The Sun.
London, England, 1851-07-17 00:00:00

17,

1651.

WOODS AND FORESTS' EVICTIONS AND
ME CRYSTAL PALLIC.E.

The rising generation will, no doubt, have a lively re-
collection of the White Cottage in Hyde-park, and its
bulky and bustling Mistress Ann Hicks, who supplied
them in exchange for their coppers wish cakes, curds-
and-whey, nuts, ginger-pop, and ether small luxuries, so
teropting to juvenile palates.
Yesterday the same Ann Hicks, woebegone, and very
shabby in appearance, with a basket of three-a-penny
cakes on her arm, was brought to Matlborough-strt
Police-office, before Mr. Hardwick, by the park-keeper,
charged with the offence of attempting to sell her
linuale wares near the Crystal Palace. The sudden
transformation in her condition had been effected by the
Woods and Forests, according to her own statement, in
this way :—Her grandfather, about a century ago, had
the gc'od fortune to assist in extricating George 11, from
the Surpentine, and as a reward for this service he was
permitted to have a stand in the park. He kept this
stand for 69 years, and left it to her father, who had it
for 49 years more. She came into possession of the
stand, having attended it ever since she was five years of
age. Nome years ago, and as she said, she never earned a
shilling anywhere else up to last November, she being
now between forty and fifty years of age. In consequence
of the length of time the stand had been established,
her good character, and the real service it afforded
to lashes who might desire a glass of cool water in
sumniser, Lord Lincoln, about seven years ago, gave her
permit sion to build the stone lodge at the foot of the
Serpeutiee, and to occupy it in the same manner as
she had occupied the stand. This lodge cost her the
whole savings of her life--130[. In October last, having
heard of the intended erection of the Crystal Palace
near hser lodge, she thought its proximity to the Exhi-
bition .might be turned to account in affording accommo-
dation. to ladies, and the drew up a petition to the Woods
and Forests, which was signed by forty of her lady
custon ters, setting forth her wishes. To her great as-
tonish meut she received this answer:—

"Lc ►rd Seymour has received Mrs. Hick's application,
dated the 22d ultimo.

" As, Mrs. Hicks is aware she has been served with a
notice to quit and deliver up possession of the place she
occupies, Lord Seymour conceives the serving of that
notice to be an answer to her application. The board
has imnicdiate occasion for her removal, and they can do
nothing, ;therefore, to assist her in extending the accom-
modation of her present dwelling.
"Lord Seymour was prepared to recommend the
board to make an allowance to Mrs. Hicks for house-
rent for as short period after her removal, in the event
of her complying with the notice served upon her. 0/
course, if the board are driven to expense in taking
legal steps in dispossessing her she must abide the
consequences._

" °i lea of Woods and Forests, Nov. 1, 1850."
Notices were immediately served ea her, and she
further received written orders from Lord Seymour
and the Dake of Wellington, commanding her to quit
the place. She did not give up possession, and on the
11th Mr. Mann, the surveyor, visited her, and told her
if she did not go the Commissioners would do nothing
for her. She still kept possession, and a more peremp-
tory notice was sent to the effect that all the people who
had stsuids in the park were to be turned out of the
park, and that if she did not go away at once the roof
would. be taken off and the place pulled about her ears.
In this extremity she wrote again to Lord Seymour,
stating her case at length. The answer was as follows:
" Lard Seymour can only say, in reply to Mrs. Hicks'
letter,. that he cannot permit either her or her family to
have astall, or sell articles, in the parks. The utmost
Lord k;eymour can do will be to provide means for the
remorttl of her furniture, and to allow her at the rate
of five shillings a week, which he is advised is amply
sufficfont for lodgings, for a twelvemonth after she shall
have quitted. Ho can do nothing more; and if Mrs.
Hicks shall not have appointed with Mr. Mann, before
four o'clock to-morrow, a time for the removal of her
things,. and for delivering up the place, the law must
take its course, and he will not consent to make her any
allowance whatever.

" Of ace of Woods, Nov. 10, 1850."
She was at last ejected, the lodge pulled down, and in
return for the money she had expended in building it,
the amount of twelve months' lodging, at ss. a week, was
given to her. She applied for compensation for the
materials of her house. Sixteen letters were written,
but no notice whatever was taken of them. She laid her
case befeze the Queen, and she received this reply:—
" Buckinghara Palace.
" Madan ,—I am directed by Colonel Phipps to ex-
press the Queen's regret that the very numerous pres-
sing claims on her Majesty's private bounty prevent a
compliance with the request contained in your letter of
the 2d instant.

" Your obedient servant,

" Mrs. A. Hicks."

" DOYNE C. BELL."

