The Sun.
London, England, 1866-11-23 00:00:00

rilE SUN, LONFON, FRIDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 23, 1;366.

SHARE MARKETS,—Ths Day.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.---Ths Day.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

A PITIABLE STORY.-Arthur Leeson, 9, and 13enjamin
Charles Tempest, 11, were charged before Mr. Knox with
begging.

Sergeant Bunce, 5 C, said—Yesterday evening I saw
the two boys in Piccadilly follow several persons, each of
them having two or three boxes of fusees in his hand.
They then went and stood in different places begging and
presenting a pitiable appearance, and I took them to the
station. I afterwards went to No. 6, Little May's-build-
ings, St. Martin's-lane, and made inquiries, and was told
that Leeson lived there with his mother, who occupied a
wretched garret, the only articles of furniture in the place
being a ricketty old table and a mattress on the floor in the
corner, upon which two children were lying asleep.
The poor woman, who had only one arm, I found to be
so much afflicted, and in such a bad state of health, that I
did not exect to find her here this morning; she, however,
was present. I asked her if she had any other children
besides those I saw asleep, and how she got her living.
She said that she had two boys who were out selling
fusees, and the only means she had of living was by what
they brought home and what she could get herself when
she was able to do the same thing, which was not very
often. She also stated that the children were illegitimate,
and that their father had deserted her. 1 then went to
the place where Tempest lived, but found his parents were
out. He has a father and mother, who, with seven chil-
dren, occupy one room. I further ascertained that Leeson
had only been out of the hospital a few weeks, having in-
jured himself by falling downstairs.
Mr. Knox—lt is such a pitiable case that I hardly know
what to do. It would be better for the poor woman to go
at once into the poor-house.

Mr. Bowman, relieving officer, having come into court;
Mr. Kuox desired the sergeant to repeat his evidence, and
having done so,
Mr. Bowman said—lf the poor woman goes with her
family into the workhouse they shall be at onco admitted.

Sergeant Bunce—There was scarcely any fire in the
grate at Leeson's, and the only covering to the weeping
children was an old rug. . .

Mr. Knox-.ln this inclement weather it is perfectly
frightful to think of the condition of the poor woman.
There cannot be the slightest sham about the case, as the
poor woman looks really very ill.

➢ir. Bowman (to the poor woman)—Why did you not
come to the workhouse before ?

ba;

Mr. T. Hughes, M.P., on Temperance

Legislation•

The fourth series of meetings in connection with
the National Temperance League was inaugurated
last evening by a tea meeting which. took place at
the Lambeth Baths. After tea the chair was taken
by Mr. T. Hughes, M.P., who delivered the fol-
lowing address:--As your member, lam very glad
to be present among you this evening. I hold it to
be one of the first duties of a member of Parlia-
ment, representing a great constituency like this,
to make a point of being present at such meetings
as these, whether he is entirely in agreement with
the ideas of those who call them or not. (Hear,
hear.) For myself, I tell you at once that lam
not altogether in agreement with many of my friends
on this platform. In the first place, [ believe lam
right in saying that the National Temperance
League is in favour entirely of moral persuasion
upon the great question of intemperance. I go with
them entirely as to moral persuasion. I do not
think there can be too much moral persuasion used
on this matter; but I confess, also, that I think we
want something mere than moral persuasion.
(Cheers.) Having to look at the matter in a prac-
tical point of view as your representative, I am very
anxious to satisfy my own mind as to what measures
I shall endeavour to promote in the House of Com -
mons on the great question of making the British
people more temperate when measures relating to
the subject are brought before the House of Com-
mons. (Cheers.) I know that there is another great
organisation which has kindred objects with yours,
and that is the Alliance, which, I believe, has its
centre in Manchester. The Alliance is in favour of
other means of carrying on this great movement
than those of moral persuasion. It is in favour of
some Parliamentary action in the matter, and it has
a pet bill or nostrum of its own which it believes to
be the right measure to introduce to the House of
Commons as soon as possible—of course I am now
alluding to the Perinissive Bill. (Hear, hear.) Now,
to speak quite frankly about the Permissive Bill, I

