The Express.
London, England, 1867-03-21 00:00:00

THE COI EBN.VENT REFORM BILL.

Last night a nunierously-attended meeting of
delegates from trade, friendly, and temperance societies
an l branches of the Reform League, was hehl in the
Bouverie-street, for the purpose of consider-
ing and discussing the Reform Bill introduced into par-
liament by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Mr. Edmond
Males presided. Colonel Dickson pm used the following
resolution, which was seconded by Mr. Bradlaugh, anal
carried amid acclamation:—" That the plan of reform
proposed by the government admits the justice and
validity of the principle of residential manhood suffrage
iulvocateal by the Reform League, by extending the fran-
chise to occupiers without reference to rent, but endea-
vours to fetter and paralyse the operation of such
franchise by rating and excessive residence Coll•
ditions, and the gross class injustice of dual voting,
and that it is the duty of the League now to redouble its
exertions to obtain the unrestricted exercise of the fran-
chise by lodgers and all other occupiers, or, in other words,
residential manhood suffrage, with the protection of the
ballot to secure the independence of the voter." Mr.
Merriman proposed the following resolution :—" That the
members of the Reform League residing in various cities
and boroughs throughout the kingdom be invited to form
themselves forthwith into election committees for the fol-
lowing purposes :-1. To secure the return at the next
election, anal at the least possible expense, of gentlemen
now in parliament, and either favourable to the principles
of the League, or closely approximating thereto. 2. To
ascertain the exact position of the professed liberal M.P.'a
who have not declared themselves in favour
of the League's programme or of household
suffrage for boroughs, unfettered by ratepaying clauses,
and supplemented by a liberal lodger franchise, and in the
event of their declining to assist in demands of this extent,
to take measures for replacing them by more advanced
reformers at the next election." Mr. lienwood seem:Wed
the resolution, and it was carried unanimmudy. Dr. Pettit
introduced a resolution in favour of the calling of a
national convention of reformers connected with the
Reform League, and other reform bodies, and trade
societies, for the purpose of determining what more decided
action should be taken to ensure the full and complete
representation of the people in parliament. The resolu-
tion, after having been seconded. by Mr. Guedalla, was
agreed to.

A meeting of the executive of the National
Reform Union was held on Tuesday night, at Manchester ;
Sir Martell Armitage in the chair. Mr. Alderman
Rumney pointed out the futility of some of the proposals
of the government. They offered • vote to • man who
hail rki. in a saving% bank, while a man who had money in
another hank, or in n building club, or in co.opillative
stores, or in other good investments, was considered unfit
to vote. Mr. George Wilson said it was a novel thing fur
a government to announce household suffrage, although
not pure and simple, as the basis of a Reform Bill, and he
had no doubt reformers would quite understand in pur-
port, and the good it would do to the cause. After Mr. P.
B. Waters, Mr. J. C. Farn, Mr. Edmd. Ashworth, Rev. A.
Hall, Mr. Jos. Spencer, and other gentlemen, had ad-
dressed the meeting, the following series of resolutions
were moved by Mr. S. C. Kell, of Bradford, seconded by
Mr. T. B. Waters, and carried unanimously :—" That,
having considered the proposals on parliamentary reform
introduced by the government, the executive of the
National Reform Union hereby declares it would have ap-
proved of the principle of household suffrage, as pro-
fessedly admitted by them, had it been household
suffrage pure and simple. That this executive disapproves
of the restrictions of • two years' residence. That this
executive disapproves of the proposed prospective disfran-
chisement of compound householders. That this execu.
tire disapproves of the absence of a lodger franchise. That
this executive disapproves of the high rate of the suffrage
proposed for the counties. That this executive disap-
proves of the proposed redistribution of seats, as being
utterly inadequate to remedy the present anomalies. That
this executive disapproves of a system of dual voting.
That this executive disapproves of all fancy qualification.'
which are offered as substitutes for a genuine extension of
the franchise, or which would open the door to corruption
and abuse. A vote of thanks, moved by Mr. Alderman
Rumney, seconded by Mr. T. B. Waters, and carried by
acclamation, was given to the chairman, and the meeting
terminated at • late hour.

