The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-26 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 26, 1863,

He was one who considered that every man
should regesrd his word as sacred as his oath.
The oath was a superstitious failing and not a
religious feeling; but they knew there were
thought any man
large masses of the people who attached a greater
importance to the oath, and he
must think twice before he took any step to do away
with that sacred feeling that was attached to the
oath, and his experience had led him to the con-
clusion that it was not expedient to do away with
that form. The next objection was taken to his
vote upon Mr. Somes's Bill. He had no doubt that
the vote was unpleasant to a very large number of
his constituents, because be had received 40 peti-
tions in its favour. He liked to stand well with his
constituents, but he could not give up his judgment.
He must exercise that judgment in voting for what
he believed would best serve the interest of his
country, and it was upon that principle that he re-
corded a vote which he then proceeded to justify.
There were a great number of persons who, seeing
existing evils,
were always in a hurry to get rid of
them, but do not always take the right road to do
so. There was a great deal of drunkenness, especially
on the Lord's day. They all knew that drunkenness
was the parent of crime, and they all also liked to see
the Lord's day reverentially observed. Mr. Somes's
Bill was brought forward for the better observance
of the Sabbath and the diminution of crime. He
wished to be understood that he gave great credit
to the promoters of Mr. Somes's Bill and its sup
porters in the object they had in view. But what
this gentleman proposes to do was, that because a
certain number of men were in the habit of getting
drunk, a body of men 50 times as numerous were
to be deprived of rational enjoyment. Such priva-
tion in some places it would be impossible to act
upon. In order to prevent one man from getting
drunk, 99 men would be prevented from having
their glass of beer. He had spent a large portion
of his lifetime in London, and he had seen hundreds
of persons at the dinner hour carrying home their
jugs of beer. They would see thousands of persons
strolling out on a fine day to some village a
short distance from that great city, and they
would expect to find some place open to receive
them. This bill was, however, part and parcel
of the great temperance movement, and he knew
that all all such experiments to make people
adopt a certain view had failed. Philip 11.
thought he was right in adopting the strongest
measure he could to prevent any one straying from
catholicism, and he put to death a few of those of
opposite opinions as a terror to others. There was
a desire at one time to fetter the liberty of the press,
because occasionally immoral and seditious works
were published, but the experiment miserably
failed. If, for the sake of preventing the drunken-
ness of the few, they prevented the enjoyment of
the many, they were doing wrong. (Cheers.) It
was upon that principle that ho opposed Mr. Somes'
bill. He did not expect universal assent even from
some friends in that room he highly respected. If
they differed from him, he respected their views.
He had given them his reasons for not voting in
support of the measure; it was for them to consi-
der whether his reasons were just. (Applause.) He
had been informed that an answer he gave to a
question had caused some dissatisfaction. Certainly
there had been a considerable amount of misappre-
hension respecting it. For a certain amount of mis-
apprehension he Was, to some extent, responsible.
beengyan
The subject was this. Sir Morton Pete asked a
question of Sir George Grey respecting the mar-
riage
sy by a cler
marriedmparties who had pre-
viously ofb soythmeeregietrar. The ques-
tion asked was—" Would the Government prose-
cute the clergyman under the statute 4th George
IV., chapter 75, section 79 ?" In a letter sent to him
it had been mentioned that he had been put to
answer the question as Sir George Grey did not
like to give the answer himself, and that the reason
he gave the answer was that he was a high church-
man, and was closely connected with several cler-
gymen. The reason that he (the hon. gentleman)
gave the answer was that Sir George Grey was very
unwell at the time, and scarcely able to speak above
a whisper. He, therefore, looked into the section
mentioned, and found that according to the statute
any person so committing himself was liable to
penal servitude for life, as the clergyman had
entered the names of the parties in the register
RS if than had not her,n peee;enely seeere,a_ it man
clear in this onaa that thorn wno no intention to vio-
late the register, and he answered to that effect.
What the clergyman intended to do was to cast a
slur upon the previous marriage, and he (the
speaker) said at the time that he had shown a want
of good taste and feeling, but he could not consider
there was anything in it to justify transportation.
He Was ignorant at the time, nor did he know till
after the session, that there was a more recant
statute, and in this the offence was very reasonably
made a misdemeanour. The law allowed marriages
to be celebrated in the church that had been previ-
ously celebrated before the registrar, but in these
eases the names were not inserted in the register.
There was no question therefore that this gentle-
man's offence was a misdemeanour. At that time
he was ignorant of the latter statute. He hoped it
would not occasion them any surprise that the
Uoder-Secretary of State did not know by heart all
the statutes. In the answer he gave he did not
think be had cast any slight upon the Dissenters.
If there was one thing for which he bad struggled
it had been to do justice equally to all. He had not
confined himself to votes, although they would find
his votes upon the side of religious freedom ; but
his words had been directed to the same end, and
they should judge by his actions whether he had
not always respected the religious feelings of his
neighbours. The hon. gentleman then entered into
a lengthened explanation with regard to the foreign
policy of the Government. Though he respected
the Poles, it was impossible that the British Go-
vernment could maintain any other than a neutral
position. He regretted the war in Japan, but he said
that could not be avoided. An Englishman had been
killed, and a lady wounded. The Japanese had been
made to pay an indemnity ; and had been requested
to give up the murderer. This they refused, and the
Admiral of the fleet was ordered to seize three vessels.
He did SO. In passing back with his seizures he was
tired upon by a fort; he had returned that fire, and in
so doing had set fire to a town, containing a popu-
tion of 150,000 people. But though much was to
be regretted in this, he could not see how it could
have been avoided. Ho alluded to the war in
America, and though he had read much, he could
not offer an opinion as to whether the South had a
right to secede or not, but under the present deve-
lopment of the armed resources of America, he
thought it better, putting the question of slavery on
one side, that she should be divided. He was not
going to enter into the question as to whether these
separate States have power of indeper.dent govern-
ment. As to what were the terms of the Union, it
was never definitively stated. There were argu-
ments used, that the States had power to secede;
and, on the other side, arguments to show that they
had not. Some men said that the end of slavery
would be more quickly attained by the success of
the South than by the reunion. There were, they
knew, in the Southern States extensive tracts of
cultivated swamps where no European could live;
and was it likely that the South would give up cul-
tivating those tracts ? He also spoke strongly
against those who violated the laws of this country,
and cast a doubt upon the good faith of her Govern-
ment, and thus endangered a rupture by such pro-
ceedings. It might be that the evidence in the case
of the Alexandra was insufficient. It might be that
the judges, who were then considering the question
as an infringement within the meaning of the Act,
may pause; but did any person doubt that she
was built as a vessel of war ? Then there were
the steam rains. The question respecting them
was, fur what power were they intended? There
might b, some difficulty in proving that point.
A.s reiva,
b the justness of the war, he gave
no opinion.
'arguments on both sides were strong,
and he wa, sure
°f to
one thing, they would not wish implicate the Government, and bring it into con-
tempt by the acts of
those who, it must be said,
were violating the laws. He next touched upon
the Schleswig-Holstein clues • hen, passing from that
to the war in New Zealand, He regretted that
war, but it was one the natives brought on them-
selves, and it was simply another chapter in uni-
, vereel bistorT, tbßt 7'71-len the civilised and the un-

