The Press. — London, England, 1857-09-12 00:00:00

1M! THE QUICKEST PASSAGE IN THE CHANNEL WKS made last week by the Royal Mail packet Prince Frederick William, which ran with the mails from Dover to Calais, against tide, in one hour and twenty seven minutes, and returned next morning in one hour and twenty.one minutes. On Saturday night she proceeded to Ostend, and ran the seventy-three statute miles in three hours and fifty minutes from the time she was ordered to go on outside Dover Pier to the time she was eased in Ostend Harbour, averaging in this passage a speed of above nineteen miles an hour. She landed her mails and fifty-seven passengers at Ostend three hours and a half before the mail train started. A GREAT COURSING MATCH, extending over three days (says the Carlisle Patriot), is to come off at Brougham and Whinfell early in the ensuing month. It is intended to match the dogs of England and Ireland against those of Scotland, and, perhaps, a better field for competition could not be selected. The family at Brougham hall are taking great interest in the matter. The stewards are to be Lord Bective, Mr. W. Sharp (Hoddam Castle), Mr. A. Graham (Limekilns), Captain Spencer, Mr. John Hutchinson, and Mr. William Brougham. A SINGULAR ACCIDENT occurred last week at the Lakes. Among the numerous visitors to the district was Dr. Day, the Professor of Medicine in the Uni versity of St. Andrew's, accompanied by a friend. On Friday he alon3 made an ascent of Helvellyn from Patterdale, and having made several previous ascents of the mountain from the same place, he went unaccompanied by a guide. He determined to descend in the neighbourhood of the Greenside Lead Mines, and took what appeared to be the best and smoothest route, when suddenly the earth behind him gave way, and in an instant he was precipitated into a .tavern beneath. The suffocating feelings pro duced by the state of the air into which he had fallen at once convinced him that he was in the tunnel made to convey away the sulphurous gases from the smelting works of the mines, and he felt that a violent effort must be made to gain the opening through which he had fallen, or that a speedy death was inevitable. Happily he was just able to reach the opening, and to keep his bead in the fresh air above it ; and in this position he remained for some hours, partially banging by one arm, as he found the other was powerless, and calling at intervals for help. As the evening approached, three gentlemen tourists happily name that way and rescued him. The doctor is still suffering severely from the effects of his accident. THE CORNISH FISHERMEN have been very success ful in their pilchard fishing during the past week, two Gorran Haven seines shot off Hemmick having real ised about 800 hogsheads of fine fish, and several of the drift boats having taken from 8,000 to 13,000 fish per boat. The mackerel fishery is also brisk on the South Devon coast; many thousands of fine fish having been captured during the past week, at Bud leigh Salterton, and along the intermediate coast to Plymouth. A WORKING MEN'S COLLEGE is about to be estab lished in Wolverhampton with the consent of the trustees of the Grammar School, the premises lately occupied by the second master, in St. John's street, having been taken for the purposes of the proposed college. GRAND FEsrmrrrEs took place in the beautiful grounds of Blickling-hall, Norfolk, on Friday week, in celebration of the marriage of the Marquis of Lothian with the Lady Constance Talbot. About 1,000 persons were entertained at dinner, and the day was passed in sports and amusements of the true old English kind. ADMIRAL HAWTAYNE met with a fatal accident on Tuesday at Lowestoft. The gallant admiral was walking on the south pier with a little girl and a lady, her mother, and, the evening being very dark, he fell over the side of the pier. The water was very shallow, but the admiral sustained a concussion of the brain, and died in about half an hour. The accident was first discovered by the screams of the little girl, who also fell off the pier with the admiral, and whose cries attracted her mother to the spot. The child was happily rescued. COLONEL WILBRAHAM, C. 8., of Rode-hall, Chesire, was presented by his tenants on Tuesday with a superb sword of honour, and a copy of the Wellington Despatches, as a mark of respect and admiration of the gallant officer. election ittelligenct. THE HUNTINGDONSHIRE ELECTION. THE late spirited contest for the representation of Huntingdonshire, the double return of Messrs. Fellowes and Heathoote, the scrutiny before a com mittee of the House of Commons, and the final return of Mr. Fellowes, who has represented the county since Ic_k37, were celebrated yesterday week bva festival in Huntingdon of more than usual mag- Inucence. An enormous tent was erected in a pad- THE PRESS, SEPTEMBER 12,1857. dock adjoining the Fountain Hotel, within which I 1 twelve tables, with a raised platform for the guests of the day, accommodated some 8110 of the leading Conservatives in the county. The chair was taken by the Hon. P. Duncombe,M.P., who after the usual loyal toasts proposed the health of " The County Members," amidst nine times nine and