The Sun.
London, England, 1847-12-10 00:00:00

MINORITY—NOES, 19.
Anstey, Thomas C. Meagher, Thomas Roche, E. B

Callaghan, D.
Crawford, W. S.
Devereux, J. T.

Morgan, H. K. G.
O'Brien, J.
O'Brien, Timothy

Scully, Francis
Wakley, Thomas

Fagan, William O'Connell, Maurice TELLERS.
Fos, Richard M. O'Flaherty, Anthony O'Connor, Feargus
Greene, John Power, Nicholas O'Connell,:John
Keating, Robert Reynolds,•Jonh

SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION
OF BRITISH AGRICULTURE.
Yesterday the annual meeting of the members of this
society was held at their rooms, Old Bond-street. His
Grace the Duke of Richmond presided, and was sup-
ported by Viscount Ingestre, M.P., Mr. Augustus
Stafford, M.P., Mr. E. S. Cayley, M.P., Mr. Newdegate,
M.P., the Hon. H. Wilson, the Rev. J. Linton, Messrs.
Bell, Baker, Jonas, Warsop, Wood, and Claydon. The
attendance was very far from numerous, and little in-
terest appeared to be manifested in the proceedings,
although it had been for some days previously notified
amongst the agricultural body, that the question of
tenant-right would form the prominent topic of the re-
spective speakers.
The Duke of RICHMOND having formally opened the
proceedings,
Mr. AUGUSTUS STAFFORD, M.P., read the report, a
very lengthened document, which, however, was bat a
reiteration of the usual Protectionists arguments.
Mr. BAKER (of Writtle) considered that the general
circulation of the report amongst agriculturists would be
of essential service to their cause; and he had, therefore,
much pleasure in moving its adoption.
Lord INGESTRE, M.P., in seconding the adoption of
the report, confined himself almost exclusively to attacks
on the leaders of the anti-corn-law agitation, and con-
demned what he termed their " suicidal policy."
The CHAIRMAN put the resolution to the meeting, and
it was carried unanimously.
The Duke of RICHMOND proposed !the appointment of
a sub-committee to carry out that part of the report
which alluded to tenant right. He had always thought.
and always expressed himself in public to that effect,
that those who wished to do justice to the tenant and
landlord, could not have used a more injudicious term
than that of " tenant-right." If he (the Noble Duke)
understood what tenant-right, so called, really was, he
must say he did not think a tenant had any right to com-
pel a landlord to let a farm to him, nor did he think that
the tenant was to be the only party to a contract (as
seemed to bo claimed by persons who were clamorous
upon the question), while the landlord was to be com-
pelled to submit to any terms that might :be imposed on
him. That certainly was not even-handed justice.
The tenant farmers of this country were shrewd enough,
and were quite competent to make a good and fair
bargain with the landlord, but he regretted to say
that in this country there were too many farms held in
trust by solicitors, who knew nothing of farming. There
were also a large number of farms held from corpora-
tions and from municipal bodies, which were let to
yearly tenants. He (the Duke of Richmond) would
never force a tenant to take a lease because his ancestors
had done so, nor would he remove a tenant from a farm
because he happened to be unwilling to take a lease.—
(Hear, hear.) In ordinary times he thought a tenant
would lay out his money for the improvement of his
farm, but at present it was not so, for no person could
tell what might be the result of the experiment of the
political economists, who, aided by the treachery of a
branch of the Conservative party, succeeded in passing
that measure of free trade with which the public ware
now intimately acquainted. The resolution he proposed
had for its object the formation of a committee, whose
duty it should be to get information on the subject of
the claims of tenants, and to institute a strict inquiry
into all cases that might come under their observation.
lie should be happy to labour, heart and hand, with that
committee. It was absolutely necessary that some
alterations should be made in the present system, and
he had little doubt that, by the labours of the com-
mittee, the most beneficial improvements would be intro-
duced.—(Hear, hear.)
The Hon. H. WILSON, in supporting the motion, re-
marked that during the last few years he had exerted
himself in endeavouring to place the tenant and landlord
upon equitable footing
werewith grraeaspteedcthetoeach
Other. wished
t
clauseore all eciu
casesshould iwhere
be inserted empowering the tenant
to recover for all unexhausted improvements. That
simple arrangement would greatly facilitate the settle-
a t
m
settle-
ment of the question, and he confidently recommended
it for consideration.—(Hear.)
Mr. NEWDEGATE, M.P., seconded the resolution, and
it was adopted.
Mr. Augustus Stafford, M.P., Mr. Caley, M.P., Mr.
Jonas, and other gentlemen addressed the meeting, on
the subject of tenant-right, and several practical sugges-
tions for the guidance of the committee were noted down
for consideration.
A vote of thanks to the Noble Chairman closed the
proceedings.

