The Sun.
London, England, 1868-11-05 00:00:00

LA IV IN7ELLLIGENCE—(7his Day)

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ROLLS COURT.
HOARE V. WILSON.-THE ENCLOSURE OF HAMP-

STEAD HEATH.

The Master of the Rolls gave judgment in this
cause to-day, which was a motion for the
decree to restrain the defendant from build-.
iug nn, enclosing, or carting gravel from
the celebrated rural spot known as Hampstead
Heath. The defendant inherited tne land under
the will of the late Sir 'l'. Wilson, in which docu-
ment there were certain restrictions with respect
to building, and which, it is supposed, were in-
serted to prevent any of the testator's descendants
from building on the land. Sir Thomas has in a
variety of ways sought to obtain power to alter
certain clauses in the will, bat has hitherto been to
an extent unsuccessful. lie has applied to Parliament
for certain powers, which have also been refused,
and in order to test his right to the Heath be com-
menced building a villa near " Ja.:k Straw's Castle,"
which led to great disturbance, and eventually an ap-
peal in the Court of Chancery was made to restrain
him from prosecuting the work. The case was
fully argued, and to-day his Honour fixed for giving
judgment in the matter. His Honour said he
was asked to say whether the steps taken by Sir
Thomas was an infringement of the rights of the
copyholders and commoners, and he was also asked
to define what those rights were. Those were ques-
tions which he declined to decide, but in order that
the matter might be fully argued he had drawn up
certain issues, which he should direct to be tried.
before a special jury. When these issues were so
tried the whole matter would be opened up, and
then it would be decided what the copyholders
rights were, and to what extent Sir T. Wilson was
capable of stopping them.

The business in each of the superior courts at
Westminster were confined to motions, none of
which possessed any public interest.

MR. ODGER'S RRTIRRMENI FROM

CHELSEA.

Last night the Working Men's Electoral Asso-
ciation held a meeting at the Hereford Arms, Old
Brompton, Mr. Neiss in the chair. The chief
business before the meeting was the consideration
of Mr. Odger's retirement from the borough of
Chelsea. Mr. Odger, who was loudly cheered, said
the working men of Chelsea had won the approba-
tion of the whole country. They wanted to do
what he did—to break through the doors of the
House of Commons ; but it had been •decided by
three referees of high character that they could
not do so on the present occasion. The working
men's causa, however, did not rest alone with
Chelsea. The newspapers had acknowledged the
example which the men of Chelsea had set to the
country ; and although the decision of the referees
might keep him out of the House of Commons, that
was nothing compared with the general good which
the attempt of the working men of Chelsea would
effect. No doubt the working men had been in-
sulted by what had taken place. A blow had been
dealt to the Liberal party, and although he was as
faithful to the Liberal party as any man could be,
he was not faithful to every limb of it, because he
knew there was a rotten limb behind it. (Hear,
hear.) All the working men could do was to create
a situation out of which the so-called Liberals could
not escape without singeing their fingers. (Hear,
hear.) There was victory behind the defeat of the
working men of Chelsea. (Hear, hear.) He had
offers from half a dozen places asking him to stand
as a candidate, but he would not go to any of them,
and as to Greenwich he was not the man to oppose
an old colleague like Baxter Langley. (Hear.)
He could do withoat going into Parliament. He was
as well in the workshop as in the House of Com-
mons, and perhaps could do more good there. He
did not think the new Parliament would last beyond
twelve months, because there must be a redistribu-
tion of seats. At the next election there could be
no doubt many working men would get into Par-
liament. (Hear, hear.) lie knew that many men
felt sore at what, as regards Chelsea, they regarded
as a disappointment; but it was only a disappoint-
ment of the hour, and would give place to a bright
future for the working men of England. (Cheers.)
A. long discussion ensued, in which Messrs. Osborne,
Bartlett, Mudge, Harry, and Bickley took part,
and eventually a resolution, affirming that all
through the electioneering campaign in Chelsea Mr.
Odger acted in the best faith and in harmony with
his character for political honesty, was passed. The
proceedings then terminated.