The Sun.
London, England, 1870-11-02 00:00:00

Ili

providing relaxation and refined amusement for the
public."

Some of the objects here indicated are evidently of
great public utility, and, upon this ground, worthy of
support. We quote a few passages, illustrating the general
plan of operations :—" The Park and Palace will be
emphatically the right places, not only for the best class
of general entertainments, but for natural history
museums on the most comprehensive scale, for out-door
and in-door study of nature, for educational galleries, for
the acclimatisation of plants and animals, for exhibitions
of animals, fruits and flowers, artistic productions and
manufactures, for public gatherings and sports of all
kinds, and for many purposes combining utility with
attractiveness. Music will be a prominent feature,
and it will be heard in some of its grandest
developements. The fine arts will be cultivated.
The character of the sports and pastimes will be not only
innocent, but instructive. The general tenor of the enter-
tainments will be conducive to the extension of intelligence
and pure taste. The whole establishment will be a school,
or rather a great academy for the acquisition of useful
knowledge, of many kinds, whilst the effect upon the
moral and religious sentiments of those who visit it will
constitute a salutary supplement to the sermon in the
church, or the lesson in the Bible or the Prayer Book. " I
am greatly mistaken," Mr. Fuller writes, "if when the
institution has been open a couple of years, the complaints
respecting resorts of questionable amusement will be as
frequent as they have been. People will have amuse-
ments of some kind. The Alexandra Park and Palace
will educate them to enjoy only what is good."
Nothing can be more excellent in principle than this
design.
We come now to the nodes operandi by which it is to be
worked out, and this brings us to the " personal benefits"
of which mention has been made.

The funds (X 650,000) required for the purchase of the
palace and grounds and other purposes of the undertaking
are to be raised in twenty shilling shares, carrying no divi-
dend, but conferring privileges in the shape of free admis-
sion and tickets in a grand series of Art Unions, some of
the prizes in which will be of very high value. The nature
of these privileges, rising in degree according to the num-
ber of shares held, is such as to make them very desirable
to all classes ; literally " from the peasant to the
prince."

In a public point of view, the Art-union arrangement
claims much interest. "It will exercise a powerful
influence for good upon the taste and intelligence of the
whole community, and assist materially in extending
amongt the members of industrial callings, that know-
ledge of artistic work and design which has become indis-
pensable to success in competing with foreign rivals."
There can be no question that a series of distributions of
useful and beautiful objects on the scale proposed, each
preceded by exhibitions of the prizes, consisting of many
thousands of such objects, would, by promoting artistic
taste and knowledge, have a practical tendency towards
the results mentioned by Mr. Fuller.
In fine we arrive at the Tontine, the fulcrum of the
whole interprise. The capital, as has already been ex-
plained, is to be divided into twenty shilling non-dividend
bearing shares. Now, it has been estimated, (and, judging
from the opinions expressed by competent authorities,
estimated very moderately) that by the year 1881 the park
and palace will possess a marketable value of at least one
million and a half sterling. The tontine is to be completed
in that year, when the whole of this vast property will
belong to the then registered holders of the first four-fifths
of capital subscribed for. As the number of original
holders will have greatly diminished, partly through
exchanges of shares for privileges, partly, as explained
in the pamphlet, through shares gaining prizes, and partly,
of course, through deaths occurring during the ten years
duration of the tontine, the benefits then reverting to the
participators will be of unusual magnitude, amount-
ing to many hundreds per cent, increase, and
constituting the tontine a peculiarly lucrative per-
sonal or family endowment, constantly increasing in
value, and realisable in ten years. The early and definite
period at which the benefit will accrue is a characteristic
favourably distinguishing the "Alexandra Park Tontine "
from all former ones, and eliminating all savour of the
objectional element of gambling. In fact, an investment
in this Tontine, say for the benefit of a child, in whose li
name the shares could be registered, is similar to the
arrangement so frequently made with insurance offices, by
which a deferred endowment policy is purchased, condi-
tional on the nominee surviving a specified term. The
principle is the same, the benefit equally secure ; the only
material difference being that the Tontine endowment
will be in proportion to the amount invested, something
like treble or quadruple what an insurance office could
give.

