The Express. — London, England, 1853-12-01 00:00:00

V lO Court . OSBOItNE, Nov. 30. rh, I.4l Wen and Prince and the royal children na.nni ar.,l rode in the ;romal. yesterday. Carl, her nt Kent, attended by Lady Fanny Howard sit Couper, strived in town by the Great s .: otes R a ilway yeaterday morning from her residence Erm n - ve, sear iVialsor. Her royal bightuas visited of Miswrite', at Gloucester-house, in this 4t „ a and afterwards returned to Frogmorc. drputotioo, consisting of Mr. Traill, M.P., Mr. Francis P ~ Xr. Lame, X.l'., had so interview with the j ; jat Ilan. E. Cardwell, and 1.. ird Steely of Alderley, .rorrdey, at the oitlce of the Board of Trade. for the Governors of the West Coast of o ' nc ,',,,,e r a sent yesterday from the Colonial office. c. c uoussiouere for inquiring into the state of the c ar porstioa of the City of Losdon, sat yesterday in the tj ,„j js ee of the First Lord of the Treasury is street. Present, the Right HOC. H. Labouchere, 0.. Roo H o c 5.r J . P fat , . sun, and G. COTWOWSU Lewis, L ods of her Majesty's most Hon. Privy Council t ,.. 4 ,,..,•ayr yesterday. is the Privy Council Chamber. Invest Ow Lord Cho/miler, Viscount Palusentoa, Seas on of Mae far the Plane Department, the Chaawellor of th . .I 1 Cornwall, the Lords Justices Turner and h o ard Bruce, the 'tre of the Admiralty Court, and Sir J Pac. Mr. C C:erk of the Privy Council, attended.— mus sertinseral and the Sfficitor•Oeneral were in Thr steeduo . ! t o itvelernit Tbe.iger and Mr. Palmer were heard on a s o*. from the ?Watts of the Island of Jersey fur the ;meg of Teets Oldie* is Council, Ilth February, IS4-1 ; lad Y e support or Weir application fur the eOlififilialioCl of wow arts paw. d by that Assembly. the case was adjourned. SlajorGeneral the Right lion. Sir George Arthur, van .„ wi io usly ill, a fact which will be much regretted, ea pecially ;a the colonire, where he has fora long time wired. Esteem , iil health obliged Sir George Arthur to Wien !WM his last government of Bombay in 1846. Yesterday a Court of Directors was held at the let to Mow, whn James Grant Lemsden, Req., was a ppaistrd pro e visional!) e a member of aseesil at Bombay. TV. MANCH Oil ER AND SALFORD EDUCA- T iN N CHM. Ibe bid promutud by the Manchester and Salford Wrestler Area 131100, 11 to be istrodued into the Ileum of Coatroom nest ses.ton in a new form. Ono of the changes • be ri subyrifute a committee, nominated by the rate payer., in the same way as the guardians of the pariah anions are elected. for the committee which it was pro r„,d by tie original bill should be chosen by the town esearils. Then are other thaeges which have not yet beta definitely settled. but the above will be one of the principal alteration+. Sir John Pakingtoa having been in rued to take charge of the bill in the House of COlllOl4lllO, west to Manchester on Saturday, and was there as the guest of the Button of Manchester until Tuesday, who invited some of the leading members of the association to meet him at •eddey. Subsequently Sir John had an interview with the committee of the association, in order that he might develops his views oat the question of education, and in return that more fully espriveed what are those of the association. There were some points in which theirsckeme did not entirely meet the wishes of the right hon. baronet, the present bill :wing one of a local character. Sir John was elisions that the measure should be one which could be male more generally applicable, holding the opinion that as a purely local measure, he was not, holding no con nexion with the boroughs of Manchester and Salford, in a polities to introduce it to the Home of Commons. It was aresemd, however, before the conference terminated, that Sir John should take charge of the measure, and that the Ili.hop of Manchester, should it ever reach the Lords. should tale charge of it in the upper house. MORE MIsNIONARIES FOR CHINA. Yesterday especial meeting of the London Miis• slum Society was held at Easter-hall, for the purpose of sending out additional missionaries to China, in consequence of the opening' supposed to be afforded by the progreu and religious character of the insurrection. Notwithstanding unfavourable weather, the large room was filled. The chair was taken hp the Earl of Shaftesbury, who was sup ported by Sit C. E. Eardley, Sir E. N. Buxton, the Rev. C. Charapneys, the Rev. J. A. James, the Rev. Dr. Mori son, the Rev. Dr. Henderson, and other friends of the missionary cease. An address of the committee wee read, detailing the past efforts made on behalf of China, and proposing that ten additional missionaries should be sent oat, the expense involved is the scheme being stated at from three to four thousand pound. per annum. After an opening address from the Chairman, the Rev. Dr. Leib child moved the first resolution, declaring that the meeting contemplated with wonder and awe the present operations of Providence in Chins, by w hich the animating hope was encouraged that the system or idolatry, which with deadly force had prevailed for many 's nturivs throughout that vast empire, was about to be Onf!hrown, and the millions of its inhabitants, hitherto shut up in pagan darkness, to become accessible to the ministers of Christ and the power of the Gospel. This rsuolution was seconded by the Rev. C. Cheapest's, rector of Whiteetapel, and adopted unani measly. The neat re•oletian was mured by the dins. J. A. James, seconded by Sir E. N. Buxton, and supported ►y the Rev. Mr. Aldo. Other resolationa followed, in acs cadence with the object, and by one of them the scheme of the committee was sanctioned by the meeting. In the wane of the proceedings a lot of subscriptions wee read, including one of 2001. and al of 1001. The proceed ings terminated with the usual vote of thanks to the chairman. AARROW ESCAPE OF A RAILIVAY TRAIN. In the Daily News of Monday appeared an account of an accident at the Patricroft Station, on the Liverpool sad Manchester Railway, in which an ennuis train ran into two carriages, aiid dashed them to pieces, but moped without injury. The accident appears to have been of a NON serious character, although not *Mailed with fatal multi. The accident was caused by some hitch in the points of • aiding at the Patricroft station, iMe which it is customary to shunt from the MY 'Aso the trains from Manchester to Petri melt ally. The driver of ono of these trains, which left thalbanalt at 9 o'clock as Saturday morning, on arriving breeperseloall that it was going into the Clifton Junction, bemsomethig being wrong with the points. He therefore aim put me his Mem% and mowed towards the up line, in arise that the pines might be adjusted. At the moment wile the teals toga amiss both lines the ezpnes train, which leaves Measelemem at 9.16, and does not stop at Patricroft, came up at a speed of about twenty miles an bow, although the driver had aleakened oa some fog slogs, which had been plastid on fiat es $3Oll as the statics" officials bettameawar• of the danger. The collision was fortunately rendered leas Mideast than it otherwhe would have been, .1 , the driver of the Patricroft train getting into atones, and pastas through the station at the rate of five or six miles an hour. As it was, the last carmine of the Patrimoft train, • break van, was knocked limn bodily off its wheels and thrown violently spots a second elan carriage. Both of these carriages were wholly destroyed, sad two others very much damaged, while the eagine, with two carriages attached, shot forward for half a ▪ o.e before it could be stopped. The fast train seems to have tone to a deed stand immediately after the collision, and sustained no damage, except • slight bulging of the engine chimmy. Of the passenger', one lady had her forehead severely cut and bruised, and a gentlemen also bad a rather severe gash in the foes, but the others escaped with • few slight scratches or coutusions. An hour elapsed before the musk of the carriages was sufficiently removed to claw the ewer to proceed to Liverpool. It has not been ascertained what was wrens with the points, but an investigation 14 being said& UNPE.:TED MURDER IN SCOTLAND. On the evening of Monday the 21st inst., a ms in the prime of life, name' WDonald, holding a small farm ic the parish of St. Fergus. near Peterhead, left his httne to proceed nn some business to the blacksmith's shop, situated at some little distance. and as he did not teturn the same night, his friends naturally became. alarmed about him. The