The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-06 00:00:00

of the opportunity of seconding the motion of the hon. CENTRAL CRI
gentleman, Mr. Walter. He was sure that the Court would
be glad to come to a speedy decision on the question. The
hon. baronet (Sir G. Bowyer) who had addressed the Court,
stated that this was not a religious question, Upon that
point, and that point alone, must he disagree with him. He
(Lord Overstone) looked upon this question as religious, and
exclusively religious. (Hear, hear.) He felt himself jus-
tified in seconding the motion of Mr. Walter, because heiwas
perfectly convioced that that motion was strictly in accord-
ance with the ac, of Parliament, whether they looked to
the strict letter of the act, or went further and looked at the
intention of the act. (Hear, hear.) The act of Parliament
opened first of all with a liberal intention, and gave to jus-
tices in quarter sessions the power, if they thought proper,
of appointing a Roman'Catholie priest to attend the gaol,
clearly :towing by that provision that they recognised the
sacred doctrine of religious ins; ruction in this country being
carried to every person as far as possible, and in that form
of instruction that would be most Accessible to him. (Hear,
hear.) But, failing the appointment of a Roman Catholic
chaplain, would be a measure too strong for the condition
of things in most parts of the kingdom—the acts proceeds
to give permissive powers to the visiting justices, and
the clause of the act was specially appropriate to
the condition of Berkshire. The act says—" The
visiting justices of any prison may, if they think fit,
without a special request being made by, but net against,
the will of any prisoner of a church or religious
persuasion differing from that of the Established Church,
permit a minister of the church or persuasion to
which such prisoner belongs (if no appointment has been
made under this Act) to visit such prisoner at proper and
reasonable times," &c. That was the proposal which his
hon. friend, Mr. Walter, had submitted to the Court. It
appeared to him that this proposition was strictly in
ac-
cordance with the letter of the Act. It was impossible to

look at the two provisions of the Act without seeing the
obvious intention of the Legislature. The great and clear
principle which the Legislature intended to realise was that
religious instruction in this country should have every
facility given to it to reach the parties in the form in which
that instruction was most accessible to them, and was most
likely to produce its great and holy results. (Hear, hear.)
That was the great principle which the Parliament declared
—they carried it by the voice of the country, and it was
upon that principle the Quarter Sessions were called to act.
Would they give their sanction and concurrence in aid of
the intention of Parliament on this great and important
subject P He felt so strongly upon it that were he a visit-
ing justice end a proposal of this kind came before him he
should tremble in his conscience if he offered any impedi-
ment to facilitating the intentions of Parliament. He put it,
then, to the justices solemnly assembled in Quarter Ses-
sions, with this Act, recently rassed, before them, that
they were called upon to express au opinion—not offen-
sively to the visiting justices—that they did concur in
this Act of the Legislature ; that, even if they had to
contend with some difficulties, they should not be
deterred in conveying instruction to prisoners in
that form which they might reasonably hope would
produce good results. (Hear, hear.) That was the question,
then, before the Court, and he entertained no doubt as to the
decision they would come to.
Mr. NiERRY said it was an extraordinary thing that so
much should have been said when everything which Mr.
Walter proposed was actually done in the gaol at the pre-
sent moment. Gentlemen seemed to have run away with
the idea that access to R man Catholic prisoners was for-
bidden to Canon Ringrose. So far from that being the fact,
every facility was given to him. The prisoners, when ascer-
tained to be Catholics, were informed that Mr. Ringrose
would attend upon them if they wished, and when they
gave their assent to it that gentleman was sent for. All
that Mr. Walter asked for was being done at the present

time.
Mr. WALTER said Mr. Merry was under a misapprehen-
sion on the subject. The old law, as he understood, en-
powered visiting justices to permit Roman Catholic priests
or any ether ministers, at the request of a prisoner, to visit
a gaol; but the new law enabled visiting justices, without
a special request being made by a prisoner, to permitßoman
Catholic priests or any other ministers to visit the gaol.
Mr. MERRY—But then the Roman Catholic priest, or
any other miuister could not visit any prisoner against the
will of such prisoner. That was the point. Tnere mint be
first the consent of the prisoner before and Roman Catholic
priest could be admitted to the gaol. The visiting justices
were careful to make known the Act of Parliament to the
prisoners, and every facility was afforded them to see the
ministers of their own. religious persuasion. (Hear, hear.)
Sir WARWICK MORSHEAD, a visiting jastice, remarked
that exactly what Mr. Waiter stated was being carried out
in the g aol.
Mr. MERRY said the motion was perfectly harmless, and
he had no objection to it.
The CHAIRMAN read the motion—" It is the opinion of
this Court that the visiting justices of Reading Gaol would
do well to carry out the provisions of the Prison Ministers
Act contained in the snond part of the third section of that
Act," and on putting it to the Court it was carried nein. con.
A motion was afterwards submitted by Mr. Merry that
the Trinity and Michaelmas Sessions, hitherto held at
Abingdon, should in future take place at Reading. A long
discussion ensued, and the motion was strongly opposed by
Sir G. Bowyer, M.P., Mr. Norris, M.P., and other magis-
trates; but on a division it was carried by a majority of
27 to 19, so that all the Quarter Sessions will hereafter be
held in the new Assize Courts at Reading,

out injury.

