The Sun.
London, England, 1867-10-03 00:00:00

Birmingham and the Boundary Commission.

The Commissioners appointed to inquire into the
boundaries of this borough met yesterday at the
Public Office. They were accompanied by the
mayor, and there was a large attendance of the
active partisans of both political parties, that arising
mainly out of the circumstance of its being desirable,
so far as the Liberals a e Concerned, that-the boun-
daries shall remain as they are, because in Aston
Manor, which may be said to be part of Birming-
ham, but without the parliamentary borough, the
great majority of those who are qualified to vote
in that locality help the liberal interest in North
Warwickshire ; whilst for thesame reason the Con-
servatives ould gladly see that bit of territory thrown
into the borough. The mayor took his seat by the
side of the commissioners, and Mr. Wharton ad-
dressed a few sentences to the assembly, in the
' course of, which information was freely invited.
The Town-clerk, having been called upon by
the Mayor, laid before the commissioners statistical
information relative to the mileage, acreage, rate-
able [value, and population of the parliamentary
borough as it now stands. He mentioned also that
at a meeting of the Town Council, held on the pre-
vious day, the following resolution was unanimously
passed :—" That the general purposes committee be
instructed to oppose the extension of the borough
boundary." The Town Clerk added that the par-
liamentary borough was already of enormous size,
the population being 340,000, and to increase it
would render it unmanageable at elections. That
was not only his own opinion, but it was shared in
by an immense majority in the town, and by those
who resided outside the boundary. A plan was
suggested to extend the boundary so as to take in
Aston Manor (within which is Aston Hall), and
containing 5,300 houses, and between twenty and
thirty thousand inhabitants ; also the hamlet of
Saltley, and Washwood Heath contiguous; together
with a part of Handsworth, in Staffordshire, and
Balsall Heath, in Worcestershire, both of which run
up to the present borough, the houses belonging
either to manufacturers who reside away from town,
or to workmen who have gone out of the borough
to avoid the heavy rating within it. Public meet-
ings have been held in all these suburbs, and reso-
lutions passed in strong opposition to the extension
of the present boundary. In reference to this
one of the commissioners remarked that uo doubt
the wishes of the communities would he consi-
dered, but the parliamentary commissioners
also had in view the having regard to identity
of interest as between towns and suburbs. Many
of those present addressed the commissioners,
who invited and received information, not always

concisely rendered with much courtesy. Finally,
Mr. Alderman Ilawkes placed the whole facts
broadly and succinctly before the court. He
said that the effect of an extension of the present
parliamentary boundary would be to greatly in-
crease the difficulty of conducting elections peace-
fully, because there would be brought together an
unmanageable mass of people. Before adjourning
the commissioners said that they would receive any
statistical information within► a week.

2HE FENIAN OUTRAGE.

- -
MANCHESTER, Wednesday.
Another " scene in court " opened the proceed-
ings this morning before Mr. Fowler, the stipendiary
magistrate, and a full bench. Going back a little, as
is necessary in taking up the thread of the examina-
tion each day, it may be allowable here to observe
that the close of the case for the prosecution,
yesterday evening, was an event which many per-
sons bailed with inexpressible pleasure, if for
nothing else than the relief it brought to the en-
durance of all who had so long been compelled to
listen to the cross-examination of witnesses by the
learned gentlemen engaged for the defence. That
Mr. Roberts, in opposition to an opinion from the
bench, that a certain witness had given his evi-
dence properly and fairly, should declare the sworn
testimony of that witness to be " a lie ;" that the
same attorney, having provoked a pretty general
expression of mild disapproval from a crowded
court, should call the assembly who had hissed
him a " swell-mob," " members of the Long
firm," and so forth, telling them that they ought
to be in Belle Vue Gaol ; and that he should have
sought to discredit every simple statement of fact
relating to the charge of riot and murder by drag-
ging from the unfortunate witness a confession
that, on the whole, he rather disliked Fenianism
than otherwise, was certainly not much more than
might reasonably have been expected from the
"Pitmen's Attorney-General." But it is not
often that Mr. Roberts has a chance of pro-
tracting his peculiar course of advocacy, or, so to
speak, attorney-generalship, over many days ;
and, however philosophically prepared his hearers
might have been to " grin and bear it," even
unto the end, impatience was almost unavoidable
before the much-desired consummation could ar-
rive. In that impatience, the long-suffering ma-
gistrate of the court, Mr. Robinson Fowler, par-
donably joined, when, expostulating yesterday
with Mr. Roberts, he said " I have endeavoured
to keep myself free from expressing any opinion,
but it is very difficult." Taking heart of grace
from the tone of their legal defenders, the men in
the dock have assumed a boldly defiant manner,
and have not been sparing of their taunts, whether
levelled at the benen, the prosecuting counsel, the
witnesses, or the police. Poor Allen's dejected
look has given place at times to a desperate rallying
of his powers,
when, goaded by the calm and dis-
tinct evidence of witness after witness against him,
he has turned like a hunted creature at bay. It is
impossible to avoid a strong feeling of pity for the
youth, whatever degree of guilt may ultimately be
brought home to him. In prison he maintained a
show not merely of fortitude but of confidence, de-
claring that he has no doubt as to the result. Yes-
terday he expressed a positive conviction that by
next Friday night be will be in Dublin. Whether
his insane hope is founded on the idea of a free dis-
missal, or on the yet wilder dream of a rescue, his
language does not precisely indicate. To one of
the officials having charge of him he has spoken
sometimes with a gentleness opposed to his cus-
tomary manner, of his father, who, strange to say,
is governor of a gaol in the county of Cork. Young
Allen has shown himself to be by no means devoid
of natural affection in the anxious inquiries he has
made with a view to assure himself that his own
position of shame and peril will not injure his
father by depriving him of his appointment.
Last night, as I telegraphed at twelve o'clock,
three prisoners were brought handcuffed from
Liverpool. The Manchester police should know
their business, having bad a sharp lesson lately ;
and I will not pretend to say that they acted im-
prudently in marching their captives through the
streets without a guard from the railway terminus