ENGLISH & FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 13, Issue 695, 28 June 1869, Page 3

ENGLISH & FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE.

[FKOM PAPEES BY THE APRIL MAIL.] A CASE OF ALLEGED CHILD STEALING At the Manchester Police Court on the 29th March, Margaret Smith, a strolling beggar, was charged with having stolen a child, about two years old, named Mary Anne Welsh, belonging to Anne Welsh, a hawker, residing in Milton-street, Liverpool. The prosecutrix and the prisoner had known each other previous to the alleged offence, and one day about seven years ago the prosecutrix, who then, as at present, resided at Liverpool, went out to make some purchases, taking with her her child, which was about two years old. On her return with some loaves of bread in her apron she met the prisoner, who complained of hunger, and asked for a piece of bread. The prosecutrix, accom panied by her child and the prisoner, went into a vault close by for the purpose of getting a knife to cut one of the loaves, and while there called for a pint of ale. When she turned away from the counter she found that the prisoner had slipped away, and the child had disappeared with her. The poor woman made all the enquiries she could for seven long years, with the view of discovering where the prisoner was, and so regaining her child; but up to a day or two ago she had beeu unsuccessful. In June, 1867, a little girl—now identified by the prosecutrix as the one she lost—was taken into custody in Manchester on a charge of having stolen a bottle of scent; and it appeared that at the time she committed the theft, the prisoner was in the immediate neighborhood, as if waiting for her. The girl, then seven years old, was sent to the Ardwick Industrial School ; where she was several times visited by the prisoner as her chill; and, finally, on Christmas-day, 1867, the prisoner obtained leave to take her out for an hour, promising to return with her. She did not bring the child, however, and the next day that is known of the latter is that in the following March it was found deserted in the Liverpool workhouse, and was taken back to the Ardwork Industrial School, where it has remained up to the present. In the meantime the mother pursued a persevering searcn for the child. At the time she lost it she kept a stall in one of the Liverpool markets, but she gave that up, and commenced the business of a hawker, about the country, in the hope of encountering the prisoner somewhere on her travels. She made the circuit of several counties, going as far as Birmingham, and also making inquiries of any tramps she met as to the whereabouts of tlie prisoner, the latter being well known among that class by the soubriquet of " Liverpool Peg " Repeatedly she got information from one or other of these strollers as to where she might come upon the object of her pursuit; but when she got to the place indicated, the prisoner had gone elsewhere. Finally, she hoard that the prisoner was in Manchester, and, hastening to this ci;y, she found her on Saturday last, in a beer-house in Spearstreet. The prisoner, when charged by the prosecutrix, stoutly denied her identity ; but the prosecutrix was not to be deceived, and she called in the aid of the police, and the prisoner was taken into custody by Police-constable 59 A. The fact was ascertained that a child supposed to belong to her was in the Ardwick In dustrial School, and the prosecutrix, on seeing the child, at once claimed it as hers, mentioning that there was the mark of a burn on the lower part of its back. The child itself, of course, could give no help in the matter, not being able to recognize a parent from whom it had been parted seven years before, at the age of two years j but the mark of the burn, which really was on its back, evidenced the truth of the mother's chum. The prisoner still claimed (he child as hers, and stated that she had been confined with it at the Bridge-street Workhouse, Manchester; but this story, on enquiry, turned out to be false.—Tue prisoner was committed for trial.

EXTRAORDINARY FRAUDS ON THE GREAT CENTRAL GAS COMPANY. A series of extraordinary frauda on the Great Central Gas Company have been committed by a man named Benjamin Higgs, a book-keeper in their employ. The amount has been stated at £BO,OOO, but it is now feared tiiat £150,000 will hardly covere the full extent of his depredations. Not only have large sums received for coke never found their way to the company's bankers, but forged debentures to a considerable amount, it is said, are afloat, upon which Higgs regularly paid the dividends as they fell due, in order to keep their issue from the company's knowledge. These debenture bonds, it is affirmed, although issued fraudulently, bear the bona fide signatures of the directors and the common seal of company, so that detection by the holders was simply a matter of impossibility. It has been rumored that Higgs must have taken away a large sura of money, but this could not have been the fact, as on the eve of his departure he offered to pay a wine merchant in Coleman-street an account of £3OO, but as he also wanted money, he drew a cheque for £6OO, and it being past banking hours he got the wine merchant to cash it and give him the balance. It would appear that he expended the money as readily as he obtained it, and although he took little with him his estate will realise, it is said, about £3O 000. This the creditors have sought to appropriate for the beuefit of all concerned, and the Gas Company, it is said, are willing to go with the other creditors, and share the £30,000. 13ut here they are foiled by Lord VVestbury'a Bankruptcy

