The Sun.
London, England, 1866-02-20 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 20, 1566.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.—This Day.

COURT OF PROBATE AND DIVORCE.
(Before Sir J. P. Wilde.)
RYVES V. THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL.

This case has been so frequently before the public that
it may be scarcely necessary to state that the petitioner,
Mrs. Ryves, claimed to be the legitimate granddaughter
of the Duke of Cumberland, brother of George
IV., and that she obtained a decision in favour of her
claims, so far as proving her legitimacy as daughter of a
Mrs. Smees, the alleged lineal descendant of the Duke of
Cumberland.

Mr. Bourke, on the part of the Attorney-General, moved
that the hearing of the case should be postponed, which
was agreed to.

POLIC.E INTELLIGENCE.—This Day.
BOW-STREET.

FORGERY ON TIIE NATIONAL PROVINCIAL BANK OF ENG-
LAND.—WiIIiam Henry Lawrence Freer alias De Passe,
was placed at the bar charged with forging and uttering a
cheque for £l5O upon the bank in question, purporting to
be signed by Dr. Fred. Temple, the head master of Rugby
School, such signature being a forgery.
Mr. Sleigh, who appeared for the prosecutrix, said the
prisoner he believed was very respectably connected, and
had been carrying on business in the Midland counties ;
and it appears that he had availed himself of the facilities
offered to gentlemen residing in and out of the metropolis
for having letters addressed to her house in Beaufort-
buildings, Strand. She inserted an advertisement in the
London papers stating she had accommodation for gentlemen
to write and address letters to and from her house, and som
time afterwards she received a letter from a person named
" D Passe," stating that ho should soon be in town, and
should avail himself of the facilities she offered to gentle-
men coming from the country. He stated that he would
be found a very desirable lodger, and that he should have a
very great number of letters addressed to him. As a
favour, he requested Mrs. De la Motto to take a cheque,
which ho had enclosed in a letter, to the bank, and get it
cashed. She was to retain one of the £5 notes for herself,
and forward the rest to him at Nottingham. She took the
cheque to the bank, but was told that, as it was drawn on
the Rugby branch, it could not be paid without a commu-
nication from that place, as Dr. Temple had not an
account in London. From circumstances that after-
wards transpired, the cheque was placed in the hands
of Inspector Thompson, of the detective force, and
he communicated with the police in Nottingham, and there
the police set out to discover the writer of the letter. The
Nottingham police went to the public-house to which it
became known the prisoner had had several letters ad-
dressed to him. The chief constable found, however, that
the prisoner had gone to Birmingham, and, from certain
inquiries he made of a Miss Griffin, he wrote to the pri-
soner at Birmingham, telling him that there was a large
letter waiting him at the post-office in the Derby-road.
Police officers were placed to watch the person applying
for the letter and follow the person home, not to arrest
them. This was done, and a day or two after the prisoner
was taken into custody in company with two females at
Nottingham. It, however, was found the females were in
no way connected with the forging, and they were discharged.
The prisoner on being taken into custody of course denied all
knowledge of the forgery, but certain letters would be read
which would prove such a statement to be altogether un-
true. At the prisoner's lodging a seal was found which
corresponded with the wax impressions of the seal with
which the prisoner's letters had been secured. He could
not complete the case against the prisoner to-day. There-
fore, he should have to ask for a remand.
The learned gentleman then called

Mrs. De la, Motte, who said—l resided at Beaufort-
buildings, Strand. In the month of January I caused
advertisements to appear in the London papers stating
that gentlemen residing in the country could have their
letters addressed to and forwarded from my house. I re-
ceived a letter, signed "De Passe," about the Bth of Feb.,
containing a cheque for £l5O upon tho Rugby branch of
the National Provincial Bank of England, purporting to be
signed by F. Temple, and asking me to get it cashed at the
bank. I endorsed the cheque before I presented, and then
went to the bank in Waterloo-place, Pall-mall, but
it was presented out of the usual course. I afterwards re-
ceived another letter on the 11th in the same handwriting,
asking why the cheque had not been cashed, and the notes
sent to Nottingham. Prisoner gave directions that an
answer to his letters should be inserted in the morning
papers stating why the notes had not been sent. 1 was to
retain £5 of the money I received from the cheque, on ac-
count of the expenses he was sure to incur when ho took
up his residence in her house.
Dr. Frederick Temple said- -I reside at Rugby, and am
head master at Rugby School. I keep an account at the
Rugby Branch of the Provincial Bank of England. The
signature to the cheque now put into my hands is not in
my handwriting, and it has not been placed there by my
authority. It is a very good imitation of my writing. 1
knew something of the prisoner ; he came from a very re-
spectable family. The signature is a very excellent imita-
tion of mine.

