The Press. — London, England, 1857-08-01 00:00:00

child in his address alluded as follows to Lord John Russell's bill and Mr. Dillwyn's proposal : We all know that no man in the House of Commons is better acquainted with the constitutional means of carrying out any measure than the noble lord, and we also know that anything connected with the Constitution proposed by him would be sure of success in the Lower House, at least, Did he not lead us to expect, then, and may we not hope that if his hill should be thrown out in the House of Lords, he will endeavour by some other means to secure our object? I for one fully believe he will. A REFORM MEETING was held at Rochdale on Wednesday, and attended by some 1,000 persons. Mr. Sharman Crawford attended the meeting and deplored the apathy of the people respecting " politi cal progresel." Resolutions in favour of the ballot, electoral districts, and extended suffrage were passed. THE THAMES CONSERVANCY BILL was discussed at a meeting of wharfingers on Thursday. Mr. W. F. Hall, Mr. Pycroft, and other gentlemen of influence addressed the meeting, and resolutions were adopted for endeavouring to modify the provisions of the bill now before Parliament. ANOTHER EDUCATIONAL CONGRESS was resolved on at a meeting held on Wednesday at Lord Brougham's residence, when arrangements were made for holding, in October next, at Birmingham, a meeting for " uniting together the various efforts now being made by different societies and individuals for the moral and social improvement of the people." The meeting is intended to he on the same plan as those of the British Association, held for the investigation of matters of physical science, and the following sub jects will engage the attention of its committees : Jurisprudence and Legislation ; Education ; Refor matory and Industrial Schools ; Public Health ; the Industrial Position of Women ; Political and Social Economy; Finance, Literature, Arts, and Manu factures. THE BILL FOR THE COLLECTION OF AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS, by Mr. Caird and Mr. Garnett, provides that all occupiers fill up returns which will be sup plied to them (containing particulars of their land and its produce) ; and if any occupier refuse or neglect to comply with the requirement of the act, the Registrar• General will appoint inspectors who, after three days' notice, are authorised at any time to enter upon and inspect the lands of the recalcitrant occupier for the purpose of ascertaining the particu lars which be factiously refuses to supply for the benefit of the community. Abstracts of the returns thus obtained will be prepared and published in due course. The carrying out of the act is enforced by penalties. The term " occupier" is construed to mean every occupier of not less than two statute acres of land in England and Wales, and " a statute acre" to mean an acre of land containing 4,840 square yards, computed by the imperial standard measure. THE ECCLESIASTICAL CORPORATIONS AND ECCLESI ASTICAL ComisrissioN BILLS, upon the recommendation of the select committee of the House of Commons, will be shelved this session. THE PRE S S, AUGUST 1,1857. yard of North Helsey, Lincolnshire, on the occasion of the opening of new schools in that parish. The congregation was too large for the church to contain. MR. FRANK CROSSLEY, M.P., has presented to the inhabitants of Halifax his splendid park at Belle Vue. The park will be publicly opened on the 14th August. THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH Saws—the Leopard, Cyclops, Susquehanna, and Niagara—are now all rendezvoused. The Agamemnon arrived at Queens town on Thursday morning. The paying-out imple ments between Dover and Queenstown have been worked with perfect success. It is hoped the ex pedition will sail to Valentia late to-day. Pttropplitan. A LAMENTABLE FIRE occurred at 14, High Hol born, on Monday night, whereby a large amount of property was destroyed and two persons burned to death. An inquest is at present pending. THE PROPOSAL to throw open Southwark-bridge free to foot•passengers is at present under the con sideration of the Metropolitan Board of Works and the Corporation. A Miss GILBERT, of No. 1, Lodge-terrace, Regent's-park, was thrown from her horse on Thurs day afternoon, while riding in the park, and sus tained such severe injuries that there is no hope of her recovery. She lies at St. George's Hospital. THE MORTALITY 15 rapidly rising in London. From 988 a fortnight since, the deaths have now risen to 1,209, principally from English cholera. The births last week reached 1,631. Vrobintial. Tffr, HAIWEST is progressing most rapidly. The crops are large and heavy. Wheats are remarkable for the length and squareness of the ear. Oats in many places are already housed. Some large breadths of barley are out in good condition. Peas and beans are abundant. The crops are ripening so fast that it is difficult to decide which field to begin first. If the weather bolds fine for ten days the bulk of the harvest will be over, and by this day week many samples will have been laid on the market tables. A FEARFUL