The Express.
London, England, 1866-12-07 00:00:00

COURT OP COMMON COUNCIL.

-
ATTEMPT TO MURDER A SERGEANT ON BOARD
HEK MAJESTY." SHIP DONEGAL—OH Wednesday even-
ing, about'] o'clock, shortly after the lights had been ex-
tinguished on board her Majesty's ship Donegal (the
coastguard ship at Liverpool), a private of marinea,
Thomas Townley, fired his rifle at Sergeant Urquhart, the
senior sergeant of the marines corps attached to the ship.
Urquhart's escape was little short of miraculous. He and
another sergeant were sitting talking at their mess-table
on the lower deck, and Urquhart was leaning with his head
resting on Lis hand. Townley, it appesrs,when the lights
were extinguished, went to the arm rack, took out his own
rifle, and proceeding to the mess-table next to that at
which Urquhart was sitting, placed his rifle over the
breech of a gun and discharged it point blank at Urquhart,
who was facing him at the moment. The other sergeant
was sitting with his back towards Townley. The bullet
passed close to the ear of this man, and then took off the
tip of Urquhart's forefinger, and crossing his lip, deprived
him of one of his moustaches, then passing through the
breech of the gun behind Urquhart, was flattened against
the iron. Immediately after the report Townley stood
forth and said, "You need not look, I am the man who
did it." He was at once seized and placed in irons. Cap-
tain Paynter is absent on leave, but the first lieutenant
(Cooper) immediately summoned a court of inquiry. From
the evidence adduced it appeared that Townley had
nourished a feeling of resentment against Urquhart for
upwards of a year in consequence of his belief that the
sergeant had prevented his obtaining leave of absence,
and that a desire for revenge had prompted him to make
the attempt on the sergeant's life. It also transpired
during the inquiry that on Wednesday afternoon a party
of twelve men, including the prisoner, went out for rifle
practice, and during this practice the prisoner teenaged to
secure a cartridge. One of Townley's comrades saw him
hunting about for a cap, and asked him what he was
doing. Townley replied that he was looking for Gd. It
was also stated that after the firing of the gun Townley
said, " I have done it for revenge for stopping my leave
twelve months ago." A report of the affair Mu been for-
warded to the Admiralty, and stela' will be taken for the
prisoner's trial.
FATAL RAILWAY ACClDENT.—Yesterday after-
noon painful excitement was occasioned among the large
staff of officials at the Reading station of the Great
Western Railway, by a fatal accident which occurred to
Ambrose Webb, one of the oldest servants of the company.
Webb had been employed on the line for about 25 years,
and his duties were in connexion with the maintenance of
the permanent way. Yesterday afternoon he was either
measuring or cleaning one of the crossings immediately op-
posite the booking-office of the up station, but on the oppo-
site side of the line, the points being close to some trucks
that had been drawn into the yard by the pilot engine from
the West Junction. While thus engaged he heard, it is
believed, the trucks commence moving, and raised his
body with the view of clearing the train, but at this
moment his head was caught between the buffers, and
jammed in such a dreadful manner that death must have
been instantaneous. The train was stopped almost imme-
diately, but of course the assistance rendered was of no
avail, and the body of the poor fellow was removed to an
singadjoin building to await the coroner's inquest. Webb
was y steady, well-cooductod man, and much re-
spected by his follow Imbue.

A Omit qf Connnwi t'011:: ell o;« held yesterday,
at Guildhallt at which the Lou) Ide:roa (Alderman
Gabriel) preatded.

