The Sun.
London, England, 1859-05-10 00:00:00

1 Total ..
LIBERAL LOSSES.
COUNTIES. -

South Durham ..
East Norfolk ..
South Wiltshire • •
South Warwickshire ..
South Lancashire ..
South Essex
West Kent

Total ..
LIBERAL GAINS.
COUNTIES.

Berks .. .. ..
South Lincolnshire ..
Berwickshire .. ..
South Derbyshire ..

Total

Total Liberal losses
Loss Liberal gains

.. 1

• • 1

.. 1

.. 1

, , 2

.. 1

.. 9

.. 1

.. 1

.. 1

.. 1

. . 38
. . 20

Conservative gains .. .. 16
MEMBERS RETURNED —591.
Liberals ..324
Conservatives —275

Majority against Government 49

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.—May 9.

THE QUEEN V. WILLIAM NEWTON.

This was an indictment against the defendant
for libel, the prosecution being instituted by Dr.
Godfrey, the defendant in an action for seduction of
a very extraordinary character, which lasted seve-
ral days in the Court of Queen's Bench, the present
prosecutor ultimately having a verdict in his favour.
The prosecution arose out of an article published in
a newspaper circulating at the east end of the town,
having reference to this trial. The bill was found
at the last session, and the defendant had since put
in a special plea, justifying the libel on the ground
of it being true.
Sergeant Parry was specially retained, with Mr.
Tindal Atkinson and Mr. Poland, to conduct the
prosecution ; Sergeant Ballantine, who was also
specially retained, Mr. Sleigh, and Mr. Gifford,
were counsel for the defendant.

Sergeant Ballantine made an application to post-
pone the trial to the next session on behalf of the
defendant, the ground of the application being that
it was found impossible to procure the attendance
of a witness named in the plea at this session,
whose evidence was considered to be very material
for the defence. An affidavit to that effect was
handed to the court, and also a counter affidavit on
behalf of the prosecution. It was agreed between
the learned counsel on both sides that no comments
should be made in reference to the case, and that
the question of the postponement of the trial should
be left entirely in the hands of the court.

Sergeant Ballantine, in answer to a question put
by the Recorder, said that it was undoubtedly very
material to the inquiry that the witness ,lamed in
the plea should be in attendance, and he believed
that by the next session she would be present.
Sergeant Parry said he concurred with his learned
friend in thinking that it was very important the
witness referred to should be present, and Dr. God-
frey was most anxious that she should be examined,
and on his part he should therefore offer no opposi-
tion to the postponement of the trial, as all that
Dr. Godfrey desired was that the truth should be
made known.

The Recorder said that as the prosecutor consented
to the postponement of the trial, and a very impor-
tant question of character was involved in the in-
quiry, upon which the evidence of the absent
witness would be most material, he thought the
better course would be to grant the application for
postponement.
The case will consequently stand for the Tune
session.

Alfred Williams, 49, was indicted for misde-
meanour, in having obtained money by false
prz. tences.
Mr. Poland prosecuted ; Mr. Sleigh was counsel
for the defendant.

This was a prosecution instituted by the
Mendicity Society, and the evidence went to show
that the defendant had been carrying on a very
extensive system of plunder upon the charitable
portion of the community.
Mr. Aldous, a gentleman residing in Soho-square,
said that the defendant called upon him, and
represented himself to be Dr. Felix Arnold, of
Baliol College, Oxford, and that he had just arrived
in London by the train, and was short of cash to
take him home. The prisoner had the appearance
of a gentleman, and he succeeded in disarming his
suspicion, and he gave him 10s., and the prisoner
promised to send him a post-office order for the
amount on the following day, but he never heard
anything of him until he was in custody.
Mr. Freeman, an iron -merchant, in Cannon-street,
said the prisoner called on him on the 21st January,
and after apologising for the intrusion, told him
that he bad just arrived from Edinburgh by the
steamboat, and that he was short'of cash to convey
him to Low Moor, in Yorkshire, where he resided,
and he wished for assistance to enable him to reach
his destination. Witness told him he had been so
often imposed upon that he was compelled to be
cautious, but he had so much the appearance and
manners of a gentleman that he felt some delicacy
in asking him for some confirmation of his story,
and he then said that he was well known to Mr
Wickham, the member for Bradford, and to the
clergyman of Low Moor, whose name he
mentioned, and with whom witness was ac-
quainted, and he added that he did not like
to go into a pawnbroker's shop to pledge his
watch, but lie was willing to leave it with him as
security. The prisoner said he only wanted £l, as
that would be sufficient to take him home by the
third class train, but witness said that it must be
unpleasant for a gentleman to travel by such a
conveyance, and gave him two sovereigns, the pri-
soner, when he received the money, assuring him,
on the word of a man of honour and a Christian,
that he would remit him the amount the moment
he got home.
Another case of a similar character was gone
into, and it appeared that when the prisoner was
taken into custody a number of what are called in
slang phraseology " tickets" were found upon him,
containing the names of persons well known in dif-
ferent localities in all parts of the country, to whom
fraudulent persons might make reference in case of
necessity.
Mr. Sleigh said he had watched the case, and he
felt it was hopeless to offer any defence, and the
jury therefore at once returned a verdict of guilty.
The Recorder, in passing, sentence, observed that
proceedings like those of which the prisoner had
been guilty were calculated to entirely dry up the
springs of charity ; and he ordered him to be kept
to hard labour fcr 18 months.