The Sun.
London, England, 1857-05-08 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sin,—May I request the favour of your inserting
the enclosed letter, addressed to the editor of the
Times &c.,
F. HENRY F. BERKELEY.
Victoria-square, May 7.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.

Sir,—ln your paper of to-day I observe a leading
article on the late failure to convict a clergyman for intl•
midation under the " Corrupt Practices Prevention
Act," and I venture to predict that after the case of the
" Queen v. Barnwell" no One will again be disposed to
have recourse to that act for such a purpose. Ia 1855
you pronounced the act in question to be "a pompous
profession, meant to be inoperative." In 1856, I ven-
tured to offer some remarks, founded on a similar view
of the subject, in the House of Commons, and proposed
to Lord Palmerston that the act should be referred to a
select committee, to which his lordship acceded, but I
incurred the wrath of the Times, and you let loose at
me one of your mercenaries, who from behind that
shield of secrecy, of whicu the Times avails itself, but
would withhold from the elector, uncourteously assailed
me. The appellations of "this Mr. Henry Berkeley,"
and a " Mr. Henry Berkeley," were alter your usual
manner plentifully sprinkled throughout the article, and
I was violently assailed because in 1856 I took the same
view of the subject as yourself in 1855.
I ventured in the House of Commons to attack that
species of legielation as uncon-titutional and leading to
injustice, and I quoted the opinions of the late Sir Robt.
Peel and Mr. Macsulay, who laid it down as an impos-
sibility that you can legislate so as to punish a men for
changing his butcher or his baker, or for ejecting a
tenant, or for discharging a servant for any or no cause,
and now the clause in this ridiculous act against intimi-
dation is construed by our sound judge (Lard Campbell)
to mean that you must not threaten to get rid of a tenant
or tradesman during election time, but you may get rid
of him alter the election a 3 soon as you please. I have
only to add that this weak absurdity, this mockery of
si
of the ballot.
common sense, was, according to your. n
the case, as a
report, described
lbeywMr
meant.
necessity
What nest I—l am, c,
F. HENRY F. BIRKRLRY.

Victoria-square, May 7.

SUIOIDE OF TEE CHIEF CLERK OF THE JOURNALS OF
THE HOUSE of COMMONS.—An inquest was held yes-
terday on the body of Mr. Gudge, who for forty two
years has filled the office of the chief clerk of the jour
rads of the House of Commons, in which capacity he
has enjoyed the esteem and good-will of all with whom
he was brought into contact. For the last 10 or 15
years he bad been suffering from an irritated state of
the brain, and was liable at times to wandering of the
mind. Of late he had been more thin usually irritable
and depressed, and was under medical treatment. On
Wednesday he was seen on the terrace in front of the
houses of Parliament by a barge builder employed at
Searle's. He was observed to get on the parapet and
lower himself down into the water, as if he was g.,ing to
swim. He was gat out almost directly, and taken to the
Westminster Hospital, where he died yesterday morn-
ing. Mr. Newconae, surgeon to the hospital, stated that
he had no doubt deceased died in consequence of the im-
mersion, the effects of which would be aggravated by the
deceased's impaired condition of brain. Verdict, " Tem-
, porary insanity.",