The Sun.
London, England, 1849-10-27 00:00:00

THE SUN!

LAW INTELLIGENCE.
COURT OF BANKRUPTCY, Oct. 26.
1
(Before Mr. Commissioner GOULBURN.)
IN RE J. CCGAN.
The bankrupt was a glass merchant, of Leicester-
square, and to-day applied for his certificate, supported
by Mr. Lowrance. The fiat issued two Tears ego,
and the bankrupt passed bis last examination in July
last. His debts were 3,8801., liabilities 806/,, assets
about 1,0001.
Mr. Reid, for the assignees, opposed upon the
ground that the bankrupt had continued to trade after
he must have known that he was in a state of insol-
vency, and that upon the eve of bankruptcy he had
placed himself under the care of his attorney, who also
had possession of his property.
His HONOUR said that, looking at the lapse of time
since the fiat issued, the bankrupt might have his cer-
tificate, but it would be of the third class.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

BOW-STREET.
Patrick illakony, alias Roberts, a lad of about 16,
was charged with a burglary.
It appeared that the prisoner had contrived to
secrete himself in the shop of Mr. Grossmith, a soap
merchant, 135, Strand, while the premises were being
closed on Wednesday evening. The inmates of the
house were disturbed in the night, and at about four
o'clock in the morning they found some one forcing
the panelling of a side-door which led to the private
entrance. The police were called in, and they entered
the shop, but nearly an hour elapsed before they dis-
covered the prisoner, who, hearing the alarm had
concealed himself behind a pile of goods near the
ceiling, where he was found completely curled up.
Mr. C. Grcsstnith identified several coats, pocket-
books, &c , which, with the contents of a cash-box,
desk, and some drawers, which the prisoner had
broken open, were piled up ready for removal if he
had succeeded in effecting an egress without detection.
The prisoner, who admitted his guilt, was fully
committed for trial.
WESTMINSTER.
Mr. Russell, the superintendent of the B division of
police, having communicated to Mr. Broderip, imme-
diately upon his arrival at the court, that the missing
man at Chelsea, MiGowran or M'Guire, had been
found, as stated in our paper of yesterday, and was
at present in St. Margaret's workhouse, the magistrate
immediately despatched Cain, the gaoler, to the
House of Detention, to bring up the three persons,
Thomas M'Donald, Mary his wife, and Mary Fox,
who leave undergone several examinations during the
last month, and who stood remacded until Wednesday
next, with a view of immediately securing the testi-
mony of M'Govvran, and at once binding him over to
prosecute for the robbery.
Upon the accused being placed in the dock,
M Gowran, who is. a wild, strange-looking man,
between 50 and 60 years -of age, stood foward, and
having, in reply to an inquiry from Mr. W. Taylor,
the chief clerk, stated that he had a charge to make
against the prisoners, proceeded with his evidence,
but in a hurried and incoherent manner. He stated
that on a Monday after the 20th of September, his
mind being so confused that he could not tell the
precise date, he received 701. and two silver
watches from the offices of the French Embassy,
with which he returned home to his lodging in
Chelsea, and in the evening he went out and met with
Mrs. Conden, who had a few days previously done a
little j b for him, and went with her to a public-
house, near Chelsea College. They had not been
there long when the male prisoner, M'Donald, came
in, and prosecutor, disliking his company, told him
to be off, but he remained, and after a little time the
prosecutor offered him some drink. They all then
left that house and went to another, accompanied by
a third person. Upon leaving the second house he
was about to see Mrs. Conden home, and the women
commenced quarrelling. (Here the prosecutor paused,
atal was either unable or unwilling to continue the
chain of narrative.) At five in the morning he was
walking with a policeman near Chelsea College, and
had something to drink with him, when the constable
told him to take care of his money ; and seeing
M'Donald coming out of the court where he lived, he
spoke to him and went into his house, and had some
recollection about having been there before, and seeing
beer brought in. When he entered M'Donald's, at
five o'clock, he had his gold in his pocket, and felt
it there in the purse ; he sat down on a chair, and
shortly afterwards fell asleep, and when he awoke,
in what he considered to be about two hours,
his money was gone. At the time he fell asleep,
Mr. and Mrs. M'Donald, to the best of his belief,
were the only persons in the room, but when
he awoke Mrs. M'Donald and her husband were
gone. Mrs. Fox and two combmakers, who lived in
the house, were present, but he did not think Mrs.
