The Press. — London, England, 1854-03-04 00:00:00

MARCH 4, 1854. totally lost, with a fearful sacrifice of life. She sailed from Liverpool in November, with a cargo valued at 20,0001., and 108 passengers, mostly emigrants, in cluding several ladies. All went on smoothly until the 24th of December, when she encountered a tre mendous gale of wind, which continued several days. On the 28th it carried away ber bowsprit, foretopmast rigging, &c., and her rudder was also carried away. Captain Richardson, on himself going aloft to exit mine the security of the foremast, was blown off, fell on the deck, and broke his ankle-joint. The chief mate took command, but on the following Thursday, night, when believed to be about forty miles south of Seal Islands, off the southern point of Nova Scotia the vessel struck on what are known as the Blonn Rocks. Two boats broke adrift, the remaining two could only hold a few persons, and those in charge of them could scarcely get clear of the ship, when she went down with 175 human beings, including the captain. The four mates and twenty-one seamen and twenty-five passengers were saved, including only one woman. They succeeded on the following day in reaching Seal Islands, but suffered severely from cold and want of provisions. The loss of the ship is attributed to the rapid current driving into the Bay of Fundy, which carried her on to the rocks. The ship was but partially insured. THE NEW REFORM BILL. Tats bill has been printed and issued under the title of " A Bill Further to Amend the Laws Re lating to the Representation of the People in England and Wales." It contains 67 clauses. The bill commences with clauses totally disfranchising the 19 boroughs in Schedule A, now returning 29 mem bers—viz., Andover, Arundel Ashburton, Caine, Dart mouth, Evesham, Harwich, Honiton, Knaresborough, Lyme Regis, Marlborough, Midhurst, Northallerton, Reigate, Richmond, Thetford, Totnes, Wells, Wilton. These boroughs are disfranchised because they have either less than 300 electors or less than 5,000 inbabitants ; and their disfranchisement will leave Abingdon the smallest constituency in England, the electors there being in number 312. The bill next provides that the following 33 boroughs (Schedule B), now returning two members each, shall hereafter return but one—viz., Bodmin, Bndgnorth, Brid port, Buckingham, Chichester, Chippenham, Cirencester, Cockermouth, Devizes, Dorchester, Guildford, Hertford, Huntingdon, Leominster, Lewes, Ludlow, Lymington, Lichfield, Maldon, Mahon, Marlow (Great), Newport (Isle of Wight), Peterborough, Poole, Ripon, Stamford, Tamworth, Tavistock, Tewkesbury, Tiverton, Weymouth, Windsor, Wycombe (Chipping). These boroughs are this dealt with because they have either less than 500 electors or less than 10,000 inhabitants. Of the 62 seats thus obtained, together with four for Sudbury and St. Alban's, previously disfranchised, making in all 66, the English Reform Bill proceeds to dispose of 63, the number which Lord J. Russell allots to England. The following 37 counties, or divisions of counties, having more than 100,000 inhabitants, exclusive of the population of the represented boroughs, are in future to return three members instead of two, viz.:—Bedfordshire, West Gloucestershire, Middlesex, Monmouthshire, North Salop; North Hants, East Surrey, East Sussex, North Warwickshire, East Worcestershire, East Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, Glamorganshire, and both divisions of the following counties—viz , Cheshire, Cornwall, Derbyshire, Devon, Durham, Essex, Kent, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Staffordshire, Somerset, Suffolk. Lancashire is to be formed into three divisions—the northern, comprising the hundreds of Lonedale, Amoun derness, and Blackburn, the election to be held at Lancaster ; the south-western division, comprising the hundreds of \Vest Derby and Leyland, the election to be held at Wigan ; and the south-eastern, consisting of the hundred of Salford, the election to be held at Bury. The West Ridingof York shire is to be formed into two divisions—the northern, comprising the wapentakes of Staincliffe and Ewcross, Claro, Skyrack, and Morley, the election to be held at Leeds ; and the southern, comprising the wapentakes of Barkston Ash, Osgoldcross, Strafforth and Tickhill, Stain cross, and Agbrigg, the election to be held at Pontefract. Each of these divisions of Lancashire and Yorkshire is to return three members, so that Lancashire will return nine instead of four, and the West Riding six instead of two. Having thus given 46 new members to the counties, the bill proceeds to assign 17 to the towns. The (new) borough of Chelsea, consisting of the parishes of Chelsea and Kensington, is to return two members ; the Univer sity of London, one; the Inns of Court (the Inner Tem. le, the Middle Temple, Lincoln's-inn, and Gray's - inn) jointly, two ; the (new) boroughs of Birkenhead, Burnley, and Stalybridge, one each ; Salford, two instead of one ; and the following eight boroughs three instead of two — Birmingham, Bristol, Bradford (Yorkshire), Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield, and Wolvelhampton. The largest unrepresented towns in England will then be Gravesend, with a population of 16,633 ; Leamington, 15,692; St. Helen's (Lancashire ), 14,566; Barnsley, 13,437 ; Keighley, 18,050. The bill proceeds to provide that at every future con tested election,where three members are to be returned, no voter shall vote for more than two candidates, or in London for more than three. The old constituencies affected by this clause are those of