The Sun.
London, England, 1870-10-27 00:00:00

SAVAGES IN NORTH DEVON.

Under this head, about twelve months ago, a para-
graph appeared in the Times, giving a description of a
family living at Neymet Rowland, in North Devon.
The paragraph attracted much attention at the time, and
we are informed that the Home Secretary requesting in-
formation with regard to these extraordinary people, the
clerk to the magistrates in the division where they live
sent a return of more than fifty summonses which had been
issued by the magistrates against them for various offences.
Since then, and during the last few days, the public in
Devonshire have again had their attention attracted
to this notorious family on account of some proceedings
which a respectable farmer, named Partridge, living near
them, instituted against them, for, as he alleged, en-
trapping his cattle into a field belonging to them, which
has no gate to it, impounding them, and charging Mr.
Partridge a heavy sum. The case was tried at the County
Court, and Mr. Partridge obtained a verdict. Our corres-
pondent paid a visit to the locality where the family
in question reside. The family consists of an old man
and woman, their son, three unmarried daughters, and a
numerous progeny of little ones. They all live in an
old barn propped up by posts, and this barn has neither
windows nor doors to it. There is no dormitory in it, and
one room, almost destitute of furniture, serves for
every domestic purpose, a pit in it being the sleeping
place of the whole family. In the summer many members
of the family have been seen in a state of almost
nudity at work in the field, and nameless vicious acts
have been witnessed by the neighbours. The clergyman
of the parish, the Rev. Mr. Parkinson, informed our
correspondent that the words and deeds of those people
were disgusting and abominable, and that it was not safe
for a lady to pass near their wretched dwelling. The re-
monstrances of the minister are received with oaths, and
he is saluted with odious names and obscene language.
The daughters of the old man and woman, who are robust
young women, have the voices and manners of rough men,
They use the foulest language to passers by who may be
obnoxious to them, and often assault with alarming vigour
those whom they dislike. On one occasion one of them
attacked a respectable farmer of the neighbourhood, Mr.
Carver, with such ferocity that he fainted from loss of
blood, and he bears the marks of the blows on him to this
day. Encounters between them and neighbours are
frequent, and a gun has sometimes been fired from the old
barn by concealed hands, when these fights have been
going on. The savageries of these people are indescribable,
and the annoyance and alarm they have caused to the
neighbourhood is a subject of loud complaint. Many
members of the family have suffered imprisonment
for divers offences, but they have only returned
again to renew their depredations and their nameless
obscenities. Missionaries in foreign lands never
encountered a tribe of savages who required civi-
lising more than this wretched tribe of people in North
Devon. They own thirty acres of freehold land, on which
they live, and they are thus likely to continue for a long
time to violate physical and moral laws with impunity,
unless some measures could be taken to put an effectual
end to the corrupting and dangerous influences which
they exercise in the neighbourhood where they exist.

NAVAL AND MILITARY INTELLIGENCE.
There was a rumour at Queenstown, on Tuesday,
that one of her Majesty's gunboats was missing; but
as the report did not come from an official source, we
should not wish to placo much credence in it.—Cork
Herald.

A course of exp erimental target practice is now in pro-
gress at the Curragh, with four stand of short action
Martini-Henry rifles, by the 44th Regiment, under the
superintendence of the District Inspector of Musketry.
From time to time a few " hired" mechanics are taken
on at Chatham Dockyard, but no extensive increase of
hands has been recently made. Some of these hired men
are engaged in the work on the Oberon.
Vice-Admiral George Greville Wellesley, C. 8., on
Tuesday hoisted his flag at Portsmouth on board the
training ship St. Vincent, pro tan., as the future Com-
mander-in-Chief of the Channel Squadron, vice Vice-
Admiral Sir Reginald Hastings Yelverton, 'K.C.B.' ap-
pointed to the command-in-Chief of her Majesty's ships in
the Mediterranean.

The order of Committee of Council prescribing the
time of election to the School Boards in London will, it
is said, appear in Friday night's Gazette, and an interval
of three or four weeks will subsequently elapse before the
electors are called upon to record their votes.

THE BALAKLAVA DINNER.—On Tuesday evening
the officers who had participated in the Balaklava engage-
ment commemorated the anniversary at Willis's Rooms,
King-street, St. James's. Major-General Lord George
Paget, K.C.8., presided, and the following officers were
present :—The Earl of Lucan, G.C.B. ; Major-General
the Hon. Sir J. Yorke Scarlett, G.C.B. ; Major-General
Douglas, C.B. ; Major-General Hodge, C. B. ; Colonel Low,
C. B. ; Major-General Wardlaw, C. B. ; Major-General Sir
Thomas M'Mahon, C.B. ; Colonel Jenyns, C.B. ; Major-
General White, C.B. ; Colonel Shute, C.B. ; Dr. Ander-
son, Captain Brigstock, Major Cooke, Colonel Clarke,
Major Emsall, Captain Goad, Major Godman, Colonel
George, Colonel Hunt, Major Manley, Major M'Creagh,
Captain M`Doual, Colonel Portal, Sir Roger Palmer,
Captain Sandeman Lieutenant-Colonel Swinfen, Major
Clowes, Colonel 'krevelyan, Major Hutton, Captain
Clutterbuck, Major Prendergast, Mr. Alexander Cruik-
shank, Mr. E. Pepys, &c.
THE SIEGE OF METz.—Metz is said to have ex-
hausted its supply of cattle and sheep on the 18th. It is
however estimated that there is a sufficient number of
horses to feed the garrison for two months longer.
This statement is confirmed by the fact that no
bullocks or sheep are to be seen, but cavalry and
artillery have been observed on the march, so
that there is no doubt that plenty of horses remain.
There does not appear, up to the 22nd, to have been any
belief in the Prussian camp that the town would soon
surrender. On the contrary, the Prussians have been
constructing numerous casemates, covered with batteries.
These casemates are roofed with railway rails placed close
together, and covered with earth. Twenty or thirty
deserters come in every day.

M. EMILE GIRARDIN AND THE FRENCH SENATE.
—Among the papers found in the office of the Minister of
Justice were 18 decrees, dated St. Cloud, July 27,
appointing as many Senators. Among these names was
that of Emile de Girardin, for his services as a publicist.
M. de Girardin has written an explanation of the matter to
the Gazette de France. He knew, he says, of the existence
of the decree, the offer having been made to him so far
back as April, independently of M. Emile 011ivier.
Having been member of the Chamber of Deputies at
intervals ever since 1834, and member of the National
Assembly of 1851, up to the fatal 2nd of
December he would have held it inconsistent to have re-
fused a seat in the newly reformed Senate. So generally
were the facts of the case known that his withdrawal from
the responsible editorship and management of the Liberte,
an office incompatible with that of the Senate—was every-
where attributed to this cause. However M. de Girardin,
in notifying his acceptance of the office to the Empress
Regent, said he could not feel justified, in the burdened
state of the country, to impose a fresh charge of 30,000 f.
ou the public treasury, and could, therefore, only accept
the seat in harmony with the vote by which the members
of the Senate renounced their dotation. This letter he
now publishes.