The Sun.
London, England, 1853-08-27 00:00:00

All " misogynists"—all who cultivate the an-
cient and manly amusements of insulting and as-
saulting -Unprotected females, must for the future
exercise a careful discrimination in selecting the
localities in which they intend to indulge their
laudable propensities. In some districts the sport
is expensive and even perilous. There are, un-
fortunately, magistrates who, like that spiritless
" mum.," are incapable of appreciating the
rare enjoyment afforded by the exercise--who,
not contented with mulcting the playful assailant
of his wife or mistress, or any feminine strangers,
in the highest pecuniary penalty sanctioned by law,
actually send him to durance vile for several
months—there to learn from the strongest lessons
of the " circumgyratory reformer of manners,"
that what is sport to him is by no means so agree-
able to his victim, who, with blackened eyes or
toothless mouth, may have suffered permanent in-
jury from the venial escapade. It is, however,
satisfactory to find that there are districts in
which the practices of the " good old times" are
still recognised, and where FITZROY and his tame
enactments are steadily repudiated—where the
luxury can be enjoyed on the most economical
terms, and any man can wallop his own or his
neighbour's spouse, without any risk of having
the flowing honours of his head curtailed by the
" county crop," or being compelled to ascend
" thirty-eight times the height of the Monument
daily," or being fed on a pint of gruel for breakfast
and supper, and three ounces of boiled meat without
bone for dinner—a light and wholesome, though
rather tasteless, diet, calculated to qualify-him for the
active exertions required by the too rapid revolu-
tions of the detestable wheel. Yes, the City is
the place, that paradise of unsavoury odours and
foul smells, where the horrors of defective ventila-
tion are thrown into the shade by the still more
defective drainage. There, worthy misogynists, if
in possession of 20s. sterling, may you revel to
your heart's content. There, may you, for less
than you would be compelled to pay for a turtle
banquet at the London Tavern, if accompanied
by the usual trimmings of iced punch and cham-
pagne, enjoy yourself to your heart's content by
wantonly outraging the feelings of a respectable
married female, and then inflic'zing sundry blows
on herself and her husband. There may you
sturdily refuse any apology for the occurrence,
convinced that 20s. will cover the entire,damage,
and leave you at liberty to " follow your own
vagary," whenever the imp al-e may become too
strong to be resisted.
If any sceptic should doubt the immunity af-
forded in these classic scenes almost " under the
shadow of the grasshopper," let him peruse the
report of the doings at the Mansion-house on
Wednesday, when a person, who said that he was
a wine-merchant, having a place of business
in Mincing-lane, was charged with a gross and
unprovoked assault on a respectable married
female and her husband. The aggrieved lady
had, it appeared, left her husband's protection for
a moment to purchase some cakes for her baby,
at a confectioner's shop in Fenchurch-street.
She possibly thought that in such a locality, at
the most busy hour of the day—between four
and five o'clock in the afternoon—and with her
protector close at hand, she would have been safe
from insult. But she was speedily convinced of
her mistake, and taught a salutary lesson as to
the folly of such an opinion. While returning to
her husband she suddenly found herself " grasped
very improperly and indecently" by the defen-
dant, who said, " How do you do, my dear ?" at
the same time laughing in her face, when she
turned round in astonishment. The husband,
who was a witness to the transaction, immediately
said, " How dare you insult my wife in the
public streets ? Do you think that she is a com-
mon prostitute ?" To which the sportive and
amiable youth replied, " She may be, for what I
know." Thus early evincing a determination to
give no satisfaction for what he himself alleged to
be an accident, although the complainant believed
it to be a wilful and deliberate insult. The un-
reasonable husband did not appear to appreciate tb.e
wit and playfulness of the stranger—he laid finis
hand on his shoulderto detain him until a policema,n
could be found. This was naturally resented.
The defendant struck off his arm, calling him cc a
liar, and a fool," and aiming at him two,
blows, both of which struck the already-injur.ed
woman. When taken to the station-house• he
was asked—not for pecuniary compensati,,,, for
the outrage, but—for " a suitable a- "
This, according to his own statement, lite refuse
pogyd
01.
to give, because, forsooth, " the assa'dlt was acci-
dental." Accidental, indeed, as if A person would
say, " How do you do, my dea-r," by accident ;
or declare unintentionally that a, female might be
a common prostitute " for •what he knew ;" or
call her husband a
indeed, it had been an liar, and a fool." If,
tahlaedslliyghht__ste spark
;of accident, any person with
Was
too
izehap_oL.lo,g, gentlemanly feeling would
apologised. But no, the defendant
ently know th:).l • a man of spirit." Ile appar-
amendemistakence'mo parative impunity. And he was
he might withhold that trifling
20s. (without cos'tZ
cessar.y to say that twheouifin_e was
not
ansuediposseihtsize;d.he
It
was
unfinnee.d
immediately paid.
A wine merchant
thinks proper ;
raising such a sum,
should take
licet havea. no difficulty in
and
frequentethtleie
sportive propensities when
and all others of similar dispose
—enev:r againiti indulge his
the hint to avoid Whitechapel, ,where
even the re.inexor-
able HAMMILL presides,
thoroughfares of the City, where the Lord Ma
will visit their little ebullitions with inthilenrt
leniency, and a sovereign will cover
fusal to make any apology for insult, however
unjustifiable or indefensible it may be.

The Norwich dinner to Messrs. PETO and
WARNER (of which we give a report on another
Ipage) commemorates a triumph which ought to
he instructive to those who promise us a New Re-
form Bill. It foreshadows what may be looked
for with certainty as the prominent feature of the
next election, especially should one be demanded
before the Bill becomes law. In Norwich--Old