lest morning he was found lying dead in a held, with a discharged pistol by his side, by a bullet from which, it was evident, he bad COM. by his death. It was fiat conjectured that he had committed suicide. but when tidings of the event reached Peterhead the agent of the Northern Insurance Company there —in which office M•Donald's life had been in sand for -5001. was led to suspect, from the cis "assume that the insurance had not been effected by M•Dociald himself, but by another person, a Dr. Staitt , . residing in St. Fergus, that there had bee. some foul play in the matter. Ibis suspicion was very much; strengthened when it was ascertained that the life of the unfortunate men was insured by the wane ;wean is a second o ffi ce f ur 6001, an d in a third—the Caledonian —for 1,00 W., and, further, that the term insured for ia this Litter Ohre was only one year, and that the period of the policy would expire in the course of a few days from the present date. sod, consequently, if Iff'Donald survived the twelve months the premium paid on the 1,0001. would be lest money. Moreover, the parties miss discovered the dead man begaa to esprees an opinion that, from the posi tion io which the bed; was lying, and the way that the shot bad taken effort, it was nest to impossible that the pistol could have been fired by 111. Donald himself. The resu;t was that Dr. Smith has bun apprehended, and now hes in the gaol of Peterhead, nu the charge of having been entice 'red in the death tit the deremeil.—Edinhurpt Obwrani. MRS- CAROLINE CIIIAIIoLM has arrived in Edin. ' bereh,,wbera she will remain for two or three days, while making some arrangements for the re-union of families divided by emigration. We understand she IA the guest of Mr. K. Qambers.—lithn6nisg4 Witness. THE EXPRESS, THURSDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 1, 1853. the Bank of England, at 4 per cent., for making the ap proaches to London bridge, and 250,0001. for Farringdon Market. The expenses of maintaining the market were greater than toe receipts by 3311.1 in 1833, by 71. 85. in 1811, and by 79/. in 1351. Mr. Lewis—lots have stated that the officers of the cot , p nation centred a sum of 74,0.501. which aces not appear in the 'teems.' of the corporation. Do you mean to say that that vim does not appear in any way en the blue books published by the corporation ? Mr. Williams—Not one single farthing of it appears, to the best of my belief, in any one of the blue books. The money we, received by the officers of the corporation, se appears from their own returns, in the shape of fees and other emoluments, Audis not published in the City accounts. I will now proceed to state the coat of the salaries of the officers. There are 485 officers of the corporation, and their salaries, including the Lord Mayor and the City Soli citor, whou accounts were not filled in in Schedule A of the report of 1883, amounted in that year to 123,8141. The salaries of the ward officers amounted to 3,4671. ; the sums paid to the committees of the Common Council amounted to 6,5941.; the allowances for the City barge and shallop, and other expenses for the conservancy of the Thames, amounted to 2,0001.; pensions, 2,7931. The total of these items is 138,6781. The bills of the three City lawyers—the City Solicitor, the Comptroller, and the Remembrance,— amounted, in the ten years from 1826 to 1835, to 162,6201., which gives an average of 16,2621. for each year. There were also 28 other lawyers, who received in 1833 22,8431. These lawyers are the Recorder, Town Clerk, Common See jeant, judges of the Sheriffs Csurt, de. These two last items give an amount of 39,1051. per annum for lawyers' expenses. 1833 the salaries of twelve City officers, including the Lord Mayor, amounted to 56,1971, from which official deductions were made to the extent of 6,7621., leaving a balance of 48,4351. In the same year the salaries of twelve Cabinet ministers amounted to 4.5,4801., so that the twelve City officers received 2,9.5.51. more than the same number of Cabinet ministers. I must mention, however, that the Lord Chancellor is not included in the twelve Cabinet ministers, because the Great Seal was at that time in com mission. Fur the purpose of further elucidating the expen diture of the City corporation I will compare it with that of some other municipal towns in England. Birmingham has a population of 242,841, the salaries and emoluments of its municipal officers amount to 1,1311., and the law expenses to 1,4001. '1 he Chairman—But you cannot iestitiee a fair compa rison between London and Birmingham, because there are many items included in the municipal expenditure of Lon don which are not included in that of Birmingham. For instance, there is the salary of the coroner and the adminis tration of justice and the gaols. Mr. Williams—l admit that to be so. and the comparison can, therefore, be only regarded as a proximate one. Then Bristol has a population of 137,000, and the salaries of the corporate officers amount to 7,6141. Hull: population, 84,600 ; salaries, 1,7091. • legal expenses, 1061. Leeds : population, 172,000 ; salaries of officers, 1.0791. ; law ex penses, 1481. Liverpool : population, 375,935 ; salaries of corporate officers, 11,8641. ; law expenses, 13,1381. Man chester : population, 303,332 ; salaries, 4,4631.; law ex penses, 3,7831. Norwich : population, 65,195 ; salaries, 3,4291. ' • law expenses, 1,0431. Sheffield : population, 135,310; salaries, 2251.: law expenses, 7211. I have taken these figures from a report presented to the House of Commons in 1943. In London the enormous vim of 192,0001. was levied in the shape of coal tax from off the inhabitants of the entire metropolis; and up to the present time the whole of the proceeds of that tax has keen expended in City improvements, with the ception of a balance which last year was paid over to the Office of Works for metropolitan improvements. It ap pears to me to be most unjust that one-twentieth part of the metropolis should have the power of taxing the Villa ... under acts of Wallin, Ash e, and George 1., which on powers the corporation to ins .' ce certain regulations with regard to brokers. They awl. %,,.• pay this tax which is not only unjust but illegal —a co ur t o f Ow having decided that it was illegal. In D ecem b er , Ists, / ceeetled to broker's businessin the City, b u t b e f ore I cou ld do so I was told I should have to pay 3/. a year rent, the fees, when I was admitted and sworn before the Court of Aldermen. I spoke of this to other b ro k ers , an d was to ld by t : em that it was not necessary to pay thi s s um o f Si. I i nqu i r e i : into the subject, and found that out of two hundred ship brokers in the City of London but fifty-three were sworn brokers. Jn another list I find that out of one hundred and thirty-six broken who earry oat the same business exactly as myself but thirty-five were sworn. I find it stated in M'Cul loth's " Commercial Dictionan " that the shipping insur ance brokers did not come within the meaning of the acts of parliament I have referred to. And it was so decided by the judges in 1827. The Chairman—Why then don't you resist the claim of the corporation / Mr. Offor—Simply for this reason, that I gave two secu rities that I would regularly pay the rental or tine. I went yesterday to the town clerk, and was there again told that I could not be admitted a ship broker without paying the fine, and that if I did so I would be proceeded against. I told them that m 7 partner was not sworn, and that is the fact. I was also Informed yesterday, that by being a sworn shipping insurance broker I could carry on the business of a share and stock brober, but that a share and stock broker could not carry on my business. Mr. M'Nasiara-1 rioted as an agent in City elections. I sat on Sir J. Key's committee at the last election for cham berlain. Money was paid to flog bearers, canvassers, and constables. Some of these were electors and some not. I did cot pay any persons myself. I have heard that some of these men got so much as :10s. or lfis. a day. I paid 201. myself fur tavern expenses. There was not mulls treating. I don't know how much the election coat. I think the liverymen are, on the whole, a respectable body. I have taken part in the election of aldermen. I reside in the ward of Portsoken, where some severe contests took place. The election of Alderman Moon lasted for a long time, yet it did not cost more than 6001. I don't think a Ghillies was taken for