A I COURT.—This Day,

_.., 11.-

OLD Ci JURT.
(Before Mr. Bi iron Martin.)
CHARGE OF MA .1 7.SLAUGHTER.

A married woman named Waterfield, residing in Union-
street, Maryiebone, surrendered to an indictment charging
her with causing the death of her husband.

The parties, it appeared, had a violent quarrel, and
eventually blows were struck ; -when, it was alleged, the
defendant struck the deceased with an iron bar.
The jury returned a verdict of not guilty.

N.E W COURT.
(Before .:klr...Justice Mellor,)

Ellen Keefe was indie,ted for manslaughter. The death
of the deceased man, it was alleged, was caused by a blow
trom a pair of tongs adna inistered by the prisoner.
The jury found her guilty, but • strongly recommended
her to mercy. . _

The learned judge sentenced her to two months' impri-
sonment.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE—This Day.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

GENTLEMEN CHARGED WITH DISORDERLY CONDUCT
—ASSAULTING THE POLICE.—Two gentlemen, named
John'Buck andPeorge Thomas, both residing at Shooter's-
hill, Woolwich, were charged before Mr. Tyrwhitt with
being drunk and creating a disturbance in Piccadilly, and
Buck was further charged with assaulting Sergeant Henry
Atwell Allen 20 C,

Henry Hyatt, night constable of Burlington Arcade, said
the two defendants came to the Piccadilly end of the Bur-
lington Arcade, yesterday evening about half-past eight,
the gates at the time being closed, and his orders being not to
let any persons in after eight o'clock except the inhabitant.a
The defendants, who were ;very fresh and riotous, tried to
force their way into the arcade, notwithstanding he told
them they would not be permitted to enter, and that
drunken persons were not permitted to enter at any time.
As they caused a large crowd to assemble, and were very
unruly, evidently being out for an evening's spree, he
sent for a constable and gave them in charge. He had
been the constable for eight years, and it was the first job
he had brought to the court, though he had often had to
threaten young gentlemen. (Laughter,)
Sergeant Henry Allen, 2) C, said on going to the arcade
he found the two defendants there, both of them in a state
of intoxication: The last witness wanted to keep them from
entering the arcade, but they persisted in trying to do so
and refused to leave. After some persuasion he (the ser-
geant) got them to leave, and they went a short distance
and got up a crowd, Buck saying ho would not leave the
place, but would be locked up ; and on taking him iato cus-
tody, finding all persuasion useless, he became very violent
and struck him (the sergeant) in the face, and took hold of
hiin by both thighs and tried to throw him over his head"
and all the way to the station was very violent.

Hyatt said that Thomas tried to persuade Buck to leave.
Buck said he did not think it was so late. He wanted. to
see his bootinaker, and he was pushed violently, as :he
thought.
Tyrwhitt fined Buck 40s. or a month, and discharged
Thomas, at the same time stating that the inhabitants had
a perfect right to .but up the arcade even in the middle of
the day if they thought proper, and if they did not el:we it
at night they Would have all sorts of persons there.

THE WEATHER AND THE PARKS,

-----r- -

Tho frost still continues, and, judging from the state of
the glass, is likely to last for some time longer.
During Monday night the thermometer registered 28
deg., showing 4 deg. of frost. At nine o'clock yesterday
morning the mercury did not rise bEyond 29 deg., and evert
at noon it was only 30 deg., showing that the frost wa
still continuing.

The various parks were largely patronised. In f3t.
James's-park 1,500 persons disported themselves upon I.he
ice, and several became immersed, but were rescued witl-

In the Regent's-park there were about 6,000 skaters s nd
sliders, although the ice was only two inches in thickness.
Under Deputy-superintendent Parsons the endangered
persons were rescued, and they were attended to Iby Mr.
Norton, the society's surgeon. About five o'clock not fewer
than six persons were floundering in the water at one times
but they were happily speedily rescued. Mr. Young, the
secretary, and Mr. Williams, the superintendent, were pre-
sent and gave instructions to the icemen in each park as to
the treatment of the immersed. The Long Water in Ken-
sington-gardens had about 2,000 skaters and sliders, but
only two boys fell into the water, They were attended to
by Mr. Williams, of the receiving •house.