The Sun.
London, England, 1834-12-16 00:00:00

EAST INDIAN CASE OF ABDUCTION.

REX V. THOMAS WILLIAMSON AND AFFLICK WILLIAMSON
FOR THE ABDUCTION OF MISS KITTY CHALLEN.
The Bombay Gazette contains a very full report of the
above trial, which took place at Bombay on the 12th of
July, 1834. The report itself occupies no less than twelve
columns. The indictment, of course, was founded on the
9th Geo. IV., cap. 74, sec. 68, by which the unlawful
taking of any unmarried girl under the age of sixteen years
out of the possession and against the will of her father or
mother, or of any person having -the lawful care or charge
of her, is declared a misdemeanour, punishable by fine or
imprisonment, or by both. This is the first prosecution of
the kind under the Act that we remember.
The young lady, it appeared in evidence, was under thir-
teen, and her personal charms are admitted by the Counsel
for the Crown to be by no means of the highest order.
She was, however, a ward of Court, and a sum of about
60,000 rupees stood to her credit in the hands of the
Accountant-General. When the fair lady was called to
be sworn, she was asked if she knew the nature of an
oath—to this she made no reply—but being asked if she
knew what would happen in the event of her taking a false
oath, she said " I'll go to hell !" The most extraordinary
circumstance in this case is that she was not. baptized till
the 6th July, six days before the trial, and then only that
she might be sworn according to the forms of some religion
or other ! She admitted in her examination that she left
the premises of the lady with whom she resided, and flew
from the window of her bed•room into the open arms of
the younger defendant ; the young lovers dashed on to a
place called Angria's Colabah, where they were traced.
While at this place she said she wrote a letter to (flick
Williamson. The younger defendant wrote the letter and
told her to copy it—" When I was told to write the letter,
I said I wanted to go play ! On going to play he called
me to write it,'and said I might write a little and then go
and play."
She was cross-examined by the defendants, but nothing
particularly was elicited from her.
Mrs. Tadman, whose pupil Miss Challen was, was exa-
mined at great length by the defendants, but nothing what-
ever appeared to afford the smallest ground for the insinua-
tions on their part that she was privy to the elopement.
The two Williamsons defended themselves, and the elder
made a very plausible defence.
Several witnesses were examined, with a view of contra-
dicting the evidence of those who appeared for, the
prosecution.
Jhe jury retired for about eight minutes and returned with
a verdict of Guilty against both defendants.
The Court sentenced Thomas Williamson to be impri-
soned in the House of Correction for two years, during the
first ten days and the last ten days of the second year to be
kept in solitary confinement, and during the rest of the
time to be kept to hard labour. Afflick Williamson to be
imprisoned in the House of Correction for the term of one
year and to be kept to hard labour during that period. The
following is the precious love letter :
"My dear Afilick—l have the pleasure of writing to You
now, as Mrs. Tadman is out. Dear Afllick, I have made up
my mind to leave this place, because Mrs. Tadman uses me
very ill : as for my guardian, be never looks after me, and he
has never, since my imprisonment (so I may call this place)
sent for me, or came himself to see me.
.‘ Dear Afflick, I will leave this place, and, as I think you
are the only person that loves me, and if you won't protect me,
I will drown myself ; but if you have any love for one of your
own colour you will not refuse to take me to some place far
from this place. I now conclude, wishing you are quite well,
as this leaves me at present in my lonely prison.
" Dear Affiick, do not let your parents know any think of
this ; you may rest assured I will come to your room this
night, GOD willing.-1 remain, dear Afflick, your pour impri
soned lover,

"KITTY CHALLEN.
" Sunday morning, Urnbercary, 15th, 1834."

A farmer is now living in the tithing of Worton,
who, when first entered upon the farm he now occupies, paid
but 20/. a year poor rates ; whilst for the last two or three
years the average annual amount has been 2001.—Hants
Chronicle.

