The Sun.
London, England, 1867-07-23 00:00:00

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place to bring forward his proposition. Just as tho
Speaker declared the second reading of the bill carried,
the l►on. member hurried into the house and took his seat,
but too late to do as ho intended.

MEETINGS IN THE ROYAL PARKS BILL.

Mr. HARDY moved the second reading of this bill. He
did not wish to make the question a religious or sectarian
one, but that the parks might bo pat to their propor use,
that of being a place of recreation for the working classes
and to benefit the whole of the inhabitants of the metro-
polis generally. He had also included in tho bill the
question, which was founded upon an act passed long ago,
relative to meetings in Trafalgar-square, which was
within a mile of the Houses of Parliament. Holding such
meetings was detrimental to the public interest.
Mr. NEATE said ho thought the bill was only intended
to deal with the holding public meetings in the Royal
parks, but it appeared to him that the question ought
to be diQcussed whether it was not necessary
to include the question of right to hold any large public
meetings without the permission of the constituted authori-
ties. If it were right that any large meetings should take place
was there any portion of the metropolis more suitable than
Hyde Park? He would ask was it right that half a dozen
people should have the right to call together a certain
section of the people to a large meeting. The people
considered that when you restrained them from meeting
that the amusements of the rich were put into competition
with what they called the political rights of the people. He
denied that Lord Ranelagh or auy one else had the right
to call large meetings of the people at any one
place. What had happened at Bristol and at Bir-
mingham might occur on a much larger scale in Lon-
don at a moment of political excitement. Tho Go-
vernment had the greatest responsibility in the
matter, for they after all had at length recognised the
sovereignty of the people and were bound to protect the
safety of the people. He should vote against this bill on
account of its inadequacy.

Mr. TAYLOR said that ho rose to move that the
bill bo read that day six months. He considered
it was a measure totally unfitted to the consti-
tution of the country. It was intended to take
away the constitutional rights of the people by depriving
thorn of holding public meetings in the metropolis. Ho
knew that it did not assert that the people should not hold
public meetings in the metropolis, but it forbade them to
meet in Hyde-park and other places where alone they
could hold meetings. He would quota the words of
Shylock when he says, " You deprive me of my
house when you do take s. way the roof that does support
my house ; you take my life when you do take my means."
He contended that the bill of the Government was au inno-
vation upon the constitutional rights of the people, which
had existed for more than a century. He contended that
the people had at all those public meetings conducted
themselves with groat credit. It appeared from the
proceedings of July, on the highest legal authority, that
the Government could keep the people out of the park, but
that when they wore once in they could only bring some
action of trespass; but what was the action of the Govern-
ment last July? A vary feeble one,, They locked the
doors of the parks, and put polinmen end others
inside, and the consequence was that the immense mass of
people forced down the rotten rails and obtained admis-
sion. They all knew what occurred afterwards. The
Government got a now theory, on the authority of Lord
Cairns and Sir William Bovill. They found that
they could not prevent these meetings if tho
people were orderly. The Government could not have
taken more vacillating steps than on that occasion,
nor means more likely to stir up a riot in the midst of
such irritation and excitement. He did not believe that
the members of this Government intended to stain the
grass of Hyde-park with the blood of the people, but they
had carried out a system of irritation which was
very likely to lead to most serious consequences.
He thought that the hon. gentleman might have taken
the worts of a political opponent. Earl Russell had said
in a most temperate speech that the course pursued last
year by the Government had led to a groat diminution
of constitutional authority, and that the system this year
had riot been much better, and therefore he thought it
most advisable for the Government to leave Hyde Park
alone. (Hear, hear.) No disturbance would have arisen
at all even if 50,000 people had assembled in Hyde-park.
It would bo a most inconsistent thing that the last session
of an unreformed house of Parliament should pass such
a bill as this. By passing this bill her Majesty's Govern-
ment were creating a new statutable offend. In
Paris an illegal meeting was when twenty-one
persons were assembled ; but as we liked to be
more liberal than the French, had not the right hon.
gentleman intrbduced a clause limiting the members at a
meeting to 42 ?
Mr. J. S. MILL seconded the amendment.
Mr. NEWDEGATE said that the hon. member for
Leicester had complained of the bill because it
strengthened the power of the Government with
regard to the parks, inasmuch as it gave
great powers to the Board of Works. Now he quite
agreed with the hon. gentleman that no authority should
be given to the Board of Works. It might be
considered by the honourable gentleman a very
monarchical restriction, but ho admired the act
passed in the time of George 111., that no mooting should
be hold within a mile of Hyde-park. The Ameri-
cans had really made such an edict, and very
wisely determined that no meeting should be held
within six miles of their capital. In Federal Columbia,
too, no meetings were allowed to be held ; they wished to
keep terrorism from that portion of America.
Mr. J. HARDY, in ,declaring himself favourable to the
bill, made an attack on Mr. P. Taylor, who, ho asserted,
had been returned by the refuse of the constituency ho re-
presented. For tho use of this unparliamentary language
the hon. member was called to order by the Speaker, and
retraction and apology followed according to custom.
After a few words from Mr. DENMAN and Sir G. GREY,
the house divided, and the second reading was carried by
181 to to 64.

