The Sun.
London, England, 1859-12-08 00:00:00

justice be done. If the magistrates of Norwich were
afraid to do their duty, let the matter be taken out
of their hands, and it be transferred to a higher
power. Mr. J. J. Colman seconded the amend-
ment, and, recapituating the course which the pro-
ceedings instituted had taken—proceedings with
which the public are familiar, as they have been
copiously repotel. in The Sztn—said he feared
persons of higher station than either Mr. Croxford
or Mr. Collins were concerned in the matter.
Pressed by the Conservatives to name the indivi-
duals to whom he referred, Mr. Colman replied
" Sir Samuel Bignold and Mr. Harvey." Sir S.
Bignold, with considerable warmth, said Mr. Col-
man had grossly insulted him withour having a
tittle of evidence to sustain his statement. He must
call upon Mr.• Colman to state the grounds upon
which he sought. to implicate him (Sir S. Bignold)
in the matter. As all the world knew his connec-
tion with railways, insurance offices, &c., led him
(Sir S. Bignold) frequently to the Norwich banks,
at all of which he kept accounts ; and the fact that
he was at Mr. Harvey's bank on the 9th of Novem-
ber was quite consistent with his not being in any
way implicated in the alleged attempt to bribe
Mr. Fox. lie defied Mr. Colman, or any one else,
to implicate him in any way, closely or remotely,
in the transaction. Mr. Colman said the proceed-
ings, then, ought to go on, that gentlemen occupy-
ing -a high .station in the neighbourhood might
have an opportunity of vindicating themselves. Mr.
Druery, on the part of the Conservatives, tauntedthe
Liberals with having obtained their ascendancy in
1835 by bribery, and,. referring to Mr. Harvey,
stated that all the money transactions connected
with the election of Lord Bury and Mr. Schneider,
the late Liberal (unseated) members, passed through
that gentleman's bank. Mr. Druery also urged
that if the council were sincere in their crusade
against bribery they should adopt the suggestion of
Lord Brougham, and endeavour to have it made
felony ; the stone would then be set rolling, other
cities would take the matter up, and some
good might be done ; but at present there was only
a mummery of purity bandied about from side to
side, There could be no objection to private indi-
viduals taking proceedings at their own expense,
but let them not dip into the city purse for such a
purpose. This argument was repeated by several
other Conservative councillors, but after further
discussion pro and con, personalities and very acri-
monious observations being indulged in, the Mayor
said he had heard nothing with reference to the
alleged attempt to bribe Mr. Fox to show that no
crime had been committed ; and, therefore, he should
decline to put the resolution submitted by Mr.
Reeve, as it had a tendency to compound a crimi-
nal offence. Mr. Reeve strongly commented on this
proceeding, remarking thit if the Mayor refused
to do his duty, he and his friends would call
upon him to leave the chair. Several Coun-
cillors insisted on the Mayor being bound to
put the motion, after he had once consented to
convene a meeting specially to consider it. Even-
tually, Mr. Reeve altered his motion, so that it
simply tended to rescind the order passed at a
previous meeting for instituting proceedings.
Mr, Gibson withdrew his amendment ; but Mr.
Young moved, and Mr. Bacon seconded, a direct
negative to the amended resolution. A division
was then taken, and Mr. Reeve's motion was car-
ried by 28 votes to 19—Sir S. Bignold, Sir W.
Foster, and Mr. W. Wilde, jun. (against whom in-
formations have been preferred for bribery at the
general election), voting with the majority. Mat-
ters will not end here, a large number of the Liberals
having determined to continue the inquiry by means
of a private subscription. The city is greatly ex-
cited on the subject, and it will be difficult to calm
the troubled waters. The adjourned inquiry is,
according to the arrangement made a fortnight
since, to be proceeded with before the local magis-
trates to.day (Thursday); but further delay will
probably now take place.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE Dec. 7.

