The Sun.
London, England, 1860-01-26 00:00:00

THE REFORM BILL.

DEPUTATION TO LORD JOHN RUSSELL
(THIS DAY.)

This morning a deputation from the city attended
at the Foreign-office for the purpose of presenting,
to Lord J. Russell a petition, signed by 10,000 in-
habitants, on the subject of Reform in Parliament.
There were present—Col. Sykes, M.P., Mr.
Roupel!, M.P., Mr. J. Caird, M.P., Mr. Whalley,
M.P., Mr. Heywood (formerly M.P. for North Lan-
cashire), Mr. Samuel Morley, Mr. Whitehurst, Mr.
White (formerly M.P. for Plymouth), Messrs.
Baring, Mr. Allan, Mr. R. Higgins, Mr. Heywood.

Mr. R. N Philipps, (Common Councilman), Mr.
Donald Nicoll, Mr. W. Connell (Common Council-
man), Mr. Hodson, and other gentlemen.
When they assembled his lordship's private
secretary entered the room, and stated that Lord
John Russell was confined to his room by a severe
cold, and that he would either receive them on a
future day, or at once if they would proceed to his
house in Chesham-place.

The members of the deputation determined upon
waiting upon his lordship at once, and repaired in
a body to Claeslaam-place, where his lordship gave
them a very courteous reception, and expressed his
regret that be had occasioned them so much
trouble.

The following petition was then read to his

-
lordship :
TO THB HONOURABLE THE COMMONS OT GREAT BRITAIN
AND IRELAND IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLED.
The humble Petition of the imillrsigned Inhabitants of the
City of London,
Sheweth,—That your Petitioners accept with satisfac-
tion the assurance of her Majesty's Ministers that they
will be prepared, in the ensuing session of Parliament, to
introduce a real and honest measure for the amendment of
the laws which relate to the representation of the people.
That, in the judgment of your Petittoners, no measure
will be regarded as a settlement which does not include a
large extension of the suffrage both in counties and in
boroughs; an equitable redistribution of seats in proportion
to the' population and property of the constituencies ; an
assimilation of electoral laws for England, Scotland, and
Ireland; and such protection to to the voter, by means of
ballot, as may arrest that corruption and intimidation
which have been so fearfully prevalent in the late election,
and which threaten to undermine the political institutions
of the country.
In the opinion of your petitioners, these offences should
be visited with more severe and disgraceful punishments,
and conviction be rendered more summary and more easily
attainable than under the present Corrupt Practices Pre-
vention Act.

Your petitioners therefore pray your honourable House
speedily to pass such a measure into law.
And your petitioners will over pray.
- - - -

Mr. S. MORLEY explained at some length the
circumstances under which the petition had been
signed so extensively in the City of London, where
there was an eager desire for a wide and substantial
measure of reform. He then went over the various
points of the petition.

Lord JOHN RUSSELL said that as a representa-
tive of the City of London in the House of Com-
mons, he would gladly take charge of the petition,
and he quite agreed with the petitioners, that
the time had arrived when a substantial
measure of Reform should be submitted for the
consideration of Parliament. He had, in
conjunction with other members of the Cabi-
net prepared a measure which he trusted
would be satisfactory to the country at large. It
was his intention to state the details of this measure
to the House of Commons on the 20th of February,
and the public would have ample means of consi-
dering and discussing it prior 0 its second reading.
At present it would obviously be premature to
state more with regard to it.
After some further conversation the deputation
thanked the noble lord for the courteous reception
he had given them, and retired.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE-(THIS DA Y.)

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

CURIOUS ASSAULT AT "BEN CAUNT'S."—Mr. John
Gill, of 11, Everett-street, Russell-square, appeared to an-
swer a summons, at the instance of Mr. Albert Garrod,
of Eaton-place, for an assault under the following circum-
stances :

Mr. Humphreys, junior, appeared for the complainant and
Mr. Edward Lewis, of Great Marlborough-street, for the
defendant.

The evidence of the complainant, which was rather
lengthy, was to the following effect :—Oa the 16th Dec.,
between one and two in the afternoon, the complainant
went into the house of Mr. Caunt, the Coach and Horses,
St. Martin's-lane, and continued drinking champagne and
other things till between eight and nine, when Mr.tCaunt in-
troduced the defendant to him as Mr. Thompson, a cab pro-
prietor. They then commenced playing at cribbage, at first
for small stakes, and afterwards increasing them till the last
played for was 120 a side. They continued drinking cham-
pagne, and about twelve the complainant said he felt very
ill, as if he had been drugged, and was obliged to leave the
room for a few minutes, and when he returned an alterca-
tion took place, the complainant saying he was too ill to
continue the game, and having during the game seen some-
thing to induce him to believe he had been cheated, he put
his back against the door of the room and refused to allow
the defendant to leave until he called the police. The de-
fendant then seized the complainant by the throat, an d
dragged him from the door and left the house, and that was
the-assault complained of. The stakeholder said if he did
not finish the game he should hand over the stakes to the
defendant, and he did so. He then went to the Vine-street
station and saw Inspector Webb, who now proved that he
had at the time marks on his face and throat.

Mr. Lewis cross-examined the complainant, who said he
was in the habit of playing at cards and going to betting-
houses, and mixing with betting men—that he had been a
lawyers's clerk, and had acquired some property, but not
by betting.

Mr. Lewis addressed the magistrate at some length, and
contended that the assault had been committed in the first
instanoo by the complainant, who had made a prisoner of
the defendant in the room ; and that, had the case been
brought before him as a common assault, he was sure it
was a case the magistrate would not have sent for trial.

Mr. Bingham said he thougiiejuW should decide it,
there being a justification pleaded.
The defendant was then committed for trial at the next
Westminster Sessions, bail in the sum of £lOO being taken.

RES FOR 1860.
VARY.
Derby Spring 23

Warwick Spring 20
Northampton 27
Croxton Park 30

IL.
York Spring 17
Epsom Spring 20
Newmarket F S 23

iiarpond en lB
Epsom
Manchester 3O
Hungerford

Stockbridge 21
Winchester 22
Chelmsford 26
Newcastle 26

Nottingham 17
Stamford
Marlborough 2O
Goodwood 24