ATTEMPT TO ROB THE MAlLS.—Yesterday the
police received information that during the past few
days two daring attempts had been made to rob the
country letter-carriers of their letter-bags. The first
case occurred on Friday last, at a quarter to six. It
appeared that whilst the driver of the mail-cart was
proceeding along the highway, and when about three
miles from Worcester, three men, who were evidently
lying in ambush, pointed at the driver, and in an in-
stant two shots from a gun were fired at the letter-car-
rier. Fortunately the driver was uninjured. The
following day, as the letter-carrier from Radstock to
Querney Slade was returning with the Midsummer,
Norton, and other mail-bags, when near the old Wilton
coal-pit, near Radst yck, two men turned upon him, one
of whom held a knife in his hand. One of the fellows
secured the postman, whilst the other cut one of the
bags from his should. ers. The postman, however, laid
hold of the man who' held the knife, and having suc-
ceeded in wresting it from him, he was enabled to de-
fend himself and recover the bags. They both managed
to get clear off. A full description of their persons has
been advertised.
PENALTY ON BOASTING.—The other evening as a
number of tradesmen were returning from Manchester
in the railway carriage, ono of them began to tell of
the great weekly profits he was realising by his thread
manufactory, when a sharp-eyed little gentleman in one
corner of the carriage exclaimed, " Indeed, and pray,
Sir, what may your name be ?" " I am Mr. H—d,"
replied the boaster. " Ah," replied the interrogator,
rejoined `the other,
" I must make a memorandum of that," at the same
time taking out his pocket book, " for I do not remem-
ber your name appearing in my books for the income
better tax." " Oh, ' replied Mr. H—d, "my works aro in
nMelagnhchhoeustre.r.;
hope for
That
a battey be,"
acquaintance t m
" but I believe I now recognise you as a very near
with you,
Sir."—Stockport Mercury.

THE MURDER AND ROBBERY OF
MR. BELLCHAMBERS.
So great is the excitement still with respect to this
case, that long before the hour appointed yesterday at
the Westminster Police-court for the examination of
the persons accused the place was crowded, as before, al-
most to suffocation. On the prisoners, Thomas Sale
Thomas Doyle, George M'Coy, John Lloyd, and John
Davis, being placed in the dock, Mr. Wolff took his
seat at the table as before for the prosecution, and Mr.
Briggs, Mr. Binns, and Mr. Sidney, for Sale, Doyle, and
M'Coy.
Mr. Wolff said (addressing the Magistrate), you are
. probably aware that, since the last examination, in whzeit
I had the honour of appearing before you, the prisoner
Davis has been added to the number of the t ccused, sal
some evidence taken before your colleague, Mr. Bro.
derip. The advantages derived by your remanding from
time to time the prisoners at the bar are now apparent,
and, but for the course you so prudently deemed expe-
dient, the same advantages would not have been afforded
of carrying out the ends of justice. I must request of
you that you will permit the whole of the depositions to
be read over again, in order that I may strengthen, so
much as may be in my power, the case against Davis.
Mr. W. Taylor, the chief clerk, who has exhibitoi
much talent and zeal in the course of this inquiry, then
read over the voluminous evidence given on previous
occasions, and which occupied upwards of an hour.
After which,
Mr. Wolff recalled Meyers, who, in answer to his exa-
mination, said—l was serving in the bar of the King's
Head, on tho morning of the 11th of October. The
prisoner Davis is the person described by me in my
evidence as the man wearing the plaid shawl. When
he first tried to enter the bar, I objected, telling him that
strangers were not admitted there. That was about a
quarter of an hour before the prisoner Doyle struck a
woman; and about that time the prisoner Davis entered
the bar, and spoke to Mr. Bellchambers. Davis had
the opportunity of seeing Mr. Bellchambers' cash-bag
and his watch-seal, which was hanging out. I saw Davis
talking to Doyle. He talked familiarly with Doyle.
Cross-examined by Mr. Binns—There were others
there beside Doyle. Doyle spoke to others as well as
to Davis.
By Mr. Briggs—Salo was there all the time Davis was
there.

