The Sun.
London, England, 1868-12-17 00:00:00

THE REFORM LEAGUE.

On Wednesday night a meeting of the council of the
.tteform League was held at the offices, Aslelphi-terrace ;
Mr. E. Beales in the chair.

The CHAIRMAN, in opening the proceedings, said the
finance committee had not quite finished their investiga-
tion of the accounts, which were accordingly held over
till the next meeting of the council. He repeated that
those accounts could bear the utmost possible scrutiny, and
there was not the slightest ground whatever for certain
insinuations that had been very ungraciously thrown out
in certain quarters as to mysterious funds being used by
the League. Everything was as clear as day, as it always
had been. In the course of the week an unjustifiable
attack had been made on them by a journal professing to
be friendly to them, with regard to the proposed banquet
to Mr. Reverdy Johnson. He begged to say that that
attack was wholly unfounded. The League had
ncthing whatever to do with the invitation given
to the American minister. They were never consulted
about it; in fact, they never interfered in the matter at
all, until those who had given him an invitation asked per-
mission to use that room, that they might arrange their
further proceedings, and requested that a deputation
from the League, as, with others, representing the feel-
ings and opinions of working men of the metropolis, would
meet them at a conference to be held for that purpose.
A deputation from the League met them, and felt it their
duty to state what was their entire conviction, namely,
that they thought there was some difficulty in the matter,
and that they were not convinced fhat the proposed ban-
quet would have the cordial support of the working men
of London, their impression being that the working men
preferred some other mode of renewing their expression of
deep sympathy for their American brethren—renewing
those expressions of sympathy to which they had so
warmly and opportunely given utterance, in con-
tradiction to other classes in this country, at the time
of the civil war. If, in consequence of the expression
of that opinion on the part of the deputation,
those who had originated the banquet thought it advisable
to give up the idea of carrying it out, the shame, if there
be any, did not rest with the Reform League. There was
one point upon which there could be no difference of
opinion whatever, and that was in their cordially con-
curring with the sentiments so repeatedly, so ably, and so
Ivarinly expressed by Mr. Johnson for the speedy and
amicable settlement of all questions in dispute between
Great Britain and America.

The PRESIDENT then called attention to a petition to
her Majesty, praying for the release of the Fenian con-
victs. Its concluding passages ran thus :—" That after
the late terrible civil war in America, in which so many
lives were sacrificed, the United States Government did
not resort to the principle of severe and now almost
obsolete punishments on those who had been the cause
of so much national disaster, but, on the contrary,
sought, by the exercise of clemency, to induce thenceforth
obedience to the laws and Constitution ; may it therefore
please your Most Gracious Majesty to exercise your royal
prerogative of mercy during this holy Christmas season,
by restoring to their sorrowing relatives the political
prisoners ; and your petitioners shall, as in duty bound,
ever pray."

Mr. Beales, and most of those present, signed the
petition.

The meeting shortly after adjourned.

MUNIFICENT BEQUEST.—The late Mr. Bairstow,
of Preston, has bequeathed the sum of £5,000, free of
duty, to the Albert Idiot Asylum for the Northern
Counties.

THE MAILS IN THE DESERT.—A newspaper
4espatch of the 28th November from San Francisco com-
plains of the mishaps of the overland mails :—" The mails
from the Ist of October to the 2nd of November, with a few
exceptions, are scattered along the route, and will pro-
bably be ruined by exposure to the weather. Arizona
advices to the 12th of November state that the Indians
attacked a mail rider and escort near Wickenburg, and
killed the rider and captured the bags, containing two
weeks' Eastern and California mails."

THE REPRESENTATION OF BRADFORD.—The Right
Ton. W. E. Forster has issued his address seeking re-elec-
tion. Referring to the petition presented against his
return, the right hon. gentleman says : " You are doubt-
less aware that my re-election would in no way affect the
inquiry consequent on the petition which has been pre-
sented against my return at the late election, but as in
that petition it has been thought fit to charge me with
resorting to corrupt practices, I think it due to you and to
myself to say that could I not repudiate the charge as
absolutely void of foundation I should feel that it was an
insult to the constituency to present myself again before it
as a candidate."

ExmoszoN ON THE Ram— An inquest has been
held at Brighton on the body of one of the guards of the
goods train in which an explosion of inflammable oil took
place on Sunday morning. Neither the surviving guard,
the night foreman, the engine-driver, nor the pointsman,
knew anything of the contents of the truck containing the
oil, nor had any special instructions been received re-
specting its dangerous character. The truek belonged to
the London and North-Western Railway Company, and
had been loaded at the Canada Dock, Liverpool. The in-
quest bas been adjourned to Monday next, on the under-
standing that evidence will then be forthcoming on the
part of those who despatched the oil, and of the railway
company.

