The Sun.
London, England, 1859-03-04 00:00:00

" To the Inhabitants of Southampton.

" An important question is before us.
" Is Lord Chelmsford, or any other Lord Chancellor, to
be permitted to subvert the magisterial bench to political
purposes without a strong and emphatic public protest ? If
so, the people of Southampton cannot possess the integrity
of principle and determined will for which I believe they
have the credit.

" The recent appointments of violent political partisans,
here and elsewhere, have been no less an outrage to public
opinion than a mockery of that which every Englishman
should be proud to defend, justice.
" Qualification for an almost sacred office is evidently be-
neath Lord Chelmsford's consideration, as manifested by ono
of the new names announced only to-day. The antecedents
in connection with this name are well known to be of such
a character as to entirely disqualify him from filling any
judicial position.
" To say nothing of his having been already twice dis-
graced by his sovereign for refusing to respond to his coun-
try's call, he has on various occasions displayed a violence
of temper hardly to be surpassed, which has within the last
few weeks, as seen by the accounts in the local papers, neces-
sitated his being tried before a neighbouring bench of magis-
trates, and convicted of one of the most outrageous assaults
on as aged man ever committed. So great were the injuries
the poor old man sustained that the offence only narrowly
escaped being tried fO'r the greater crime of manslaughter.
" That Southampton can permit such a man to retain,
unopposed, judicial authority, I cannot believe. No 1 Such
iniquity will not be tolerated. " JUSTITIA.
Southampton, July 24, 1858."
John Waterhouse, a bill distributor, was found
delivering these bills, and committed for trial, but
subsequently he was admitted to bail. A few days
since he apologised to Captain Engledue for his
share in the matter, gave up the names of those
whom he understood had been concerned, and im-
plicated Bungay, who was apprehended and com-
mitted on Saturday last. Bungay had employed
Waterhouse to deliver 400 of these handbills, stat-
ing that they had been sent to him for that pur-
pose.
The prisoner, by the advice of counsel, pleaded
guilty.
Mr. Prideaux expressed, on behalf of the prisoner,
his most unqualified regret that he had allowed
himself to be made the medium—he was nothing
more—of circulating a libel which no doubt must
have been very painful to the feelings of the pro-
secutor, Capt. Engledue. Capt. Engledue was a
gentleman who had for some years taken an active
part on the Conservative side at Southampton, and
the defendant being a man of strong political feel-
ing on the other side, was made the medium of cir-
culating this libel. He felt and believed at the time
that he was doing nothing further than circulating a
fair political squib, but he now felt that it was one
calculated most painfully to reflect upon the prose-
cutor. It had been demanded on the other side
that he should also give up the name of the author,
The defendant was not in a position to give up the
author's name, and if he were he possibly might
feel that it would be scarcely consistent for him to
do so. He (Mr. Prideaux) was prepared to relieve
Capt. Engledue of all anxiety on that account with-
out the intervention of the defendant. The author
being also a gentleman of strong political feeling,
and having reason himself to feel aggrieved
with some strong language which Capt. Engledue
had on a previous occasion used at a meeting of
governors of the infirmary at Southampton, felt it
scarcely fair that lie should have to express his un-
qualified regret unless Capt. Engledue on his part
would also express his regret that he had used the
language he did at the meeting of governors of the
infirmary. Capt. Engledue, in a manner which
gave him great credit, expressed through Mr. Slade
his deep regret that he should have allowed himself
to use such language. He was therefore instructed
on behalf of Dr. Hearne, to express his sincere and
unqualified sorrow and regret that, influenced by
strong political feeling, and stimulated perhaps in
some degree by a sense of the injury he felt he had
received at the hands of Capt. Engledue, he had
allowed himself in a moment of irritation to be the
author of this libel.

Mr. Slade apologised on the other side, but de-