Fox had anything whatever to do with it. He in-
quired where Mrs. M'Donald was, suspecting that she
had taken his money, and the answer was so unsatis-
factory that he ran out, and meeting Mrs. M`Donald's
little boy and the landlord's girl, made search for her,
but thinking she had concealed herself, he abandoned
it and went home. After lying down for a few
hours he got up, and in a moment of despair left the
place altogether.
In reply to inquiries from Mr. BRODERIP as to
what became of him after that, M'Guwran sniri he
came to Westminster and lodged for a night, then
went down to London-bridge and to Horne's, to see
about his boxes, and proceeded to Deptford, in the
neighbourhood of which, and adjacent places in
Kent, he had endeavoured to get a living by hawking
books. He never went again for his boxes, as his
mind being perplexed and disturbed, he thought, as
he had lost hie money, he might as well lose his
clothes, and so he gave up all thoughts of either.
He had never since he had been away seen a news-
paper until last Sunday, when he took up a portion
of the Dispatch, but saw nothing about himself in it.
In continuation of his examination by the Chief
Clerk, he stated that he had known the M'Donalds
since January last. He declared most positively that
he had never given Mrs. M'Donald any of the
money, nor entered into any arrangement of any sort
to elope with her; which was alleged by her when first
taken into custody upon this charge, with the addi-
tion that he had given her the money as a guarantee
of his intentions. The watches were not stolen from
him.
Mr. BRODERIP having inquired whether the ac-
cused wished to make any answer to this charge,
The male prisoner said he was innocent.
The woman M'Donald, in a canting whining
tone, addressing M'Gowran said, "Father, I'll
not say anything to fill a newspaper ; you stand there,
and I stand here, and you know it must be the
liquor taken that makes you forget, father, or you'd
remember my poor husband sat in his chair, and you
lay in his place all that night. My husband is as
innocent as my baby, and for the money it's a won-
der I'd a penny of it ' left, I am such a fool if I have
any money. Father, you'd know how the night
passed with us if it wasn't for the drop taken. (To
the magistrate)—He gave me the money ; he arranged
for me to meet him, and he'd not do this, but he for-
gets it."
Fox denied all knowledge of the robbery.
Mr. BRODERIP said he felt it his duty to commit
them all for trial, but they would be again brought
up to-morrow (this day) to have the case completed
against them ; but as the case against Fox was slight
he would take bail, if she could procure it, for her
appearance at the sessions.
M'Gowran was then bound over to prosecute, there
being some very cogent reasons for the course adopted
by the magistrate, to which we shall have an oppor-
tunity afforded us of further alluding.

PARIAH Or ST. GEORGE, HANOVER-SQUARE.—
Yesterday morning a vestry meeting of the parish of St.
George, Hanover-square, was held at the board-room,
Mount-street, Grosvenor-square, for the purpose of
considering an order served upon the churchwardens by
the Commissioners of the General Board of Health,
under the provisions of the 12th and 13th Victoria, c. 3,
in reference to the burial-ground of the parish, situate
at Bayswater. The Rev. H. Howarth, 8.D., the rector,
occupied the chair; and amongst the gentlemen present
were Lord Foley (one of the churchwardens), the Hon.
Captain Duncombe, General D'Oyley, Admiral Bowles,
M.P., the Hon. E. Phipps, the Rev. Mr. Fuller, the Rev.
E. Nepean, and many others. Mr. Chappell, the vestry-
clerk, having read the correspondence with the Board of
Health, a long and interesting conversation ensued with
regard to the duties of the Board of Health and the
churchwardens in such matters, and some doubts having
been expressed with regard to the necessity for discon-
tinuing interments for the future in the Bayswater
burial-ground, it was ultimately resolved unanimously,
that the order of the Board of Health should be com-
plied with, and a portion of the graveyard in question be
closed forthwith.
