The Sun. — London, England, 1859-08-16 00:00:00

DWELLINGS OF TIIE LABOURING CLASSES. (From the Hertford Mercury.) A public meeting was held at the Town Hall, on Thursday evening for the purpose of submitting to the inhabitants of Hertford the prospectus of the local company for improving and erecting dwellings for the working classes. There was a good attend ance of the leading inhabitants of the town and of the working classes. The chair was taken by the Right Hon. W. F. Cowper, M.P., who was supported by Mr. Robert Dimsdale and Mr. J. W. Chesshyre (who have kindly consented to act as Honorary Secretaries of the Company), and by other gentlemen. Mr. Mar tin, the architect, attended to exhibit and explain plans and models of cottages published by the Cot tage Improvement Society. Mr. Stevens, the architect of Christ Church, Ware, was also present with plans of his own ; and Mr. T. Smith, of Hert ford, attended with drawings he had made of the Albert cottages, similar to those erected in Hyde Park in 1851. The Cottage Improvement Society have seat out 840 sets of their plans to different counties, and they have been extensively adopted. These cot tages are erected in detached pairs, with side doors and porch entrance, at a cost of 155 guineas the pair. In some cases where building materials are cheap they have been put up for £lO less, but the cost has not hitherto exceeded this sum. The cottages have gable roofs, and have a pleasant rustic look ; as models they are not appli cable to the streets of towns, but should be placed where land can be procured at a moderate price, so as to allow of their being surrounded by garden ground. They are suited for erection in villages, or on plots in the suburbs of towns. The society has two plans. In No. 1 Plan, there are two rooms on the ground floor, viz., a living room 9ft. 4in. by 18ft. 4in., fitted up with dresser, and a boy's bed-room 7ft. 10in. by 10ft., with a trap store under. The model showed a press-bedstead in the boy's room, which would enable the occupier to use it in the day-time as a parlour. The upper floor has a parentebedroom lift. 4in. by 9ft. 4in., and a girls' bedroom lift. 4in. by 7ft. 10in., with a closet 4ft. Bin. by 2ft. bin. There is also an approach over the staircase to an ample space in the roof, which may be used as a store room ; and a fuel place and pantry under the stairs. Outside each cottage there is a watercloset approached by a covered way. In the model exhibited, a scullery was attached, but this addition would increase the cost of erecting the cottages. No. 2 Plan is like No. 1, except that sleeping is not contemplated in the lower rooms, one of which is fitted up as a kitchen, with dresser, sink, and oven, and the other as a living-room; while one of the upper apart ments is divided into two sleeping-rooms, one for girls, and one for boys. These cottages are so per fectly ventilated that the quantity of fresh air in troduced is greater than in much larger rooms im perfectly ventilated. The rooms are Bft. high. Mr. Stevens' plans, which have the sanction of the Society for Improving the Condition of the Labouring Classes, are extremely attractive. The cottages are flat-roofed, and the ceilings are conse quently of uniform height, which is an advantage. They may be built semi-detached or in blocks. Each cottage consists of four rooms. The ground plan gives a living room llft. by 10ft., a boy's bed room 9ft. bin. by 7ft. 101 in., with a good pantry, a wates.closet, and a fuel place. On the upper floor there is a parents' bedroom, lift. by 10ft., and a girls' room, 9ft. bin. by 7ft. 10in., and a large landing. Mr. Stevens states that the cost of erecting these cottages at £l7O the pair, in places where buildings are, however, more cheaply constructed than in Hertford. The Albert Cottages are familiar to our readers. They are built in fours, in flats, one cottage being on the ground floor, and another approached by a common outer entrance on the upper floor. We be lieve they cost about £9O per cottage, but they contain ample conveniences for the cottage resident; the principal objection to this plan in rural dis tricts is, that the garden attached must necessarily be divided between two occupiers. It is more suited for densely-peopled towns. Other plans were upon the table, including one for semi-detached cottages for artizans, at a cost of £lOO per cottage. Comfortable dwellings on this plan have been erected at Stratford. The models and plans having been inspected by the company. The Right Hon. W. F. COWPER directed atten tion to the object of the meeting. He said this was the second meeting which had been held for the purpose of forming a company to improve and erect dwellings for the labouring classes in the town and neighbourhood of Hertford ; and he was happy to find that 300 shares, representing a capital of £1,500, had been subscribed for, and that donations to the extent of £lOO, which would be applicable to the general expenses of the society, had been re ceived. At the last meeting they had some discus sion on the prospects of the company in a pecuniary point of view, and he ventured to say that he did not think it would be a very profitable mode of in vestment. He happened to have some experience in this matter, for he was connected with two so cieties, the objects of which were similar, and he was the owner of a model lodging-house in London. Having some money to invest, he desired to invest it in a way which would do good to a number of persons who had very bad lodgings and wanted better, and so he became the owner of the lodging house in question. His experience, then, was that, as a matter of business speculation, one must not expect this to be the most profitable that could be engaged in. (Hear, hear,) But they had not come here to consider how they should put out their money so as to get the largest amount of interest, but because they wanted to employ the money they had to dispose of for the benefit of their fellow-creatures. (Cheers.) He hoped, never theless, they would be able to get a sufficient return to justify any prudent person in investing his money, while, at the same time, they would certainly do a greater amount of good than by investing it in more promising commercial undertakings. There was no way in which they could do more good than by im proving the dwellings of the labouring classes, and especially in the towns. Working men must live near their work, and they had no opportunity of choosing freely the houses in which they would dwell as the higher classes had, and they must therefore look to persons of capital to help them to better homes. The house which a man lived in had an immense influence upon him. The working man probably spent 10 hours of every day in his dwell ing, and his wife nearly the whole 24 hours. Now if their dwellings were unfit to live in ; if, instead of being calculated to preserve health, they tended to destroy it ; and, instead of by their decent and comfort encouraging a feeling of self-respect in the dweller, they made him feel uncomfortable and wretched—they must have a most injurious influ ence on his character. The working man so housed could not hold up his head so high, nor feel the same self-respect, as he would if he lived in a com fortable home. What, then, could they do better than to give the poor healthy and happy homes. (Cheers.) Many houses were unhealthy and uncom fortable because they were damp. The foundations of some were damp, others were built of porous bricks, and others were damp because they were not properly: roofed. And the dampness was the constant cause of rheumatism and other diseases, of heavy doctors' bills, and of much preventable poverty. The difference between living in a well-built, well drained, and well-ventilated house, and a house which was the opposite of all this, was strikingly shown by returns which had been made of the amount of disease and death in the model lodgings in London, and amongst the population living in the neighbourhood of those model lodging-houses. In five years the mortality in 14 model lodging-houses had been 8 per annum for every 1,000 living, whilst the mortality amongst the people living in the dis tricts immediately roun cl[them was 27 in the 1,000. I ) • S. Smith calculated that if the same good health prevailed generally in London as in the model lodging-houses, there would be 23,000 people living in the metropolis at the end of the year who were now killed by . the bad dwellings in which they lived. In the lodging-houses, typhus fever, which was always an indication of something wrong in the house in whichitt occurred, was almost unknown. Dr. S. Smith took iaps of London : on one he m arked in colours thevo