THE QUEEN'S CHRISTMAS CATTLE.—Previous to
:his year it had been the rule to have an annual sale by
auction at this season of her Majesty's fat stock of oxen
at the Windsor Great Park. This year; however, Messrs.
Buckland and Son have sold many of the Scotch, Welsh,
and cross-bred at the fortnightly Slough sales, the re-
mainder being disposed of at the Southall markets, the
prices averaging about twenty guineas each, which is
rather under those of last year. On Tuesday last Messrs.
Buckland and Son disposed of, by auction, the prize cattle
fed on the Prince Consort's model farm exhibited at the
Smithfield Club Cattle Show. The finest beast was bought
by Mr. Webb, butcher, Windsor, for forty guineas, the
others averaging £2B each.

r INAUGURATION OF THE JUNIOR AMEN...EU:U.-
0n Wednesday night about 120 gentlemen, members of
the Junior Athenxum Club, sat down to inaugurate the
beautiful house in Piccadilly, which they have lately
acquired by purchase from Mrs. Hnpe, the widow of Mr.
Henry T. Hope, of Deepdenc. It was built about twenty
years ago, by Professor Donaldson, aided by a French
architect, who decorated the interior, and it is always re-
garded as one of the happiest specimens of the architect's
skill. The house has undergone but very little altera-
tion, it having been so constructed as to meet the
requirements at once of a residence, a gallery, and a
club. It will be remembered that the house was for
some years used by Mr. Hope for his Gallery of Dutch
Paintings. Three or four of the rooms in the two upper
stories have been thrown into one large room as a smoking
room, and in this respect, perhaps, as well as in others,
the new club is not to be surpassed in Loudon. It already
reckons about 500 members, although it has been only
about four years in existence.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE--This Day.

MARLBORO UGH-S MEET.
SENDING THREATENING LETTERS TO A DOCTOR.—
James Henry Knowles, formerly a servant to Dr.
Henry Parfitt, of Pall-mall, was brought before
Mr. Knox by Herring, one of the warrant officers,
charged with using threats and sending threatening
letters to Dr. Parfett.

Dr. Parfitt said---Tbe prisoner was formerly my
servant, and discharged on the 31st of October for
general inattention and dirty habits. While in my
service he threatened to burn my hous3 down ; and
since he left he has sent me threatening letters,
which I well know to be in his handwriting.
Dr. Parfitt handed the letters to Mr. Knox, one
of which he read as follows :

" Dr. Parfitt,—l suppose you got my letter
on Sunday. I followed you from Warwick chapel
home. There's no mistake if I was a single man
I would have been in Newgate. I have not
been in bed for three nights ; my wife is fast hurry-
ing to her grave through your cruel treatment, and
you and Mrs. Parfitt are the ones, with all your
dupes, that still makes revenge rankle in my heart.
. . . I have been offered many a situation without
your recommendation, but something tells me you
ought to be punished first. . . . You may thank
God my wife was with me in Oxford-street when I
met you, or I would make a public show
of you. I will linger till every stitch is off
my back till I see you. You are a perfect
coward. I have composed a bit of poetry,
and you shall have it for a Christmas box if you
live so long. May God soon take my wife from
me, for she would sooner die than speak of you or
yours. But come what may, kindness or unkindness,
I will have my revenge, so help me God.---I am a
madman, "J. H. KNowLEs."
The second letter was in similar terms.

Dr. Parfitt—l saw him yesterday in Pall-mall,
evidently waiting for me. He was hanging behind
a cart and looking through the wheels towards me.
Mr. Knox•—Was he in the habit of getting drunk ?
Dr. Parfitt —I never saw him drunk, but he
could not take a good deal before lie would get
drunk. He gave way to passion.
The Prisoner—Although I wrote the letters I
never had any bad intention towards you. I have
acted in a strange way, but it was through vexa-
tion.

Ann Leonard and Emily how, two servants of
Dr. Parfitt, spoke to hearing the prisoner threaten
to tear down Dr. Parfitt's house.

Anthony Herring, 60 C, said—Last night, about
nine o'clock, I went to No. 10, Monmouth-street,
and told the prisoner I had a warrant for his ap-
prehension, and he said he would go quietly. He
said that Dr. Parfitt bad discharged him without
a character, and he was determined to know the
reason why. He said ha had never assaulted Dr.
Parfitt, but would have done so had not his wife
been with him, and that he was touching Dr. Par-
fitt's private history, and meant to expose him, and
that he would cover six sheets of foolscap. He also
said that be was starving and could not get 3 situa-
tion, and that he would sooner be in prison than
starve.

The Prisoner—l have done wrong. lam very
hasty, and at times don't know what I do. I have
been in the army and a good deal abroad, and what
vexed me was that the doctor would not give me the
reassn for discharging me. I have lived with other
gentlemen, and was never complained of before.
Mr. Knox —Before determining what I shall do
in the matter, I would like to have inquiries made
into the prisoner's antecedents, an i I will therefore
remand him.