Act of 1861. The 70th clause of that Act provides that any person not being a trader shall, with intent to defeat or delay his creditors, depart the realm, or being out of the realm remain abroad, he shall ba deemed to have committed an act of bankruptcy ; but before any adjudication in bankruptcy shall be made against the debtor, he must be served personally with a copy of the petition ; or, if the creditors are unable to find out his whereabouts, they must prove to the Court that every reasonable effort has been made to serve the debtor, and that the attempts to serve the petition came to the knowledge of the aaid debtor and were defeated by -his con duct. The result of this state of the law is, that about £30,000 worth of property is being scrambled for by the creditors and the wife of Higgs, and there is no legal power under the Bankruptcy Act to touch one penny of it. It is believed that Higgs nas sought refuge in Spain, with which country England has no extradition treaty. At Judges' Chambers, on April 14, before Mr Justice Keating, there were some proceedings on the part of the Sheriff of Middlesex in respect to the goods of Higgs. The Guarantee Society had seized the property at Teddington under, it was alleged, an authority to enter the premises. The plaintiff in the action issued an execuion, and the Sheriff of Middlesex, by his officer, took possession. There were several claimants, and they were representsd on tlie present occasion before his lordship. The case is not yet decided. Meanwhile the Twickenham Observer has published the following interesting narrative of some portions of this swindler's career : Benjamin Higgs. late of Tide End-house, Teddington, absconded on the sth of March, from the employment of the Great Central Gas Company, in whoso service he had been for several years. His salary at the time of his disappearance was under £4OO per annum. His establishment at Teddington, however, was of almost princely character. Mr Higgs' habits were luxurious and extravagant in the extreme. The house, which contained about thirty rooms, was fitted and furnished in the most sumptuous style. A large pleasure ground ran down to the river Thames, where he had built a massive river wall. He had also a large kitchen garden, and a model farm. He was buildiag extensive stabling, fitted with all modern appliances, kept two pairs of carriages, nine horses, and several ponies, and his family carriage and brougham were the most substantial and elegant in the neighborhood. The domestic arrangements were in keeping with the general character of the establish, ment ; there were eight female servants, five gardeners, one groom, a coachmanand under coachman, the household expenses requiring not less than £2OOO a year. The furniture, the sale of which took place on Monday and Tuesday, March 29th and 30th, was of remarkable style and quality, as may be judged from the fact that a pianoforte sold for 155 guineas, but this was regarded as the greatest bargain of the sale. Mr pjrsona! tastes and habits were not less extravagant, his gold watch and diamond ring were the envy of the connoiseurs. He was musical, too, and his weekly musical parties were graced by tlie presence of our most celebrated artistes, who were sumptuously entertained and sent to London by special train. Mr Higgs's benevolent instincts were as large as his expenditure was liberal, not to say extravagant. On occasions he gave concerts at the Clarence Hotel, Teddington; the most celebrated professional singers were engaged, the programmes were marvels of artistic beauty, 6ae expenses were paid by Mr Higgs, and the entire proceeds wore devoted to the building of new schools. On one occasion an insolvent received a cheque for £IBO, with which he effected a composition with his creditors. On another occasion an unfortunate man who was seriously injured by an explosion of the kitcheu boiler while at his house, was established in business with £3OO. The Free Church of England.at Toddington, which, however, Mr lliggs never attended, received a new organ at a cost of £3OO, aud the same congregation now meeting in an iron church, recently rejoiced in the promise of £2OOO towards a upw and more substantial structure, which promise, however, "like the baseless fabric of a vision," has vanished with Mr Higgs. On the morning of his '' departure " there were eighty men employed upon a new mansion which was in course of erection upon land he was to have purchased at a cost of £6OOO per acre, the purchase, however, was never comple ted, although the buildings were in progress. The mansion was estimated to cost £50,000. Tlie contract for the brick and stone work was £12,500, and the contractors' sheds and outbuildings actually erected upon the ground cost £SOO. The freeholder was informed on the Tuesday before Mr Higgs' departure that there would be some difficulty and delay in the purchase and completion of the freehold, in consequence of Higgs' wife's trustees having failed to meet their engagements, it should be observed that he accounted to his wife and friends for this extraordinary expenditure, by saying that he had receiven a legacy of£lo,ooo from a relative. The immediate cause of his sudden departure —the mysterious advertisement —the still more mysterious paragraphs in the evening papers, and the long delay in publishing the facts have yet to be explained to the public, and especially to the sharejholders of the defrauded company. It is certain that for several days before leaving lie was making preparations for his departure. We are informed that on Friday afternoon, the sth March, he entered the Waterloo train as usual, but instead ol alighting at Twickenham, proceeded on to Heading, thence to* Liverpool, aud that

