The Press. — London, England, 1857-11-21 00:00:00

THE PRESS, NOVEMBER 21, 1857. about 1,000 weavers attacked Mr. Malcolm's mill, which was defended by an armed body of police. Several persons were severely wounded, and the riot became serious. The mob were at length driven elf and the ringleaders secured. SoME DISGRACEFUL AlunnEns are reported as occurring in Tyrone. THE RUN UPON THE BANKS continues very gene rally throughout the country, but these establish ments appear to weather the storm with stability. FATHERS CONWAY AND RYAN, involved in the recent Mayo election, are to be honoured with a State pro secution. Both reverend gentlemen have appeared at the Four Courts. GREAT SENSATION was caused in Dublin on Tues day by an announcement that Mr. Stafford, one ot the members for Northamptonshire, died suddenly on Monday morning at Morrison's Hotel. An inquest was held on the body of the lamented gentleman on Wednesday, and a verdict returned ot "Died from natural causes." Mr. Stafford had but recently arrived in Dublin, after paying a visit to his estates in the county of Clare. 2. The extension of the county franchise in England and Wales to all ten•pound occupiers at least ; and the nssimila• lion, as far as possible, of the franchise in Scotland and Ireland to those of England and Wales. 3. Protection to the Voter by the Ballot, on a plan similar to that adopted in the Australian colonies. 4. A re-appointment of seats, that shall make such an approach to an equalisation of constituencies as shall give in the United Kingdom a majority of members to a majority of electors. 5. kbolition of property qualification for members. 6. The calling of a new Parliament every three years. Yeab3 anb Volta. AN INSTRUCTIVE LESSON is always to be learned from a career of enterprise. Such an opportunity occurred on Monday at the Insolvent Debtor's Court, when one Montcfiore, alias Levy, of thirty years of age, and with debts of 6,9061. 4s. 2d., against assets of 1501., came up to pass his examination. The insolvent had been born and brought up in England, which country he left for the first time in 1846 for Sydney. He "speculated " in horses there—always a good trade—and started to Calcutta with thirty. These he sold, realised a handsonie profit, traded, came home to England in '49, and, having "seen life" in London, went over to do a little business in the United States. There he dealt in "Yankee curiosi ties," such as " wooden nutmegs," and " wooden hams," which he persuaded the 'cute people up country was good spice and sound pork. 'then he turned his attention to railways, made a 1,0001., and went off to California; here he did a little in land and mining shares, and from thence went to Manilla and Calcutta, Hong Kong, Ceylon, and Egypt. In all these places be " did business ;" sometimes he drew bills on Sir Moses Montefiore, at other times on Messrs. Baring Brothers. Finally, he found himself in Florence, where ho lived en prince, made the ac quaintance of a Mr. Brown, a banker, who pressed 1,0001. on him, but Levy would take 500/. He then came to England, bought a schooner at Bristol, came up to London, lived at the Clarendon, kept a carriage-and-pair and a tiger, got into debt, and at last into prison. His discharge was opposed, and the petition ordered to stand over. ROBERT DAVIS, convicted last session of the murder of his wife, was banged at eight a.m. on Monday in front of Newgate. THE PRISONER CARPENTER, charged with the murder at Stevenage of the policeman, John Stark ings, has been fully committed for trial on that charge. Some additional evidence of importance has been brought to light. Pieces of an old smock frock spotted with blood have been found, and a gaiter button fitting the place of one missing on the prisoner's left gaiter has been picked up near the spot in the field where the marks of a struggle were evident. The prisoner's knife has also been found, and the cuts in deceased's clothes fit exactly to the blade. A FARMER OF ASHOYER, DERBY, MR. SIMPSON, was found in the road near his farm last Friday week shot through the head. It is supposed that ho was murdered by mistake for Mr. Fletcher, of Altone colliery, who on that evening comes over from Ches terfield to pay his men. A VERY CURIOUS CASE OF BIGAMY AND SUSPECTED INCEST was brought before the notice of Mr. Elliot at Lambeth Police Court on Saturilay. In the summer of 1850 Mr. John Blair Wills, medical student, met in an omnibus a young lady, at whose appearance he be came so charmed that ho followed her to her residence, discovered that her friends resided at Bath, and ultimately made her an offer of marriage. His position formed no bar whatever to the accom plishment of his desires, but the age of the young lady, not being then quite thirteen, was successfully urged as an insuperable objection to her marriage, and here the matter at that time ended. In 1853 the parties met again, by accident, in the Surrey gardens, and the lady being then seventeen, and her beauty having increased by her years, Mr. Wills determined on winning her for his wife, and