Mr. Freeman said,—l am chief constable of Nottingham
I received a letter from Inspector Thompson on the 14th,
and afterwards I went to the public-house, "The Royal
Children," Castle-gate, Nottingham. Lthere found certain
letters and some seals, which I now produce. The seals
corresponded with the impression on the different letters
received from the prisoner. I afterwards had an inter-
view with the prisoner at his request, when
he asked if his wife was in custody. Ho then
said, "I confess it. I dil it. Nobody had any-
thing to do with it but myself." I sent the cheque to
Mrs. Dela Motto. The cheque he further said was one of
three he had left when I had an account at the National
Provincial Bank, at Rugby. He was handed over to the
London police yesterday, at Nottingham.
Sergeant Palmer gave evidence corroborative of the
statement of the prisoner made to Mr. Freeman.

James Bredmer, a cashier and temporary manager of
St James's Branch of the National Provincial Bank of
England, said tho cheque was not cashed, as it was not
drawn on the St. James's Branch.

Mr. Sleigh said the evidence had come out so conclusive
that he shculd at once ask that the prisoner might be at
once committed.

Mr. Flower said the case was quite complete, and he
therefore fully committed the prisoner for trial.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.
JEALOUSY—ASSAULT ON A WlFE.—Richard West, a
youngiman, described as a gold beater, of 18, Crown-street,
Soho, was brought before Mr. Tyrwhitt on a warrant by
O'Shaughnessey, one of the warrant officers, charged with
assaulting his wife.

Mrs. Mary West, who had a bad black eye, and cried
while giving her evidence, said—On Saturday night my
husband was going out, saying he had a little job to finish
at the shop. I told him I would go with him and wait for
him, but he objected and thou went out. Having a sus-
picion of him I followed and saw him walk to St. Martin's
Church where he waited alfew minutes, and was then joined
by a female. 1 followed them and saw them go down a
street in the Strand. I walked up and said, " Who is this
female ? why its Louisa." The female then said to my
husband, "Is this your wife ?" and my husband then tried
to get rid of me, but I would not leave him; and after tak-
ing a glass of ale together we wsnt home, when he took
some money from the mantelpiece, and then struck me in
the eye, saying, " There, take that you —, for watching
me."

Mr. Tyrwhitt—Do you know the young woman ?
Tho Wife—Oh, yes. She has a husband and four chil-
dren. She used to be, after my husband when she was
single..

Mr. Tyrwhitt—Have you any children ?
The Wife—Yes ; two. He had no businsss to be out
with the female.

The Prisoner—l went out to meet a young man.
Mr. Tyrwhitt —But you met a young woman instead?
The Prisoner—My wife provoked me.
A witness corroborated a portion of the complainant's
statement.

Mr. Tyrwhitt (to the prisoner)—You will have to make
your peace with the husband of the other lady, and have to
find a bail to keep the peace to your wife for six months.

THAMES.

TRICKS OP CRIMPS.—Mr. Sargood, a commercial travel-
ler, applied to Mr. Partridge for a summons to compel a
seamen's boarding-house keeper to restore £ll to a foreign
seaman named Charles Sinson, under these circumstances :
Mr. Sargood said the foreigner, who accompanied him
home in a British ship, Was invited, by a promise of a snug
berth and good treatment, to board and lodge in the house
of a crimp named Lewis Allen, of No. 7, Gill-street, Lime-
house. The seaman deposited £l4 with Allen when he
received his wages for the voyage. When the sailor asked
for his money a few days afterwards Allen said ho had
used it for his own private purposes. The seaman took a
summons against Allen, and on tho day it was made
returnable he persuaded the foreigner to accept £3, and
promised to pay the remainder on Saturday last. The
promise had not been realised. Yesterday the sailor again
asked Allen for the balance, and the boarding-house keeper
coolly told him he had spent the money and could notpay

Mr. Partridge said there were Sailors' Homes established
for the benefit of seamen of all nations in Well-street,
Whitechapel, and the East India Dock-road, Poplar, whore
they were taken care of, and any money lodged with the
Superintendents was returned to the seamen or safely in-
vested for their benefit. While such excellent institutions
existed with every safeguard for seamen, he was surprised
they would entrust themselves to the care of boarding.
house keepers and people called crimps. He would grant
another summons against Allen under the 236th section of
the Merchant Shipping Act. He asked when the sailor last
demanded his money. --.,
Mr. Sargood—This morning, sir.
Mr. Partridge—Take your summons.

The statement made by three sisters, French girls
named Balls,, was that they lived in Westminster, their
father being an itinerant musician, who played "classical
music" in the streets. Last evening, at half-past 7, they
were in Exeter-street, Chelsea, with their brother, when
one of four boys, who were together, struck the youngest
girl, and stole a cake from her. The girls then chased all
the boys, who ran away, and caught the offender, but he
escaped again ; and as they returned through Exeter-street,
came up to the prisoner, who was in front of his father's
shop. He asked the little girl if she had caught the
boy. She said, "Mind your business, or I will slap
your face." He said "Do it," and placed his face in
close proximity to hers, so that the elder sister fearing he
would strike the little one, pushed the prisoner away,
whereupon the prisoner seized the nearest one to him, and
struck her violently on the nose, causing it to bleed pro-
fusely.

