The Express. — London, England, 1852-02-06 00:00:00

st aue M gie.gd. per es. ; but it has been selliag at bath o afs es Inv as Sos. per GIL la the marry diarists use awe at wheat is 'iota fur „wag modem, sad is ether parts 13s. per sem with ray paid kir reap:ag barley. There is now sesertained rester Mead h of land in what cultivation is this w he a l a this there Ms ever bees before • e the promise of as sass harvest is about being ~slaws, and if it cm but hrword, three will be plenty of hod, whatever may be go am or minimise between this sad nit harvest D o es new wiling at 131. for dm. std 131. far SIDOMMIS um 2,0001 b. loose South Americsa was bought , 6 , t i e n yesterday, after part of it had gums at IU. As. hiri ' g a mes. 'morally is exceedingly dull. 1k le goistive Council lut sight maalmesely voted the o w el 104000'. to promote emigration to this whoop alone. dwht the Victoria will wow a like sus. but 1 law is vet no information es that point, es the maned go. not mit until the Ilth Mat tto combed have re.efirased their decision of last year as is tess iput.llloll, al.iinß that it most sew Ise ever ha die ewuss..l to South Australia, Vsa Diesass's Land, and N e e Zealand. The oriAisal motion was istredsead by Mr. Loeb. iseiabir fur Sydney, but an amendment of CaptsU sou ultimately pained. Both the motion sad the were the sass in out, and almost weeds, as le ▪ the question of transportation, but Mr. Lamb's motion ,hgnita Lid limy with haring drakes faith with the • and this the euuneil seemed to think it was Vol fair 6 , Jo merely by a side-wind. The return of Dr. Lam at the heel of the poll for Sydney will show you that the feeling sat the community is directly simian transportation is any g u y.. , even Mr. Wentworth has declared against it. will) JOHN RUSSELL AND LORD PAL- NI ERSTON. To Till ZulToi or Till DAILY TIMIS. SIR. -- The estimate I have formed of the cireum starlet, that attended the dismissal of Lord Palmer ston. differs somewhat from that expressed by 0 11. P.." in your publication of yesterday. My esti mate of the noble lord himself differs considerably (min that which appears to be most prevalent. Will you allow me room fur • few remarks on these to- Pies! There can be no harm in listening, for a few moments, to what a man has got to say, who, what ever be the eilibre of his judgment, has watched Lord Palmerston closely for more than twenty years, and 11.14 endeavoured. by nailing, to make up for his o at of opportunities to observe personally his pre v WWI conduct. With regard to the circumstances of his dismissal, I must confess that Lord John Russell's explanation is not so satisfactory as I could have wished: but that fur a reason that I have not yet seen alluded to. The !pat-amen of Lord John's charge against his Lite colleugue is, that the ex-foreign secretary took an important step, or sent off to important despatch, oehuut previously communicating it to the head of :lie ministry, ur obtaining fur it the sanction of the ,rou n. lord John's notion of what is the proper constitu ti.inal practice in this respect appears to me perfectly wool Ministers are responsible for their acts, but thy are also the ministers of the crown. If the bilerrign insists upon their doing what they think ening they ern resign. If the act they were asked to perform is unconstitutional, no other ministers aid accept office on the condition of performing it. The crown will he obliged to meal them, and allow them to take their own way. Here we have a suffi cient constitutional cheek on the power of the crown. It is unnecessary, it is intolerable, that ministers should presume to act without previously intimating their ititentrin4 to the crown, and thereby deprive it of the option of sanctioning or negativing their policy in the first place. Again, the crown in nominating a ministryreposes its chief confidence in one individual. Some leading statesman is called upon to form a cabinet. The crown undertakes to support him in his policy: those who accept office under him tacitly pledge themselves to conform to that policy. A certain latitude of free discussion in the cabinet is necessary, but it cannot be tolerated that any other minister shall systematically thwart the policy of the Premier. Nor can it be tolerated that any other minister shall steal a march on the Premier, by putting important measures in force, or sending off important des ?delves, without previously informing him what they were. Now it will be admitted that the tone to be adopted in communicating with the French President, after the 2nd of lb-ember, was a matter of vital con squence. Lonl Palmerston, however, expressed his views to the Ft ench minister without consulting any, of his colleagues or informing the Crown. This came to the knowledge of Lord John Russell, on the Bth of Decem - cr, who on that or the following day ap plied to the Foreign Secretary for an explanation of his conduct. No answer was returned till the 16th, and during the eight days that intervened Lord John received con the Lith) it letter from his royal mis trem calling upon him for an explanation, and Lord Palmerston sent off (on the 15th) a despatch to Lord Normanhy which he did not preciously communicate to the Premier or any of his colleagues. lord Palmerston has asserted a latitude of inde pendent at tion which no Premier or cabinet can safely tolerate in a colleague. Were every minister allowed to act as he has dune, as many contradictory policies might be enforced at once as there are mem ters in the cabinet. Lord Palmerston more over was not only insubordinate, he was wan tonly rude and offensive in his insubordination. He left the Premier's letter unanswered for eight days, persisting all the time in conduct which he knew had pren umbrage. Lastly, it is clear that this has not brea Lord Palmerston 's first offence ; for in August, I'd'),it was deemed necessary formally to intimate to him that he exceeded tis posers in enforcing commies which had not previously been submitted for the sanction of the crown. Bat though lam clearly of opinion that Lord John Rusa II has acted perfectly right on the pre lim occasion, I am, and for this very mama, as clearly of opinion that he acted very wrong in 1830. When Lord Palmerston was attacked in the Home of Commons in June, IMO, for his eroded towards Greece, and for cis foreign policy gene rally, Lord John Russell defended ham o fortranec He held up Lord Palmerston as a model foreign minister. Vet, in August of the same year, Lord John was obliged to call in the aid of their royal mistress to tie down this model minister to fiir, reuonable, and oak conduct. A rescript like that of August. Ixitt , produced by Lord John on Toes dia night, denotes a "foregone conclusion." It shows that Lord Palmerston had been in the habit of acting without consulting his colleagues, or anybody, and that his actions had been of a nature gravely to com promise them. At the very moment that Lord John se- puffing lord Palmerston in the House of Coto uNns with a forty horse power, he felt convinced in hit secret conscience that Lord Palmerston was a esinetimus colleague, and an unsafe foreign minister. It will be said that it was the generosity of Lord lAn's nature that scduord him into this insincerity. The enemies of the noble lord might insinuate that it sus rather his fear of irritating a clever and unseen puluus partisan leader, or breaking up a ricketty ad ministration. But lam no enemy of the a dale lord; Imes the more favourable interpretation. risks! rd.t.w. But if Lord John's old ally had claims open his leniency, Lonl John's Queen and country hid claims upon his sincerity. fie swerved a . gaintis his duty toward s b ot h i n ma ki ng false preform .