The Press. — London, England, 1855-11-03 00:00:00

1056 tittlion nttilittnti. THE Speaker will issue the writs for Southwark and Wells in about ten days' time. SounrwAax.—Sir Charles Napier has been attend ing a series of public meetings during, the week, to declare his principles. Mr. Scovell also has attended several meetings of his friends, and the contest so far promises to be well sustained on both sides. PLYMotrtn.—Mr. R. P. Collier on Tuesday ad. dressed his constituents at some length. Adverting to the leading topic of the day, Mr. Collier expressed his opinion that he thought the present Government had taken a " vigorous, decided, and successful course wtth regard to the war," and that he believed the surest path to peace was that of success, guided by energy and resolution. Touching freely upon home topics, and upon the coarse which he hadpur sued in the last session of Parliament, Mr. Collier concluded his addreSs by calling attention to the successful results of his motion upon Russian trade in the Baltic and Black Seas, and by a denial of the statement that he had been offered a judgeship in Calcutta. Wem.s.—The canvass of Captain Jolliffe, the Con servative member, is highly satisfactory. Mr. Ser geant Kinglake arrived at the city on Saturday last, and, after issuing his address, commenced an active house to-house canvass. A correspondent of the Morning Herald atfords us the following little anecdote : About a fortnight before Mr. Tudway's death, when all hope of his recovery was at an end, this little city was visited by its other representative, the Right Hon. W. G. Hayter, the patronage Secretary of the Treasury. For ten days successively the light honourable gentleman drove punctually into the city from the friend's house where he was staying, three miles distant, and remained until late in the evening perambulating the streets, calling upon various electors, accosting them, and making the moat affectionate inquiries into their welfare. Singularly enough, while he was here a rumour got into circulation that still more patronage was to be placed at the disposal of the Wells electors, notwithstanding the astounding published list of seventy places already bestowed, and, by way of an earnest, an odd berth or two was given to deserving applicants. We are glad to be able to state that, despite the persuasions of Mr. Haytei, the canvass of the Sergeant has been the re verse of encouraging, while Captain Jolliffe has everywhere met with the utmost cordiality. The mayor has issued a notice containing various clauses of the " Corrupt Prac tices Prevention Act of to warn the electors against the consequences of bribery and treating. The clause having reference to the promises of place, office, and em ployment, to procure votes, has an especial bearing upon the recent visit of Mr. Hayter. MEATH.—Mr. 0. Farrell, a resident landlord, is about to contest this borough. ADDRESSES TO CONSTITUENTS. DURHAM.—Various members during this and the preceding week have met their constituents, and ad • dressed their electors either with a review of the last session or with an explanation of their past, conduct in Parliament. Among the first was Mr. Atherton, M.P., who on Wednesday week met a few of his en thusiastic constituents at Durham, and favored them with a tedious and ungrammatical retrospect of the past session. Mr. Atherton commenced by ex plaining that he did nut agree with any one who said this was a moment of no political excitement—in his opinion it was one of the highest and most absorbing political excitement, because the politics of the moment were the politics of the management of the war : He did not think that Parliament on this subject pro perly represented the people of England, because he was persuaded that there was but one opinion. There was no two opinions—there was no varying shades of opinion— there was one sentiment pervaded all—that the war which they had undertaken must be carried on, and must be pursued with vigour, in order that its termination might be speedy, and its results triumphant. With respect to the war itself, the hon. gentleman at some length congratulated his constituents upon its important results, and then, with an amiable can dour which did credit to his character, Mr. Atherton proceeded to explain how it was that, having sup ported Lord Aberdeen through "thick and thin," to use a vulgar but expressive phrase, he felt it his duty—when he perceived that if Mr. Roebuck's motion were carried Lord Aberdeen must resign, and that the success of Mr. Roebuck's motion was inevi table—to leave his venerable leader and vote for Mr. Roebuck. After an agreeable fling at the " factious spirit of the Opposition," the amiable member for Durham enlarged upon the delicate susceptibility of the world in general and this nation in particular, and declared that the " bare idea of the Opposition taking their seats on the Ministerial benches at this crisis would be fraught with dire calamity to the nation and the world at large." Mr. Atherton then with much kindly commiseration deplored the lost reputations of Mr. Gladstone, Sir James Graham, and Mr. Sidney Herbert, and alluded in touching terms to the unfortunate position of his former vene rated leader, Lord John Russell. Suggesting finally, THE PRESS. , from the "factious and mischievous conduct" of the Opposition, that a dissolution might be possible, Mr. Atherton observed that he bad then met his consti tuents on the hustings, and that, whatever the result might be, as their representative now he felt confi dent that he bad " never violated a pledge " nor " abandoned a principle." Owatit.