The following resolution has been passed by the
committee of the National Reform Union, Bradford
Branch :—" Having considered the chief propositions sub-
mitted by the Earl of Derby and Mr. Disraeli as the basis
of a reform bill, this committee is of opinion that the ex-
clusion by the government reform bill of householders
paying rates through their landlords, the want of a lodger
franchise, the conferring of second votes in boroughs, the
high rate of suffrage for counties, the omission of the
ballot, and the retention of nomination and small bo-
roughs, leave to reformers no alternative but the unqua-
lified rejection of that measure. This committee therefore
declares ita determined opposition to it, and resolution to
continue with all its power the agitation for household
and lodger suffrage, without ratepaying restrictions, and
with the ballot." Copies of the above have been sent to
the members for the West Riding, the Chancellor of the
Exchequer, and other influential persons.

At a special meeting of the executive committee
of the Reform League, held at the offices, Manchester, on
Tuesday evening, the following resolutions were carried
unanimously :-1. That this executive, having considered
the details of the government Reform Bill, is unanimously
of opinion that it falls far short of the requirement of
the times, that its provisions are vexatious and delusive,
and calculated to produce distrust and dissatisfaction
amongst the working classes of the community. 2. The
personal payment of rates by the occupier is open to very
grave and serious objection, inasmuch as the rates are
paid through the landlord for a large proportion of cottage
property in Manchester, Raiford, and other large towns in
the north. 3. That the two years tenu of residence
for the borough franchise is unjust, and would
be a serious check to working men being placed on
the register whose circumstances necessitate their frequent
removal. 4. That " duality of voting" is lik.-ly to be fol-
lowed by most ernicious effects, and will tend to set class
against class. &. That this executive is of opinion tint
the fancy franchises propounded in the measure are
likely to lead to much corruption, and considers them un-
worthy of countenance by the liberal party. G. That this
executive resolve to petition parliament to reject the
measure on its second rending, and to urge that no reform
bill will be regarded as a settlement of the question,
unless based upon registered residential manhood suffrage
with the protection of the ballot, and that Mr. Thos.
Barley, B. be requested to present the same to the
House of Commons. 7. That each branch of this depart-
ment of the League be urgently desired to call a public
meeting to denounce the government measure and sub.
mit a petition for adoption, covling upon the House of
Commons to reject it on a second reading.

On Tuesday night, a meeting was held in the
Public Hall, Rochdale, under the auspices of the Reform
Union and League, to express at opinion on the measure
of reform offered by the government. Mr. J. F. A.ll-
- was in the chair. The large hall was crowded, and
addresses were delivered by the chairman, the Rev. Mr.
Freestone, the Rev. Mr. Chapman, and other gentlemen.
The following resolutions were passed :—" That, in the
opinion of this meeting, the bill to amend the representa-
tion of the people, which was last night brought forward
in the House of ommons by the Chancellor of the Exche-
quer, is not a genuine reform bill ; that it professes to
give household suffrage, and yet withhold.: the vote from
the great majority of householders ; that some of the
fancy franchises would facilitate the creation of faggot
votes ; that the proposed redistribution of seats is utterly
inadequate ; that the principle of duality of votes is most
unjust, and would so insult and irritate the working
classes that if adopted it would lead to consequences moat
disastrous to the country. That • copy of the foregoing
resolution be forwarded to the Righ, Hon. W. E. (aid-
atone, M.P. ' • Mr. John Bright, M.P. ; and Mr. T. B.
Potter, M.P. ; and this meeting assuring them of its confi-
dence would also urge them to exert their great influence
with the liberal members to oppose the adoption of any
franchise not founded on residence or household occupa-
tion."

