The Sun.
London, England, 1856-08-02 00:00:00

THE CONVICT WILLIAM DOVE,

The friends of this prisoner, now under sentence of
death in York Castle, for the murder of his wife by
strychnia at Leeds, are making strenuous efforts to ob-
tain a commutation of the sentence passed upon him.
On Thursday Mr. Barret, of Leeds, the prisoner's soli-
citor, proceeded to London, with the view of obtaioine•
an interview with Sir G. Grey on the subject. Mr. G.
Reinhardt and Mr. John Brigg lift Leeds for London
last night for the same object. It is anticipated that an
interview will be granted this day (Saturday), and it is
iotsnded that a deputation shall wait upon the Home
Secretary, whose attention will be directed to a mass of
evidence bearing on the question of the prisoner's sanity,
and to four memorials which will at the same time be
presented through him to her Majesty. These memo-
rials will consist of one from the jury, one from persons
who knew the prisoner prior to his conviction, one from
some of the medical men examined for the proseca-
Con, and one of a general character from residents
in Leeds, York, and elsewhere. These memorials pray
for a commutation of the sentence of death passed upon
the prisoner, on the ground that he is of such wfak
-intellect as entitles him to the clemency of the Cross n.
We understand that on Wednesday last a letter was re-
ceived from the Home-office by Mr. Morley, surgeon, in
which Sir G. Grey bolds out no hopes of either a respite
or a commutation of the sentence, and, unless the result
of the interview to-day should be of a more favourable
character, there is little doubt that the prisoner will be
executed on Saturday next. On Sunday last Mr. Mor-
fitt, one of the York city missionaries, had an interview
with Dove for two or three hours, and on Tuesday be
visited him again. On Monday a gentleman who was
to have married Dove's sister had an interview with
him. He has also been assiduously attended during the
week by the Rev. J. Hartley, Wesleyan minister. On
Wednesday Mr. Wright, who has a general order from
the Secretary of State to visit criminals like Dove, saw
and conversed with the culprit on two or three occasions
at intervals. Dove seems still to confide in the defence
set up in his behalf at his trial. At any rate he has no
notion of confe.sion.

DiSVIMCEPUL PROCEEDINGS AT A

CIIUBCH.

During the last few months a dispute has ari4en be-
tween Mr. R. W. Jackson, the patron of Christ Church,
West Hartlepool, and the Rev. John Hart Burges, the
incumbent, with respect to the arrangements for erect-
ing a day school in connection with the church. Mr.
Burges having refused to conform to the views of Mr.
Jackson, that gentleman has adopted somewhat extraor
.dinary proceedings in order to compel him to succumb.
Among these have been attempts to oust the rev. gentle-
man from the church, on the ground that, as the build-
ing has not been legally consecrated, he cannot fill the
office of incumbent. On Tuesday morning the whole of
the doors were securely fastened inside, and a large
painted board placed in the yard, containing a notice to
the effect that it was necessary to close the church till the
necessary documents could be obtained legally sanction-
ing the performance of Divine worship. This notice was
signed by Ralph W. Jackson. the patron, and the Rev.
Henry Ridley, vicar of the adjoining parish of Stranton.
The indignation of the inhabitants was very great, and,
it having been announced that Mr. Burges would on
Wednesday morning forcibly enter his church, a large
crowd assembled on the spot. Accompanied by one of
the churchwardens and a blacksmith, Mr. Burges, about
11 o'clock, broke open the whole of the doors and ob•
tamed possession of the church. Mr. Jackson shortly
afterwards arrived, and at once sent for a number of
labourers and blacksmiths, who, under the direction of
the land agent of the Dock ompany (of which Mr.
Jackson is chairman), carried away the whole of the
. doors, Mr. Burges at the same time performing the
baptismal ceremony and conducting himself with the
greatest calmness. The spectators wero loud in the r
denunciations of such conduct, but the men proceeded
as they were ordered ; and, after the doors were re-
moved, bricklayers were sent for by Mr. Jackson in
order to wall up the several doorways. Great fears of
an outburst were entertained, but the people contented
-themselves with knocking down the bricks as quickly
as they were put up by the bricklayers.—Monchotcr
Guardian.