The house then went into committoo of supply, and pro-
ceodod with the further consideration of the Civil Service
estimates.

The Customs Revenue Bill, the Inland Revenue Bill,
the Customs Duties (Isle of Man) Bill, and the Turnpike
Acts Continuance Bill were severally read a second time.
The Courts of Law Officers (Ireland) Bill was read a
third time and passed.

Progress was made in committee with the County Courts
Acts Amendment Bill, which had come from tho Lords.

The other orders on the paper were also disposed of, and
the house rose at five minutes to two o'clock.

London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway.

The following circular, addressed to the share-
holders of this company by Mr. Laing, the chair-
man, in view of the extraordinary general meeting
to be held on Friday next, has been transmitted to
us for publication :
" The recent conflict between the late board and
the committee of investigation has left a state of
things which makes it the duty of the present board
to neglect no precaution against a possible defeat of
important measures by the concerted action of a
very small section of shareholders in a thin and un-
prepared meeting.
" Representing as they do the interests of about
8,000 shareholders and nearly £17,000,000 of capi-
tal, the directors feel bound on all important occa-
sions to obtain, as far as possible, the deliberate
opinion of the general body of shareholders. When
this opinion is against them they are perfectly ready
to resign, but so long as it supports their policy
they will remain at their posts, and do their utmost
to carry out such measures as to the best of their
judgment seem calculated to restore the value of the
property which has been so grievously depreciated
by past errors of management.
" Acting on this principle, when they found
that the late board had concluded an agreement
for amalgamation with the South-Eastern Com-
pany, which left the entire result to the ha the
of an open arbitration (chances which, in
judgment of the present directors, might be very
unfavourable for the Brighton Company, owing to
the wile discrepancy between the real expenses of
the last three or four years, and those charge 1 to
revenue in the published accounts), they revised this
agreement, so as to bring the division of traffic to a
definite figure based on actual results, which, after
deliberate examination, they were satisfied was more
favourable for Brighton interests than any pfobable
result of the proposed arbitration.
" This revised agreement was confirmed at the
recent meeting by a majority of 52,656 votes against
2,988, and the directors believe that it constitutes a
solid foundation for the future prosperity of both
companies.
" They next directed their attention towards the
financial condition of the company, which they
found on their accession to office in a state of ex-
treme embarrassment.
" The floating debts of the company amounted to
upwards of £700,000, of which a portion was very
urgent.
"Sufficient provision had not been made for the
payment of the debenture interest due on the 15th

July, and such was the state of confusion that
several judgments for small sums had been recovered,
and in one instance execution had actually issued
and the sheriff levied.

" A full statement of the company's affairs as
found by the board on their assuming office will
appear in the half-yearly report, which will be
presented to the shareholders in August next.
" The new directors lost no time in addressing
themselves to this state of things, and they are
happy to say that they have succeeded in making
arrangements by which the debenture interest and
the most pressing small claims have been met, and
the floating debt has been reduced by nearly
£600,000.

"By these arrangements the urgent liabilities
have been reduced to a more manageable compass,
and it now remains to raise the requisite capital to
deal with the arrears and remaining liabilities for
works recently finished, suspended, or in progress•
"For this purpose, according to the best estimates
that can be framed, a total amount of less than
£1,500,000 will suffice, of which nearly £500,000
will be provided by the spare lands and accruing
debenture powers, leaving about £1,000,000 to be
raised by shares, of which, however, not above
£500,000 or £600,000 will probably be required for
the next 12 months.

"The directors have decided on raising this amount
by an issue of ordinary stock at a discount, and
they are happy to say that they have succeeded in
convincing a committee of the House of Lords of the
expediency of this course, and have obtained special
powers for this purpose in the bill which bas just
passed a third reading.
" There cannotbe a question that this mode of issue
is more legitimate and better calculated to restore
the company's credit than if they were to attempt
to pile up more preference stock at a high rate of
interest on the already too narrow basis of
£5,400,000 of ordinary stock.
"It is equally clear that until the dividend on the
ordinary stock reaches 4 percent. there is a positive
advantage to the holders of it in raising capital in
this way, rather than by preference stock, as the
interest on £1,000,000, if raised by further prefer-
ence stock, would of itself suffice to pay 1 per cent.
on t►ie whole of the ordinary stock, including the new
issue.

" From numerous communications made to them,
the directors are convinced that this mode of issue
will not only give general satisfaction to the holders
of Brighton stocks, and go far to raise the value of the
whole of its preference securities, but that it will be
an importaut step in restoring public confidence in
railway property generally by showing the disposi-
tion of ordinary shareholders to meet difficulties in
the mine spirit as honest men of business would apply
to the management of their private affairs. •
" Accordingly, they will propose at the meeting
convened for the 26th July to take powers to create
the remaining unappropriated stock as ordinary
stock, and immediately after the meeting they will
issue so much of it as will be requisite for the wants
of the year, at such price as the state of the money
market may then warrant, offering the same iu the
first instance pro rata among the ordinary share-
holders.

