The Sun.
London, England, 1868-04-18 00:00:00

LAW AND POLICE.

ACTION FOR ASSAULT.—In the Bail Court, the case of
Bryant v. Popham was heard before Mr. Justice Mellor
and a common jury. The plaintiff was a surgeon residing
at Holloway, and the defendant an accoucheur living at
the same place. The plaintiff, on the 13th of December,
was walking along the Tottenham-road, when -the de-
fendant, a powerfully-built man, crossed the road and
asked him if his name was not Bryant, and upon receiving
a reply in the affirmative, asked the plaintiff if he
had not told a Mrs. Burge that he (defendant)
was not a qualified surgeon ; but added, " Whether
you did or not, from all I hear you are a perfect black-
guard." The plaintiff replied, "So are you." Mr. Pop-
ham then struck him a tremendous blow on the eye, which
produced such appearances on the plaintiff that he could
not transact his business for a month. In cross•examina-
;ion the plaintiff admitted telling Mrs. Burge that the
defendant was not a qualified man, but only a licentiate
of the Apothecaries Hall. Several witnesses were called,
who swore that the defendant was the aggressor in the
first instance. The defence was that the plaintiff had
injured the defendant's reputation, and had struck the
first blow.—The learned judge said that the real question
was who struck the first blow.—The jury were locked up
for a considerable time, and when the court rose had not
decided, the foreman stating that there was little chance
of their doing so.

VIOLENT ASSAULT ON A SOLDIER.—At the Worship-
street Police-court, John Leary and Dennis Desmond
were charged with violently assaulting Edward Doughty,
a soldier in the 38th Regiment of Foot, and also
with stealing ss. 4d., a handkerchief, and other
articles. The prosecutor was in a house at Spitalfield,,,,vhere
Desmond robbed him. He at once seized hold of the
thief, but was struck a violent blow in the mouth by the
prisoner, and Leary, who came up at the time of the assault,
:ticked the soldier in the ribs. Both the miscreants then
ran off, but the prosecutor succeeded in overtaking Leary,
who threatened to stab him with a clasp-knife. The
prisoners were committed for trial.

FURIOUS RIDING. - At the Marlborough-street Police-
court Joseph Price, a clown engaged at the New
Holborn Amphitheatre, was charged with furious riding
in Rotten Row. A constable proved seeing the defendant
riding in the Row and thrashing his horse as hard as he
could. The defendant said that he was never on a horse
before, and the animal ran away with him. Mr. Knox
said the law only allowed him to inflict a penalty of 405.,
but £lO would not be too much for such an offence. He
fined the defendant the first-named sum.
THE KIDDERMINSTER RAILWAY OUTRAGE. - Samuel
Jenkins, an ex-railway guard, has been charged before the
Kidderminster borough magistrates with having placed
obstructions on the Great Western Railway with intent
to upset a passenger train. The facts of the case, as they
have been already detailed, were proved, and the prisoner
was committed for trial.

HEAVY TAXATION. —An agitation is being com•
menced by the Financial Reform Association against the
present heavy taxation. At a meeting of the society held
on Thursday, at Lambeth, Mr. Hughes, M.P., presided,
:tnd set forth at some length his views about the matter.
,N.lluding to the increase of nearly a million and a half in
:lie military expenditure of the country, the hon. member
said he thought the time was come when the people
should come forward and say " This must be stopped ;
we are already taxed as much as we can properly
bear." The learned gentleman also denounced in-
lireet taxation. The only argument in favour of it
vas that people did not know when they were drinking
tea and coffee that they were paying taxes. Direct taxa-
tion he considered to be the proper way of charging the
country, and of all other taxes he considered the income
tax was the most admirable, excellent, and fair. The only
points about it that were not satisfactory were that it
pressed equally on thosewho earned their livelihood by indus-
try and those who possessed property. As to whether
there should be other taxes as well, Mr. Hughes did not
express a decided opinion. A resolution was passed to
the effect that taxation was most excessive, and that public
moneys were extravagantly expended. A petition was
;dopted setting forth this view.