immense applause. So soon as quiet was re stored Mr. FELLOWES rose. Prefacing his address by an allusion to the recent contested election, the hon. member briefly recapitulated his Conservative principles, and observed : But I have been told that I am opposed to progress— that is the great word now. lam not opposed to progres sive improvement ; but I do feel that if progress is to be made, it must be made with order—if improvement is to be effected, it must be accompanied by wisdom. I am opposed to hasty legislation on important questions ; but I have yet to learn that those honest Conservatives with whom I act in the House of Commons have shown them selves less men of their day, less fitted to live in these modern enlightened times, because they are resolutely determined to guard fundamentally those institutions under which England has attained her greatness, and under which her national character has been formed. - Mr. Fellowes then entered at some length into various details connected with the recent contest, stating that several electors, tenants of Mr. Heath cote, who had formerly voted for him (Mr. Fellowes), in the recent eleztion to a man voted against him. He also animadverted upon the conduct of those Conservative gentlemen of influence and education who voted against him upon account of his vote against the Government upon the China ques tion : I do lament that those gentlemen thought it consistent with Conservative principles and with the interests of the Church of which they are ministers, to withhold their sup port from those with whom they profess to agree, and throw the weight of their votes into the scale of those from whom they profess to differ. May we not expect that if electors entertain Conservative opinions they will vote for Conservative candidates ? But if gentlemen are to withdraw their support on account of one vote, what can a candidate trust in? Representatives are not infallible. All we ask is that you will treat us with leniency, and give us credit for acting to the best of our judgment. Of the nature of the 332 objections raised by Mr. Heatbcote, Mr. Fellowes gave some amusing in stances : Some gentlemen were objected to two or three times ; clergymen, for instance, and some of the quietest people in the county, were accused of bribery, intimidation, and treating, and these were reckoned as three objections ; so that although there were 332 objections, only 230 voters were objected to. We sat six days ; Mr. Heathcote brought forward six objections ; he failed in five, and sus tained one. Out of 332 objections, than, he sustained just one before a committee of the House of Commons. In conclusion, Mr. Fellowes remarked as follows upon the present position of parties in the House of Commons : We have at the present time a Conservative party, a Radical party, and a Palmerston party, which is the smallest of any, and Lord Palmerston must depend for support either upon Conservatives or Radicals. We know very well that he will be urged further in public matters by those who sit behind him than he may think advisable for the interests of the country. It is necessary, therefore, that there should be a strong Conservative opposition to keep the Government in check. Now, what occurred during the last session? A. bill was brought in for abolishing ministers' money in Ireland. Ministers' money is money levied on houses in certain towns in Ireland for the support of the Church. Lord Palmerston supported that bill ; it passed the House of Commons by a large Radical majority, and unfortunately it passed the House of Lords by a majority of fire. At the beginning of the session Lord Palmerston said he intended to grapple with the question of church rates ; from press of business be was not able to do so, but the question will be brought forward next seesion. What are we to expect from Lord Palmerston on that question ? Having commenced the spoliation of the Church in Ireland, what are we to expect he will do with church rates in England? I have stated that lam anxious the question should be settled; but I am deter mined to use my humble but earnest endeavours to prevent church rates from being abolished without an ample sub stitute. I must confess that I look with fear upon the prospect of Lord Palmerston grappling with the question of church rates: we shall see in the next session whether he will rest upon the Conservative part) in this great ques tion, or upon the party behind him. I look to another eminent statesman, Lord John Russell, whom we have the honour to rank as a voter in this county, if, indeed, it be considered an honour. Lord John has been Prime Minister, and expects to be so again. What was his conduct with regard to the Jew question ? The question of admitting Jews was carried in the House of Commons, but rejected in the Lords. No sooner was this done than Lord John Russell took the unusual course of bringing in another bill having precisely the same objects in view. And what did he say? Why, he said that the House of Commons was not to submit to be baffled in their legislation by the constant rejection of their bill by the House of Lords. Not to be baffled by the House of Lords I Is the House of Lords