The Sun.
London, England, 1860-02-07 00:00:00

THREAT TO MURDER,.

A journeyman joiner, named Thomas Champion,
was charged at Sheffield on Saturday with threa-
tening to blow out the brains of his own wife, and
of Mr. Fewsdale, builder. In December, 1858,
Champion was tried at the assizes at York for at-
tempted murder under these circumstances. He
had been employed by Mr. Fewsdale as foreman,
but owing to alleged tyrannical conduct on his part
Mr. Fewsdale's men struck work, and refused to
resume it under the control of Champion as fore-
man. Being engaged in the erection of a residence
at Sheffield for the Duke of Norfolk, and the work
being urgent, Mr. Fewsdale reluctantly submitted
to the demand of the men, and reduced Champion
to the position of an ordinary journeyman. The
men then refused to work with Champion in any
capacity, And Mr. Fewsdale was under the necessity
of discharging him altogether. Exasperated by
the proceedings of the men Champion procured a
four-barrelled revolver, loaded with ball, went to
Mr. Fewsdale's workshops in the Wicker with it,
shot in the head a man named Grayson, and at-
tempted to shoot a second man, but was seized and
disarmed. The bullet lodged in Grayson's head,
and, after lingering for a long time in a very pre-
carious state, the poor fellow, contrary to all ex-
pectation, recovered so far as to be able to go about.
Of this offence Champion was found guilty, and
sentenced to be imprisoned for 12 months, the
plea set up in his behalf being that he was
maddened by the injustice of his fellow-workmen
when he committed the crime. Mr. Fews-
, dale sympathised with Champion, and ren-
dered him great assistance on his trial. His wife
having been under the necessity of selling all the
furniture, &c., Fewsdale procured her a situation
at the house of his son-in-law, Mr. Craven, during
the incarceration of her husband. Champion's
term of imprisonment expired on the 16th of De-
cember last, and on his return he called on Mr.
Fewsdale to thank him for his kindness, and
applied to him for work. Mr. Fewsdale declined
to employ him again, telling him he had better go
to a distant town. He made several subsequent
applications for work, which, however, Mr. Fews-
dale refused. Owing to a domestic occurrence
Mrs. Champion was unable to leave Mrs. Craven
immediately on the return of her husband, but
arrangements were made for setting her at liberty
in a month. During the month Champion became
very violent, and threatened that if she did not
leave her situation at once and go to live with
him he would shoot her. She became so alarmed
that she dared not go to him, and on the 24th
January he said to Mrs. Keyworth, his wife's
sister. "It's yon chap Fewsdale, that is keeping
her away; I will blow his brains out, and her 'a
too." Mrs. Keyworth said Mr. Fewsdale had been
his best friend. Champion replied, " He's been my
biggest enemy ; that job in the Wicker was 13F.d
enough, but the next will be 50 times wome."
Mrs. Key worth was so alarmed that she g,ave in-
formation to Mr. Fewsdale, who, meeting Cl).am-
pion at the house of one of his workmen, n amed
Wornack, on the 30th of January, said tc, him,
"I understand you have got work." Champion
replied in an excited manner, " You won't give me
any." Mr. Fewsdale then said, " What
do you mean by the threats you are
indulging in ; if you have got anything on your
mind speak out like a man ?" Champion rejoined,
" The Wicker job was bad enough, but it will be
ten times worse next time if I'm hung for it next
day." A man named Corner deposed of having
heard a further threat by Champion, to the effect
that if his wife did not live with him, he -would
make Mr. Fewsdale as "he would not reign long
in the Wicker," and his (Champion's) ife so that

"she would eat neither white bread nor brown."
Champion wishing to call Wornack. as to what
passed in his house, and Wornack being unwilling
to attend, Champion was remanded.

THE ANNEXATION OF SA VO Y TO
FRANCE.

