The Sun.
London, England, 1849-09-15 00:00:00

IMPORTANT TO PUBLICANS.

At the Lutterwnrth general annual licensing
meeting, held in the Town Hall on Thurday last,
before the Revs. T. Belgrave and J. P. Alarriot,
Amelia Twigden was directed to take up and destroy
a bowling alley. The circumstances of the case are
very peculiar, and involve a question that is highly
important to publicans—viz., Have magistrates the
power to order a bowling alley to be taken up, and in
case the person keeping such alley declines to comply
with the order, can the magistrates refuse to renew his
licence ? If the law does give them that power it is a
most oppressive one, and the sooner the Association
for the Protection of Licensed Victuallers takes up
the matter the better for the interests of the very
numerous and highly respectable body whose rights
was formed to advocate, as the following instance
will show :—Mrs. Twigden is the widow of the late
Mr. Twigden, of Bitteswell, and landlady of the
Royal Oak public-house. Her husband had kept the
same house upwards of twelve years, during the
whole of which time the alley in question had been
used, without any complaint having been made
against it. Not long after Mr. Twigden's death,
his widow (s ho was left with a large family) was
threatened with a complaint before the magistrates,
" if she did not remove or abolish her bowling alley,
as it was very offensive to a person named Sharman,
the noise, and, as he (Sharman) alleged, swearing
from the persuns frequenting the alley, annoying him
et nsiderably in lis summer-house." Now, if the
said summer-house had been built previously to the
alley being laid down, we should at once have said
that Mr. Sharman had strong cause of complaint; but
when we find that the alley had been laid down for
years before the summer-house was thought of; that
Mr. S. was aware of nis, and yet, in the face of it,
erected the said surnm2r-house on the opposite side of
the wall, and adjoining the alley, when there was
plenty of room in other parts of the grounds ; and,
further, that this gentleman never found any incon-
venience from the "profane swearing" during Mr.
Twigden's life-time, or dared to complain of the alley
as being a nuisance, we think that his complaint is
very ill-timed ; and we would just remind him of the
parable of the " Pharisee and the Publican," and ask
him " whether it is good to injure the widow and
the orphan for the purpose of gratifying a tempo-
ral pleasure ? " It is hoped that when the magis-
trates are made acquainted with the actual circum-
stances of the case they will renew the licence without
requiring any pledge from Mrs. T. to discontinue the
bowling-alley, particularly as we have been assured
that it is quite as well conducted as any other place
of similar amusement, and also that Mrs. T. used her
utmost influence to prevent the use of bad language.
—Coventry Herald.

DEATH OP LORD METnITEN.—We regret to an-
nounce the demise of the above nobleman, a hich event
took place yesterday at his Lordship's town residence in
Park-street. The deceased peer was the eldest son of
Paul Cobb Methuen, Esq. He was born in 1779, and
married, in 1810, the ellest daughter of the late Sir
Henry Sr. John Mildmay. His Lordship was a deputy
lieutenant for Wiltshire, which county he represented
in the Parliaments of 1812 and 1818. He vacated his
seat in 1819, but again represented the county from 1832
to 1838. his Lordship is descended from the Right
Hon. John Methuen, Lord Chancellor of Ireland, better
known as the diplomatist who negotiated the treaty with
Portugal which bears his name. The deceased is suc-
ceeded by his son, the Hon. Frederick Henry Pahl Me-
thuen, formerly an officer in the Horse Guards.
Cuaxons STORY.—Frederiok George Manning, one
of the supposed murderers of Patrick O'Connor, about
eighteen months ago lodged at Swindon New Town. Ho
was then iu the employ of the Great We:,nfrn Railway
Company as guard. It was his duty to accompany an
early train from Swindon in the morning, and return in
thee vening. On one occasion, as he was proceeding home
along the towing path of the canal, between ten and
eleven o'clock, he found a man drowned iu the canal.
He immediately gave information of the discovery of the
body, but never returned to render the slightest assist-
ance; and from that night he never could be prevailed
upon to pass the spot, even in company or by daylight,
but would take a moat circuitous :route in order to
avoid it.—Wiltshire Gazette.
UNDUE ASSESSMENT OF LICENSED VICTUALLERS.
—Last night a very numerously attended meeting was
held in the cmcert-room of the Salmon and Ball
Tavern, Bethnal-green, to consider the steps incumbent
to be taken for the protection of licensed victuallers, and
of the ratepayers generally, against the alleged undue
increase of rating in the new assessment of the parish,
made by Mr. Paine, the surveyor to the
to
oestbre of the
y.
The
meeting, which was originally
intended
extended to the
trade only, was
parishioners generally.peakers addressed the
symp ash wisth the licensed victual-
meeting, expressing
cause on their own account; and the system on which
legs, and declaring that they also would make common
rates were compounded for in the parish was particu-
larly complained of by Mr. Shevill, who said that alone
made the rat?, illegal. Resolutions condemnatory of the
principles of the now assessment, and allagatory of its in-
equality, were then passed. A committee was appointed
to conduct appeals on behalf of the licensed victuallers
and ratepayers generally. A liberal subscription was
entered into on the spot.
His Serene Hig hArnfie,isihsoirst hTmehoiliiraiinwnge en
ne
early,df sSaxe
tahl‘rori arrived enedebnae:t
gSet.n leinadth asuite
e' Ea- wn dh
a
ral Steam Navigation Company's mail steam-shiplCale-
donia, from Hamburgh.
VISIT OF THE LORDS OF THE ADMIRALTY TO
QUEENSTOWN.—The above authorities are expected in
Queenstown from Plymouth early on Thursday. We
now call the attention of all parties interested in the im-
provement of our noble sea-port to those distinguished
gentlemen, whose visit, we are bound to consider,
can have no other object but the public good. Touch-
ing the subject of the expected Brevet—it is to be
flag,l
ie
hoped that the gallant officer in command of H.M.S.
Crocodile will not be overlooked on such an occasion.
We express this hope the fear
from his lestthesship t o
change
of
on her Majesty's recent visit,
Ganges, might appear to affect his deserved promotion.
Captain Protheroe is an old and much respected officer,
who has made himself most popular in this harbour by
his gentlemanly and courteous manners, and almost pa-
ternal solicitude for the welfare of the peculiarly youth-
ful crew confided to his care.—Cork Examiner.
THE GOVERNORSHIP OF THE COUNTY PRISON 0

STAFFORD.-Thirty seven candidates have offered them
selves for the governorship of the county prison at Mei
ford, vacitat by the resignation of T. Brutton, Esq.