night went on beard a steamer for Amerioa. There is one side to this extraordinary story whioh is indisoribably painful* Mr Higgs has left behind him a wife and eight children (probably by this time nine), who until now were ignorant of the source whence all the comforts and luxuries of their home were derived, and therefore in* nocent* of all participation in the fraud, and. we are sorry to add, are rendered absolutely destitute and dependent upon others. A correspondent of the Daily News adds a few .particulars to this account of the career of Mr Higgs. The writer states that in addition to the large sums of money fraudulently obtained from the Gas Company's funds, he was very successful in bona fide speculations, by which he honestly cleared many thousands of pounds. In one instance, £IO,OOO is said to hare been the net profit. Such was his readiness to oblige those who then reckoned themselves his friends that during the monetary panic of 1866 he is said to have averted ruin from more than one person of position in the city. " His ex* travagance in all things" (the writer of the letter adds) " can scarcely be conceived ; and by numerous acts of charity, so strong a feeling has been excited in his £tvor amongst the poorer classes of Teddington and the neighborhood, that at the sale of his furniture at the Clarence Hotel last week I heard remarks made, that, were a thousand pounds offered for his apprehension, not a poor family in Teddington would betray him." The Gas'Company hold their half-yearly meeting on Friday, April 30, when full disclosures are expecoed. CORRUPTING MILITARY STUDENTS.James Q.uintlan, aged 18, of 2 Nelson-st, St. Peter's-square, Hackney, was charged at the Woolwich Police-court, under Lord Campbell's Act, with offering indecent prints for sale amongst the military students at Woolwich. The prisoner had been previously in custody for offering similar pictures for sale amongst the cadets of ihe Royal Military Academy. Mr Farnfield, solicitor to the Woolwich Local Board of Health, prosecuted, and the precincts of the Court were crowded with military students and others. Mr John W. Mulcaster (successor to Dr Bridginan) stated that he was the proprietor of a large private establishment for the training of young gentlemen for the army. He found the prisoner on his premises offering the photographic prints above referred to for sale to his pupils. The prisoner having been there once before, and finding that be had taken some of his pupils' educational books for the pictures in lieu of money, he called in a constable and gave him into custody. Mr Maude inquired if any distinct charge of exhibiting the prints for sale could be proved, on which Mr Farnfield called Henry Somerset Hassald, a young gentleman who said he was 17 years of age, and student at Mr Mulcaster's establishment. The prisoner, who had been turned out of the premises on a previous occasion, came and showed the student a number of prints, and he (witness) gave him six books in exchange for one of them. The books were education) I works which his father had bought him prior to his coming to Woolwich. Mr Maude asked if he had the picture with him whieh he obtained of the prisoner, on which the witness, with a half ashamed look, drew from the folds of his coat a photograph. The prints were handed to the magistrate, who, after turning over a few of them, spoke in the most unmeasured terms in condemnation of the prisoner's conduct, in selling priuts of that description to students of 16 or 17 years of age. He was a most dangerous person to be abroad, and he (Mr Maude) was determined to put a stop to such scandalous practices. He ordered the prints to be retained, with a view of then being examined more minutely, and if found to come within the Act of Parliament, he promised him that he should have effectual punishment, and ordered the prisoner to be brought up on a future day.