districts where the drainage was best and worst; on the other he marked, with the aid of the records of the Fever Hospital, the districts where fever was most and maps and t prevalent. ou n d th He afterward s com p ared th e di s t r i c ts where the drainage was bad w ere precisely e the districts where fever prevailed. (Hear, hear:) Almost every medical man in the country would agree that this w as a fact corroborated by hi s own daily experience. Clearly, then it was duty t o endeavour to get goo d houses for sworking men to live in. — (Cheers.) When they looked int o t h e wed-constructed cottage matter they found that a did not cost more than a badly-constructed one. It only wanted a little architectural skill to erect a good house for the same money as a bad . one of the same size would cost. They h a d to-night oeen look ing at plans and models of cottages, some of which could be built at a very low rate. Th e cotta ge s of which mod e l s we r e in the room could be built at 155 guineas the pair, so that if the rent of each were put at ls.9d.per week, it wouldproduce 5 percent. on the outlay, which he thought would be satisfactory. The arrangements of the model were excellent, though he did not say they were better than others. It would be thebusiness of the directors carefully to examine the plans laid before them, and to select that itvhiela gave the best accommodation at the cheapest rb :‘,4 A , Affording a sufficient number of sleeping apart .= nts' e fhe convenience of a scullery, and other ar rangements necessary to comfort and health. (Cheers.) They hoped at the present meeting to have the support and assistance of a number of gen tlemen who have been considering the matter, and who might now have everything explained to them. In Ware, Mr. Hanbury and some other persons had erected model cottages, which had answered well. They were not very economical, but he referred to them as instances of success in giving good accom modation in the dwellings of the poor. He invited the inhabitants of the town to take part in this good work, assuring them that, while they got some re turn for their money, they would be largely re warded by the satisfaction they would feel at know ing that, through the instrumentality of this com pany, they had increased the health and comfort of those amongst whom they lived. (Loud cheers.) Mr. R. DIMSDALE, in moving the first resolu tion, said as far as he had been able to ascertain, ' public attention first began to be called to the sub ject of cottage improvement in the year 1832, when the cholera broke out and committed great ravages. In 1837 the subject was still further pressed on the attention of the public by the alarming prevalence of typhus fever ; and Dr. Southwood Smith, in the course of some investigations he made in 1838, dis covered the startling fact that out of 77,000 per sons relieved under the poor law in London, more than 14,000 had been subject to fever, mainly owing to the bad and crowded state of the dwellings in which they lived. Attempts were made to rectify such a state of things, and in 1842 an association called the Metropolitan Association was established for the purpose of improving the dwellings of the poor. That association was founded on the prin ciple of shares, but at that time there was no Limited Liability Act, and so the company was obliged to obtain a charter from the Crown, which cost £1,400, an expense which had very much crip pled the company from the commencement of its operations. Two years later, the Cottage Improve ment Society was established, on a different footing, not by shares but by subscriptions ; and ultimately that society obtained £40,000 to carry on its opera tions with. That society built cottages, and then mortgaged them, so as to obtain money for build ing more ; and he hoped they would be able to do something of the same kind at Hertford before long. One gentleman had told him that he thought the company should make some arrangement for advancing money to landed proprietors to build cottages ; and he (Mr. Dimsdale) thought that much good might be done by carrying out that sugges tion, and lending money for the improvement of cottages, as was now done by the Drainage Com missioners for the drainage of land. Associations for improving the dwellings of the poor had been established in various parts of the country, and on the whole the result had been very satisfactory. At Windsor a joint-stock company was established in 1852, with a capital of £6,000, and power to raise it to £lO,OOO, which had been subsequently done. The Windsor society was at this moment paying a divi dend of 6 per cent. An excellent society had been formed in Marylebone, where there was a state of things which could hardly be conceived, even by those who were acquainted with the towns of Hert ford and Ware. This society, however, had only paid 21 per cent. in consequence of having bought up bad property at a heavy cost, and spent immense sums of money in erecting comfortable dwellings in place of the wretched old ones. But at Liverpool the society had been more successful in a financial aspect. It had completed 22 cottages on a plan which was more expensive than any of the models of those lying on the table before him, and the cost, including land, was £4,200. The rentals, at 4s. or ss. a week, produced a gross income of £3OB per annum ; and after deducting £9B for repairs and bad debts, there was enough to pay 5 per cent. on the outlay. If the Hertford Company obtained such a result as that they would be very well satis fied. The society at Hastings had paid a dividend of 6 per cent., having started with a capital of only £B5O, which had been increased from time to time, and now amounted to £3,500. The society at Brighton paid 5 per cent. It had been said the establishment expenses of the company would be so large as to swallow up all its profits. But he held in his hand an account from the Brighton society, showing that that society only paid £23 a year for salaries, and £6 for incidental expenses. The report of the Ramsgate Society showed that the preliminary expenses did not amount to more than £22 12s. ; and as this company had received £lOO in the shape of donations, it was clear that it could be established and get a fair start without intrenching at all on the share capital. He had been told that there were certain landowners in the neighbourhood so favourable to the company that probably they would be enabled to purchase their land on very reasonable terms--in fact, at a merely nominal price ; and if so, there could be no doubt they would be able to pay a fair dividend. He had met with individuals who said they could not take shares in this company because they did a good deal in their own parishes ; but he believed that excuse often came from gentlemen who were doing very little, and that it was merely an excuse to save their own pockets. But whatever gentle men were doing in their own parishes, he hoped they would not let it prevent them assisting this company in carrying out its laudable object. One pleasing incident in the reform which had taken place in the matter of cottage improvement was the extent to which large manufacturers were building cottages for their work-people, and he hoped that through the example and influence of this company the landowners of Hertfordshire would be induced to build suitable cottages for their labourers on their estates. If it did that, it would indirectly do much good, in addition to the direct benefit it would confer on the working classes by the improved dwellings it might be able to erect. He thought the present prospects of the c )mpany were very good. They had already got 300 shares taken, and as soon as the number amounted to 500 the directors would be prepared to purchase a plot of land, and begin to build some of their model cot tages, According to an estimate which had been furnished him, comfortable and convenient cottages might be built for £BO each. The rent of these cot tages he thought they might calculate at about £6 each per annum, which would be a little more than six per cent. ; and after striking off one per cent. for repairs and one per cent. for a reserve fund, they would be able to pay from four to five per cent. to the shareholders. As showing the importance of providing good ventilation, Mr. Dimsdale quoted from the report of a French physician a statement to the effect that scrofulous diseases were almost en tirely attributable to a deficient supply of fresh air ; and he stated that in Sheffield there was a plot of wretched cottages called the " Barracks," where the mortality was exceedingly great, but ventilating shafts having been introduced into the chimneys, a