THE LATE LORD MAYOR.
The Tons CLERK (Mr. Wood Thorpe) then read a letter
addressed to the Lord Mayor by his predecessor Alderman
Phillips. and which enclosed the following letter addressed
to hint by the Earl of perby:
" St. James's square, Nov. 29, 1866.
"My dear Sir,—l have the satisfaction of being able to
inform you that the Queen has been pleased, on my recom-
mendation, to confer on you the honour of knighthood ;
and I ant to add that for this honour you are indebted less
to the accidental aireumstance of having received the King
of the Belgians at the Mansion-house than to the admirable
manner in whioh you discharged the duties of your high
office, and more especially for your valuable services in the
case of the cholera in London and the famine in India.
In making this communication I may be allowed to ex-
press my personal gratification at being its medium, and
to offer you my congratulations on your well-merited
honour.—l am,dear sir, yours, s:c.',' " DERBY."
Alderman COPELAND said he was quite certain that the
communication which had just been read had given the
greatest satisfaction to every member of the eourt, and
he had great pleasure in proposing that it should be re-
corded on the journals of the court. (Hear, hear.)
The motion was agreed to.
THE HOLBORN VALLEY IMPROVEMENT.
Deputy FRY brought up a report from the Holborn-
valley Improvement Committee, with plans for the pro-
posed viaduct across Farringdon-road that had been made
by Mr. Haywood, their architect, and recommending that
a plan, comprising the erection of a bridge with three
archer, and which the committee, after full oonsideration
believed to be the most advisable to be adopted, should
receive the sanction of the court. The honourable deputy
observed that plans had been submitted to the committee,
comprising a one arch, a two arch and a three-arch bridge,
and there were objections and advantages connected
with each of these plans. The committee had con-
sidered the subject very carefully, and the result they
I had arrived at was that upon the whole the three-
' arch bridge was the most advisable principle to adopt,
and he trusted that this decision would receive the
sanction of the court. He then went on to state that by
the plan that was proposed there would be a clear width
of footway on each side of the bridge of 17 feet 9 Inches,
I and the width of the carriage way would be 46 feet. The
headway at the centre of each arch would be 20 feet
9 inches, and at the sides 15 feet 6 inches, and the length
of the bridge would be 116 feet. In order to give more
light, the bridge would be supported on columns, the top
of which would be composed of polished red granite, and
the bases of grey granite. He thought it right, he said,
at the same time to state that the bridge proposed by the
committee would cost perhaps 5,0001. or 6,000/. more than
the others, but he was sure the court would not think
this was a consideration when it would be the means of
giving them a noble, massive structure, that would be an
ornament to the City, and very different to many of the
ugly erections that at present disfigured the metropolis.
(Hear, hear.)
A number of questions were put to the hon. deputy with
reference to the details of the proposed structure, but the
greatest actual difficulty that appeared to be presented
was that the sides of the arches were only 15 feet 6 inches,
whereas by the present regulations railway and other vans
might be loaded to a height of 16 feet.
Deputy Fey said be did not believe any actual difficulty
would ever arise in respect to this point, inasmuch as the
carriage way was wide enough to admit of the passage of
I seven vehicles, and it was not likely that a van laden to
the height mentioned would be compelled to go close to
the side. He believed, hoWever, that when the plans
I were carried out the height of the sides of the arches could
be easily raised so as to admit of the passing of such
vehicles as those referred to.
The report was then agreed to.
THE BANQUET AT GUILDHALL.
Mr. H. HEATH brought forward the motion of which he
bad given notice, " That extreme inconvenience having
been experienced by visitors in consequence of the over-
crowding at the banquet held in Guildhall on the 9th of
November last, this court is of opinion that in future it
would be desirable to issue a leas number of invitations."
He said that every person who had had the honour of re-
ceiving an invitation to be present at the banquet referred
to must have felt that however brilliant was the spectacle,
and whatever might have been the amount of hospitality
that was exercised, all comfort and enjoyment was
destroyed by thecrowding and cruthing that was occasioned
by so large a number of invitations having been issued.
(Hear.) The whole of the inconvenience was occasioned by
a much larger number of persons being invited than
their noble old hall was capable of containing with com-
fort, and he hoped the present motion would have
the effect of preventing such a state of things from
recurring on any future oocaaion. The court was aware
that complaints had been made from all quarters of the
state of confusion that existed, anti he held in his hand a
letter from a gentleman, who stated " that the scene of
confusion and ill-breeding that existed both before and
after the company were seated, could not be seen any-
where out of the City of London." (A laugh.) The same
gentleman went on to say " that, from the bad manners
that were exhibited on this occasion, one would be almost
