The Sun.
London, England, 1859-03-08 00:00:00

SHEFFIELD.

Yesterday afternoon a public meeting was held
at Sheffield, to take into consideration the Reform
Bill introduced by Government. The meeting was
convened by the Mayor, who presided. It. was
held in Paradise-square, and about 2,000 persons
were present. Mr. W. Fisher moved the first reso-
lution, to the efiloct that in the opinion of themeet-
ing the Reform Bill proposed by her Majesty's
Government is not calculated to remedy the defects
of our representative system, but would rather .
multiply and aggravate them ; that would de-
prive of their votes many thousands of independent
freeholders, would enfranchise, without the pro-
tection of the ballot, a class of persons peculiarly
.
liable to the control of landowners ; that would
afford increased facilities for corruption and intimi-
dation by offering to all electors the option of giving
their votes by means of papers transmitted through
the post ; and that by dissevering the ancient con-
nexion of boroughs with their respective counties,
it would foster jealousies much to be deprecated
between the people of the country and those of the
towns; that the bill contains no provisions to dis-
franchise small and dependent boroughs, to grant
the protection of the ballot to voters, to extend the
franchise to the skilled, thriving, and orderly
artisans of our boroughs, and to give increased
power in our parliamentary system to the great
mercantile and manufacturing communities; that
the se errors and deficiencies render it utterly un-
suited to meet the wants and wishes of the people
of this country. Mr. Isaac Scholefield seconded
the motion. He said that he had had a forlorn

PRICE 4D. STAMPED, SD.

hope that the Governmont ,-- -
policy, not of principle—bring fc
of reform which would prove ac(
must confess that the present bill
every parti3ular,
.so far as he couid Undersand it,
completely frustrated whatever hopes he might
have entertained. Mr. G. L. Saunders supported
the motion in a practical speech ; and having been
put to the meeting, it was carried unanimously.
A petition to Parliament embodying the terms of
the resolution, was also adopted.

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

OXFORD CIRCUIT, WORCESTER, March 7.
CRIMINAL COURT.

John Southall was charged with the manslaughter
of Sarah Maria Price, at Dudley, on the 24th of
October, 1858. _ _ _

Mr. Kenealy appeared for the prosecution ; Mr.
R. Kettle defended the prisoner.
ill r. Kenealy, in opening the case, stated that the
prisoner was charged with the manslaughter of a
little girl, the adopted child of his own half-brother.
The brother kept the White Rose public-house at
Dudley, and on Sunday night, the 24th of October,
the prisoner was there with his wife having supper.
While the prisoner was eating his supper he and
his wife began wrangling -and quarrelling, and
being thus excited he flew into a passion and threw
the knife at his wife. The knife missed the object
intended, but unhappily, struck the poor child who
was sitting by her side, on the head. The knife
was pointed and penetrated the brain, and so caused
the poor child's death. The sad result was much
to be deplored, particularly as it appeared the pri- '
son cr was very fond of the 041 d, and a few minatea.
rid been fonaling it.

Mr. Kettle said, he could not struggle against
the facts as opened, and he had advised the prisoner
to retract his plea and plead guilty.
Mr. Justice Crompton said there could be no
doubt that it was manslaughter.
A great number of respectable witnesses were
then examined, and gave the prisoner a generally
good character for humanity.
The prisoner himself also appeared to be much
distressed at his position.
Mr. Justice Crompton made some appropriate
observations on the conduct of the prisoner. and
thea sentenced him to six calendar months' impri-
sonment.

MIDLAND CIRCUIT.--LEICESTER CASTLE,
March 7. •

Mr. Justice Erie took his seat at 9 o'clock, a.m.,
and commenced delivering the borough gaol.
Mary Weet stood charged with having, in her
evidence as a witness, on the hearing of a certain
information against Thomas Ditlis, at a petty
session for this county held within, the borough,
committed wilful and corrupt perjury.
Mr, O'Brien prosecuted, and. Mr. Co-ekle appeared
for the defendant.

The case for the prosecution imputed to the
defendant that she maliciously fabricated and wil-
fully deposed to certain circumstances which tended
to establish against the prosecutor a charge of
having attempted to commit an abominable crime.
In addition to the necessary evidence of the false-
hood of the defendant's deposition, evidence was
adduced of threats held out by her previously to the
charge having been preferred against the prose-
cutor.

Witnesses were examined on the part of the de-
fendant for the purpose of establishing certain ma-
terial facts sworn to by her, and -of showing the
probable truth of her statement..

The jury returned a verdict of guilty, with a re-
commendation" to mercy. Sentenced to four years'
penal servitude.

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.—March 7.