= tt "men tlw dclingeencit-a, or what he believed to be the delitioneneini, of a colleague. In secret be trembled at the henilem audacity of Lord Palmerston. as something that he thought might at any moment involve this country in war. In puhlie he affected to believe that brow $11 , 4 was the only safe and capable foreign minis ter to he had in Plngland. Ile exerted himself to keep in Aire one whom he believed extremely likely toile mischief there. Ile sacrifieed the interests of leer muniry to a piece of clap-trap sentimentalism. And he nor, appears before that country in the Idal i t of a m an w h o h as Inc years been laying one thing aid thinking another. Lord John professes to 1, .0e at heart pirlinmentary reform, Chancery re- Nal, and many other reforms; hut who, after the ( "al "-iticis if Tuesday night. can have confidence in his sine. city ? By his hollow advocacy or Lord Klesesien t.lll former occasions he has incalculably diminished his own palter to do good. s o tar I hare lilt • ntirely omit of view the essential mulls re demerits of Lord Palmeniton's foreign P"liry. They had nothing to do with the question. Iris poliey might he the perfection of wisdom ; the min ptili aw way in a hill he sought to smuggle it through more than re etralised all that of good was in it. Hee Ido not shrink from stating my estimate or Lord Palmerston as a foreign minister, though slant that it is fifth: in accordance with what is en- Ignallud by the balk of the liberal party. Lord Pahnerstan's oacial career extends over a tract of forty years, but it is only for about the last twenty years that he has had anything to do with foreign affairs. It is of a mach more recent date that he has come to be held up as an oracle in them. Under Lords Grey and Melbourne he was only " trying his 'prentice hand." And they whose memory goes so far back will recollect that our neophyte was for the greater part of these his Inendos days regarded as the mere scholar, or, men correctly 'peaking, dope, of Talleynnd. But every man must buy his experience by committing blunders and suffering for them. It is with Lord Palmerston, since he set up for himself, that I have to do. Now, when I ask what Lord Palmerston's pay tisane have had to say in hie favour, I find that, fairly analysed, it all resolves itself into this : that he has been animated by a generous sympathy for the Waggles of freedom in all parts of the world. I might have said last week that fine sentiment is a fine thing, but that something more is required in a foreign minister. After what passed on Tuesday night, however, the dclurion as to Lord Palmenton's sympathies with freemen and freedom must be dissi pated effectively and for ever. Our English liberals (conservative and progressive) can no longer say with the late Sir Robert Peel " We are all proud of him." He must in future be gauged, not by a senti mental, but by an utilitarian scale. Proceeding to do this the first thing that strikes one in taking a retrospective view of Lord Palmer ston's diplomatic career is the utter want of any consistent guiding principle in it. His actions were always decided by some petty aim of the moment, not by the established practical law of nations. When Russia established a paper blockade of the Circassian coasts Lord Palmerston truckled to Russia. lie shrunk from asserting the rights of British subjects whose vessel had been seized and their goods confis cated under this unreal and illegal blockade. Again, Lord Palmerston kept alive for years a fruitless and exasperating controversy with the United States, which at one time brought us to the very verge of war with the republic. In the boundary question he persisted, in defiance alike of tho terms of a treaty, the recognised practice of nations, and the facts of physical geography, in main taining that " the highlands in which cer tain rivers have their rise," meant " the highest mountain peaks to bo found in a cer tain region." He needed only to look to the weald of Sussex to se- that the water-shed of a country is not necessarily its line of highest elevation, but had he done so he could not have prolonged his squabble with America, and therefore he wilfully shut his eyes. Again, in the Syrian war, Lord Pal merston at the imminent hazard of plunging this country into a war with France, disregarded the established maxims of international law regarding the rights of defiteN governments. Lord Palmers ton nrogni,ed no law of nations but his own per sonal crotchet of the moment. Self-will had great part in this, but so had ignorance. It is obvious from Lord Palmerston's despatches that he has picked up his notions of international law on the pressure of emergencies; that relying on his own cleverness he has always sought not to discover what ' was law, but what it would be best for his purpose to have thought law. A man thus drifting rudderless on the vexed sea I of foreign re'ations would, with the most quiet and inoffensive disposition, bo a dangerous minister. But Lord Palmerston is neither quiet nor inoffen sive. He has great self-command and a pleasing manner, his personal intercourse is pleasing; even in debate he " tickles" while he probes the wound ; his soin'es arc excessively . agreeable. But beneath his sweet and smooth exterior is an irascible and vindic tive temper. He is as ambitious of shining as a din-' ing-out wit, or a belle of the Denson ; and he is as implacable when his attractions are disregarded. His envenomed rivalry with Louis Philippe (a bird of the same feather) it was that prompted him to brave the hazard of a war with France on a question in which this country had no interest. His impatience of having Lord Ashburton praised for his peace with America led himto attack that peace in conversation, in parliament, and the press,withunserupulous misre presentations that would hive disgraced the most venal of hack scribblers. Lord Palmerston is in short not a statesman in the true high sense of the word, but a dexterous politi cian. Ile is a master of the whole art of getting into place and keeping there; but when in place he has no principles and no measures of his own to sup port. His want of great and useful aims, Lis want of profound systematic knowledge of affairs, com bined with his pleasing, versatile, self-seeking, un scrupulous spint of intrigue, render him one of the most dangerous of public men. I have not waited for the risible cooling of the affection borne to his person by parliament and the public to say thus much of him. I do hope, how ever, that in the present mood of the public the opinions of Lord Palmerston, which I have expressed now and formerly—rica roe, and in print—will have a better chance of being candidly and dispassionately listened to. lam no partisan of his lordship's =- friends, new or old; except as a dangerous politician I have nonuse to bear him ill-will; but most sin cerely do I believe that the perpetuation of his pre sent exclusion from office, and influential position, mast be of the greatest benefit to the country. AN EX-M.P. gig. Court. WINDSOR, Fut. 5. The hallowing were the additions to thiPsipli dinar pane yak rda : The Lusher of Kim. the web end Masebleneee of DrseialMwsy the lady Is W=f o r the Dasher el Lest, the Serener die Op" Lewd Led Panama. GM the Her. Mrs. Orm. • TM bond elate Oreeedier Guards Mended is the Ortle denim Meow, end verbalised the follewing minden: Oserene—. 