The Sun.
London, England, 1849-05-07 00:00:00

~'..,.

.......
,e......06.,i
c2c............„.„9
./.
_ .
.i ~,,2.....e......---
, v .•
Li_,
. ,
- • - ',7,.•,,, .
,t, onf
_. .
. • ,
. .
..
/
fie-g-,r,
6,-
...
~..
n
../
....:,,. ; /I, 'IA ' . , - krt' ;141,7,,, .... , s
i. ~,,, '-',.A1..4:4.71•:.., ....7 -. -.1..7 ..t,Z,,,,
5.,..41:4,.... ';',..4,.., ", -
k4.44,0":?..7` • 4; ifli.es .. .
v
' --'l4 :r.-11*--'", - '''
',t lir- -7.;,-, 1...; * ,
'k ,f ~.,,<:-(.,,,_2.,-,-,./1, :4-4 k, .. .
t g
/ /
,',
.. n, w , ~,1,-4,41,4.,
,r.if= -.....,,-", . 1.,-;,. _ _4. -. Ac‘
, 1 41.• ,
i,/ .
.4
h F ic? 4, ( , , '',
''''‘ ". ( :':'" i 4.4.--;rt :', ~_ h• 1,.: .
~,ii!.. .., , • ' ' ‘,, • icy_
4,..;..,Acif.,,&
, . .
-----------,
f . w'.--. r
ice/
',,,, I: ,'-:..2 .-1%.\.,, ,- , , ---, z i,v,0„:,,,, ,*, <,,:0., ....,., ,
~.._ I ~-4---, --
__ A.. i.,....,,..,
4W"... '
A ~,......, ..4.!,,,,,
+ _
,lek• -',-(7-•*,,,•;,; -2 ..,
__-.4,
...„ \--..,,,,:,-,..7., -.. ....- ~.-y-.
. .
Vitt;., :,,,,- e, >
, igl ,51 ~-;,.. „,..,...;,;;.Ac, .r ---eic.Li---.....:....,...;-.1--7,,7,,,,. -_ . ~.PT"O, _ -,__t54:1,.,; -
t„,...,,,--- ,:-.-, ~,,
_._,,-_,--;-,47
_,,...-„4-......,,,,L),..---44/_-„,.!..:4.:,‘ ,o_,-,,,,fr,, __ ._----_,:1p0ir.,,-- .._
\\,,,,:.,.... > J:7,....),..,,, ,i :, ,4_,::.-7,7-..,,..„0„..,, ~........221„,,Jc ~..,„,,......
~...........„..—,
..,......,--,
• ---___..,__ -

Clrtificate of banirrup; 'ramify ... 0 6 6
For entering every matter for hearing in a
subdivision court 0 1 0
Order of subdivision court 0 5 0
Trial of issue . . 2 0 0
Subreena ud rectificandum, or other writ 0 2 0
Fee on every sitting of the court ... 010 0
The 201. and 10/. fees, now payable by.the official as-
signee out of the first moneys coming-iuto his--Insads,ave
also proposed to be abolished, and a per-centage is to be
levied in Heti of them, which it is under-500d will net
exceed 3.} per c. nt. on the gross r(ceipis.
We cannot close this brief notice of thii most impor-
tant Bill without expressing our deep sense of the re-
newed obligations under which Lord Brougham has laid
the profession and the publ c by the great pains he has
bestowedon and of the unwearied patience he has
shown not only in listeiiing to all persons entitled to give
an inion ss to its provisions, but in se. king most dili-
gently all such opinions wherever be tbouglat they were
likely to be of any use in perfecting the measure. 11e
his been repaid for all this labour by prolitiaing an ad-
mirable camm-reial code of law, which *Ube an endur-
ing monument to his fame.