We have entered thus fully into the particulars of this
enterprise, because its prospects involve considerations of
unusual interest. Great difficulties attended the initiation
and progress of the plan which was carried out with such
splendid success in 1851. In the present case it is scarcely
possible that there can be any serious difficulty, when the
public mind is imbued, not only with the national impor-
tance and utility of the scheme, but with the personal
advantages derivable from co-operation with it. The
process of " diffusing" this really " useful know-
ledge" has been vigorously commenced, for we
find that influential meetings have been held in the
northern districts, and resolutions promising cordial
support unanimously passed. Local committees have
been formed to forward the object by collecting the names
of subscribers. Considerable progress has, in fact, been
made in this practical work of "promotion," aug-aring
well for an undertaking which claims favourable notice,
both on public and private grounds, and one of the mark-
ing traits of which is that the revenue arising from various
sources will be comparatively unburthened by fixed obli-
gations. With promptitude and energy in the quarters
most directly interested, everything looks encouraging
for the opening of the institution in 1871, to the benefit
of the public, the members of the association, and em-
phatically those whose capital bas been unfruitfully tied
up through the unprecedented financial difficulties of the
last four years.

The Count de Chambord and the Count de Paris have
had an interview at Coppes.

A private correspondent writes that the French pri-
soners in Germany .re starving wholesale :—" The French
have not the most commonplace necessaries of life, no
clothing, and in many places very little, if any,
food. . . . The officers are far worse, more especially
in the neighbourhood of Erfurt. They are only allowed
40f. a month for subsistence and everything. Poor
wretches, they are dying fast."

A correspondent of a German paper says that the people
all around Rheims, Chalons, Epernay, and other places in
that region, are calling for peace. The harvest is bad, the
rinderpest is extending; and the requisitions of the Ger-
mans increase daily with the approach of winter. The
small town of Chateau Thierry has been put,since the 10th
of September, to an expense of £120,000, in requsitions,
contributions, and food and lodging.

A Pomeranian Uhlan, writing from Thionville, says :
"For three weeks we have been lying before this well-
armed and provisioned fortress, which we have entirely
invested. There have constantly been smaller and larger
outpost skirmishes, but usually at great distances. The
commandant of the place, Tournier, is brave, but is dis -
liked by the inhabitants. The garrison numbers 9,000
men, 4,000 being regulars. The others are practised every
afternoon in target shooting, which we can watch very
well. The cold is getting more and more sensible, and
the moist weather, especially at night, int'llerable, yet
we have no sickness, and are in good spirits."

A French lady, who is separated from her husband,
wrote to a journal to suggest that as the levee en masse
summoned widowers without children, it should also in-
clude married men without children who were separated
from their wives. The journal in question agreed that
the proposal was a logical one, and also intimated that the
lady wished to be a widow.

Two enormous trains lately passed before Stutgardt,
bearing 984 sick men from Paris. The most part of these
soldiers were suffering from dysentery and fever ; the
number of wounded was small. This sad spectacle made
a mournful impression. The journey from Paris to Stul-
gardt lasted six days, and was performed in uncomfortable
carriages.

An officer of the German army, encamped to the south
of Paris, writes to the Silesia Gazette that of late the for ti-
cations on that side of the town have gained in impor-
tance and solidity. The Army of the Defence has
evidently become stronger and better disciplined.
Montrouge and some other weak fortresses have been
strengthened. During an excursion, he made, the officer
saw the Parisians engaged at the works of the fortifications
which are most admirably designed and executed.
The Ind6pendance Beige says that the capitulation of
Metz is known throughout France, and that the explana-
tions which have been given fully confirm M. Gambetta's
assertion that Bazaine and his lieutenants were guilty of
treason. It is now known that Bazaine never attempted
to save France ; he only tried to take part in a Bonapartist
restoration, and wasted in intrigues that were to further
this end the time that he might have turned to account in
saving the army entrusted to his 'care. When he saw that
his unworthy purpose was likely to fail, he preferred to
give up 180,000 men to the enemy rather than to make an
effort to preserve them for the service of his country.