DESTRUCTIVE FlRE.—Last night, at ten o'clock, a
very alarming fire, which in the course of a few minutes
gained such an ascendancy as to illuminate great part of
London, broke out in the premises occupied by Mr.
Bascall, ohairmakor, No. 52, Broadwall, Blackfriars, ex-
tending into Roupell-street, Lambeth. The information
having been dispatched to the engine-stations, in the
course of a few minutes the West of England engine
arrived, and was followed by numerous others of the
London brigade. Unfortunately, although the hose of
the engines was stretched, and the engines well manned,
not a drop of water could be obtained for some minutes,
the turncock having been called to an alarm of fire in
the neighbourhood of the Westminster-road. The mo-
rgklr
but dand
the
nr
mo-
ment he arrived an abundant supply of water was ob-
toafined from the Lambeth mains, from which the West
Southwark-bridgee progressed- r o enginesad in t o t
hwee rceo setw
to wEon
hou and Mr. of Mrs. Jones having
r. James, the poor animals
were nearly suffocated with smoke, when Mr. Deputy
Barrow, with a gentleman named Swale, al
Harris, and several others, succeeded, tte
dangerpt olice-sergeant
Harris,
being gored by the animals' horns, in liberating o
cows
and one horse. By eleven o'clock the fire was exttn-
i-hed but not until Mr. Bascall'
gn s property was entirely
destroyed, and the adjoining premises injured. The
cause of the fire is unknown.
Dispatches were sent off yesterday evening from
the Colonial office for the Governors of the North
American colonies.

PARLIAMENTARY and FINANCIAL
REFORM MOVEMENT.

GREAT MEETING AT MANCHESTER.
(FROM OUR OWN REPORTER.)
Thursday night a crowded meeting of the Manchester
Parliamentary and Financial Reform Association was held
in the Free-trade Hall; Mr. George Wilson in the
chair. Oa the platform were the Right Hon. T. M.
Gibson; John Bright, Esq., M.P.; A. Henry, E-q., M.P.;
Joseph Brotherton, Esq., M.P. ; J. Taylor, Eel , Secre-
tary of the Birmingham Land Association, and a num-
ber of other leading men of the city of Mancheter.
The CHAIRMAN, in opening the proceedings, said that
the present meeting was summoned to ask their sanction
to the past proceedings, and their co-operation in the
future proceedings of the Parliamentary and Financial
Reform Association. At a former meeting held in this
room, Manchester had heard explained the objects and
the use of the_Association, and he begged to ask whe-
ther a reduction of ten millions was an object worth
striving for ? They would hear this night, from Mr.
Gibson and Mr. Bright, an exposition of the views of
the Association with regard to Parliamentary reform.
There was nothing that more impressed him with the
necessity of Parliamentary reform, than to look at
the inequality of constituencies in England, and at
the injustice of the suffrage—when the constituency of
Harwich, with its 181 voters, negatived the opinion of
Manchester, with its immense population—when such
a number of men, sober, temperate, and honest,
oe
up
ur ey. y
d olit
fh
all
respectpartici to thepation lastintopic theg
,ico vwehrincmhehnet
50
hi wereut hi
de
d,
onetouc h
of upon—registration—he oen-- utmost
r cg i
importance,
st r a
t i o n —h
from the
e could ?,n:raz that a
ng
e wast s
which were taking place continually in the voting lists,
and which, in the constituencie3 of Nort Lancsshire,
had amounted to 561 per cent. Mr. Taylor would ex-
plain to the meeting a scheme by which every working
saving eighteenpence a week, would in course
'onfltni' ymbe become possessed of a vote for his county, and a
very safe investment for his money he thought it would
be. He would call on every class of the community to
joie them in this movement.
The report was then read by the secretary.
Mr. HENRY, M.P., moved the adoption of the report.