civilised met, the uncivilised went to the wall. It
seemed to be the rule in such cases that might
made right. The strong race succecded. They
saw in their own history the British yielding to
the Saxon, the Saxon to the Norman, and however
much they might regret the extinction of the
Maori race, he was sorry to say that these people
appeared to bring this result upon themselves, and
like all other uncivilised nations, bring on their
own extermination. "1 have now," he said,
passed in brief review the principal events of last
session. I was going to say that I was alarmed at
the statement of the chairman at the opening of
the meeting, that this was to be an exception to all
others in respect to the harmony of our discussions,
but I have been accustomed to discussion, and I
believe that the reason that I stand well with the
electors is that I respect difference of opinion.
(Applause.) The hone gentleman resumed his seat
after an address which had occupied nearly two
hours in delivery, and much applause.

After a few minutes,
Mr. JONES, of Thomas-town, rose and made some
observations in favour of Mr. Somes's Bill. He
was glad to hear Mr. Bruce make a few remarks
upon the desirability of the-working-men making
the most of their money. He had often advo-
cated to them the desirability of their making
the most of their money. He was glad to
notice that Mr. Bruce had slightly changed in
his opinions in respect to the teetotallers. He called
them now excellent people, but formerly he called
them superficial observers. After a short time he
thought that perhaps he would be drawn still closer
to them. He afterwards remarked that Mr. Bruce
had formerly stated that drunkenness was only
rational recreation. This was iollowed by strong
cries of "No, no." He considered the closing of
the public-houses on Sundays would be the greatest
blessing that could fall upon the land.
Mr. W. GoULD advocated the ballot.

Mr. T. COOPER made a rather amusing address in
Welsh on the misappropriation of charity funds for
educational purposes.

