The Sun. — London, England, 1844-12-24 00:00:00

o~~~* selves and their successors, but in the new Board in tresee : for the use of the same class of pers'Ons, under the ienornination of 'Roman Catholic Ministers of a dissie e duly appointed thereto, and continuing to be tLe itornan Catholic Minister of such district, accord 'e the laws, discipline, and constitution of the I. in Catholic Church.' Hitherto there was no ion of any other class but the secular clergy, for ive • benefit only this concession was intended. But when, in the progress of the Bill, a general power was granted of vesting property in the new Baird, for the purpose of building, enlarging, uphold ing, or furnishing any chapel or place of religious worship, of persons professing the Roman Catholic reli gion, it was discovered that this provision would stretch the benefit of the Act beyond its original object, and extend it to the religious orders, for whom it had not been solicited; and recourse was, therefore, had to the unfortunate expedient of excluding them by name from a participation in it; and that, too, by a form of expression which, at first sight, was calcu lated to alarm. But that no new restriction was sought thereby to be imposed upon them is quite clear from the following explanatory clause, contained in the 22e1 section, whereby it is enacted, that nothing herein contained shall be taken to avoid or render un lawful any donation, devise, or bequest, which but fcr this Act would be rendered lawful ; except as to the time within which the deed, will, or instrument containing such donation, devise, or bequest, for pious or charitable uses, hereinbefore required to be exe cuted and registered. The above limitation with re spect to time, to which I will hereafter refer, affects every Catholic and Protestant in the land, as directly us it does the members of religious orders. In every other respect they remain precisely as they were be fore. They receive no new concession through the Act; nor are they subjected by it to any new die ability. " But is it not true that the Commissioners of the new Board, even bishops, if they should accept the office, would be bound in virtue of that office to carry into effect, not only the spirit, but the letter of a penal law, against the religious orders? No. Their office does not even invest them with any such odious power. " God forbid that any bishop, or any one deserving the name of Catholic, would accept the degrading office of carrying into effect a penal law against those venerated labourers in the sacred ministry, who dis charge with edification all the duties of virtuous citi zns, and whose only crime in the eye of the law is, :hut they bind thrnselves by vow to aspire to the ratti er ef the most exalted virtue, by the faithful . (se of the evangelic a l counsels, in addition to that of the ordinary precepts of the divine law. Fif teori ears ago, when those penal clauses, of which :s now question, were introduced into an Act, eleicii enslaved them, whilst it set others free, the eeeular clergy of Dublin, myself included, were not slow in petitioning Parliament, with a view to avert that l'Oreatened injustice. We did not succeed. But es long as those clauses shall continue to disgrace the et - us:lite hook, far from attempting to enforce them, we shall be anxious, on every suitable occasion, to petiron for their repeal. And since the attention of oar rulers has been now called to the degrading posi tion in which an unjust law has placed those merito rious men, it may not, perhaps, be t oo muc h t o h ope, that the Legislature may be induced to restore them, by an act of wisdom, as well as justice, to the enjoy ment of those civil rights which they have done nothing to forfeit. " Having had occasion to mention the limitation of time within which bequests of land, for charitable purposes, would he valid, I cannot avoid expressing my deep concern that such a general limitation has been established. Had it been confined, as it was in the original form of the Bill, to bequests for the service of our Church, I would never utter a word of of against it, because I do not desire that our Church should be enriched by the possession of ex tensive lands. But when I find it extended also to bequests for the poor, I cannot but consider it as an undue interference with the dominion of God over his own gifts, an attempt to limit the operation of his command to ' give alms' (Luke, xi. 41.), and an un holy instrument for disturbing the peace of a penitent soul, when about to render an account of its abused stewardship before the throne of justice. It is true we have been taught how to obviate the injurious effects of this mischievous clause, by charging lands, to any amount they may be worth, with bequests for charitable purposes in money. But this does not remove my objection to it. or besides the embar rassment and the danger of litigation which might arise from this circuitous mode of conveyance, I hold it to be unwise to leave on the statute-book a law which has the appearance of contravening the law of God, and which, therefore, a virtuous Christian might consider it a conscientious duty to endeavour to evade. " But notwithstanding the partial blemishes which tend to render this Act unpopular, who can look into it