This was an appeal from a decision of Vice-Chancellor
Wood removing the names of the Messrs. Elkington from
the list of contributories to the above company. The facts
were as follows :—On the 11th of July, 186 J, the Messrs.
Elkington wrote to a Mr. Hodges, one of the promoters of
the company, then in the course of formation, assenting to
a proposal which had been made to them to supply the
plated goods for the company's hotel to the amount of
3,000/. at 95 per cent. discount ; to take 150 shares in
the company, upon which they were to pay a de-
posit of 10.. a share, provided they should not
be called upon to pay any further calls until
they had received full payment for their account;
and if the company's order .lid not amount to 3,00 W. a
proportionate part of their deposit should he returned to
them. Messrs. Elkington accordingly on the day follow-
ing applied in the usual form for 150 shares, and
agreed to pay a further deposit of lf. 10s. per share
beyond the 10s., and all future calls in respect of the
shares. The Messrs. Elkington paid the deposit of 10s.
per share, and after the incorporation of the company
the Messrs. Elkington received a letter of allotment of the
shares. On the 12th of November following one of their
clerks attended a special board meeting of the directors of
the company, and there made a fresh proposal to the effect
that Messrs. Elkington would supply the goods at a die-
countlof 9st per cent., and that if the order exceeded 3.01101.
they would take a further amount of shares in payment
in proportion to the first. That offer was ac-
cepted by the board, and the Messrs. Elkington
were registered in respect of the above shares
as ordinary shareholders. Upon their shares thus allotted
the Messrs. Elkington paid the furtherdeposit agreed upon,
Lamely, If. ltx per share. Notices of calls were from time
to time sent to Messrs. Elkington, but they always disre-
garded them. No orders for goods were ever given to
Messrs. Elkington. and in the year 1866 the company was
ordered to be wound up.
The Vice-Chancellor decided that the contract to take
the shares was conditional upon their supplying goods to
the company, and as the number of shares to be taken by
them was to be proportionate for the amount of goods sup-
plied, whether more or less than 3,000/., their names
would be taken off she list of contributories. From that
decision the official liquidators appeal.
Mr. E. IC. Kerslake, Q.('., and Mr. W. W. Karsleke ap-
peared in support of the appeal ; Mr. De Gex,Q.C., and
Mr. Caldecott appeared for Messrs. Elkington, and sup-
ported the Vice-Chancellor's decision.
Their lordship* reversed the decision of the Vice-Chan-
cellor, and held that the Messrs. Elkington must be placed
on the list of contributories of the company in respect of
the 150 shares.

COURT OF PROBATE AND DIVORCE.
MARCH 20.
(Before the Judge Ordinary.)
BARER r. BARER AND GRIGG.

Evidence of the respondent's handwriting to the entry
in the register having been given, the Queen's Advocate
admitted that he could not any longer resist the ease of
adultery; but he proceeded to call witnesses to make out
• counter-charge of cruelty against the respondent. A
number of servants and other persons deposed to seeing
him conrtant:y drunk, to hearing him use opprobrious
language to her, and to having witnessed various acts of
violence, such as striking her, pinching her, and locking
her out of the house. A charwoman named Julia Run-
dell deposed that she had been on three occasions at the
petitioner's house for a fortnight, and that during that
time the servant Eliza Brook was in the habit of sleeping
in his room. In cross-examination it was suggested that the
captain was ill, that Brook was wanted to nurse her mas-
ter, and that the witness had been engaged to do her
work ; but she said that there was nothing the matter with
the petitioner but drink: that, in fact, be was " on the spree,"
and that witness was hired in order that he might enjoy
the society of Brook.
At the conclusion of the respondent's case the court ad-
journed.

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

NORFOLK CIRCUIT.— Cammetrica, bLutcu 19.

Ceowit Covar. —.Before Mr. Baron Martin.)

