The Press. — London, England, 1853-12-31 00:00:00

824 to the Bath Societ e '. for the Relief of the Sick Poor, 2001. ; to the Bath District Benevolent Institution, 2001. The residue of the property, which was proved as under 50,0001. ' is left equally to ins nephews, Sir Roderick Impey Murchison, and Mr. K. Murchison. Is the week that ended on Saturday 1,399 deaths were registered in the metropolitan districts, showing a considerable excess above the average of the s ea so n. The increase arises from two causes : the rate of mor tality has been raised by the coldness of the weather; and more than a due proportion of inquests are in eluded in the return, such cases having accumulated during the quarter without the coroner's signature, which is necessary to complete the registration. tar the deaths registered last week, :liii were prod uc ed by diseases of the respiratory organs; 15m were from bronchitis, 1111 from pneumonia, and WI from hoop ing-eongh. Cholera was fatal in 10 cases. Tnn Quties has appointed Joeeph Burnley I I ume, Esq., barrister-at-law ; John Simon, Esq. ; and John Frederic Bateman, Esq., Commissioners for Inquiring into the Causes which have led to or have aggravated the late outbreak of Cholera at Newcastle. upon .Tyne, Gateshead, and Tynemotath. Ma. A. S. Loom.; has been appointed .Junior Ad vocate-Depute; and Mr. Thomas Cleghurn succeeds to the Senior I aepute-Advocateship, vacant by the appointment of Mr. Macfarlane to the SherillAip of ltenfrewshire. A Fewrivat. was held on Tuesday evening at the Hall of Association, Castle-street, Oxford-street, for the p of a ff ording the working men of the metarmo ur ran opportunity of presenting an address t ► the Rev. Mr. Maurice, late professor of theology at King's College, expressive of their regard and a Imitation of his general conduct, and their regret at his being deprived, in consequence of his opinions on certain theological points, of his chair at that in stitution. The festival was numerously attended, and a gratifying address presented to Mr. Maurice in the name of the London workmen. Tor RUSSIAN 111011-ADIIIIIAI. having recently in • spected the Czar's Baltic fleet, one half of the ships were at once condemned as worthless, and it was de te.mined to build, on contract, a number of screw line of-battle ships—one account says no less than thirty. 8 one of those contracts may very possibly find their way to the Clyde or the Thames, and it is pretty cer tain that a portion of the vessels will be built by the Americans. But it will take at least two years to get so large a fleet fit for sea, even if the cash be forth coming. Tux Cvewsr., which sails next week, conveys the apparatus for the Royal Mint about to be established at Sydney. A gentleman connected with the establish • ment left last month in the Maid of Judah, to make the preliminary arrangements ; and it is intended to commence operations with the least possible delay. THE LAKE NAREOTIS continues rising, and the Egyptian Railway has in consequence suffered (spite of the best efforts of Mr. Rouse, the engineer) in many planes ; this will delay the completion of the road some considerable time, and not. more than one or two passenger trains are expected to rum next year, and those during low Nile. ONE or THE CHITRCHWARDENN OF ST. KNIOHTNERIDOE has written to the Bishop of London, formally complaining of the Romish practices still persisted in by the present ministers of St. Barnabas' church, the Hon. and Rev. M. Liddell, incumbent, and his curate, the Rev. O. Nugee. His lordship's determination upon the matter is looked for with much anxiety by a large section of the parishioners. Tut WIOAN SAVINOS BANK, notwithstanding the strikes, exhibits a eonsiderable increase of lousiness. Returns made up to the 20th ult., show the amount of deposits during the year ending that day to have been 21,0171., being :ISH. over the preceding twelve month. The withdrawals were 141,74111., or 5501. less than in 11451, while the balance in hand had increased (interest included) by 7,54151., and amounted to 00,1951. AN ACTIVE CANVAsq has commenced for the vacancy in South Staffotilshire. Lord l'aget is personally in the field solteting the suffrages of the electors. Lord Ingestre has not yet returned to this country front his American tour, but his friends are indefatigable and sanguine of success. The contest is certain to be sharp, and may very probably prove rather close. ANOTHER PETITION has been presented in refer ence to the east election for Liverpool. The peti tioners request not only to have the late return in vestigated, but they further pray for the total dis franchisement of the freemen class of voters in the borough. AT run PRIVY Corxem held at Windsor on Thurs day Parliament was ordered to be further prorogued from the 3rd of January until Tuesday, the 31st of January, 185-1, and a proclamation was issued sum moning Parliament to meet on that day " for the despatch of public business." There were present at this Council, Prince Albert ; Earl Granville, Lord President; Lord Cranworth, Lord Chancellor; the Earl of Aberdeen ; Lord John Russell ; the Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone ; Sir James Grahom ; Right Hon. Sidney Herbert ; and Lord Ernest Bruce, Vice- Cbambalain (officiating fur the Lord Chamberlain). 