RAILWAY COLLISION occurred last Friday near Hull, an express train:from Hull being run into by a coal train at a crossing. The collision was terrific, as the passenger train was running at a speed of about forty miles an hour. Several car riages were smashed, many passengers severely injured, and two or three killed. _ . THE BISHOP OP latoootx preached on the 23rd 1411 *QM 4 tEgnporary pulpit erected it; the ohigoli- Yalu anb Volta. THE PRISONER STEPHEN Fox, charged with shoot ing Mary Ann Hadley on the 14th May last at Canterbury, was tried on Monday at Maidstone, con victed of murder, and sentenced to death. A SLANDER CASE of unusual interest, and in which the Countess of Harrington was the defendant, was tried at Derby before Mr. Justice Cresswell on Wed nesday. The action lay between the Rev. F. N. Highmore, vicar of Elvaston, v. the Earl and Countess of Harrington, and was brought for slanderous words spoken by the countess, imputing misconduct to the rev. plaintiff. The principal witness in the case was the parish curate, Mr. Jones, who deposed to having lunched at Elvaston Castle with the Countess of Harrington on Feb. 2 : After the ordinary compliments of the day Lady Harring ton asked me who was likely to administer the sacrament next Sunday. I answered, I did not know, but would ascertain and let her know during the week. Lady Harrington said," We never take the sacrament from that man Highmore, because he is so wicked a man. When ever I take the sacrament I go to Elvaston or have it ad ministered to me at Gawsworth. I never take the sacra• ment here because of that man Highmore." She then went on to say, "He keeps the sacrament money and never gives any to the poor, and pocketed the money the Duke of Leinster gave for the repairing of the church." Her ladyship also added, "He is so low and vulgar a fellow, and such a drunken character, that Lord Harring ton cannot receive him. He is always playing at cards and gambling, and encoucagea the people in the village in all kinds of gambling, card-playing, and debauchery, and he and his wife are constantly rolling drunk on the floot." She concluded this little harangue by saying " I should consider it sacrilege to take the sacrament from so wicked and bad a man." Afterward, I asked Mr. Highmore whether be would be able to administer the sacrament on Sunday, and he said he hoped to do so himself. Upon another occasion, Lady Harrington declared that Mr. Highmore was "always telling lies," that he kept " a most disreputable house :" " They are always playing at cards, from morning to night. They are a set of drunken people. I know the trutb of it, for Sir Francis Stanhope told me that he saw all three of them drunk upon the floor." The third person alluded to was the Dowager Countess of Harrington. I told her I feared she had been sadly misinformed, as I had told her on previous occasions. I said, " I have found Mr. Highmore'a house nicely or respectably con ducted, and Mrs. Highmore a lady of considerable talent and good manners." I said, also, he had been very kind to me, and that I found him very charitable. Her lady ship replied, "Oh no, it cannot be ; it is impossible." I said I had had pleasing evidence of the fact, for I had seen him give both wine and money to the poor. She said, " Oh no, it won't do ; ho is a bad man and she is a bad woman." I again said I feared she had been misin formed, and, as a funeral was waiting, I must bid her good day. Since then I have not been to the castle. Her ladyship, upon her examination, admitted having said to Mr. Jones that there had been a great deal of card-playing and gambling going on at the castle during the late lord's lifetime, but denied having used the word " debauchery," or having said that Mr. Higmore and his wife had been seen rolling drunk upon the floor : I said, Sir Francis Stanhope had told me that he had seen Mrs. Foot drunk on the floor; but I never used the words " all three " drunk on the floor. And Sir Francis told me that there had formerly been a great deal of drink at the castle; but it could not apply to the late lord, who was the soberest of men. In using the expres. sion " rolling on the floor" I alluded to Mr. Collins, the previous curate. Upon cross•examination her ladyship admitted that in the village school they had forbidden the school master and schoolmistress to have anything to do with Mr. Highmore It is written up as one of the roles, " No clerical inter. ference allowed." Ransom (the schoolmaster) and his wife had been in the habit of going to Mr. Highmore's. I told the schoolmistress, in the school, on one occasion, that I would not allow her to go near the Highmores. I I was obliged to speak loud, because the woman was a virago, and would not allow me to speak quietly. I did not say that Mr. Highmore was a low fellow or a drunken fellow, or a ruffian or a villain. I did not say that he was in the habit of getting drunk with Ransom. I was not aware that Ransom drank. I did not say that he got drank with Chambers, the saddler. I may. have said to Mr. JQJ$s tiPt 4 9 FPS 61, Actor Rd 0 ildfic Itt 4 01 9 4 but 747 that is not in the