6elrae Y Pram Aden. Ita. s kid s fit; " ran the Breen. Doke of Opers of . Seae-Cebing. Pewee Lanier met. mad Nesbdrelne Bive%_ "ft ma t Debit nestetterl Me" Ballet, hen *a Owns "Coale Vi e/ Her Diejegje vale land sithaded Maftwerle ft evening, end the flairsoieft amallior (k la Ilinnen• ........... gift M. Yoe% " Ownwel &a Vallee ge Wee Mienner lOW. Dream " Mellen Min " Iltradelle" nom The Queue walked I. the Home-park end Mere ftle F PM Prince 'Mks, the Primes Royal, and the &Mi. shibee, leek rabbi and prig weeds.. PANS Albert mat est Merles Obis Menem tad by LiestAbi Um A. Gesden. The Mermis efWestaiwiter, I thermiletthe beild, arrived be. Landon this beemen et tAr thedft rid hid an mama of the Queen, to Sr edam ef the More et larle. ft newer so h er speseh, en the measles of eariag pertiessaL MIMI Hill, the Termer at the Miemeheld. ebie miss* ben Leaden. end bed n audimee et bar Idebelyi to Proms tlio eddies tom the Heraisellbernens, in mom to the speeth heft the throne ea the maim .1 the present easier of parlkaseas. The 'Queen wee attended by Lord Win/mirk, Lard Is Waiting. luviations have bees received by the following penes zes, who are expected to arrive lathe (Netts to-day :—The s'a a dro j u s n of of s t u i r n Y to .th i;s l . g oo ar nr im ant V4"g bsef, the Bari un Lord and Lade Avnburton, Lord Broughton, and the Eight Hon. T. B. Macaulay. Lord Cowley left the Castle this afternoon. M. Van de Weyer, the Belgian Minister, transacted balance. yesterday, at the Foreign•office. Ilia Excellency had an interview with the Right lion. Henry Labouchere yeeterday, at the office of the Board of Trade. Mr. Abbot Lawrence, the American Minister, had en in terview with Ee.l Grey yesterday, at the Colonial-office. Mr. Oahorne had an interview with Lord John Remelt on Wednesday, at his official residence in I)owning-street. A deputation, tensioning of Lord Stradhreke, Sir Ed ward Gooch, Bart., M.P., Mr. Adair, M.P.,and Mr. Petn, M. l'., had an interview with Sir George rey ;ester- day, at the llonse•ollice, on the subject of elualising the eased, rates o( the county of SuSolk. Mejor•tienevel the lion. George Cathcart, Governor of the Cape of Good Hope, hail an interview yesterd•y with Earl Grey. Mr. Cripp. had also an interview yesterday with the noble earl at the Colonial-offiec. Mr. Sunlit.ld, M P., had an interview yesterday with the Right lion.llenry lAhotiehere. Mr. M.eityn, M.P., had an interview yesterday with Sir George Or'''. apreh, a were received from the Governor of New South Wales yrstvrday at the Colottial-oMee. A Dr.rt - rtrioN from the pariah of St. Paul. Shad• well connistins of Mr. Aila•e, churchwarden, and enamors of the bred PEr,i iinciitnry It..ruem Avancintion; Mr. Sut ton, iiverneer; Mr. W. K Owner, shipowner; C iptcin Make, and Mr Worn-, tog. th. r with the vestry clerk, had au interview with Mr. 11..thinichere on Wednesday, at the alma of the Bard of Trude, in reference to the MercAntile Marine Act. The deputation were eoorteomly neeived by the right hon. gentleman and his colleagme. THE EXPRESS, FRIDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 6. 1852. FLOODS IN THE NORM- A TILLAGE SWEPT AWAY.-ONE HUNDRED PERSONS MISSING. Lazne, Tim. 6. • A tattilla calamity baa just occurred at lieladirtb, • kap miaftuAliterieg • few miles from Haddam Geld. hal* of the ffies th. pia•. as. wick will, Irma assevalta le the elevated eartsV il td Ths P *sake the pest few days had feces - n o NM allele aka ea *Unheeding Inman of water, lbsimsllll6bery eseenalr pre way, mei at two o'clock lidemaibil bard Ns bolo, aed calmed most appalling dwatillathia sad ism ef life. The immewse body et water embed Ida hada fawn sad hope =sP" 11281114 if twat away is its wane whale TOWS houses, • harrying the Mamas Into staidly. At the MOINISt your cot , at smiles It la lops. ble to give ea adequate de sf araialreges. Not oely houses, but warehouses wed milk wag wept sway by the mighty rash et water, aid lb. streets was blocked up with the wrecks of hudd le.r wool, casks.( ell, the birdies of the dead, lte. By fees Weloek in the sersieg, the water hat so far subsided, that prepustisas wwe seemeased ......ring the dead, sad at 7 easily a.m.,lllllNtiess beam lag bean saltea up. la OM row a bressa swat dews dere were di passes. 1111WISION that a map *Mei pria4••• le bag • sue s& Sallii. het VI lune Wad of so solar damp reimlthig. LATIUM PARTICULARS. (av al.nersuc vaLsonorw.) RODDILLIFIBLD, TIIIILIDAT, 10 P.N. The eminment sad grief occasioned by the terrible ca lamity at Bobolink is beyond deseriptioa. ss body of watefllo feet deep and 100 yards wide was libefated front a narrow asoantaia gorge almost at a weep, and Orr"dawn the valley. An Inoue WI; ' slaw, with Its steant anise, spinals( geed womb. buses, and lino boilers sad other heavy lieu inesilasry, wee totally swept away. A row of bourn was amnia away, sad their inhabitants drowsed. Bodies have hems taken from the river 16 miles distant. A has- Mei puris=tre minis, and to this time I have lista of warey eorpsssliing at the tau. Sore r nearly 99 have been plaited up. Total loss eons h of themes& sterling. FEAROUB O'CONNOR, M.P., AND THE NATIONAL LAND COMPANY. Yesterday, at 12 &Moth, the proceedings weft =bales seriewded misirt, the usual character of the leilia 9 9 l Blfild he the preemies of several of the rOwns d' isetieweind Meant,. of dos exploded peistio." Mr. O'Connor arrived tea cab, WM Mr. Turner, Ms solieitee, at 12 o'clock, and woe fee the first time round fry counsel, Mr. Wheeler being retained as his Mr. Meththogli said It was inexpedient at argent to centime the sseisination et Mr. O'Ctemose way fsrth r in I death. bet he rownld yeetwed to moths Ma en wine of tbo general tiorsastiows with the sonopony span which the baths lhonithed se initntheike, sash so the ore to of ballade. Its!nd rusting the terviders ef,alkenaents, the mortgage is Mr. Zebu , wad the way in which the nelson gums beaus, boosted en the leads, so as to enable snort to dist with dos ithooosto of the poetise new in possession. Kr. °Verve was then examined at otholdoostie length spas these psis*, exhibiting thorionally tho loom aberra tion semi ethethris thermal= from the subject that had doira m oreing WpreviOUS examinations, at iatervals stand lag up and intently, if not vacantly, gazing at tbg audience. Mr. Roxburgh—lt appears from the woos% you gave is the Northam Star that up to June, 1849, yes received 198,4131. Mr. O'Connor—l dare say. Mr. Roalourgh—Now have you expended au that on account of the compauy Mr. O'Connor—Yes, and more,—mom by 7,0681., which the company now owe me. Mr. Roxburgh here said that as it would be impossible, from the way in which idr. O'Connor gave his evidence, to ascertain whether the balance, if any, was ia his favour or that of the compeay, he now proposed that sorreyon should be appointed, one on behalf of the estate, and one on behalf of Mr. O'Connor, to go over all the estates, and measure and value all the work done by Mr. O'Connor, who should be allowed all sums that had been properly expended, and if a balance were found due, be should be paid it, and if found due to the company, Mr. O'Connor should be called on to discharge it. The proposal was Nude with the view of saving the enormous expense that must nexmarily arise from going into the accounts in detail, and would, if adopted, tend to a speedier settlement of the inquiry. Mr. Wheeler observed that there were formidable object ions on the face of the proposal. It would be difficult to determine whet might be a judicious expenditure as contradistinguished from an actual expenditure—en expend iture treat might have been well intentioned on the part of Mr. O'Connor, though is the result it might prove impro vident He would, however, en the part of km client take ale overture into oonsideratioa. Mr. O'Connor—Will your honour allow me to ask the barrister to take down my version of the account,. (Laugh ter.) It won't take long. There were over 300 houses built and they coat 1301. each. That is over 4.5,00 W. to