Swansea and Glamorgan Herald, and South Wales Free Press. — 1853-04-20 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

BARNSTAPLE.—The supporters of Lord Ebrington petition against Sir W. A. Frazer and Mr. Bremridge, the sitting members, on the ground of bribery, treating, and want of qualification on the part of the latter. Sergeant Kinglake, in opening the ease for the petitioners, detailed numerous instances of corruption which he purposed proving. Among others, he stated that there were a certain number of the electors who resided at Swansea. Those voters were brought by water to Barnstaple, and the expenses of the journey were about 10s. or 125., and he would be able to prove that one at least, if not more of those voters got 1.19 for his expenses. There was one other circumstance which he must not omit to bring before the notice of the committee. He had often heard of blue books, but he never saw such a blue book as he then held in his hand. It was a printed list of the tradesmen who Noted for the Conservative candidates. At the head of the first page was this description of its contents .—" The following list of tradesmen living within the borough of Barnstaple who supported the Conservative candidate in the recent election for 1652 has been carefully classified, and is now earnestly recommended to patronage and sup. port. Thus, because a tradesman voted as he thought ht, he should be placarded all over the town for the obvious purpose of injuring him in his business.  MYSTERIOUS SUICIDE OW A GENTLEMAN OF Foam:kn.—A very shocking occurrence took place at Weymouth on Saturday, a gentleman named Parnell having committed suicide by shooting himself. It appears that Mr. Parnell left his house about two o'clock on Saturday afternoon, in apparently his usual state of health, and called on a gunsmith named Stanley, with a loaded pistol, saying Ihe dould not get it to go off, and requested Stanley to put it to rights. Stanley drew the charge and found a piece of cork at the bottom of the muzzle of the pistol, which accounted for its not going off. The deceased then requested him to fire it, to see if it was all right, observing he had been firing at a target in his garden, which he had been practising at lately. This Stanley refused, observing he was quite positive it would not miss fire. The deceased then left, promising to pay bins his charge on Monday. Mr. Parnell then went to the Royal Hotel, there ordering a pint of wine, and pen, ink, and paper, lie sat down alone, and had lbeen there, or nearly half an hour, when the cook: of the hotel not being aware that any person was in the room, opened the door, and saw the deceased reclining:on a couch with blood over his face. A surgeon was immediately sent for, and pronounced life to have been extinct for sometime; the deceased having shot himself in the tight ear, the call passed through his head, and came oat just above the left ear, emeriti; the wall. Two letters were found on the table, one addressed to Mr. Luce, of the Royal Hotel, requesting that he slight lie recompensed for any inconvenience or loss he should be put to in consequence oh his haviag committed sell-destruction in Isis house; and the other addressed to Colonel Freestun, M.P., and directed to be opened in his, and his (de. ceased's) brotheexpresence. Tile deceaseo was a staunch supporter of the Colonel's. I; is remarkable that the teport of the pistol was not heard by any one in the house. The deceased was of somewhat reserved habits, considered eccentric, and about sixty years of age.