The Sun.
London, England, 1834-02-28 00:00:00

/101-'-t4IIIIIW

LONDON, FRIDAY EVENENG, FEBRUARY 23, 1834.

HORRID MURDER AND ROBBERY.

IMPERIALPARLIAMENT

(FURTHER PARTICULARS.)
An extraordinary sensation bas been produced at Epsom,
Banstead, and Ewell, in consequence of a murder com-
mitted about half-past six on Wednesday evening, upon
Mr. John Richardson, steward to John Perkins, Esq., of
aetchingly, Surrey. The unfortunate deceased had come
over in the morning from Bletchingly to attend Epsom
corn-market. He is known in the course of the dray to
have received a sum of 23/. 3s. of Mr. Stokes, of Ewell.
This money, it was ascertained in the course of yesterday,
by Mr. Stokes coming forward and making a deposition
before the magistrates, consisted of a 10/. and two 5/.
bank of England notes, three sovereigns, and three shil-
lings. After the market was ever he returned to the
King's Head, and there dined at the ordinary, but left
soon after to meet a gentleman at the Spread Eagle, with
whom, however, he only took a single gloss of wine, and
returning thence to the King's Head, he ordered out his
gig, and started for Bletchingly about six o'clock. The
deceased had safely passed along the cross road which runs
along the nortbern skirt of the Epsom Downs, and had
entered a narrow lane, in which before proceeding.
more than three hundred yards he comes to a deep
hollow, known as Purcell's Gap. The ascent from this
is by a remarkably steep although short hill, and it is near
the brow of this bill that the foul deed was perpetrated.
It is supposed that one of the two men (for that there
were two is proved beyond doubt) seized hold of the
horses's head, while the other Caine up to the side of the
gig, and demanded the deceased's money. The deceased
always travelled with loaded pistols, and it is believed
he replied to the demand by firing at one or other of the
villains, hut missed his aim, and that the ruffian by the
side of the chaise instantly fired his pistol, which unhap-
pily took a fatal effect. Death must have been almost
instantaneous. Mr. West, carrier between London, Ewell,
and Banstead, was approaching the spot at the time, and
distinctly heard the reports of the two pisto!s, and heard
the deceased utter an exclamation. He also saw the two
men, who at first were approaching towards him, but oa
seeing him ran off in a different direction. The deceased
breathed his last just as he got up, and he placed him in
his cart and carried him to the sign of the Surrey Yen,
man, at B instead. Information was instantly sent off by
express to Messrs. Everest and Harding, solicitors, at Ep •
som, and also clerks to the magistrates acting for thin
division of the county. A meeting of the neighbouring
magistrates was conven.d instanter, and it was simul-
taneously agreed that a reward of 1001. should be imme-
diately offered. Five men were apprehended yesterday,
on suspicion; and of these, after an examination before
Messrs. Game, Northey, and Trotter, four were dis-
charged; and the fifth is detained—not on suspicion of
being implicated in the murder, but as a rogue and vagabond.
It is a most extraordinary circumstance that the deceased
himself saw, in passing over Walton Heath on the morn-
ing of the day, on his way to the market, the very two
men who are strongly suspected to be the murderers. The
taller of the two had a smock frock on, and the wind
blowing strongly at the time, pressed the frock so closely
against the body of the man, that the deceased, who had a
suspicion of their characters, saw, or fancied he saw, the
clear outline-of a horse pistol. He mentioned the cir-
cumstance to the toll-taker, at the Tadworth Gate, and
advised him to keep a sharp look-out after the fellows, as
he thought they were after no gond. The toll-gate keeper
has been examined before the magistrates, and states that
he did so notice the men, that he should be able to iden-
tify them the instant be saw them. His description of
the men tallies with that given by West, the carrier. The
deceased likewise mentioned the circumstance at Epsom
to Mr. Butcher, a builder and auctioneer, and also to
his brother, and made use, in the hearing of both, of
the remarkable expression, " If you bear of my being
robbed or murdered, you will know who did it."
Of the two pistols which the deceased had in his
possession when he left Epsorn, one is missing, and is
supposed to have been carried off by the murderers.
The other was found loaded in his coat_p rcket.
At the entrance of the lane, where the murder was
committed, and distant from the spot only about three
hundred yards, Mr. Hart, solicitor, of Reigate, was
about three months back, stopped in his gig by four
armed men wearing smock frocks, and robbed of a consi-
derable sum of money. The deceased was a remarkably
fine A irid complexioned man, about forty years old, and
has left a wife and six children, and his wife advanced in
pregnancy.