led to believe that many of the parties had never received
the least education, or were at all acquainted with the
customs of civilised society." (Laughter, and cries of
" Name, name.")
Mr. Cox rose to order. He said it appeared to him
that the motion was one which the court had no right
whatever to entertain. The guests invited to the banquet
were the guests of the Lord Mayor and the Sheriffs, and
the motion appeared to him to be pretty much to the
same effect as to dictate to a gentleman the number of
guests be was to invite to a dinner. (Hear, hear, and a
laugh.)
Alderman COPELAND said that the entertainment was
paid for by the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs, and be did not
see what that court had to do with the matter. (Cries of
" Oh, oh.")
Mr. H. LORRIMER TAYLOR said that, so far as the Lord
Mayor was concerned, he certainly paid a portion of the
cost of the banquet; but who were the parties who found
the means?
Mr. HEATH proceeded to say that he should be sorry to
interfere with the privileges of either the Lord Mayor or
the Sheriffs, but he felt assured that every member of the
court would concur with him in the opinion that something
should be done to prevent a recurrenceof the scenes that
took place at the last banquet. He was about to oontinue
to read other portions of the letter he had referred to,
when
The LORD MATOR interposed, and said he had not the
least desire to stifle the inquiry, but he put it to the hon.
member whether it was advisable to read further portions
of such a communication, and whether such a subject
ought to be discussed publicly.
Mr. HEATH said he would yield to the suggestion of his
lordship, and he then expressed his opinion that the only
way to remedy the inconvenience in future was to issue
fewer invitations, and to do away with the dinner in the
Exchequer Chamber altogether. The hall would only
contain 1,029 persons comfortably, and on the last occa-
sion he believed that 1,160 tickets were issued, and this
was the cause of all the confusion.
Mr. R. TAILOR, jun. seconded the motion, and in
doing so said he could bear testimony, from his own ob-
servation, to the scene of confusion that existed in almost
every part of the hall. At the place where he sat, all
that there was seen to eat was some dessert plates with
tureens of bread sauce upon them—(a roar of laughter)—
but he must say, at the same time, that if there had been
any thing to eat, they were all so crammed together, that
it was not possible for them to raise their hands to their
mouths. (Renewed laughter.) A good many of those who
sat near him also amused themselves by singing " Jolly
Dogs." (Laughter.)
Mr. DUCEORGE said it appeared to him that the motion
of the hon. member did not go far enough, and that it
would not have the effect of obtaining a better arrange-
ment for the future, and he should therefore propose an
amendment. This amendment was to the effect that it
was an ancient custom in the City of London, on the
inauguration of the Lord Mayor, to invite the ministers of
the crown, the representatives of foreign courts, the
judges, and other eminent persons to a banquet at Guild-
hall, and that it was advisable to make better
arrangements for the accommodation of the per-
sots so invited. It was therefore proposed that a
special committee should be appointed annually, who
should, in the first instance, take into consideration the
propriety of defraying the cost of the banquet out of the
City's cash instead of the cash being provided by the Lord
Mayor and sheriffs, and, next, that they should take all
the necessary steps to provide for the proper accommoda-
tion of the guests who were invited, and to report upon
the whole matter to the court. The bon. member
said it appeared to him that this court ought to have
a control over the banquets of the 9th of November,
and he thought it worthy of consideration whether,
while every effort should be made to uphold the
ancient dignity of the Lord Ma or, some of the ele-
ments connected with the proceedings on Lord Mayor's-
day were not of such a character as in the present day
might be dispensed with. (Hear, hear.) He considered
it was not a right thing that the Sheriffs of London should
be called upon, almost immediately after they assumed
office, to subscribe a sum of 750/. each towards a banquet,
and it was not the case in any other part of the country.
As they had to pay so large a sum, it was only natural that
they should invite a number of their own friends ; and
this, no doubt, partly contributed to the inconvenience
that was so justly complained of. It appeared, to him
that the whole of the present arrangements for inviting
the guests ought to be altered, and with that view he
proposed the present amendment, which, if agreed to, he
believed would be attended with a factory result.
Mr. PAYNE seconded the amendment.
Sheriff Warsiteow said he could not allow it go forth
that either the Sheriffs orthe Lord Mayor had any control
over the arrangement", or had anything to do with
causing the inconvenience complained of.
told how
knew
in reference to the matter was that he was told how many
persons he might invite to the banquet, and beyond the
payment of the money, the sheriffs were mere cyphers as
far as the engagements for the banquet were conserved.
He thought it right at the same time to say that he felt
honoured at being allowed to entertain such distinguished
persons as were invited upon the occasion.