declaration. I did not say that to Mrs. Ransom. I have said that there had been rumours of his drinking before I came to Elvaston, but that his state of health was such that he could not drink now. In reply to the judge, Lady Harrington said tha she had declined to take the sacrament from M Highmore, and thought him a wicked man, becaus he had " raised a terrier," endeavoured to increas the tithes, and on account of his appointment of bad curates; and that she had spoken of his house as disorderly on account of what she bad beard about his pupils. The jury returned a verdict for Mr . Highmore—Damages, 7501. There was another action brought by Mr. High. more against Lord Harrington for an assault, arising out of some proceedings at a vestry meeting ; but is this case a juror was withdrawn. THE PRISONERS, Hays and Harris, who escaped from Newcastle Gaol last week, have been recap. ture4. Harris has been tried for his attempt to murder Catherine Robson, and sentenced to death ; and Hays has been acquitted of the charge against him of highway robbery. • . THE GREAT SHREWSBURY CASE, Which iS still pending before the Committee of Privileges, stands adjourned till next Thursday. The evidence is ordered to be printed. . . CHARLES FINCH, conv . oted of the murder of his sweetheart at Kelvedon. ,nd,Tnlin Lewis, convicted of the murder of his wile at Glamorgan, were banged on Wednesday and Saturday at Chelmsford and at Merthyr Tydvil. THE PRISONER BACON, charged with poisoning his mother with arsenic in May, 1855, was tried at Lincoln on Saturday last, found guilty, and sentenced to death, although the judge intimated that the extreme penalty of the law would not be carried out. A NURSE at the Great Yarmouth Workhouse has been committed for trial for brutal illtreatment of a paralytic pauper, thereby causing death. lrtiant. His EXCELLENCY THE LORD •LIETITENANT, with a distinguished party, left Dublin on Wednesday for Galway. He returns to Dublin this day. TRIAL OF JAMES SPOLLEN.—It has been arranged that the trial of Spollen, charged with the murder of Mr. Little, will take place at the ensuing commission of Oyer and Terminer, fixed for the 4th instant. This case will be the fir st taken up. The two Chief Justices will preside. Mr. Brewster, Q.C., will con duct the case for the Crown, but the arrangements for the defence of the accused have not yet trans pired. It is rumoured that the chemical testimony in reference to the clothes alleged to be blood-stained will be very strong. MR. SMITH O'BRIEN has this week published a long letter, charging Sir T. Redington with mean ness and dishonour, in having, at the time of the Ballingarry affair, unfairly examined certain private papers, among them a letter for Mrs. O'Brien, &c., found in a portmanteau belonging to Mr. O'Brien. Sir Thomas Redington replies in a note, which fully justifies the steps he took on the occasion, and deny ing that he " ever saw or perused such a document as a letter for Mrs. O'Brien." THE PRESIDENT OF MAYNOOTH COLLEGE, the Rev. Lawrence Renehan, died on Monday. FROM THE LONDON GAZETTE. Tuesday July 28. BANKRUPTS.—WILLIAM CATER, late of Ware, Hertfordshire maltster—HENßY CARTER, Worthing, tell Or— ROBERT IL OBBARD, Old-street, Shoreditch, lead merchant—WlLLl/as T. SEARLE, Deptford, builder—JoUN SEERY, Vauxhall-walk, Lam beth, builder—EDWAßD LAwsoN, Oddy's-row, Islington, draper— THOYAS WARRINGTON, New Corn Exchange, corn merchant— RICHARD WHEELER, Hereford, miIIer—CHARLES LEWTON, Maesteg, Glamonianshire, publican—JAWEs LORD, Rochdale, cotton spinner—TnomAs MARSHALL, Hartlepool, bootmaker— DIXON SHARPER, West Hartlepool, abip chandler. SCOTCH SEQUESTRATIONS.—A MAc Awrnnit, Inverary, merchant—R. HATNEs, Edinburgh—W. fiviiPtiztv, Arbroath, Shipbuilder. Friday, July 31. BANKRUPTCIES chant, RYLAND, Met. BATES, pork butcher, Newport BANKRUPTS.—Bzwrsmur HYMINGAWAY, painter and up holsterer, Derby—JAMES CASTLE, miller and corn dealer, Little Faringdon-mill, Berke ALEXANDER ROBINSON, merchant, Great St. Helen's, City—GsortoE Wit. NEALE% upholsterer, New Oxford-street HUMPHREY Bitowx, shipowner, Little Smith-street, Westminster—JAMES Simmows, marble merchant, Harrow-road, Paddington—EDWAßD KINSELLA, tailor, Boa& street, Middlesex—ANDßEW M'KEAN, timber merchant, South ampton—HENßY Surrow, builder, Plaistow-marsh, Essex—. ROBERT EDMANDS, dealer and Chapman, Charlotte-street, Bedford-square JOHN SEXBY, builder, Lambeth— Rzumem THEODORE GLOVER and EDGAR AUGUSTUS GLOVEB., licensed victuallers, Piccadilly—Grosom PULLER, baker and flour _ dealer, Wiiitecross-stieet—JAKES 3dowrow, ironfounder and en vineer, Huntingdon—WELSH POTOSI LEAD AND COPPERMINING COMPANY-BTVAS OkRACAZZANI, merchant, Manchester—Haw= ALTHORP BENTHAM, Sunderland, shipowner—EDWlN THOMP- SoN, innkeeper, Lydbrook, Gloucestershire EDMUND LILLY. CRAPP MASON, brewer, Plymouth—GEOßGE GREEN, cloth Mb. nufaaturer, Idirtield, Yorkshire. SCOTCH SEQUESTRATIONS. ALEXANDER Wsmiss4 butcher, Inverary—ALEXANDER FRASER, shoemaker, Perth— WILLIAM FORREST Dzwaw, slater, Glasgow—.P warehouseman, Glasgow—Captain Ylaz,uutie the UV., of Biwa; 1 'AIIf A TV, 11101"417 WPM. $