Mr. W. DAVIES, a workman, from the body of
the meeting, spoke,very eloquently at tim„,,,,oinst
the truck system which existed at Aberdare. He
said they had put the truck master into the County
Court, from that court the case had been removed to
a higher court, where they could not follow it. He
was glad that ho worked for men that paid him in
the coin of the realm ; but there were many as good
workmen es he who had to submit to the truck,
who, when they received a £1 order would take it
to the cashier, but they could draw no money, they
must take it to the big store, where that was
reduced in value ös. 'There were instances of great
privation caused by this system, and he asked the
tradesmen to support such men as would seek to
abolish the obnoxious system
The Rev. Tuos. JENKINS also made some obser-
vations in favour of Mr. Somes' Bill, adducing the
success in Scotland of the Mackenzie Act, and its
effect in the diminution of crime,

Mr. BRUCE rose to reply. He stated first that
the success of the Mackenzie Act was not so great as
would appear, that though criminal cases on the
Monday were reduced, the amount of crime in Scot-
land had not decreased. He also considered that it
was the custom to observe the Sabbath in Scotland
more strictly than in England; that beer was not
drunk there so much as spirits were; that spirits
would keep but beer would not, which, if purchased
on the Saturday would be flat on Sunday. There
was also a great deal of private drunkenness in Scot-
land on the Sabbath. Mr. Bruce alluded to the de-
crease of the amount of spirits used in this country.
He also noticed that there were petitions from New-
castle, Halifax and Sheffield, against the bill. One
was signed by 10,000, another by 20,000, and the
f'hierd remedyy people. He told Mr. Davis that
th
200
4foor the truck system was in the
b
hands of the workmen ; the system was illegal.
They could summon the master for wages, when
the order for goods would not be considered pay-
ment. In this opinion he was supported by
the opinion of a very eminent legal gentleman ;
but they must not go and fire a shot here and
there, they must go on with a systematic course ;
and only when the law was found to fail must they
appeal for stronger measures. With regard to the
charity question, he felt sure, after the able re•
,narks mart. br ltlr nicatletnnes ertmn
upon this question, it would not long
remain in its
present position.
A vote of thanks and an expression of undimi-
nishedaopte d confidence in their representative was
ad

Metropolitan Board of Works AnnuaL
Report

The following is an abstract of the report of the
Metropolitan Board of Works of its proceedings for
the year :
The Northern High Level Main Drainage—The sewer,
commencing at the river Lea, Old Ford, extends to Iloilo.
way, eight miles in length, and nearly 10ft in diameter; is
completed, at a cost of £181,722.
Acton Branch—This sewer extends from Acton-bottAn
to Notting-dale, 1 mile and 2,070 ft in length, about 4ft in
diameter ; is completed, at a cost of 4:9,820.
Rauelagh Overflow Sewer—This sewer commences in
Knightsbridge, passes under Hyde-park and Kensington-
gardens, 1 mile 420 ft in length, about Oft in diameter; is
completed at a cost of £.31,680.
Southern Outfall Sewer—This main drainage extends
from Halfway reach at Crossness along the ErithlMarshes,
through Woolwich and Greenwich to ,the Deptford pump
ing station, a length of nearly 71 miles, lift Gin in dia-
meter, is completed at a cost of £310,681 2s Gd.
Northern OutfallWorks—These works form the outlet for
the whole of the sewage north of the Thames. They extend
from Barking Creek to Old Ford, 141 miles in length. These
works are formed principally upon arching orsolid embank-
ment passing over the Lea, six other streams, and over two
lines of railway. These works aro nearly completed, the
contract being taken by Air. Furness for £615,000.
Middle Level North Sewer—This work extends from Old
Ford to Kensal-green, passing for nearly two miles under
houses. It will be nearly 121 miles in length, half of the
work being excavated by tunnelling. It varies from 4ft to
12ft. in diameter. The work is taken by Messrs. Brassey
and Co. for :5329,300, and is rapidly progressing.
Western Area Sewers—These works are intended for
the interception of the drainage of Fulham and Hammer-
smith, about 41 miles in length, and the contract for them
has been taken by Moxon and Co., for £56,740.
Southern Outfall Works—These works comprise two
contracts—one for engines for lifting the sewage to heights
varying from 10ft to 34ft. This contract was taken up
Watt and Co. for £11,900. The other contract was for the
construction of engine and boiler houses, sheds, reservoirs,
ac., and was taken by Mr, Webster for £300,000. These
works are nearly completed.
Deptford Pumping Station—This work is also divided
into two contracts. Ties engines were taken by Messrs.
Slaughter for £22,300, and the boiler-houses, chimney-
shaft, coal-sheds, &e,, were taken by Messrs. Aird and Son
for £113,136.