The March General Sessions of the Peace for the
county of Middlesex commenced yesterday morning
at Cljrkenwell.

Sohn Carr, 40, engineer, was indicted for stealing
a quantity of brass and German silver, value 10s.,
the property of Alexander, Clark, his master.
Mr. Cooper prosecuted ; Mr. Metealfe defended
the prisoner.
It appeared that, the prosecutor is a brnss-
worker, in Gate-street, Lincoln's-inn-fields, and
the prisoner, who is said to be a very clever work-
man, was charged, upon the evidence principally
of two fellow servants, one of whom admitted that
angry words had passed between him and the pri-
soner, with having stolen brass from the premises.
Some brass was found at his lodgings, which was
identified, but by marks which had been put upon
it by the prisoner himself, and it was suggested
that it had been given to the prisoner to work up
into patterns by a deceased brother of the prosecu-
tor's, and that there was a strong feeling against
the prisoner, on which this accusation of felony had
originated. _

The learned Judge then left the case to the jury,
though Mr. Metcalfe contended that legally it had
failed.

The learned counsel then addressed the jury upon
the evidence.

The prisoner was acquitted.
TIIE QUEEN V. BENNETT AND OTHERS.

The grand jury returned true bills of indictment
against John Gibson Bennett, William Alfred Ben-
nett, Henry Lee Bennett, John Nichol Waters, and
Abraham Haynes, charged with conspiring to
defraud, and other misdemeanours.

The defendants are the persons who figured in
the proceedings at Bow-street police-court on Sa-
turday. Haynes, it was stated, was an attorney,
the others professed to cure deafness.
(Before Mr. Payne.)
;iamb Davis, alias Farren, 56, dealer, was in-
dicted for stealing, and also for feloniously receiv-
ing, 11 watches, the property of George Wilkshire,
and Caroline Parker, 28, surrendered to take her
trial with Davis on the same charge.
Mr. Cooper prosecuted ; Mr. Sleigh defended
Parker, Mr. Ribton was eounsel for Davis.

The prosecutor is a jeweller and watchmaker,
carrying on business in the Whitechapel-roar?, and,
during the night of the 12th of January, his shop
was entered through a wall three feet thick in the
cellar, by some person from the adjoining premises,
and watches and jewellery to the amount of £075
stolen. The male prisoner was subsequently found
by police-constable Deeble, in Commercial-street,
in possession of some of the watches, and one was
found in the possession of Parker, with whom
he lodged at 2, Arundel-place, Waterloo-town,
but she said he had given it her as a present.
There is another prisoner for trial, charged with
being concerned in the same transaction.
The police stated that the premises from which
the entry was made, were used as a "penny gaff,"
and the making of a hole through a wall of such
thickness—three feet of solid masonry—sufficient
to admit of persons getting through, had necessarily
been a task of difficulty, and had taken a good deal
of time and labour. It required a good deal of
caution to prevent the noise of the chisels which
were used being heard.
The jury acquitted the woman and found Davis
guilty.
Mr. Payne sentenced him to 18 months' hard
labour.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—March 7.

CLERKENWELL.—CharIes Davis, 57, a rough
determined-looking fellow, described on the charge-
sheet as a smith, was placed at the bar before Mr.
Corrie, charged with attempting to murder his wife,
Sarah Davis, by cutting and wounding her with a
bill-hook in Northampton-street, Clerkenwell.
The prosecutrix was unable to attend, and it was
stated that she was so ill that the surgeons at St.
Bartholomew's Hospital despaired of her life being
saved, owing to the severe nature of the wounds she
had received. From the evidence of the police, 'it
appeared that about one o'clock on Sunday morning,
cries of "Murder" were heard proceeding from the
prisoner's apartment, and upon proceeding there
they found the prisoner drunk, and the poor woman
in an insensible state, with several severe cuts
on the back of the head, which the prisoner had
inflicted with a billhook. The billhook, when dis-
covered by the police, was covered with blood. The
police at once procured assistance for the popr
woman, and took the prisoner to the station. The
injured woman, it was stated, was quite sober.
The prisoner, in defence, did not deny the charge;
but said his wife was very aggravating--tore his
waistcoat and shirt, and "otherwise exasperated
him."
Mr. Corrie remanded the prisoner for a week,
and, owing to the serious nature of the charge,
said he should decline to accept bail for the pri-
soner's appearance.

LAMBETH.--Samuel Ball, John Morley, and.
Samuel Low, privates in the Grenadier;Guards, and
very powerful men, were charged before Mr.
Elliott with the commission of a most violent out-
rage in the Lower Marsh, Lambeth, and severely
assaulting the police and other persons.
efmt Knowles
From the statement of Berg, 3 L I