begin with. There were four school houses, and they cost over 3,0001. There was 12,800!. paid for Sniff's End. There was 8,0001. paid fur Lowb.uula, and there was 10,0001. paid for Minster Level. The cottages and four school houses coat over 60.0001. There was 10,0001. for Great Dodford, sod over 2,000'. for O'Connorville. Then there was the oat of the eultivatiOn of the land, the felling of the trees, and the planting of the firs. I had Lowband's estate, every single allotment on it separated by hedges of firs—three rows of firs—and I planted all the grAinds and crops on them. Mr. Roxburgh—The total expenditure, according to that, would be 90,6001., but you must deduct 6,0001. mortgage from the 10,0001. for Minster Level. Mr. O'Connor—Then there is 2,0001. for the Mathon estate paid as bonus because I could not purchase it. (Laughter.) Then you have not counted the cost for labour in planting the trees, making the roads, building walls round the domains, putting pillars and gates to each do mino, and roads round and through. The cost of every house at O'Connorville was 2001., with five rooms and back kitchen—then was the cost of pump boring sad spouts to supply the people, who before bad to go four miles for water. Then them was the cost of cultivation and med. and outbuilding-, stables, and cowbouses. Mr. Rozburgh—Did you not represent at the outset of the scheme that the cottages would not cost more than 80!. each. Mr. O'Connor—l don't know. (Mr. O'Connor here suddenly broke out into the same sort of rhapsody be in dulged in on previous days, amid great laughter and the indignation of the Master, repeatiog In stentorian terms, and unrestrained attitudes, the story shout Prince Albert ) ; adding—l'll tell you what now, I sold one of these men's allotments, worth 4UJ , on one onearion for WI., end I seat him the 404 premium, and he sent me beck a letter saying, My God, sir, there's ne other man in the world would do that but you." (Loud laughter.) Mr. Wheeler—Allow me, Mr. O'Connor, as your coun sel, to rvquest you to limit yourself to the questions put to you. Mr. O'Connor—l will allow you, Mr. Wheeler, to do anything. You are one of the most intelleetudmen— (langhter)—hut I tell you this, this infernal Land Company has so mused my Wed that I ISSAot avoid speaking. It his (said the NUM. with 111111phasissd pathos) almost drives las mai wide* — iiiTlierdertgla—m igleated Perlegs M me. will explain the principles ea yes the sche Yr. O'Connor—The principles on which I founded it were to try cued elevate the working classes; to put them ea the land, and smite the mematacturrn give mere mega to die epeetiee. TIM keel:Wen charge I 7 pf , emi be lesemiy yeid ha Med, end I wily charge ti pee east. es leery I paid the Lied, and teems a loser. Will year Ho mer now (turning familiarly te the Water) allow me to giveLzLecZ a reletive te this Lind Cempeey I mate at the P (Weed blighter.) - - - - The Mine benlidmolostodill - sot not ion to boot RPO•aner, we want to kaiser as pdmelpies, rules, and resudatteas of the undertakiag. Mr. O'ConsteassThe atern_y wee lonia le amt. mod ve impro the peer ibis eesaft, mod! hoped coed trusted teat C P I hese ez= by the there would have bete 50,000 iditter) n— and if, your Hower. Prince Albert, bed built thew houses —Ohs intone's velum was here drowsed la the convulsive Mmilleter of tbe court.) The Master—Mr. O'Connor, do you wish me to break up the wean ? Mr. O'Connor—You may do whatever yes like, your Honour. (Laughter.) The Master—You cannot, Mr. O'Connor, bat be aware that this is not the mood • witness before the Court of Chancery ought to indulge is. (" Hear, hear," frees the audience.) Mr. O'Consor—l tell you that when I was lent summer down at Herrinatate, I stood there from 8 °Work in die morning until 6 o'clock at night, and until I was as brown as a berry—(.aughter)--attending to these affairs, and all I bad was a beefsteak, with one of the bricklayers, of my own cooking. (Renewed laughter.) The witness was again esutioned. Mr. Reahurgh—For the allocation of the aliottees was there a bsllot i _ _ Mr. O'Connor—Yes. Their names were put into a little tub like—(laughter)—and this tub was turned round, and their names were taken out. Mr. Roxburgh—Were the Dawes of the immaterial en , tared in a book) - . Mr. o'c:tumor—They were.—(Mr. O'Connor here again effervesced, with tremendous rapidity of diction, attitude, and brogue, the transcendental condition of the "flower pot" land of Great Dodford, as compered with the flinty mil of other places, and where the ruffians had, notwith 'tending, paid no rent, amid the continued laughter of the court. lhe Muter (indignantly)—Mr. Wheeler, I shall really be obliged, it )ou cannot control your client, to adjourn this court and report his conduct, and then see, though the 1 4 w dues not immediately give me the power, if a higher tribunal cannot control him. (Applause.) Mr. O'Connor,—Wall, my lord, I'll behave myself. The Master. —I will adjourn the court immediately. To myself individually this conduct is a matter of indifference, bit I do owe a duty to the court of which I sat a magis trate. (A ppla use.) Mr. Wheeler implored Mr. O'Connor to stop these an cuisive Bights. Mr Itualturith.—As Mr. O'Connor doe. not know any thing personally of the entries in the books, we must get it (rum the other din eters. Mr. Wheeler—Mr. Connor, is your ►ccolleetion of the transactions itt the books of the company, at this time, per fect or tosperfict Mr. O'Connor—lmperfect. Is M'Orath here t (Laughter.) ll'Orath will tall yuu all about it. Mr. Wheeler-1 em sure Mr. O'Connor does not intend any disrespect to the court. Mr. O'C —Certainly not. (Laughter.) Mr. Wheeler—lie is labouring und r excitement, which he outwit at the time control. The NlAst,r I think no one can have witnessed what has Liken place here without owning to the conclusion that I have 11‘.01/11 great indularnee and forliearance. (Loud applause.) A. for as I aiu individually concerned, it is a nutter of indillerente. but I cannot forget I sit herr pre aiding over a court of juatice, and it is my duty to see that the pricer:Mop, of that court are not imitated, or treated vrith 'clot 01 decorum; and it in not IMe .use I OCCUPY a hunthlt r porit' than other judge. that I %hull shrink Iron the diarharge of a duly, h..wever painful it may he. (Ap. law.) 1 hope Mr. O'Connor will now unitervtand that I sp. ak tor the I on time in the way of renimmirance. Let what has p.m& d Iw prised, soil, if Mr. O'Connor please., forgotten. Mr. O'Connor— Thank your Honour—thank your Ileasar, I'll get up new. (Lanka/10 (Mr. O'Connor Isseenes and retired into the robing room.) The lima —Mr. Roxburgh, let me see the deed Lew pseatin the tionpiny. The deed. a pondering parebasent folio two Inches thick an and ing the sin was of a ledger, ..neared in a bright vermillion , ken produced. Mr. O'Connor (joemely)—Hers it Y. your honour. The Marter—Rocolleet what I said, Mr. O'Connor. Mir. O'Connor—You're ea honourable man. Yon're a listjudge--(and heading ut ri t i te deed en to Master)— Thine, ”PaZ Hamar, it's ht non& to bum your homonym noes quite red. (Loa laughter.) Mr. Roxburgh (observing Mr. O'Connor ern about to be gin another soliloquy)—We shall not weal Mr. O'Connor any Wan to-day. The Muter—Then be may go. Mr. O'Connor—Then 111 get up your Roam, and go of. Mr. O'Connor here put on hie hat, and proceeded to eorkeerow his way through the crowd, 'Retaining " Row I the fellow bothers me—let me by—let me by—oh doer, oh dear." Nearly the entire court followed him out into the span between the court and Lineoln's-inn gateway, when be was accosted by one or two persons for an order of admission to the stranger's gallery of the Rouse of