Re-examined by Mr. Wolff—They were all there.
They all went out together.
By Mr. Binns—They went out with others.
Henry Bees, who conducts the King's Head, was
called, and identified Davis as the man who wore the
plaid shawl.
In answer to an inquiry from Mr. Sidney, witness
said Davis appeared to be as familiar with the others as
with Doyle.
Mr. Barnard Holt, of 30, Abingdon-street, son of the
gentleman who gave medical testimony in the early part
of these proceedings, said—l am assistant-surgeon to
the Westminster Hospital. I, with my father, made a
post mortem examination of the late Mr. Bellchambers
with great care. The cause of death was the fracture of
the skull, produced by some external violence. The
fracture was on the right temple, and it extended over
the left orbit. I examined the interior of the skull in
that locality, and there was a fracture there correspond-
ing with the external wound, extending from the right
side into the left orbit, sad there was some extravasation
of blood. In my judgment I should imagine the wound
on the right temple could not be caused by a fall—it was
too high up. I should say the bolt produced (the iron
shutter bolt) would produce such an injury as I observed
on the temple. If caused by a fall there would most
likely be abrasion of the skin, and discolouration of the
part. There was no abrasion of the skin, but it was
such as would be caused by a blunt instrument, such as
the bolt produced, or a round ruler.
Charles Tapping, 48 B, said, at about a quarter past
two o'clock on Tuesday morning I apprehended the
prisoner Davis at the Bell Inn, York-street, Westmin-
ster. I have seen Davis in company with Doyle several
times. When I saw him on Tuesday morning I said,
" I want you for the murder and robbery of Mr. Bell-
chambers;" when he replied, " I was drinking with him
at the King's Head, but I left somo time before him."
By Mr. Briggs—l never saw Sale with Davis.
Mr. Taylor, an inspector of the B division, said—
Directly after the last examination of the prisoners I
was told that M'Coy wanted to see me in the cell. I
declined going without the sanction of the magistrate,
but having obtained that I went to him, when he said—
" There was a man at a public-house, at the corner of
Dartmouth-street and Tothill-street, I think, saw Sale
give me and Lloyd some money ; his name is Thomas
Stirrup; he is a brushmaker, and is known at the Cra-
ven Head, Drury-lane. If you find him, tell him
M.Coy wishes him to come forward and speak the truth.
We had two pots of stout there together. I could tell
you where the watch was sold, but that's of no use, as
the parties would deny it." Ile made this statement
perfectly voluntarily.
Mr. Wolff—This is all the evidence at present I have
to offer on behalf of the prosecution. I have from the
first felt myself under extreme difficulty in pursuing this
inquiry. The case was complicated, but still of a most
important and public character, and but for the verdict
of the coroner's jury, I should have felt some hesitation
in asking you to commit the prisoner Lloyd. As it is,
however, and as you have a perfectly independent juris-
diction, I shall leave that prisoner in your discretion as
to how you feel disposed to deal with him under the pe-
culiar circumstances of this case. With reference to
Lloyd, the result to him will be the same, even should
you think proper to discharge him, inasmuch as by rea-
son of the verdict of the coroner's jury, and the warraut
issued thereupon, he must take his trial upon this must
serious charge. With respect to the prisoner M'Coy, I
do not think it at all necessary or becoming in me to
suggest that he should be made a witness for the Crown
in this prosecution. The statements he has made both
written and verbally have been perfectly voluntary, and
I shall therefore avail myself of them for the purposes of
the prosecution, although I have good reason to believe
that the evidence, irrespective of such statements, would
be amply sufficient.
After these observations, Mr. Wolff requested the
magistrate to wait for a short time for a witness who
was expected to arrive, and who might be able to give
evidence of a material character against Lloyd.
After the interval of three-quarters of an hour,
Mr. Wolff said he should not trespass upon the pa-
tience of the Court any longer. Should the evidence be
of any value he would give notice to the professional
gentlemen on the other side.
Mr. Burrill—l shall commit the four prisoners (Sale,
Doyle, M'Coy, and Davis) for trial, and discharge Lloyd.
Mr. Wolff—He will be apprehended and committed
on the coroner's warrant.
Mr. Burrill—The coroner's warrant is imperative. I
discharge Lloyd, because I think the evidence is not suf-
ficiently strong to warrant me in detaining him.
Mr. Wolff—l am free to admit that I could not confi-
dently have asked you to commit him.
Lloyd, on leaving the body of the court, was immedi-
ately taken into custody.

MURDER AND SUICIDE OF THE
MURDERESS.

