The Express.
London, England, 1866-05-29 00:00:00

AMENDMENTS TO THE REFORM BILL.

Last evening notice was given of further amend-
ments on the motion for going into committee on the above
bill.

Sir A. Buller intends to move that, in the opinion of this
house, in the event of the adoption of any scheme of
grouping already represented boroughs, the question
whether any borough shall be grouped or not shall depend
rather upon the number of electors in such borough than
upon its general population.

Mr. Goldsinial proposes to move " that this house is of
opinion that, if the proposal of the government to group
boroughs having, according to the census of 11461, a popu-
lation of less than R,OOO be adopted, it is expedient that all
boroughs which then had a population above 8,000, but
under 10,000, and which return two members, should
henceforth return oneonly; anal that all groups of boroughs.
the combined population of which, according to the said
census, was above 10,000, should in future return two
members to this house."

In committee Sir Rainsld Knightley will move clauses
to the effect that in every case in which manifest corrup-
tion or bribery shall be proved to have occurred in the
election of any member or members to sit in parliament
for any city or borough, the seat or seats for such city or
borough shall be transferred to the county.

Sir Lawrance Palk at the end of clause 3 will move to
add, " That as there are many town/ rapidly increasing in
wealth and population, and containing, by the last census,
upwards of 16,000 inhabitants, it is not expedient to
diminish the number of seats at present existing in Eng-
land."

Mr. Foley intends to move that a member be given to
West Bromwich, with the adjoining towns of Tipton and
Wednesbury ; and that if a seat cannot be allotted for
West Bromwich from places proposed to be disfranchiaed
by the bill, that one member be taken from the borough of
Tavistock for the purpose.

STRAVCE SUICIDE OP A DOMESTIC SERVANT.

INQuEsT.7 (THIS DAY.)

This forenoon, Mr. John Humphreys, coroner,
held an inquiry at the Sir George Osborne's Head Tavern,
Prince-street, Spitalfields, relative to the suicide of Ann
Williams, aged 17 years.
Mr. Jane 'Bird, wife of the landlord of the Sir George
Osborne's Head, said that deceased was her servant, and
on Friday evening last witness discovered that she
had been in the habit of buying cheap milk at
Sd. a quart, instead of the best at 4.1. a quart,
and I keeping the difference in price. She had
been 'peel/illy told to get the best, as it wee wanted
for Mr. pird, who was ill. When the milk-girl told the
fact deceased shook her head at her, bat she did not deny
it, and upon witness saying that she was surprised at her
doing such a thing for a penny, which she could have got
for the asking, she turned away very sulky. Witness
being very partial to her did not discharge her or say any-
thing more.
Mr. John Bird said that on the evening in question,
between 9 and 110 o'clock, he heard the water running
over from the butts in the yard. He went out and found
the deceased head downwards in the larger water-butt.
He called some persons out of the parlour, who extricated
the body, but life was quite extinct. She must have
climbed on the lower butt, and by standing on it reached
the larger one.
Mr. A. M. Champneys, M.R.C.S., said that he was
called in, and every effort was made to resuscitate the de-
ceased, but without avail. She had fallen upon a spike of
wood plugging a hole in the bottom of the waterbutt.
Ellen Stubbings, a married sister of the deceased, said
that she never made any complaints of her place, but
always gave her mistress a good character.
The Coroner said that it was quite in accordance with
modern practice for the servant to give her mistress a
character.; it would be satisfactory to Mrs. Bird to know
that the character she got was a good one. No doubt the
shame of being detected in a petty theft haa acted upon
deceased's mind, and caused her to destroy her life.
The jury returned a verdict of " Suicide while in a state
of unsound mind."