The Sun.
London, England, 1847-10-18 00:00:00

ABDUCTION.

On Friday last a serious charge was brought at the
instance of the Mayor of Worcester (Mr. F. T. Elgie)
against the inspector of police of that city (Mr.
Phillips) and two of the sergeants in the police force,.
named Chipp and Bateman. The charge was for
having assisted a gentleman named Smith, who re-
sides at Wooton-under-Edge, in Gloucestershire, in
forcibly carrying away his wife, a lady sixty-five years
of age, from her lodgings at the house of a Mr. Hey-
wood, at Boughton-street, St. John's, near Worcester.
The charge was publicly made before the watch com-
mittee of the Worcester Town Council, in whose
hands the police regulations of the city are placed.
From the statements of the several parties made
before the committee, it appeared that Mrs. Smith and
her husband, having disagreed on family affairs, se-
parated some years since, and Mrs. Smith had lived
for the last six years in lodgings at Mr. Heywood's.
Latterly, for some reasons which need not here be al-

luded Co, Mr. Smith was desirous of obtaining pos-
session of his wife, and accordingly his solicitor,
having obtained the aid of the two sergeants of
police, proceeded to Mr. Heywood's residence, where,
having got into the house, Mr. Smith carried off his
wife in his arms to a carriage which was waiting for
her in the street. Mr. Heywood interposed, and at-
tempted to prevent her being carried off, as Mrs.
Smith called to him to come to her aid; but the po-
lice held him fast, and would not permit him to inter-
fere. The wife was, therefore, carried off scream-
ing in a shocking manner, and was taken directly to
the residence of her husband in Gloucestershire. The
committee considered the conduct of the sergeants in
interfering at all in the matter as most improper, but
their defence was that they acted under the direction
of Mr. Phillips, their inspector, by whom they were
instructed to accompany the attorney (Mr. Knipe) to
Mr. Heywood's house—whence a man was going, as
they had been informed, to fetch his wife—to see that
no breach of the peace was comm►tted, and they said
that in observing the orders of their superior officer
they did not consider they were acting illegally, or
doing more than their duty. They had had no re-
muneration for what they had done, neither did they
expect any. Inspector Phillips at once admitted that
his instructions to the sergeants were to the effect
already stated by them, aul what blame there was in
the matter attached to himself. He was applied to
by the attorney of Mr. Smith for the presence of
two of the police, as an endeavour was to be made
by a person to obtain possession of his wife. He in-
quired if it was legal, and the attorney assured him
that it was, and that all he had to do was to see that
no breach of the peace was committed. After hear-
ing the whole of the facts, the committee passed a
severe censure upon the inspector and two sergeants
of police, intimating that they should have dismissed
the latter, had they not acted entirely under the con-
trol of their superior officer, the inspector.

MARTLERONE VESTRY, SATURDAY.—APPALLING
INCREASE OF PAUPERISM.-Mr. G. Daniell said that ho
was about introducing a subject connected with the pro-
perty of the parish and the interests of the poor. It
was said by certain individuals that the poor, if left t 4
the tender mercies of the Poor-law Commissioners,
would be better treated than they were by the local go-
vernments. Marylebone, by the extent of its charity,
and the amount for which it had overdrawn its bankers,
contradicted that assertion.—(Hear, hear.) The New
Poor-law 11,,moval Act—the transfer of the support of
the poor from the landed interest to the cities and towns

—the sums of mont-y gone from this country to Ire-
land, and the restrictions that had been placed upon
trade by the corn-laws—brought about the dreadful
results that occurred, and still threatened the cows-
try.—(Hear, hear.) At such a crisis he called upon
them to do their duty to the parish and the poor ;
and as the begging-box would on to-morrow (Sun-
day) be sent round their churches for the Irish ;
he hoped that before they subscribed towards them they.
would remember their own poor at home.—(Loud c r'l '
of " hear, hear.") He concluded by moving that 'e*
C. Scott and Co. be requested to advance 10,0001.- abt it':
per cent. for three months, on a resolution of the vestry.
Mr. C. H. Wilson, 'who attributed the increase of
pauperism to the absence of employment, consequent on
orks and buildings, seconded
o
the stoppage of
mpur.bl
Joseph
we
pb
Intl: i omn
a. d e
for
roi objected h
et o tho
yesterdayßev. cthlelercetsieo
Robert Walpole, rector
and announce a o ?
his intention to circulate of 'Christchurch,
the order of his bishop.
Christchurch, said that
although he was bound t
collectionthwinb aseidtsoofithhealnrdisbhilisLettbite wasobe
stating that it was the weis of many persons to raise a
subscription for the poor of the parish, the other con-
taining the bishop'sTbe inisnetions to subscribe for the Irish
and Scotch, havingon
forwarded to Sir Claudeul()
n Scutt
and
Cbenenanaddoptelimt
committee
answer in
was appointed to wait for their " a c
the court-
house. The vestry rose at three o'clock.
It has been currently reported that
France is about
to send a force of several thousand menthe River
Plate for the purpose oftaking to
possession of Monte
Video, upon the plea of protecting French subjects and
,
their property. This is,
a mere pretext. We
have before shown that France has had a strong desire to
establish a settlement there. Had she been sincere iu her
professed intention to bring about a peace, it might long
since have been accomplished by withdrawing the in-
direct support which has been given to the armed legion.
It is now, however, high time that our merchants and
manufacturers bestir themselves, and consider the im-
portance of this subject, for should France once get the
ascendancy in the River Plate, our commerce will re-
ceive a serious check. We would also call the attention
thereto of the bondholders, because, so long as matters
remain in their present state, or if allowed to go worse,
there will be no chance of their getting dividends. We
consider the best course will be for all parties to unite
in urging upon the Government the necessity of main-
taining the independenceof these South American States,
and not allow the interference with or occupation of
them by an armed French force. There can be no
doubt that Lord Howden saw through the intrigue •
going
on between the foreign party in Monte Video and Count
Walewski, or he would not have withdrawn on the part
of england, fwd raised the
hi961.04e.
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