Tenders for the supply of beef and mutton to the Taupo Field Force, for a period of three months, will be received at the General Government Agent's office up to noon Monday, 2nd August. The following cargo for Napier is on board the barque John Banfield, now on her passage from London to Auckland :—750 packages, Watt Brothers; 2 packages, Scuart & Co; 15 packages, J. Stuart; 2 cases, J. W. Gowing.

Feat of a Yankee Reporter.—Theenterprise of newspaper reporters at Washington has always been famous. The fol» lowing story was told lately in the " Correspondent's Club," which has been formed in that city :—At the funeral of the late General Baker, which was held in tho White House, the correspondent of a New York journal, unable to get a ticket of admission, got down through a coal-hole, and after groping his way reached at last the East Iloom, directly in rear of the officiating clergyman. While the clergyman was engaged in prayer, the reporter observed a roll of paper in his hat. To seiza it and fly was the work of a moment. When the clergyman turned to find his sermon he found it not. He attempted to deliver his remarks from memory, but made a wretched failure of it, much to the astonishment of the dignitaries who wore present. The next morning he had the satisfaction of reading Lis discourse ia the New York Herald,

<£JJE POLITICAL PQSITJOS (Wellington Independent, June 22.) Ju the present unhappy and emlar passed condition of the colony, we hav< waited with little anxiety to ascertair gvhat measures would be taken by th< Assembly to avert the ruin which seem: to be impending, but as yet we hav< waited in vain. Since the opening o the session there has been nothing bm a party contest —not gravely to con aider the exigency of the crisis ; not tc decide which of the two policies shouW be adopted —that of the Government or that of the Opposition—but to fight and wrangle instead on the infinitely less important question : shall Mi Stafford or Mr Fox hold the reins ol power ? The whole of this debate is simply a contest between these two gentlemen, and in the manner of its initiation by the latter a most ill-timed reticence was displayed as to his policy. "Gentlemej," says Mr Fox in effect, *' I ask you to allow me to govern; but I am either unable or unwilling to tell you what means I intend to adopt in governing." There is in truth no statement of any policy whatever in Mr Fox's speech, and moderate men who desire to see the "possible best" one carried, no matter by what Ministry as long as it has a working majority and can act vigorously, are deeply disappointed that the leader oi the Opposition has nothing further to offer than a vigorous and in some measure just condemnation of the acts of Ministers in the past. It is not the irremediable past that should be dis cussed when the enemy is thundering at the gates ; it is the stern realities of the present which have to be dealt with. Now the Stafford Ministry have proposed measures to do this : they have a policy, and it would be mad ness to abandon that till something better or as good has been offered in place. The time for purely party action is past, and chat has arrived for all honest men to unite in devising measures for the safety, the defence, and the good weal of the country. The Independent will therefore now speak out plainly. The political principles it has held and the measures it has consistently supported, since Mr Weld took office are perfectly well known. These are:—? (l.)-That the nativerebellion should be put down by the Colony itself without Imperial aid or Imperial interference. (2.)-That Mr Weld's policy of selfreliance, if properly carried out, would do this. Mr Weld's policy, through the factious action of the Assembly in refusing an adequate provision for defence, was not fairly carried out, so he resigned in disgust and Mr Stafford took office. He tried to carry it out but with inadequate means, and so when the country drifted into war, the Ministry were at first and for a l:ng time, unprepared to stem the tide of difficulty and disaster which threatened to overwhelm the colonists. Still while emphatically denouncing the folly which induced men to take office unfurnished with the necessary means to avert or encounter dangers which were possible —if not even probable contingencies —we still held to the policy of self-reliance, believing then, as we do now, that it is the only one which can finally settle the difficuly. Besides, we must accept self-reliance because the Imperial Government has definitely refused, as a part of a great national p dicy—as well as in accordance w th pr ;vioii3 decisions, to sent! us troops. To the self-reliant policy Mr Stafford has added, (3.}-Tbat ir, is necessary for the purpose of carrying on the war and suppressing the rebellion, to raise a loan and to endeavor to obtain the Imperial guarantee for it. With this proposal the Independent cordially agrees, and it thus becomes evident that of the three cardinal points of the policy of the present (government the Independent is the advocate and defender. Let us be clearly understood. It is the policy of the present Ministry as laid down jn the foregoing terms, of which are and have been the earnest sup-| porters. Any Ministry, whether leided by Mr Stafford or Mr Fox, wnich would earnestly try to carry put that policy would meet support from the independent in doing so. Such a support dees not mean becoming the "organ" of any Government in