London, Berkshire, Buckingham shire, Cambridgeshire, Dorsetshire, Herefordshire, Hert fordshire, and Oxfordshire. Every male person of full age, entitled to any yearly sum of not Peso 1001., payable in find portions not less THE PRESS. than quarterly payments, as salary or wages, or superannua tion allowance ; or beneficially entitled to a yearly income of not less than 101. from Govenuneut, East India, or Bank Stock, including Government life annuities; or charged to the assessed taxes, or income tax, " or to any duty payable in respect of any annual certificate or licence, or to all or any of the said duties," not less than 40s. a year ; or being a graduate of any University in the United King dom ; or being a depositor in a savings-bank in the county, borough, or place where he shall reside, to the amount of not less than 001., is to be entitled to vote for the county or borough (as the case may be) in which he shall reside, but he is not to be registered in any year unless he shall have so resided for twelve calendar months next previous to the last day of July in such year; and no person is to be so registered in respect of income or liability to tax unless he shall have been in receipt of the income fortwelve calen der months next previousto the last day ofJuly in such year, or charged to a year's duty within such twelve months ; and no savings bank depositor is to be so registered unless he shall have had a 501. deposit in such bank for three years next previous to the last day of July in such year. No person having two or more residences is to be registered under this enactment for more than one place; and no per son is to vote in respect of income tax which he is entitled to be reimbursed, as a tenant, trustee, or otherwise. Several sections are taken up with the provisions for re ducing the occupancy qualification. In the counties a vote is given to the occupier of any building, without or with land occupied under the same landlord, of the clear yearly value of not less than 101., provided he has occupied those or other premises in the county or division for twelve calendar months next previous to the last day of July in the year of registration, and been rated to the poor rate during that time, and has resided within the county or division for the last six of the twelve months ; but the occupation of any building (other than the occu pier's dwelling) jointly with land is not to confer a right to vote in county or borough, unless such building be of N. clear annual value. The right of voting in boroughs is extended to inhabitant householders within the borough, or seven miles thereof, who on the last day of July shall have occupied for the former part of that year and the whole of the two preceding years a house, warehouse, counting-house, or shop (not necessarily the same pre mises during the whole period), in respect of which he shall have been rated for that time to the relief of the poor on a yearly value exceeding 61. The old rate-paying clauses are repealed. Freemen hereafter admitted are not to have votes as such, though admitted in respect of birth or servitude. The constituency of the Inns of Court is to comprise all barristers; of the University of London all who have its degree of M.A., 8.A., LL.D., M.D., or M. 8., and every B.A. in such University of three years' standing. The returning officers for the new boroughs are to be appointed by the sheriff of the county ; for the Inns of Court, the treasurer of the Inner Temple is to be returning officer ; for the University of London, the Vice-Chanoellpr. The polling of the University and Inns of Court may con tinue for three days. County voters, upon whom a right is conferred by this act with residence as a condition of the qualification, are not to vote out of their own polling districts. The requisite certificates of title to property are to be given at the Bank, East India-house, and savings-banks on request; and so in like manner by the collector of taxes. The register of voters is to be final ; but an election com mittee may inquire into alleged incapacity arising subse- quently to the time when the name of the voter might have been objected to. Unitrasitg OXFORD. THE ANNUAL UNDERGRADUATE PRIZE SONO in lauda tion of Brasenose College ale was promulgated on Shrove Tuesday, and presents an admixture of spice and spirit very appropriate to its subject-matter. From some apposite allusions to the politics of the day we may cite the fol lowing:— " This Coalition' of which I now sing, As all may observe, is a different thing From that to which scorn is for ever affixed ; (I allude to the porridge the Scotchman has mixed) And which, though he'll probably burn himself soon, For the present is stirred with the Autocrat's spoon : Yet points of resemblance there may be between Prior's leer, and the ' cauld kail' of old Aberdeen.' For instance, this liquor, without any doubt, Is kept by the tankard from running about; And Aberdeen's porridge, 'tis equally clear, Were Palmerston absent would soon disappear ; And thus, as in him all their fortunes are anchored, I humbly submit that he's like the tankard. The sharp acid lemon again will afford A simile fitting for Palmerston's Lord, Who the fat Oxford Dons from their slumber has woke, And has made the rich citizens swallow their smoke. As a real useful compound, it may suit the bard well To find in the malt a resemblance to Cardwell: But the man (or the compound) who always must fill The proudest position is Exchequer Bill ;' Yes l Oladstone's the hop plant who twined himself long Round the hop-pole at Tamworth so sturdy and strong ; With