Commons. Retreating into a stationer's at hand, Mr. O'Connor wrote them, the crowd meanwhile surrounding the shop window, exclaiming, "There's the old ruff or ' rough, " and inquiring if he was in custody and going to be locked up. On hie entering a patent cab outside the gateway one of the old Irish applewomen in Chaacery.lane saluted him with " Arrah, Feargua good luck to you, my jewel!" and the cab drove off ami d laughter of the mob. At a subsequent part of the day the directors, M'oowan, /Plinth, and Wheeler, were examined, and the proceed ings were adjourned to this day. THE STRIKE. LONDON. Yesterday a general meeting of non-society men (skilled workmen) took place at the Masons' Arms, Lam beth, to consider the course necessary to be i.ursued in con sequence of the resolution of the employers to open their shops on Monday next to such workmen as might be willing to sign a declaration binding them to renounce all connexion with the Amalgamated Society of Engineers and similar institutions. Seve ral workmen addressed the meeting, and the fallowing resolutions were unanimously adopted:—Re solved-1. That in consequence of the conduct of our em ployers in sendieg forth a document for us to sign previous to returning to our employment, we, non-society men, are compelled to consider the nest means of maintaining our in dependence and freedom of action for the benefit of all.- 2. Resolved—That it is expedient, in con-equenec of the aggressive acts of our employers, to take into consideration the necessity, as non-society men, of forming ourselves into an ■mociated body in conjunction with the Amalgamated Society, to resist the tyranny of capital.-3. That a deputa tion from this meeting be appointed to confer with the exe cutive council of the Amalgamated Society in order to adopt proceedings In reference to joining the above society. LIVERPOOL. Tux Liventoor. Beotainaii.JTTle engineers who, in consequence of their connexion with the Amalgamated So ciety, have been discharged by the Liverpool masters, waited upon the Mayor (Mr. Littledale), end Mears. liornby and Lloyd yesterday, end stated their require ments. These were reduced to writing, their chief ground of complaint being the employment by the master engineers of Liverpool of men belonging to other benefit societies, to the exclusion of members of the Amalgamated Society. They also stated that they did not concur in the recent de cision of the general board. After the men had retired, a deputation on the part of the masters, consisting of Messrs. M'Ciregor, Willie, and Preston, waited upon the mediators, and having received the statement of the men's require ments, promised to return an early reply. LANCASHIRE AND YORKSHIRE RAILWAY.—There was a meeting of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway directors on Wednesday, when it was determined to make• dividend this half year of 3 per cent. per annum. It was said this would leave a good surplus. The last dividend was 2 per cent. per annum. ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON.—At the moodily general meeting, held yesterday at the society's house in Ilanover.square—W. Brude rip, EN., vice-president, in the chair—Miss Burdett Coutts, Messrs. J. H. Gurney, T. Naghten, T. Lacy, 0. Gillett, and R. O'Brien Jameson. were elected Fellows. Lord Garvagh, the Hon. G. W. Millen, Messrs. W. M. Bigg, W. Ward, R. Bayer, W. Taunton, and F. C. Raub, were proposed as candidates for the fellowah_ip. GREAT EKE IBITION.—Two premiums of 601. each, for essays on China and the Eastern Archipelago, in con nexion with the objects of the Great Exhibition, having been offered by Mr W. P. Ilvintoond, of London, the fol lowing judges have been appointed :—Earl of She:ftesbory, Thomas Baring, Esq., M.P., Wm. Brown, Esq., M.P., Liverpool; James Pilkington Esq. M.P., Blackburn; Thomas Bagley, Esq.. Manchester, chairman of the Man cheater Chamber of Commerce. __ MIDDLESEX HOSPlTAL—Yesterday the annual general court of the governors of the above named charity was held at the institution ; Sir Robert H. Inglis, Bart., 11. P., in the chair. The minutes of the several weekly board meetinas recorded the bequests of various le gacies, and of the presentation to the museum by Mr. Jac b Bell of the specimens exhibited by him at the Great Exhibition. The income of the charity for the past year exhibits a falling-off to the amount of 6091. compared with that of the year before, and has been exceeded by the ex penditure to the extent of upwards of 2,00 W. Several thamand patients were relieved in the course of the year, mad ZS an at present in the hospital. The report having ham mispiall. • tote of thanks was pawed to the Marquis of Watnimmar se lord steward for a present of three large sacks of waste linen from the Palace for the use of the hospital. The governing officers for the ensuing year were then appointed, after which, on the motion of the Hon. Admiral Percy, the thinks of the court were given to the chairman, and the business of the day terminated. DESTRUCTION OF STEAM SAW MILLS IN BROAD wALL.—Yesterday morning, at a quarter before six o'clock, au extensive conflagration broke out on the premises of Messrs. Addison and Company's saw mills, No. 1101, Broadwall, Stamford-street, which resulted in the total destruction of the extensive machinery and workshops oc cupied by them as bedstead and general wood turners; and aloe the partial destruction of the workshops adjoining, be 111161•11 In Mr. Clark, builder. At the tame of the out break of the In none of the workmen were on the pre minm aid the immediate cause of the Ignition cannot at primal he monnotely ascertained. Mr. Clark first perceived that the prophet were on fire on his going to open the gates leading In kY own workshops, shortly before six o'clock, few the sibiliden of his workmen ; noticing a strong smell of burning, his Inspielon. were aroused, and a police constable and one of Mr. Clark's men coming up at the time, on the pates of Messrs. Addison's they at I :ile id es=tist tie interior of the building war in am& no Mon Was Immediately given, and mer =llllmen dinpenerni to the various fire engine stations. iertly ober the wine from Waterloo-road, with the Writ el Iragiand. under the direction of Mr. Connortaa, super hog the filirathwark-bridge-road, and other ate them were promptly en the spot; but, from the firm hold of the fire sad the nature of the stock, consisting of cut dry Umber, all the exertions of the firemen were unavailing. Notwithstanding the immense body of water thrown into the budding, its total destruction could not be prevented, the framework of the Mama engine being destroyed, and the falling in of the machinery, from its great weight, carrying with it the entire of the build ing in less than an hour from the outbreak. From the contiguity of a number of small buildings occupied by persons in humble circumstances, much consternation pre , Tailed. By eight o'clock, however, the firemen had suc ceeded in getting the fire sufficiently under to p any further apprehension of danger. Within the last two or three days a large quantity of timber had been placed on the premises, as many as 700 or 800 deals, the whole of which were destroyed. The premises, which were about 80 feet deep, and 60 feet high, and belonging to Mr. Stokes, of Stamford-street, are insured in the Westminster; Messrs. Addison, in the Monarch for machinery, and the stock in the Phenix; Mr. Clark being insured in the British Empire and Mutual. The extent of the damage exceeds, as estimated, 3,0004 . . ATTEMPTED ROBBERY AT THE DUNDEE DANE,— Between Saturday night and Monday morning last a most daring attempt at robbery was made at the °Mee of the Dundee Banking Company, in Castle