votes on that occasion, though the ward is a poor one. Mr. Thomas Plant Rose—l was engaged as a confidential agent on the part of Mr. Scott at the last contest fur cham berlain. There was a very considerable expenditure on that occasion, but not more than usual. The money is spent in bringing up voters from a distance, and the voters in the town from their work. A gnat number of persons were employed as colourmen, &c., and they received the usual pay of about 7s. 6d., and some were paid 11. The total amount spent by Mr. Scott was, I think, 3,4001. The whole was spent in agency and bringing up voters. I a knew any person to get a direct money payment for his vote. I heard that money was paid in that way. Very little was spent in treating. The expenditure on the aide of Sir John Key was 1,9001. That was only iu one department. The whole expenditure on the part of Sir John Key, was 7,0001. A great deal of that was spent in sending persons to all parts of the country to bring up the voters. I do not believe that all that amount coald be spent in that way, bat I believe that a good deal of it must have been spent in direct bribery. I do not know that of myself. I attribute the defeat of Mr. Scott to that large expenditure. I do not think any bribery has taken place in the election of sheriffs or aldermen. The office of sheriff, however, is not much sought for. Mr. Grey, of Stepney-green, said—l am a citizen of Lon don, and a member of the Drapers' Company. I was robbed by a gang of swindlers who held offices in the City, and carried on their operations on a large scale. This was in 1847. I prosecuted three of these men to conviction at the Old Bailey. I was told by my solicitor that the expenses would not be more than 251. But when the trial was over, I found that they amounted to 1524 A subscription was opened to reimburse me, to which Baron de Rothschild, Mr. Travers, and other gentlemen in the City, contributed. The City of London contributed 501. The subscription did not amount to more than 3811., leaving me out of pocket, independent of the loss of my time and other private ex penses. I then petitioned the Treasury to ho allowed a part of the entreat (2001.), and the petition was favourably entertained. It was found, however, that the sureties lived within the precincts of the City, and the esteem were paid over to the City Secondary, Mr. Potter. I then petitioned the corporation for a portion of the money to pay the ex penses of the trial, but was told that it belonged to the sheriff and not to the corporation. 'the prayer of my peti tion was not granted. I have been reduced in circum stances in consequence of the prosecution. I was offered 2501. to give up the judge's warrant, but I refused. I don't say that the corporation were bound to reimburse me any part of the low I sustained, but I think they ought to have done so. They did so in other cases. The inquiry was then adjourned to to-morrow (Friday). bitants of the remaining nineleen-twentieths in this man ner. In providing for the future municipal government of the metropolis I would give corporations to each of the metropolitan boroughs, and I would form out of these different sections a central body, with extensive powers for certain general purposes, such u sewerage, police, and public improvements. I would have no objection to continue the name of Lord Mayor, and I would make him the chief officer of the coastal body. I would give that o ffi cer a liberal allowance, so that he might he able to maintain a becoming hospitality. I think an allow ance of 4,0001. a year or thereabouts would be sufficient for that purpose, but my opinion is that gentlemen would be found who would be prepared to exercise a becoming hospitality as Lord Mayors at their own expense. The Chairman—But do you think it would be right to throw this burden on the gentleman who exercised the office ? Mr. Williams—A gentleman of that description has been found in Liverpool in the person of Sir J. Potter, and if I was elected myself I would rather defray the expense of the hospitality from my private funds than have it borne out of such a tax as a coal tax levied on my fellow citizens. I be lieve the City corporation represents in no one respect the general interests of the metropolis. It taxes the metropolis but does not represent it. In my opinion the prevalent feeling of the members of the Court of Common Council is to preserve things as they are. They are not in general reformers, or they would have done something before now to reform themselves. Whenever they see anything like a commission they begin to show a seal for reform, but that is all. I consider that nearly all of the privileges of the City are disadvantageous to the rest of the metropolis, and that the City would not be satisfactorily reformed by any partial alteration of the present corporate system. The Chairman—What change would you propose? Mr. Williams—l would apply the provisions of the Muni cipal Corporation Act to the City of London. There is no earthly reason why London should not be brought under that act as well as other plac.s. Mr. Lewis—Da you think it would give satisfaction to the City ? Mr. Williams—l am sure it would work as well there as in any town in England. I am sure if that were done ample precautions might be taken for the proper adminis tration of the trust funds of the City. In Bristol and in ' Coventry there were is great many trust funds, and although there were many complaints about their administration before the passing of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1 have not heard • single complaint since those trusts were placed under the guardianship of the Lord Chancellor. I ' would take from the corporation the conservancy of the Thames. I think so important a trust as that ought to be in the handed the government. Mr. George Edwards, • member of a Scotch linen firm, was called au to give evidence, but as it did not bear di rectly on the corporation, it was not pursued. • deputation from the vestry of St. Panama, assisting of Mr. W. E. Cooper, Mr. Stockton, Mr. Lawton, and Mr. Billed, were then called. Mr. Cooper spoke on behalf of the deputatles. The Oat paint we complain of is that we are taxed foe im peeremment in the City property, by • tax on coal, same of the of which is spent in our parish. The poor paalic who have bees driven out of St. Gilea's and ether 17: have settled in St. Pancras, to the amount of from 700 per yes, for the last seven years. The pariah dim declares that the numbers thus removed amount to ese-sizth of the out-door poor, who amount in our 'wish to 6,027. We think that an improvement rate would press less heavily than the coal duty on the ishabitants, especi ally on the poor of the parish. We have also to complain of the duties en carts entering the city. The population of St. Pancras is 167,000, and the rateable property 707,8571. There is no municipal corporation in the pariah, and we have no legal power for enforcing a paving and lighting rate. We applied for • bill to parliament, but it was rejected in the House of Lords. The North Western Railway Company refused to pay the rates demanded of them, and we have no power to compel them to pay. It was hamssequeace of their opposition that the bill was lost. Vs are therefore in this position, that we have important delis to perform, and yet have not the means of carrying this out. In consequence of the want of a municipal oor nti, or any good local act, the value of the property in aTeras is dimulishod. We have had the public roads ' to maintain, and very great expense is caused by the in creased coal traffic brought over them, all of which we have to pay for. We paid 9,0001. on this account, and there is more due. We have the tax to pay, and others have the benefit. We have spent about 110,0001., including paving and lighting. The highest rate we have had is 2s. on the rental. We have to pay 8,2871. for county rate ; fully ono. third of what we raise in the parish is spent without our control. We object to the mode in which the police rate is levied and apportioned. We have to pay over 4,0001. for lunatics. If we had a corporation a large portion of these expenses would be saved. We are unanimous es to the advisability of a municipal corporation, and it is being discussed to-day whether we will ask for one in conjunction with Marylebone and Pad dington, or separately. There are more 101. house, in St. Pancras than in tho other two parishes together. The present system of conducting