The Sun.
London, England, 1860-06-14 00:00:00

EXTRAORDINARY CASE OF PROSELYTISM.

On Monday afternoon the Norwich magistrates
were occupied with a case of considerable interest
and importance, the Rev. Canon Dalton, priest of
the Roman Catholic chapel in St. John's Madder-
market, Norwich ; two jewellers, named Beha ;
and an auctioneer, named Foulsham, being sum-
moned with reference to an attempted flight from
Norfolk to the Metropolis of a young man, named
William Henry Vansittart, son of Mr. W. Van sit-
tart, M.P. for Windsor.
Mr. Vansittart attended to watch the proceed-
ings, and was further represented by Mr. Carlos
Cooper, barrister, of Norwich, the parties on the
other side being defended by Mr. W. L. Mendham,
town clerk.

William Henry Vansittart, a youth of about 16
years of age, entered into a state to the effect that
he had run away from Rackheath, where he was at
school at the rector's, and went to Canon Dalton's,
at Norwich. The latter, after hearing who he was,
said he must keep very quiet. The rev. gentleman
advised him to pawn his watch, and with the pro-
ceeds to go to London, where he was to see Mr.
Bowyer, M.P., and to take the following letter to
"Father Thomas : "

" St. John's, Norwich, Saturday.
" DEAR FATHER THOMAS,—The bearer of this
note, William Vansittart, has left school, where
his father placed him, in order to become a Catholic.
His father is member for Windsor. The young man
is well known to Bishop Grant, but in case his
lordship should be from home will you kindly take
him where he can find the Rev. Mr. Bonfield ?

The young man will tell you all you wish to know-
With regards to dear Dr. Doyle, I am yours most
sincere, " J. DALTox."
Before, however, he could leave for London a.
police-inspector found him out. He was most kindly
treated at Rackheath, and left solely through the
persuasion of an Italian priest, named Giugini, who
had seen him before when at Brighton, and who
followed him secretly into Norfolk.
Mr. Vansittart, M.P., on being sworn, stated that
the youth who had been the subject of inquiry was
his only son. As regards his own religious opi-
nions, he was a strong Protestant, and had a.perfect
abhorrence of anything like Puseyism or Roman Ca-
tholicism. His son was originally intended for the
navy, and he had obtained a nomination for him.
The boy failed, however, to pass the very severe
examination, as he could not grapple with mathe-
matics and double decimals. He was then placed
with a Mr. Jansen, who kept a military seminary
at Brighton. Mr. Jansen was in the habit of
taking some of his pupils abroad with him during
the summer vacation ; and he (Mr. Vansittart)
thought it would be a very advantageous thing
that his son should see the Continent, acquire a
pure French accent, with per p a
smattering of
German, besides seeing the French army, the
Zouaves, and so on ; he permitted him to go. The
has
boy had spent his last winter in Ireland with some
relations; when he came back he seemed restless and
uncomfortable, and on his going back to Mr. Jan-
Roman Catholic principles. He (the
f
sen's he showed evident symptoms of having
was telegraphed for to Brighton, and on
going down he found the boy had been secreted
somewhere in a place known to a Mr. Clery, a
Roman Catholic priest. He called on Mr. Clery,
imbibed
at her)
'and insisted on his son being restored to him. Mr.
Clery agreed :to do so, and afterwards, on looking
about for a Protestant clergyman in the country,
he (Mr. Vansittart heard of Mr. Hodgson, and
being very well pleased with the conversation he
had with
that gentleman, he sent the boy to him.
The Mayor—Did the priest at Brighton at once
agree to give your son up
Mr. Vansittart replied that he spoke sharply to
him, and threatened him with a mandamus. The
priest hummed and hawed at first, but he (Mr.
Vansittart) had not much difficulty in gaining his
point.
The Mayor, after consulting with the other mem-
bers of the bench, stated that they considered the
case a very serious one. They should remand it
for a week, and in the meantime issue a warrant
for the apprehension of the person called Giugini.
All the parties summoned were admitted to bail,
in the case of Foulsham his own recognisances only
being required. The inquiry excited great inte-
rest, and the court was crowded throughout the
proceedings.

A FORTUNATE CANADIAN.—It is stated at Nor-
wioh that a person who a few years since was employed in
one of the offices of the Norfolk Railway Company, and
who emigrated afterwards to Canada, has by some fortunate
mining adventure amassed a fortune of £lO,OOO. The case
is quite an exceptional one, but Canadian mining certainly
seems about to open a rich field for British industry and en-
' terprise.