The Sun.
London, England, 1850-02-04 00:00:00

*" Of course, when I was in prison my credit was
stopped, and those indebted to me, not knowing what
course affairs would take, demurred t..) paying me. I
was unwilling to sacrifice my books and furniture by a
sale, believing that as the facts became better known to
the prosecutors, I should be released; they thus fell a
prey to my panic-stricken landlord and other creditors—
r not a single article was saved to me—my books, scien•
tific instruments, and articles upon which I set an espe-
cial value, were all swept away; in a short time the
small sum at my command was exhausted. I became
literally penniless, and, but for the generosity of a few
steadfast friends, I should have been driven upon the
gaol allowance long before my trial. I lost my counsel,
Mr. Chambers, because I could no longer pay him his
fire guineas per day for attending the almost endless
hearings. My solicitor next declared, that in justice to
his family, be could no longer devote his time to my ser-
vice without suitable advances. In this deplorable con-
dition, another gentleman (with a generosity, for which
I shall ever be gratt ful) came forward and offered to de-
vote his personal labour, but naturally observing that be
could not undertake to provide the outlay. He men-
tioned my condition to Mr. Parry, a talented gentleman
just called to the bar, and who, recollecting me as the
secretary :of The Legal Discussion Society, and more
recently as an active member of the committee of the
Southwark Literary Institution, at once offered to
attend for me before the Lord Mayor. I was then re-
duced to the most humiliating appeals for the means of
existence, and to provide for the indispensable current
outlay; but such was the prejudice which false, dis-
torted, and ex park representations created in the public
mind, that even my friends became lukewarm, and the
subscription was less than I had many a time procured for
a distressed family in a few days, and from entire strangers;
the consequence was, that much important evidence
from Bath, Bristol, and other places, was not obtained—
the procuring of singe as was delayed so late that some
witnesses were not secured, and even the copies of the
depositions were not had in sufficient time to obtain full
and proper advice upon the evidence.
" I had retained Mr. Thesiger, but the payment of his
fee was impossible. Mr. Wilkins was made acquainted
with my forlorn situation, and most magnanimously
consented to receive my papers, with such a fee as I
might be able to command. Most unfortunately too, my
solicitor was prevented by illness from attending the
trial, and thus I lost the great value of his superin-
tendence, as well as his very important evidence."—Case
of W. IL Barber, pp. 58.9.

We would fain call the attention of every reformer
to the notice which was given on Friday in the House
of Commons by the Hon. F. HENRY F. BERKELEY,
M.P. for Bristol,'of his intention to bring forward,
on an early day, the question of the Ballot
We understand the motion of the Honour-
able Member for Bristol will be seconded by
Lord DUDLEY STUART. In the meantime we call
upon all those who are electors, or who expect or de-
sire to be , such, to lose no time in pe-
titioning in favour of Mr. BERKELEY'S mo-
tion. The cause of the Ballot has been triumphant
on one occasion in the course of the present Parli.
ment ; and if its supporters bestir themselves there is
no reason why it should not again triumph, but to
ensure this no time must be lost. Petition, therefore,
for the BaIIot—PETITION ! PETITION ! PETITION !

THE QUEEN'S SPEECH.—(From a Correspondent.)
—The proprietor of the City Reading Rooms at Ox-
ford was supplied by the enterprising news-agents,
Messrs. Clayton and Son, of 265, Strand, with twenty.
five copies of The Sun newspaper, containing the Queen's
Speech, by a quarter-past five the same afternoon, which
was a great boon to the subscribers, who flocked to the
rooms in numbers to peruse a document fraught with so
much interest.
The energy and spirit of the Messrs. Johnston, of
Dublin, has put us in possession of The Sun newspaper,
containing the Queen's Speech, eleven hours sooner than
it could arrive by the ordinary mail. Upon many for-
mer occasions we have borne testimony to the enterprise
of this eminent firms, who have founded in Ireland an
entirely new business, and prosecuted it with extraordi-
nary success; and the present is not the least remarkable
of their achievements in furnishing rapid intelligence.--
Cork Examiner of Friday.