street, the perpe trators of which, it would seem, are not novices in their ! profession. Having obtained scow to the bank, they set to work on one of the safes. Failing to force the lock they proceeded to open it with a brace and bit, sad had succeeded in boring several holes about the lock when they were scared, and made • precipitate flight, leaving behind them a number of large crow bars, which would appear to have been stolen from some builder's premises in town, three excellent new bag portmanteaus, two of which were of glazed leather, full of tools of every description fitted for housebreaking, over alls, ropes, seemingly for lowering themselves into the street from upper stones, oils to enable to work nonelesely, wine, whisky, porter, candles, black cloth blinds, &e. It Is strongly presumed the% they are the saute parties who recently broke into the bank at Mune; and that their in struments—which are all new, quite unique, and bear no maker's name—heil been purchased with the money ac quired by that robbery, probably from a secret workship in some large town, such as Birmingham it• Glasgow. Certai. pieties are suarecteil and so prompt and efficient have been the steps taken by Mr. M•Kay, that to us their escape seems to he more doubtful than their apprehension.—Dundee Ad ' wrtior. THE SOUTHERN WHALE FISHERY COMPANIT yesterday received intelligence from their agent at Sydney that the Earl of liardwicke was speb n in latitude 31 deg. south, and longitude 159.10 dog. east, bound to the Auck land Islands, "a full shin." THE CONSTRUCTION Op A LINE M . II W. THROUGH BOSNIA AND BEKVIA has been undertaken by an English company of engineers and capitalists. It ill have for its termini Scutari, the ac-sport of Alhania, and Semandria, • ( port r ios already,the rr• is A n n i , n e r . 1, i , h"7: .",n; government, will, when c. midd our, lame highly ad vantsgeou. to our torn trade with Hogioia, by reducing the freight to tibnut one half, English merchant yest.eln baring now to proceed to 0.10.4. Shottlltl this line Iv completed, 'it will he a severe Mow to Trie•te, and brob dile rouse the commercial spirit of the Ati•triaits to extent Their net of rail. oys through Croatia in the direction of the Banat. THE ENROLMENT OF THE MILITIA. It is said that in the Militia Bill to be brought before parliament on the 13th blatant, it will be proposed I to enrol this form to the 'Meat of 76,000 men. ELECTION NEWS. ... ---- r 1 EAST ICENT.—The retirement of Mr. Plumptes from the representation of this division of the come, has plunged the district into all the bustle of elm. tioneering excitement. The High Sheri( has received' her Maresty's writ directing the election of • knight to neve the samisen division, and the nomination has bee, Axed to take plane on Monday, the 16th inst., on Badman Down. The contest is likely to hersther &severe one. Sir Edward Daring has solicited the suffrages of the freeholds BL ere as • moderate oonservatim, and Sir Brook W. ' he; presented liaisell as a protectionist. On Wed afternoon a meeting of the electors was held at the U 5 hall of Canterbury, for the purpose of hearing an Wrest' from Sir Edward Derieg. The hen. candidate wee seems. panied by the Right lion. 8. H. Lushington. Tho Mame occupied the chair. Sir Edward went into slithers length ened exposition of his political sentiments; and} resolution to the e ff ect that, of the two candidates before the meeting, Sir Edward Bering had the greatest claims on the electors and freehoiden of Kent was unanimously adopted. deeeNWlolll.—The writ having been issued foe the election of a new representative for the borough of Greenwich, in the room of their late member Rear. Admiral Deans Dundee, C. 8., the friends of ]tour-Admiral Stewart, C. 8., are actively engaged in securing the return of that gallant officer. IiEIITVORIL—This borough has for some time past avoided a contested election by returning a whit soda conservative—Mr. Cowper and Lord Mahon. Li; is likely, however, that, at the neat election, a change will take place in the representation. Mr. Thomas' Chambers, of the home circuit, has declared his intentiort of tvcorning • candidate ; and it is currently reported that Lord Mallon will not again offer himself. Mr. Chamber who is an advdeate of liberal measures, is well known and popular among the electors; and, though some threats have been held out of bringing forward a protectionist candidate, there is strong probability that Mr. Chambers will be re turned with Mr. Cowper. Someasse.—The annual meeting of the Somerset County Protectionist and Conservative Amociotion will be held at the White Lion, in Bath, on Wednesday, the 11th instant. The probability of an early disaolu tion of parliament gives additional en! ortanee to the meeting, and its business will relate chiefly to the state of the representation. The committee suggest that some decided and definite arrangement should be mate to replace Mr. Pinney in the eastern division by • conserve} . tive.—Batit Chrosick. PLelleliTli.—lt is rumoured that Mr. Lopes, of the Western Circuit, son of Sir Ralph Lopes, Bart., one of the members fur South Devon, will offer himself to the electors of Plymouth at the next general election. Should• Mr. Roundel' Palmer intend to solicit a renewal of the ease , Mimics of the electors, Mr. Lopes will make the fourth can didate. The latter gentleman's politics are known to be conservative and protectionist. BRIDGEWATEIt.—AU address has been issued by i Messrs. C. J. K. Tynte and R. D. lames, to the elector, of this borough, offering themselves as candidates at the next election. if elected they promise to oppose any fresh mea sure of reform that may be brought forward, and any at tempt to change the policy of free trade, whilst at this' same time they would exert themselves to reduce the bur dens now pressing on land. PEKTII.—Tho retirement of Lord Broughton from the office of President of the India Board, and the appointment of Mr. Fox Maule as his successor, causes a new election for Perth. The address of Mr. Maule to the constituency has already appeared ; and the right hon. gentleman, immediately after the meeting of the Privy Council on Monday afternoon, was expected to start from London for Perth, to present himself before his con stituents, and seek • renewal of their suffrages, but he did not make his appearance. The election will take place on an early day. Immediately on the receipt of the intelli gence in Perth, • telegraph mcs-age was dispatched to Mr. Charles Gilpin, the London publisher, to come down and oppose Mr. Fox Maple, and we learn that a placard has already been posted up in Perth, setting forth that Mr. (lapin will wait on the electors in the course of • day or two. A portion of the dissenting electors arc pledged to support Mr. Gilpin.