The Sun.
London, England, 1851-07-29 00:00:00

THE CASE OF ANN HICKS.

Mr. B. OSBORNE asked the First Commissioner of
Woods and Forests, whether Ann Hicks held a house in
Hyde-park by tho gift of George 11., or by what tenure
she occupied the house from which she had been evicted .

Lord SEYMOUR said in answer to the first question
of .the Hon. Member—whether Ann Hicks held a house
in Hyde-park by the gift of George ll.—he had to state
that she did not hold any house in the park by the gift
of George 11., or by the gift of any other Royal person-
age.—(Hear, hear.) The first time he ever heard
of her claiming to be entitled to a house in Hyde-
park was about two weeks ago, when he saw en
account of her case in the newspapers. The way
in which she bad obtained possession of the house was
as follows:—In 1843 Mrs. Hicks, like many other per-
sons, had a little stall in the park, where she sold apples
and ginger-beer. Before this she had occupied or kept
an old conduit in the park, but this was pulled down,
and in 1843 she wrote to the Commissioners of Woods
and Forests, and requested to have a place in which she
might lock up her ginger-beer bottles.—(A laugh.)
After some correspondence the Commissioners told her
she might have a wooden stand, such as those at the
cow-stands in St. James's-park. Shortly after-
wards she wrote again, and said she was very
much obliged to them for the wooden stand, but
would like very much to have one made of brick, as
the other was liable to be broken open. On this subject
she renewed her applications, but in none of them did
she once allude to any royal gift, but always dwelt upon
having fifteen children.—(A laugh.) After the lapse of
some time the Commissioners allowed her to make
brick, instead of a wooden stand.—(Hear, hear, from
Colonel Sibthorp.) She then again wrote, stating that
her stand was not quite large enough, and that it must
be increased in size, she had so many ginger-beer
bottles.—(Loud laughter.) After receiving seversl
petitions on the subject, the Commissioners gave way so
far, that they allowed her to have a stand five feet high,
but no higher. In the following year she wrote again,
saying that she was very much obliged to them
for her little hut, which was a great conve-
nience to her—(A laugh)—that she did not wish
to make a residence of the hut, but that if they would
allow her a little fire-place, it would be of great use to
her; and allow her to make a cup of tea.—(A laugh.)
The Commissioners told her that they would not on any
account allow a file place or a chimney of all
kind to be erected, and that they had no
objection to the roof being repaired. However, when
he (Lord Seymour) came into office, in 1850, the but
had not only had a new roof and a chimney, but had got
a little garden around it.—(Hear, hear, and laughter.)
His attention was first directed to the subject in con'
quence of the frequent collisions which took place
between Mrs. Hicks and the park authorities, in con'
sequence of the former advancing the hurdles in front
of the dwelling ° and he was informed that when
they were placed back by the park authorities there
was always great noise, abuse, and clamour-
Thinking, however, that an unfavourable ac-
count might have been given of her conduct
by tho officers, he requested a gentleman of great
experience in the park, but unconnected with the
office of Woods and Forests, to inquire into the
matter, and he gave an account equally unfavourable
to Mrs. Hicks. He then considered that it was time
some proceedings should be taken, because
the House must be perfectly aware that any such en-
croachments on the park wero entirely illegal; and be
was told, besides, that if the encroachments were
sanctioned for a few years there would be
greater difficulty in removing her.—(Hear, hear.)
Before adopting any proceedings he wrote to the
Duke of Wellington as ranger of the park, and the
Duke, after paying that degree of attention to his ;corn'
munication which he did to every subject of importance,
intimated that he entirely concurred in the
view that the erection ought to be removed
from the park as soon as possible. She
was then served with a notice. He (Lord Seymour)
told her that if she would leave the park he would take
care that some allowance was made to her, but she re-
plied that it Was her own ground, and the°
she would not remove. Finding, however, that the au-
thorities were determined to pull down the but,
she ultimately removed. As she said she owed some'
thing for the repair of the roof, some money was given
to her to discharge the debt, and he allowed her 55. e
week for house-rent during the next year. The person te,
whom the money was owing for repairing the roof called
upon him (Lord Seymour), and stated that Mrs. Hicks
had spent the sum he had given her in printing bills
and placarding them about the park. The only other
buildings erected in the park were the model lodging"
houses for the labouring classes, near the cavalry bar-
racks, which the Commissioners had allowed to be,
built by Prince Albert, on condition that his Roya.,
Highness undertook to remove them at the end of a cer-
tain period.—(Hear.)
In reply to Lord DUDLEY STUART,
Lord SEYMOUR said that no cottage was erected on
the spot occupied by Mrs. Hicks previous to 1842.
Mr. WAKLEY wished to know whether she would
have been ejected if the Crystal Palace had not been
raised ?—(flear, from Col. Sibthorpe.)
Lord SEYMOUR said her ejection had nothing to do
with the Crystal Palace.

