The Sun.
London, England, 1844-09-28 00:00:00

EAST SURREY REGISTRATION.
Mr. Fish sat yesterday at the Workhouse Com-
mittee-room, Bermondsey, in order to revise the lists
of voters in the Bermondsey district.
Mr. E. Meymott attended for the Conservatives,
and Mr. Jeans for the Liberals.
In the parish of St. George, Southwark, Mr.
W. Parmenter claimed to vote in respect of certain
property in the Skin-market, in Suffolk-street.
The claim was opposed by the Conservative agent.
Mr. Parmenter was examined in support of his
claim, and it appeared that he was possessed of the
interest in a number of houses and sheds built upon
the ground formerly occupied by the Skin-market.
He had to pay a ground-rent of 611. a-year to the
City of London, and the property produced 1201. a year.
On being cross-examined by Mr. Meymott, the
claimant said that he could not give a very particular
account of the property, and was unable to say
whether any of the houses were worth 101. a-year.
Mr. Meymott remarked that it was necessary the
property should be described; because if any of the
houses were worth 101. a year, they would give a vote
for the borough, and therefore could not be made the
subject of a county qualification.
The claimant, in answer to questions put by the
Barrister, said, that in the Skin-market, for which
place he now claimed a right to vote, he would swear
there was no house that would let for 101. a year, ex-
clusive of taxes.
The. REVISING BARRISTER thought this was suffi-
cient, and he inserted the name on the list.
In the parish of Rotherhithe, Mr. Wm. Marshall
claimed to have his name inserted in the list of voters.
The claim was opposed by Mr. Meymott, who
proved that he had served a notice of objection upon
the claimant, and also upon the overseer.
The REVISING BARRISTER expressed an opinion
that the notice was informal, it appearing upon the
face of it to be an objection to Mr. Marsall's name
remaining upon the list of voters, instead of objecting
to the allowance of his claim to vote.
Mr. Meymott said he had followed the form pre-
scribed in the Act of Parliament.
The REVISING BARRISTER said the form of the ob-
jection did not at all apply to the case. It objected to
the name of a man being upon the list of voters, when,
in point of fact, it never was upon the list at all.
Mr. Meymott said the form was exactly in accord-
ance with the one prescribed by the Act, and if he
had deviated from it the notice would have been re-
jected as informal.
The REVISING BARRISTER having referred to the
Act of Parliament, said there did not appear to he
any other form laid down, and he should therefore
admit the notice.
Mr. Marshall did not attend to support his claim,
and the name was therefore expunged from the list.
The remaining lists were then gone through, and
when they were completed, Mr. Fish again took the
Thames Ditton list into consideration.
The second overseer, who had been ordered to at-
tend the court on the previous day, was called upon
to explain why there had been so much negligence
in the preparation of the lists.
The overseer, who had the appearance of an agri-
cultural labourer, said he was "no scholar." He
could not read, and did not understand the business.
He expected the vestry-clerk would have done all
that was necessary.
The REVISING BARRISTER said he supposed he could
not write.
He replied that he could write his name, and that
was all.
The REVISING BARRISTER said that it was very
clear the person before him was quite unfit for the
office he held. The result of his negligence and in-
capacity would probably be, that a great many per-
sons would be disfranchised, and he had subjected
himself to very heavy penalties.
Mr. Meymott suggested that perhaps the Revising
Barrister might obtain some evidence which would
justify him in retaining the names on the list of voters,
and prevent them from being disfranchised through
the negligence of the overseer.
The REVISING BARRISTER then put some questions
to the overseer, and having obtained some information
relative to the claims, he said he thought a sufficient
case had been made out to justify him, in the absence
of any formal objection, in retaining the names on
the list. He at the same time said that, considering
the ignorance of the overseer, and the fact that he
had been put to the expense of coming up from
Thames Ditton to attend the court, he should not in-
flict any fine upon him, but he would not be allowed
a farthing for expenses.
The following is the clause referred to by Mr.
Fish relative to the liability of overseers, by which it
will be seen they incur a heavy liability for negligence
or omission :—By the 97th section it is enacted,
" That every sheriff, under-sheriff, clerk of the peace,
overseer, &c., required by this Act to do any matter
or thing, shall, for every wilful misfeasance, or wilful
act of commission or omission, contrary to this Act,
forfeit to any party aggrieved the penal sum of 1001.,
or such less sum as the jury before whom may be
tried any action to be brought for the recovery of the
before-mentioned sum, shall consider just to be paid
by such party, to be recovered with full costs of suit
by action for debt, in any of her Majesty's superior
courts at Westminster:"

