The Sun.
London, England, 1846-09-29 00:00:00

PEDESTRIANISM.

FOOT HURDLE RACE, &C., AT WALWORTSL—A consider-
able muster of the patrons and admirers of pedestrian per•
formances assembled yesterday at the Bee Hive Ground, to
witness the competition for the several prizes announced by
advertisement :-1. A silver tankard, value 251., to be run
for, distance 440 yards, and the men to leap fifteen hurdles.
2. A silver snuff-box to the victor in a six-mile walking
match. 3. A sweepstakes of ii., with Si. added, for a 440-
yard flat race. 4. A prize for the best running jump in
length. The snuff-box was first contested, nine mel coming
to the post, James Brian, Benjamin Wright, Charles Bee's
Novice, Taylor (of Oldham), Stedman (of Epsom), and four
others. Of these last we shall merely observe that the pace
was so much too good for them that they quickly fell out of
the match, which concluded by Wright coming in first by a
trifling lead, Brian second, Bee's Novice third, Taylor fourth,
and Stedman fifth. It being, however, decided that Wright
had broken from a walk to a run at the coming in, the prize
was adjudged to James Brian. Stedman, it was thought by
many, lost from over-confidence, as he actually walked in his
ordinary trousers (thick cord ones) and laced boots ! The
speed was good, the six miles (short ones we suspect) being
covered by the winner in fifty-three minutes. The hurdle
race for the tankard followed, and was one by James Patter-
son, who beat Jenkinson (the London Stag), and George
Martin. The Stag, when leading, had the misfortune to
stake himself at the tenth hurdle, and injure his thigh so as
to throw his chance entirely out. The flat race for a sweep-
stakes did not fill. Makepeace and Patterson next con-
tended for the running jump. Patterson set Makepeace
17ft. 10in., which he tied. The little one then cleared 18ft.
Bin., of which Makepeace fell short, and the prize was ad-
judged to Patterson.

PARISH OF ST. MARTIN IN THE FIELDS.—
PUBLIC BATHS AND WASHHOUSES.—On Monday a
vestry of the parishioners of St. Martin in the Fields
was held, for the purpose of choosing commissioners to
superintend the erection and management of baths and
washhouses in the parish, in conformity with the reso-
lution for their establishment, agreed to at a previous
vestry meeting a few days ago. The Rev. Sir Henry
Dukenfield, Bart., the vicar, having ex officio taken the
chair, stated that he had that day received a letter from
Sir G. Grey, at the Home-office, communicating his ap-
proval of their proceedings at the last vestry. An
earlier answer would have been forwarded, but it was
necessary to see whether any objections would be offered.
They were now met to elect commissioners, seven of
whom were allowed by the Act. lie did not know
whether they would appoint the full number, but he
trusted that they would be as unanimous as they were
on the last occrsion. Mr. Staunton proposed that there
should be seven commissioners, which being seconded
and agreed to, Mr. Wilson inquired in what way they
were to be elected? The Reverend Chairman stated that
the Act was constructed as nearly as possible to give
parishioners the same power that they already possessed
in their vestries. The commissioners would be chosen
in the same way as the parochial officers were. The
seven commissioners having been named, the Reverend
Chairman assured the vestry that the must prompt mea-
sures would be adopted to carry out the proposition, and
that they had the support of the Poor-law Commis-
sioners. They had no site at present, but when one was
purchased, the building should be erected and con-
structed upon the improved principles of the Baths and
'Washhouses in Gulston-square and St. Pancras.
MYSTERIOUS DEATH.—BRIGHTON, SEPT. 28.—An
inquest was held at the Brunswick Arms Inn, Hove, this
morning, before Mr. Gell, on the body of a man who had
been found dead on the beach, under circumstances of a
somewhat suspicious character. It appeared that de-
ceased was found between four and five o'clock on Satur-
day morning by Anthony Murphy, a coast guardsman.
He was lying partly embedded in the shingle, two or
three yards below high water mark, and the tide had
then been ebbing about an hour and a half. No money
or watch was found upon him, but there was a parcel in
his pocket containing a Freemason's apron, several
masonic certificates, from which it appeared that his
name was Christian Marten Muller. The deceased had
on a nearly new black coat and light trousers. There
was a contusion on his left temple, and his nose was
bruised. John Eager, coast guardsman, stated that the
beach around where the deceased was found bore no
appearance of there having been any struggle there. It
was smooth as it ordinarily was on the receding of a
high tide when the sea is rough. Mr. James Turner,
surgeon, who had made a post mortem examination of the
body, stated that he found no external marks of violence
except the contusion on the temple, which he supposed
to have been caused by the shingle ; internally the
symptoms were those of death by drowning. Mr. Batts,
the superintendent of the Hove Police, stated that ho had
caused inquiry to be made, but could not learn where the
deceased had been stopping. The inquest was adjourned
until Wednesday next.
THE PEOPLE'S CHARTER.—Yesterday evening a
meeting was held at the Crown and Anchor Tavern,
Strand, for the purpose of adopting a national petition
for the enactment of the People's Charter, which was
very numerously attended. The meeting was addressed
by Mr. F. O'Connor, Mr. M'Grath, Mr. Harney,
Mr. E. Jones, Mr. O'Cavanagh, Mr. Marriott,
and others, and resolutions were passed expressive of
the opinion of the meeting that the elective frachise
should be extended to every male adult of mature age
and sound mind; that the rights of equal representation
were embodied in the People's Charter, and that a na-
tional petition should be presented to Parliament pray-
ing that that document should be made a statute of the
realm; and also that, in order to strengthen the friends
of the charter in Parliament, the principles and objects
of election and registration committees should be recog-
nised and supported. The national petition was also
a.greed to. It declares the protection of life, the security
of property, and the diffusion of education and
morality and happiness among all classes, to
be the end of all government ; the repre-
sentation in Parliament of every man of sound
mind as his right ; that the Reform Bill is unjust
as restricting the rights of citizenship to one-seventh of
the male adult community; that the present representa-
tive system is based upon class selfishness, prejudices,
and contracted views of humanity; and that the elective
franchise is a right inherent in every man. It also prays
for universal suffrage, vote by ballot, the division of the
country into equal electoral districts, each with one re-
presentative, the payment of Members, the substitution
of annual for septennial Parliaments, and the abolition
of property qualification. A supplementary resolution
was proposed by Mr. F. O'Connor, to the effect that the
Government should be called on to raise ten millions
sterling by Exchequer-bills, for the relief of the distress
in Ireland, to be called the Church Restoration Fund,
the interest and repayment of which should be payable
from tithes, and by bishops and other dignitaries, par-
sons, and other salaried officers of the State Church, and
the sum to be applied for the purchase of land in Ire-
land, and the location of the Irish people upon it, at its
present value. It was agreed that this resolution should
be published in the Nation, Freeman's Journal, and the
World newspapers. The meeting separated at a late
tour.