IMPORTANT BETTING PROSECUTION.

Frederick James Harding, gentleman, and twenty-
three others, were charged on remand at Bow-street, be-
fore Mr. Vaughan, with unlawfully keeping and using a
betting house known as the Knightsbridge and Com-
mercial Exchange, 4, Chapel-street, Knightsbridge.
Mr. Poland prosecuted on behalf of the Treasury, and
Serjeant Ballantine defended.
Mr. Poland said since they were there on the last occa-
sion, it would be remembered that the persons taken
into custody did not include the realproprietor of this estab-
lishment. Although it would be found necessary to pro-
ceed against all the other persons, it was felt that it
would be convenient to go into the case of Harding first,
against whom the evidence already taken, and the
evidence about to be taken, would be found most
material. It would be for his worship to say
whether this was a place kept contrary to the
Act of Parliament. The premises in question were
situated at Montpelier-street, and there was a passage
leading to a place called Montpelier Cottage. Mont-
pelier Cottage was a piece of ground enclosed and used
for betting purposes. There was also a passage in Chapel-
place which also led to the betting ground, and in
Chapel place there was a small office in which the books
of the establishment were kept. He (Mr. Poland) should
be able to prove beyond all question that Mr. Harding
was the sole occupier of the cottage and the betting-
ground. He appeared on the Ist of November, 1869,
to have entered into a deed of covenant with certain
persons, amongst whom were several now in custody, for
the purpose of conducting what was termed the Knights-
bridge General and Commercial Exchange, and on the
premises this deed was found. By the document in.ques-
tion, in consideration of the sum of ss. Mr. Harding had
granted, bargained, and sold the right of entry into all
that piece or parcel of ground attached to the cottage in
question. In the deed the defendant was described as
proprietor of the place and a member of Tattersalls. Now
there was a similar prosecution heard against two book-
makers at the Marylebone Police-court, and Mr. Mans-
field inflicted a penalty of £lOO on one defendant, and
£5O on the other. This prosecution had been commenced,
and the two defendants in question gave notice of appeal
against Mr. Mansfield's decision. In consequence of this
it was thought advisable to delay the present prosecution
until that appeal was heard. In the beginning of May
last, however, the defendants abandoned the appeal, and
a detective went to Mr. Harding's premises, when Mr.
Harding said he knew what he was come for; shewed him
the deed in question; and said if he was doing anything
contrary to law he should be happy to give up the premises.
A letter was then written to him, stating that his pro-
ceedings were decidedly illegal and advising him to cease
a further breach of the law. Prom that time to September
last the defendant carried on the business as before, and
the present prosecution was proceeded with. He (Mr.
Poland) should shew that the manner of carrying on this
business was the same as at the Prince of Wales and other
clubs that had been suppressed, and that there were bet-
ting lists and books, and that money was received on bet-
tine- transactions.

Detective Clarke was then called, and proved going
to defendant's premises, where he found about
a hundred persons consulting the betting lists
hung up around. Witness made two or three bets,
one on Romping Girl and Cocoanut for the Shrewsbury
Cup. He had two bets on Romping Girl, and one on
Cocoa Nut. He paid the money, a sovereign, in advance.
The person he bet with entered the three bets in a note
book. Romping Girl was 255. to ss. The second backed
Romping Girl even for a place. The third bet was a
pound to 10s. on Cocoa Nut. Witness looked round the
different lists to see which gave the best odds; After a
time Mr. Harding came and asked him to produce his
card. Witness said he had already produced it. He said
" I beg pardon, we are obliged to be cautious, as no doubt
there are many on the look out." Witness said he
doubted there were, and left the ground.
After Detective Clarke had given evidence, Mr. Hard-
ing, the proprietor of 4, Chapel-place, Brompton, pleaded
guilty, and was fined in the full penalty of £lOO. Most
of the other defendants also pleaded guilty, and Parker
was fined £lO, Robert Kelly £lO, Travers £lO, and T.
Kelly and S. Skinner £2O each. The fines in all the in-
stances were paid.