with an unprejudiced eye and not perceive, that it confers on us advantages of the very highest value ? It places our charities precisely in the state in which we ourselves wished to have them placed four years ago, and it gives us the power of vesting property without trouble or expense in perpetual security for procuring glebes for our clergy, and for building, en larging, and upholding, or furnishing, our places of religious worshie. The same privilege, it is true, has not been extended to the religious orders. This is to he lamented ; but it had not been solicited for them. They remain, however, as they were before. A limited Mortmain Act, which cramps, in some measure, the bestowing of landed property for chari table purposes, has, it is true, been established; but it lifiecs Protestants, as well as us, and is much :pore limited than that which affects the Protestants of England. Means too have been pointed out, by w hie') its effects may be counteracted. In cases of doutir, as to who is the authorised priest, for whom doeation or legacy may be intended, the usages and discipline of our Church are, for the present, pla,e ; under the guardianship of your own bishops, Who will be able, with the blessing of God, to have a rule established, whereby, in all such cases, the certi ficate of the diocesan bishop shall be taken as conclu iive evidence. " Thus have you obtained, by this abused Act, im portant benefits, compared with which its defects are of hut little moment. And yet, surprising as it must appear, denunciations of the most awful nature have been poured out unsparingly against those who, with tint any hope of earthly remuneration, but the con sciousness of doing good, undertake the meritorious task of carrying into effect the beneficent objects which it contemplates. Let us hope, that more atten tive reflection on the nature of their office will gra dually dissipate the prejudices which exist most unde servedly against it. But should this not be the case; should those who, at the expense of time and labour, undertake this work of mercy, be made the objects of ungenerous vituperation, and motives which they abhor he imputed to them, conscious that, in this re spect they have nothing in view but the interests of that holy religion for the safety of which they would be ready to sacrifice their lives, they will calmly look up to the Great Searcher of Hearts who knows the purity of their intentions, and confiding in his merci ful guidance they will pursue their onward course, cheered by the reflection, that He who went about doing good ;' Ile whose whole life was one continue series of the most exalted benevolence; the :ever blessed Jesus himfelf, did not escape the breath of calumny. The servant is not greater than his master. (John xv. 20.) "You will readily believe, beloved brethren, how afflicting it must be to me to observe, that the various views which ha ve b een t a k en of this subject, have caused dissensions to spring up in this hitherto united flock ; and that differences of opinion, which are perfectly lawful on all free questions. have, on this occasion, been sometimes expressed in language which charity would not sanction. I know that in your differences you have had but one object in view, the interests of our holy religion; and that you differ only as to the means best suited for promoting them. When the plain facts, which I have placed before you, shall be calmly v i ewe d i n t h e presence of God, I venture to hope that the dangers which some have dreaded from the recent Act, will be found to be visionary ; and that the temporary differences of opi nion which it has produced, will gradually die away, without leaving any mutual jealousies or embittered feelings after them, so that loving one another with the charity of brotherhood,' (Rev. xii. 10) you may with one mind and with one mouth glorify God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.' (Rom. xv. 6.) You are united in faith; you love your religion. But remember that charity is that queen of virtues which religion cherishes above every other, and with out which faith itself would be of no avail. For if I speak with the tongues of men and angels,' said St. Paul, and have not charity, lam become as sound ing brass, or a tinkling cymbal. . . . and if I ehould have all f a ith, so th a t I could remove moun tains, and have not charity, lam nothing. And if I should distribute all my goods to feed the poor, and if I should deliver my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.' (1 Cor. xiii. 1, &c.) conclude with the words of the same apostle—. 1 7, ,r.: he rest brethren—he perfect, take exhortation, be of one mind, have peace, and the God of peace and of love shall be with you. . . The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the charity of God, and the er , mmunication of the Holy Ghost be with you all. Amen.' (2 Cor. xiii. , 11, &c.) " Mountjoy-square." "X D. MURRAY. " Porrscairr.—Copy of a resolution adopted at general meeting of the Roman Catholic Archbishops and Wshops of Ireland, held in Marlborough-street, on Saturday, the 16th of November, 1844. " Moved by the Most Rev. Dr. Crolly, seconded by the Right Rev. Dr. Egan Resolved—That as the Prelates have taken different views of the New Charita ble Bequeste\Act, it is the opinion of this meeting that every Frelate be left at perfect liberty to act according to the dictates of his own conscience, respecting that I measure. "1 0 4 M. SLATTERY, Chairman. LAUB. O'DONNELL, Secretary."' TFIE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 24, 1844 DEPARTURF. OF MR. O'CONNZLI..