considerable diminution in the number of deaths was the immediate result. Dr. Farr had stated that the annual rate of mortality ought not to be more than seventeen in a thousand, but in the metropolis it was no less than thirty-three in a thousand, show ing that a large proportion of deaths in the metro polis arose from preventible causes. Mr. Dimsdale then stated that this meeting had been called to see how far the tradesmen of the town were prepared to s'ipport the company. If the scheme were not taken up by a certain time it must drop, for it could not long go on floating between heaven and earth, as it were ; but he hoped the result of this meeting would completely establish the undertaking. He concluded by moving the following resolution : " That the erection of model cottages and the im provement of existing dwellings for the labouring classes is an object deserving of every encourage ment." Mr. J. J. GRIPPER, in seconding the resolution, said there was one important argument in favour of the object of the company which had not been touched upon. They were doing all they could to educate the poor and to improve their morals, but this would be useless unless their dwellings were improved. In this and other towns many of the poor were obliged to live in wretched hovels, where there was not proper sleeping accommodation for a family, and such a state of things must almost in evitably counteract any attempt to improve their minds and their morals. It could not be expected that the tradespeople of Hertford could take a larg e number of shares, but if a good many of them too a few shares each, they would very materially as sist in establishing the undertaking. The resolution was agreed to unanimously. Mr. J. W. CHESSICYRE, in moving the next reso lution, said they must not anticipate a large return for the capitol they invested in this company, and it occurred to him that Mr. Dimsdale had mentioned a rental which was rather more than the labouring classes could afford to pay. One of their principal objects should be to provide the poor with a decent and convenient dwelling, at a rental which they would be able to pay, and at the same time have something left with which to procure the common necessaries of life in abundance. He believed the rents of cottage p r ope r ty i n H er tford averaged from 2s. to 2s. 10d. a week, and as the object of the com pany was to benefit the labou r i n g poor, he thought tney must be content to receive ls. 9d. a week for their cottages. That was as much as a labouring man, unde r ordinary cticstances, could afford to pay ; a n d that would produce a gross income of £9l o a year fo r every plottwo cottages, which they were inform e d could bef built for £l6O. S o me of their of l directors we re owners and in the neighbourhood, and would perhaps sell theysome of it to the company at a moderate price.could g e t h a lf an acre of land for £ l2O , they couldwtir theild on it six model co tt a ges, which, togeth er land, would cost £6OO. Letting those cottag es a t a rental of ls. 9d. a ..yreek, would produce a return of 4 s _i per cent. on a the outlay, which ho thought w asmuch as they ought to calculate on in such an undertaking Th e co ttages which he had referred to as being - built for £l6O a pair, were not for mechanics but for labour ers, for whose special benefit the company was formed. But he thought the company might with advantage to itself turn its attention to lodging houses, which were very much wanted, and were generally highly productive as investments. It would be impolitic of the company, with its limited capital, at present to extend its operations beyond the immediate neighbourhood of Hertford : nor would it be proper for them to take upon themselves the responsibility of the landowners of this county to provide proper accommodation for the use of the labourers who work on their estates. He hoped that this undertaking would be properly taken up, so that it might be carried out successfully. Although it might not produce a large return for the capital invested, yet on the other hand there could be no loss. The value of the share capital would be well maintained, for the class of cottages they pro posed to build would always command' in the open market a rental of 3s. or 3s. 6d. a week. He had been told by some persons that if they get £5,000 it would be a mere trifle, and that they would be able to do very little good ; but he believed that if they got that sum they would be able to effect a very material improvement in the dwellings of the labouring classes. They would build a good many excellent model cottages, and perhaps those who bad very bad cottage property in the town would be ashamed of it, and set to work to improve it. Mr. Chesshyre then remarked that the share list afforded very gratifying evidence of the interest which the county took in this movement, and stated that amongst those at a distance from the town who had taken shares were the Hon. and Rev. Vernon Har court and the Hon. Mrs. Harcourt, who had each taken five shares, and that in the list of donations was the name of the Marchioness of Salisbury. Some support had been received from the clergy, but considering the benevolent object of the under taking, fewer clergymen had taken shares than he , should have expected. He concluded by moving • the following resolution :—" That the plan proposed - for the establishment of a Joint-Stock Company, under the Limited Liability Act, to be called the - Hertford Building Company (Limited), is highly to be commended." Mr. T. SMITH seconded the resolution, express ing his cordial approval of the movement, and offering to render the society any professional ser vices in his power gratuitously. He urged the importance of having three bedrooms in all the cottages which the company might build, remark ing that he had erected a great many cottages for gentlemen in different parts of England and Ire land, and he had made it an invariable practice to have not less than three bedrooms. The CHAIRMAN said the meeting would be happy to hear any observations which Mr. Stevens and Mr. Martin. might wish to address to them. Mr. STEVENS then explained his plans. He said he prepared them about 18 months ago, after hav ing seen those erected by Mr. Martin at Tunbridge Wells, a model of which was on the table. The principal peculiarity of his plans was the introduc tion of a flat roof, which enabled the walls to be carried higher and the rooms to be made square. With regard to the cost of carrying out his plans, he admitted that the cottages could not be erected for £l6O a pair. His general estimate was £l7O a pair, but that had to be modified according to cir cumstances. In some places buildings could be erected a good deal cheaper than in others, and if he went to a cheap place his cottages could be erected for less than £l7O a pair, but if went to a dear place they would cost more than £l7O. Hert ford was certainly not a place where they could build cheaply, and he doubted whether Mr. Martin's cottages could be erected at Hertford for £l6O a pair. One advantage his plans possessed over Mr. Martin's, and that was that they could be erected in a row, whereas Mr. Martin's must be detached. He should be happy to render his services to the society if his plans should be adopted, but he must be can did with them and tell them that he could not offer his services gratuitously, as Mr. Smith had done. In answer to a question, Mr. Stevens said the roofs of his cottages were made of flat tiles and cement, which was a non-conductor of both heat and cold. Mr. MARTIN in explaining his plans said the object had been to produce something like a decent home with sufficient accommodation for the very poorest labourer, at a cost which he could afford to pay. He admitted that his plans would not do for towns where land was expensive, but they were in tended for rural districts or the suburbs of towns where land could be obtained at a very cheap rate. With regard to the cost of erecting his cottages, he said a good many had been built at different places, and the cast had hitherto always been within the estimate. In no one case had they cost more than the estimate, but in one instance they cost £lO less. Mr. HATCHARD remarked that a great advantage to the poor would arise from having these model cottages built in the suburbs of the town, where they might each have a portion of land which the labourer might cultivate without having to carry his tools and his produce so far ashe had at present in going to and from his home in the town to an allotment garden. The children might also find employment and amusement in the garden, and be kept from the corrupting society which they are now compelled