PENANCE IN A PARISH CHURCH.
CAMBRIDG E, MAY 6.—The parish of Fen Ditton,
about two miles from this plate, has be,:ri the scene
of most extraordinary and disgraceful doings this
morning. In conformity with a sentence .lately
passed in the Arches' Court by Sir Herbert Jenner
Fest, a man named Edward Smith, a gardener and
the village fiddler, was to stand and do penance in
the pariah church for defamation. The suit was a
cause of defamation, promoted by Mrs. Martha
James, the wife of the Rev. William Brown
James, Rector of Fen, Ditton, against Edward
Smith, for baying in the months of Arpil
and May, 1,843, charged Mrs. James with the
crime of adultery. The writ was brought into the
Arehea' Court by request from the Vicar- General of
the Bishop of Ely; and no appearance being given
for the defendant, the proceedings were conducted
in vomit. It was proved that Smith had at a pub-
lic- house in the village of Ditton, when " half drunk
and half foolish," tiled the defamatory words im-
puted, and the averments in the libel having
been -proved, judgment was prayed and granted,
to the effect that the usual penance should be per-
formed in the parish church of Fen Ditton, on Sun.
day, May 6. Smith was also condemned in costs,
which amount 'to 421. 17s. 61. The subject has been
the matter of talk in the taunt' round since the
passing of the sentence, and between the hours of
nine and eleven o'clock (the time fixed for the com-
mencement of the service) the thoroughfares leading
to Ditton from Cambridge and other adjacent places
were crowded -with passengers, and there were not
less than 3,000 persons in the village before the bells
had done chiming. The majority of these were, of
course, members of the lower orders. The church-
yard was crowded, and as soon as the doors were
open a rush took place into the edifice that would have
disgraced the upper gallery of a theatre in London on
aßoxing-night, and every available spot was occupied
in less than five minutes. The screen was covered
by men (bargees) sitting astride, the capitals cf the
pillars had each their human occupant, and Ditton
Church, which is computed to be capable of
seating 1,000 persons, was crowded to suffocation, the
majority of the audience standing upon the seats, and
eagerly fighting for the places which would command
the best view of the place where it was supposed
Smith would stand. The Rev. A. H. Small, of Em-
manuel College, Cambridge, was the gentleman who
had undertaken to do duty for the rector on, the
occasion, and he entered the church exactly at eleven
o'clock, followed by Mr. James and his wife, the pro-
moter of the suit. Mr. and Mrs. James took their
seats in the rector's pew, and the service commenced.
All eyes were strained to get a glimpse of Mrs.
James ; and the officiating minister had no sooner
commenced, than he was saluted with a shout of
" Speak up, old boy," and a chorus of laughter; and
similar interruptions were continued throughout.
The hymns were omitted, by the special request of
the rector, made to Mr. Sinai), at an interval in,the
service, Mr. Small, having concluded the prayers,
entered the pulpit, and taking his text from the 7th
chapter of Matthew, v. 1, "Judge not, lest ye- be
judged," proceeded to the delivery of an impressive
discourse, interrupted by the breaking of win-
dows by the mob outside, cat-calls. whistles .
laughter, and other unseemly noises, which increased,
as he proceeded, until his voice was finally drowned,
partly by the noise inside, and partly by thatoutside,
consequent upon a dogfight which had been get up in
churchyard The interest excited by this gave war
in its turn to that excited by a cry of "Smith is
coming," several times reiterated, and the struggle
that ensued for places commanding a view of the
aisle, up which he was to proceed to his appointed
position opposite the reading-desk, bafilea all descrip-
tion. At last his veritable appearance was announced
by a shout from the parties outride, and a complete stop
was put to the sermon. At this time there were several
parties smoking in the body of the church, as the smoke
was seen rising towards the roof, and a smell of tobacco
was patent to all. The shout outside subsided as Smith
entered the church, but was taken up by its occupants
with three hearty cheers, clapping of hands, whOops, and
other discordant sounds. On his reaching the reading-
desk, the press was so great that he had to be lifted
into the pew of the churchwardens on men's arms, and,
When there, he was mounted on a hassock placed on
a seat immediately facing the pew of the Rev: Mr.
James. -..ls4thing but this would satisfy the audience;,
and quiet was in some degree restored liar Smitlbt
waving over his head the paper from which,her•waa tea
read his recantation. Mr. Small essayepaLiegitbasea.
ante of his discoure repeatedly, but wasiii-ofteaterlaamell-
by cries of " Smith, Smith, one thee;
Smith," the said cheer been most heartily! &elk
and Smith as often calling " silence for till Missfiter."*.
This uproar continued, and then Smith beckendd-teit
Mr. Kent, one of the churchwardens, and asite4ll4.
what was to be done, saving, "You see what-bastrile,
the church is in ; you know what is best; I arn..your
prisoner,
and will do as you think proper." While
this observation was making, a broom, which had beets-
found in one corner of the church, flew across it, and
fell within a yard of the pulpit, then came a hassock,
then another; the pews were then broken, and the.
pieces were flung in all directions; the hassocks name
thick as hail, being evidently aimed at Mr. Small and
Smith, who, by this time, were standing close toge-
ther, the one reading and the other listening to the
recantation, Mr. Small having closed his book, and
descend, d from the pulpit for the purpose of hearing
it, as the only means of preventing the total demoni.
Lion of the interior fittings of the edifice, which ikt one
time seemed inevitable. It was impossible to hear
word Smith said ; and it is doubtful whether IW,Snusll
did, for the reporter of this narrative was within beg
a yard of the pair. Mr. Small had no sooner left
pulpit than it was occupied by spectators, ltitik
maintained their position there to the end of the 'kik
ceedings. At last a hassock struck Mr. Small, tuacP.
at the same moment Smith concluded reading his re-.
cantation, and moved out of the pew to leave the
church. On his setting his foot on the stones of the
ahle, he was taken up by the mob, amidst shouter at
" Bravo Smith, well done Smith," and the most
hearty cheers, and carried out on men's shoulders.
On his way to the Plough, to which he repaired, he
was called upon for a speech, and in reply, said to the
immense crowd which was besetting him, "I am
sorry I cannot ask the whole of you borne to dinner,
but I am a poor man." On his way- through the
village the inhabitants rushed out to shake handawith
him, and on his entering the .Plough the house was
immediately filled with his admirers, whiiaconsumed
the remainder of the afternoon in smoking and drink-
ing on the green.
Mr. and Mrs. James, on the other hand, -ware
hooted on their exit from the church, and were fol-
lowed to the rectory house by a mob, some of the
members of whom broke the windows with stones.