THIS DAY, FRIDAY, FEB. 28.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

The SPzAKEn'took the chair at a quarter past twelve.
Mr. WILLIAMS brought in a bill for the paving and
lighting of the borough of Dorchester.
Sir CHARLES I3URRELL brought in a bill for repairing
the road of Crouch-hill, in Kent.

Captain YORKE brought in a bill for enclosing a pOrtion of
waste land in the parish of Shelburne, in Cambridgeshire.
Lord ACHESON brought in a bill for repairing the road
from Newry to Charlemont, in the county of Armagh.
Mr. BETHELL moved the third reading of the Sculcoates
Small Tenement Bill, which was accordingly read a third time
and passed,
Mr. TAYLEURE brought up the report upon the Bridge-
water gas petition, and obtained leave :to bring in a bill for the
better lighting of that borough and its suburbs.

Mr. JAMES OSWALD moved the second reading of the
Glasgow Water-works BilL
Mr. ROBERT WALLACE said he could not allow the Bill
to pass through this stage without opposing it, as he knew that
it would in its effect be exceedingly injurious to a communityof
not less than 200,000 persons. There were at present two
Water Companies in Glasgow, and the effect of this Bill would
be entirely to take away competition, and to substitute in its
place a gross and illegal monopoly. He would take the sense
of the House whether they would sanction such a proceeding,
and putan end to one company which had been established for
e express purpose of competition, and by that means to give a
I:sheap and good supply of water. The house had always ex-
, pressed itself opposed to monopoly of every kind, and he ap-
pealed to them, whether they would upon any principle sanc-
tion so injurious a monopoly as that which was sought to be
established by the present bill.
Mr. JAMES OSWALD said the bill would not have by any
means the effect contemplated by the hon. gentleman who op-
posed it. The object merely was to allow one company to sell
to the other, but it would not prevent other companies starting
up if they thought proper. He trusted that as there was no
fair ground for the hon. member's opposition, he would not
press it further.
Mr. EWING said the hon. gentleman's opposition was per.
fectly unreasonable, when he did not oppose the bill upon prin-
ciple. It was simply a bill to enable one company to sell to
another, and if the bill was rejected the consequence would be
that the company who applied for it would fall, from inability to
continue their speculation. There was no monopoly at all, and he
thought the proper way in the first instance would be to allow
the bill to go into committee, and then decide upon its merits.
Strangers were then ordered to withdraw.
Mr. WALLACE said that under these circumstances he
would not press his motion to a division.
The bill was then read a second time, and ordered to be com-
mitted.

Mr. WYNDHAM brought up the report of the committee
on the petition for improving the haven of Great Yarmouth, in
the county of Norfolk, and obtained leave to bring in a bill.
Lord SANDON moved the third reading of the Liverpool
Poor Rates Bill.—The bill was read a third time and passed.
Sir R. VYVYAN brought up the report of the committee
on the amendments to the Bristol and Gloucestershire Railway
Bill.—The amendments were read a second time, and ordered
to be engrossed.

