The Express.
London, England, 1857-03-17 00:00:00

THE CASE OP MR. W. H. BARBER.

DEPUTATION TO LORD PALMERSTON.
Yesterday morning a deputation, consisting of Sir
Fitzroy Kelly M.P., Mr. Cobderif.P., Mr. F. Crossley,
M.l'., Mr. Ifesdiam, M.P., Mr. 'cant Ballantine, Mr.
Serjeant Parry, Mr. C. W. Dilke, r. W. Wills, the Rev,
J. 0. Wood, Mr. N. Gedge, Mr. R. Lane, and other gentle-
men, waited upon Lord Palmerston at Cambridge House,
for the purpose of laying before his lordship a claim to com-
pensation by Mr. William Henry Barber, the solicitor, whose
case, to connexion with certain will and other forgeries some
years apro, is well known to the public.
Sir k.
KELLY Mated to his lordship that in 1841 Mr.
Barber, who was then a solicitor in good practice, became
professionally connected with a man named Fletcher, for
whom ho did a considerable amount of legal business. This
man Fletcher was in the habit of ascertaining from the Bank
of Ragland 'rulers of unclaimed stock, and then inform-
lir who were entitled to it of the fact, receiving a
far hie trouble on the amount secured. Subse-
quietly Inalslatr forged the names of persona who were en-
titled to GI Mock, and in some cases villa where the persons
were dsessamd. Barber trensacted the legal portion of the
business Am Wm, but woo not aware of the frauds which
were Was committed. On an investigation taking
disroveries of &arida to a large amount were and
the result was that Fletcher and Barber Welt tried at the
Old Bailey together. Barber's counsel were very anxious
that he should be tried separately, in order that Fletcher
and other partial to the transaction might be called as wit-
nesses• but this the Attorney• General (the present Lord
Chief Baron) refused. They were found guilty, and trans-
ported for life. Barber wee sent to Norfolk Island, where
he endured every imaginable kind of torment. Some of the
attends there, hearing of the nature of his c.ae, made in-
quiries into it, and made representations which induced Sir
George Grey, the then Home Secretary, to grant a condi-
tional pardon, the condition being that Mr. Barber should
not come into Great Britain. He wandered about the conti-
nent until Lord Normanby took up his cam, and he received
a full pardon. For many years after the Court of Queen's
Bench refused him permission to practise, but at length that
right baa been yielded. Mr. Barber had suffered so much
that the deputation thought he was entitled to compensation,
more especially as the Ott*, who worn the prosecutors, had
made so grievous a mistake.
&demi. Parry and Ballantins, Mr. lleadlam, M.P., Mr.
Gedge, and other gentlemen, having urged Mr. Barber's
claims,
Lord PALWIIISION said he could not see that the govern-
ment had been wrong; or how the judges, the jury, the
courts of law, or the crown could have taken any other
course. It was certainly a greet misfortune that Mr.
Barber had been mixed up with such bad company, and
that he had not exercised more precaution. It woe a rather
novel course to apply ler compensation in such a case, and
the way in which such a request could he iicieded to was
not quite obvious. On the spur of the moment he could not
my what hr mull do, but he would consult hie colleagues
upon the subject.
Mr. Cnosster, M.P., assured Ilia lordship that in the
north of England, with which he wile connected as a manu-
facturer, and amongst members of the House of Commons,_
there wan is very strung opinion that Mr. Barber should be
compensated.
After some farther conversation, the deputation with-

A letter from tb:e Crimea states that measures
have been tam le: "spelling it the spring the towns which
suffered from tbtl late war, and eepecially Kutch, Eupatoria,
mid Sebaat:pol. The materials for the repnra are to be ob-
Wird gem Odessa and Nieoll'eff. The latter town is now
eentie of the difil.roat branches of the administration of
Southern Hurls.