The Sun.
London, England, 1846-05-08 00:00:00

PRI DAY MORNING, MAY B, 180.

ceived what was taken from their salaries.—(Cheers.) This
superannuation rendered themselves and their families com-
fortable for the remainder of their days. He then read the
following extracts from the minutes of the board:—
" The officers and clerks of this department have at various
times applied to the Lords of the Treasury and also to the
Board, praying that facilities might be afforded them for the
purpose of ensuring some provision for their wives and fami-
lies after their decease. To one of such applications their
Lordships, under date the 80th July, 1835, replied "`There is no subject to which my Lords will more readily
turn their attention, or view in a more favourable light, than
any proposal which may contribute to the comfort of the
officers under their superintendence, or which may facilitate
their securing a provision for their families.' "
"Again, on the 27th of March, 1844, the Chancellor of the
Exchequer, in returning to the chairman the outline of a
scheme of arrangement with the Atlas Assurance Company,
stated, Everything that we can do to encourage providence
on the part of our officers is a step gained in the course of
their moral improvement.'

" It further appears that the Atlas Company, having made
certain proposals to our officers for conducting the assurance
of lives and suggesting certain arrangements for carrying
out the scheme, were acquainted, by letter addressed by the
chairman to Mr. Geary, dated July 5, 1844, that in the
address to be issued it should be stated that the proposed
plan of life assurance has the sanction of the Board ; and
that every facility would be given by the Board to the cir-
culation of prospectuses, and to the collection of premiums,
as a proof of the interest felt by the Board in an undertaking
which is likely to encourage provident habits among their
officers, and thus add to their comfort and respectability."'
He also read a return showing the number of policies issued
to those in the service of the Excise, at sums varying from
100/. to 1,0001., from which it appeared that the number of
policies issued to clerks with salaries varying from 801. to
150/. per annum was 233, the amount of policies 100/., and
amount insured 23,3001. ; those with salaries from 100/. to
200/. 153; 200/., 30,600/. ; from 80/. to 2001. and upwards
141, 3,600/., 53,500/. : total number of policies, 527; amount
insured, 170,400/. 'By the assignment of the prospective bo-
nuses on the policies the widows of the assured are entitled to
life annuities, which are anticipated by the Actuary to be
not less than 5 per cent on the amount assured by the policies.
He impressed upon them the necessity of early assurance, as
the amount was small, and the proceeds greater.
That day the death of an officer, aged 24, was reported, who
had lett a widow, who was entitled to receive to-morrow
100/., but the deceased had only paid ss. Bd.—(Cheers.)
He concluded by proposing the " Board of Management,"
which was received with great applause.
Mr. R. H. JONES, in returning thanks, begged to express the
high gratification he felt at the compliment paid to the Board
of Management, and most respectfully offered his thanks to
the Noble Lord for his kind condescension in having taken
the chair on the present occasion, and he trusted, whenever
his Lordship should revert to the proceedings of that even-
ing, he would do so with unmixed pleasui a and satisfaction.
He also felt deeply indebted to the gentlemen around him for
their kind attendance there that evening, many of whom had
been supporters of the Association from its commencement.
Gentlemen present might depend upon it that the managers
would continue their utmost exertions fur the benefit of the
Society.
J. W. GILBART, Esq., proposed the health of John Abel
Smith, •Esq., the treasurer, whose benevolence he highly
eulogised.

J. A. Salim, Esq., who was received with laud cheers,
said it was no new thing for him to receive, at the hands of
those who felt an interest in the Provident Clerks' As-
socition, marks of kindness, of which he felt him-
self totally unworthy. He had stated that it was
the Institution itself, and not those who, like him, sup-
ported it. When he looked back, andlthought of the difficul-
ties and struggles of their first years, and contrasted them
with the scene he saw before him, it was indeed a stimulus
to those who undertook the promotion of institutions of an
useful character, and an encouragement against dissensions
and difficulties in the first instance; but in establishments of
that kind they must not look to charity for aid, but to them-
selves, and themselves alone. If they could not help them-
selves, nobody could" help them.—(Cheers.) He had told
them, and he told them again, that it was to his interest as a
merchant—he thought it was to the interest of
every merchant—that his clerks should have a free, easy,
comfortable mind as to their own position, because
he believed that a settled state of mind was necessary for
the effectual discharge of their duties. It was necessary that
he shoule have their minds freed from those overwhelming
anxieties as to these who were dependent upon them. He him-
self received a personal interest in contributing to the Insti-
tutien, but he disclaimed the idea of doing so from motives
of charity, for he found that he thereby received the more
faithful discharge of their duties.—(Cheers.)
Lord Dalhousie, Lord J. Russell, and the rest of the com-
pany then separated.
Messrs. Ransford, Sporle, Moody, Kenny, Edeson, and
Barnes, sung several glees, duets, &c., in a beautiful manner.
The band of the Honourable Artillery Company were in
attendance, and played some delightful music, under the
direction of Mr. Smithies, the band-master. The vocal de-
partment was under the charge of Mr. Jolly, and Mr.
Harker proved a most efficient toast-master.

