POLITICS IN ENGLAND.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 85, 18 April 1885, Page 3

POLITICS IN ENGLAND.

A Scheme of tho Liberals to Capture a

Tory Mooting.

At tho Stafford Assizes rocontly, bctoro Mr Justice Hawkins, Walter Kirton, nephow of llichard Tangye, of tho firm of Tangye Brothers (limited), was charged with inciting William Kirton to forgo tickots of admission to Aston Lower grounds on October Oth, with intent to defraud.

Mr Darling prosecuted, and Alfred Young dofended.

Mr Darling, in opening tho case, stated that on October 13th tho Conservative party at Birmingham had arranged to havo a demonstration in tho Lowor grounds at Aston in favour of tho policy they wore then advocating. Owing to adverse circumstances, the Conservative party did not succeed in making a very successful demonstration. (Laughter.) Thoy had, how ever, completed every preparation for a happy and useful political meeting. The advertisement announcing the demonstration stated that the grounds would be illuminated with " coloured lamps and lanterns, and grand political aids"— (laughter)—and that thoro would be a fireportrait of Sir Stafford Northeote—in itsolf not an unimportant matter, but not vory important to this particular caso. Thoro wore special reserved-seat tickots, costing 2s 6d; reserved-seat tickots costing Is, and white tickots of admission to tho grounds, signod by and to bo obtained from William Barton, Secretary of tho Conservative Association. Prisonor was a young man employed in the works of his relative, Mr Tangye, and had a cousin, William Kirton, employed ... a printer at Nottingham. On October _ir.ii tho prisonor wrote to his cousin from Murdock Road, Hnndsworth :

Dear Willie : I am deucedly ashamed to ask you for any moro favours, but hore is a ticket for tho Tory demonstration on Monday, and I want you to reply por return whether you can print a few and send them up by Friday. 1 pay costs of cards and carriage. It is rather an intricate ono, and I am afraid it, is "no go," as you would not be ablo to do tho signature, I suppose. Howover, writo and lot mo know by return. How is tho spanner going on ? Yours faithfully, in a deuced hurry.— Walter Kirton.

His Lordship—How is deuced spelled there ?

Mr Darling—lt is spoiled correctly, my Lord.

His Lordship—ln my copy it is spoiled "dewced." (Laughter.) Alfred Young—lt is a Conservative way, my Lord. His Lordship—lt is a Liberal one, I think.

Mr Darling urged that the letter plainly solicited William kirton to have the tickets printed, obviously for the purpose of enabling people to get into tho demonstration without going to Mr Barton and asking for tickets. Mr Barton would have given a ticket to any person who ho thought would bohavo himself, and defendant himsolf must have obtained tho spocimon ticket from Mr Barton, but in Birmingham and othor large towns there existed what Mr Bright called tho " residuum," and at a political mooting, if one wished to be heard, it was just as well that that residuum should bo outside. (Laughter.) If a residuum wanted to get into tho demonstration, and could have gotany ono to give them sixpence, thero was nothing to prevent them from going, but it did not suit defendant to get tho residuum in by such expensive means. -

.\'illiam Barton, Secretary to the Birmingham Conservative Association, was called to depose to tho facts stated. In cross-examination by Alfred Young, he admitted that in advertisements prior to October 10th or 11th, admission was announced by ticket, and no statement made as to the entrance of the general public by payment. A\'illiam Kirton was called to identify the letter received by him as the defendant's handwriting. Mr Young addresged the jury for the defence.

The jury found the prisoner guilty, with a strong recommendation to mercy. Mr Darling denied that the Conservative party prosecuted vindictively, and now that justice had been done, they desired to ask his lordship to deal as leniently with tho defendant as possible. They attributed the whole affair to the political association connected with the Messrs Tangye's works.

His Lordship said the case was a proper one for prosecution. Ho imposed a fine of £25 anoVosts, and sentenced the prisoner to threo daysUmprisonraent. —"London Telegraph."

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