She contrived to interest Lord Ashley in her case, bat
his interference procured her no benefit. In the extre-
mity of her distress, finding her money all gone and
starvation staring her in the face, she got a basket and
few cakes, hoping to sell them among her former cus-
tomers in the park. She was taken in the very act, and
brought to this court to be dealt with according to law.
Mr. Hardwick had some difficulty in making her un-
derstand that it was an offence to sell cakes in the park.
If she would promise never to do the like again he
would discharge her.
The defendant could not promise. What was she to
do to support herself and child? She supposed her fate
would be the same as had attended the other poor crea-
tures who had been turned out of their bread by the
Commissioners. One, who had kept a stand twenty
years at the Victoria-gate, had gone out of her mind in
consequence of this eviction; a second was in Kensington
workhouse; a third was in St. George's Workhouse ;
and she met a fourth that morning nearly broken-
hearted. trying to sell medals in the park.
Mr. Hardwick said the law must be obeyed.
The defendant said she would sell no more. She
would beg.
Mr. Hardwick told her that was equally a crime.
After some further parley, a reluctant promise not to
sell cakes in the park again was extracted, and she was
set at liberty.

RAILWAY TRAFFIC RETURNS.
LONDON AND NORTII-WESTERN RAILWAY.—Return of
Traffic for the week ending July 13 :
Passengers, parcels, Zce. ... £46,765 5 6
Merchandise ... 15,603 16 4
Cattle ... 1,093 19 0

Total ... £63,463 010
Corresponding week last year 50,575 16 1

Ncte.—The returns as published are exclusive of the
traffic of the Huddersfield Canal and Shropshire Union, Nerth
Union, Preston and Wyre, South Junction, Blanchester and
Buxton, and Buckinghamshire Railways, and of the propor-
tion of traffic deducted under agreement with the North
Staffordshire Company.
THE GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY...(MiIes in work, 236.)
—Return of Traffic for the Week ending July 6, IS5l:
Passengers, parcels, carriages,
horses, dogs, and mails ....£9,494 9 1
Merchandise and minerals ... 3,398 0 I()
Cattle ... ... 323 10 9

Total .. 0 8
Corresponding week, July 7, 1850 (143 miles) :
Passengers, parcels, &c. ... £1,637 1 11
Merchandise, Cattle, &c. ... 1,486 13 6

Total ... £3,123 15 5
LONDON AND SOUTH-WESTERN RAILWAY.—Amount of
Traffic for the week ending July 13 :
Passengers ... ... £14,7E4 5 3
Goods ... ... 2,399 10 11i

Total ... ..£17,133 16Corresponding week last year... 13.325 010

LANCASHIRE AND YORKSHIRE RAILWAY. (260 miles
open.)—Traffic for week ending July 13 ...£17,328 5 1
Corresponding week in last year, (24.51
miles open) .. 16 3

NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE RAILWAY. ( Miles open, 112.)
Return of traffic for the week ending July 16 :
Railway and canal ... £5,207 0 0
Corresponding week last year ... 5,079 0 0
Note.—The above is exclusive of the receipts available
under the agreement with the London and North-Western
Railway Company.

CHESTER AND HOLYHEAD RAILWAY....Traffie for the
week ending July 13:—

MAIN LINZ.

--
Passengers ... -
£2,096 12 9
Parcels, H. C. and D. ... 72 16 1
Goods, cattle, &c. ••• ... 558 6 7
Mails •.. ... 575 0 0

Total £3,302 lb 5
MOLD.

Passengers £4117 2
Parcels,ll. C. and D. ... 1 7 9
Goods, cattle, &c. ... 125 6 2

Total ... ... ... £l6B 11 1
STEAM-BOATS.

Passengers ... ... ... £376 2 1
Parcels, H. C. and D. ... ... 13 10 2

Total ... £389 12 3
SHROPSHIRE UNION RAILWAY.—(Open 29 miles.)—Traffic
for the week ending July 13:—
Passengers, parcels, &c. ... £429 4 4
Goods and live stock .. ... 205 6 9

Total .. £634 11 1
Corresponding week last year ... 463 9 101
SHREWSBURY AND BIRMINGHAM RamwAY.—Traffic re•
ceipts for the week ending July 13 :
Passengers ..• £351 18 7
Carriages, horses, and parcels ... 11 7 4
Live stock ... 15 8 4
Merchandise and minerals ... 281 19 3

Total .. ... £660 13 6
Corresponding period last year.. 653 12 11
CALEDONIAN RAILWAY.—(I6O miles opened.)—Return °I
traffic for the week ending July 6 :
Passengers, &C. x 3,3 9s 8 12i
Goods, &c. 3,486 12
Tutal* ••• ••• £6,8 ()
11
Corresponding week last year ...
• Including Wishaw and Coltness,charge of a
now
factor.

SOUTH-EASTERN RAILWAY.—The number of pas-
--
andty_from.London-bridge
the
sengers conveyed on this line,
namel., 10,023 to London,
terminus on Monday was
and 9,256 from London.
THE GREAT EXRIBITION.—The receipts yesterday,
were 2,9101. 45., the number of persons who visited the build-
ing being 60,626.
THE GREENWICII UNION.--The poor children of
the parishes of Greenwich, Woolwion. and Deptford were
yesterday treated by the guardians to a visit to the C:ysta
Palace, and about three o'clock in the afternoon were per-
mitted by the Commissioners to assemble round the crystal
fountain,: and when there sang the National Anthem, which
had a pleasing effect, the children who joined in it being
about 300 in number.