_ a~'+ ..
. ;, • . '~'

To Mr. Leigh Lye." _
" Hetling House, December 2, 1834.
"My Lord Duke—l have the honour to acknowledge the
receipt, this morning, of your Grace's note of the 30th of
November, and I beg most respectfully to state that I am
sure the Society will learn with the utmost regret that your
Grace has withdrawn your support. The name of the Duke
of Bedford is so associated with the best days of the Institu-
tion ; the Bust in marble of his Grace adorns the great room
of the Society; the Bedford Gold Medal' is annually offered
in the List of the Society's Premiums ; and the very name is
held in such high honour and respect by the oldest members
of the Society, that to have your Grace withdraw your support
in this our hour of need (two neighbouring Societies having
been established within the last year) will, lam sure, be con-
sidered one of the most unfortunate events that could befal us.
The Committee does not meet till Saturday next, and I have
ventured, with feelings of the most profound respect, to offer
these observations to your Grace, in the humble, but fervent
hope, that I may be spared the grief and mortification of an-
nouncing the intention conveyed in your Grace's note of the
30th ultimo.

" Trusting that your Grace will pardon my having pre_
'timed thus to evince my anxiety to serve a Society which has
for so many years enjoyed the honour of your Grace's support,
" I have the honour to be, my Lord Duke, &e.

B. LEIGH LYE."
" Woburn Abbey, Dec. 4, 1834.
" Sir--I have received by this morning's post your letter of
the 2d instant. The infirm state of my health, and the impos-
sibility of my ever attending the Meetings of the Bath and
West of England Society, was my sole motive for desiring to
withdraw my name as a member, and I had not the remotest
idea that such a step could be considered as of any importance.
I rca-lil'•, however, yield to your suggestions, and am willing
to continue a member of that Society, as long as it shall please
God to prolong my existence.
" I am, Sir, your most humble servant,
" B. Leigh Lye, Esq." " BEDFORD."
Captain SCOBELL said that his Grace's letter reflected on

him and on the Society considerable honour. The Society
was placed in a novel position. New societies of a similar

naturo had sprung up around it, and though they had not
tried to injure their parent, they had certainly tended to
circumscribe her means. He begged to move the thanks
of the Meeting to his Grace the Duke of Bedford for Isis
determination to continue his support. A vote of thanks
to Dr. Lisle for his kind present was proposed and passed.
The SECRETARY read a petition from the Rev. Canon
Bowles in favour of Wm. Collins, aged 89 years, who, as
a garden labourer, had lived with the father of Mr. Bowles

20 years, and for 35 succeeding years with Col. Rogers,
at Uphill. The petition stated that this old man had led
a most industrious and laborious life, and now lived on an

allowance made up by the parish and the contributions of
the family with whom he had last lived, and of the Rev:
Petitioner. The object of the application was that the So-
cicty would bestow upon the old man some marks of its
favour in the shape of a bounty.
Dr. PARRY said that no premium being directly appli-
cable to this case, the Committee had thought it better to
refer it to the consideration of the Annual Meeting. He
would propose that a bounty of three guineas be awarded
to theOindividual in question. This proposition was se-
conde4:antli: after4ome discussion, it was unanimously
agreed:44. '',.:, •4'--.
Captaip.Scostiejlien rose to submit a motion that the
BedfootOOld'iOdaZbe, Oven to the writer of the best
Essayr,kfreao4lt the introduction of Poor Laws
into / lie: iip 441,44fe upon the agricultural interests
of=d •-.060-ntiV i_r• *,,;d2pression of England had the
ely.:kit.*sMt/e4A ;eldfica,7we might, perhaps, say, " let
i
Ire hufin*p 'the
.. ai,.o. the present system ;" but this
vi;zo-11411i6 nrise. ''`:lrelii*l`iwas not the better on account
cf,rput.,,,uffering. Thei4".Fas an old saying that " pa-
t" e ik.a. quiet nag, but will sometimes bolt." Now the
En i`gh . agriculturist had" long been quiet. He knew
go - ociety better qualified to take up the subject than
it
thj!Bath and West of England Society. It was uni-
versally admitted that English agriculture was at present
in an unprecedently depressed state ; that wheat and other
produce were as low in price as they ever had been within
the memory of man. The object of his resolution could
not; therefore be considered other than a most important
one. .England and Ireland might be compared to two men
struggling in the water. England was the better man of
the two ; but Ireland clung so close that both must sink or
swim together. • He would rather lift Ireland than put
dchiii-tngland. The introduction of Poor Laws into Ire-
' Lind would, in all probability, do good to both countries,
but certainly to England. The cattle imported into Liver-
pool alone had amounted to 12,000 per week ; and into
Bristol there had been imported in one year, about 624,000
including pigs, &c. Mr. Sadler had stated the yearly im-
portation of Irish grain into Engli.nd at 2,000,000 quarters.
Accord:ng to Mr. Porter's tables, the total value of Irish
imports into Liverpool alone, was—
In 1831
1832
1833
,If this were the natural surplus of the country, there was
no reason why it should not be imported iuto England, but
it was not a natural surplus. If Poor Laws were intro-
duce I into Ireland, there would be more comfort, and con-
sequently more home consumption of the produce now sent
so abundantly out of the country. He would now refer to
a darker shade of the question—the emigration of Irish
I,bourers, who beat down the labourers of England. There
were, perhaps, 300,000 Irish labourers in England, and the
support of these persons was so much taken out of our own
hbour market. It had been said, that the assistance of
Irish labourers was convenient at the time of housing the
crops : but it was not sufficiently considered, that the wages
paid to these individuals was so much taken from the Eng-
lish poor.
After some further discussion, the motion for the premium
was put to the meeting and unanimously carried. •
The dinner took place, as usual, at the White Hart, and
was very numerously attended.
On the removal of the cloth, the following toasts were
proposed :—" The King"—" The Queen and the rest of
the Royal Family"—" Mr. Benett, Member for Wilts"--.
" The Army and Navy:. _ _