:cirie in tle cc-_--
feissive Bill with hieli T vc., mach• syrnpa
(Hear, hear.) I believe the present licensing system
to be very bad. (Hear.) I think we may get a
very great improvement in the licensing of public-
houses and houses in which liquors are allowed to
be sold ; but with regard to the Permissive Bill as
a whole, I confess I am not prepared to say that I
think it would effect the very admirable objects
which the supporters of the alliance believe it would
effect. I believe that, practically, there would not
be the slightest chance of carrying it in this country ;
and I ardafraid•You will find that it will be with
great &faulty that we shall carry any legislation
on this subject. In the second place, I think we
shall find, with respect-to the Permissive Bill, that
if it were pdssed to-morrow it would create a great
deal of injustice and a good deal of feeling through-
out the country which would be anything but satis-
factory, and which would not have the effect of for-
warding those objects which we all have in view. I
think if the Permissive Bill were passed, and we in
this parish were to adopt it, and the surrounding
parishes did not do the same, we should find the effect
of the bill would neither be to make peace nor to put
down intemperance. To come to the practicab ob-
ject of my being here, I will tell you exactly what I
think may very well be done in Parliament almost
at once—probably in the next session ; and I ask
the support of this meeting and of all who have the
cause of temperance at heart, and who' are in
favour of this or any other legislation which they
think can be practically carried. I believe that in-
temperance is treated much too leniently by the
law at the present moment. (Hear, hear.) It is in
very many cases, and before very many tribunals
in this country, really regarded in the nature of an
excuse for brutal and abominable conduct on' the
part of men if they can :say they were drunk at the
time they committed the offences proved against
them. I am of opinion that drunkenness ought
rather to be taken as an aggravation of a crime, and
that the punishment ought to be all the heavies b -
cause the man was drunk at the time he committed
a felony or misdemeanour. (Cheers.) I think the
law ought to be strengthened in that way, and that
not only ought the man himself to be more heavily
punished than he is at present, but the penalties
ought to be extended to those who allow him to get
into that state. (Cheers.) I believe it would be
quite possible to pass; even now, in the Houses of
Parliament a measure by which, after two or three
offences, or whatever number might be selected by
the Legislature, are proved against any particular
house, the owner of that house should be fined, and
after another offence there should be no option but
the license should go. (Hear, hear.) If licenses
were taken away from every house against which
three or four cases of drunkenness could be proved,
you may depend upon it that a body so energetic
and so clever as the body of licensed victuallers whp
own the public-houses would very soon find out a
way to keep the people who come to them within
limits. (Cheers.) 1 believe we should soon find
that drunnkenness would be very much lessened by
such a measure as that. (Hear, hear.) I must say
that such a measure is most needed. Grand juries,
both at Liverpool and Manchester, have made pre-
sentments on the matter, and have urged this point
on the Government through the judges. lam con-
vinced that a measure of this kind would do a very
great deal of good, and I think that it is the first
practical measure, so far as Parliament goes, at
which we should aim. (Cheers.) Such are my ideas
as to what is possible in Parliament at present. I
think there is no more important movement in Eng-
land than this temperance movement. It is a
movement with which I very much sympathise, and
I think that every man who desires to see
this great town brought into the state into
which it is fitting a Christian town should be
brought, ought to support this movement as far as
he possibly can. lam very glad to be present this
evening to inaugurate the first of your fourth series
of meetings. We know that we are all of us engaged
in a good cause, and this ought to sustain us and
make us work very heartily together, and I am cer-
tain that on the success of this and kindred institu-
tions will depend in a great measure the future of
this country. (Cheers.)
Other gentlemen having addressed the meeting,
the proceedings terminated.

