The Sun.
London, England, 1859-09-24 00:00:00

STRANGE CASE OF DESTITUTION.

At the Nottingham Police-court, on Tuesday last,
a little lad, who gave the name of Evatt, was
brought up before the Mayor, having been found
in a state of destitution on the previous night by
the police, in High-street.
The lad, who was apparently bet Ween ten and
twelve years of age, and seemed sharp and intelli-
gent, stated that his mother was the widow of an
officer in the Ist Royal Dragoon Guards, and that
hs was killed at the famous cavalry charge at
Balaklava, during the Russian war in 1854. His
mother lived at 124, Ella-street, Pendleton, Man-
chester, and one morning, about a month ago, she
told him to go into the street and play for an houx
or two. He did so, and retnrned in about three
hours, and then was told by Mrs. Brown, the next-
door neighbour, that his mother had sold all the
furniture, and had gone away with a military
gentleman who had been in the habit of visiting
her at her house. On hearing this he began to cry,
and after remaining in the house some time he
thought he would go to London and see if he could
find his mother there, as they had resided at Step-
ney before they went to Manchester. He accord-
ingly set off to walk, and on his way he slept in
barns and begged food and money to maintain him-
self. When he arrived in London he went to the
house of a person near Stepney church, whom he
knew, to inquire if she knew anything about his
mother. As she did not, after staying there a night,
he commenced walking back to Manchester; but
when he got to Market Harborough he fell in with
a man who said he was a currier, and who told him
that if he would go with him to Nottingham ha
thought ho could get him some work. He con-
sented to do so, and went with the man to the club
house in Town Hall-lane, Leicester, where he slept
on Sunday
Nottingham, and when they got hero the man told
night. On Monday they walked to
him to stay against some posts in the new market
for a short time, and he would go and sec for work
and come back in about an hour. - After waiting two
hours the man did not return, and he therefore
wandered into the town, and Was found by
one of the police in High-street, and taken to
the watch-house• h
is The lad, in answer to the mayor,
said mother enjoyed a pension of 19s. 6d.
week,a that ho did not ktow the name of the
officer who used to come anti visit his mother, but
he should know him again if he should see him.
t
The mayor directed the lad to be sent to the union
until inquiries could be made into the truth of this
extraordinary story, and directed the police to write
to the War-office to inquire whether any such per-
son was in receipt of a pension, and to other per-
sons whose names had been mentioned by the lad.

CRINOLINE PATENTS;—There are few inventions
which have given rise in so short a time to so many patents
as the crinoline. It came into vogue only about four years
ago, and ah eady 100 patents have been taken out in France
—4 in 1655, 16 in 1856, 30 in 1857, 37 ta 1858, and 13 up to
the month of 'ray, 1859,

AGRICULTUBAL MEETINGS.

OXFORDSHIRE.