Colonel LANCTON said that it needed no eloquence to
recommend the toast which he had risen to propose. He
was confident that it would be received with the most
rapturous applause by the members of this Society. He
begged to propose the health of the Noble President, :of
wl.ose high character it was not possible for him to say
too much. The zeal and utility which he displayed in the
cause of this Society, reflected on him the highest honour.
It was delightful to see a Nobleman of his high standing,
affording his most strenuous aid to an Institution, which had
fir its object the benefiting of all classes of the people.
Colonel Langton concluded by alluding to the great melio-
rations which the Noble Marquis had effected in the con-
dition of the poor by means of his extensive adoption of the
Allotment System.
The Noble PRESIDENT returned thanks for the honour
conferred upon him, which he said was enhanced in value
by being proposed by a respected gentleman who was one
of the oldest Members of the House of Commons. He
(the Noble Marquis) could not apprehend any diminution
of zeal on behalf of a society which produced so many valu-
able public benefits, after having heard it that day an-
nounced that notwithstanding the depressed condition of
the agricultural interests, the funds of the society were in
a better state than they were at the time of the last annual
meeting. He attributed this to the high spirit which.im-
pelled the British agriculturists to promote, in defiance of
all opposing difficulties, the great objects for the furtherance
of which this society was established. He had heard
without pain the allusion which had that day been made to
the infant societies, which had sprung up around the Bath
and West of England Society. He did not grudge them
their existence. It was the common lot of old established.
societies, as well as of old countries, to give rise to off-
shoots and colonies. But while we do grudge them the
vigour of their youth we must take care that we de not ex-
hibit the decreptitudo of old age. He hoped that this, the
old society, would go prosperously on, and make the young
societies proud of their character which this institution had
first bestowed on them. The Noble Marquis concluded by
[roposing the health of the Members for Somersetshire.
Colonel LANGTON regretted that the other Members
were not present, as he was sure that they could not but
feel highly delighted at the proof just given that, however
much they might differ in political opinion from many mem-
bers of this Society, credit was given to them for purity of
intention and integrity of principle. He (Col. Langton)
had through good report and evil report acted in accor-
dance with the dictates of his conscience, and this coarse
he should continue invariably to pursue. He could not,
from his advanced age and increasing infirmities, expect to
be much longer able to discharge the laborious duties of a
Parliamentary Representative, but as long as he continued
to enter the doors of the House of Commons he would
enter them unshackled by pledges—he would be the inde-
pendent Representative of his constituents, and not their
degraded delegate. He supported measures, not men; he
cared not who were the rulers of the State, provided that
it were well governed.
After several other toasts drunk, the company separated.