GIITTA PERCHA.—The importations of this now
exceedingly useful and important article of merchandise,
continue to take place in very considerable quantities.
The vessel Justira, from the Cape of Good Hope and
Singapore, has brought 11,593 blocks, besides a quan-
tity in bags, of the article; and the vessel Enterprise
has also brought 9,458 blocks of the article, consigned
to order.

character which he has acquired during a professional
career in which be has attained the very highest rank
in his dignified profession—but he did more. He
even surpassed himself. He was more than equal to
the occasion, and whether we consider the professional
learning and legal research exhibited, the fervid and
glowing eloquence, the depth and intensity of warm.
hearted and generous feeling, or the close and logical
reasoning on the multifarious topics introduced—
on every portion, however minute, of the studiously
entangled and elaborately complicated case, we must
regard with equal surprise and admiration the tri •
umph achieved by that accomplished lawyer.
In one portion of his effective speech the Learned
Sergeant felt called upon to repel the vile and un-
warranted aspersions that bad been untruly cast
upon his own conduct in reference to this transaction.
It was secretly insinuated—the malignant calumnia-
tors dared not to assert openly—that he bad violated
the etiquette cf the profession of which he is one of
the brightest ornaments, by accepting a brief on the
chances of success and of his fee being subsequently
raised. The Learned Sergeant rebutted this infamous
and mendacious hint (we cannot call " assertion") in
the becoming language of honest indignation. He em-
phatically declared "that he never did and never would
hold a brief on the terms of 'no cure no pay,' and
that although there were cases which might some-
times induce him to remit the fee, he felt it would be
disgraceful to him if be consented to bold a brief on
the terms upon which it had been erroneously stated
he had done."
The real circumstance of the cue to which it has
thus been attempted to give a malignant and slande-
rous interpretation, are so honourable to the Learned
Sergeant, that we cannot refrain from giving the ac-
count of the transaction contained in Mr. BARBER'S
highly interesting pamphlet.*
We have_reason to know that the above is not a
solitary instance of the unbounded liberality and dis-
interested generosity of the Learned Sergeant—not
only his invaluable professional services, but even his
private resources, have been freely placed at the dis-
posal of those whom he knew to be the victims of
untoward circumstances, and objects deserving of
smypathy and compassion rather than oppression and
persecution. His purse has ever been open to
those afflicted in mind, body, or estate, who required
and merited pecuniary aid. There are many mem-
bers of his high profession who exhibit a laudable
anxiety to relieve the distressed in any and every
form, but never have we hitherto heard of reproach
and censure being recklessly dealt out for that which
constituted the highest and most enduring com-
mendation.

His Learned opponent, Sir FREDERICK THESIGER,
also thought fit to reprove the noble warmth exhi-
bited by Sergeant WILKINs. He said, " the mode in
' which his Learned Friend had identified himself
with his client might be very generous, but it cer-
tainly was irregular, and somewhat embarrassing to
the advocate opposed to him." We would venture to
inquire, where was the identification, where the irre-
gularity ? He declared that "he had spoken with
more warmth and feeling than war, perhaps, proper
in addressing a higher order of intellects, but he con -
fessed that he felt so deeply in the case that he could
sacrifice any prospects of success in his profession,
could he but live to see the day when WILLIAM
HENRY B♦RBER, his friend—for such he called him
—should regain his position in society. He should
consider, if that end were attained, that he had not
lived in vain." The feelings of the Learned Gentle-
man overpowered him for some moments, and he was
obliged to pause for a brief period in order to recover
his self-possession.
Such sympathy with an accused person, such ge-
nerous devotion, is unfortunately but rarely exhibited
in courts of justice. Would to GOD it were oftener
the case, that the advocate might never forget that he
was also ♦ MAN, and that he should not unduly press
upon a suffering fellow-creature for the mere sake of
showing his own ability and sharpness. We have
often heard that
" Wretches bang that jurymen may dine;"
we fear it may with equal truth be alleged that inno-
cent men have been convicted, and the entire prospects
of their lives blighted, nay, their very lives forfeited
upon the ignominious scaffold, because the counsel for
the prosecution desired to obtain a triumph over his
learned opponent.
Such cases are not indeedof every-day occurrence.
We rejoice to say that the great majority of barristers
would be incapable of such conduct in criminal cases;
but there are exceptions to the general rule, and we
must confess that we should have been better pleased
had Sir FREDERICK THESIGBR, under the peculiar
circumstances of the present case, exhibited less of the
zeal of the nisi prius advocate.