The Sun.
London, England, 1861-06-29 00:00:00

~~

THE LATE CHARGE AGAINST SIR
J. V. SBELLEY, .M.P.

The officers and many of the leading members of
the National Rifle Volunteers gave a banquet at the
Westminster Palace Hotel, Victoria-street, West-
minster, on Thursday evening, after the regiment
had been keeping the ground for the inspection of
the Middlesex Engineers by Colonel M`Murdo, the
affair being improvised by the officers of the former
corps, in order to express to their Lieut.-Colonel,
Sir John Villiers' Shelley, Bart., M.P., their sym-
pathy .with him under' 'the misfortune he had
suffered in being. recently subjected to certain
calutrinieg,land to declare their confidence in hie
honour and integrity.
Major Walmisley presided, and amongst those
present were Major Emsley, Dr. Heise, Captains
Nichols, Lynn, Salmon, Hardy, Isaacs, Routledge,
and Bohn ; Lieutenants Jones,e Savage, Syms,
'Brocklebank, Baker, Smith, and Burn ; Ensign
Ware, &c.
Ample justice having been done to the viands,
The CHAIRMAN, in proposing the usual loyal
toasts, took occasion to remark upon the gracious
manner in which her gracious Majesty and Prince
hacl
andsalutespecially
dtheeerps in Hyde-park that
afternoon,
e eits Lieut.-Colonel, 'their
honoured, guest on that evening.
The preliminary toasts having been disposed of,
The CHAIRMAN rose and said he had a very diffi-
cult task to perform in bringing before them the
exceedingly delicate matter whic had led to their
assembling on that evening. The entertainment
had been got up without previous arrangement, as
it was felt that no time should be lost in sympa-
thising with Sir John Shelley upon the distressing
transaction which within the past few days had
dragged his name before the public. (Cheers.) No
expressions of his were .necessary to convince Sir
John Shelley or his friends of their views, or those
of the public at large, with regaid to the heinous
and incredible offence which had been attri-
buted to him. They wished to take the
earliest opportunity of expressing their . con-
&knee-ie. his honour and integrity, and .their
contempt, indignation, and disgust at the cheep
Whic-'a-bad -been made agait sltn—(cheers)—butres,
at the.satee time he. felt.theiter John Shelley was
too well known for them eetees'ay anything in ex-
pressing their unanimous syti3eitaby with him. He
had heard. that Sir John's constituents in West-
minster were taking steps to give a similar etpres-
sisen oftsympe.thfeeith him, but it wasSelethet the
corps should be in-the vanguard of the people of
.Weatbainiter; 'He concluded, after passing arhigh
etelogium on Sirlulan ",lielley, by proposing his
health; which weseireek.with greatenthusiasm.
eSir-JouN VeSsfeletY, in rising to respond was
Very'kindly cheered. He said—Although I ,have
been engaged in. public life fortnore than a quarter
'cif a. century, I never-tad :.reason to address an
audience with a greater sense of the difficulty of
expressing my feelings than on the present occa-
sion.. (Loud.appliuse.). I have received this as it
were public mark of sympathy from the corps with
The• greateat-satisfaction., 1 have also received
letters from a variety of persons entirely unknown
to me from different parts of the metropolis and.the
country, and,:whaei is most gratifying to me, 'from
many ofemy own constituents. (Cheers.) The
kindest feeling has boon shown to me in Westmin-
ster, and:that-would not have bedn so` but for the
number of years I'hase endeavoured, tothe best of
my ability, to do my duty ;- and ts all my consti-
tuents have always the opportunity- of seeing me
whenever they wish, they have come to know what
sort of man I am. (Applause.) Usually when
Man is accused of an offence :he-has some prelimi-
nary opportunity.. of . preparing for• his defence—
there is a summons, or something of that sort, but
in this case it is right to tell you that when I came
bactz from Haiesfietcl at 12 o'clock ,on that day I
•keew nothing Of 'the course of proceeding or even
that erfes proceedings had been taken against me.
At five mintites'past 12, I was told that an officer
from Marlborough-street wanted to see me, and as
I am always visible to Whoever calls, I told him
ece bee shown in. Ha was in private clothes, and
seid to me, " I am sorry to say that you are my
prisoner." I asked him what was the matter,
and he replied, " Tee whole proceeding is so out-
pageone le would rather not say a word,:but ask
you to read the warrant." I read the warrant,
which only stated the case generally, lat once
tent for Mr. Dialseemy solicitor, who advised an
adjaairnment ;• but I said if I could not getootinsel,
in .time, I would rather defend myself as an Eng-
lishman than ask for a delay. .(Cheers.) Sir'John
Shelley tHënréferrcd to the letter which he-had re-
ceived froit Mr. Train, which came as he about
to oppose the tramway, and he only took the insult,
he said, to refer to that opposition. He said he had
to let the case go'"dn the first-day without any op-
portunity of cross-sxaminifilalre ititegiMittietThe
pipers went down into the country without stating
that any defence had been made. On the seeand
day he was ably defended by Mr. Garth. He did
not know who his enemies were, but he should like
to meet them face to face on the hustings at
Covent-garden, where they would receive an ex-
pression of the electors of -Westminster upon .*heir
conduct towards him, but he did not wish the worst
enemies he ever had in this world should ever know
what it was to go through the suffering which he
had endured when this accusation was hanging