During two sessions in which he had sat in the House
he had not derived any great respect for the Members
of the Howe, because it appeared to him that most of
them were chiefly interested in a struggle as to
who should be "in" and who " out." Most leading
politiciaes seemed to him to be deficient in political
honesty, and to bend all their efforts to class purposes;
and if a Minister were honest his objects were frequently
defeated by party selfishness.
Mr. BROTHERTON, M.P., seconded the motion. The
objects of the present association were more deserving
of the attention of the country, because they were in the
hands of the people themselves. But there was an allusion
in the report which they had heard to the assistance which
hal been given to the movement by Temperance
Societies ; and he thought that that would
give them a hint by which they themselves could
reduce taxation to the amount of twenty millions; which
sum was the amount of revenue derived from tobacco,
malt, &e., and by abstaining from which the people would
reduce taxation to that amount.
Tee Right Hon. T. M. GIBBON, M.P., then came for-
ward, and was received on his appearance by loud and
repeated cheering. lie said that it gave him great plea
sure to meet his constituency at all times, to give en
account of his Parliamentary conduct. It was pleasant
to him to observe how quickly this movement for reform
was spreading over the country, and how men were gird-
ing up their loins in all parts, after, the temporary lull
which followed the repeal of the corn-laws. It seemed
to him that the Protectionist party were somewhat
beginning to change their note—that they were fast merg-
ing into Tories. They had begun to see how preposterous
it was to think that this great country would retrace its '
steps in a matter of such grave import, and which had
received such serious consideration as the repeal of the
corn laws. Some of the papers he perceived, the
Standard in particular, had begun to exult in the scarcity
of the supplies of cotton, and this only confirmed him iu
his opinion that to widen the field of supply was the best
method to remedy this deficiency. Ito had alluded to
this point because there was a gentleman present who
had sat during the whole of the last session upon a
Committee to inquire into the best means to encourage
,he growth of cotton in India; and it seemed to him that
while they had Indian wars on the frontier, while the
system of prize-money prevailed, he thought it was the
merest trash for any one to go about the country preach-
ing that land was worth nothing, and never would be
worth anything. and that every thing connected with the
agricultural interests was ruined. For his part, looking
in an agricultural district he had not found anything
beyond the reports in newspapers to justify such conduct.
The l'rotectionists had said that if more corn came in
gold would go out; that had been a favourite cry of
theirs, but look at the facts. In the current years, 1848-
49, this country had imported 4,332,616 quarters of
wheat, and more than 6,000,000 quarters of other grain,
amounting to 11,177,572 altogeth-r, and yet during the
whole time a steady increase of bullion had flowed into
the Bank; as corn came in gold came in too. Then
they bad been told that as corn came in gold would
stop, and in 1839, under a Protectionist system, the Bank
of England had gone to the Bank of France for a loan of
2,000,0001.; and he believed that the returns for the year
1849 would present al more favourable appearance
than had been seen for many years. With respect now
to financial reform, the greatest opponents to it were
the county Members ; as to them often fell a
large share of the loaves and fishes of the system ; bat
it was requisite to strike at the root of the system.
Ho would say, that in the face of this assembly, no reduc-
tion could take place in the expenditure of the country,
except they reduced the armaments of the country, and
there was plenty of room for this. Sir John Stirlinz had
told a Committee of the House mac they had 8,000
officers, when 4,000 would have been more than suffi •
cient for a more numerous force than we at present
maintained. The excess of officers maintained by this
country cost as much as would be sufficient to keep up
a force of 20,000 seamen. The finance reform in these
branches would be the only mode in which to forward
the peace movement. Government would not
be able to pay for such amusement. People
would not pay taxes for war, and would Government
get loans easily? What had become of the Austrian
loan, by the way? He saw by the Times of to-day that
it had fallen 1 per cent., and he did not think that one
shilling had been got out of this country. Now, with
regard to this system of buying freeholds, which was to
be introduced to them to-night, he very much approved
of them. He believed that the conviction was abroad
that the landed interest would much prefer universal
suffrage than to have established in every county a
number of small independent 40s. freeholders. By this
scheme much more could be effected than financial
reform—a full and entire purification of Parlia-
ment would take place, an extension of the
suffrage must follow, vote by ballot, and
shorter durations of Parliaments.—(Hear, hear.) These
changes must come speedily, and with them would come
a firmer basis to the liberty and happiness of the country;
and he trusted that he should always be found cordially
co-operating in this course.