to associate with in the courts and alleys of the back streets. Mr. Chesshyre proposed, and Mr. R. Dimsdale seconded, a vote of thanks to the chairman, which was carried by acclamation. The CHAIRMAN, in returning thanks, pointed out that a great improvement might be made in many old houses by introducing modern fire-places and stores. In the old-fashioned fire-places 9-10ths of the heat generated by the fuel consumed passed up the chimney without doing any good; but by mo dernising the fire-place and putting in a stove with fire bricks the heat would be thrown into the room. The modern system of ventilating rooms by causing a stream of fresh air to pass from the back of the fire-place, where it became heated, might also be introduced with great advantage. Several gentle - tnen then put down their names for shares, and the proceedings terminated. DISCOVERY OF BOMBS AT MILAN. A very mysterious affair, having reference to the discovery of " Orsini bombs," has recently occupied the public mind at Milan. It will, perhaps, be re membered that a short time ago, immediately after the departure of Louis Napoleon from Turin to Paris, it was reported that a magazine, containing no less than 700 of the above missiles, had by chance been discovered in the capital of Lombardy. Upon inquiry it was said that their fabrication had been traced partly to Milan, partly to Genoa. The first impression, of course, was that a renewed attempt at taking the life of the French Ruler had been contemplated. This opinion gained the more strength from the circumstance that he who had overthrown the Roman Republic in 1849, again had appeared in 1859 upon the stage of Italy as a traitor to' the interests of that country. In the Lombard and Piedmontese Press the fact cf a ()Teat number of bombs having been found was alluded to the next day to the discovery, but, as will be un derstood, with that caution which the Sardinian Press law and the presence of French authority imposed upou the editors, both at Turin and Milan. Since then, however, the discussion of the subject has suddenly been dropped. The occurrence is no longer treated in the journals, though it continues to be spoken of, as we are informed, in private circles—at least, in such where the ears of the spy are supposed to be absent. The solution of this riddle is now publicly given in an interesting com munication irom Turin, and we hasten to lay it be fore our readers, exhibiting, as it does, the police of the Imperial Government in its true light—viz., a huge institution for agens provocateurs. It appears, then, that the existence of the maga zine of bombs is an authentic fact, but that the ex planation is a very simple one. The missiles had been fabricated in January and February last on the first news of an intention of the French Government to wage war against Austria ; but so far from there being any desire to employ them against the life of Louis Napoleon, the real object had, on the contrary, been to make them serviceable for an insurrection against the hateful rule of Austria. However, the French police, in consequence of the sudden change of Imperial policy with regard to Italy, wished to make use of the discovery of the bombs for the furtherance of reactionary designs. It tried to make it appear as though a new plot had been found out for the destruction of their Imperial master. The little trick was to be managed in this way. A Piedmontese carabiniere, i.e.. gendarme, happened to have been the first to discover the depots of the war missiles at Milan, and immedi ately made a report thereon to the loell authorities. The fact was forthwith communicated to the chief of the secret French police, M. Pietri, who there upon had the Piedmontese gendarme summoned before him to find out whether the man could be made useful in the concoction of a certain design. M. Pietri, a Corsican by birth, is himself an old con spirator, well versed in the intricacies of political craft, and therefore ready enough to turn his ex perience in such matters to the benefit of the Bona partist cause. Now when the Piedmontese crtra biniere came into the august presence of this ci devant conspirator, and present chief of the secret police, he was at once startled from his propriety by a very significant proposal. M. Pietri, without further ado, offered him the handsome sum of /00,000 francs if he would renounce the honour of having discovered the magazine, and leave both the discovery and all further procedure to the French authorities. The purport of the proposal is plain enough. The magazine of war 'rnissileS was to be converted into an arsenal of assassins; and in order the better to do so, the French police had nothing for it but to buy at itA own price the silence of the original detector of the bombs. Fortunately, the Piedmontese carabiniere proved an honest man. He refused the bribe, and de nounced the proposal to his superior. A formal protocol was drawn up on the matter before the competent Sardinian authorities—a protocol it would be most interesting to see published verbatim. It would shed such a light on the means of government employed by French Im perialism as would startle public opinion through out Europe. It is true we cannot hope at the present moment that the world will be favoured with such a revelation from official Sardinian quar ters, albeit the time may yet come when the hatred against the Traditore will bring to light many a strange occurrence, the record of which lief as yet hidden amidst the leaves of official Turin portfolios. As it is, the bomb affair has been hushed up at the request of th French police. They had no interest in giving the matter greater publicity, and they therefore instructed the Sardinian Government, and the journals of Milan and Turin, to drop the subject. Happily, however, there is still a free press abroad which cannot be influenced by Napoleonic agencies. That press will ever and anon reveal some of the secret doings of the despot who has worked his way to the eminence on which he sits by a course of con duct of unparalleled profligacy. The whole affair recalls to mind the sham con spiracy by which the Napoleonistic Government tried, a year or two ago, to involve the name of Ledru Rollin. It also brings to recollection the forged Orsini letter, with the aid of which the same useful Pietri, whom we have already men tioned, gained the adherence of a portion of the Italian democrats for a war which was to end in the betrayal of the cause of Italian independence. Here we have the Imperial system, as represented by Napoleon 111. and his associates, developed into a regular " school of escrocs." If we remember, moreover, that even the peace of Villafranca, as is now proved by the concurrent testimony of Prus sian, English, and Russian statesmen, has been brought about by means of a forged mediation scheme which the French Ruler, in his personal interview with the Austrian Despot, foisted upon the latter, a conviction forces itself upon us that the Government of the great French nation has fallen into the hands of an unprincipled set of sharpers, who are carrying out on a larger stage the practices of the haunts in which they passed their noviciate. It is a degradation of the govern mental principle such as has not yet been witnessed. When Chancellor Oxenstierna sent forth his son, recommending him to " see by what men the world was ruled," he alluded to the ignorance and folly of the crowned heads of his time. But sadder and sterner would have been his parting admonition had he lived in an era that allowed a Napoleon 111. to become the arbiter of Europe.