the sewers and the water supply entails an additional expense on the inhabitants of St. Pancras, which would be obviated if there was a gene ral board for conducting these matters. The auditors of St. Pancras are elected by the general ratepayers, and they have the power of disallowing any or every item. They have in point of fact disallowed items. The vestry don't feel that they have sufficient powers for the management ' of the parish, and they fa I difficulty in getting a proper local act, in consequence of the opposition of the North Western Company, which threatened to proceed against us by injunction, and make us pay individually for the ex penses of seeking • new bill. We are thus completely hand-tied, as far as regards lighting and paving. The num ber who actually polled for the vestrymen ix St. Pancras sow larger than the number who voted in our division for the election of members fur Marylebone. With regard to the power of attachment possessed by the Lord Mayor's Court, it is known that that court has the power of attach ing money is the banks within the City of London. But it may not be known that the court has tne same power in the case of joint stock barks in the City having branches in the west-end or other parts of the metropolis. It the money should be deposited in a west end branch the court has the power of attaching it. Still further, if the bank should be in the west-end, and have no branch in the City, it would be only necessary for one of the parties to appear within the City walls to give the power of attachment. This shows the extent of the power possessed by the court, which was originally given fur the City only. Mr. Stockton, one of the deputation, said, in reference to the coal duties, that the middle classes consumed on the average about seven tone of coal per house in the year. In the houses of the poorer classes a greater number of fires were lighted, as a greater number of (amides lived in them, consequently the coal tax tell heavier on the poor than on the middle class. The proportion was about If. to lie. The expenditure from the coalicontributed neither to the use nor ornament of St. Pancras, and he was sure the commission would feel the necessity and justice of abolishing it. - - MUSIC. Mr. Olio_ ,r jun., a shipping insurance broker, of the City of London, said the shipping insurance bro ken of the City are taxed to the extent of 51. per annum for carrying on business. This is claimed CITY CORPORATION COMMISSION. -- «- EXAMINATION Of MR. WILLIAMS, M.P. The Commissioners met yesterday; Mr. Labou chore in the chair. Mr. Williams, M.P. for Lambeth, was the first witness examined. ile said—ln the year 1830 I became connected with the corporation of London. At that time it was the practice of the Caurt of Common Council to select gentlemen perfectly independent of them, to audit their accounts. In 1829 the auditors complained that they had not sufficient informatian to enable them to discharge their duty, and, in the tenoning year, I i.nd another gentle. man were elected by the Common Hall, in oPPo motion to the gentlemen who had been proposed, as auditors by the Court of Common Council. 1 and my col league were supposed to have made at that time a more luminous report on the state of the finances of the corpora tion, than any that hail been made during the preceding 60 years. It was previously the custom to allow the auditors 301., which was to be expended on dinners ; but we declined to accept that sum. We received a very gratifying vote of thanks for what was called our luminous report. That arrangement had gone on for same years, but in 1834 the corporation finding it inconvenient, as I imagine, to supply the bills of particulars which the new auditors required, instructed the chamber lain not to furnish those bills of particulars for the futon, We therefore refused to continue our services as auditors, and the result was that at a Common Hall held on the 30th of January, 1831, the following resolution was adopted : " Resolved, th►t the Common Hall has heard with surprise and indignation that the present chamberlain has, contrary to the custom and practice of the former chamberlain, and in defiance of • resolution passed unanimously by the citizens in Common Hall assembled on June 24th, 1329, refused to furnish the auditors with t►e bills of particulars and other accounts of money paid by him and of the funds belonging to the citizens at large." Th►t resolution of the Common Hall was referred to the Committee on City Lands, who reported as follows: —" And although it appears that the bills of artificers and others were formerly prodoad to the auditors en the examination of the chamberlain and bridge.master's accounts, the practice arose from their having been &teethed to each orders or warrants for general convenience, and not in any respect from their being necessary, to say such examination, and from the tallest consideration of the subject the select committee were of opinion (as suggested in the said report) that the miditors have no power or authority to require the produc tioa of any bills of particulars, or to reject or disallow any payment made under such competent authority ; were it ot►erwise, the corporation would become subject to the views of the auditors or the body of the livery who form (as liverymen) no part of the corporation, nor pacers any right to an interest in the property of the corporatiou." I believe that without bills of particulars, audits would be little better than a mere force. The auditors appointed by the City afforded no check against misappropriation. The gentlemen appointed to the office of chamberlain are always men of high character and unquestionable integrity, and I do not in the least wish to impute to them any actual malversation. When the City Corporation Commissioners instituted the inquiry in the yea• 1933, some of the leading City ;reformers, of whom I was one, formed themselves into a committee for the purpose of giving all the information in their power with respect tO the state of the corporation. Mr. Dillon, myself, and others gave evidence before that commission, but the gentlemen who composed it seemed to make little of our evidence, and were Wanly led away by the statements of the City off'. errs, who, of coney, made out the best cam they could for themselves. Whenever any inquiry took place, these offi cers showed great ability and adroitness in protecting their own interests. A vacancy took place in the Common Coun cil about the middle of the year, in the ward in which I carried on my business. I was induced, reluctantly, to offer myself u a candidate for the office, with a view of getting at the City accounts, which the corporation denied all access to. The Court of Common Council passed an order to the effect that the officers of the corporation should furnish no information of any kind to any one except to the regularly constituted authorities. I was erected without opposition, but after my election 1 found that I could not obtain say informa'ien beyond what was to be found in the blue- books published under the authority of the corporation, and which afforded no correct idea of the money exacted by them from the public in various shapes. I believe the Common Conseil themselves had no knowledge of the money received ►y the various officers under the name of fees and other sources. Under these circumstances I moved fora committee to in- quire into the salaries, fees, profits, and emoluments of the officers of the corporation: the amount of the City re venues; the various sources whence derived, and the mode in which it was upended. That committee was granted after considerable delay. It was what is called a ward committee, a member being elected for each of the twenty six wards. I believe the list of names was pretty much that which I proposed, and I cannot complain of any un fairness in the selection of the committee, or of the mode in which they discharged their duty, although many of them were not City reformers. I must say, they acted most honourably and conscientiously. We soon found that there were so many officers em ployed under the corporation that it would take up an enormous length of time if we were to call each officer before us. N'e therefore wrote to each officer, soliciting t the desired information as to the nature and amount of his ii;larirnd fees. A sub-committee was formed from the general committee , for the purpose of arranging the different accounts which were furnished. They