Mr. CHRISTMAS presented a petition from the shipowners
of the port of Waterford, complaining of want of employment,
and certain local charges to which they were subjected for the
support of private light-houses, which were much greater than
those for public light-houses, and praying for a revision of the
mode of their collection. The hon. member moved that the
petition be referred to the Select Committee on Light-houses.
Mr. FJTZSIMON presented a petition from the parish of
Oldtown, in the county of Dublin, for the abolition of tithes in
Ireland. The hon. member proceed, dto remark upon the in-
justice of a Roman Catholic population being subjected to a
compulsory payment towards a church from which they derived
no benefit. He likewise presented a petition for the repeal of
the union from the same parish. Also, a petition from the
inhabitants of the parish of Sutton, county of Wexford, for
the repeal of the union, and the abolition of tithes in Ireland.
Mr. MANGLES presented a petition from a body of dis-
senters, praying for a removal of the grievances which affected
them. Likewise, one from the county of Sussex, on the sub
ject of labourers' wages.
Sir CHARLES BURRELL wished to know why none of
his Majesty's Ministers were in the house, as he expected some
one would have been; he had a question to put respecting the poor
laws. The present arrangements were defective ; work was
the best substitute for poor laws altogether. At present money
was wasted, and no good was produced from it. In his own
parish 2201. was laid out, and only 151. real value accrued to
the parish from this large expenditure.
Mr. F. O'CONNOR had several petitions to present for the
repeal of the union and the abolition of tithes. Before he did
so he would express his concurrence with what had fallen from
the hon. member who had just sat down regarding the absence of
his Majesty's ministers. He (Mr. O'C.) had some questions to ask
regarding the Stamp Acts, and was sorry that neither the At-
torney nor Solicitor-General was present.—(A laugh.) He con.
sidered the morning sittings most suitable for debate; there
was generally more temper and calmness, and no deficiency of
talent and ability. An argument was used the other morning
in that house, which was considered a triumphant answer to
the repeal of the union; it was, that Ireland should riot be
delivered up to such tyrants as the landlords were represented to
be, but let the union be repealed, and the course of events would
speedily convert those tyrants into good magistrates and citizens.
An assertion was made regarding his (Mr. O'Connor's) getting
into that house in spite of the aristocracy. The fact was, not
a single member got into that house more honourably than he
did. His election did not cost him a single farthing;
he did not solicit one single vote ; he did not even ask any one
to propose or second him, and yet he was returned by a majo-
rity greater than the number polled by his opponents. Mr.
O'Connor proceeded to read a letter received from a gentleman
in Ireland, giving him an account of some injustice done to-
wards a magistrate because he had fearlessly done his duty.
The letter to which he had alluded advised him not to tire the
House with long statements about the repeal of the union
(Hear, hear, and a laugh.) He (Mr. O'C.) did not agree in this,
he thought that the question was not at all understood, and
that the time to argue it was not when the noble lord, the
Chancellor of the Exchequer came down with his tail from the
Treasury—(A laugh)—ready to raise a howl against any mem-
ber that spoke against them, but at these morning sittings
when their minds were cooL One of the petitions was from
Manchester, signed by the chairman and secretary of the Poli-
tical Union. Another was from Limerick, and another from
Cork, all of them very numerously signed. If the Secretary
for Ireland supposed that his tithe bill would give satisfaction,
he was very much mistaken; it was encumbered with a complex
and expensive machinery. But how could it be otherwise
when a secretary for Ireland was appointed, not because he was
thought fit for the situation, but because he had a chance of
being returned to Parliament. It was an anomaly that
could only be attributable to the Union, that, with a
most productive soil, and a most industrious people,
Ireland was the most wretched country in the world.
The hon. member then presented petitions from several
parishes in Ireland, for the abolition of tithes and the repeal
of the union, and though last, not least, one from the Political
Tract Society of Manchester, signed by the chairman on be-
half of the society.
The SPEAKER said it could onlybe received as the petitton
of the person whose signature it bore.
The HON. MEMBER then read an extract from a letter which
he had received that morning. The writer stated he had just
seen bis reply to the statement of the hon. member for Mayo as
to the manner in which the petitions in favour of repeal had
, been got up, and it proved that the hon. member for Mayo
knew little of the state of public feeling in that county.
Mr. J. BROWNE said, as allusion had been made to
him, he would repeat what he had then said, that the
petitions from Mayo in favour of repeal were got up
in a manner that was not constitutional, and he
made thatstatement from facts which had come to his know.
ledge. The hon. member then proceeded to defend the land-
lords from the general attack that had been made upon them
by the hon. member for Cork. The object of the advocates for
repeal was to make the poorer classes look upon the higher or-
ders as their tyrants and oppressors. He was satisfied that the
landlords who did their duty to the people were not those who re-
ceived their smiles. He believed in his heart, that the absenteeism
complained of as one of the greatest evils of the country,
had continued to increase, solely because any landlord wishing
to discharge great and important trusts in that country, could
not do so without great and positive danger to himself.
Mr. JEPHSON said the hon. member for Mayo could not,
as the representative of that county, disconnect himself from
from the aristocracy. It was so much his habit to eulogize
their conduct, that when he ceased to do so, he would be no
longer member for Mayo.
Mr. F. O'CONNOR explained, and gave notice that, on the
29th of April, he would move for leave to bring in a bill to
amend and consolidate the laws upon stamp receipts in Ireland.
Mr. WARD presented a petition from the dissentess of Saw-
bridgenorth, praying for a redress of their grievances as re-
garded the church, &c. Also one from the parish of St. George,
Hanover-square, signed by thirty of the most eminent medical
men of the day, complaining of the state of the common sewers
of the metropolis. The hon. member said, in that parish alone,
14,0001. per annum was raised in sewer-rates, and that by an
irresponsible body. If no one else took up the matter he
would on a future occasion call the attention of the house to
it, in order to have an investigation before a committee. •
After a few words from Mr. O'Dwvea, Lord WILLIAM
LEivrwx, and Mr. WILES, the petition was laid on the table.
Mr. A. JOHNSTONE presented a petition from the parish
of I(ellicooty, Clackmannan, on the subject of church patron-
Nu. The hon. gentleman complained of the expression that

(PRICE 7D.)

drope.eci from the right hon. member for Tamworth, last
evening, regafolhig the too numerous petitions from Scotland
on the subject of the church,
Mr. SINCLAIR coincided with the last hon. gentleman on
the impropriety of the allusion.
Colonel BUTLER presented a petition from Freshford, in
the county of Kilkenny, for the abolition of tithes.
Mr. FINN supported the petition, and complained of the
hon. member for Stamford's remarks oti the' Roman Catholic
clergy in Ireland.
Mr. FI.NC II justified his observations;
Mr. O'DWYER supported the petition.—Ordered to lie on
the table.