—Morning Ad vertiser. THE EXCAYATIONS AT WROXETER. The Midland Counties Archie°logical Society (of Birmingham) recently made an excursion to Wroxeter and Shrewsbury. A pleasant drive brought the excursionists in sight of the Old Wall at Wroxeter, a fragment of Roman masonry stand ing very conspicuously in the centre of the buried city, and in a few minutes more the visitors were dispersed in all directions over the enclosure, trac ing the course of the excavations, and eagerly hunting for coins, bits of pottery, fragments of bone, and the other "small deer" usually to be found in remains of ancient buildings. So earnest was the search, so active the gestures, so frequent the sud den descents into subterranean chambers and ruined hypocausts, that had one of the savage destroyers of Uriconium suddenly returned, he might have fancied that a new colony of Romans had revisited and undertaken to re-construct the city of their forefathers. After amusing themselves in this way for an hour or so, the visitors assembled beneath the Old Wall, to hear from Mr. Wright an account of the excavations. After having sufficiently ex plored Uriconium, the visitors went on to the ancient church at Wroxeter, the gateway of which is guarded by two massive columns taken from the ruins. In a garden close by is another column, probably a Roman milestone, surmounted by a carved capital evidently detached from some public edifice at Uriconium. Wrroxeter Church is itself worth a special visit. The chancel is pure Norman, the nave late decorated, and the tower mainly per pendicular, with fragments of decorated, showing that it has undergone restoration. The interior of the church is sadly disfigured, especially the nave, one side of which is choked up by an enormous , pew resembling the huge State bedsteads in use in the Jacobean period. In the chancel are several remarkable monuments, consisting of altar tombs, surmounted by effigies. Of these one was erected to the memory of Sir Thomas Bromley and his wife. Sir Thomas was Chief Justice of England, and was one of the executors to Henry VIII. The next monument, the tomb of a member of the Baker family, is noticeable for the touching sim plicity of its inscription, which sets forth that the wife of Philip Berker fell ill and died, being aged 33 years, and that the next day her loving husband, " being then in perfect health," also fell sick, and died 17 days thereafter. Their bodies now repose in the same tomb, on the top of which rests their effigies, habited and coloured as in life. The Berkers were lords of Haughmond Abbey, which came into their hands at the Dissolution, and, according to Spelman, did them an ill-turn, for none of the direct heirs male lived to attain the age of 21. At last the family died out, and were suc ceeded by the Corbets, on which, according to local tradition, the same ill-fate attends, although they sought to avert it by ceasing to live in the Abbey, which has now fallen into ruins. On the other side of the chancel is one of those wonderful monu ments which discredited the taste of the 17th cen tury—overloaded with false ornament and clumsy statues of weeping cherubs, one of whom is most ludicrously poking his fat forefinger into his eye. A walk fro . n the church down a pretty lane led those who cared to see it to the ancient ford by which the Romans crossed the Severn, and after this had been visited the excursionists remounted their car riages, and went on to Shrewsbury. Among the places visited at Shrewsbury were the Museum where Dr. Johnson exhibited and explained numer ous objects found at Uriconium, and brought to Shrewsbury - for safe keeping. Among them were pins, brooches, rings, and other articles of personal use, coins, pieces of pottery, glass, human and animal bones, Corinthian capitals admirably carved, and which must have surmounted columns at the least 20 feet high. Several skulls, remarkable for deformities eminently puzzling to physiologists and phrenologists, were also exhibited, and, right or wrong, the general opinion seemed to be that they had belonged to some of the savages by whom Uriconium was destroyed. Next to the Museum, St. Mary's Church was the chief object of attrac tion. This church has a fine nave of the transition period. The chancel is decorated, and is remark able for having on the north side an early Eng lish window, filled with stained glass, illus trating the life of St. Bernard, supposed to have been made from the designs of Albert Durer. Every window in th e church is filled with old stained glass, collected and given by the Rev. W. G. Rowlands, the late rector. The east window, which is under repair, is what is called a " Jesse window" —that is, at the base a figure of Jesse, from the centre of which rises a tree, on the branches of which are portr a y e d patriarchs and prophets, cur Lord himself being placed on the apex. This win dow has survived two churches. It was given by the Charltons to the Grey Friars, thence, at the Reformation, taken to Old St. Chad's, and trans ferred to St. Mary's when St. Chad's was pulled down, about 70 years ago. The Abbey Church, in the Foregate, was also the subject of much interest. Originally a cross church, belonging to a house of the Benedictine order, it is now simply a Norman nave, with middle pointed west window. It was intended to have formed the cathedral of that Bishop of Shrewsbury (suffragan to Lichfield), nominated by Henry VIII., but never consecrated. The abbey buildings were originally very extensive. Birminultant Gazette. GUY'S HosPITAL—At a Court of Committees of Guy's Hospital, held on Thursday, the 11th inst. his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge was unanimously chosen a Governor. [AM:ERTTS'EMENT.]—It is ever a pleasing duty for a journalist to introduce to his readers some discovery calcu lated to benefit that vast portion of our fellow creatures which has the strongest claims upon our sympathies. It is with tl .is feeling that wo call the attention of invalids to the following extracts from Du Barry's interesting report of CIIVCB without medicine of indigestion (dys pepsia), flatulency, constipation, nervous, bilious, and liver complaint 3, cough, asthma, consumption, and debility by Du Barry's Revalenta Arabica Food : Cure No. 52 , 422 —Bridgehouse, Frimley, 3d April, 1854. I hive suffered these 33 years continually from diseased lungs, spitting- of blood, liver derangement, deafness, sing ing in the ears, constipation, debility, shortness of breath and cough, whieli have been removed b 3: your Revalenta Arabica. My lungs, liver, st omac h , h ea d , an d ears arc a ll right, iliy hearing, perfect, and niv recovery is a marvel to all my acquaint maces. James Roberts, timber merchant. in tins, at Is. Gd. ; lib., 3s. ; 21b., ss. Od. ; 51b., 125.; 121 b., 263. The. 101 b. and 12th. tins carriage free, on receipt of post. 3111.:e order. Du Barry and Co., 77, Regent-street, London Fortnum, Mason, and Co., 182, Piccadilly; Abbis, 60, Graceehurch-street ; 4, Cheapside ; 63, and 150, Oxford. street ; 33() and 4.51, Strand ; 49 and 60, Bishopsgate. street ; 85, Tottenham-court-road. Also at Dublin, Bewley and Draper ; at Edinburgh, Raimes and Co.; at. Liverpool, Nixon and Thew; at Manchester, Sharp and Scott; at York, Raines, Blanchard, and Co.; at South ampton, Randall and Son, ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE. OXFORD CIRCUIT.—GLOUCESTER, AUG. 15. CROWN COURT. (Before Mr. Justice Byles.) Wm. Clarke was charged with using force, vio lence, and restraint, and practising intimidation upon one Charles Talbot, in order to induce or com pel him to refrain from voting at the election of burgesses to serve in Parliament for the borough of Cirencester, and by divers devices and fraudulent contrivance, preventing and interfering with the free exercise of the franchise of the said Charles Talbot, and thereby compelling him to refrain from giving his vote at the said election. 'Mr. Cooke and Mr. Cripps prosecuted; Mr. Powell and Mr. H. James defended. The Judge had the prosecutor hound over to pay all the defendant's costs in case of acquittal. Mr. Cooke, in stating the case, said defendant was prosecuted to maintain freedom of election, of which so much had been said in late years. At the last Cirencester election parties were nicely ba lanced, and Mr. Clarke's candidate won by six or seven votes. Admiral Talbot was not the prosecu tor in this case, but was subpoenaed by the Conser vative party, and had come from his command at Cork, at great inconvenience to himself. Mr. Cooke put in a copy of the election writ, which was taken as read. Mr. L. Bevin proved the return, and that Admiral Talbot and defendant were both on the register. Admiral Charles Talbot—My house is in the W r atermoon-road, Circencester. I held a command at Cork from November to January last, but my furniture remained at Cirencester in charge of a servant. On the day of the election there I came down to vote, and telegraphed for a fly to be ready at the station. I arrived there six or seven minutes before four o'clock in the afternoon, and found the fly waiting. I got into the fly at the station gate. The people pressed forward at the great gate and stopped the horse. After a great deal of difficulty I got out of the fly and tried to go out at the smaller gate. I saw there was an immense crowd, and that it was hopeless for me to attempt to go through. I turned and saw the large gate open, and went towards it. There was a great rush, and I was knocked over by another man. When I got up I was embracPcl by Clarke, who cried out," I will take care of the admiral." I desired him to let me loose, but he kept pushing me back from the gate. That went on for several minutes, and as soon as I could release myself from the embraces of my friend, Mr. Clarke, I turned to