The Sun.
London, England, 1846-08-24 00:00:00

* This Account was directed to be prepared from Ist September, 1845, to Ist August, 1846, but could only be furnished
to sth July, 1846, the Duty for the month to Ist August not having been collected.

OPENING OF THREE PUBLIC

PARKS AT MANCHESTER.

On Saturday last the public parks in the neighbourhood
of Manchester, which have been purchased by voluntary
subscription, and are devoted to the free and uncontrolled re-
creation and amusement of the working community in that
densely-populated district, were inaugurated and thrown
open with great ceremony and display of rejoicing. The
day having been pretty generally observed as a holiday by
the manufacturers and principal merchants of the town
and neighbourhood, vast bodies of working men and clerks
were enabled to attend, and when at eleven o'clock the
municipal authorities started from the Town-hall in a
gay procession of equipages, the multitude of pedestrians
who prepared to accompany them was almost beyond cal-
culation. Various bands of music, military and amateur,
contributed to enliven the scene, and from almost every
window and balcony on the route of procession there floated
gay and variegated banners, bearing devices and inscrip-
tions appropriate to the occasion. It may here be men-
tioned that the parks have been severally named the Queen's
Park, the Peel Park, and the Phillips' Park (the latter in
honour of Mr. Mark Phillips, one of the representatives of
the borough of Manchester). As a matter of convenience, it
was resolved to open the Peel Park first, the grounds lying
within the jurisdiction of the borough of Salford, the trustee-
ship having to be transferred to that body from the corpora-
tion of Manchester. The procession having reached the
Town-hall of Salford was joined by John Kay, Esq., the
mayor, and the members of the Council in nine carriages.
In a short time the cortege arrived at Lark-hill, the site of
the Peel Park, which is about a mile and a half from the
Manchester Exchange. The day being fine, the park
(which is thirty-two acres in extent, and laid out in
lawns, walks, and parterres, with archery-ground and
gymnasium) looked exceedingly picturesque ,and attrac-
tive, an effect which is not diminished by a fine view of
the river Irwell. Here, as in the other parks, everything
that can tend to promote rational recreation and manly
and :athletic exercise has been furnished in the most
tasteful and convenient manner, whilst handsome and corn-
modkus refreshment rooms proclaim an assurance that some
more stimulating beverage may be had than that contained
in the stone basins where iron ladles, fastened to the wall,
are somewhat ostensibly displayed. It was expected that
Lord Ellesmere would have performed the ceremony of bap-
tism for the Peel Park, but his Lordship was unavoidably
absent, and the duty devolved on the Mayor of Manchester
(W. B. Watkins, Esq.), who addressed the assemblage in
brief but appropriate terms on the gratifying spectacle before
them. He said that no fewer than 5,000 working persons
had contributed to the Park-fund, and the manner in which
they had been backed by their wealthy neighbours gave a
practical refutation to the statement, that the manufactur-
ing and mercantile classes of the kingdom were actuated
solely by a desire to accumulate wealth, without caring for
the sufferings or enjoyments of their poorer neighbours.
The worthy magistrate then formally declared a transfer of
the property to the Salford Corporation, and having chris-
tened the grounds by the name of the Peel Park, they were
declared to be open henceforth and for ever free to the public.
The announcement was received with loud buzzas by the
multitude, amid the firing of cannon and the braying of
trumpets, which made it almost deafening. Amongst the
gentlemen surrounding the Mayor at the moment of in-
auguration, we observed Mark Phillips, Esq., M.P. ; W.
Entwisle, Esq., M.P. ; P. A. Slaney, Esq , late M.P. for
Shrewsbury (one of the first promoters of the park scheme);
Stephen Blair, Esq., Mayor of Bolton; John Meller, Esq.,
Mayor of Ashton-under-Lyne; P. Marsland, Esq„ Mayor of
Stockport; and the chairman and various members of the
Parks' Committee.