61111.. THE PRESS. Ifxbi nub Voila. SEVERAL 31Es returning front Christina% parties in different stages of intoxication, or who pleaded intoxication as an excuse for their conduct, have been brought up at the different police offices during the week, charged with insulting ladies who were finding their way home from similar festive gatherings, but without a male protector. Fines anal rebukes have been liberally administered by the magistrates for these outrages. The worst case reported is that of one John Anderson, describing himself as an artist, who was charged at the Worship-street office on Wednesday with liming assaulted and otherwise mis eondneteal himself towards two young ladies named Martha and Lavinia Baker: — One of the misters, who exhibited a severe contusion on the forehead, stated that after spending the previous evening at the house of a relative at Canolcii•tsiwn they were 1 , 111.4.e5-ding through Myrtle•iiireet, !fission, when they were suddenly air coaled by the defendant, who thna-t himself between thew, and pertinaciously urged them to acecist ilia ann. They hurried on in order its avoid I • , I when lie persistrid hi his importii nitiem tlireateneil that they would give him into custisly. They hail only pet - weeded a Mewl distunee further when they were overtaken lay the defendant. who struck witness; such a violent flow nm this back that she fell forward on her face and severely injured her fisreliewl, whieli came 111 c..lll alit with dal rligi' of a flagstone. The primmer then started ow and einleavintred to effect hie ~Hite, ha he wan closely pursued by her sister and genttleullla who fur 1111 l ately rano UP at the woutent, owl who ub Innately glare hint hats enslemly. A pa diee-e.oltstublo slated that, on reaching the sat atlon•house, Ilse defendant, who was veryuauch intoxicated, endeavoured to arrange tlw twitter, and tittered the eoisi;slainants a pee •ary conipensatitsli, which they indignantly rejected. Mr. D'Evseouirr said that the defendant had been guilty of a most wanton anal cowardly outrage, and in flicted a lino of 5/., or two months' imprisonment. A FettAix PnoFESSOIt OF Asrnotoov, named Eliza beth White, appeared before the Thames Office magistrate, to account for her professional practices. Simple servant girls appear to have been her fa vourite clients, from two of whom she was charged with obtaining money and dresses for the purpose of " ruling" their respective planets. Iler usual pmeess, it seems, was to strike up an acquaintance with likely-looking victims, excite their curiosity by mysterious hints and statements, among which was the old story that she (the prisoner) was the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter, and therefore enabled to read the stairs ; and, if tempting insinua tions of luck and good husbands failed to obtain her end, she had recourse to vague threats of calamity and disgrace. In the instanees proved before the magistrate, the prisoner asked first for jewellery to propitiate the planets, alleging that jewels brought most luck, and when this hint faileol, solely from the aceident that her victim had none, she asked for at dress to " keep the planet warm," adding, that money or money's worth to the amount of 10s. was absolutely necessary before she could " rule" any of the planets. It being shown that on these repre sentations several shillings and miieles of dress had been cozened out of two servant girls at Bow : Mr. INtiHAW asked the prisoner ir she had any defence, to which Ate replied,' Mr. : !hi dim know tiller° you will spend your ehrisionos week ? l'eatosier : No, air. _ Mr. INott‘m : Then 1 do—in prison. I ant a better for tune-teller than you are. I C let you flu a rogue a n d vaga bond, 1 sentence you to be imprisoned and kept to WWII labour for three months. Rim's of apparent value, but of fraudulent de sign, have been ()tiered to divers London pawnbrokers by gentlemen of foreign semblance, and sometimes with the result of securing an advance far beyond their real worth. t h►e of these fabrications was pre sented at Mr. Young's shop in SAO. It seemed t o he of massive gold set with a centre diamond, and two other precious stones. The shoputan said such a ring, if really what it appeared to be, would, at least, be worth It/. or it, but it appears that the article was of silver, coloured, the outer edges only having a thin plate of gold sufficient to stand the usual test. The stones were of a very inferior cha racter, and the value of the whole not more than 15s. It is said to have been recently ascertained that a manufactory of these kind of fraudulent rings was carried on in Clerkenwell by a Swiss, mid that many pawnbrokers and jewellers hail been imposed upon to a considerable extent. The foreigner having asked tin• :In►s. on the ring, Mr. Young's shopman detained the article on the plea of attempted fraud, and whets the owner applied to Mr. Hardwiek, at Marlborough-street office, for its restitution, the magistrate refused to give any such order until inquiry had been made as to how it came into his possession, or whether it was designed for any honest use. FREQUENT FRAUDS have been perpetrated by par ties representing themselves to be solicitors and cheating their supposed clients out of money on ac count of fees. One of these sharpers, whose name is Emanuel Dump. coned upon Mrs. Carter, of St. Martin's-lane, in November last, and inquired if she knew two gentlemen whom he named. She said they formerly lodged with her, and left very much in her debt. Dump said he was a solicitor, and was on the trace of the parties in question, and expected to SATURDAY, have them in custody very soon. lie called again in a day or two afterwards, and said one of the