.'the sense that the phrase is sometimes understood in New Zealand. Any • j urnal neglects the grave duty it owes » to the public, which firmly believing i in the soundness of a policy, would > yet refrain from subjecting the acts of i those who were carrying it out, in • outspoken yet just and fair criticism. ? To be generous and hearty -in tbeir , praise when they are straining every nerve to succeed ; to give them all due share of honor which they merit; to be careful to criticise with knowledge ; and yet when undoubtedly grave blunders have been committed, to condemn their perpetrators boldly in the public interest —this we conceive to be the proper attitude that should be taken by a journal towards a Ministry in such cases. It is necessary now to enquire what there is in the supposed policy of the Opposition or Provincialist party with which the Independent can consistently agree. We say supposed policy, for in truth Mr Fox has stated none as yet ; still there is not much difficulty in guessing pretty accurately its leading features. Assuming that they wish to reverse the self-reliant, policy and send for troops ; that they disband the colonial force, either wholly or in part —the Independent is opposed to them. Ooly on the one question of maintaining Provincial institutions the Independent has been as it is now, their supporter. That ques tion however is now shelved for a time and does not appear in the programme of the present Government—nor in truth do we think it will soon again be on the cards, should Ministers remain in office, because in presence of dangers of such magnitude as now threaten the colony, its present discussion would be ill-timed and unwise. We still abide by the Provincialists in that question; but amongst them there is much division of opinion about it. Nor, indeed, is that division of opinion confined to one question. There is a split in their camp about the War policy. In Wellington this is conspicuous. Dr Featherston, ever since its enunciation, has condemned the policy of self reliance and wishes to obtain Imperial troops, while Mr Brandon and Mr Fox side with him. These gentlemen are Provincialists, heart and soul; yet two other city members —Mr Borlase and and Mr Waring Taylor —also Provincialists, are staunch advocates of selfreliance. In this conflict and confusion of opinion and parties, we earnestly trust that in presence of the terrible difficulties which now beset us, union may at length prevail amongst our representativives of the people; that a strong Government may be formed possessing a working majority to carry out the policy we have indicated ; that the Assembly will strengthen its hands both by moral and material support; and that by energetic action the rebellion may be crushed and peace restored to this distracted country. Even as the write the political atmosphere is teeming with rumors. It is said with great confidence that the no-confidence vote will be carried by a majority, more or less, against the Government. It may follow that if the majority is large Ministers will resign; if small that they will ask his Excellency to dissolve Parliament and then they will appeal to the country, when the voice of the constituencies can be heard. In the case of Ministers resigning, Mr Fox would form a purely ultra-provincial Ministry. We do not think, considering the diversity of opinions, held by this party; considering that it has conceived the idea of reversing the self-reliant policy, when in reality nothiing else cau be adopted in its stead; considering that the "situation" has already been made by iis predecessors, and existing circumstances cannot be altered —considering all this, we think that such a party and such a policy could not stand. If they fell, then out of the scattered fragments of the two Governments, there could be formed a coalition ministry, powerful in itself and with a working majority sufficiently large to carry out those vigorous measures which the exigencies of the country require.