Mortimer to Mr. Arnold—The girls' admitted that the
push was hard, and that prisoner's hat went off.
The defence, as supported by two witnesses (three were
called) was, that the girl gave the first provocation, that
the prisoner was struck on the back of the head, and then
struck at a girl who pushed him, missing her and hitting
the smallest.

The father of the prisoner said he had offered an apology
and compensation, which was refused.

Mr. Arnold, after telling ono of the witnesses for the
defence, that his conduct was improper in the court, and
he would not be believed on his oath, said it was a difficult
matter to decide, but his opinion was, that the parties lost
their temper, and the boy being pushed perhaps hit the
girl in mistake. He recommenned the parties to retire
and come to a settlement.

The parties retired, and the mother of the prosecutrix
was compensated.

The Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society.

The Massachusetts Anti-Slavery So:iety, which, if not
the oldest association of the kind in the United State:,
has certainly been the most active, held its annual meet-
ing on the 25th January. The Society has now reached
its thirty-fifth year of existence, thirty-five years of
agitation and boisterous action. It has done very
much to keep alive the opposition to clava- y which
formerly existed in America, and it has seen the
triumph of the principles Which were advocated by its
members by violent and unexpected means. Some of the
members of this association believe that its mission is ended,
and they would gladly retire from a contest in which for
many years they fought courageously against the preju-
dices of their countrymen with little hope. William Lloyd
Garrison, who has been foremost among these agitators,
who in his time has borne more abuse and misrepresenta-
tion than any man in the United States, is one of those
who believe that the object for which he has co long
sir uggled has been attained, and he would fain rest from
his labours, and enjoy his remaining years of life in quiet-
ness. He advocated the dissolution of the society because
it had no work to do. Wendell Phillips, on the contrary,
insisted that the continuance of the society was necessary,
that the freedmen required assistance and counsel, and
that until their just rights as men were fully obtained, the
society should continue its administrations in their behalf.
Between the friends and opponents of dissolution there
was a contest, and the latter triumphed. New officers were
elected, and the society is to be continued. Mr. Phillips
will henceforce be the leading spirit. Mr. Garrison, it
may be presumed, will retire from active participation in
its affairs.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 28, 1866.
President Jo hnsn's N:ONV on the Constitutional Amend-
ments and the Agitation of the Negro Suffrage Ques-

tion.

The following is the substance of a conversation which
took place to-day between the President and a dis-
Onguished Senator :—The President said that he doubted
the propriety at this time of making any further amend-
ments to the constitution. One great amendment had
already been made, by which slavery had for ever been
abolished within the limits of the United States, and a
national guarantee thus given that the institution should
never again exist in the land. Propositions to amend the
constitution were becoming as numerous as preambles and
resolutions at town meetings called to consider the most
ordinary questions connected with the administration of
local affairs. All this, in his opinion, had a tendency to
diminish the dignity and prestige attached to the constitu-
tion of the country, and to lessen the respect and confi-
dence of the people in their great charter of freedom. If,
however, amendments are to be made to the constitution,
changing the basis of representation and taxation (and he
did not deem them at all necessary at the present time), he
knew of none better than a simple proposition, embraced
in a few lines, making in each State the number of qualified
voters the basis of representation, and the value of property
the basis of direct taxation. Such a proposition could be
embraced in the following terms :
Representatives shall be apportioned among the several
States which may be included within the Union according
to the number of qualified voters in each State.
Direct taxes shall be apportioned among tho several
States which may be included within this Union according
to the value of all taxable property in each State.

An amendment of this kind would, in his opinion, place
the basis of representation and direct taxation upon correct
principles. The qualified voters were, for the most part,
men who were subject to draft and enlistment when it was
necessary to repel invasion, suppress rebellion, and quell
domestic violence and insurrection. They risk their lives,
shed their blood, and peril their all to uphold the Govern-
ment, and give protection, security, and value to property.
It seemed but just that property should compensate for the
benefits thus conferred by defraying the expenses incident
to its protection and enjoyment. Such an amendment, the
President also suggested, would remove from Congress all
issues in reference to the political equality of the races. It
would leave the States to determine absolutely the qualifi-
cations of their own voters with regard to colour ; and thus
the number of representatives to which they would be en-
titled in Congress would depend upon the number upon
which they conferred the right of suffrage. The President
in this connection expresses the opinion that the agitation
of the negro franchise question in the District of Columbia
at this time was the mere entering wedge to the agitation
of the question throughout the States, and was ill-timed,
uncalled for, and calculated to do great harm. He believed
that it woulxl engender enmity, contention, and strife be-
tween the two races, and lead to a war between them,
which would result in great injury to both and the certain
extermination of the negro population. Precedence, he
thought, should be given to more important and urgent
matters, legislation ',upon which was essential for the re-
storation of the Union, the peace of the country, and the
prosperity of the people.