The following is a copy of Smith's recantation :
" Whereas 1, Edward Smith,
,having uttered and
spoken certain scandalous and opprobrious wprd
against Martha James, wife of the Rev. Willliam
Brown James, clerk, rector of Fen Ditton, in' tl*
county of Cambridge, to the great offence of Alnkiglbfilt
God and the scandal of the Christian rOg,iso2c,
to the injury and reproach of my neighbq r_
defamatorya ri d reputation,
words b calling
oa n
d againsthe
hwhore,er
naidn ;dal, ukrrusrehlyidntu. edt eb
er
t.
e.r
fore God and you, humbly conre
suchdo
eeggn hereafterv.
ne°d.n:reevndecore t oaa snkod fftefhirdtli venam
ei
like heartily
andmanner, God ab.
Smith made a speech at the Plough, to the
effeet that he had formerly been under-gardener
at the rectory, and that while he was there
the body of a child was found buried in the garden,
and the head, which had been severed therefrom, in
another part. Mrs. James had, he said, accused him
of bringing this body from the churchyard for scan-
dalous purposes, and the consequence was that he had
been out of wot k ever since. The observation he had
made with regard to Mrs. James was, he said, made
in a tap-rcom when he was half drunk and half
foolish, and was conveyed by a meddling constable to
Mr. James. Throughout the day a collection was
going on through the village by men with boxes, in
May-day faTlieD ; the supplication being " Please to
remember Smith," and the proceeds being intended to
be appropriated towards the payment of his costs. It
is doubtful whether the house of, God was ever the
theatre for the enactment of a similar tcene, and the
whole affair has only tended to increase the original
scandal.

'1 his morning Mrs. James was waited upon by the
churchwardens and other gentlemen of influence in
the village, who implored her (seeing the storm that
was brewing) to absolve Smith. It is s'ated that Mr.
James would have acceded, but that the lady was not
agreeable.

Mr. Bell, M.P., we regrOto state, is likely to retire
from Parliament shortly, oa the trivuud of coutinued
health,-..Gateshead Obierrer, -- -