High Level South Sewer—This sewer extends from the
pumping station at Deptford Creek to High-greet, Clap-
ham, with a branch to Dulwich. It is about 91 miles in
length, the sewer varying from 4ft to 10ft sin. The con-
tract was taken by Messrs. Lee and Boulez for £217,000.
This work is completed.
Northern Outfall Reservoir—This contract comprises
the erection of penstock houses, cottage, culverts, reservoir,
and other works, exteeding over nearly 11 acres, and the
reservoir will receive the whole of the sewage of the
northern area of the metropolis,where it will be stored until
the ebb of the tide, when it will be discharged at the bottom
of the river, about 300 ft distant from the river bank, so as
to be conveyed down the stream. The contract was taken
by Mr. George Furness for £104,000.
Southern Low Level Sewer—These works commence at
High-street, Deptford, passing through New Cross, Cam-
berwell, Kennington, Battersea, and Wandsworth, termi-
nating near Putney•bridge. The length will be about 91
miles, varying in diameter from 4ft to 7ft 3in. This con-
tract was taken by Mr. Webster for £214,000.
Bermondsey Branch Sower--• These works extend from
near Deptford Creek, and terminate near St. James's
Church, Bermondsey. This line is nearly 2:1 miles, vary-
ing in capacity from a single sower, sft 3in, to 7ft in dia-
meter. The contract for this work was taken by Aird and
Son for £107,000.
The Fleet bewer—A work of considerable difficulty has
been executed during the year, which was a reconstruction
of a portion of the Fleet sewer, arising from the damage
done to it by the Metropolitan Railway Company during
the fel mation of that part of their line near Victoria-street,
Clerkenwell. The cost of this work amounts to £24,92816s
Bd, and application has been made to the company for
payment of the amount.
Thames Embankment—The board has obtained powers
for making an embankment, to commence on the northern
aide of the Middlesex end of Westminster-bridge, to termi-
nate near the eastern boundary of the Inner Temple, to be
continued thence by a viaduct to the western side of the
northern end of Blackfriars-bridge ; to make an approach
ro?,cl from the embankment. communicating with Surrey-

street, Norfolk-street, and Arundel-street; to make a new
street from the embankment roadway near the east side of
theMiddlesexend of Hungerford-bridge toWellington-street,
Waterloo-bridge, and also short streets to communicate with
Villiers. street, Buckingham-street, and Cecil-street, and
new streets near George-street, Adelphi, and from the em-
bankment at 'Whitehall-stairs to Whitehall, opposite the
Horse Guards. The first portion of the embankment has
been taken by Mr. Furness.
Deodorization of the River.—ln consequence of consider-
able fall of rain it has been found unnecessary to incur any
expenditure under this head.
Utilization of the Sewage.—ln consequence of the report
of the committee of the House of Commons to inquire into
the best means of utilizing the sewage of the cities and towns
of England with a view to the reduction of local taxation
and the benefit of agriculture, the board invited applications
for taking the sewage, and it is hoped that the information
which has been obtained would assist in the settlement of
this important question.
Subterranean Survey—The subterranean survey is be-
ing reproduced, of which 169 sheets have been eanpleted,
and the rest are in progress.
New Covent• garden Approach—This communication ex-
tends from the western-corner of Long-acre and St. Martin's-
lane to King-street, and affords the means of egress from
and approach to Covent-garden Market and the thorough-
fares immediately adjoining. It is 140 yards in length and
50ft wide.

Victoria Park Approach—This improvement commences
at Mile-end-road and term►nates at the East India Dock-
road, Limehouse. It is 1,162 yards in length and 701 t wide.
The expenses were £11,390 17s 3d.
Receipts and expenses—The receipts during the year
were £1,125,610 19s ld , the payments during the same pe-
riod, £1,115,610 7s 4d. _ _ .

Metropolis Gas Acts—The Board have erected two per-
manent gasmeter testing offices,i,one in White Lion-street,
Spitalfields, for the eastern divisionlof the metropolis, and
the other in Castle-street, Southwark, for the southern dis
trict. A site for a testing house for the western district has
been obtained in Great Smith-street, Westminster. During
the past 12 months the number of gasmeters stumped was
29,327, and the fees received in respect of the same £976 7s.
Finsbury Park—The Board have selected for Finsbury
Park a site immediately adjacent to the Seven Sisters-road,
at Holloway, bounded on the west by the Great Northern
Railway, and on the east by the Green-lanes. It contains
about 120 acres, and from its character was easy of adapts
tion for the purposes of a park.
Safe keeping of Petroleum—On July 29, 1862, an act was
passed by which licences for keeping petroleum were re-
quired to be granted by the Board ; 13 applications were
made, of which two were granted and 11 not granted
Lines of Frontage of Streets—During the past year 382
applications have been made to the Board, of which 277
were granted and 105 refused.