EDMONTON PETTY SESSIONS.
Yesterday being appointed for the examination of
Patrick Harvey, late a constable in the N division of po-
lice, an the charge of committing a murderous assault
upon the person of Robert Hannant, his acting sergeant,
the large room at the Angel Inn, Edmonton, where the
sessions are holden, was densely crowded with persons
anxious to see the accused and hear the proceedings.
Mr. Hayward, from the office of Mr. Hanle, the so-
licitor to the Treasury, attended to prosecute, and Mr.
Games, a solicitos, appeared on the prisoner's behalf.
Mr. Hayward, after stating the nature• of the case,
commenced examining Hannant, who gave his evidence
as follows :—I am a police-constable belonging to the N
division, and my number is 325. In consequence of an
arrangement with my sergeant and Mr. Risley, I, on the
morning of Sunday, the 15th inst., went to a field be-
longing to the latter, at Winchmore-hill. I stood near
a tree, and remained there about an hour and three
wafters, when I observed Harvey, the prisoner, in the
same field, and coming towards where I stood. He
came within six or seven yards of me, and then turned
towards a cow that was lying down. I saw him pat the
cow up, and drive her towards the fence, and to within a
few yards of where I was, and then stop, as if to milk
the animal. This was about twenty minutes to four
o'clock. I got nearer to him, and distinctly heard milk
falling into some vessel. The prisoner then got up
from the cow, having, as I supposed, seen me ; and was
about walking off, when I went up to him, and said,
" Harvey, you villain, what are you about ?" He
replied, " What do you mean ?" and at that mo-
ment I heard something spilling from his coat pocket.
I then put my hand behind to ascertain what it was, and
felt his hand very wet. He then tried to trip me up
with his foot, and in the scuffle we both fell to the
ground, I uppermost. While on the ground I took a
bottle from tho prisoner's great-coat pocket, and this I
believe to be the one produced. When he lay on the
ground, the prisoner said, " Ilannant, I know I am
guilty. I declare to my God its poverty that drove me
to it. I'm in great want. Pray forgive me for the sake
of my wife and dear children ; don't disgrace me." I
said that I could not, and he then asked me to let him
get up. I did so, and he then asked me what I intended
to do with him. I said, " Harvey, I'll treat you as I
should any one else." I had hold of his collar at this
time, and he requested, if I held him, it might be by the
hand. I accordingly caught hold of his left hand, and
was in the act of putting the bottle I had taken out of
his pocket into my own, when he made a desperate effort
to get away, and at the next moment he struck me a
terrible blow on the top of my head with his staff; which
he must have drawn from his pocket, though I did not
observe him do so. I became stunned with the effects
of the blow, but I recollect receiving several others—
more than two or three certainly; and I also recollect
the staff breaking. The staff produced (which was
broken in two) is the same. It has the prisoner's num-
ber, 392, upon it. As well as I recollect, I grasped hold
of the prisoner, upon which he struck me, and we both
fell to the ground together. I have no knowledge of
his having struck me with anything else than his staff.
I recollect getting up again, and getting hold of the
prisoner, who bit the hand by which I held him.
I then said to him, "Harvey, you villain, you have
murdered me;" and I think his reply was, " No, I have
not, leave go of me, and lie on my great-coat," which
I have some faint recollection of his having taken off. I
said, " No, I'll never leave you while I have life." At
this time a quantity of blood was flowing from my head,
and I felt myself getting weak, but I made an effort and
called out " Murder," and immediately after a boy in
the service of Mr. Risley, called Bill, came to my as-
sistance. I told this lad upon his coining up that I
caught the prisoner milking his master's cow, and asked
him to assist me. The prisoner must have heard me tell
the boy this fact, the time I had hold of him. The lad
assisted me, and we took the prisoner towards Hr. Ris-
ley's house. When we had nearly reached that, the boy
went away for something or other, leaving me with the
prisoner ; and, as soon as he was gone, Harvey made a
desperate struggle to get away, and in the effort lie
dragged me ten or a dozen yards along with him. The
boy came again to my assistance; and we got the pri-
soner into the house. Having done this, I asked Mr.
Risley to lock the doors, as I felt myself exhausted and
unable to do more. I also requested that a surgeon might
be sent for, as I was in a dreadful state. I also recollect
saying to the prisoner, " Harvey, you villian, how could
you use :no so ?" when he answered, " B—y end to
you, it serves you right ; you are always creeping about
after me, when you have no business to do so," or words
to that effect. I did not see the prisoner use any instru-
ment but his staff, but when I undressed I found that I
had been stabbed in the arms, and I then thought he
must have used a knife.

Mr. Woodward here remarked that he was prepared
with evidence to satisfy the bench that Harvey had
stabbed the witness with a chisel.

William Freeman, the lad alluded to by the last wit-
ness,
corroborated the last part of' his evidence. • '
Mr. William Risley, a cowkeeper at Winchmore-hill,
was next called, and deposed that he had arranged with
the complainant Ilannant for the latter to sit up that
night to watch his cows, in consequence of the latter
being.,frequently milked. On the morning of the 15th
he beard Hannant say to the prisoner ‘,‘ Harvey, you