presented a report to the Court of Common Council, which report was referred back to the general committee, as is the custom in these cues. The committee had the assistance of Mr. Scott, the Chamberlain's chief clerk, a most able account sat, and a very clever man, and also of the town clerk. A report was finally agreed to, and was drawn up by Mr. Scott I have • copy of that document here, and it is one of a very able and comprehensive character. The first pies which the committee took into consideration was the 1110 of she smoralty, sad this was a question of extreme allimbp. We took a great deal of pains to arrive at an OSSIISISSO sonde. The conclusion we came to was that the swum of the mayoralty in the year 1833 amounted ft *WU. The cost of the Lord Mayor's office Via turceeed by 1,5001 in 1800, and in 1811, on the the depreciation of Bank w hea t those periods; art. dot depreciation no longer sedeled in 1833 we re esuinewded that this 1,5001. should be snook et; but the Our{of Csessess Council never adopted eist resolution. We wrote to all the aldermen who had the chair Bre returns of the money they had during their migwralty rear ; hut Sir P. Laurie woe the may one who anneffillel with the request, and he stated his receipts to hue been 7,900!. The emoluments of the Laid Mayor lure mseasionally increased by mend muss of income. We W. for instance, the right of oppsisaisi persons to fill Wed. et Jew broken, and these memo paid 1,5001. for Iheiggillmt. The Court of Oman Dural paned •gm t e e the ant that may et the istniss of income MID be the committee were euggerated ; but SINS MOM were accounted for be the report. U any gentleew billowing to the emperation should di- to the Mang of the Tabu., in the report before the ammilides, I hope I will get an °pre allsity of=ow his. Thos rest of premier s auks% ;b, dwiles, Ike. realised he the ias 141,0311. L ast' year the receipts the some Mies amounted to 213,2.571. The emoluments received by various odious which did not appose is the corporation accounts amounted in 1833 to 74,4401 every shilling of which was accounted for in the report se the committee. Then there are the receipts of the Irish Society, which I maintain form an integral port of the 00r. poration. Their receipts in 1833 amounted to 7,88 U. From these three sources, therefue, a sum of 223,1251. was reali•ed. Of this there we. leviedlBs,oool. from the taus on corn, coals, salt, potatoes, fruit, &e., and by tolls, due, floes, &c . Last year the same charges amoun ted to 205,1311. The value of the real property of the sorporation had greatly increased of late years. The sum raised by the City for lighting, cleansing, and paving is the year 1833 amounted to 64,9371.; the sewers rate amounted to 9,7181. • the watch rate, to 33,6811. The total amount of the last four items is 321,4611. These were the taxes levied by the corporation, in addition to their real estate in 1833. I think the income of the eorporation last year must hare amounted to 406,8551. But taking it at 321,4611„ the amount at which it had been calculated in 1833, that sum gave a tax of 2/. 12s, Gd. for each head of the City populatios, exclusive of the enor mous cost entailed on the public, by the practice of allow ing none but freemen to be employed in various handi craft-, of which the fellowship of porters afforded an exam ple. A gengeman of high respectability, carrying on • large business in the City, informed me that be was com pelled to pay 61. and 7/. • week for work which he could get done, if he were left free in the matter, for 255. or 265. a week. In order to show the true proportions between the City receipt and expenditure, I will contrast it with that of the United Kingdom. The City expenditure in 1833, 1 have stated to be 21. 125. nil. per head for each inhabitant of the City. The expenditure of the United Kingdom amounts to U. 17s. for each individual in the empire, although out of the latter sum had to ne defrayed the interest of the debt the expense of all the great public officers, the army and navy, and our vast colonial empire. The City expenditure, therefore, in proportion to population is 50 per cent. more than that of the central government of the whole empire. In addition to the charges already enumerated, there are various sums paid to the corporation, or its officers, which , I must present to the notice of the commissioners. There was a sum of 15.813/. levied in the shape of tolls on boats and barges to the west of London-bridge ; then there were tonnage dues on ships entering the port of London to the amouid of 7,0001. Anil then there were 1,6571. received for fees in the court of requests. These items, added to the sum of 321,46 U., give • total of 354,4291. as the revenue of the City corporation in 1833. Then there were charitable trust funds, which I will now enumerate. There were the Bridge House estates, which amounted to Z..),5811., and sixteen other charitable trusts, 'mounting to 14,1961 , making • total of 43,7771. There is next the Bel. duty on caste, which in 1833 amounted to 69,010/.; the wine duty, amounting to 3,681/. • sum re ceived for freedoms and apprenticeships, 5311. ; and 11,500/. received from the City funds. These four last items mak ing altogether a sum of 84,6251. which was to be applied to pay the principal and interest of 1,000,0001., borrowed from WEDNESDAY EVENING CONCERTS. There was a capital concert last night, and suc cessful, as it destined to be. At the same time it presented little or nothing that was new ; indeed, in the present date of music, the best concerts are these which have the smallest proportion of novelty—and therefore, beyond general praise, it affords very little room for remark. According to usual end very judicious practice at these concerts, the most classical pieces—those most interesting to amateurs—were placed in the first part, while the second was made up of music, principally vocal, of a more familiar and popular kind. The music of the first part was selected chiefly from the works of Weber and Mcyerbeer. It began with the overture to the Freischiitz, played, under Benedict's skilful direction, in admirable time, and with remarkable clearness and spirit. Mies Alleyne then sang Meyerbeer's famous aria, " Ab, coma rapids," from 11 Crociato ; a fine specimen of the Italian style with which this great master began his career, and which he so completely abandoned when he began to write for the Parisi.. stage. Miss Alleyne has of late made prodigious progress in her art, and we listened to her with as much surprise as pleasure. Her voice has not yet gained all the power of which we be lieve it to be capable, but its quality has become excellent. It is full, round, and mellow. Her intonation is perfect, and her style has the grace and finish of the Italian school. In this, as well as in her other performances, she was ap plauded mat warmly. A clarinet concerto of Weber's was played by Mr. Lazarus with the excellent tone and execu tion which distinguish this performer. The piece itself, with many commonplace passages, has some original and striking effects, which may be said to impel' it with the stamp of the composer. Then came the great attraction of the evening—Madame Viardot Garcia. She had quite recovered from her indis position, and wu in the fullest possession of her glorious powers. She sang the air from the Prophote, " Ah, mon Ills !"