—Mr. Cobbett, M.P., on Saturday last met his constituents at this town, and in a concise address explained his policy during the last session and his opinion of the present state of affairs. Having explained his conduct with regard to the Ten Hours and Sunday Beer Bills, Mr. Cobbett then came to the question of the war, and remarked that the preservation of Turkey against the aggressions of Russia was the object to be attained bet'ore peace could be expected. This question, he observed, was— One of so much magnitude that it was of the utmost importance there should be no mistake as to the feelings of the country in regard to it. The fact was, the whole nation, with singular unanimity, went into the war — (Hear, hear)—we were all in favour of it, except those who were for no war at all, not even in self-defence. He believed there never was a war undertaken on which the people were more unanimous than this with Russia, and therefore it did not become the parties he alluded to to blame any section of people. They were all to blame, if blame there was attributable to any one; but he held that the war from the beginnin ,, was a necessary and just one, and he thought that England would show herself to be mean indeed if she attempted to back out of it in any manner bat that which should fully carry out the original object she had in view in undertaking it—namely, to pre serve the integrity of the Turkish empire against the aggressions of Russia. ( Loud cheers.) He perceived from their expressions that they were not in favour of a peace which would be dishonouring to this country — (Hear, hear)—but that they were, in point of fact, in favour of pushing on the war until they had obtained that which would secure Turkey from future incursions by the Czar, and would give us some " material guarantee that he would for the future observe the boundaries of his own empire, and leave the territories of his neighbours alone. (Cheers.) - - - - Alter alluding to the position of Lord Palmerston, Mr. Cobbett concluded, and, in answer to various questions, observed that he would vote against the admission of Jews into Parliament, on the plea that the house, not fairly representing the country, had no right to make any organic change in its con stitution. Sat an Volta. THE TRIAL OP MESSRS. STRAHAN, PAUL, AND BATES. THE result of this great trial was unavoidably deli vered too late for our second edition last week. The proceedings were resumed at ten o'clock on Saturday morning. The case for the prosecution having been closed on Friday, the evidence was gone into for the defence. Mr. Lewis, the solicitor for the prisoners, was the most important witness examined, and gave evidence in favour of the full disclosure of their affairs which had voluntarily been made by the prisoners. The books were examined, in order to show, on behalf of Strahan and Bates, that the pro duce of the cheque of Messrs. Foster and Braith waite for the Danish bonds sold to them had been placed to the private account of Sir John Dean Paul. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL then replied upon the whole case : It appeared to him that the cue resolved itself into two points—one which was possibly more for the consideration of their lordships, and another upon which the jury alone could give a satisfactory answer. The first question they would have to consider was, whether the prosecutor had made out the charge, and if so, then the second question would arise, had the defendants, by making the statement, or supposed disclosures of the circumstances of the cue, relieved themselves from the penal consequences of the act they had committed. The learned gentleman then proceeded to argue that the case was clearly made out against Sir John Paul, and although not of so direct a character against Strahan and Bates, yet when the jury came to examine the books and found that upwards of 113,0001. of securities had been made away with, that fact ha thought was conclusive evidence of the guilt of all parties Could his learned friends seriously ask the jury to come to the conclusion that transactions of such magnitude could be carried on by one member of the firm alone with out the knowledge of the others? This was the proposi tion they were asked to believe. They were to say that all this money had been obtained by Sir John Paul for his own private use, and that this was shown by its being carried to his private account in the bank books. To his mind, this private account, as it was called, of Sir John Paul, was the most cogent proof of the guilt of all the parties, and that it showed most convincingly that these transactions were known to all the members of the firm, and that they all concurred in them. He should ask them to look attentively at these accounts, and he felt convinced that they would see that they were clearly colourable and made for the purposes of deception. It was true it was tailed the private account of Sir John Paul, but in point SATURDAY, of fact it contained an account of all the securities tha had been disposed of, and shoWed the nature of the whole of the transactions connected with them. After a few more observations the Attorney-General concluded his reply, and Mr. Baron ALDERSON pro ceeded to sum up He said that he should ask the jury incidentally to answer one question he should put to them in reference to the point of law, in case it