the station, but saw by the station clock that it was four or five minutes after four. I was prevented by these means from recording my vote. Cross-examined—The train was 20 minutes be hind time at Gloucester. I have not said that we were 20 minutes behind at Cirencester, but we were late. The train was due there at 3.40. I did not notice whether the driver of the fly was drunk or sober. I told him to " drive on." I got in, but I do not know that he saw me, for his back was to wards me. Did not see the driver flog the people until they took hold of the horse. That was when the obstruction was made. The people walked before me in the genteelest manner, but would not let me go a-head. Clarke was not one of them. I was knocked down by falling over somebody. (Laughter.) Then Clarke took hold of me. Mr. Powell—Did he endeavour to keep the mob away from you ? Admiral Talbot—He protected me in a certain way. (Laughter.) I have not said he protected me from the mob. He did not keep them from me. I did not attempt to go to the poll, becuse it was after four. On the Monday following I preferred a charge of assault against Clarke. The magis trates deliberated some time, and fined him 50s. and costs. I was subpoenaed by Mr. Daubeney to ap pear before the magistrates on another charge. I came again, and gave evidence against Clarke on this charge. I had gone to Ireland in the mean time. I left Cirencester on the 14th February. I did not go there again until the day of the election, nor since, except to attend before the magistrates. I have not since endeavoured to let my house and furniture. I consulted no professional man, but stated my case to the magistrate's clerk, who said, " That's an assault," and Clarke was accordingly summoned for an assault. A number of witnesses were called by the de fence, to prove that Clarke called out to the mob to let the admiral come out, and that the driver of the fly appeared to be drunk, and excited the people by lashing them with his whip. It was also proved that Clarke and others went to meet several trains that day, by which they expected voters would come on the Liberal side, and that Clarke and others were at the station for the same purpose when Admiral Talbot came there. The jury, after a brief absence, returned into court with a verdict of guilty. The judge reserved sentence until the next case was decided, but intimated that he should not allow the costs of the prosecution. Jermyn Colbourn, Lavinia Susannah Colbourn, and Walter Mullis, surrendered on an indictment, charging them with using undue influence, and by abduction, duress, and fraudulent device, impeding and interfering with the free exercise of the fran chise of and by one John. Kibblewhite, at Ciren cester, he being a person qualified to vote for the election of burgesses to serve in Parliament for the borough of Cirencester aforesaid. Mr. Powell and Mr. H. James prosecuted; Mr. Cooke defended Mr. and Mrs. Colbourn ; and Mr. Cripps defended Mr. Mullis. Mr. Powell, in opening the case, said no doubt these people, who had made themselves amenable to criminal law, were influenced and set on by people of station in the county. They were all in the service of a rich man named Pole, and having drugged the old man who was drinking there, they had him conveyed to a place where he was ordered to be kept until the poll was closed next day. But he made his escape, and walked part of the way towards Cirencester, and was taken up by a return fly, arriving at the polling-place in time to record his vote after medical relief had been afforded him. This case differed very much from the last, and he hoped, if the defendants were found guilty, they would be fined, so that their punishment should reach those who were screened behind them, and who had instigated them to this serious offence. John Kibblewhite—l am a labourer living at Stratton. Mr. Pole is the squire of Stratton. On the day before Cirencester election I was at the Plough, and Mullis, who is gardener to Mr. Pole, asked me to go and open a drain at his house next day. I went there, and afterwards went to hear the nomination speeches, and went back to work. In the afternoon Colbourn invited me into the sad dle room, where I had a glass of beer and a pipe. Mrs. Colbourn invited me upstairs to have some tea, and I went. I had only had three half-pints of beer. I had one cup of tea, but the second she poured out was of a dark colour, and tasted queer. Colbourn was in and out all the time. I told Mrs. Colbourn the tea was too strong, and she must please to put some more sugar in it. She did so, and I drank it. Ido not remember anything more till next morning, when I found myself at a public house at Ashton Keynes, about half-past seven. I was very sick and ill, but when I got a bit better I went down stairs and out of the house. I went along the road and was sick several times. A fly came by and picked me up, and took me to Cirencester. I was taken to the Bear, where a doctor came, and towards evening I went and polled. But I was very ill all the next week, and lay a-bed four days. I am (30 years old. I have always voted for the Blues (Liberals.) David Cole—l keep a beer-house at Ashton Keynes. Kibblewhite was brought there about 10 o'clock at night by Colbourn, and his wife and Mullis. Colbourn said I was to keep him there till four o'clock next day, so that he should not go to the poll. lie said he was sent by Mr. Pole. He said I was to be sure and keep him, and charge any thing I chose in reason. If I did not like to keep him I was to send him anywhere where he could be kept. He appeared to be drunk and helpless. He was carried out of the carriage into the kitchen, and up to bed. They remained and had some beer. A fter they left my wife showed me a small bottle. I stayed up with Kibblewhite till one o'clock. Colbourn said to his wife as they were going away, " Have you left that with Mrs. Cole ?" He said to rue, " You see that be has 20 drops when he wakes. It won't hurt him, for we have given him 20 drops before." He was very bad during the night. I went to him four times, for I was frightened. He had nothing at my house. On the Sunday Colbourn came and asked me what I had let the man go for. He gave me 1,55., and asked the for the bottle, which I gave him. He said his master would be pleased to see it. Cross-examined—T o ld Mr. Ponsonby what I have said to-day. I never had £5O for voting or giving es it!( nce. The Judge directed the jury to ac /nit Mrs. Col bourn. Mrs. Cole corroborated her husband's evidence. Mrs. Colbourn gave me a little bottle tied over with si ring. Colbourn was in the room then. Took care of the bottle and gave it to my 'lust and. The Judge said witness had acted with great pro priety, folk Id she administered those drops nolKdy knew what the consequences might have been. Dr. Smith said Kibbh:white suffered under some narcotic. Mr. Cooke and Mr. Cripps having briefly ad dressed the jury, The Judge, in summing up, condemned the pro secution as having been instituted against inferior and subordinate agents. Mr. Powell said Mr. Pole was originally in cluded in the charge,but the magistrates dismissed the charge as against him, in spite of every effort to implicate him. Guilty. One month's imprisonment each. Clarke to receive judgment when called upon. POLICE INTELLIGENCE-Aug. 15. MANSION-HOUSE. —Martin Doran, a short but brawny Irish tailor, who looked as if he had recently rolled in the mud, and who stood at the bar on a straight leg, a crooked leg, and a crutch, was charged with drunkenness and assault. John Tewey said he lived in Fireball-court with his mother and other relatives. On the previous night, about nine o'clock, he saw the prisoner strike his mother with a crutch, and went up to him for the purpose of taking it from him, when the pri soner bit him in the fleshy part of the arm, and twice on the thigh, bringing away a portion of his (witness's) clothing at each mouthful. Police-constable, 616, said he was in Houndsditch on Sunday night, when he heard a row in Fireball court, and upon going down he found the people, according to their usual practice on Sunday even ings, fighting by dozens, like cats and dogs, and head over heels. Very great complaints had re cently been made on the subject, and as the pri soner was the most violent c f the party, and as it was the second time h e h a d b een fi g h t i ng t h at night, witness took him into custody. Prisoner—My lord, its I as ought to bel the com plainant, for there's such a set of vagabonds lives down that court I was forced to move away ; and I now lives in Cook-and-Hoop-yard. Well, as I was a going past there last night them vagabonds all pelted me and knocked off my hat, and so we got into a scrimmage, but it wf.s his brother's own wife who bit him, for she got hold of his arm thinking it was mine, and didn't she stick her teeth in. (Laughter.) Why them vagabonds, my lord, is an awful set. They got at it with shovels and chop pers, and pokers and tongs, and they goes at it in such a style that the police officers durstn't even look up the court. The Lord Mayor—l know the character of Fire ball-court too well. People there seem to conduct themselves in these disgraceful rows more like savages than civilised beings. Mary Tewey, wife of the first witness's brother, positively denied that she had bitten, or offered to bite any one, and said the prisoner was swinging his crutch round in such an awful way it wus a wonder that he did not kill three parts of the people. The Lord Mayor—lt is quite clear, prisoner, that you committed a most unprovoked assault. Prisoner—No, and indeed I did not. The Lord Mayor—And that you were drunk. Prisoner—Yes, I was. I was too stupid drunk to remember about the bating I got. (Laughter.) The Lord Mayor—You must pay 10s. for the assault and ss. for being drunk, or go to prison for 14 days. The prisoner was then taken below, and his daughter rushed away to raise the money to release him. GUILDHALL-A NEW FEATURE IN SKITTLE SHARPING.