The Sun.
London, England, 1847-12-11 00:00:00

THE CASE OF MR. 'WILLIAMS.

Mr. WAKLEY presented a petition from Mrs.
Lucy Williams, complaining of the conduct of one of
the police magistrates. He regretted that the Right
Hon. Baronet the Secretary of State for the Home
Department was not present in order that
the petition might at once be brought
under his notice. The petitioner stated that
her husband had for the last two years occupied
the Coach and Horses public-house, in Drury-lane;
that he was recently summoned before Mr. Jardine, the
sitting magistrate, at Bow-street, for having sold a small
quantity of spirituous liquors before one o'clock on
Sunday. The magistrate convicted him upon the
sole evidence of the policeman, unsupported by any
corroborative evidence, and sentenced him to one
month's imprisonment with hard labour; he also
inflicted upon him a penalty of five pounds. The
petitioner stated that she was advised, and believe
that the, penalty imposed was contrary to law, as
by the 7Ad clause of the Metropolitan Police Act,
under. which the conviction took place, the magistrate
could not impose two penalties for the same offence.
This was the first occasion upon which a licensed
♦ictualler had been sentenced to imprisonment
for the offence of which the petitioner's
husband was charged. It had had the effect of
raining him, and the prospects of his family. The
petition stated that the petitioner had been obliged
to leave the house, and that she was unable to
to carry on the business herself. Her husband was
also treated as a common felon, obliged to wear the
felon's dress, and he was not allowed to hold any com-
munication with her. The case had excited the greatest
sensation among the whole of the licensed victuallers,
and the petitioner prayed that the Secretary of State
would cause an inquiry to be made into the circum-
stances of the case, or appoint a Committee to in-
quire into the same. The Hon. Gentleman gave
notice that he would, on the earliest occasion, move
that the petition be printed with the votes.
WEST GLOUCESTER ELECTION.

Mr. WAKLEY also presented a petition from 130
electors of West Gloucestershire, complain?ng of the in-
terference of Earl Fitzhardinge at the election for West
Gloucestershire, and praying either for the appointment
of a Committee to inquire into the allegations of the
petition, or that it might he referred to the Commit-
tee appointed by the standing orders to
consider the privileges of the House. As the
petition was one that related, in a most material
degree, to the privileges of the House, he
considered he should not be out of order if he entered
some little into detail with respect to the allegations
of the petition. The petitioners stated that they were
electors of West Gloucestershire, and they begged
the House to understand that they dil not live
in feudal times, and were not serfs or bondsmen.—
(Hear, hear.) They considered that the free election
of their representatives was one of the dearest
and most sacred rights of Englishmen, and that
according to the sta.lling orders of the House it
was a high crime and misdemeanour for a Peer of
the realm to interfere with their rights and privileges.
—(Hear.) The petitioners complained of the in-
terference of Earl Fitzhardinge at the election for
`West Gloucestershire, and stated that that Noble Earl
had coerced his tenantry in order to compel them to
vote for Mr. W. Grenville Berkeley, and had also
offered a large pecuniary reward to Mr. Grantley
Berkeley not to offer himself at the last election for
the choice of the electors of West Gloucestershire.
The petitioners also stated that Earl Fitzhardinge had
paid large sums of money for the purchase of votes, and
asserted that great bribery and corruption had taken
place at the late election. f hese were only some of the
allegations contained in the petition, which prayed for
the appointment of a Committee to inquire into the
subject, or that the petition might be referred to the
Committee of the Privileges of the Home. The
Hon. Memb.ir gave notice of his intention, on Mon •
day next, to bring forward the whole subject for the
consideration of the House, and he would, therefore,
move that it be printed with the votes.—(Hear,
hear.)—Agreed to.

RAJA OF SATTARA.
Mr. ANSTY presented a petition from the
Liberty of the Rolls praying for an inquiry into the
case of the late R.sja of Sat:ara.