On Tuesday afternoon the inhabitants of this city
were horrified by the news of a tragedy such as was
never before known to have taken place within its pre-
cincts—the murder of four children by their mother,
having cut their throats with a razor, and the taking of
her own life by the same means. The woman who per-
petrated these crimes was the wife of a jobbing brewer,
named Ridout, who, at the time of the occurrence, was
absent from home, having been employed since Monday
in brewing at the Beef-steak Tavern. The facts, so far
as we have yet been able to ascertain them, are these:—
The cottage in which the family resided is situated in a
garden not far from that part of the canal from which
the Bradford boats start, but on the opposite side, and
the way to it so intricate, and the situation so lonely,
that very few of the inhabitants of Bath, perhaps, have
ever been to the spot; and, but for this horrid occurrence
such a humble and :retired recess would have remained
unnoticed except by the occupants of some of the strag-
gling houses in the vicinity. This cottage has but
one floor, which is divided into two apartments, the one
a kitchen or sitting-room, and the other a sleeping
chamber. A poor woman, named Seers, lives in an-
other cottage not far from it, and was in the habit of
seeing and having a neighbourly conversation with Mrs.
Ridout. In the afternoon it struck her as remarkable
that she had seen nothing of her for the day. Wanting
some water, Mrs. Seers went to the pump on the pre-
mises, and while there she thought she would call and
inquire how her neighbour was, but on trying to open
the door she found it locked. Mrs. Seers was thou in-
duced to look in at the window, when the horrid spec-
tacle presented to her eyes was the wretched woman
lying on the kitchen floor, steeped in her blood. She
immediately called the attention of another neighbour, a
labourer, to the shocking sight, who immediately gav(
information of what had been witnessed at the police-
office, and instantly afterwards Captain Carroll dis-
patched an inspector and another officer to the place,
when the door of the cottage was forced open,
and a scene was exhibited to view at which
the beholders shuddered with horror. Passing
the dead body of the woman, whom they found with
her throat cut, and a razor lying by her side, the
next object which met their eyes, just within the ad-
joining room, were the lifeless bodies of the four chil-
dren, weltering in blood which had flowed from the fatal
wounds inflicted on their throats. One of the murdered
innocents is an infant about nine months old, and the
eldest of the four is about six years old, deaf and dumb.
A large tub was standing in the room almost full of
blood and water, and the circumstance suggests the pro-
bability that the wretched mother had, on making the
incisions in the necks of her unhappy offspring, held
their heads over the tub as a receptacle of the vital cur-
rent as it flowed from the wounds. One of the little
victims was found with his legs partly hanging over the
step leading to the bedroom, as it he had struggled and
' made an ineffectual effort to get away. The perpetra-
tion of the tragic deed is supposed to have been the
effect of insanity, as it is stated that the
of
woman
mind
for
been subject to symptoms of unsoundness
some time past.—Bath Chronicle.
Yesterday afternoon the inquests on the bodies were
held at the Crown Inn, Borthwick-street, before Mr. A.
11. English, the city coroner, and a respectable jury.
The name of the unfortunate woman was Jane Ridout,
and those of the children, William John, aged seven
years; Fanny, aged four years; George, aged two and
a half years; and Mark, aged eight months.
The CORONER having brie fly addressed the jury, the
The bodies were viewed. Th body of the woman presented
a fearful appearance, the throat being gashed with two
deep incisions, and the body being completely saturated
in gore. In the adjoining room lay the bodies of the
four children.
Elizabeth Liutran, grandmother of the children, and
mother of the deceased woman, was the first witness
examined. She deposed to baying been living with her
daughter for the last five weeks, at the request of the
husband. She had been in a low state of mind, and bad
previously told her husband that she had gone out ono

day with the intention of drowning the children and
herself. On Tuesday morning witness left her daughter
for the purpose of going to Trowbridge, to give up a
cottage which she rented there, with the intention of
coming to reside near her daughter. The husband left
home on Sunday evening, to go brewing, and was in the
habit of sleeping from home when so employed.
William Ridout, the husband, who was much affected,
gave similar evidence to the last witness, adding that he
had consulted Mr. Woodward, a surgeon, respecting the
state of his wife, and that he had advised him to keep all
sharp instruments out of her way, and to have her placed
under restraint.

Sarah Seer, a neighbour, described the discovery of
the bodies on the previous day, and Inspector Evans, of
the police force, detailed the appearances presented on
his breaking open the cottage door.

The CORONER having briefly summed up the evidence
in the case of William John Ridout, the jury returned
a verdict of " Wilful Murder against Jane Ridout."

The same evidence was taken in the cases of Fanny,
George, and Mark Ridout, and a similar verdict was
recorded in each case.
On the inquest on the body of the mother, Jane
Ridout, Mr. J. F. H. R. Woodward, surgeon, gave evi-
dence of her having been labouring under melancholia,
and of his having recommended that she should be sent
to a lunatic asylum.
The jury returnedla verdict "IThat the:decessedlwoman
destroyed herself while in a fit of temporary insanity,
accompanied with an expression of regret that Mr.
Woodward's advicelhad not been followed out."