—Sagsman. ANOTHER ACCOUNT. TSCSIDAT. This withethig Angel doniaful osoneenso, attended with • fusible hen adllA and antructim of peopsthy, happened is the Ikkelode Valley, about six mike sea* of thie town. Makelledi Is situated at the foot of a of hills which gees a pardon of what is turned the _ef leg lead." TM valley between that velem end is Mudded with imam mills. shamans bask* been don of the insey essolbat sites whisk the wankMß of weir kent An bilk tie Pis harked, peasks. Myst the nenty streengeh whisk Gm ken the bah alms Main- Ink Ow rune sharakennk Is presented, sad the several valleys and bilbeldes ethee with a 4r. V and very enterprising population, a seasidarable on of the woollen cloths tor which tit With • 'mg is so celebrated be manufactured is this legality. As in summer time the mills often bad to stand for want of water, them Wei but little from the hills ia dry weather, bet IMO Asa sakelt in wet, a iota pany was hens& ammo peen I. and • number of gentle men were by ast of parliament, and em powered to eonstneet imp reservoirs for the storege of water in winter, to be I. &era the rivulets in the 19991014 as it might be reveled Wit the en of the mills, power being Also given to rate the emend mill properties fur the benefits thus conferred. Ammo* ethers the Holgalltth Reservoir Ciessenissimars sonstensisti • reservoir called the Bilberry lisserfeele. sieumead *ea three miles and a half above likkellatb, Is the esede-west. During the last week there laws Mesa key seatiensen falls of rain, and the water has tweelkerel the nreheakeent of the reservoir for several days. indeed, ken was previously entertained of its safety by parties who ventisd new to it, and who were aware that it had never boss thowanted as a work of gist-rate quality. Yesterday wee • day of isoess•st rain ; and the rivulets and streams in the neighbourhood were much ewellen. Apout one o clock this morning the embankments of this large reservoir was swept away, and an immense volume of water thereby soddenly iibtrated. The torrent rushed on wards with devastating force; some mills were swept down —others were gutted— machinery and materials, both wrought and unwrought, being either rendered worthless or married away by the flood. Dwellings shared the same fate. With a suddennres that rendered warning impossible, the buildings with their sleeping inmates were swept along the engulphing torrent At Holmfirth, a whole street of houses was thus carried away, with their inhalsitants, to the num ber of sixty souls. Hundreds of other dwelling, were flooded, and the wave of many of the inmates from death has been mast miraculous. The destruction of property has been enormous. The stocks of the shopkeepers who lined the streets on each side of the Holme are wholly destroyed, or damaged so as to be all but borthless. The furniture and clothing of private dwelling-houses are alsedestroyed. One of the most beautiful valleys in the world leas been tendered scene of awful devastation. Bridges hen km serried away, and large steam-engine boilers lifted from tisk seats, and borne along by the overwhelming torrent for miles, and then lett in the fields. Trees torn up, and the soil washed away from the lands' adielaing the mane of the main stream. But more awful still, emse than meaty lives have been lam! At the time we with it is horrible to tell the enact number, or even to approximate to k giorreetly. Whole families are swept away, and there are none left to tell the number. Upwards of thy badge Mk been re covered. They are deposited at the soned pelikhosere along the line of devastation; sad the a of many testify to the force of the torrent n i t swept Ms.mlae. them before it. It is impossible in this hasty 11009111114 to particularise ; but it may be stated that millowners, shop keepers, sad workpeople have met with a common fate. The calamity is a most frightful one, likely to be the ruin of one of the most spirited of our manufacturing districts. All classes will suffer—the manufacturers from the lose of mills machinery, and material—the shopkeepers from the loss of stock, sod the operatives from loss of employment. Some of the bodies recovered were found fourteen miles from the place where the reservoir (the cause of this awful havoc) was situate. Preparations are being made fur holding en inquest ou the bodies already recovered. A correspondent, writing from Manchester, yesterday thus adverts to this most digressing 009911 . 91100, and to various other casualties caused by floods ia the north. In consequence of the imetinwous heavy rain., which fell partially on Teesisy, but more particularly en Wednesday, teem a very early hour in this morning up to 8 De 9 o'clock in the evening, the rivers which flow through Lincoln shire, Yorkshire ' sad Derbyshire, were swollen till the water burst the banks, and in many places covered the sur rounding country , convertiog all the low grounds into im mense lakes. At Hahafirth, near Huddersfield, we regret to learn that great keg of life, the whole extent of which is not yet ascer tained, and serious destruction of poprty, have taken place. During the night of Wedneday the Bilberry Dam reservoir, at liolmfirth, overflowed its embankments, and deluged the lower grounds for miles down the Holm valley. The flood swept away the Digley Mills, the reel dence of Mrs. Hirst, the owner; and that of her son-in-law, Mr. H. maaufacturer, together with all the oat bighting., and it hod not been asseetained at ten o'clock yesterday aiming whether the three ppeeeeaeawusa amend had pesishoi is 7M tised, or had lose hniNatc onsepti to snap* *en At Ilk eel* yesteeday raeralei see of Ger Meese" SIB kinky saw the furniture of the two homes froth( *eat ia the flood. By a later asseastwo Mem thed at IA ehiedtit bad an base ascertained bow knee lies bed alba a amass te Oh Mehl Wan ds**, but at that time a seeker of sees were engaged In dr= such of the bodies as ISM within mete eat of 'the waters. Up to that beer 8 bodies bed been take Neat Lookwood, and 2 at Airy Brew, sad k was hew* lint tiros won only • small pospenise of ths pthe wonky of sellekes. Amway* other demon the= ia ill NUM swept away part ef Use village of Hiaaleal sal serried away two rows of new bandits. 01101.1111114 as well as the bridge over the 1101910. whisk *mod the only asenenaiskise between the parts of th ads =e ss liir2 o l ei=kales of ths river. lathe the thin Irwin roes to a brisk win* bet vest base roneenthsreell for many yeses ; and • lints above *5 tows, when it Rows through Ma Wane" the Leh beak was mellowed, and a groat mike of Lower Beseetheen was laid under water, in sense We Mph of Rise hot. Ahem hot o'clock in the alludes., In _____Rase__ of • report Thigh osaallod the nen* pollee st.t.e h hkorthester, Mr. Boswisk, the chief as at doetetles forte, who Hides in that ne west to *a sealstsooe of souk of the bl ether...be hared, hod bosom exceedingly alarmed Mid 4111111114 he denositesess of the water cutting of all r keeps hem *air eaddwicee. Ile found that =litre two rows of Massa, tedesigiag to Mr. Hacking (of New Bailey-street, adhst), situated between &imitates-lane sad the river Irwell, which were in the petition described. One of these was Broughton View, sad the other was • row of houses which have not yet been named, and which it was ispowilis to approach without boats, the water varying from tares to six feet in depth near to them. A stung wiled, siting on the surface of the water, caused a serf to break against the houses with such Once that the owner expressed his fear that, from the slight way in width they had been built, under contrart, they would be washed down during the night. Mr. Besseiek despatched saes disks to bring • boat, that assistance might be ren dered to the inhabitants of the bowies, and in order that end of then as were disposed, from fear of their safety, might be ranoved to a place of refuge. The result was, that loos lifter 6 o'clock in the evening about 33 people were removed from these houses and sought safety for the night elsewhere. About 9 o'clock the water subsided, and the boat was withdrawn, bat stationed in the neighbour hood for the night, under the care of some men. A eons'. dera'ile portion of Peel Park was also under water, from the overflow of the Irwell. The river Medlock also Sows through the mouth of Man chester, and near the lower part of Oaford-street it OWeT• floweei, plating a considerable quantity of property under water. The houses in Little Ireland were Boosted, so that the inhabitants were obliged to betake themselves to the upper etorer, and were to much alarmed that the aasist snce of the police was celled