Zbe larobinces.
The two candidates for the representation of Salisbury are fairly in the field. The Honourable E. 0. Bouverie, the Liberal, who stood at the last election, but retired from the contest, proclaims himself an ad- vocate for free trade, an enemy to all "protective restrictions "; and asks for the support of his former opponents, as well as of his former friends, on the ground that "the lamentable state of some parts of the United Kingdom must have satisfied them of the necessity of adopting a more enlarged system of legislation." He promises to fight this con- test out to the last. Mr. Campbell, the Conservative, avows his deter- mination to tread in the steps of the late Member ; "firmly and consis- tently to support the constitution as at present established; zealously to uphold the religious institutions of the country, and earnestly to labour to secure that protection to the agricultural interest which upon every consideration it is most justly entitled to."
Mr. William Williams paid his annual visit to his constituents at Coventry on the 23d October, and delivered a long address from the balcony of the Half-Moon Tavern. He avowed in full the principle of delegation-
" I hold it to be a principle, that I ought to act in accordance with your opinions, and not in accordance with my own particular views and interests. If that principle were carried out by all the Members of the House of Commons, so many complaints, wrongs, and grievances, would not remain unredressed."
Censure on the conduct of Government formed the staple of his address; and the principal topics chosen for his strictures were—the lavish expenditure, for 5,000,0001. more was spent last year than in 1833; the Arms Bill, with the state of Ireland and South Wales ; the Factories Bill, the sliding-scale, the tax on sugar ; and the disposition of Government to sacrifice the British silk-trade to a commercial treaty with France. In short, he said, the entire course of legislation was conducted with a view to the benefit and exclusive advantage of the aristocracy—the landed and colonial interests ; totally without regard to the rights and interests of the people. The only remedy was, for the people to take their affairs into their own hands, and to make laws for themselves by their Representatives in Parliament. A resolution, warmly applauding Mr. Williams's conduct in Parliament, was carried unanimously.
The Municipal Elections took place, as usual, on the 1st November ; but the accounts as yet possess singularly little interest, and we observe that even in the places themselves the interest was not universal. More- over, the statements are very imperfect : we have sometimes the names but not the politics of the successful candidates ; often no descrip- tion of the retiring candidates ; so that in many an instance the effect of the election on the composition of the Town-Council cannot be deduced. The Liberals boast to have gained the advantage in An- dover, Cambridge, Canterbury, Dover, Kidderminster, Leeds, Ipswich, Stafford and Sunderland : the Conservatives in Chester, Lichfield, Liverpool, Harwich, Nottingham, Rochester, Southampton, Wigan, and Windsor. In Birmingham the Complete Suffragists have obtained a majority in the Council, in place of the ordinary "Liberal" ma- jority; and they expect to elect a Mayor of their own.
The Welsh Special Commission, which began the trials of the Rebecca rioters, at Cardiff, on Friday, did not take many days in finishing the business set down for it.
