The Sun.
London, England, 1862-12-20 00:00:00

ME7ROPOLIIAN BOARD OP WORKS.

The ordinary weekly meeting of this board was
held yesterday at their offices, Spring-gardens, Mr.
John Thwaites, the chairman, presiding.

The cash statement showed that the balances in
the hands of the treasurer were on current ac-
counts £79,065 78s. 10d.; on deposit accounts,
£0,070; and on Government Securities, £75,157
Os. 7d.

NLN DECEMBER 20, 1862.

very little. The examination was in the Parliament
chamber of the benchers. The treasurer sat at the
head, and Mr. Digby Seymour and the reporter sat
at the other end of the table. I had a chair at the
right of the treasurer at the corner of the table, and
the two benchers who generally conducted the pro-
ceedings sat on the opposite side to me, toward the
centre of the table. Mr. Bagshawe conducted the
first examination, and Mr. Rod well, prompted and
assisted by Mr. Greene, conducted the other exami-
nations. The lighting of the chamber was by a sort
of candelabra, and the apartment presented altoge-
ther a rather gloomy appearance. (Laughter.)
There were some refreshments on the table near
the door. (Laughter.) The Waller Gold Mine
affairs were gone into on July Bth. Mr. Seymour
commenced by examining me at great length in
chief, and I was subsequently cross.examined by the
benchers. There were, however, intermittent exa•
minations, and there was no regular order in the
proceedings. (Laughter.) I have, however, no com-
plaint to make against Mr. Coleridge's examination
of me. On July Bth Mr. Digby Seymour again
examined me in chief, and after he had concluded
Mr. Bagshaw and Mr. Rodwell, prompted by Mr.
Greene, cross-examined me, not exactly on matters
that could affect my credibility, but in manner and
matter the tone of the examination was offensive to
me. The questions had not been put as on the pre-
vious occasions ; there was a change. There were re-
marks made on that occasion on a letter I was asked
to explain. I did so, and one gentleman said, "Is
it not a breach of trust ?" and another said, " Is it
not a fraudulent proceeding ?" As the examination
proceeded it became more offensive to me ; I myself
objected to it, and it became more offensive still. I
saw the bencl,ers were referring to a book, from
which they were examining me. Immediately be-
fore that book was handed to me I had addressed to
me several rapid questions, imputing untruthfulness
in my answers. Those questions were addressed to
me chiefly by Mr. Rodwell, assisted by Mr. Greene.
The book was handed to me for the purpose of con-
tradicting me in reference to my answers respecting
the letters. I believe I then recognised the book,
which was contemptuously thrown over to me with
the question, "Do you persist in that answer ?" I
said I did. Ine iaiie wa in my handwriting, and
I was asked to read a particular passage in it. I
said " I shall read the whole, or none," and I read
the whole of it aloud. A series of questions were
so rapidly put to me by the benchers as to leave me
in arrear in my answers. I then asked Mr. Rodwell
where he got the book, and he said, " Go on with
your reply," and I did so. I was subsequently asked,
I think by Sir William Alexander, whether a par-
ticular report had been received from the engineer
of the mine, and I said it had, and was doubtless in
the archives of the company ; upon which a bencher
said,' Chis book appears to be part of the archives,"
to which I at once replied, and said, " No, this is
my private letter-book ; it has been improperly ob-
tained by some one who has not the custody of the
company's books." I then requested Mr. Rodwell
to iniorm me by what means they had got possession
of the book. He declined to tell me. I then said,
" Then my examination closes here. I shall answer
no more questions till I get a reply." Mr. Rodwell
and Mr. Greene consulted together and Mr. Rodwell
said, " We think it right to tell you, Mr. Hudson,
that it has been given to us by Mr. Brown." I asked
then if it was Mr. Brown, the solicitor of the com-
pany, and they said " Yes." My examination then
proceeded. That was about 11 o'clock at night,
and at a quarter to twelve the meeting was ad-
journed. At the time of the adjournment by the
treasurer I was giving an explanation of a
passage in the book, but I was interrupted by the
abrupt termination of the meeting. 'I attended next
day, by appointment, at a quarter to ten at night.
I was dressed in an evening dress coat, which I
wore on that evening when dining at one of the
clubs. As nearly as I can recollect, Mr. Bovill, Sir
Frederick Slade, Mr. Bagshaw, Mr. Rodwell, Mr.
Greene, Mr. Dekin, the treasurer—about 14 or 16
benchers altogether—were present. I was asked to
take a seat, and Mr. Rodwell saia " I have only one
or two more important questions to put to you." I
said, "I suppose, Mr. Rodwell, you will resume
where we left off so abruptly last night," and he
said, "No, he would not," and I believe I understood
him to say that "my examination was really at an
end." I then said, "Then hand me that book." Mr.
Rodwell said, " Oh, certainly," and he threw it
across the table to me. He was some little distance
from me. On receiving the book lat once rose,
and put it into an ink ide pocket cf my dress coat.
I then rose, and asked for permission to address a
word to the Bench. Sir Frederick Slade then said,