Henry Haste Pearmm, described as a doctor of medi-
cine, was charged with poisoning two horses, the property
of George Samuel Hall, a solicitor, practising at Ely.
Front the position of the parties and the extraordinary
circumstances of the case this trial appeared to create an
unusual amount of interest, and the body of the court and
the bench were densely crowded.
Mr. Keane, Q.C., and Mr. Metcalfe appeared for the
prosecution ; Mr. O'Malley, 4.1. C., and Mr. Naylor
defended the prisoner.
The facts of this extmonlinary case arc shortly as fol-
lows :—The prosecutor, Mr. Hall, is a solicitor resi-
ding at Ely, and the prisoner, who is a phjsi-
clan in good practice, lived close by, and they
appear to have been on the most friendly terms.
On the 21st of January last Mr. Hall and his head clerk
were away front home, and the junior clerk was left in
charge of the office. At about 12 o'clock the prisoner
called at the office and inquired for Mr. Hall, and on
hearing that he was out lie gave the clerk a bill for him.
He then inquired if the groom was at home, and on being
informed that he was in the yard he went out. It ap-
peared that the groom was not at that time on the pre-
mises, but about ten minutes after the prisoner left the
office the clerk had occasion to go into the yard, and he
then saw the prisoner come out of the stable, where were
three horses, one, a bay one, being very vicious. The
prisoner spoke to the clerk about some fowls in the yard,
and it appeared that he had been in the habit of MO*.
atonally going into the prosecutor's yard to look at his
fowls, but he bad never been seen in the stable before.
At five o'clock that evening two of the horses in
that stable were found to be dead, the bay hone being
perfectly well. There was no bran on the prosecutor's
premises, and none had been given to his horses by any
of his servants, but a small quantity of wet bran was
found in the mangers of the dead horses, and in that bran
and in the viscera of the horses was found a large quantity
of crystallised strychnine, leaving no doubt but that the
horses were killed by that poison. A lad in the prisoner's
employment was called, who stated that on the morning of
the day in question he was sent by the prisoner for some
bran, and that he got about a double handful. He gave
it to the prisoner in the scullery in the presence of the
cook, and the prisoner told hint to wet it in the bowl on
the sink, as he wanted it for a poultice. The prisoner
then took it to his room. In the prisoner's case of
poisons was subsequently found a bottle of crystallised
strychnine, to which were adhering several particles of
bran. It appeared that about nine days before the death
of the horses a sow and dog belonging to the prosecutor
had been poisoned, and the prisoner had made a post-
mortem examination of the sow, and given it as his
opinion that it had been poisoned with strychnine. On
the death of the horses he was sent for, and at once said
that they had also been poisoned by strychnine, end he
pointed out some crystals in the bran, and advised the
prosecutor to take charge of it and send it to a medical
man to be analysed. No motive was suggested for the
commission of such a crime, but on the contrary it ap-
peared that the prosecutor and the prisoner had for some
years lived on intimate and most friendly terms.
Mr. O'Malley addressed the jury at considerable length,
contending that in the absence of any motive it was almost
incredible that the prisoner could have been guilty of such
an offence, and that he could have acted in such an open
manner.

The jury retired to consider their verdict, and after an
absence of about an hour returned a verdict of (Istiltx.

The prisoner was .entenoed to five years' penal ser-
vitude.