Mr. FITZGER,ALD presented a petition from a parish in
the county of Louth, praying for the total abolition of tithes.
Mr. BLACKBURNE presented a petition from a body of
dissenters of the denomination of Independents, from Holm-
church, in Yorkshire, praying for a redress of their grievances,
and also for a general system of legal registration. The
petitioners. ascribed their grievance to the connection be-
tween Church and State. Now, if this were really the case.
he hoped it would be along time before this grievance would
be redressed. He thought, however, that all their grievances
might be redressed without any separation between church and
state.

Mr. R. WALLACE presented a petition from the Chamber
of Commerce in Greenock, complaining of the expenses of
private lighthouses.
Mr. ROEBUCK presented a petition from the inhabittusts
of Bath, on the subject of corporation reform. It was a ques-
tion of the first national importance. They heard so much
in that house of the grievances and distresses of the sister
country, that they had scarcely any time for the discussion of
any other subject. As the question to which the peti-
tion referred was to be very shortly brought forward
by the Government, he wished to direct the attention of the
house to it. It concerned the great body of the pc'ople, and, its
spite of what had been stated by the hon. member for Oldham,
that sixteen-twentieths of the people were agriculturists, he
would contend that, from the population returns, it appeared that
nearly two-thirds of the people were concerned in the reform of
the municipal corporations. The petitioners prayed that in what-
ever plan might be brought forward by the government, the
power of the people would be recognised to the greatest possi-
ble extent, and that persons having 101. houses should have the
power to vote for corporate officers. The hon. member then
proceeded to read several passages from the petition. He hoped
that in whatever plan the Government brought forward a
clause might be introduced to prevent aldermen from being
elected for life ; if not, they would be irresponsible officers,
and the Government must go over the plan of corporate reform
again. They must give the people a satisfactory reform, for
no other would be permitted in the present temper of the times.
Mr. LOCH presented a petition from the dissenters of
Devizes, praying for the removal of their disabilities, and pray-
ing that they might not be subjected to church rates.
Sir GREY SKIPWITH presented a simjlar petition from
the dissenters of Strat ford.upon- A von.

Colonel DAVIES presented a similar petition from the dis-
senters of Worcester.

Sir CHARLES PAGET presented a similar petition from
the dissenters of Carnarvon, and also a petition from the
town and borough of Carnarvon, for the better observance of
the Sabbath.

Mr. WILKS presented a petition from a Dissenting congre-
gation in Birmingham, praying for the removal of the disabi-
lities under which they laboured. The petitioners stated that
their chapel cost 15,0001., and was entirely built by voluntary
subscription.
Mr. T. ATTWOOD supported the petition.

Mr. WILKS then presented several petitions from different
parts of the country to the same effect.
Mr. LYALL presented a petition from the parish of Corn.
hill, London, for the better observance of the Sabbath.
An HON. MEMBER presented a petition from Sl;ipton, in York-
shire, for a removal of such grievances as affected Dissenters.
Sir E. WILMOTT presented similar petitions from Nun-
eatcn, in Warwickshire.
Mr: RUSSELL presented a similar petition from Broadway
in the county of Worcester.

Mr. ROSS presented a petition from Northampton in support
of the church.

Lord ACHESON presented a petition from Armagh, corn_
plaining of tithes. . . .

. -
Mr. PEASE presented a petition from Skipton, in York,
from the Dissenters.

Lord CAVENDISH presented a petition from Scudamore,
and other parts of Sussex, for a commutation of tithes ; also a
petition from Eastbourne, in favour of the labour rate.
Mr. SINCLAIR presented a petition from Dyke, in Aber-
deenshire, and other places in Scotland, complaining of the
present system of church patronage in Scotland.