A letter from Paris, dated Feb. 5, says :—Lord
John Russell's statement on Thursday night, that
there was no intention on the part of the Emperor
of the French in July last to propose the annexa-
tion of Savoy to France, would be more satisfactory
had some better authority than M. Walewski's been
given for it. While M. Walewski exercised the
ornamental functions of Minister, had interviews on
fixed days with foreign agents, held receptions,
lived in a palace, and had decorations from foreign
Governments on the signing of postal, commercial,
or politi2al treaties, or telegraphic conventions, he
was still but little acquainted with the Imperial
mind when matters of importance were in contem-
plation. It is known that M. Walewski was, even
after the speech from the Throne on the opening of
the French Chambers last year, apparently unaware
of what was near at hand; and it may be doubted
whether his disbelief that the Emperor meant to
make war in Italy did not last very nearly to the
day he was directed to ask the Legislative Corps
for supplies of men and money for the campaign.
'Whether M. Thou venel will be so innocent rnd so
unconscious a Minister time only can tell. When
we are told that M. Walewski's remarks " were
not explicit" when first asked about Savoy last
summer, it was, perhaps, because it
.was the
first he had heard of it; and when suhiecinently
he " assured_ -the Government—that , their. was no
intention on the part of the Emperor of the
French to propose the annexation in question,"
most probably M. Walewski only expressed what
he believed to be the fact, or repeated what he had
heard. Moreover, seven months have passed since
then ; but if M. Walewski were not now one of the
"ex's," and could repeat officially the same declara-
tion, we should still have doubts so long as we read
the sharp lectures in the Patric to the address of our
unruly protege Victor Emmanuel on the anti-sepa-
ratist movement in Savoy, and which the Paine
would not venture to insert but on authority. I
don't think, then, that those Savoyards who, to use
the words of their owr address to the Governor," are
resolved to remain free under the constitutional
charter which the magnanimous Charles Albert
gave to the nation," will be much comforted by
Lord John Russell's "explanations."

The Prohibitionists still keep up the fight. The
bombardment of petitions is still going on, if not as
intensely as at first, yet sufficiently to keep the be-
sieged en the alert. The petitions offer no variety ;
the theme is still the same as that of the chandlers
and lampmakers of Bastiat. An address from Mul-
house, signed by 19 masters, declares their adhesion
to the great petition of the 20th ult., " Because we
are convinced that so radical a reform of our Cus-
toms' laws would have disastrous consequences for
the great number of our manufacturing establish-
ments, and ruin for ever the prosperity which our
working population now enjoy."
Eleven cotton spinners, ironmasters, tanners, and
curriers of the canton of Massevaux (Haut-Rhin),
adhere on the ground that the contemplated re-
form " would have the most disastrous consequences
for our industry, the well-being of the working
population and the country in general."
Seven master cotton-spinners " do not doubt that
your Majesty, whose high wisdom is proclaimed
everywhere, will take into serious consideration
the demands of the manufacturers as to the mea-
sures announced in your recent letter to the Minis-
ter of State, and that in the modifications you pur-
pose introducing in our Customs' system you will
know how to reconcile the interests of the branches
of industry which are to support the consequences
with the well-being of the working classes for whose
benefit they are meant, and that of the general
prosperity."

Moreover, the Chambers of Commerce of Amiens,
Nancy, Falaise (Calvados), and Vire address peti-
tions to the Emperor in the same sense, and the
Moniteur Induatriel contains two long articles
headed " Conspiracy of Figures" and " Liberalism
of Free Trade," of course against Reform.
Free trade has acquired another defender in the
Avenir Conanercial, a new weekly paper just esta-
blished under the able direction of M. T. N. Ber-
nard, one of the staff of the Sieele, and who will
be powerfully supported by MM. Michel Chevalier,
Woloweki, L. Reybaud, Joseph Gamier, Charles
Dollfus, E. Horn (of the Debate), and other eminent
political economists. The fist number of the Avenir
appears today.

Trade was dull last week both in Paris and in the
departments. Public attention is almost exclusively
occupied in considering the results likely to be pro-
duce& by the great measure of reform announced
by the Emperor. In some quarters great hopes of
prosperity are entertained, while in others the fears
of the operatives seem verging towards a panic.
The population of Lyons, Marseilles, Nantes, Havre,
and Mulhouse are general in their approbation of
the treaty with England, while the manufacturers
of Lille, Rouen, Roubaix, and some manufacturing
towns in the central departments of Franco continue
to petition, to send deputations to Paris, and to
organise a Protectionist agitation.