—At three o'clock yesterday afternoon Mr. O'Connell left his rosidenc , . in Merrion-square for Darrynane Abbey, in order to pass the Christmas with the members of his family there as sembled. Mr. O'Connell intends to leave the Abbey on the 16th of January, on his return to Dublin. Mr. Smith O'Brien, M.P., has arrived in Dublin, from Dromoland, county Clare, the seat of his brother, Sir Lucius O'Brien, Bart. The Hon. Gentleman will attend the meeting of the Repeal Association on Monday. IRISH ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH. The Evening Pest says—" We have seen a letter from Rome, written by a distinguished ecclesiastic, dated Dec. 2, from which we take the following passage : " Reports are spread here to the effect that the Bri tish Government are seeking for the right of nominating Bishops in Ireland. Such a move is possible enough. However, we may place full trust in the Pope, who has always been attached to Ireland'." THE CHARITABLE BEQUESTS BILL. Deeply, seriously do we mourn over the triumph which the Government have gained over the Church of God. For a time they have succeeded in binding three Prelates of that Church to the chariot wheels of the State. This is a cause of mournful regret to every Catholic in the kingdom. We certainly were of opinion that the three digni fied Prelates whose names are now before the world as the sanctioners of this insidious measure, the fruit of Protestant and anti-Catholic legislation, would not have accepted the power of administering that mea sure, until it had been weeded of all its most dan gerous clauses. It has been said that Dr. Murray, in reply to a deputation that waited on him from the Regular Order of the Clergy, admitted that there were certain modifications required, and which he himself judged necessary to the right work ing of the Act. Our surprise is, that Dr. Murray, who must be supposed, even without this declara tion, to be intimately conversant with the open and palpable as well as the hidden dangers to the Catholic Church, should accept office under an Act which no man, save perhaps an O'Malley, has had the hardi hood to approve cf in its present shape. We are poor judges of what becomes the dignity of a bishop, but our opinion is, that, laying all other considerations aside, it would be more politic for one of the most re vered dignitaries of the Church of the unbroken erarchy to have positively and decidedly refused office from the Government until the Bequests Act— so intimately affecting the independence of his Church —had been freed from clauses to which he, as well as the great body of the clergy and laity, conscien tiously objected. Now, Dr. Murray, Dr. Crolly, and Dr. Denvir have taken office under the Act as it is, with all its imperfections on its head, relying on the honesty of Sir Robert Peel, and confiding in the good faith of a n an t i -I r i s h an d anti-Catholic Govern ment I Did these exalted Prelates refuse offize until the Act had been purged of its insults and its snares, the Government would strike in a moment, for "a catholic Bishop at any price" is the policy of a Ca binet whose greatest "difficulty" is Catholic Ireland. To our mind, this acceptance of office, for the adini nistration of a confessedly dangerous and imperfect law, is more precipitate than becomes the grave deli beration of members of the most august body in the community. We have repeatedly shown that the regular orders of the clergy, to whom the Catholic Church in Ireland is so everlastingly indebted, are struck off, at one blow, from even the sancti on an d ac k now l e d gmen t of this nefarious law—that they are placed beyond the pale of its provisions —that the insult sand base in dignities of the so-called Catholic Relief Act are sanc tioned and perpetrated by one accursed clause, which, as it were, outlaws the purest, the best, the most learned men in the Church of God. Against this injustice, this foul wrong, this undeserved stigma, the secular clergy and the majority of the hierarchy have spoken out in the voice of indignation. Why not? Is not the insult to one order an insult to another ? Is not a danger to one a danger to another? When the one branch of the great tree is lopped off by the spoiler, is there saf e ty f or th e o th er ? If the Church of God yield one step to the force or the fraud of her hereditary oppressors, is not her power of further resistance weakened, her prestige broken ? It is this fear, no less than the gratitude which the whole Church feels towards an order illustrious for its services as eminent for its virtues, that now binds our Church to one bond of fraternity and union, and raises a mighty voice of indignant remonstrance throughout the land. We might, were we so inclined, point out the in dignity offered to the Catholic prelates whose vene rated names we, as Catholics, regret to see paraded in the columns of a Government Gazette—the in sulting difference between " The Most Rev. John George, Lord