MANSION-HOUSE.--James Powers, 26, was
charged with committing a rape upon the person
of Hannah Percival, in the warehouse of her em-
ployers, Messrs. Chavasse and Co., iron bedstead
makers, 10, Upper Thames-street, on the 18th of
November last. _ _

Hannah 'Percival, a neat-looking girl, with an
ample show of crinoline, said—l live at 16, Little
Trinity-lane, City, with my mother, and am 16
years old on Saturday. I have worked for about
three months at Messrs. Chavasges, Horseshoe
Wharf, Upper Thames-street, where the prisoner
was employed as foreman. The warehouse is
close to the river. I was on the second floor, and
my duty was to wrap up bedsteads. There were
about six othcr girls, employed there, and two or
three married women. We went at nine in the
morning and stayed till six in the evening ; and
the prisoner, who used to put out the light himself,
told me, soon after I first went there, to stay after
the other girls were gone to put the fire out. A
fortnight ago last Friday I put out the fire, and
went down stairs with a candle to show the pri-
soner a light. The door of the first floor was open,
and he put the key into the lock, and pushed the
door to, and caught hold of my hands without sav-_
ing anything, but afterwards pushed me 49;ainst
the wainscoting, pulled up my clothes, ana said I
must oblige him. I could not get away 'from him,
although I struggled and called out ;several times,
and he succeeded in his object. (She here described
the perpetration of the offence.) After doing it, he
said, " This is the first time." I made no answer,
but went down stairs and went home to my mother.
I did not tell my mother that night, nor the next
morning ; nor did I tell my sister, who is a married
woman, and works in the same warehouse. The first
person I told was Mrs. Dawson, who also works
there, and I did not tell her till the prisoner had re-
peated the offence. I went to work the next
morning without saying a word to anybody, as
I did riot like to speak about it. On the
Friday following, while the other girls were
gone to dinner, I took the prisoner his dinner,
and he threw me down on a bedstead, and again
had connexion with me against my will. I strug-
gled with him, and as he was pulling me along my
dress got torn against the bedstead. Afterwards I
went home to dinner, but did not say anything about
it to my mother: Next day, which was Saturday,
I told Mrs. Dawson about it, and last Friday I told
my sister. Mrs. Dawson examined my linen, but
I did not show it to my mother or to anybody else.
On the Wednesday after the second Friday he threw
me across a plank in his counting-house, and com-
mitted the offence a third time. That was in the
evening. I did not notice the time particularly,
but the other girls were gone. Last Saturday he
asked me to say nothing about it, and if any one
said anythini, about it, to deny it ; for he said it
was very hard if he could not have a lark without
having it talked about in the. warehouse.
Mr. Goodman (chief clerk)—Are you sure that he
did all this against your consent ?
Witness—Yes, quite.
Mr. Goodman—Did your mother notice that any-
thing was the matter with you ?
Witness—Yes, after the second time she noticed
that I looked very heavy with sleep, and she asked
me if anything was the matter with me.
Mr. Goodman—Well, what did you tell her ?
Witness—l told her there was nothing the mat-
ter.

Mr. Goodman—Why did you tell her that ? Why
did `•ou not tell her the truth ?
Witness—l did not like to.
Mr. Goodman—But if it was done against your
will, why should you not like to tell her ?
Witness—Why, I was afraid she would throw
the blame upon me. My sister told my mother last
Friday, and on Saturday I went with my mother
to the station-house. I have been examined by 4
medical man to-day.
Mr. William Costall May, surgeon, 13, Great
Trinity-lane, deposed that he had that morning
examined the girl Percival, and had found no marks
of violence. Since the 18th November marks of

violence might have disappeared.
Elizabeth Dawson, a married woman, deposed
that she worked at Messrs. Chavasse's factory,
and had never seen any impropriety on the
part of the prisoner towards the girl Percival,
who, however, told her a fortnight or three
weeks ago, that the prisoner had had connexion
with her three or four times, but never showen her
her linen. Witness told the prisoner of it, who
immediately called Percival up to the table, and
said, " Hannah, how came you to say this cruel
thing of me 9" She made no reply, and he asked her
again, upon which she said, " No, sir ; you only
tried to do it." On Saturday night witness met
Percival's mother, who told her to ask the prisoner
for some money, and she would say nothing about
it. Witness asked Mr. Powers, who said he was
not guilty of it, and would not give her a shilling.
Witucss told the mother, who then said she would
give him into custody.
Mr. Goodman u have seen nothing between
them 3-ourself ?

Wi ness—No, only last Wednesday or Thursday
I saw Percival givr him a very imprudent book,
called " Fanny Hill." She had brought it there as
her own, and lent it to a girl named Sewell. She
took it from Sewell's hands and gave it to the pri-
soner. I had heard of this affair a fortnight before.•
Maria Bradley—l am a married woman, and am-
sister to the proseentrix. I work at the warehouse.
When I heard some of the girls talk about this
affair last Friday; I did not believe it, and I asked
her if it was true. Then she told me that the pr!-
saner had ruined her. She said he came out of. his
counting-home and caught hold of her as she was
showing him a light down stairs, and that as she
was calling out, he said it was of no use hallooing,