" In case you approve of the above policy, I beg
earnestly to request that you will either attend the
meeting on the 26th July, or, if unable to attend,
will forward the enclosed proxy in favour of the
chairman or deputy chairman.
" S. LAING, Chairman.
" July 19, 1867."

THE FRIGHTFUL MURDER, AT i'OOL-
VER TON.

CONFESSION OF THE MURDERER.
The inquest on the body of Martha Britten, who
was killed and then burnt, was held yesterday by
Dr. Wybrants, coroner for East Somerset, at the
Red Lion Inn, Woolverton, before a jury, of which
the Rev. C. F. Baker was foreman. The room was
crowded. Mr. Messiter, solicitor, of Frome, watched
the proceedings on behalf of the family of the pri-
soner, who was present. The prisoner is a somewhat
aged man, grey haired, and dressedin a suit of black
and appeared to feel his position. Mr. V. Goold,
chief constable of Somerset, was present, and Super-
intendent Duggan, of Frome, in whose custody the
prisoner was.
As the prisoner has confessed the crime, it is un-
necessary to do more than give his own statement.
Superintendent Duggan said the prisoner, when
taken into custody, said " It's a bad job." lie pro-
duced the statement written by the prisoner on Sun-
day morning. It was directed to Mr. Woolly, his
brother-in-law, and was as follows :--"Mr. Woolly,
—I do to you what I could not do to any one else.
With shame and true abhorrence and repentance of
the deed I have done, I confess it was I that foully
murdered my poor wife. It was done in the heat of
passion and in a fit of jealousy, and arose thus. I
saw what I shall keep to myself—told her of it—she
treated it lightly, which enraged me. I caught hold
of the first thing that came to hand, struck her with
it three or four times. Oh, how I wish I had been
blind or God had struck me dead before I did so.
Oh, what power the devil must have over me. It
seemed as though I had almost a hundred devils in
me, and I believe, had twenty people been there, I
should, had they interfered, served them in a simi-
lar manner; but after it was done, and I reflected a
little time, oh ! how I detested and deplored the act
_viewed it with abhorrence, and oh ! what I would
have gave to bring herto life again. I fully intended
then to have destroyed myself, but was prevented
by two thoughts—first, that, alone in the house, the
child would come down and first find us, and no
doubt would lose his reason, or something as bad.
Second, that probably God may forgive murder
even, but not self-murder. Then I thought of at
once giving myself up, butthen the devil or my own
evil heart tempted and induced me to try and. hide
my act from the world, which I did immediately
by carrying her poor body over the wall by the
herpear tree into the malthouse, and finmishoegderthaendn
night. I chose that place for reasons
and of a
friends will understand. The reaso
take your hand was, I could not
puhushand. Once
hand
not
murderer into that of my sister's
d tnthie
take care of the boy. youn dotsooinnoe,wy?ouThweoruelids
you said, if anything 11.appene
Bank for £350 in my
tahnis sake, and I hope,
.ft onpo
sthoefoorkiiiot
may
reward yo .
u Oh, what I have
tarudrnka
poor fellow, he ni Bristol
brought on bu
myself
.and friends and first begun and
711 h been my bane
by false friends, w I.c as
w I pity and feel for poor
Elizabeth—you—your family—my boy Charles
tehnrdoeudgh life. Oh, ho
and Joseph. As for myself, now I feel my doom is
fixed, and that since the last tragedy I deserve it,
but not before. I have no wish to live. May God
receive my wife's soul in his abode above, and may
lie forgive me and receive mine at last also. As for
man, I do not ask nor expect to receive forgiveness.
Do let me again beg you and poor Elizabeth to take
the poor boy into your care, and may God bless you
all and him.—(Signed) GEO. BRITTEN. Witnessed,
Edward Duggan, Supsrinteudent of Police, Thomas
Westeambe, police-constable, No. 191. Dated at
Frome, this 21st day of July, 1867. Four o'clock,
p.m." lie shook very much and said, " I could write
more, but I can't." He then voluntarily made this
statement to me :—" I killed her on Thursday night.
I put her body in two sacks. I tied a rope round her
neck. I dragged her body up the ladder by the pear
tree, threw it over the tiles, dragged it over the plank
which was over the cistern, and then set fire to the
place. Oh, God forgive me, I loved her, I struck
her with a piece of lead down stairs." That was the
whole of the statement. lie seemed to be in a low,
depressed state. He made no reference to the time
nor where the body remained from the Thursday
till the Saturday.
The coroner cautioned the prisoner in the usual
manner, and he replied, " I don't wish to say any-
thing."
The coroner then summed up, and the jury in a