The Sun.
London, England, 1832-07-19 00:00:00

OXFORD AIZL

ABINGDON, WEDNESDAY, JULY IS.

ittARCM OV AISAULT, WITH INTENT TO COMMIT ♦ lATX.

The followine case came on the first thing this morning
by special appointment. Tt excited the most intense in.
terest. The accused wilt a respect-dile attorney at Reading.
lie was agent to Mr. Haller at the List election, and is
nuw agent for Walter, the present candidate for the county
of Berk..

Mr. C. PHILLIPS, with whom was Mr. CARRINGTON,
stated the case for the prosecution. The complainant in
this case was Harriet Carvill, and although her hus-
band was only a florist and gardner, she was herself
a woman of good education and acquirements, and
CVI9 altigether above her station. The prisoner was
Mr. Weadon, a solicitor of Reading, and up to the
tme of the event occurring, had always borne the
character of an honourable man. The case almost
entirely depended upon the evidence of the lady herself,
~nd he (Mr. Phillips) would therefore call her before the
.Jury, and from her manner and statement they would be
able to judge whether or not the offence had been com-
mitted, or whether she was coming forward to perjure
herself, by making statements necessarily so much to her
shame.

Mrs. Harriet Carvill—ln the summer of last year Mr.
Weedon was employed by my husband as his attorney.
Mr. Weedon came to my house frequently, when my hus-
band was away at his work, as I principally managed the
business in which he was engaged. My husband bad been
unfortunate, and Mr. Weedon had all his affairs in his
hands. I recollect Mr. Weedon coming to my house
with a letter at the latter end of May, before the 25th. I
was in very ill health; he put the letter on the table, and
explained to me the contents; he then began to take liber-
ties with me—(the witness here described the first attempt
stated to have been made by Mr. Weedon)—his language
was very indecent. The second occurrence was a few days
after, also before the 25th of May; the third was between
the 2d and Bth of June—(the witness here described what
took place on both these occasions, and appeared much af-
fected during the relation.)
Cross-examined—Mr. Weedon is a married man, and
has a large family of young children. I told my husband
of the attempts he made about a fortnight after the last
occurrence. I could not tell him with propriety before,
as Mr. Weedon had all our business in his hands, and I
was afraid my husband would be angry with him. Mr.
Harmer of London is the attorney for the prosecution.
I told the maid servant of all the attempts after the last
had be' n made, but not before.
Mr. Baitoti GnootY then himself re-examined the
witness as to the al,eged assault ; she described the par-
ticulars of t'ie three attempts, and the times of day at
which they were made, but could not identify with any
exactness the days on which they occurred. The witness
stated that shortly after the third assault, she commu-
nicated the fact to her servant Elizabeth Edy, and the im-
mediately said, " Oh, I saw you and Mr. Weedon on the
carpet—l looked in at the front window."
Mrs. Carvill's husband was in the witness-box during
the whole of his wife's evid,nce, supplying her with water,
and supporting her when she appeared overcome.
Mr. TELYOURD addressed the Jury for the defendant.
He much regretted that lately there had been so many
prosecutions for similar offences against professional men,
some of whom had afterwards been elevated to the Bench
and to the Peerage.
Thirty witnesses, amongst whom were Dr. Mitford
(father of the celebrated authoress, and Chairman to the
Magistrates), the Rev. H. H. Millman, late Professor of
Poetry at the University of Oxford, J. B. Monck,
late M.P. for Reading, and John Walter, Eq., at pre-
sent a candidate for the representation of the county, and
many Bankers and Barristers in the town of Reading, all
spoke to the high character of Mr. Weedon as an honour-
able man.

The Learned JUDGE, in summing uR, retnarkod that
the evidence of the husband and servant maid, which was
the most material part of the case, had been omitted on
the part of the prosecution.

The Jury then found the prisoner Not Guilty, which
verdict was received with every demonstration of satis—
faction by all present.

The Archbishop of CANTERBURY has left
Lambeth Palace to attend the interment of his sister in the
family vault at Ropley, a small village near Winchester,
where his Grace commenced his cleric,,] career as curate.

The Duke de REICHSTADT is not yet dead
Ni, case, however, seems hopeless. It is said that a
French artist was recently admitted to the presence of the
young Prince, and ow requesting that his Highness would
honour his album with a souvenir, he wrote down the
following:—" Vous retournez I Paris; dites ai la Co.
lonne (the Column of the Place Vendome!) que je mein.
en regrettant de ne pouvoir l'embrasser !"—(You are go
ing back to Paris; tell the Column I die regretting that
I am not able to embrace it !)