(Before Mr. Justice Wilke.)
Charles Ellis was charged with send•
an infernal
machine, with intent to do grievous bodily, , to Mr.
and Mrs. Ellis, of Little Abington.
THE THREATENED STRIKE or THE ENGINE Mr. Metcalfe and Mr. Cockerell appeared for the prose-
DRIVERB.—Since the subject was mentioned in the House cution ; Mr. Naylor and Mr. Maly defended the prisoner.
of Commons last week, several conferences have been held It appeared that considerable ill-feeling had existed
among railway directors, with the view of amicably settling between the prisoner and Mr. and Mrs. Ellis, who are his
the differences of the moo, but with what result is not yet father and mother-in-law, he having charged them with
stated. There is reason, however, to believe that met of making away with some property. On the day in quec-
the companies are unanimous in favour of an increase of Lion a deal box was found by a boy named Westley on his
wages to the scale asked for, and that the reduced hours father's doorstep. He thought that it had been brought
of labour will be generally conceded. The announcement from Cambridge by the carrier, but on his making in-
in the house that the present threatened strike would quiries he found that it had not. The box was directed
be a fit object for the commission now sitting to Mr. Ellis, Abington, but the address was not in the pri-
on trades unions has been hailed with much soner's handwriting. The boy took the box to the pro-
satisfaction by the men. To-day and to-morrow depute- secutor's cottage, and Mrs. Ellis, not knowing what it was,
tions will wait on the directors of several of the coin- sent it on to a neighbour to be opened. The neighbour,
ponies, and it is expected that the agitation will be finally who moan old woman, cut the string; and immediately on
settled by the end of next week. A. general meeting of her so doing there followed an explosion, accompanied by
the members of all the London branches of the Engine smoke and a strong smell of gunpowder. On making an
Drivers' and Firemen's Society is called for this evening, examination it was found that the box contained a pistol,
It is understood that the engine drivers and firemen of the which was fixed so as topoint directlyat anypenonstanding
London, Chathiuu, and Dover Railway Company have not in front of the box. A string was passed from the trigger
thought it necessary to memorialise the directors, as they round an ordinary cotton reel and attached to the front
are already paid on a liberal scale, and are not over- part of the lid of the box, so that as soon as the lid was
worked• raised the pistol went of. The old woman was luckily
CRYSTAL PALACE, Owi MULLES. DAT.— standing behind the box when she opened it, and therefore
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20.—Admiseions C. payment,6s2; was not injured, but a number of slugs were found in the
ditto. by Demon tickets, 1,428. Total visitors, 2,080. wall of the room, showing that the pistol was loaded. The
THS POPE'S HEALTH RESTORED BY Do BARRY'S prisoner's house was searched, and in it were found slugs
FOOD, 1191 IinvALINTA ARAMCA.—Cure No. 61,413.-- Rome, and wadding exactl corresponding with those picked up
o
July 21, Ma. The health of the Holy Father is excellent, eve-in the old woman's house, a cotton reel by the same maker
cially sham abandoning all other remedies, he has lived entirely as that in the box, a file which had been sharpened and
upon Du Barrys Food, and his Holiness cannot praise this excel. exactly corresponded with holes in the box, a wadding
lent food too highly."—Gmette du Mtell—lAdvertlietuent. punch which exactly fitted the pistol, and a chisel which
HEALTH RESTORED BY Do BARRY'S FOOD TO THE fitted some marks on the stock of the pistol.
IPTOSACIt nerves, tunes, and liver. owing 4/WPM (bidiree- I The jury found the prisoner Guilty, and Mr. Justice
ton`, constipation, llarrhom aridity, palpitation, sleeplessmis. I Willa., after remarking on the serious nature of the
debility, wasting, cough, asthma, fevers, consumption, low offence, sentenced the prisoner to ten years' penal ser-
spirits, 60.000 annual mum which had resisted all medicines, in.
eluding that of his Holiness the Pope. elm No. 1,7:1.—Lord
Stuart de Denies, of many years of dyspepsia : No. 62,316.—The Borah Porter was charged with the wilful murder of her
Marchioness of 13Mhan, of seven years' Indescribable agony from illegitimate child, aged one month, at Littleport, on the
dyspepsia. nervousness, low spurts, direr disorder, and wasting 27th of November last.
away—Tins, at Is. li.l ; lib., Is Yd.: : 40a —Du I Mr. Metcalfe and Mr. Abdy appeared for the present-
Harry and Co., 77, Regent-street, London ; also at Fortnum sad tion • Mr Naylor defended the on ner
Illasou'e; and at 61, Orstoachurehotreet ; 4, Cheapelde . 63 and • - • •
160, Oxfordatreet. Important Caution.—Beware of the many I The prisoner is about 20 years of age, and the daug ter
unsavoury and more than sloppy imitations to whkh, without of a labourer at Littleport. She had been in serried in
authority, Baron Whig's name is moat audaciously atta,hol— I London. and was returning home, when she stopped at the
(Advertisement] Ely union, and on the 3rd November was delivered of a