THE LATE TRAGEDY AT
BATTERSEA-BRIDGE.
It Wednesday having been the day appointed for the re-examination
of Eliza Clark, the woman who stands charged with the murder of
her children, by throwing them into the Thames from Battersea-
bridge, and also for the examination of William Luff, alias William
Manfield, for the atrocious outrage at Westminster, the Westminster
pollee-court was crowded almost to suffocation.
The prisoner, Eliza Clark, who has been before described as a person,
although poorly clad, of neat and cleanly appearance, was brought
into court. Her husband, who was fined at this court on Monday
for drunkenness, was standing at the end of the dock, and as she
ascended the steps leading to it she caught a glimpse of him,
and her countenance, before serene, assumed an expression of horror,
and she sank on the seat. The magistrate ordered that the husband
should leave the court.
The evidence which was taken on Saturday, and detailed in this
paper of Monday, was read over.
Perryman, the potboy, examined on the former occasion, now
stated, on looking at the prisoner, that he was certain that she was
the person who threw the children into the water.
Mr. T. W. Wansborough, surgeon, King's-road, Chelsea, described
the means adopted to resuscitate the child that was taken out of the
water, and gave it as his opinion that although there was a
wound on its forehead, received probably in falling, the infant bad
died by drowning. Mr. Wansborough was anxious to make a state-
ment with regard to the unsound state of the female's mind, but
Mr. BURRELL was of opinion that he had no right to kear any me-
dical 'evidence•excepting that relating to the cause of death.
Richard Champ, of 13, Wellington-street, Chelsea, uncle to the
accused, was then put into the box, and said—The child I saw dead
on Saturday at the Adam and Eve was my niece's. She had three
children residing with her at home. Two of these were her own.
The third was a child of her husband's by a former wife. I saw them
between two and three o'clock on Saturday. The prisoner called at
my house at that time with the children, and remahied until nearly
three o'clock. She spoke about her husband having ill-treated her.
She appeared very well in her mind.
Mr. Taylor—Did you find any letter left at your house? Witness—
Yes, I found a letter left on my bed.
Mr. Taylor—Have you ever seen her write? Witness—No; but I
have seen her writing. I have had several letters from her.
Mr. Thomas Bicknell, superintendent of the V division, produced
the letter, which he had received from last witness. It was written
in so bad a hand, and se mis-spelt, that it was exceedingly difficult
to read ; it ran as follows i—
" Eliza Clark, wife of James Richard Clark. Now, my Jemmy,
you need not trouble me with any more of your threats, because I
don't mind, and hope that the next wife you get you'll know how to
use them, and not act a brute to them, as you have to me, and bid
me good bye in the morning and come home at night and knock my
head through the panel of the door, and break my rest the whole of
the night, and swear in the morning that you would come home
drunk at night and kill me, and I'd rather prefer seeing my children
go before me, and then I shall know they did not starve."
On the back of the letter was written, " And if you go to Batter-
sea-bridge, you will rind the children there," and it was addressed to
her uncle Champ.
Prisoner's former statement, which was given on Monday, having
been read, she was asked whether she wished to add to it, and she
replied in the affirmative.
Prisoner then said, in a low subdued tone of voice, " We were
married in 1841, and my husband has been frequently out of work,
and we have seeen a great deal of distress. In the first year he was
13 weeks out of work at one time, and when my Emma was a baby
we were so badly off that I was obliged to go to service, and had
half-a-crown a week, but when he got work I went home again. In
the next year he was out of work tour months, and I have many a
night wrapped my poor child under my shawl, and gone out into the
streets and begged to support us. He has been out of work for two
months this year, and last week I took off my flannel petticoat and
pawned it to support my finally, and I was obliged to sell the re-
maining little rags of clothing belonging to myself and children, on
Saturday morning, to buy the poor little creatures bread, and then
we had nothing left but the things we stood upright in."
Mr. Taylor—Have you anything to say in answer to the charge
against you ?
Prisoner—He was a good husband when he was sober ; but, like
other men, when drunk was violent. lie was a good husband and a
good father when sober.
Prisoner was then ftilly committed to Newgate for trial.
She faintly walked out of the dock, looking vacantly around her