not an indepen dent body ? Is legislation to be the act of the House of Commons alone? This is reform with a vengeance! Could it have been supposed that Lord John Russell, the great constitutional statesman and write., would be the man to talk about the House of Commons not being baffled by the House of Lords, and to intimate that the 891 Commons would take the matter into their own bands, and admit the Jew by simple resolution? Is this consti tutionid ? What, then, are we to expect from Lords Pal merston and John Russell ? No great question to consider ! Nothing to divide political parties ! I think I might say that Church and Constitution should be our rallying words. When both are assailed, it behoves Conservatives to set themselves to work in support of the principles which they believe to be essential to the honour and welfare of Eng land. (Loud cheering.) - - • • Mr. JAMES Rusr, M.P., briefly expressed his thanks, observing that in every opini.in of Mr. Fellowes he most cordially concurred. With respect to India, a topic Mr. Fellowes had omitted to touch upon, " while that conflict was waging it was the duty of all true Conservatives to strengthen the hands of the Government, in order that punishment might be inflicted upon the guilty papers, and he had no doubt that the whole of the Conservative party would throw aside party feeling for the present, and coin cide with her Majesty's Government in making the necessary efforts." General PEEL also made a few remarks to the same effect, and the meeting shortly after broke up. Tax ELECITON FOR OLDHAM is expected to take place in a fortnight. Mr. W. J. Fox, it is said, will be brought forward. r Volite. THE TRIAL OF THE BRITISH BANE DIRECTORS, it is generally believed, will take place in the October or November session of the Court of Queen's Bench. It appears that no case of felony under the act which condemned Sir J. D. Paul has yet been made out against the directors, and it is moreover said that, whenever the trial shall be appointed to take place, the defendants will make an application to be tried separately, the object of this proceeding being to confine the evidence to the particular per son under charge, and thus exclude a good deal of evidence as to the fraudulent intentions of the par ties, and the general combination between them, The application will doubtless be strongly op posed on behalf of the Crown. The work of arranging the compromise between the creditors and shareholders has not yet come to any definite conclusion. A dividend of Os. 6d. in the pound, with the assets of the bank, was originally proposed, and so eagerly accepted that the share holders seem inclined to withdraw from this pro posal, and to sabstitute a smaller dividend. THE CAPTAIN OF THE BARK Martha and Jane, recently condemned to death at Liverpool for the murder of the seaman Ross, will be hanged this morning in front of Kirkdale-gaol. The two mates, Mills and Seymour, have been reprieved. A PRISONER IN HORSEMONGER-LANE GAOL, one Preston, in prison for debt, at an early hour on Monday morning deliberately beat out the brains of another prisoner, John Hodges, who was sleeping beside him. No reason is assigned for the act. Preston stancis charged with the wilful murder. IRRITABLE LADIES should be careful how they maltreat indolent servant maids. One Mrs. Croker, of Denbigh-street, Pimlico, was summoned before Mr. Arnold, on Wednesday, charged by her house maid, Eliza Cotton, with having one morning last week thrown a jug of water over her while in bed, and then, pulling her out of bed, with having " tore her things, slapped her face, and called her an offensive epithet." There was much conflicting evidence on both sides ; but the mistress admitted that she flung a glass of water over complainant. "She sent her nursemaid down four times that morning to call her ; in tact, there was no getting the servants up." Mr.lArnold considered Mrs. Croker's conduct unbecoming and improper. It was " most repre hensible," he said, " for a lady to engage in a personal conflict with her servant." The case was adjourned for a week in order to give the defendant an opportunity to make compensation. THE MASTER OF THE SHIP John Sugars, Captain Doyle, was summoned before Mr. Selfe to answer the serious charge of cruelty cn the high seas to Robert Eastwick, a boy on board the ship, and who deli berately drowned himself on the voyage home from Ceylon to escape further ill-treatment. The evidence of three of the seamen was to the effect that the captain had cruelly and repeatedly beaten the boy, who one day said, "I would sooner die, and put an end to my existence, than be used in this manner every day." He jumped overboard the next day after a severe flogging, and no effort was made by the cap tain to save him. The case was adjourned till this day. The paragraph which went the round of the papers the other day to the effect that Sir John Dean Paul, Straban, Bates, Robson, Redpath, Saward, and Agar had all left England in the same convict ship is, we understand, incorrect. Sir John Dean Paul and Strahan are still at 31illbank, and Bates is at Pen tonville. A contemporary states that Agar alone set sail in the ship referred to.