having at this time secured the consent of her mother, the two were married at Kennington Church on the 24th of March, 1855, and the young couple appeared to live happily together, until shortly after the confine ment of Mrs. Wills, when she had a violent attack of milk fever, which so affected her mind that it was found necessary to place her in Bethlehem. At this institution she remained twelve months, but when discharged according to the rules of that institution, she was taken out, not by her husband, but by his brother, to the residence of his mother, 15, Osman terrace, Clapham road. Here she remained several (lays without being able to hear a word about her husband or child, and having naturally evinced great anxiety en the'subject her mother-in law handed her a letter, received from her husband, requesting that she would call on him at a certain time and place in the City. She accordingly went to the place indicated, and on seeing her husband she reproached him with unkindness and want of attention. His cool reply was that she 1137 must not give herself any trouble about him; that in fact, she was no wife of his, for that he had been married to another when he had wedded her, and that therefore she had no legal claim whatever on him. He added—" The only and best thing you can do is to marry my brother Fenton ; he loves you, will marry you, and make you a good husband." This proposal would appear to have been prearranged, for Mr. James Fenton Wills in a few days made professions of love and attachment to the wife of his brother, and also an offer of marriage. The poor creature, under the impression that she was not legally the wife of John Blair Wills, and having received marks of kindness at the hands of James Fenton Wills, consented to her marriage with the latter, and on the 21st of August last the ceremony of marriage took place at the Registrar of Marriages' office adjoining Lambeth Workhouse. All this took place unknown to the friends of the young lady ; but when wade acquainted with the facts, her mother at once came to town, and made an application on the subject. An inquiry was in consequence set on foot, which lee to the discovery that, instead of John Blair Wills having been, as he represented, married in 1851, his second marriage with a Miss Ann Good did not take place until April last, and therefore he had been clearly guilty of an act of bigamy. A warrant was in consequence issued for !his apprehension, but by some means or other he has up to the pre sent eluded the vigilance of the officer in whose hands the warrant for his apprehension has been placed. In the meantime James Fenton Wills de serted the poor woman, and Mrs. Wills, being far from well, was placed in the infirmary of Lambeth, where every care and attention was paid her, and thus she of course became a burden to the rate payers of the parish. The parish officers becoming acquainted with the fact that she had been married in their parish to Mr. James Fenton Wills, and be lieving that he was legally liable for her maintenance, applied for and obtained a summons, calling on him to show cause why an order to that effect should not be made against him, and Saturday last was appointed for its hearing. The inquiry resulted simply in eliciting these facts, and Mr. Wills was bound over to appear again last Wednesday. On that day, however, no Mr. Wills appeared, so the recognisances were estreated, and a warrant for his apprehension issued. MAGISTERIAL DELINQUENCIES are happily very rare in this country, but a case involving scandalous mis conduct came before the Court of Queen's Bench on Thursday. Mr. Bellaney, a person of considerable property, and a Justice of the Peace for the county of Durban., had two men brought before him recently, charged with killing a rabbit on his own property. Instead of at once declining to act in the matter, Mr. Bellaney convicted the defendants in a severe penalty, ordered them in default of immediate pay ment to be handcuffed and sent to prison, and finally compromised the matter by liberating them on payment of H. each, which, instead of handing over to the county fund, he put into his own pocket. For this misconduct the Attorney. General very properly caused a criminal information to be filed against Mr. Bellaney, charging him with extortion and corruption in the exercise of his magisterial functions. The case was tried at the last assizes for the county of Durham, the evidence was perfectly conclusive, and the jury found that the defendant was guilty of taking money corruptly under colour of his office. Nothing was—nothing, indeed, could be— urged in mitigation; and Mr. Justice Coleridge on Thursday, after setting forth with grave severity the singular enormity of the offence, and justly dwelling upon the fact that the case was entirely divested of anything that could by possibility be relied upon as an extenuating circumstance, sentenced the offender to a fine of 20(4., and to a year's imprisonment in the Queen's Prison. _ _ COLONEL WAUGH'S adjourned bankruptcy examina tion carne before the court on Thursday, and on the plea of the bankrupt's continued ill health at Manza. nares, in Spain—he requires " mental repose "—the case was again adjourned until the 19th January next. THE RULE OBTAINED By THE DIRECTORS OF THE Tim int BANK for particulars in respect of certain counts in their indictments, is fixed for argument this day in the Court of Queen's Bench. THE SOVEREIGNS OF EITROPE.