The annual meeting of Watlington Farmers'
Association, having for its object the encourage-
ment of industrious agricultural labourers, took
place on Wednesday last. The anniversary dinner
took place in the evening at the Hare and Hounds I
Inn, under the presidency of the Rev. C. E. R.
Keene, who was supported by the three members
for the county of Oxford—Mr. Henley, Mr. Har-
court, and Colonel North—and a large number of
the gentry and farmers of the neighbourhood.
The cloth having been withdrawn, and the usual
;loyal toasts disposed of,
The CHAIRMAN proposed " The County Mem-
bers," and observed that it would be one of the
greatest ealamities which could befall this kingdom
when gentlemen of high honour and integrity, with
a large stake in the country, no longer regarded a
seat in Parliament as an object of ambition. There
was a desire peculiar to the Anglo-Saxon race to be
employed; every man felt an equal interest in the
well-being of his country, and a wish to take his
part in promoting its welfare. He felt assured that
that feeling prompted the present representatives
for this county, and that, asMr. Henley had already
done, they would sacrifice anything rather than
their principles. (Cheers.)
Mr. HENLEY, in returning thanks, alluded to
what had fallen from the chairman with reference
to the labours and sacrifices required of a member
of Parliament, and remarked that he had forgotten
one most important consideration, which sustained
men in the most arduous tasks—namely, the trust
and confidence which they had received at the
hands of their constituency, who, not in any cap-
tious spirit, canvassed their acts ; but they received
at the hands of the great body of the people that
cordial support, trust, and confidence which enabled
them to overcome obstacles, however difficult, and
encouraged them to stand fast, because they knew
and felt that those who intrusted their interests to
their hands would stand by them as long as they
acted honestly and faithfully. (Cheers.) Without
that confidence the honour of representing thein in
Parliament would never have been sought by him.
He had experienced for many years the confidence
of the constituency of this county, and he did not
hesitate to say that he regarded it as a high honour
to have that trust and confidence, and it was a plea-
sure—nay, more, an honour, to come among those
by whom they were so well received. He was glad
to be able to congratulate them on the continued
success of that society. Some few, perhaps not
many, might remember the time when there was
only one society of this kind in the county. That
society, however, still existed. Its numbers re-
mained the same, and, although its sphere of use-
fulness was more contracted now than formerly, it
had not fallen off. He believed, however, that no
less than five new societies had grown around it,
for, in addition to the Watlington Association,
there were now others at Thame, Chipping Norton,
Banbury, and Woodstock. That alone was no
small proof that in the estimation of the general
mass of the people these societies had a tendency
to do good. No one could doubt that even the small
amount distributed as prizes musthave the effect of
encouraging agricultural labourers to perform their
work in the best manner, and that must be a
great advantage to the public generally, and to their
masters in particular. About a week ago he (Mr.
Henley) attended a similar meeting at Thame, when
he was enabled to congratulate them on the peace
and tranquillity which prevailed ; but he regretted
to say that since that meeting a very unfortunate
affair had taken place in the East, an affair which
had rarely happened to this country, for one-half
our vessels engaged in the action were sunk or dis-
abled, and one-third of our force killed or wounded,
and all that disaster occurred while our Ambassa-
dor was on his way to complete a treaty that had
been entered into, but which was violated in such
a way that we were repulsed, with all the mortifica-
tion attached to it. He thought it an unfortunate
circumstance for this country that within the last
few years three great fights had taken place be-
tween this country and the Chinese. When they
saw the great improvement which the Chinese had
made on the second occasion, when they fought
something like a fight, and how much they were
improved on the last occasion, when they gave us a
' severe dressing, it must be a matter of great anx-
iety to find a foe that we have to encounter so far
advanced in the system of warfare and of self-de-
fence. There was, however, one matter of c mgra-
tulation—namely, that this country would not go
into this war single-handed, but would have a
powerful ally. They had already experienced in a
great war the loyalty and fidelity of the twe Go-
vernments of France and England, and the ex-
tremely good management of the officers had pre-
vented any of those jealousies which history had
pointed out as having occurred with allies. He (Mr.
Henley) was one of those who thought that when a
country was at war it was a good thing to have allies,
but that it was,the safest to fight the battle for our-
selves, and for our allies to fight the battle for them-
selves. He trusted that in going into this quarrel
they should get out of it as good friends as when
they went into it, and that they might attain their
ends without any jealousy; because, Freat as the
present evil was, if there were any jealousy be-
tween France and England, that would be a far
greater evil. In making these remarks he hoped
he had not departed from the rule laid down in this
society, but these were matters in which they all
felt a common interest.
Mr. HARCOURT, M.P., in returning thanks, said
Watlington had been in past years the centre of a
considerable amount of excitement on the question
of the prohibition of foreign produce, and an opinion
had been expressed regarding his conduct on that
question which was totally unfounded in fact—an
opinion which could not 'have prevailed if those
who entertained it had known anything of his
Parliamentary conduct during the long period he
had been connected with the subject, The truth
was, that there was no man now in Parliament who
had given a more undeviating support to those laws
which were intended to be useful to agriculture.
That was a topic which he should not have been
afraid to discuss with those who entertained a
different opinion if it were consistent with the rules
which generally regulated the discussions and
speeches at that and meetings of a similar charac-
ter. Objection was made to the discussion of poli-
tical subjects at such gatherings as that, but he was
happy to find that there had lately been an enlarge-
ment of that rule. He (Mr. Harcourt) was pre-
vented from attending the dinner which took place
at Banbury last year, but he read the speeches
which were delivered there, and he found that his
right hon. friend (Mr. Henley) entered at some
length upon the discussion of political topics. He
spoke of the reform of Parliament. He said he
hoped the Government to which he belonged might
be able to introduce a bill to amend the representa-
tion of the people which would be satisfactory t 3
all parties. He (Mr. Harcourt) had no doubt that
his right hon. friend, Mr. Henley, if he had intro-
duced a Reform Bill, would have introduced one
that would have been more consistent with his
own views and with the constitution of the country,
as well as the large majority of the people of that
country, than that which was introduced by the
Government of Lord Derby. (Cheers.) Lord
Derby's Ministry, however, brought forward a
measure which his right hon. friend (Mr. Henley)
and his eminent colleague the Secretary of State
(Mr. Walpole) would not give their assent to, and
like men of honour and feeling they retired from
office. (Cheers.) Mr. Henley had again alluded to
the question of reform, in which he appeared to
have little confidence. He (Mr. Harcourt) did not
wonder at that, because the measure introduced by
Lord Derby's Ministry made great concessions to
the public feeling, which a large majority of the
people of this country might have approved, but
which were difficult to realise. He alluded to the
proposed reduction of the franchise to occupiers of
land in eounties from £5O to £lO. He (Mr. Har-
court) had long been of opinion that a reduction
Tight to be made, but he was one of those who re-
s to pledge himself to vote for what was called
nseo he lam
Bill:,
lath; the whole Bill, and nothing but the
that in coough at that time he had every prospect
quence of adopting the course he did
he would. tbe elected. It enabled him, however,
to support the cease
of
voting,
ng-
the tenant farmers, and give
them the right
(Cheers.) He was of opi-
nion that the franchise
ought to be lowered, al-
though he was not
—nosed to go so low as £lO.
He had not voted for that franchise, but he felt at
perfect liberty too
take what ehe thought pro-
per upon that subject. (Ch..
Conservatism.
a definition or onserv_aettiti smo w
Henley had
given them It
which his
be remembered that the Government
right hon. friend was
a member was blamed for i
troducin erg measures of too liberal a character, 'l-
, but the
definition which had been given by-Mr. Henley had
struck him as peculiarly applicable to himself,
because there were men in the county who had
given him their support as a Liberal and he
believed, according to Mr. Henley's defini-
tion of Conservatism, that there was no man
in the county who was more entitled than he was
to the support of Conservatives. (Cheers and
laughter.) But, following the example of his rigb t
hon. friend, Mr. Henley, and his gallant colleague,
Col. North, he hoped he might be permitted to say
that from his first entrance into Parliament no
question had been brought forward having for its
object the 'advancement of the agricultural interest
in which he had not taken part. There had been

no vote given by Lord Deriy with that object in
view in which he (Mr. Harcourt) had not taken
part ; ipdeed, he might say that if there was a vote
which he had given in the course of his Parlia-
'''mentary life, extending over a period of 50 years,
of Which he had reason to repent, it was a vote in-