-
PETITIONS.
Mr. Deputy DE JERSEY presented a petition from the
Rev. Francis John Clay Moran, minister of the new con-
ventional district of St. Philip the Evangelist, Old Kent-
road, and residents in the district and neighbourhood. for
the gift of a piece of land in the Old Kent-road for the
purpose of building a church there. The petition was rap-
ported by Mr. De Jersey on the ground that the corpora-
tion was possessed of ten acres of land in the same neigh-
bourhood, and on which it was proposed that houses
should be at once erected, and that the erection of a
church would greatly improve the value of the property.
In answer to a question by Mr. WEBBER,
Mr. MORAN stated that so far as he was concerned no
Puseyite practices would be introduced in the intended
new church.
After a somewhat warm discussion Mr. COCKRELL
observed that when once the corporation had given the
land they would have no control over the mode in which
the relig-.ous services were administered in it, and he
should therefore move an amendment that the petition do
lie on the table.
Mr. RIDLEY seconded the amendment, which was put to
the ooart, and declared to be negatived.
Another amendment was then moved by Deputy
BuitrrELL, that the consideration of the petition be ad-
journed until the court to be held after the expiration of
six months after the report of the Bunhill Fields Burial
Ground Committee shall have been disposed of by this

court.
After fl short discussion this amendment was agreed to,
and the court then adjourned.

OVERCROWDING IN ST. OILES'S.

Last night a public meeting convened by the
Evicted Tenants' Aid Association was held in the Hall,
Store-street, for the purpose of considering the aver
crowded state of the poor in St. Gilees, and in the metro-
polis generally ; Mr. W. T. M. TOIIIIS, M.P., presided.
Amongst those who occupied seats on the platform were
the Marquis Townshend, Mr. J. A. Smith, M.P., Mr. G.
Cruikshank, Mr. S. C. Hall, F.S.A., Mr. R. N. Fowler,
the Rev. B. Bayley, Dr. Buchanan, Rev. Dr. Burns, and
others. Mr. G. Linnaeus Banks, the honorary secretary of
the association, read a report of the condition of the poor
in St. Giles's and Bloomsbury, prepared by a gentleman
specially appointed for the purpose. In this document
some terrible disclosures were made. It was stated therein
that in a house in Comm-place, Drury-lane, one room was
inhabited by 11 persons, consisting of the father and
mother and six children, four of whom were full
grown, and three lodgers, the whole sleeping
and cooking in the single apartment. In Xing-
street, Drury-lane, 30 people dwell in eight rooms,
the size of each being 8 feet by 16, or two-thirds of
the dimensions of an ordinary railway carnage. Several
houses in the same street are in the same condition. Mr.
George Cruikahank proposed the first resolution—" That
this meeting expresses its profound regret at the present
sanitary condition of the poor and of the industrial classes
in this borough and in the metropolis generally, occa-
sioned as it is in numerous instances by the crowding
together of many persons in single apartments, irrespec-
tive of sex age, or family ties, alike injurious to their
moral and, physical welfare and to the economical rela-
tions of the poor to the general public, and further, that
as the Sanitary Act of 1882 compels parishes and sanitary
boards to limit ithe number of persons in the houses now
so crowded, the difficulties in the way of ameliorating
these evils must speedily and greatly increase, and the
hardships of the poor be in consequence painfully intensi-
fied." Mr. J. A. Smith, DLP., seconded the resolution,
which was supported by Mr. George Brooke, and unani-
mously adopted. The Rev. Dr. Nolan moved the second
resolution :—" That it is the duty of this meeting to com-
mend to the inhabitants of this borough, and the London
public generally, prompt, organised, persevering, and
liberal efforts to promote the improvement of the dwel-
lings of the poor and of the operative classes." Mr. R.
N. Fowler seconded the motion, which was supported by
the Rev. Emilius Bayley and Mr. Hopwood, chairman of
St. Andrew's Board of Guardians, and carried tuna. con.
The Marquis Townshend moved the third resolution,
which requested the member for the borough and other
influential members of the House of Commons to
renew their efforts on the subject in question
during the ensuing session. Mr. S. C. Hall seconded
the resolution. The Chairman, before putting it,
expressed a desire to make one or two remarks. He said
he had that morning asked a gentleman occupying a high
official position bow much money belonging to the working
classes had the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his posses-
sion at present. The answer he received was forty-five
millions and four hundred and odd thousand pounds.
Having each information, he would, if he was blessed with
life until next year, ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer
the following question :—" If the landowners get money at
a low interest to drain their estates, and railway companies
get assistance to construct their lines, why, in the name of
humanity, not give to the working men part of the money
they have earned, with security on the rates of the district,
to build decent and Christian homes !" Other resolutions
I having been proposed and adopted, the proceedings termi-
nated with a cordial vote of flasks to the chairman.
Let