The trial of John Hughes, the leader of the attack on Pontardulais turnpike-gate, for shooting at Captain Napier with intent to murder, on the 6th September, concluded on Saturday. At the commencement of the trial, on Friday, Mr. M. D. Hill, counsel for the prisoner, challenged the array of the Jury generally, as not having been impartially com- posed by the Sheriff; but the Court decided that a sweeping challenge of the kind, unsupported by specific allegation or proof, could not be sustained. The principal witness against Hughes was Captain Charles Napier, Chief Constable of the County. He headed a party of eleven Police, who interrupted the rioters, about a hundred or a hundred and fifty in number, while they were demolishing the gate. The rioters were mostly mounted, their faces' blackened, and their persons disguised ; and one man had on a Druid's dress—a loose white dress. Captain Napier called out " stop ! " as loud as he could; on which the man in the Druid's dress turned round and fired at him. Telling the Police to " mark " that man, the Captain rode up to him, and fired at his horse ; which was wounded and threw its rider. Here Captain Napier seems to have lost sight of him for a moment, but others watched him ; and presently the Captain was again struggling with the same man in the endeavour to capture him; while one of the Police shot him in the arm. That man was the prisoner. This evidence was supported by that of Mr. Llewellyn, a County Magistrate, and his brother, several of the Police, and the gatekeeper, who described the destruction of the gate. There was some little discrepancy as to the order for firing ; Captain Napier not recollecting that he gave any other order than one to " mark " the man who fired at him ; two of the Police saying that they discharged their pistols when Captain Napier gave the word " Fire " ; and a third saying that he heard no such word given, but he fired when the others did, the Police never having been taught to fire at the word of command, and indeed not usually carrying pistols. Some of the Police fired twice, others only once; but the rioters mostly galloped off at the first volley. In Hughes's pocket were found some ammunition, two or three pounds in money, and a scrap of paper, on which was written, in Welsh—" Daniel Jones, Brynhier, come with all—to assist in Lantyisa Wednesday night next, or else you shall have no further notice.—Beco." The only evidence for the defence was as to cha- racter. On Saturday, the Jury returned a verdict of "Guilty," but re- commended Hughes to mercy, on account of the good character which he had bozne. Sentence was deferred.
Thepit2taidings of the Special Commission wound up somewhat suddenly, on 'Monday ; all the prisoners submitting, and the Crown counsel exercisibg a conciliatory forbearance. In the first place, David Jones and John tiugh withdrew a plea of "Not guilty," and pleaded "Guilty "to a eharge of unlawfully assembling and attempting to de- molish the hOurselof William Lewis and others at Llandilotalybont. In mitigation of waishment, Mr. M. D. Hill enlarged on the contrite de- meanour of thehrisoners, on the respectable state from which they had fallen,-errd-orrthe fact that John Hugh had permanently lost the use of his arm from a wound received in the affray. John Hughes was placed before the bench to receive sentence with the two others. Mr. Baron Gurney pointed out to the prisoners severally the enormity of their offences, and stated that they were liable to be transported for life. On Jones and Hugh the Court could not pass a less sentence than seven years' transportation. The same lenient view could not be entertained of Hughes's case : he was in a station of society in which he was not likely to have been misled by others; and the evidence proved him to be a leader, if not the leader of a lawless multitude. The Court felt great difficulty in diminishing the punishment to which he was liable; but, giving consideration to the recommendation of the Jury and the representations of his counsel, the sentence was, that he be transported for twenty years. "As to any further extension of mercy, the prisoners must recommend themselves to the grace and mercy of the Crown ; but that mercy could not be expected if offences of this kind were repeated, and the peace of the country were not fully restored." In the ease of David Lewis, a labourer charged with cutting and wounding, the Attorney-General, on a review of the circumstances, en- tered a nolle prosequi.
Lewis Davis pleaded " Guilty " to a charge of destroying the turn- pike-gate at Llandilotalybont ; but the Attorney-General did not press for punishment, and the prisoner was discharged on his own recog- nizances for 50/.
The next case was that of the Morgan family, who violently assaulted Captain Napier in the attempt to seize Henry Morgan, one of the sons. The aged parents were let off under a nolle prosequi. Margaret Mor- gan, charged with wounding Captain Napier, and Rees and John Mor- gan, with aiding and abetting, were relieved of the felonious charge; as the Attorney-General thought that they had mistaken their right to resist ; and he did not even press for a severe punishment under the charge of aggravated assault. In mitigation of punishment, Mr. Hill stated, that one of the prisoners was still suffering from a gun-shot wound. Mr. Baron Gurney remarked, that Captain Napier's life might have been sacrificed in the struggle, and the prisoners would then have ended their days with an ignominious death. Notwithstanding the for- bearance of the Attorney-General, an example must be made: Mar- garet Morgan was therefore sentenced to six months' and the two brothers to twelve months' imprisonment. They would have been sentenced to hard labour also, but that the Court had received informa- tion as to the goodness of their characters before the commission of these offences.
The Grand and Petit Juries were then discharged, with thanks; and the proceedings of the Commission terminated.
Previous page