—that most touching and pathetic prayer of Fides, a character which to this day remains her own. Even as a concert song, and without the cijuncts of stage represen tation, Madame Viardot throws into this air a deep and earnest feeling which makes the singing of any other ap- pear cold and mechanical. Indeed intense earnestness is one of the principal means whereby this illustrious artist makes such a powerful impression. Of her it may be said more than of any other performer whom we know, that, whatever she does, she does it with her whole heart and soul. Next came a trio from Robert k Diable, played upon a trumpet, a trombone, and an ophicleide, by Messrs. Zeiss, Cieffi, and Prospers ; a very clever performance, but bitter fitted for one of Jullisn's promenade concerts than for an entertainment of this kind. The fine trio, " Some slit it vento," from Mozart's Cosi Jan hate, was admirably sung by Miss Alleyne, Madame Viardot, and Mr. Weiss: this gentleman then gave the " Piff, paff," from the Dagueteots very well; bat this is a thing which will not bear trans planting from the stage to the concert-room. The great scene, of Agatbe, in the Freiarhute, was then sung by Ma dame Viardot, in German, with immense vocal power and the finest dramatic expression. In this, and in all her other performances, this unrivalled artist was received with the utmost enthusium—reiterated peals of applauie from every corner of the hall, prolonged, after she had left the orchestra, till she returned to it to repeat her acknowledgments. The first part terminated with Weber's Jubilee Overture, a noisy composition, not worthy of genius. It bears his , stamp, however, and is remarkable for the manner in which " God save the Queen," the national hymn in Saxony as well u in England, is worked into its conclusion. The second part (as we have said) was a miscellaneous selection of popular pieces. There were the overtures to 'the Cenerento'a and the Dame Blanche ; Mile. St. Marc played a fantasia by Leopold de Meyer; Madame Viardot sang " Non piu meets" ; and the rests of the vocalists were Miss Ternan, Miss Tbirlwall, Miss Freeman, Mr. S. Champion, and Mr. Geier. The hall was well tilled. NEW MONEY ORDER OFFICES. GENERAL POET omen, Nov., 1853.—0 n the Gth December a Major Money Order Office will be opened at Farnborough Station, Hants. Minor Money Order Ottiecs will be opened at Hol lytroyde, Lancashire ; head office, Accrington; en the 9th December. At Padiham, in the game county ; heau office, Blackburn, on the 6th December. And at Penistone, York shire ; head office, Sheffield, on the Ist December. Also at Dunmanwey, in the county of Cork, Ireland ; head office, Bandon, ou the lot December. Postmasters must in future address letters of advice fur Stroud, " Stroud, G 105.," and those fur Strand, " Strand, London." PROROGATION OF CONVOCATION.—Yesterday morn ing the Convocation of the Prelates and Clergy of the pro• vine of Canterbury was prorogued, according to the tenor of a royal writ by the Vicar-General of the Moat Kee. the Archbishop of Canterbury and Metropolitan, under a spe cial (.lA:omission from his grace to that effect. His grace's commissary, attended by the registrar of the puivince, at tended at the Jerusalem Chamber, when the commission' was read by the registrar. The commissary directed the royal writ to be read at length, after which the schedule of prorogation wu read and signed by the commissary. The proceedings were adjourned until an early day in January. THE CONSUMPTION OF SMOKE. ••• SOCIETY OF ARTS. A meeting took place last evening, at the Society's Rooms, John-street, Adel*, Mr. Wm. Bran in the chair, when a paper was read by Mr. Alexander Fraser on the consumption of smoke. Mr. FRAZER commenced by saying that be only proposed to describe a successful attempt to remove the smoke nuisance from an extensive London brewery and its neigh bourhood. Messrs. Truman, Banbury, Buxton, and Co., bad for many ;rears been desirous of removing the nuisance from their dense27-populated neighbourhood, and for this purpose had tried meat of the plans which previous to 1817 gave reasonable hopes of success. In 1847 the writer's attention was first drawn to Jileke's Patent Furnace, which consists of a strong cut-iron frame of the full width of the furnace, and about three feet longer. The lire bars sre all connected together, forming, when complete, an endless chain, and are made to revolve round a drum, placed at each end of the frame. The front of the frame is provided with a hopper, in which the fuel is placed, and a furnace-door, which opens vertically with a worm and pinion. The height to which this door is raised by the stoker,'regulates the supply of coal, which is carried into the fire by the gradual motion of the bars. The whole ma chine is placed upon wheels, to facilitate its removal for repairs to the boiler, brickwork, or furnace. The speed of the furnace-bars is determined by the draught. It varies from one inch and a half to three inches per minute, the object being to keep the whole of the bars covered with fuel, with a small accumulation of fire at the bridge. The bridge is suspended by a pipe three inches or four inches in diameter, fixed about one inch above the level of the bars: this allows the clinkers formed to fall into the ash-pit, but will not allow the fire to pass. A small stream of water must be supplied to the pipe or stop, or it would soon be destroyed. All the air admitted to the fire to support com bustion, is made to pass through the furnace-bars. The consent of Messrs. Truman, Banbury, Buxton, and Co., was obtained to the application of this plan to one of their engine-boilers • cylindrical boiler, with two tubes driving • forty-horse engine. The success of the experiment led to its application to a second boiler of the same form. In the same year the pro bability of its success under a brewing copper was discussed. There was no doubt, from the former experiments, as to its capabilities for raising steam or for evaporation ; but with a brewing copper provision had to be made for a process in the manufacture almost peculiar to It. The contents of the I copper have to be turned out several times in the course of a brewing, rendering it necessary to " bank up" the tire thoroughly, to protect the bottom of the copper, until re filled with wort or water. It WAS feared that the machinery would interfere with this being done effectually : it was tried, and with the same success as with the steam boilers. It was found that a fire of fifty or sixty feet area could be worked for any number of hours without the slightest ap pearance of smoke from the chimney-shaft ; but the process of banking up" before referred to required the whole principle of th' machine to be put in abeyance, during which time smoke escapes from the shaft, and sometimes in large quantities, and no plan has been discovered for its prevention. Considerable difficulties were encountered in the : application of the principle to the furnace last mentioned, but they had been removed by experience. The total cost of fourteen furnaces, including brickwork, had been about 3,0001. The consumption of coals in the establishment WAS about 6,000 tons per annum. The saving in the coal account, since the introduction of the patent to July 1 of the present year, had been 8,3381. From which was to be deducted for casualties, which have been referred to, and sundries, say 3501. The above economy had not arisen from less weight of to-1 consumed, but owing to the screenings or dust of coal only being required for the furnaces. Should the difference of price between large and small coals be reduced, the economy would be less in future years. There was a considerable loss in weight in using the dust of coal, but a report of Messrs. Easton and Amos, who have made some interesting experiments with one of these furnaces, showed a saying of 11 per cent. in weight of fuel when the ordinary steam coals are used. It would be noticed in the table of furnaces erected at the brewery that a considerable reduction had been made in the area of all the new furnaces, varying from 20 to 30 per cent., with an increase of water or wort evaporated of 15 per cent. in one of the large brewing coppers. This arose from the fire door not requiring to be opened, and from the movement of the bars which prevented any scoria. stopping up the air spaces of the fire. In conclusion, the writer would not have it understood that this was the only plan for the combustion or prevention of smoke, for he had reason to believe that the eminent firm of Messrs. Price and Co. had been equally suareuful with other plans as well as with the one to which he had drawn attention. Mr. J. L. STIV3NB was anxious to bear testimony to the intepity of purpose evinced by the gentleman who had just read his paper, and he felt that they were deeply in debted to the inventor of the machine, described as the pioneer of the cause of those who felt an interest in this im portant subject. Their thanks, moreover, were due to' Messrs. Truman, Hanbury, and Co. for the liberal manner in which they had come before the public in order to disabuse them of the idea that the pur pose now in view could not be effected. He felt it right, however, to state that he (Mr. Stevens) had himself invented a means to prevent the formation of smoke, but his plan was of a totally different nature, and he was happy to take this opportunity of observing that, from the labour he had to go through in bringing his appa ratus into operation, there was quite reom enough for twenty experinsentalista—and to spare. tinder