The Sun.
London, England, 1850-10-01 00:00:00

LEAMINGTON SPA, ITS MINERAL

SNIINGS AND PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS.

A few evenings since a limited number of profes- 1
sional and trading residents of Leamington, dined to-
gether at the Regent's Hotel, under the presidency of J. I
Rachman Esq., who was supported on the occasion
by Dr.Jeaffreson,' R Jones, E 7 q., A. S. Field, Esq , 11.
Summerfield, E-q ,J. B. Ilinbury, Esq , &c. The
vice chair was occupied by Mr. E. Woodhouse. The
dinner originated in the desire entertained by many
active promoters of the public attractions cf
Leatnington, to assemble for the purpose of glancing
prospectively at the manner in which several schemes
for the furtherance of local celebrity might be ad-
vanced, and retrospectively at those which the liberal
encouragement under which the town committee
had prosecuted their labours for some months past,
had enabled that enterprising body of individuals to
bring to a successful issue. The propriety of such a
convivial entertainment, where neighbours and
townsmen could interchange their ideas upon a
variety of topics of paramount interest and importance
to them, was cheerfully admitted • and about forty
persons sat down to a repast provided in that style of
elegance and taste for which the lessee of
the Regent has so long been proverbial.
The withdrawal of the cloth was fol-
lowed by the proposition of the usual loyal and
many other toasts, which elicited the warmest expres-
sions of approval and goodwill, especially such as
appealed strongly to local feelings and attachments.
Among these we were glad to notice the enthusiastic
reception which marked " the health of that invaluable
and eminent benefactor of the Spa—Dr. Jephson,"
whom, it was stated, had lately been sojourning at
Ramsgate, in general good health, and whose return
borne might be anticipated at an early period. The
assurance that the Doctor, although prevented by a
most deplorable visitation, from taking an active part
in town affairs, was animated by the same earnest
desire which he had ever manifested to promote its
permanent interests, was received with well-merited
applause. The speeches delivered throughout the
evening, and they were both many and excellent,
were illustrative of the peculiarly attractive character
and growing requirements of Leamington, as a town
possessing within itself, and its immediate vicinity, all
those rich resources which elicited the eulogy of one
of our native poets—Drayton—,when he pronounced
Warwickshire to be "Britain's midmost region." In
fact, the different speakers appeared to bear in mind
the great object of their assembling together by the
anxiety with which they impressed upon their
fellow-townsmen, that not only must the popular
attractions of the Spa be zealously and gratefully
cherished, but liberally and judiciously enhanced;—
that avoiding those conflicts of party which, in other
towns of like pretensions, were unhappily breaking
down the barriers which a wise sense of unanimity
has erected against the inroads of party contention,
the great work here must ever consist in the ad •
vancement of a self-protective policy, in regard to
public amusements, which, it was urged, would give
increased vigour to local wants, and, assuredly, from
the very soundness of such a policy, increased pros-
perity to local enterprise. Year after year, it was
contended, had this great truth been forcibly pre-
senting itself to the minds of our fellow-workers in
the field of local activity, awakening their anxiety
and convincing their judgments ; and as all must be
aware that the future necessarily called for a large
amount of individual exertion, it was hoped that all
would be ready to do their part in a work from
which, it was asserted, none could consistently
withhold their aid. A variety of suggestions were
made, from which many practical beneficial results
will, doubtless, ensue, in their wider promulgation of
the all-powerful pretensions of Leamington, as one of
the most salubrious resorts in the kingdom, inde-
pendently of its claims to fashionable pre-
ference from the ample fund of recreation which its
inhabitants are incessantly providing for their summer
and winter visitors. The prospects of the forthcom-
ing season were described to be most cheering, and
the spirited manner in which Mr. Barnard, the Mas-
ter of the Hounds, had responded to the liberality of
the town committee, in effecting such arrangements
as would enable him to take the field six days a week,
was looked upon but as an additional stimulant to
exertion among the residents, to promote the general
amusements and popular attractions of the town. We
are glad to record that the toast of " The Medical
Profession" elicited from the eminent practitioners
who responded to it a declaration of their undimi-
nished faith in the efficacy of the Leamington waters,
and their strong determination to test the properties
of the aqua mineralis, in every case where their
nature and virtues justified their application. It
was stated that our springs had ever been pecu-
liarly efficacious in chronic disorders, and as dis-
eases of that kind were more common with persons
of a high intellectual temperament, the peculiar aspect
of the present enlightened times might reasonably in-
duce the belief that there would be an increased ne-
cessity for resorting to the remedial agency of the
Leamington waters. It is gratifying to us to be as-
sured that we shall thus far experience the valuable
assistance and advocacy of our medical townsmen; for
we have ever thought that if we take our stand upon
what nature has so richly done for us, we may stand
against the worl,l ; and now that the world is so spee-
dily to be brought to one rallying point in our great
metropolis, under the prestige of royal ingenuity and
princely inspirations, we believe that Leamington will
not in that " good time coming,"—the expected com-
mercial Al il len ni um of '5 I,—be behind any competitor ;
but that, when thousands upon thousands of continental
tourists have left the more immediate scene of the won-
drous exhibition which has attracted them to our shores,
and have, as their next thought, paid their intellectual
soul -homage at the shrine of William Shakspere,—there
will be no circumstance more indelibly stamped upon
their recollection, in connexion with the " great Ex-
position, " than that the toil of the skilful artisan—
the enterprise of the manufacturer—the researches of
the man of science—and the labours of the philoso-
pher, could find, amidst the wide range of universal
skill upon which their eyes have rested, no prouder
exposition than that which Leamington itself afforded
them in the contemplation of its own speedy rise to
prosperity, and its close proximity to those classic re-
liques which are so well calculated to elevate the
thoughts of man and to .awaken his imagination.
This glorious exposition of nature's own greatness
will not be the less interesting to the enlightened fo-
reigners who will flock hither on their Shsksperian
pilgrimage, nor the less advantageous to local fame,
when, from the sterling labours of many a past topo-
grapher, as well as from the grateful efforts of the
present generation of townspeople, they ascertain the
pride with which we still declare, that
A pearl lies in our waters
Of richer, prouder wealth,
Than Cleopatra swallowed—
The precious pearl of Health !"
—From the Leamington Spa Courier.