Formation of Streets—For the formation of new streets
or the regulation of width of others there were during the
year 135 applications, of which 117 were granted and 18 re-
'used.

The report thus concludes —ln concluding the report
of their proceedings the Board would advert to the great
improvements which will be accomplished under the
Northern and Southern Embankment Acts and the Act for
the formation of the new street to the Mansion-house, but
there will still remain to be executed many others of vital
importance to the metropolis. The opening up of new lines
of thoroughfares, the abolition of toll• paying bridges, the for-
mation of public parks and the preservation of open spaces,
are works to which the best energies of the Board will have
to be devoted, but they are still of opinion that for these
other means than those derived from direct taxes now ought
to be afforded, and they can only again express their earnest
hope that the period is not far distant when such additional
means will be placed at their disposal. They cannot also but
observe with great satisfaction the increased confidence
reposed in them by the Legislature and the public. They
trust they are justified in the conclusion that, from the ad-
ditional duties with which they have been charged, the Me-
tropolitan Board is accepted as the body to which are now
confided all matters affecting the general interests of the
metropolitan ratepayers.

Terrible Fire in Birmingham—Six Lives

Lost.

BIRMINGHAM, Friday.

Shortly before Christmas-day dawned upon the sleeping
town, a fire broke out which has resulted in the loss of six
lives. The first house in Little Hill-street, abutting on the
Horse Fair, is the Hill-street Tavern, kept by Mr. George
Gameson. Oa Thursday night, when the customers had
left, the following were the occupants of the house:--
George Gameson, landlord ; Mrs. Gameson, his wife; Mrs.
Bradley, an old lady who came that evening to spend her
Christmas holiday; a general servant (name not ascer-
tained) ; a nurse girl named Spratt, aged about 12; and Mr.
Gamesvo's six children, varying in age from 2 years to 17.
Between 4 and .5 o'clock on Friday morning some persons
in the street discovered that Mr. Gameson's house was on
fire, and the flames were ascending from the upper windows
of the house. The fire had evidently originated in the lower
part of the house, in one of the back rooms. A few per-
sons crowded to the spot, and the alarm was at once given
to the fire and police offices. The fire escape was the first to
i•c, dud was immediately got into use- The erigt..a arrived
soon afterwards, and got into play, but the fire had made
great headway before they COMM, need work, and the house
is completely gutted, though the outside stands fair and un-
marked, with the exception of Some broken windows. The
house has a ground floor and two storeys, the first floor front
being occupied as a club room. Pending the arrival of the fire
escape, some men had scaled the walls, and gained the leads
over the bar windows. The landlord had by some means
got out of the house, and was frantically calling on the
people to aid in rescuing his wite and children. When the
lire escape came it was reared against the upper windows of
the house, and sonn.men who had penetrated into the upper
storeys commenced to get out the bodies. Old Mrs.
Bradley was found under the bed in her room, with two of
the children. They were all horribly burned and charred
and had been dead for some time. Two other children
were also dead, besides the nurse-girl.
Ont of six children only two were saved—John and
George Gamcson. They aro very badly injured, and when
our hurried inquiries were made it was considered very
doubtful whether either of them would recover. Mr. and
Mrs. Gameson, and the elder servant; escaped unhurt.
The bodies were removed to the Acorn Tavern, opposite,
kept by Mr. T. Briggs. They present a most horrible
spectacle, wrapped in bed-clothes and other coverings
hastily snatched up by the rescuers, and lying in the
horribly grotesque distortions of violent death. It appears
as if the old lady had nor been in bed, for she was partially
dressed. In each case the flesh of the victims is burnt up
until their limbs only resemble sticks of charcoal rather
than the remains of humanity. The eldest daughter of
Mr. Gameson was a fine grown girl of 17, and now she lies
a charred mass of ruin sickening to see—the only part of
her body comparatively uninjured being her rich brown
hair falling in wild dishevelment over the blackened re-
mains of her body. The following is a list of the victims :
—Mrs. Bradley, an old lady ; Amy Spratt, aged 12, nurse;
Matilda Gameson, aged 17; Emily Garneson, aged 6 ; Betsy
Gameson, aged 5 ; William Gameson, aged about 2 years.