parties had been taken at Brighton, and was in Lewes gaol, and the other would be apprehended that night. The next day he again called, and said he hat taken the second gentleman, and had lodged him in White cross-street Prison; and after some further conver sation advised her to lodge a detainer against the parties. Ultimately she employed him to take the requisite steps, believing, fro►n his representations, he was of the legal profession, and front time to time furnishod him with such stuns of money he de manded as fees of court anti counsel. At last she discovered the fraud, and that her money was lost. Being apprehended, and the above facts stated in Marlborough-street Police Court, Dump has been remanded to prison for further inquiries. T►M Irostutoroll, an Irishman, and nevertheless endowed with an unusual share of prudence, applied to the Lambeth magistrate for the customary eerti licate to enable him to redeem a pledged article for which he had lost the pawbroker's ticket. The arti cle had been pawned for 10s., and on inquiring its description the clerk was surprised to learn that it consisted of a purse containing four half-sovereigns. lie naturally inquired the reason for so singular a pledge, and received the following information from Tim : lie me soul, sir, then Ell tell you. On saturdny night, or, I should say, on Christmas-eve, I found meself wid four hid& Hovering in me purse, and I sea to meself, Tim, me boy, if ye keep this, yell get drunk on Christinas.day, and spend all this money, and ye had better put it in the pawnshop and sate It ; so, Mix, after a good struggle with meself, I did go too the pawnshop, and got ten shillings on the four half•sovriet and the purse. On christmag.day sure enough 1 gut drunk, and lost the ticket, but the first thing on Monday morning I went to the pawnshop and stopped me money, and yesterday I got that paper, and now want Go take Inc money out. Mr. Snit:l.ns : Well, I suppose you managed to get rid of the 10e. on Chtistmaii•day?-1M dad I did. Mr. SIRELDb: And would have managed to have got rid of little more it you had kept your purse and your half-sovereigns ? —Tim : lle ern, you are right, sir, I should. I think you have acted wen pmperly, and I only wish that your countrymen generally acted with your prudence. Stop: lnisn PAurims, who have been supported in the Poplar union workhouse, are about to be removed to their own country. In applying for the proper magisterial o►der to that effect, Mr. Warrington, the relieving officer, called the attention of the magis trate to what he tern►ed a case of real hardship to the English ratepayers, as well as one involving a question of some difficulty : On the 28th of November a widow named Mary Barrett, and her four children, were passed under an order of removal to Cork. On their arrival at that place the family applied to the mayor for relief, and he raised a subscription fur them and sent then► back to England. The woman► and her children arrived in !mutton in a most destitute condition, again applied t o the pariah of All Saints, Poplar, for relief, and were admitted into the workhouse. This war n o t the only instance of the kind. The mayor of Cork had sent back other Irish paupers who had been passed to that city by English parishes tinder orders of removal. The expense of passing Irish paupers was a serious charge on the ratepayers id the Poplar union, and the guardians thought it was 11 Very bard case to be again saddled with the family after e‘peuiling about 101. iu relieving them and paying tier their passage to Irela►d. The magistrate referred to sundry acts under which it appeared that the returning paupers were liable to the penalty of vagrants. This, however, did not meet the views of the guardians, who were not anxious to punish the poor widow, but, if possible, to restrain the mayor of Cork from returning any more Irish paupers on their hands. In the course of the conve►sation it was stated that the captains of some of the steamers at one time brought It poor to this country for nothing, merely in hopes of ensuring th.-ir passage-money from English parishes to take them bark again. Ittitttnts anb Offintts. A DEsrntenvE FIRE broke out at Esher on the night of the '2;41 in the extensive range of premises known as the Paper Mills, situated about half a mile from the railway station. The fire commenced in the main building, a structure recently erected, and of considerable dimensions, through, it is supposed, the spontaneous ignition of some rags on one of the upper floors. When discovered, at twelve o'clock, the interior of the entire floor was in flames, which with amazing fury spread thonselves to the roof, and to the whole length and breadth of the mill. A host of assistants, with the engines of the place, was quickly on the spot, and, with the workmen belonging to the mills, attempts were made to save the lower parts of the building, containing the machinery, fie., but to no purpose ; the fire, fanned by a brisk north-easterly wind, descended throughout the various departments, and not one escaped. By dint of perseverance, however, the flames were checked front proceeding beyond the main building, which was totally destroyed. The owners of the mills (Messrs. 111.31urrey, Queen-street, Cheapside, London) are insured in several fire-offices. It is believed that the loss will exceed 12,000/. A UERMAN TIN-PLATE WORKER named Heise, living in King-street, Soho, committed suicide on Saturday last, after attempting to murder his wife. His cireum' •