PUNISHMENT OF DEATH BY
BURNING.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SIR,—A paragraph in your paper of the 27,11 inst.
relative to the above punishment, is correct as to main
facts, but as I am one of the few persons still living
th'it was present at the above horrible execution, 1
will state some additional circumstances which oc-
curred at the time not noticed by " Senex." It is
true that, after the execution of the malefactors on
the " new drop" that morning, a woman having been
convicted and sentenced to be burned for what was
then called by the law " petty treason," the sentence
miscarried into effect as stated ; but she was
fastened to or upon a hurdle, with a rope round her
neck, in the Press-yard of Newgate, and drawn by a
horse from thence to the spot on which the gibbet was
erected, which was part of the sentence. That spot
was near the place where the pump now stands.
When brought to the place of execution she was
removed from the hurdle, placed with her back
against the gibbet, and drawn up to the top or arm
by the rope ; strangulation took instant effect. The
moment that was done, being only a few yards from
the scene, I saw a soldier take a knife from his pocket
and cut one of her fingers off; declaring, with an oath,
that she should not all be burned.
The result attending so disgraceful an exhibitionl
i
worthy of record. The n.orning it took p,
remember well, was rather stormy, the wind setting
directly up Newgate-street ; the smoke of the fire and
the stench so disgusted the inhabitants that strong
representations and petitions were forwarded to the
Government, expressive of abhorrence at the con-
tinuance of so barbarous a custom. The law was soon
after repealed, and, as it was generally believed, at
the earnest entreaty of the Queen.
I am, Sir, respectfully yours,
26, Birchin-lane, Sept. 30. R. LLOYD.
P.S.—I, of course, was very young at the time,
but I believe I have stated pretty accurately all that
,00k place.