in, and a boat obtained to re move them where it was found neceesary. Several of the mills on the banks of the river were flooded in the lower storeys, and some of them were compelled to cease work in consequence of the boiler-houses being flooded. About half.past eight o'clock the water began to subside, and the danger was eoneidered past. The river Mersey overflowed its hank. from Stockport to Stretford, end the public roads crossing the river were, in some places, flooded to a depth of four feet eie inches. reit di ring it dangiTollt for omnihusee and other vehictea to cross. In some caws, on the Chenille•road, the omnibus drivers thought it prudent to make a detour of a couple of mike, cod proceed to Cheadle through Stockport. Near Stockport, a little above the Mersey, a reservoir belonging to Mr. John Brooks, at the llope•hill cotton mill, Pis reported to have broken nor of its banks, and done con 'hireable damage to the mill, by bunting into the lower starve, and eatrying away mate of the machinery. The damage was estimated at front !Mato 1,0001. The river 00)1 overflowed its banks at Ilkley, and the large cotton factory of Mr. Vickers (on one of the hank+ of that river), which was turned partly by steam and party b water power, had to he it.ppeti for safety by about 4 o'clock in the afteinoon. The water was still no high yesterday RIFLE CLUBS. TO THE EDITOR OP THE EIPRE,S. Str,—Durinf many years of a prolonged resident). in the south of Germany, I was an active member of a rifle club. We mustered rather above two hundred, military officers, gentlemen, and tradesmen. We met twice per week for practice, alternately with the pistol at thirty paces, and the rifle at 100 and 150. When the troubles of 1848 broke out, we sharpshomem (the civilians, namely, myself among them) were enrolled in the burgerwehr, or national guard, and bad to shout der the musket and go through a regular course of drill. After a few weeks' practice with this very awkiard squad we got a patent from the government to form a separate ride corps, uniforming and equipping ounelves. About 150 of us did this. We mounted a neat green cap, green frock-coat, dark grey trowsers, and • back leather waist-belt, which held our pouch, hammer, and sword bayonet. But, as was justly observed by Capt. Fitzroy in his Illt• celleut letter to you, individual dull is not the only thing needful in • body of marksmen. We, seeing this, readily put ourselves into training under a captain of regulars deputed to the duty, and our small corps did ultiinAtly good service ; and finally, when the outrageous vagaries of Struve and hie fellow socialisM had brought ruin on the country, our little troop was the nucleus of • band of the friends of order, who saved our unfortunate town from total destruc tion. I mention all this, to show how cagy aas the transi tion in our case from the social pastime of the club, to the efficient military service of the corps. If it was easy in Germany, much more so is it in this practical country. Let the individual marksmen be formed, and the well drilled rifle corps will not be long wanting. But firearms are dangerous playthings ; none mom so than the rifle. If the impulse now being given a.l over this country shall lead to good, it must be well directed. Nothing will the ardour of these exertions so much RE series of t r.: dents. Now, among the trading classes, not one in a hundred knows anything of the weapon • but of the gentry, perhaps the majority are taMiliar with its use. If, therefore, clubs are to be eats bibbed efficiently and at once, let some of these gentlemen in every town, large or small, form • committee, and declare their readiness to teach the use of the rifle.. The coat of a suitable locale need be but alight. Hire • strip of grass land, say • couple of amts. A rude covered shed, with a bard sanded bottom, a few notched tables, some deal partitions, and there you have a " achiitzenhaus.' Then a wrought iron frame, to be covered with pasteboard for the target; • mound of earth ten or twelve feet high, to receive spent balls • a little brick hut, well earthed up, for the marker • a small bell, with a hundred yards of copper wire, and there is all the necessary furniture of the club. The greater part of the land will still yield its crop of hay, so that the rent will be • mere trifle. Then for present equipment: all that is needed is the ride, with bullet-bag and powder-born, and this ought not to wet above five pounds. In the spring of 1848, 1 was commissioned to inquire of a Loudon manufacturer about riles for our corps. One in Great St. Helens, Bisho sk..wed me a pattern, a well-finished light instru Pg = (single barrelled of course), with bayonet complete, and he offered to supply me with two hundred in four months at, if I remember rightly, 41. 10s. each. But we afterwards got them quicker and cheaper (although vastly inferior) from Liege. I offer these few remarks to show my fellow-countrymen the practical simplicity of erecting rifle clubs. Even as a mere amusement, they might surely well replace the publio-houm resource of skittles and the bowling-green, or the miserable pastime of pigeon shooting. I am, sir, your obedient servant, D. C. L. LAUIICH OP TIM AMAZONAS STEAM-FRIGATE.—• Yesterday was launched at Blackwell, the ausiliary screw steam-frigate, relied the Amazonas. Bh.. was built hp Messrs. Wigram and Sons, of Blackwell-yard, and is to be armed with 40 hug 68 pounders on the main-deck. Bee tonnage is 1,676 tons, and she bekeem Wiles Veriariarie government. The principal Barbour-master of the City of London, superintended the river arrangements. During the last fewllays, a grrst amount of damage has been done in the river. It is believed that the injury done to the craft in the Thames since the Ist of January, by the severe winds, has fat' exceeded the fors sustained within so short • time for a great number of years. It has not been in the power of those employed in raising the collier brig Spray. which was sunk on the 19th of January, in consequence of a collision with the Royal Victoria steamer of Leith, to place more than one chain under her, t,ll account of the boisterous weather. TOE FATAL COLLIERY EXPLOSION NEAR BURY.— The adjourned nattiest on the bodies of Thomas Lindley, Henry Page, (romp Grundy, and Isaac Bonatt, three of whom were killed by an explosion of fire damp ih the co .1 pit of Messes. Knowles and Stott, at Wrigley, on the mint ing of Monday week, and the fourth of whom has di, d since, in consequence of injuries received, was resumed ,os Tue.day at Itingley•bridge. Mr. Thomas Wynne. of Man cheater, recently nppnintrd am the inapector of mines for linesPhire, Cheshire, and North Wales, wee in attendance on behalf of the government. After a good deal orf addi tional evidenee had been niece, the jury committal for about an hnur and a half, and return, a verdict of I accidental death, accompanied by the following remark,.; —tt We strongly urge upon klessrs. Knowles at ci Stott the immediate nen•..icy 01 adoptin 2 the improvements *eg gs-hal by the govenauent inspector. as we consider that has proper management not been observed i n the conduct of the works of the mine. We are alas of opinion that the workm, n them.. Ivo. are not free nom blame in going jive the pit with naked eandlea. without having first arcerteithot that the pit was in a 'wooer state to allow of aunt a pro -o.,.ding. We Al." think that the engineer engaged to keep the water [mein• ntly low to allow of a free current of site uu . gu il ty of car , ka,ancai in the eternise of hie duty." It was stated that the recommendations of the inspector had been already carried out as far as poslib:e, and they would be completed without delay. ii -