—Joseph Wells, a thick-set swarthy individual, about 35 years of age, described as an optician, of 21, Wellington-street, Newington causeway, was brought up before Alderman Phillips, charged under the following circumstances : William McMullen, a simple-looking Hibernian, who stated that he came from the north of Ireland, and at present held the important office of gate keeper at Woolwich Arsenal, deposed as follows : ' About the Ist of last month I met the prisoner near Hungerford-market, and he accompanied me to a beer-shop in Fetter-lane, where we had a glass of cider each. While we were drinking it a strange gentleman came in and hoped he was not interrupting us, and would we mind his joining in our conversation. The prisoner said he did not mind if it was the same to me. The strange gen tleman then wanted to pay for a round. Alderman Phillips—A round of what ? Witness—A glass of ale each, sir. Alderman Phillips—Which, I suppose, you did not mind-either. (Laughter.) Witness—Well, sir, I did not have it. The strange gentleman then said he had just come from the country, having received £7,000 between him and his brother, and that, as he had got £6OO from the bank to furnish himself with an outfit, he did not mind spending a sovereign or two in our com pany as we appeared to be nice-looking gentlemen. (Great laughter.) The prisoner was agreeable to have a glass round, but I declined, and the strange gentleman then proposed a game at skittles, or something of that sort, and the prisoner then offered to throw a weight of 211bs. a certain dis tance for a wager. The stranger said he would take the wager for a cold supper and a dozen of cigars, upon which he asked me to accompany them to see the wager proved. I assented, and they then took me through several back streets, and brought me to a beer-shop of the sign of the " Three Lions," which is, I believe, also in Fetter-lane. The pri soner asked the landlord if there was a : hooting gallery near where they could throw 'a weight given distance. The landlord said there was not, but that he had a skittle-ground, which would answer the purpose equally well. We all three went into the skittle-ground, where we found an other strange gentleman playing by himself. Alderman Phillips —You appear to have found them all gentlemen. '(Laughter.) Witness—Yes, sir, they were all gentlemen. (Renewed laughter.) The first strange gentleman did not like to interrupt the second stranger, but the prisoner said it did not matter. The first stranger, noticing the skittle ball in the hands of the other, suggested it was made of stone, and bet a sovereign that it was, which he lost. He then made a bet of two sovereigns that he would knock down the nine skittles in three throws. The first throw he hit the ceiling—(laughter)--the second he hit the wall, without touching the pins— (renewed laughter)—and the third time he hit the wall again, the ball knocking down three of th e pins as it fell, and he of course lost his bet. The second stranger asked me why I did not play the first stranger, who represented himself as a gentle man of property, and the prisoner urged me to make a bet of £5 that the gentleman of property— (laughter) —would not knock the skittles down in three times. I said I had no money, and they urged me to pledge my watch and chain, for which I had given £7, upon which a question arose as to its value, and they made a bet between themselves it would not fetch £3 in pawn ; and they asked me to pawn it to settle their wager. I at length con sented to do so, as they said I could redeem it in 20 minutes, but when I returnad with £2 10s., which was all I got on it, they pressed me to make the bet they had previously urged upon me. Alderman Phillips—Had you any money before you pledged your watch ? Witness—No, sir. But they said the gentleman of property did not know that, and as he was sure to lose, it was all the same. I accordingly made the bet, and the gentleman of property knocked the whole of the nine pns down in two throws easily. (Laughter.) He ultimately tried again and knocked them down again in two throws. The stranger we found in the ground pressed me to write a cheque for £5 on any banker and give it to the old fool, meaning the gentleman of property, as he was fresh from the country, and would not know any better, but I refused to do that, as I could not write. He, however, said he would write it for me, and I after wards gave the piece of paper to the gentleman of property, who asked if it was good for £5, and showed it to the landlord, who assured him it was all right. The prisoner then drew me aside and advised me to run for my life, as by taking the ad vice of the second stranger I had committed for gory, and there would be some trouble about that cheque, and I might get seven years' trans portation for it. He got me outside the house and detained me several minutes, advising me to get into the main road as soon as possible. I refused, and said I would go into the ground again to see the other two gentlemen, as I wanted to get my watch back, but he assured me it would be quite safe. I was resolved to return, and when I did I found the two gentlemen were gone. Alderman Phillips—Really, you seem to have fallen into such gentlemanly company that it is difficult to know who you mean when you call them all gentlemen. Did you have any bet with the prisoner ? Witness—No, sir; but he was the one conspiring with the others to get my money. Cross-examined by Mr. Lewis, for the prisoner —lf I could have won I would have accepted the money. I would not have minded the swindle if I had got their money. I first told a policeman in Woolwich, who said I had been picked up by a set of skittle sharps. Alderman Phillips said there was no occasion for Mr. Lewis to address him on the case, as there was no evidence against the prisoner, about whose character he had no doubt, but at the same time there was a looseness about the prosecutor's con, duct not at all to his credit. The prisoner was then discharged. LAMBETH.—THE STRIKE AT THE LONDON GAS COMPANY'S WORKS.—Martin Ryan, one of the stokers lately employed on the works of the London Gas Company, in Lambeth, and at present out on " strike," was brought up on a warrant, and charged before the Hon. G. C. Norton with vio lently assaulting Edward Mackli n , and also with using threats and intimidation to induce him to leave his employment. The complain'ant said that for some time he had 'keen in the employment of the London Gas Com pany as a flue-cleaner, and on Saturday evening THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, AUGUST 16, 1859. last, on leaving off, he went with a fellow-work' man to the King's Arms public-house, to hall some refreshment. The defendant, who was one of the men out on strike at the time, asked him for a pipe of tobacco, which he gave hill' , and he no sooner filled the pipe than he dashed it, on the gro un d, an d no t on l y smas h e d b u t danced on it. He then asked for a second pipe of tobacco, but he (witness) perceiving hiL , object was to pick a quarrel with hi m gave hi m a secon d pipe, an d He this he served i n th e same way as th e fi r st. -" -e then commenced ab us i ng i n gross l angu age, an d iaid that such had no right to work in the factory and keep other men out of employment. Witness told him he had a wife and family to suP; port and could not afford to be idle, and handed him a glass of ale, and