The Sun.
London, England, 1868-01-14 00:00:00

SPECIAL CONSTABLES.

LAMBETH.—Yesterday evening a large meeting
of the special constables of this parish was held at
the Lambeth Baths, under the presidency of Mr. T.
Tilson, J.P. Amongst those present were the Rev.
J. Lingham, rector of Lambeth ; Colonel Ewart,
C. 8., Mr. Phillips, J.P., Mr. Burnett, J.P., Mr.
Terry, J.P., Mr. Charles Collambell, J.P., Dr.
Dalby, J.P. ; Captains Knobell, Glubb, and
Fowler ; Lieut. 11u3sey, Merssrs. Ilenton, jun.,
Malin, Captain Driver, Mr. Long, Capt. de Salis,
&e. The Chairman, in opening their proceedings,
said that they had as.einbled to show what
Englishmen could do in the cause of peae,3 and
order. Their duty was to protect their own and
their neighbours' property in case of an emer-
gency which might call the police away from the
parish. lie hoped that there would be no occasion
for their services, but if there should be he was sure
that the Government would be ably supported by
the loyal, true-hearted Englishmen of the county of
Surrey. (Cheers.) The Rev. J. Lingham moved
a resolution to the effect that the meeting•desired to
express its abhorrence and indignation at the recent
diabolical outrages perpetrated at Clerkenwell and
elsewhere, whereby the lives of her Majesty's sub-
jects had been sacrificed and numerous persons had
been seriously injured, property destroyed, and the
public peace disturbed ; and that the meeting was
prepared and determine], as good and loyal citi-
zens enrolled as special constables, to sustain the
authority of her Majesty's Government, and by all
other constitutional means to aid in suppressing any
disturbance which might arise. (Cheers.) The meeting
also desired to express its thanks to the Government
for the prompt and vigorous action it had taken
to uphold peace, law, and order, and to maintain
the authority and dignity of the Crown. The
motion having been seconded by Mr. James Stiff,
it was put to the meeting and carried by acclama-
tion. Colonel Ewart said that he was very glad
to be present at so large a meeting of this kind.
He considered that great praise was due to the men
of Lambeth for coming forward as they had done
so readily and heartily. There had been, he was
told, 2,800 men enrolled as special constables up
to the present time, and they ranked, therefore,
among the larger numbers of the different parishes.
Ile was by profession a supporter of law and order,
and it gratified him very much to see two large vo-
lunteer forces available for the protection of their
homes and hearths—he meant the rifle volunteers,
who were a military force, and the special con-
stables, who were a volunteer civil force. (Loud
cheers.) Great thanks were due to the daily papers
for the readiness with which they had published
and made generally known the duties and orders
issued with respect to the special constables.
(Cheers.) It was necessary that the special con-
stables should be drilled and practised to move in
companies ; but it would be very inconsiderate to
call out men who had been working hard all day
in order to give them undue drilling ; although he
was sure that if an emergency should arise they
would turn out to a man. (Great cheers.) The
principal requirements were that they should know
how to move with rapidity, energy, and certainty.
The object of this enrolment was, supposing that
mischief
,was threatened in several parts of the
metropolis at once that there would be a sufficien t
force available to be thrown on these certain points,
and so effectually defend this large city. The special
constables were to be looked to for the protection
of their own individual parishes, so as to allow
the police to be the moving body. The measures
that had been taken were only precautionary, and
he hoped there would be no need of their services.
The Irish were as a body loyal, and he hoped
that there were many present among their ranks.

(Cheers.) If the Lambeth men were not called out
they were not to be disappointed, but should re-
member that " prevention was better than cure,"
and that the movement had in all probability pre-
vented terrible mischief which but for this great and
universal movement might have happened. (Cheers.)
A vote of thanks was then given to the chairman,
and after Captain Fowler had complimented the
loyalty of Englishmen in general, and special Con-
stables in particular at some length, the proceedings
were terminated by those present singing " God save
the Queen." During last week the employ es of several
large firms have been enrolled. Amongst them
were those of Messrs. Clowes and Co., Messrs.
Doulton and Co., the Lion Brewery Company,
Alessrs.Lawrence and Co., Mr. Webster (contractor),
Messrs. Noble and Hoare, Messrs. Maudslay and
Co., &c. The general feeling is very strong against
Fenianism in this parish, and great numbers of
working men have enrolled themselves as special
constables.