should be raised in any shape again; but the main question he should Ask them to decide was of a totally different character. He would call their attention to the first four counts of the indictment, which he believed were all that they need trouble them selves with. By these counts the defendants were alleged to be bankers, that certain valuable securities had been placed in their hands by Dr. Griffiths, and that they had afterwards sold or pawned those securities. As to these facts he apprehended there could be no doubt, and he sup posed the jury would be satisfied that the securities h a d been placed in the hands of the defendants for safe cus tody, and that they had been sold or pledged; and the main question they would have to decide was whether this act had been committed by one of the defendants, or by the whole of them jointly. After carefully reviewing the whole of the evidence adduced, and pointing out to the jury that it was not because Messrs. Strahan and Bates were partners in the firm that they were to be convicted, but that it must be shown that they were parties to the criminal acts commited by Sir John Paul, Lndthat this was a question for the jury to decide. With regard to the act of Parliament relative to a voluntary exposure of affairs, upon which the prisoners reluwl so strongly, the learned judge explained that the prisoners in the first place had not disclosed the real facts of their position : Did they say a word about having sold the bonds to Messrs. Foster and Braithwaite in DIM ? All they stated was, that they had pawned the bonds with Messrs. Overend and Gurney, and it was quite clear that these were not the same bonds. Independently of these facts, it appeared to him that the Intention of the Legislature never could have been for a person by his own voluntary act to release him self from a grave charge of misdemeanour, that he should be able to play fast and loose, and, after having committed an act for which he was liable to be transported for four- teen years, to go and acquit himself. After a few more observations the learned judge left the case in the hands of the jury. The jury, after deliberating a short time in the box, ex pressed a wish to retire. They left the court at twenty minutes to one o'clock and returned at live minutes past, when they gave a verdict of guilty against all the defendants. - Baron A.Lnitasort asked the jury their opinion upon the other point, regarding the disclosure alleged to have been made by the defendants. The Foreman said the jury were of opinion that the dia. closure did not come within the terms of the act of Perlis- went. (A laugh.) Baron ALDERSON : That is a question of law, gentlemen. I don't want you to decide that: All I want you to say is whether the proceeding was a sham one, got up to evade the criminal charge. The jury said they were of opinion that it was. The ATTORNEY•GENERAL said there were three other indictments against the defendants, but, of course, after the verdict that had just been pronounced, it would be un necessary to go on with them. Baron Alderson then left the court for a few minutes to consult with his learned colleagues, and they all three re turned together, and took their seats upon the bench. THE BENTE:4(2E. Baron ALDERSON proceeded to pass sentence upon the defendants in the following terms : William Strahan, Sir John Paul, and Robert Makin Bates, the jury have now found you guilty of the offence charged against you in the indictment, the offence of dis• posing of the securities that were intrusted to you, as bankers, by your customers, to be kept in safe custody, for their own use, but which you, no doubt, under circum- stances of temptation, disposed of, and applied to your own use. A greater offence than this can hardly be committed in a great commercial community. It tends to shake all confidence, and it has, no doubt, shaken confidence in establishments of the description of that which you for a considerable time undoubtedly conducted with honour and integrity. 1 regret that it falls to my lot to have to pass sentence for such an offence upon persons like you. It is with great pain that I do so ; but the interests of justice, the interests of the public, demand it at my bands, and I must not shrink from that duty which belongs to the functions I have to discharge. I should have been glad if it had pleased God that some one else should have passed the sentence. I know that 1 have seen one of you, at least, under very different circumstances —sitting by my side in the performance of the duties of a high office. I little thought at that time it would have come to me to pass sentence upon you, and it is only another proof how heartily we should pray, all of us, not to be led into temptation. You have been all well educated—you have filled a high position in life, and therefore the sentence I am about to pass must affect you greatly and all those who are in any way connected with you. All I can say is that, as I consider the case to be one of the very worst under the act of Parliament, I am bound to pass the sentence for the worst offence contemplated by it, which is, that you be severally transported for the term of fourteen years. The whole of the prisoners seemed complete) stunned by the sentence. Sir John Paul clasped his hands together, and appeared desirous to speak, but was unable to give utterance to his words. Strahan and Bates looked helplessly towards their counsel. After a short interval the three prisoners slowly reti red ma al