Mr. BRIGHT, M.P., then came forward amid much
cheering, and said that he regarded the present meeting
as an evidence of sound political feeling in this town;
for it was met together to promote a movement which
was calculated to advance the happiness and prosperity
of the country. Looking over Europe it did not seem
that liberty was in " very high feather," and journals
of high standing and repute bad been found to sympa-
thise with acts of tyranny and wrong, and there did not
seem any reason why they would not do the same if it were
safe to practise them in this country. He should to-night
confine himself entirely to the condition of Ireland,which
it did not need much ingenuity to show had much to do
with the present movement. He would suppose for a
moment that the audience had never beard of Ireland
and few present had any idea of the wrongs and suffer-
ings of that country. Suppose they were told that an island
of 20,000,000 acres of most fertile soil lay within four
hours' steaming of Holyhead, with harbours and rivers
admirably adapted to all kinds of commerce, with great
cities and 8,000,000 of population, which had been for
many years under the mysterious blessings of "our glo-
rious constitution"—this meeting would expect a model
of an island—a picture of industry and happiness. But
he would tell them what Ireland was ; and he would
lay the scene before the famine, and they should see
where the real blame lay. Sir IL Peel's Committee stated
that in 1844, in the county of Down, 24 families out of
every 100 lived in houses unfit for human habitation; in
the county of Kerry 66 families lived in a similar man-
ner; it stated that there was no such thing as industry,
that a great proportion of the population lived for most
of the year without labour; there was no rate of wages
in the country. Outrages, too, were very frequent in
every county. The committee, too, bore testimony to the
submissive and patient manner in which all these hard-
ships had been borne by the people of the country. That
was the condition of Ireland before the famine; and was
the condition of Ireland anything but aggravated ?
We here knew not what famine was ; hundreds of
thousands had been there stricken down by it ;
in some districts one-third of the population had
been removed by it. Emigration, too, had taken place in
great numbers. He had seen many of the union
workhouses of Ireland; they were almost the largest
houses in the country. In June of this year there were
237,000 men, women, and children in the workhouses of
Ireland, besides 758,000 receiving almost permanent
out-door relief. The eviction system bad added its
horrors to the scene—he believed that more than a
thousand men had died from the consequences of evic-
tions unjust and mercenary. If then any man, seeing
this horrible state of things, and understanding the
cause of it, could put forth his voice and point it out to
the Government and show the remedy, would be but
doing his duty to his country and his religion. The
Irish character and the Catholic religion had been op-
posed as two great arguments against all proposi-
tions for relief of Ireland. Why, then, did Irish-
men succeed so well in America ? What was the faith
of the inhabitants of Belgium and Lombardy?: Do Irish-
men maintain these two arguments. The real cause of all
these evils was the crimes and plunder of the Legislature.
These might be traced back to the time of Elizabeth,
James, and Cromwell; under each of these rulers exten-
sive confiscation had taken place. After the revolution,
William confiscated more than 1,600,000 acres of Ireland.
Cruel and severe laws had been promulgated against the
Roman Catholics. There was no atrocity which could
be described or imagined which had not been practised by
ono party or another upon this country ever since the
time it came under the British constitution. In Ireland
there was a monopoly of land in the hands of a few pro-
prietors, so hampered by mortgages and judgments, that
they could not sell ono acre, and the consequence was
that the people of Ireland, though living on the soil,
had no property in it—they were sojourners and pil-
grims in it. He believed that the reason why so many
outrages occurred in Tipperary was that the population
of that county was more hardy and less disposed to sub-
mit to oppression. And now for the remedy. He would
have every law as regards land, which had for its