Mr. HEATHCOTE presented a petition from the town of
Frampton, in Lincolnshire, praying for a continuation of the
Labour Rate Act. He said that the throwing out of the bill
last year had caused great and bitter disappointment.
Mr. BENETT presented a petition frum Towton, in the
county of Wilts, complaining of the church rates, and other
grievances. _ _ _

Sir C. COCKERELL presented a petition from the borough
of Evesham in favour of the labour rate.
LAW OF LIBEL.
Lord W. LENNOX presented a petition from William
Roberts, praying that the house would take under their con-
sideration the present law of libel, with the view of altering it,
especially that part of it which inflicts upon a
newsvender a punishment for selling a publication
containing libellous matter. In the prayer of this pe-
tition he most heartily concurred, as there was notice
upon the books of the house upon the subject, he would
merely say that he would give it his most cordial
support, especially that part of it complained of by the
petitioner, feeling that it was most absurd and unjust, and
this gross absurdity was only beneficial to the greatest
pests of society, petty fogging lawyers, who for the sake of the
evy of costs so constantly urged others and themselvest °bring
actions into court.

Mr. SHELL presented petitions from parishes in the county
of Tipperary, for the abolition of tithes.
Mr. FINN presented a petition from the parishes of Fresh-
ford and Freecastle, praying for the repeal of the union.
Sir M. W. RIDLEY presented a petition from the owners
of steam-boats plying on the river Clyde, against the Glasgow
Railway Bill.

Mr. O'CONNELL brought in a bill for the establishment of
a cemetery in the neighbourhood of the city of Dublin.—Read
a7first time.

Mr. BLAKE presented a petition from a prisoner in the
gaol of Galway, praying for the abolition of imprisonment for
debt.

The SPEAKER left the chair at five minutes to three o'clock.

CHURCH PATRONAGE.

The following are the Members of I
appointed to consider the past and press
church patronage in Scotland, and to
system is in accordance with the ctinstitu,
the church of Scotland, and conducive I
prosperity, and to report their observatic

SCOTLAND.

house:—
Sinclair, G.
Jeffrey, Rt. Hon. F.
Ewing, J.
Oswald, J.
Grant, Right Hon. C.
Dalmeny, Lord
Peel, Sir R.
Hay, Sir J.
Johnstone, A.
Ormelie, Lord
Ross, H.
Oswald, R. A.
Mackenzie, J. A. S.
Colquhoun, J. C.

Loch, J.
Hay, A. L
Johnstone, J. J. H.
Bruce, C. L. C.
Rae, Sir W.
Shaw, F.
Fergusson, R. C.
Grattan, James
Wallace, R.
Maxwell, J.
Adam, Admiral C.
Bannerman, A.
Dunlop, J.
Agnew, Sir A.

the Select Committee
ent state of the law of
inquire how far that
tion an.' principles of
to its usefulness and
ms thereupon to the

Grey, Sir G.
Plumptre, J. P.
Inglis, Sir R. H.
Morpeth, Viscount
Ellice, E.
Grant, F. W.
Cavendish, Lord G.
Fazakerly, J. N.
Lushington, Dr.
Dundas, C.
Gordon, R.
Abercromby, Right
Hon. J.

MEETINGS OF CREDITORS
AT THE COURT, BASINGHALL-STREET

(From the London Gazette.)
TO-MORROW, MARCH 1. M n.
D. Finney, victualler, Berwick-street, Soho 1 at 1

DIVIDEN DS H.
Hermanus Vos, merchant, New-court, Crutched-friars at 11
C. Bell, wine-merchant, Billiter-street l2

Lord Arthur Lennox paired off for the se-
cond reading of the Liverpool Disfranchisement Bill, on
the 26th February. _ _ _

• ,-.,
LIVERPOOL COTTON •MARKET, WEDNES-
DAY.—The demand for cotton to-day has been extremely
animated. The sales amount to 6,000 bags, of which
1,500 American and 700 Brazil have been taken on spe-
culation. Prices may he quoted id. per lb. advance on
the day's transactions, and fully ill. since Saturday.
INCENDIARISM.—NO doubt exists of the
fire at Shatterling Court, Wingham, last week, being the
act of an incendiary. The property destroyed was flat
dwelling-house, barn, stable, and lodge, a stack of wheat,
three of folder, one of pease, and a quantity of wheat in
the barn, and several pigs, in value upwards of 500/. The
fire had gained so great an ascendancy before the arrival
of tbe engines that scarcely a vestige of property could be
saved. The premises belonged to Thomas Wood, Esq.,
of Cbislett, and were in , the occupation of Mr. Dadds.
The buildings were inured in tbe Sun, and the stock in
the Kent Fire office. A reward of 3001. has been offered,
2001. by Mr. Wood and Mr. Dadds, and 100/. by Govern-
ment, on conviction of the offender. A man named
James Whales has been committed to St. Augustine's gaol,
on strong suspicion of having committed the diabolical
act.—Kentish Gazette.

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