A considerable portion of the multitude having dispersed
in search of amusement, the procession was enabled to retrace
its steps, and passing slowly through the thronged streets,
ultimately made its way over the Victoria-bridge, and pro-
ceeded towards the Queen's Park at Harpurhey (formerly
the Hendham-hall estate), about two miles distant to the
eastward from the Manchester Exchange, on the Rochdale
road. Here a ceremony similar to that at the Peel Park
was performed by Mr. Mark Phillips, who addressed the
multitude at considerable length on the importance of the
occasion they had met to celebrate, and urging them to
still further exertions. This park is about the same size as
the Peel Park, and is laid out in a similar style. The name
of the Phillips' Park, which is situated at Bradford, about a
mile and a half from Manchester, was given to it by Mr.
Entwisle, M.P., who indulged in a warm eulogium on Mr.
Phillips, for the manner in which he had performed his Par-
liamentary duties. The firing of cannon, and cheering Ind
music, having subsided, _ _

Mr. PHILLirs expressed his acknowledgments for the high
honour that had been done to himself and family by calling
the park after his name. As Mr. Entwisle had referred to
his retirement from the representation of Manchester, he
begged to say that he found it impossible to continue his
Parliamentary labours without injury to his health. There
was no cricket- ground or skittle-alley, or other gymnasia,
connected with the House of Commons; and every man who
had attended to his duties found that his health must ulti-
mately give way.
The proceedings then terminated, and the procession re-
turned to Manchester at five o'clock, where an elegant and
substantial repast awaited the invited guests at the Town-
hall. This entertainment was ordered for three o'clock ; but
it was impossible for the authorities to expedite the business
in less time than it occupied.

THE MURDER at the GUILDHALL

COFFEE-HOUSE.
LATEST PARTICULARS.

Although Mr. Baron Platt, in passing the awful sentence
of death on the wretched man Smith, said that he could hold
out no hopes of mercy on this side the grave, yet Mr. Alder-
man Sidney and the Sheriffs are determined to use every ex-
ertion in their power to obtain a commutation of the sentence,
by getting it reduced to that of transportation, and a petition
is already in circulation for signatures for the same purpose,
to be presented to the Secretary of State, as the medium by
which the royal mercy can be extended. The wretched
man, as far as he is concerned, is fully prepared for the worst,
and, in fact, from the time he delivered himself up down to
the present, he has entertained no hope of having his life
spared. This feeling has been so deeply impressed on his
mind, that it may be said to amount to that of fatalism. One
cause of this mcrbid feeling arises from the divination of a
dealer in the occult sciences; for while he was in Giltspnr-
street Compter, he wrote a letter to the Governor, in which
be stated, that when a boy of five years of age, his parents had
his horoscope cast, and they were informed that he would come
to an untimely and disgraceful death ; that this prediction,
was always uppermost in his thoughts, and by no mode of
reasoning could he remove this deep-rooted impression from
his mind. When he was taken from the Compter for re-
examination on Tuesday last, he then stated to the officer
who removed him that he hoped that that examination
would be his last, for lie was fully prepared to meet his
fate, which was inevitable; that he deeply and sincerely
regretted what had occurred, but it could not be avoided.
When he was taken to Newgate, Mr. Sheriff Sydney hap-
pened to be there, and was in conversation with the chaplain.
I'he worthy and humane Alderman instantly entered into
conversation with Sini,h, by asking him if he had taken any
steps towards his defence, and whether he had caused
any gentleman of the bar to defend him. He replied that
he had not, for he was quite prepared for the worst, and
that he intended to plead guilty; that he had not the re-
motest intention a minute before he committed the dreadful
act to take the lifeof the deceased, but during the absence of
the little girl Ann Wetenhall the deceased made use of
some violent expressions, and jumped up from the chair in
which she had been sitting, holding the knife which she had
in her hand in a menacing attitude, when he unfortunately
having his cook's knife in his hand, and being goaded, as
it were, to madness by her reproaches, rushed on her
and wounded her in the neck, and under the fatal impulse
of the moment, and in a paroxysm of rage, he forced
her head back and inflicted the deadly wound. She
g circumstances,asnudch ad
then staggered towards the door. As soon as he observed
what he had done he was horror stricken. The worthy Al-
dermanwvia:ed the
ehi to case,there
obtain were ere eprofes-
sional aid. Smith, however refused to do so, and the
Sheriffs, therefore, directed Mr. Clarkson to defend the
wretched man. That the dreadful act was the result of a
sudden impulse there can be no doubt, for his fellow-servants
ex-
tenuating in remarked, that if
on the trial spoke to his general good temper, and Mr. In-
spector Woodruffe in his cross-examination said, he had
known the prisoner for ten years, and he was the very last
man he should have thought would commit such an act.
When he was being brought up from the gaol for trial he
said he was aware of the result—that he was satisfied that
the jury would find him guilty. When he was reconducted
back to the prison after the awful and dreadful sentence of
death had been passed, he merely said that he was glad that
it was over, for he knew there was no hope for him. Since
he has been in Newgate he has been several times visited by
his unfortunate wife, who has administered as far as she
could to his wants and comforts. The result of the trial, it
is understood, has had the most fearful effects on her, being
at it were rigg lbft destitute with four young children de-
pending updsi her. Should the Sheriffs and those who are
exerting themselves to save the life of the wretched man,
fail in obtaining the royal clemency, his execution will take
place within a month, the Sheriffs having the power
to suspend the carrying of the sentence into effect for that
time.