over his head.
Sir John's observations were received with great
applause, and the proceedings were prolonged till a
late hour.

THE NEW LAW APPOINTMENTS

We are happy to state that arrangements have
been made by which the Government will obtain
the services of Mr. Roundell Palmer as Attorney-
General. It is understood that Sir William Ather-
ton will accept a judgeship which is likely to be
shortly vacant, and that the office of Solicitor-Ge-
neral will be conferred on one of the Comm& law-
yers in the house. We believe that Mr. Palmer
will be a candidate for Wilton, for the representa-
tion of which Mr. Antrobus retires. There is every
reason for congratulating the public on tnese ne
appointments, In Lord Westbury we have a Chan
caller who is not only a most eminent lawyer, but
who possesses also the mind of a jurist, and has
long been intent on endowing the country with a,
more compendious, logical, and symmetrical juris-
prudence. Those who know how much the law of
England, though for the most part founded on just
and liberal principles, fails in the qualities of order
and simplicity, how much of delay and uncertainty
and expense to the suitor, how much of anxiety
and weariness to the practitioner, arise from the
nature of this learned chaos, and who are also
aware how opportune the present time is for the
great work of consolidation and arrangement, if
riot of codification, will be glad to find that the
legal profession is to be presided over by a man
I who at least is not wedded to abuses nor afraid of
confronting difficulties. But an able Chancellor in
the House of Lords cannot do all that a Government
requires. The House of Commons contains many
lawyers who are fond of criticising measures of
Law Reform. Although we cannot say that they
are more capricious or fasten on a bill with a
greater desire to tear it to pieces than the Law
Lords, yet, with a weak Attorney
and Solicitor-
s General in the Hotbe, the fate of the brovernrnen t,
a
best considered measures would be a most unhappy
one. Ai the present time there is no egtuyi
of eminence on the Liberal side of ithe House of
andthe bar
Commons. The Conservative tendencies
not been changed by the temptai
have been very conspicuous of latetyaenasr4bichhatbvee
hold out to a
long tenure of office by the
dLiberalsd
Palmer is one of
therising
t.lva dwvboocsaet eo. p i
nlkilorn.
s_R agreeo u nd ,w-
-ith those of the pre-
when in Parliament
sent Ministry. He belonged
house, and as the principaof Newcastle, I)
y—
before, to what was callendlgniteheemPbeereslioter
tph a i
at y
aorft, the
Lord Her-
Mr. Gladstone, the lluk_ e
.W.restl:ury—belong to the pre-
is but natural and proper that
bseenrtt,Gasovweerinlmasenit,,oritd
the most eminent jurist of the party should take
office Also. Mr. Palmer will, therefore, rejoin his
friends by accepting the post of Attorney-General,
and, if he has as much Parliamentary success as
marked his former career, he will be a most valu-
able supporter of the Ministry. With two such
men as the new Lord Chancellor and the new Attor-
ney-General to advise them and prepare their mea-
sures,prebentshi ev
e Government
measures likely may
attempt
to be
carried
ioendl yincotmbe-
present state of political opinion—those of . Law
Reform, and the country may perhaps see a be-
ginning made of a great and necessary work--
Times.

MADELEINE SMITH.—The Plymouth Tournal
states that this young lady, who, it will be remembered,
was tried at Edinburgh a few years ago for poisoning her
sweetheart, a young Frenchman, the verdict returned being
" Not proven," has recently " turned up" in the neighbour-
hood of Plymouth. It was reported immediately after the
trial that she was sent to Australia. Our contemporary
says she has captivated many hearts in the neighbourhood
of Plymouth, and has finally been, or is about to be,
married.
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