ST. BRIDE'S, F LEET-STREET. —Yesterclay after-
noon Alderman Sir James Duke and Alderman Sir
R. 'S. Carden sat at the vestry of St. Bride's, fur
the purpose of swearing-in the well-disposed inhabi-
tants who had previously given in their names as
special constables. The vestry clerk, Mr. Edmunds,
and the churchwardens, Messrs. Smalley and Lloyd,
assisted the aldermen in swearing in the specials,
who comprised the principal tradesmen and shop-
keepers, a few of the workmen employed at the
City of London gasworks (the majority of the men
employed at this establishment having already been
sworn in at Guildhall), and the workmen at the
various printing-offices in the neighbourhood of
Fleet-street ; altogether more than 400 were en-
rolled, and the aldermen will have to sit on another
occasion to swear in more of the inhabitants. Mr.

Lockey was appointed superintendent, and ➢lr.
Childs, of Stonecutter-street, and Mr. Heath,
Bride-lane, deputy superintendents of the specials
for the district.
HouNssr, &c.—Yesterday Mr. Bodkin and Col.
Jeakes were engaged, for some time, at the High-

gate Petty Sessions Court, swearing in special con-
stables for Hornsey, Friern, Barnet, and adjoining
parishes. A large number of persons have come
forward during the past fortnight. A very neat
armlet, bearing the initials of St. Mary, Hornsey,
has been provided, and staves similar to those pro-
vided for the ordinary constables. The men em-
ployed at the Hornsey gas-works have been sworn
in, and a meeting will shortly be held for the pur-
pose of appointing a superintendent and adopting
other measures of organisation.

ST. PAUL'S, COVENT-GARDEN.—Messrs. White
and Stilwell Eat again yesterday,at the vestry offices,
from eleven a.m. to eleven p.m., for the purpose of
swearing in special constables, and the number en-
rolled for this division is now about 2,300. Upwards
of 100 members of the Havelock Rifle Volunteers,
headed by Lieut.-Col. George Cruikshank, Major
and Adjutant Hockley, and several other officers,
were amongst those enr9lled. Previous to the com-
mencement of the proceedings tlley were addressed by
Mr. White, the chairman of the bencii, who pointed
out to them that the enemies they would in
the capacity of special constables, to contend againsi
would not meet them fairly and openly on the field,
but would endeavour to gain their ends by treachery
and by cowardly attacks upon the weak and helpless.
Several officers and men of the 19th Middlesex
("Working Men's College corps) also attended, and
were sworn in.

ASSAULT BY GAMEKEEPERS.--On Monday, at the
Town Hall, Hungerford, William Teal and Isaac
'Waters, the former head-gamekeeper to the Marquis of
Donegal', were charged with unlawfully wounding Henri•
Rolfe, a basketinalter, at lukpen. The prisoners were
driving along a road ono night, when Rolfe put his hands
on the back of the cart iu the hope of having a ride. Teal,
however, without a word, struck him heavy blows with a
loaded life preserver, and, not satisfied with that, got off
the vehicle and heat him most unmercifully. Rolfe stag-
gered to a house that was near, and for some time re-
mained in a precarious state. He suffered from concussion
of the brain, and his life was in considerable jeopardy. The
only reason alleged for the outrage was that Teal fan-
cied Rolfe intended to take some game out of the cart.
Both men were remanded, the injured man being unable
I to leave his bed.

" FREEING" IRELAND.—In a recent speech at
Boston, United States, Mr. G. F. Train said—" Mr. Powers
is on the stage, one of the rescuers of Kelly, who has just
arrived from Manchester. I ask him, are thero more men
ready to take his place (meaning the places of O'Brien,
Larkin, and Allen)? Yes, 300 as ready to die. Look at
Clerkenwell what if 20 innocent people died ? We killed
a million for the negro. (Cries of " That's so.") Let them
I die mu by Mall so that Ir.9land ie free." (Cheers.)