—The Ahnanach de Gotha, of 1858, which has just appeared, contains the naives of forty seven emperors, kings, princes, grand dukes, and dukes reigning in Europe, as well as the Emperor of the Brazils. The oldest of the sovereigns is the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg Strelitz, who was born on the 12th of August, 177!) ; and next to him the King of Wurtemburg, born on the 27th of September, 1784. The prince who has had the longest reign is the Prince of Schaum bourg- Lippe, the date of his accession, when quite a child, being the 15th of February, 1788. Tho youngest princes are the King of Portugal, born the 16th of September, 1837, and the Duke of I'arma (repre sented by his mother as regent), on the 9th of July, 1840. THE MONEY CRISIS. THE suspension of the Wolverhampton and Staf fordshire Bank has been the principal event of the week connected with the monetary crisis. Several failures of mercantile houses, more or less extensive in their business, have also been recorded. A meeting of the creditors of the above bank was held on Thursday, when a statement, sh , 'wing the estimated assets at 020,8001., against estimated liabilities of 7(19,0001., was presented. Mr. Hill, the manager, explained, in reference to a resolution moved by Mr. thlton, that the board would at once endeavour to raise 200,0001. to carry on the business of the bank under inspection. No definite result was arrived at, and the meeting was adjourned until Tuesday next. At Glasgow, a great public confidence meeting was held, his Grace the Duke of Hamilton in the chair, at which formal resolutions, expressing confidence in the Scotch banking system, were propo.:ed. H►s Grace the Duke of Montrose lamented " that a panic without cause or reason should have arisen, and should have brought about suspension of payment of the banks." Sir E. Colebrooke, M.P., agreed with the views of the Duke of Montrose. Sir J. Maxwell knew nothing of the management of the two banks in question, " but be knew that one of the greatest trials a banker can have is to resist the entreaties of his own friends." "For my part," said Sir John, " I think we should keep in mind not only ourselves, but those gentlemen who conduct the affairs of banks, who are frequently led from motives of kindness and philanthropy to try to rescue us from any difficul ties." Mr. Buchanan thought that the public had nothing whatever to do with the question of manage ment. The two establishments "had succumbed from mere accident," and he was of opinion that, " whether by fresh subscriptions from the proprietary, whether by aid from. Government, or by whatever means it is to be done, it won't' be a grievous evil were these two establishments not again to be re instituted." A meeting of the depositors was also held, at which resolutions of perfect confidence in the stability of the bank were passed. The embarrassments of trade frcm these failures are leading to much operative distress. Through out the greater part of Staffordshire, Lancashire, Cheshire, and other counties, many mills have stopped entirely, and nearly all without exception are working short time. The pressure upon the parishes is beginning to be severely felt, and every effort is needed to meet the demands of this emergency and to alleviate the general distress. Some disturbances at Nottingham have led to the interference of the local authorities and the suppression of public meetings. The general belief appears to be in favour of more extensive failures. REFOltli MANIFESTO. l'llEssus. ROEBUCK AND Moitu:r, &C., have issued the draft of an address to their " fellow countrymen " upon Reform. The following are the leading features of Parliamentary Reform, " as calculated to unite in support of them the largest number of voices, as capable of being retained by resolute and united efforts, and as promising, if adopted, to secure a real and effective representation of your political interests ": 1. The extension of the Borough Franchise in England and Wales to " every male person of full age, and not sub ject to any legal incapacity," who shall occupy, as owner or tenant in any part or whole, any premises within the borough which are rated for the relief of the poor. ~ n ires su every . mate person of toll age, and not situ- I r and 3'—the -- jest to any legal incapacity, who shall occupy, asuwui Place i ndic ated, on seeing her husband September, 18 4, and Duke of 1 arma (repre- or tenant in any part or whole, any premises within the she reproached him with unkindness and want rented by his mother as regent), on the 9th of July, borough which are rated for the relief of the poor, of attention. His cool reply was that she 1840.