr. Cupell " That
this meeting deeming the Sabbath rest essential to the
physical, moral, awl spiritual welfare of man, and truly
sympathising with those who are deprived of unday quiet
an.l repose by the demands of inconsiderate pleasure
seekers, or money grasping employers, pledges itself to do
its utmost to restrict Sunday labour to works of necessity
and mercy." Mr. Booker moved, seconded by Mr.
Marshall—" That in the opinion of this meeting the fact
of half a million persons having visited the recently closed
North London Exhibition on payment, and mostly in the
evening, proves the ability and willingness of the working
classes to visit places of interest on the week eveninga, if
such opportunities are given. The meeting also deems it
in the highest degree impolitic and undesirable that public
! institutions of any kind should be open upon the Lord's-
: day, either for toil or recreation, and urges upon the
heads of departments concerned the desirableness of
I forbidding all public sales for any purpose in the peoples'
' parks on the Sabbath day." Theseresulutions were earned,
and the meeting closed.
CHILD MURDER AT PORTSEA. - The body of a
male child, about ten months old, was discovered in the
• milldam which separates Portsea from Southsea, on Wed-
nesday morning, and it was clear from the medical exami-
nation that death bad resulted from drowning. The child
was very respectably dressed and certain marks on the
linen gave the police such a clue that the mother of the
infant was arrested on the following day. Her name is
Caroline Clemente Hurst, and her father lives at Spriug
Cottage,Forton, on theGosport side of Portsmouth Harbour,
and is a cab proprietor aad railway agent. The child *truille-
gitimate, the mother at the present time being under
seventeen years of age, and was placed out with a nurse
who also livedat Goaport. The mother, however, fetched
it away from the nurse on Tuesday evening, and it would
• appear from her own confession that she brought it over to
Portsmouth, and, when unobserved, dropped it over the
iron railings into the water below. The only motive as-
signed for the murder is that the father of the child ne-
glected to make the usual payment fur its maintenance.
The prisoner, a decent-looking girl, was brought before the
ri borough magistrates yesterday and remanded.
THE CATTLE PLAGUE. —Five attacks of cattle
plague are reported to have occurred in Great Britain
during the week ending 10th November, being au increase
of three on the return for the week preceding. Fresh out-
I breaks took place in three farms or places where cattle are
kept ; the number that appeared in the last return was
• one. Four healthy cattle were slaughtered during the
week from having been in contact with diseased animals.
The Court of Common Pleas gave judgment, on
Thursday, in the case of the clergyman who sought re-
lease from custody, on the ground that he had been
arrested when returning from a visitation held by the
Archbishop of Armagh. The Chief Justice and Mr.
Justice Keogh held, with the judges of the Queen's Bench,
that the clergyman was privileged from arrest, on the
ground that he was legally bound to attend at the visita-
tion, and could be punished by the Court of Visitation for
non-attendance, which constituted an act of contempt.
• Mr. Justice Christian entertained a different opinion, but
I did not formally dissent from the order far the release of
the defendant. Mr. Justice O'Hagan expressed his con-
currence in the opinion of Judge Christian.
CRYSTAL PALM:lE.—Handers music to Dryden's
ode, " Alexander's Feat," will be performed at the Satur-
day conoert this afternoon, the singers being Madame Lens-
mens-Sherrington, Mr. Wilbye Cooper, and Mr. Lewis
Thomas. The chorus and band have een increased for
the performance. The usual promenade will take place
afterwards.