these cir cumstances, he ventured to think that it was their duty to sustain each other, in order that the public might have the full benefit of the most efficacious means that could be de vised to effect the object sought to be attained. On the table before the present meeting was an invention equally ingenious, by Mr. Samuel Hale; but if they desired a more simple and less pretending sort of apparatus, he (Mr. Stevens) would be happy to receive them ; and at the same time he was glad to observe that there were others in the field. In Manna to the invention which had been brought forward on this oewuien he contended that it had not been shown that it was anything but a slow combusting apparatus. Mr. Frazer had not shown that the apparatus in question was equally applicable to all purposes—such as getting up steam to a higher power than ordinary, or to meet any exigency that might present itself. It had been mentioned that there would be a considerable saving of fuel by the sabstitution of slack coal, but Mr. Fraser had disappointed him in showing that the saving in the consumption of fuel, that actually took place, was not greater than he bad stated. He had inspected various plans which had been brought into operation, and amongst them the apparatus now em ployed in the manufactory of Messrs. Price and Co., at Battersea, and he felt that the comparison between those inventions, and the more simple one which he claimed, was not to the disadvantage of the latter. Several other gentlemen addressed the meet ing on the subject, and different opinions were expressed respecting the astute and practicability of smoks-consnming contrivances in general. Professor Brande stated that his experience prompted him to agree with the author of this paper, as to the efficacy of Jukes's patent; and he also felt that Mr. Stevens was perfectly correct in stating that every encouragement should be given to the various inventions to be applied to the pur pose in view. Mr. BILKING wee of opinion that Mr. Stevens was right in that part of his invention which required the application of a current of bested air for the purposes of combustion. A brief diseussion having been brought to a close, Mr. FLAGS/I said a few words in reply, and a vote of thanks was passed to that gentleman for his useful and instructive paper. A STARTLING CHARGE. A short time ago the Cambridge 'adept's&at inserted a paragraph headed " Diabolical Outrage," stating that " a poor half-witted fellow at Sketchworth of the name of Sparks had been the victim of a most disgraceful and in• human conspiracy ; that be war stripped naked by a set of monsters, who, after greasing his body with tallow, set him on fire ; and that the perpetrators were well known, but no one had thought proper to bring them to justice." The Rev. W. R. Bewsher, late curate of Sketchworth, haying made a representation of the case to the Home Se eeetary, an inquiry, directed by Lord Palmerston, took place on Tuesday before the Rev. J. T. Bennet. Sparks, being called upon to state the facts, said he went out with a party in a break to fish at West Row, Mildenhall. " The young governor," Plummer, the car penter, Marsh, the keeper, and Simpkin were of the party. He went to attend to the fire for cooking the dinner. After dinner he was very tipsy, and tumbled into the river. They were all intoxicated then. He was net burnt anywhere—there was a little grease dropped on him, which rather burnt him in two or three places as it fell : it was not set fire to, it merely scalded him where it dropped, on the bottom part of his body. He ha two or three little scars like blisters. No cinders fell on him. He was not stripped naked. He was quite able to go to work next morning, sad went with the gentlemen's lunch into the field where they were shooting. He fell off the break a time or two in going home, which made him stiff and sore. Ho made no complaint to anybody, and he was sure he was not mi ued, and all that was done was only jok.ng. He had nothing to complain of. His hair was n^t burnt off, and he never said anything a',out its being burnt. He went into the Newmarket Union a week after, for inflammation of the eyes, which always came on when he had been drinking, and not for any injury he had received. Sparks was then seat for medical inspection to Mr. Fair cloth, who returned a certificate that he could find no marks of injury on any part of the man, except a very slight redness on the lower part of the abdomen, which Sparks said was produced by dropping some tallow upon it. His hair and whiskers were as full as usually worn by la bouring men, and his limbs and skin in perfect condition : a slight puffiness on the left eyelid was all he complained ef, to which he had been subject many years on the occa sion of a slight cold. These statements were sent up to Lord Palmerston, to gether with the reports of the superintendent of police, upon • like representation made by Mr. Bewsher to the Chief Constable.—Bury Post. Silt E. B. LITTON, BART.—Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton, who was during 'lle session unanimously elected to the office of Honorary President of the Associe aced Societies of our University, wi I deliver his Inaugural Address about the middle of January.—Erfitiburgli Witness. DEPARTURE OF THE ANIERIcAN MAILS--Yester day forenoon, about eleven o'clock, the United States mail steam ship Arctic, Captain James C. Luce, sailed from the Mersey for New York with the usual biweekly mails for the United States and British North American provinces; 95 passengers and a large and valuable cargo of merchandise on freight. THE PRESTON STRIKE. ME TROPOLITAN MEETING. Lae night a public meeting, called by an amalga mated committee of working men, was held at the British School-room, Cowper-street, City•road, to support the Prestoa operatives during their struggle with the mill owners, and to consider the question of inaugurating • urg T e h d e t C h i e ll n i e li c m ess AN ity of well cons id er i ng t h e question of Campbell, a working men), Labour Parliamentime. J. labour generally in consequence of the miserable position in which the operative+. of Preston and ether places in Lancashire were now placed. The frequent occurrence of strikes in those districts was owing to the great power of machinery to produce, and the greater entice of the 'nea ten in pushing production to increase profits, and to lower wages when the demand for labour slackened, so that their high profits might nut decrease. The Times had said a few days since that the law of buyer and seller must pre vail between the employer and the employed ; and that if a broker asked a certain price for a table, if the inquirer did not like to give the price he left the table, and there the matter ended. But the cue was not fairly put, for it wa price,sthe m ananudfnaoctt theurer w w o h r e ki b eg oug m ht an t , hhwelo sold it. (hear,abour,whofi the hear.) He thought the question might be settled by le gislative enactment, empowering a certain number of MaS - tern and men to settle the rates of wages and questions of dispute in the various trades. (Hear, hear.) Mr. FINLEN moved a resolution that the time had arrived when a united movement of the working classes, based upon a national organisation and guided by one directing body, could alone assure adequate support to the men now "locked-out "of employment, or on strike, and enable workmen in the future to free labour from the thraldom of capital. Mr. J. 13. O'BRIEN seconded the resolution. Mr. G. COWELL, with reference to the present aspect of the strike, sail he saw by the Times of that day that the millownen of other towns were about to run their mills short time, on the pretence that trade was dull. He told them that trade was not dull. The truth was goods could be got out of the looms fast enough, and as one man left his loom another was to be found to supply his place. (Hear, hear.) The Russian war was not the bugbear of trade, but the Preston " lock-out " and the strike of Lancashire. (Hear, hear.) The whole thing was a blow at labour, hut subscriptions so far had poured in well, and if they continued, be had no doubt the manufac turers of Lancashire would get such a thrashing as they had never had before. (Hear, hear.) The Blackburn masters had said that if the Preston manufacturers did not give in, they would have to decrease the wages they were giving, or they could not meet the Preston manufacturers in the Manchester market—(hear, hear)—and