afterwards a second glas s with a view of averting'his anger. Defendant, how ever, repeated his abuse, and said if others wer e of the same mind as himself he should cut the guts out of all such persons as him, who kept men out of work, and that as long as they stopped in the factory th e y s h ou ld k now no peace. The de fondant, after thi s , ma d e a rus h at him, and wa s about to strike him on the face, but he threw uP his arms to prote c t hi mse lf , an d rece i ve d t w o violent blows on the chest. Mr. Norton—What are your wages at the file' tory ? Witness—Twenty-four shillings a week, your worship. Mr. Norton—And what had been the wages °f the defendant ? Witness—He was a stoker, and had 295. Mr. Norton—And what did he strike for ? , Witness—An increase of wages , sir. I thin' they wanted 355. a-week, he and the others. Mr. Norton—Was the defendant sober at the time ? Witness—No, sir, he was evidently o the worse Ott drink, and I sa w f rom th e fi rst t h at he wanted. quarrel with me. I f e lt it my d u t y t o acquah l _ t the manager with w h a t h appene d , an d h e sent hiu to this court to apply to your worship for pNt e u e ; tion. I have al wa y s b een ki n dl y trea t e d by to i company, and I felt it to be my duty to do what could for them. William Sly, a fellow-workman, who accon3o - the last witness on Saturday evening, borated his evidence in every particular. Mr. Jones, the chief engineer to the comlnil l ik said that for the last fortnight the neighbourhood ° the factory had been kept in a state of great at: quietude by the conduct of the men who had strue.t and it required the active interference of the polio; to protect the persons who were employed had from the threats and violence of those men who P e thought proper to abandon their work. The coin: pany had made what they conceived concession 10 the stokers by allowing each two pints of beer _ 5 day, and were willing to do anything in reas, l3l ; but the demand they made was so unreasona ble corro that the company could not under any ciren°l stances comply with them, an d th e co nsequenm was a " strike." In reply to the Magistrate's questions, Mr. Jones said the hours of work were nominally 12 hours a ; ac day, but out of th ese th ey were not tually pie r than seven and a h a lf h ours engage d , an d f or these they received 295. a-week. The defendant, in reply to the charge, said he W e l under the influence of drink at the time, and not know what he said or did. Mr. Norton expressed his surprise at the extrem e folly of a class of men w h o were more lib era lly'Pi ll w for their work in this than in any country he kn e ll of, and who for th e i r earn i ngs h ave b ee f or mutt,_ for their dinner s d a ily, a ll ow i ng t h emse l ve s to r e led away by desig n i ng an d i n t eres t e d perso ns. workmen as a class were, i n hi s op i n i on , very W e e . paid, and he contrasted th e i r earnings with the rable pittance allowed the poli ce constables, wf r out of the 24 hou rs were o bli ge d t o b e on duty week' 16 for som e thi ng l ess h e b e li eve d t h a n 20 s . a wee The complainant express e d a h o p e th a t his w° r. ship would, as the present was the defendant's firs t offence, deal as leniently with him as he could. Mr. Norton observed he should very much to do so, provided he saw the defendant sufficien t L conscious of the extreme folly he had been g uilty° r The defendant said h e was very sorry i n deed I e what had taken place, a n d wou ld w illi ng ly resum e his employment if permitted ; but sou Mr. Jones, in reply to the m ag i s t ra t e, sa id he not of himself undertake to promi se any su ch c e ii „ , - ; cession, especially as he had every reason to beli e that the defendant was one o f the most vi° le/1t amongst the turn-outs. it o Mr. Norton said that, in consideration 0 ' r e being the first case, he sho u ld d ea l w ith it 1 13° 0 leniently than the d e f en d an t d eserve d, an d tu iir , was by sentencing him to th ree wee k s ' hard labe"or Mr. Jones begged publicly to express the CO pany's and his own thanks to the pOlice of th e e a division for the va l ua bl e services they had renne , ',4 them since the strike of the men, in preserve i . e ." peace and order, and protecting those on the P mises. COUNTRY MARKETS. COLCHESTER—Aux 13. The business was extremely dull to-day, at the follov 4lll prices : Wheat, white 44s to 52s Beans, Mazagan..3Bs 44. red 40s to 46s I Middle to 40 & small 42s to ,A. 4 Barley 2 Bs t o 40s White peas 4OB to 1.; I Oats 24s to 30s Grey ass t• 4v STAMFORD—AUG. 13. ilivi There was more tone in the wheat trade yesterday, a fair supply, and prices rather better. 30. Wheat ....40s to 4S s O a t s.. 26s -4 ,, 420 ..-- White do 44s to 52s . 36s to 42s Beans 44s to '' 0 Barley Ditto, old ........—s to YORK—AnG. 13. , 0 A good supply of wh ea t, an d the trade rather &le. rather less than the cur renc y o f l ast week. Barley in a rage demand, at late rat es . Fi ne oats barely as deart aiia - secondary sorts stationary. Beans taken in limited cl" — tities at former prices. In peas there was little doing. 260 Wheat .43s to 45s O a t s White do .46s to 48s Beans 483 to o .., Barley .36s to 38s P eas ••••---s t LEICESTER—AuG. 13. There was a good supply of wheat to-day, with a 601 rate show of other grain. Prices—White wheat, 44 s to per 36 stone ; red, 40 s t o 46 5; new red realised 46s per 4j barley, 32s to 40e per quarter; the oat trade wa ves itS at quotations ranging from 28s to 34s per 24 stone. were active, at 48s to 54s per 38 stone. Fine flour, 34s I Seconds, 32s Thirds, 30s per 20 st°ll°. DERBY—AtTG, 13. : 1 , fold There was a fair show of wheat to-day, which gar slowly, at is to 2s over late rates. Little barley on ° d 0 at previous prices. The trade in oats was slow, 0 ,400 recent currencies. Beans in small supply, and the P — bot steady. Farmers have made great progress this weekL t so they complain that wheat and barley are not turning 0 " well as was at one time expected. White wheat, n ew , 50 s to 5 1s Barley, grinding.. 288 to 3 35 Red do. 46s to 48s Oats, old, • 2 8 0 t 0304 Old white 47 s to 5 4s New do 28s 10 60 Red do. 44s to 48s Beans 4Bs t ° ..4 Barley, malti ng . — I 38s to 40s Beans, new —s to KIRKA We had small supplies only one parcel of barley. prices of last week. Wheat (N). Barley (N). First.... 41s Od 28s 6d Second .. 433 Od —s Od Third .. 47s 6d —s Od First Od Wheat (0). Barley (0). .... —s —s Od Second.. —s Od —5 Od Third .. —s Od —s Od DY—AuG. 13. the to-day of wheat and oat s + Sales slow at 6d to is under Oats (N)• 22s 6d 25s 6d 27s 3d Oats (0)• —s 04 _; Od --s dO COAL MART (Prices of Coal per Ton at :ET—Aua. 15. the close of the market.) s. d. Clark's West Hartley l4 6 Bates' West Hartley 13 6 Walker Primrose 12 0 Lambert's West Hart- Walls End. 0. de 3 Haswell l l4 0 3 Kelloe Belrin n t Rartlepoo . l. 2O 20 0 Birehgrove Graigola • 14 0 Bell .. 6 Whitworth . . ......... 0 Nixon's Duffryn ..... ‘ ,l Powell's Dullry n Steam t, 22 —Sold, 19. ley 15 0 Davison's West Hart- ley _ 15 0 Eden Main 15 6 Howard's West Hart- ley 15 0 Ships at mark. BIRTHS. BARRETT.—On the 14th i ns t ., at Ewell, Surrey, rim ' I3Ar‘ rett, of a daughter. E v ILL.—On the 15th inst., at Lyncombe flouse, St. S t. °ll/I r ,„ , hill, Battersea-rise, Mrs. William Evill, of a daue -1.10. HOLLAND.—On the 14th inst. , Ashburne, the H on. Frederick Holl an d , of a son. POLLARD.—On th e 14th inst., the wif e o f E. W. Follo4 M.R.C.S.E., Brornpton-square, S.W., of a son. MARRIAGES, DICK—SMITHERS.—On the 13th inst., at the parish cli o ,rt.r Brighton, James D. Dick, son of Sir Charles Dick, to Josephine, younger daughter of B. Smithers, -n s n e it TURNER—DOHERTY. —On the 11th inst., at il ai ldest Church, Middlesex, 'William James T urner , Esq. e ; to son of Willi am T urner, Esq., of Santa Lucia, Nol,",ielate Elizabeth L aura, t h e only surviving daughter of tue Right Hon. Lord Chief Justice Doherty. DEATHS. BOWLES —On the 12th inst., at Worthing, - breY Bowles, Esq., aged 77. DOWNWARD.—On the 12th inst., Thomas Dos`"' ar dr Esq., of Bathafern-park, Denbighshire, aged 7 5 . A O' GITTHRIE.—On the 13 t h i ns t ., at Clifton, Charles Gar" Guthrie, Esq., aged 42. HAmmoNn.—On the 13th i ns t ., at Priston Rectory, dear Bath, the Rev. John Hammond, aged 70. jeltO HILL—At his r es id ence , 17 , S eymour -street, B a th, Hill, Esq., aged 78. INGLEFIELD.—On thu 14th inst., at Caversham, —eadingt Major Inglefield, aged 25. - --- —-- - 0 - (1 - LONDON : Printed and P u bli s h e d b y MURDO Y- - 14°' ig, of No. 112, Strand, P r i n t er , a t T he Sun Office, 1 0 ' ' o f Strand, in the Precinct of th e S avoy, I n the contit9 Ai iddlooex, Tuesday, August 16, 1859.