THE- ASSASSINATION OF MIL LINCOLN.—It is
stated that J. IL Surratt (one of the persons charged
with complicity in the assassination of the late President
of the United States, Abraham Lincoln) has been serving
for some time past in tho Papal Zouaves, his company
being quartered at Veroli, one of the frontier towns of
the Appenines, near Frosinone. Ho had assumed, and
was known in his regiment by, the name of John Watson.
Information of this fact having been communicated to
General Rufus King, the Minister of the United States at
Rome, no time was lost by him in transmitting the news
to his Government, which straightway instructed the
General to take such measures as might load to the secur-
ing of Surratt, alias Watson. In compliance with his in-
structions, General King repaired to the Vatican, requested
an audience of Cardinal Antonelli, and asked his eminence
whether, in the event of his proving the identity of Surratt,
the Papal Government would hand him ov,,sr to that of the
United States. The Cardinal Secretary promised the
General all the facilities in his power. A few days after,
on returning to the Vatican, General King was made ac-
quainted by Cardinal Antonelli with the measures he bad
taken. These were contained in a series of telegraphic in-
structions sent from Rome, with the corresponding tele-
graphic replies from the local authorities of Veroli and
Vallettri. They recorded the order to arrest Surratt, alias
Watson ; the successive steps taken in compliance with the
order; the actual arrest; the conveyance to prison; the re-
moval from prison under a guard of five soldiers of his
company; but the series closed with the announcement that
when thus led out, Surratt, alias, Watson made a sudden
dash from his guards, jumped over a precipice mere than
100tt. high, and, though hotly pursued by 50 Zouaves, Nvss
enabled, from the fact of their preferring a more circuitous
route, to get clear across' the frontier into the Italian
territory. General King lost no time in communicating
tho facts to his colleague at Florence, and telegraphic in-
structions have been forwarded to the towns on the Papal
frontier, and to all the seaports of Italy, to recapture Ny..tt-
son, alias Surratt; but, if I am not exceedingly misin-
formed, the Italian Government, in declaring its
lg
readiness
to forward the great ends of international justice, h
inti-
mated that, even in the event of its giving up Surratt,
it
will stipulate that hislifo be spared.—Florence correspondent

of the Morning Post.
THE LATE POACHING AFFRAY .—We regret to
learn that George Kelly, Lord Tredegar's head gamekeeper,
who was shot in the poaching affray near Newport, died on
Wednesday night. A reward of £5O has been offered b
Lord Tredegar for the apprehension of the perpetrator of
the foul deed.

TI-U RD EDITION.

SUN OFFICE, 7 O'CLOCK.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.---This Day.

WARWICK RACES:—THrs DAY.
BY ELECTRIC 'TELEGRAPH.
MATCHES.
Mr R. Herbert's Garus (Mr Herbert) beat Mr Ten Broeck's
Douro (Mr Ten Broeck) by two lengths. Betting-5 to
4 on Douro.
Mr Robertson's The Vet (Carroll) beat Mr Holford's
Whalebone (Custance). Bating-6 to 4on The Vet.
Won iu a canter.

Paris paid forfeit.
WELTER HANDICAP.

- -- -
The Welter Handicap of 5 sots each, 2 ft, for three-year-
olds and upwards; winners after the weights are out 51b
extra ; to bs ridden by gentlemen, professionals 61b extra ;
half a mile.

Mr R. Herbert's Usher (A. Edwards) 1
Mr It. Ten BrOeck's (Grimshaw) 2
Mr Fleming's Cadiz (Wood) 3
Lady Sophie also ran. Betting-6 to 4 agst Usher, 7to
4 agst Paris, 4to 1 agst Lady Sophie. Won by a length;
neck between second and third.
INNKEEPERS' PLATE.
The Innkeepers' Plate of 50 soya (Handicap), for ,
three-
year-olds and upwards ; winners after the weights are
out 51b extra ; three-quarters of a mile.
Mr Cosby's Wave (Butler) 1
Mr Carew ns Nu
Capt. Machell's Indigestion (Cannon) 3
Queen of Trumps, Cadiz, Mistletoe, Brigand, La Dau-
phine, Perfection, Quick March, and Nailor also ran.
Betting-5 to 2 agst Nu, 3to 1 agst Mistletoe, sto 1 agst
La Dauphine, 8 to 1 each agst Queen of Trumps and In-
digestion, 10 to 1 agst Wave. Won by a length ; bad
third.