The continued infirm state of the health of
Lord GRENVILLE affords no prospect of his Lordship
again taking any part in public affairs. It was in come
quence of his Lordship's inability to attend the King',
Lev-e on Wednesday last, that the Vice Chancellor of the
University of Oxford attended as his representative to pre
sent the address agreed upon on the 25th of June last, at
the Convocation-house, congratulating his MAJESTY ov
his escape tram the late attack on his sacred person St
Ascot. Lord GRENVILLE, who is advancing towards hi-
80th year, resides in comparative retirement at his plea-
sant seat at Dropmore, where he enjoys the occasi,,na'
society of his nephew the Duke of BUCKINGHAM, th
Right Hon. THOMAS GRINVILLE, and a select circle o
friends.

GRAND NATIONAL FESTlVAL.—Yester-
day a public festival of the working and middling classes,
as a solemnization of the triumph of Reform, was held in
the spacious gardens annexed to Sadler's Wells Theatre
Mr. flumz, M.P., presided. His colleague, Mr. BYNG,
M.P., Alderman WOOD, M.P., Serjeant SPANKIE, Mr
TEMPLE, Mr. Moortz, Mr. DIXON, and a great many
other gentlemen, also attended. The entire of the large
garden, which was very liberally lent for the occasion gra
tuitously by the lessees of Sadler's Wells Theatre, wa-
canopied over, the canopy being embl,zoned with a Brea
diversity of curious devices appropriate to the purpose of
the festival. There were, as we understood from thos
who were capable of estimating the numbers, 3,500 per-
sons present. The majority were those who paid for ad
mission. The assembly presented a splendid and delight-
ful sight, and every one seemed to contiibute to the ge-
neral hilarity. Roast beef, plum-pudding, &c.,were deaf
out with the most profuse liberality to the guests. After
this, the best ale was administered in quick succession.
and in unsparing quantity ; and for six hours we could
say that we did not hear any murmur of discontent, or one
shout of turbulence. After a great many excellent
speeches, dilat.ng on the benefits likely to result from Re-
form, and the proper mode of exercising the franchise, the
meeting quietly adjourned.

The order by which the widows of officers of
the Navy could only hold pensions by their husbands having
served ten years in active service has been rescinded, and
ten full years on the list of commission or warrant office'.
will now entitle them to their pensions....—Porrsmourh
Herald.

CASE OF SOMERVILLE.-We understand
that his Manny's Government have resolved thoroughl)
to investigate the charge against Major WYNDHAM. of the
Scots Greys, arising (iota the case of private SomERVILLE
The investigation is axed to take place at Weedim t.ai.
racks, Northamptonshire, and it is understood was
have commenced either to-diy or to morrow. Tie
Right Hon. R. GRANT left town on Tuesday to conduct
the investigatton. in his official capacity of Judge-Advo.
care-General. SOMERVILLE, of course, will be the prin•
cipal witness, as the main part of the charge must neces
sarily turn on the conversation which took place between
him and Mtjor WYNOHAM OD the subject of the let
ter which he wrote to the Editor of the Dispatch. The
inquiry on the part of SOMERVILLE will be con-
ducted by Mr. HARMER, whose assistant, Mr. WOOLER,
left town early in the week to arrange the evidence. It
is expected that the Court will bring its sittings to a ter•
minstion in the course of the present week, when the de-
cision will be formally submitted to his MAJEsTy for his
sanction and approval : until which, as a matter of course,
it cannot be communicated to the public.

Miss WILLIAMS, the young lady who made
so successful a debut last week at the Haymarket Theatre,
as Susanna, in The Marriage of Figaro, we perceive is
to make her appearance on Friday, in the character of
Rosina, in The Barber of Seville—two as difficult
parts to sustain as any in the present Range of English
operas. We thought Miss Wrwaxts not entirely new t
the stage, from her self-possession, and th.. easy manner o
her acting throughout. Her piquant and playful represen
tation of the gay and sprightly Susanna infused a very
great interest to the Opera, and elicited deserved applause
We understand that she has played in Dublin about three
years ago, where she experienced a very flittering recep-
tion, and much encouragement; since wh ch she has beet.
in Italy, studying in that school which appears to us so
well suited to her p ,were of voice and capab.lities of execu-
tion. We think, however, it requires to be more fully
developed to be duly appreciated, and when we see her in
other characters, we shall he better enabled to judge of the
versatility of talent we understand she possesses.