when the Times said that the Preston masters could not give the advance demanded, he answered that the Blackburn masters gave 10 per cent. more than the Preston mate' s—the goods pro ' duced being entirely the same—and that therefore the Preston manufacturers could surely afford to advance 10 per cent. The resolution was then agreed to, as was also a resolu tion in support of a labour parliament, similar to that re cently resolved upon by a Manchester meeting. DESPERATE POACHING AFFRAY' AT HARE WOOD. +-- This case, mentioned in the Daily News a few days ago, again came on pursuant to remand, before the Rev. J. A. Rhodes, and other West Riding justices, at the L . eds court-house, on Tuesday afternoon last, the prisoners being James Hepworth, Joseph Ilodgson, Joseph Close, and George Britton. The information charged the prisoners with being out upon the estate of the Earl of Ilarewood, on the morning of Tuesday, the 15th of November, and brutally assaulting four of the game watchers of the Earl of Harewood—one of whom, David Headland, had his jaw broken, and was otherwise most seriously injured. Mr. Ferns appeared fur the prosecution; Mr Naylor for Cu,., and Mr. Grainger for Hodgson. Mr. Ferns said he would offer no evidence against Hepworth (who was defended by Mr. Sanderson), and he was discharged. The first and principal witness was David Headland, one of the watchers, who had sustained a fracture of the jaw, and was so severely suffering from other grievous injuries inflicted by the poachers, that he could not give his evidence audibly. Having stated that he had gone out about midnight of Monday, the 14th, and joined three other watchers, named Wm. Ridedale, Richard Clark, and John Morley, he added that they were on Bickerdike's farm when he 'observed two men near a wood, and went towards them. As the men disappeared the watchers fol lowed as far as a field in the occupation of Mr. Elijah Clark, and on the side of a wood there found five men. Witness continued—l, Morley, Clarke, and Ridadale, ran towards them. I got op to one man, armed with a hedge stake, and he shouted to us, " Come along." He aimed a blow at me with the hedge-stake when I got up. I parried the blow with my stick, and immediately struck him on the band, and also over the head. We then seized each other, struggled, and bath went down. He cried out, " Oh,Lord and then two men came up. One of them was the prisoner Close, who was armed with a short bludgeon,like a staff but rather longer. (Superintendent Green produced a long staff, or bludgeon) That is the staff. Both Close and the other man beat me very severely. The other man is not present. After beating me they went to the other keepers, who were then fighting with the other poachers. The night was a very clear and beautiful moonlight night. Soon after they left me I heard the report of a gun. lat the same time heard a dog yell out—the dog which accompanies the watchers. I and the poacher still remained struggling upon the ground, and some other of the poachers came past us. One of them said—" Let's give this another turn." They beat me on the head with bludgeoes ; they broke my lower jaw on the left side ; and i• jured me all over my hody, an 4 particularly my left arm. Close is the man who then struck me. He struck me with the staff now proJteed. The poachers then decainped. I lost my senses for a second or two, and when I attempted to get up I fell down. I af,erwards got up and made my way with the other keepers to Mr. Sawyer's, and got some water. Before I got hones, I called upon Mr. Smith, surgeon, flare wood, who dressed my wounds. I was obliged to go to bed, and have been unable to attend to any of my business what ever since. The prisoner Close bad a top coat and a cape on. When I was looking up at him and taking particular notice, he struck me on the jaw and broke it. Cross•ezamined by Mr. Naylor—l only knew Close that night, never having seen him before to my knowledge. I first saw the poacher. on Bickerdike's farm ; I first saw Close in Sawyer's field. . . . John Morley, another watcher, stated that he went out on the night in question, and whilst sitting under a hedge with Ridsdale and Morley watching, five poachers entered the field. This was before Headland arrived, and when he came he followed the 'mediae, who had two dogs with them. The poachers turned round and faced them. Close seized witness, saying, " You --, I have got you." Another poacher standing by was like Britton. As soon as Close and witness began struggling, Close said to two of the poachers—" Come and give it him." Two of the poachers instantly attacked Morley with bludgeons, beating him on the head ti 1 he dropped, end they then said," He'll do." They then went towards the watchers. One or the poachers, seeing the watchers' dog, cried out to Close, "Shoot him." Close took out of his pocket an air gun, which he pointed towards Morley, who drew aside, and then Close shot the dog. Next morning Morley examined the scene of the struggle, and found there some broken hedge•stakes worked with blood, a lot of snares, the pump of an air-gun, and several places where hares had been killed. Ridsdele, the third watcher, was next called, and corro borated Headland and Morley. He identified Close, and expressed his belief that Hodgson was the man with wham he (Ridadale) struggled and struck on the side of the head. Richard Clarke, the fourth watcher, identified Hodgson as one of the poachers ; end said he believed Britton was the poacher he had knocked into the hedge bottom during the fight. Mr. John Gregory Smith, surgeon, of Harewood, de scribed the injuries sustained by the watchers in the affray. The most serious were those inflicted upon Headland, who had had his jaw broken, and other parts of his body in jured. Superintendieg constable Green proved apprehending Hodgson in Woodhouse Carr, and found that he had two fresh plaisters upon the left side of his bead, in precisely the place in which one of the watchers said he had struck a man he believed to be Hodgson. Green afterwards cap tured Close, aud found in his house two walking-stick gusts, powder-flask, shot-bag, and the staff which Headland had spoken to. He also apprehended Britton, who said he had not been on Lord Herewood's grounds for a moan, but had been advised to keep out of the way in order to avoid being taken. - This was the whole of the evidence for the prosecution ; and at the close the bench decided that the evidence against Britton was insufficient to warrant his committal. He was therefore liberated. Close and Hodgson were com mitted to York Castle for trial at the assizes. FEARFUL COLLISION ON THE MANCHESTER, SHEF FIELD, AND LINCULNBIIIKE RetLWAY.—Yeaterilay morn ing a frightful accident occurred to the mail train on the above-mentioned railway, which it is feared will be attended with fatal results, as several of the passengers have been seriously injured. The mail train which leaves Hull for London left the New lloVann station in safety, and departed at its usual time for London. Between Goshill station and New Holland there is a siding, upon which a luggage train was standing, and in coati getenee of the pointsman having -et the points wrong, the mail train, which hal 4athered a fair am nint ofepeed, ran into the gouda train with Such terrific violence that one of the fiat-clue car riages was broken in two. Tho greatest alarm prevailed, added to the diu of the officials shouting, pe.sseugers scream., lag, and the wounded calling for help. The steam waa instantly shut off: and, on making an inept ction, it wan ascertained that several of the passengers had sustained severe fractures of their limbs ; those were immediately removed to New Holland station, from whence they win be conveyed to the Hull Infirmary, and those who were but slightly bruised continued their journey to London. The enrii,e•drieer end stoker escaped narr,,wly with their live'. The mail train was delayed about an hour, repairing damages, and strived in Loudon 10 minute, behind its time. The pointsman, through whose fault the melancholy occur rence took place, has been taken into custody. MARIA ANTONIA RAlLWAY.—Ttliffie for wek k ending Nov. 17, 1853, 2051. Corresponding week, 1812, 1911. GREAT NoRTIIERN RAILWAY.—Return of traillo for week ending Nov. 20, 1863 :—Passengers, parcels, car horses, dogs, and mails, 6,2611. ; merchandise and minerals, 11,0441. 13s. Id. ; cattle, 3C.01. 12s. Total, 17,66 W. Bs. 9d. Corresponding week, 1862, 16.5821. 17s. 6d. 1 R I