The Sun.
London, England, 1864-04-29 00:00:00

THE CONFERENCE.

In reply to Mr. DISRAELI,
Sir G. 'REY said it was not correct that the Conference
would not reabseruble, They had adjourned, but not sine

die, but he was unable to say the day when they would
meet again. (Hear, hear, and laughter.)
SALMON FISHERIES.
On the motion for going into committee of supply,
Mr P. WINDHAM asked the Secretary of State for the
Home Department if it was the intention of her Majesty's
Government to bring in a bill this session to amend the
Salmon Fisheries Act (1861) ? He contended that means
should be adopted for the preservation of salmon, and that
a tax for this purpose should be imposed, or that a fund
should be raised by proprietors, instead of leaving tile mat-
ter to voluntary contributions.
Mr. T. J. BARING agreed with the hon, member, but
the matter was one of intricacy. However, it was under the
consideration of Government, but he could not promise that
any bill relative to it would be introduced this session.
CASE OF MR. WILLIAM BEWICKE,
„Mr. BERKELEY moved that this house, upon
,ioncifty next, resolve itself into a committee to consider an
address to her Majesty, praying that her Majesty would be
graciously pleased to direct adequate compensation to be
made to Win. Bewicke Threepwood Hall, Northumberland,
for the pain, degradation, anguish of mind, and consequent
ill-health, he has suffered, in being confined for 12 months
in a prison as a felon, on a charge since proved to be false ;
for the confiscation of his geods,chattels, family pictures, plate,
and library, thus inflicting upon him an irreparable injury;
also for the heavy pecuniary loss he had suite' ed in prose-
cuting and bringing to justice the persons who had con-
spired against him, such having been the only means by
which eventually he was enabled to establish his inno-
cence ; and that this house is prepared to assure
her Majesty that it will make good the same.
The hon. member detailed the principal facts of the case,
with which the public are already familiar. Mr. Bewicke
went into prison a strong robust man, and came out broken
in spirit and constitution. He complained of the terms of
the order by which Mr Bewicke was liberated, stating that
he was pardoned. It the term pardon must be retained in
such orders it should be that the judge and jury should be
pardoned for the blunder they had committed. He denounced
in the strongest manner the treatment which Mr. Bewicke •
had received, and said that his legal expenses amounted to
between £2,000 and £3,000, while he lost by the forced sale
of his furniture no less than £BO per cent. A mosaic table,
which Mr Bewicke procured from Italy, and for which he
paid £lOO, was sold for £l7, and a valuable library contain-
ing the works of Racine and Moliere was sold for the price
of waste paper. lie concluded by an earnest appeal to the
House to redress the grievances of which Mr. Bewicke so
justly complained. (Cheers.)
Sir G. GREY said that he must object to the motion,
notwithstanding that it excited his sympathy, and he
asked the house seriously to consider the question raised
by this motion, which involved a most important principle.
Mr. Bewicke had defended an action against him, and the
Sheriff of Northumberland had to enforce the costs of it.
He employed his officers, and he (Sir G. Grey) would make
inquiries into the statement of the character of these men.
He :defended] the conduct of the magistrates and the
judge andjury, who had no other course than to convict Mr.
Bewicke on evidence which bad been adduced on the trial.
When a petition was presented to him on behalf of Mr.
Bewicke, he adopted the usual course and referred it to
the judge who heard the case, and who repeated the
statement he made at the trial as to his entire
concurrence in the verdict of the jury. With regard to the
sale of the furniture, every attempt was made by
the Commissioners of Greenwich Hospital to induce
Mr. Bewick's family to adopt means to prevent the removal
of his furniture, but without success, and they had no
other course to pursue but to put up the furniture to pub-
lic sale. lie regretted tbat Mr. Bewicke should have de-
fended himself instead of employing counsel, who would
have sifted the evidence, and perhaps exposed the character
of the witnesses, on whose evidence he was convicted. If
they were to affirm the principle of this motion they would
go to the extent of deciding that in every ease there
should be compensation where there had been
an erroneous conviction. This was a subject
that required great consideration, and was too important to
be settled by the circumstances of a particular case. With
regard to compensation that was another matter, and as
Mr. Bewicke said property worth £1,500 was sold for £4OO,
he would not object to an inquiry into the subject. (Hear,
hear.)
Lord J. MANNERS supported the motion, and con-
demned the line of argument adopted by the ome Secre-
tary. _

After a few words from Mr. INGHAM and Mr. LIDUELL,
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL rose to address the
house, and was

(LEFT SPEAKING.)