rather violently, " We won't hear you, Sir!" I then
proceeded to tell the Bench that the book had been
very improperly taken from me, and that they had
used it very improperly—l think I said "disgrace-
fully"—that I had resumed its possession, and that
I protested against the shorthand- writer, the prin-
ter, or any bencher giving any circulation to the
matters that had been obtained a knowledge of by
their possession of the book, and I said I now wished
to leave the room. On that I was told by Mr.
Bovill I should not leave the room. He told me
so most distinctly. I said I should, and Mr.
Bovill said, " We'll see about that;" and he then
walked round, called some one, and placed his back
against the door. Almost immediately after several
clerks, servants, and others entered the room.
Before these persons entered the room I said to
the benchers I had been told I was coming
" to a court of honour and to a society of gentle-
men," and said I came to give them information
without any reference to matters that could affect
anyone, but that I had been treated as if I was
the greatest blackguard and scoundrel in Lon-
don, and Sir Frederick Slade remarked, " I have
no doubt, from what I saw last' night, you deserve
it." I replied, " I shall not be so treated by any-
one living," upon which Sir Frederick Slade said,
" Who are you, sir P" (Laughter.) I told him that
I was a near neighbour of his daughter, but that I
claimed no respectability from that—(l ughter)—
upon which Sir Frederick said, " You be sir."
(Much laughter.) IV hen the servants were called in,
the under-treasurer (Mr. Dakin) came up to me and
demanded the book, and he going to lay hands upon
me, I said, " You are an old man, and you had bet-
ter not lay hands on me." Bye, the porter, then
came up to me. Not one of them told him to take
the book from me, but certainly Mr. Bovill did.
Mr. Dakin laid hands on me, and I put him aside.
Bye, the porter, a strong robust man in the prime
of life, then came up to me, and said he would take
it whether I liked or not. I told him if he assaulted
me he would do so at his peril. He then seized me
by the feelings of my coat. I then found my right
arm violently pulled back, and I was seized by
several other persons. I know that Mr. Bagshawe
was there ; but I cannot say he laid his hands upon
me. He was however very violent, and had his
fists clenched. I was then in the midst of a cluster
of those benchers—(laughter)—and I was thrown
down violently upon a chair. I wore an Inverness
cape over my dress coat, and they tore it ; they cried
" Hold him"—(laughter)—and tried my pockets.
They did not succeed in getting the book, and when
I was released I returned to my seat, and I told them
it was unworthy of men of their position and train-
ing to break the law in such a manner. I cannot
say that Sir Frederick Slade had then laid hands
upon me ; but several of them had, and Mr. Bovill
was most, forward amongst them. I then said to
them, "Mr. Bagshawe has charged me tNso or three
times with having committed felony; he charges
me with stealing the book ;" and I said, " If I even
hnd (innn With
you should call the police." Two constables then
entered, and I was again rushed upon by several
of the benchers, was seized, and thrown into the
air. (Laughter. That was immediately before
the police entered, and on their entering I
claimed their protection. I found the party, and
amongst them Mr. Dakin, all surrounding me, Mr.
Bovill, Sir Frederick Slade, Mr. Bagshawe, Mr.
Rodwell, Mr. Dakin, and others, and Dakin was
trying to search my pockets. The police interfered
and requested them to be quiet and leave me alone,
and let them hear what the charge was. I was then
released, and Mr. Bagshawe moved formally that
I should be given into custody. The motion was
not seconded, and I said to Mr. Bovill, "You have
been very active, sir, in this business ; what do you
intend doing ?" and he said, " The motion does not
want a seconder." I cannot be positive that this
charge was made in the presence of the police, or
before they entered. When the police entered one
or more of the benchers said, "He has stolen a
book," and Mr. Bovill said, " The motion does not
want a seconder; give him into custody." The
police then placed their hands upon my shoulders,
but did not act violently. They were about to re-
move me, when Sir Fred. Slade said, " -- it, we
must have it"—(laughter)—meaning the book, and
a general rush was then made at me by Sir Frede-
rick Slade and others ; and Sir Frederick Slade
seized me by the neckcloth. The rush upon me was
simultaneous; Bye, the porter, seizing me by the
legs. My legs were higher, in the position in
which they held me up in the air, than my head. I
again claimed the protection of the police. Some
had hold of me by the shoulder.;, while the others
held me by the legs. The end of it was that the
police insisted upon my being let alone, observing
that I was in their custody. My coat was torn ; I
lost a stud, which I afterwards recovered, and my
watch was broken. Either on the next day or the
day after my wife said to me, " Why you have a
black eye.' (Laughter.) I felt that I had been
much bruised. I then asked the police, " Where
am I to be taken to ?" and they said to Fleet street
station. I said I must have a cab, and a cab was
got. I said to the police in the Parliament-chamber,
Now, mark, this, I charge this man with having
assaulted me," pointing to the porter Bye, and
Badman, one of the police, said, "We have got!