(LEFT SITTING.)

THE TRUE PEACE CONGRESS. We have received the following account of a meet
gratifying instance of" fraternization" from one of the
foreign visitors who " assisted," to use his own phrase, 10
the scene:—On Friday about fity persons were assenr
bled together at Simpson's ordinary at Billingsgate'
These persons met there at the " fish dinner" with"
out any previous concert, and the company consisted,
in addition to the habitués of the ordinary and anode,'
English visitors, of ten French gentlemen, who he.d
agreed to form a party to come to the London Exhibl°
tion. These gentlemen were from Lyons, fromChalons, and from Paris. The French'
and the Eng'
liShs oo n became on the most friendly and intimate
terms;
in fact, they seemed as though they had been iv'
timate friends for years. The French, wishing to recor
nise the frank hospitality with which they had been re'
ceived, sent for a case of champagne, and the fire cow
manned along the whole line. The French proposed the
health of the Queen of Great Britain, and the English re-
plied by toasting " The French Republic." The company
sang " God save the Queen," in honour of the first
toast, and the " Marseiliaise," in honour of the second.
Each toast and each couplet was greeted with
siastic cheering. The most extraordinary circumstance
attending this cordial union between the people of the
two nations is that, among all present none of the
French understood English, nor did any of the
English understand French. The communication of
their thoughts and feelings took place by a natural
and spontaneous movement. The people of the two
nations need not the aid of diplomatic science to under
stand and to communicate with each other. Left to
themselves, and to their own feelings, they will never,.
again open a•.fussilade against each other, save that of
champagne corks.

Mr. Henry Russell, the celebrated vocalist, WP
the happy means of saving several lives from the fire that
occurred last Sunday morning at Prescot-street, City, bf,,
bravely rushing to the top of the house three times, bringlo6
into the street no less than five persons, who, had it not been
for
death. his
timely assistance, would certainly have been burnt to

VAuxuALL.—Amongst the visitors of last evening
the following distinguished personages honoured these gar'
dens with their presence :—The Countess of Ailesbury, the
Earl and Countess of Glengall, Lord Shelburne, the Countess
of Shaftesbury, the French Ambassador, the Sardinia!'
Minister and party, Lord and Lady Jocelyn, Lord Gage, Sir
Robert Price, &c.

BIRTHS.
OF A 80N.
On the 24th inst., at Broome-hall, Bedfordshire, the Wire
of John Lindsell, Esq., of Lincoln's Inn.
On the 24th inst., at Rose-cottage, Maryon-road, Charlton,
the wife of H. W. Allen, Esq., R.N.

OF A DAUGHTER.
On the 25th inst., at Golden-grove, S. W., the Viscountesis
Emlyn.
On the 23d inst., at St. Audries, Lady Acland Hood.

MARRIED.
On the 23d inst., at St. James, Paddinton the Rev. O'
S. Eagan, Fellow of Pembroke College,Oxford, and Bead
Master of Burton-on-Trent Grammar School, to Emily, eldest
daughter of J. Kinnier, Esq., M.D., of New York, U. S.
On the 24th inst., at St. Giles's Church, Thomas H. Rooker
Esq., to Ellen Mary, eldest daughter of Septimus Braith"
Waite, Esq., of Great Russell-street, Bloomsbury.

DIED.
On the 23d inst., at Enfield, Mary, the wife of the Earl
of Lisburne.
On the 24th inst., at Peachfield, Great Malvern, aged 79'
Phillis Brown, relict of Sir E. Thomason.
On the 25th inst., at Burton-crescent, after 56 years' ser-
vice in the General Post-office, W. Milliken, Esq., aged 71•
On the 23d inst., at Lamphey-court, Pembrokeshire'
Charles Mathias, Esq., aged 73.
On the 24th inst., Nicholas J. Lovell, Esq, of LodSV4
house, St. George's, Somerset, aged 52.

London: Printed and Published by MI7RDO your*, °
No. 112, Strand, Printer, at The Sun Office, N°• „ of
Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the maw
Middlesex, Tuesday, July 29,1851.