the farmers of England he cannot condole, For he, like the needle, is true to his pole ;' He rides a high hobby with dangerous speed, And Anglican Church' is the name of his steed, Yet the ' seat,' strange to say, was constructed to carry The ' Protestant Bulwark,' good old Sir B. Harry— 203 But the pace was too killing, and lately we took a Final farewell of his blue coat and bouquet— Next little John Russell, that prizefighter rare, To the nutmeg or ginger we well may campare ; When laid on the shelf he's an innocent thing, But let a tongue touch him—and out comes the sting If you grate him he bites you, but who can refuse To laugh when he annually barks for the Jews? ' Give the devil• his due,' we admire his courage,— Next, whom shall we find to resemble the burrage ? Bernal Osborne's+ the man, that political pickle I His use, like tle burrage, is only to tickle; First-rate on a platform, but when he has spoke He leaves no impression beyond a good joke. Let us shake up the tankard, you'll see for a while A sediment rising,—like youthful Argyle, Whig Grace of Newcastle, bet let it remain And the sediment sinks to the bottom again. Now a certain resemblance I think you will own 'Twixt some compounds of each coalition is shown; There are many besides, but for fear of their wroth I will only just add, that they make up the froth; While floating about on the surface is seen A great piece of dry toast—and that's old Aberdeen." • A mere proverbial expression--of course his lordship is not like a devil ;= of coarse siot:—Printer's Devil. + Mr. Osborne cannot be altogether like the burrage, which has no taste, whereas Mr. Osborne has shown several instances of bad taste. THE FIRST ELECTION took place on Saturday in g John's College to four fellowships founded under the will of the late Dudley Fereday, Esq., of Ettingehall-park, in the county of Stafford, by which a preference is given in the first place to the kin of the founder, and next to natives of Staffordshire. Frederick Smith, 8.A., of St. John's, and Alexander Staveley Hill, 8.A., of Exeter—the former u " kin," the latter as " county "—were appointed senior fel lows ; and James Stevenson Cattlow, a native of Stafford shire, and Arthur Pearse Howell, both scholars of Trinity College, Oxford, were elected to the two remaining fellow ships. MR. CHARLES SUMNER HARINOTON, Bible clerk of Oriel, has been elected to the vacant exhibition on the Rutland foundation, and Messrs. Nathaniel R. A. Cooper and Jack son Taylor exhibitioners on the Ireland foundation. AN ELECTION TO Two FELLOWSHIPS, now vacant in Uni versity College, will be holden on Weduuday, March 28. One, on the foundation of Henry Percy, Earl of Northum berland, is open to persons born in the old diocese of Dur ham, Carlisle, or York, with a preference to natives of Nor thumberland. The other is on Sir Simon Benet's founda tion, open to those only who are or have been scholars on his foundation. Mai Muuma, Esq., Hon. M.A., of Christ Church, has taken the oaths and been admitted Professor of Modern European Languages to the Taylor Institution. Ter: following degrees were conferred : M.A.—ltev. Thomas Fitsarthur Ravensbaw, Oriel ; Richard William Cotton, Student. of Christ Church ; Rev. George Cruddas and Rev. William Hooper, Lincoln; Rev. William Bell, Brass- nose ; Thomas Hewitt Campbell, Rev. John William Hammond, and Rev. Edward Coupland, Fellows of St. John's; Arthur Ducane, St. John's; Rev. Simon James Gordon Fraser, New Inn Hall. B.A.—Rev. Anthony Francis Thomsen, Lincoln CAMBRIDGE. Tar, Rev. Henry Griffin Williams, 8.D., Fellow of Em• mantle] College, has been elected Professor of Arabic, in the place of Professor Jarrett, promoted to the Regina Professorship of Hebrew. THE following degrees have been conferred : LL.B.—Joseph Henry Woolley, Corpus Christi; W. Hampden Perfect, Peterhouse. M.A.—Francis Harris, Catherine Hall. A rtlant. THE INCREASE IN TILT.AGE THROUGHOUT IRELAND SS stated to be very considerable, and there is at this moment a greater extent of land under corn than has been witnesssed at this period in any previous year. In the counties of Dublin and Meath the amount of cropping is unprecedented. The latter county has been, to a vast extent, devoted to pasture, from the peculiar fitness of the soil for the feeding of cattle ; but several of the graziers, tempted by the high prices of grain, have broken up portions of their grass-lands for tillage. Wheat has now become a favourite crop, and large quantities are planted in all directions. Altogether the Irish farmers are in a much more comfortable and satisfactory condition than for many a year. THE VILLAGE OF CLARE and the surrounding country was illuminated on last Friday night by bonfires and tar barrels, in clebration of the pardon of Wm. Smith O'Brien, as announced by Lord Palmerston. GovraNwEsT have intimated that they will take up the prosecution of the Rev. Martin Doyle, Graigue, on the information lodged before the magis trates at Graigue petty sessions by the Irish Church Mission Society. THE TRIAL OF THE RIBBONMEN at Louth Assizes was brought to a conclusion on Wednesday night, the jury having agreed to a verdict, finding James M'Ardle guilty and acquitting the other prisoners. The court decided against receiving as evidence the depositions of the approver, Farrell, who died in November last. THE DECLARATION OF THE NUMBERS POLLED at the late Louth election tooitplaoe on Monday. The High Sheriff declared the numbers to be as follows : For Mr. Fortescue 916 For Mr. Cantwell 768 leaving a majority of 150 for Mr. Forteacue, whom he declared duly elected, . 1