HORRID MURDER IN FRANCE.
The Gazette de Tribunaux gives the following details of
the murder in the Rue aontmatre, the main facts of which
have already appeared in the Messenger :—" Relatisns of
business, which led at length to personal intimacy, had
existed between M. Lejeune and M. Jay, the latter of whom
has made his name well known by his mechanism, called
Jayotype ' for which he has taken out several patents. M.
Lejeune, Who is a master tailor, is a remarkably good-look-
ing man, about 28 years old. As to M. Jay he was turned
of 40, and rather ill than good-looking. M. Lejeune, how-
ever, whose wife is young and pretty, had conceived a
jealousy of M. Jay. His suspicions, which were at first
vague, had latterly become more fixed, and to such an ex-
tent was his mind affected, that after having broken off all
relations with M. Jay he is said to have informed the com-
missary of police of the quarter, that if he should ever find
M. Jay alone with his wife, he would proceed to the last ex-
tremities. Things were in this state when, on Tuesday
morning, M. Lejeune told his wife that he had received a
pressing order, which compelled him to set out immediately
for Rouen, and at about four in the afternoon he proposed
that his wife should accompany him as far as the railroad
station in the Rue St. Lazare. She did so, and did not
leave him until she had seen him take his scat in the train.
This pretended departure, however, was only a feint, which
has been practised by a thousand husbands, and which un-
fortunately is almost always successful. Lejeune had no
sooner arrived at the first station of Asnieres, than he left the
Rouen train and returned to Paris by one from Versailles.
He proceeded to the Rue Neuve Vivienne, and placed him-
self in a position to watch the shop of . Jay. We are in-
formed that whilst ha was there watching, he saw a
letter delivered to M. Jay, which he concluded was from
Madame Lejeune. About nine o'clock in the evening M.
Jay, whose wife and children are in the country, left his
shop, and gave instructions to his shopmen, which indicated
that he would not return until a very late hour. He pro-
ceeded to the Rue Montmartre, followed by Lejeune, and
M. Jay having entered the house where Madame Lejeune
was, the husband after waiting some time went in also, and
by means of a second key which he carried penetrated into
his room, and saw the guilty parties in bed, with a night-
light burning near them. At this sight Lejeune lost all
control over himeelf, and taking a pistol from his pocket
fired at M. Jay, but his hand being agitated his victim was
Jay,
untouched. He then drew forth a couteau poignard,
which
of
er a he
es. was
ckaredrYiin his sleep, could
carrying
in the pocket
of his paletot, and stabbed Monsieur Jay in the breast
v
offer no resistance, and expired after uttering a few words
As to Mdme. Lejeune, she was more dead than alive, and
could rather imagine than see the scene that was passing.
several times. Monsieurin the
habit,
When the unfortunate Jay was dead, Lejeune, who had in
some degree recovered from his fury, went down stairs and
said to the porter of the house, "I live just killed my wife',
lover; go and tell the Commissary of Police and the Procu-
reur du Roi that lam waiting for them." The porter went
instantly to the office of the commissary, M. Couesna, in the
Marche St. Joseph, exactly opposite the house in which
dreadful affair had taken place. When the commissary ar-
rived, Lejeune surrendered himself, and said he was ready to
answer for what he had done. The commissary placed a guard
over him during the night,
and on the following morning
sent him to the Perfecture of Police. In the course of the
day, the Procureur du Roi had Lejeune brought to the house
and confronted with the dead body. He repeated his former
declaration with much calmness, and was then taken to the
prison of the Conciergerie." The Gazette des Tribunaux states
that Madame Lejeune has not been arrested, but is gone to
reside with her family.
Lejeune, alluded to above, appeared yesterday before the
Court of Assizes of the Seine as witness in a case of iobbery.
He had been brought under guard from the Conciergerie to
give his evidence, which amounted to nothing. He is a
man of small stature, pale, and with fair hair. His appear-
ance is that of a German, and he speaks with a foreign
accent. He did not appear much cast down by the position
in which he is placed.

WOOLWICH DOCKYARD.— It iS stated that Captain
Stewart, RN. (now acting pro tem), is to be the permanent.
Captain Superintendent of her Majesty's dockyard, and that
Sir Francis Collier, C. 8., will be appointed one of the junior
Lords of the Admiralty.