Archbishop of Armagh, and Primate of all Ireland"—and " The Most Rev. Archbishop, William Crolly." But it is not about such trifles that we seek to arrest the attention of our readers ; it is of the principle of the act we complain—it is for the iniquitous provisions we have fear—it is for what we regard as the fatal entrapping of three of our Prelates in the meshes of a Protestant and hostile Government, that we mourn. Oh, the history of our struggles and triumphs is glorious in its lesson of firmness and fortitude ! When the altars of God were defiled, even in the name of that Great Being; when the bishop was hunted down by the bloodhound of an accursed law; %hen the priest fled to the cave and the mountain, to offer up the holy sacrifice, of the mass in dark ness, or under the arching canopy of Heaven ; when transportation and death were words familiar to the ear of the minister of religion—even then there was less fear for the independence of that Church, whose first struggles were in the bloody arcna, and whose foundations were bathed in the life-tide of its martyrs, than there is now, when, amidst the approval and re verence of the world, it is threatened by the vile contamination of a Protestant State. Riy that threatened danger be soon averted by the det'rinined union of the clergy and the laity.—Cork Examiner. SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS. PEON THE EVENING PAPERS OF TRW/ERDAL GLOBE.—The landlords—ever on the alert to serve themselves—are devising means to obtain a large slice of the surplus revenue which the incomes. tax and the Chinese compensation money have placed at the disposal of' the Minister. Not satisfied with even this sacrifice of the general interests at their shrine, they, by indirect attempts, would willingly fasten the income-tax in perpetuity unpon the en tire nation, if, by so doing, they could obtain the removal of the malt-tax. The increased consump tion of barley would—so the landlords calculate— enable the farmers to cultivate the growth of that article at a profit commensurate with high rents. Thus the landowners' incomes would, they are led to hope, remain untouched by the tariff and the Cana. dian Corn Bill of the Government, which threaten to lower agricultural prices, and consequently to peril rents. The farmers have not, it is true, responded with their usual unquestioning alacrity to their land lords' call. They evidently begin to suspect that the reciprocity of interest on which the landowners expatiate at agricultural dinners, is a mere one -sided reciprocity : that, whatever changes take place, the advantages to be derived from them are engrossed by the landlords, who avail themselves of them as a pretext for raising rents; while the losses they occasion are left to be borne by the farmer, without compensation and with out consolation--except, indeed, effusions of wordy condolence, and exhortations to hope. But whether the farmers will second , the movement against the malt-tax, or regard it as a landlords' question, there is little reason to doubt that the landed interests will employ all their influence with the Government, and use all their power in the Legislature, to obtain the object on w hi c h th ey h ave set their hearts. It becomes necessary, therefore, to guard the public generally against this contem plated movement of the landed interests. It should be met by a counter demonstration from the great body of the community. The whole scope and ten dency of legislation in former Parliaments bears evidence of the sleepless vigilance with which the landlords have employed their power in Parliament for their own exclusive advantage. Under one pre text or another, successive Parliaments have yielded themselves to this powerful interest ; and have so shaped their enactments as, on the one hand, to exempt the landed interests from bearing their fair share of taxation ; and on the other, to fetter the free operations of trade and commerce by restrictive duties, in order that the produce of the soil might be protected against that of foreign growth. Every attempt to diminish taxation by reducing duties on the importation of agricultural produce from foreign States, and even from our own Colonies, has been invariably resisted by the landowners. It; on the other hand, a new tax was to be levied, the force of the landed interest has been in voked to obtain either an entire exemption, or a partial relief, from its operation. The foundation of this claim set up by the landed interest to special fa vour in the distribution of taxation, is uniform; it is, nevertheless, fallacious. Its success affords a striking illustration of what falsehood, if persevered in, will effect both on those who employ, and those who habi tually listen to it. " The peculiar burdens borne by land," is the statement put forth, and—in the face of facts which demonstrate its utter ground lessness—admitted to a considerable extent by those who, if they do not, ought to know better. This argument—false and selfish as it is—will be again used, as it has often been used within the walls of Parliament. In the appeal which will be made for the removal of the malt duty it will be put forth by the advocates of the landed interests as the basis of the claim. When pressed for proof of the assertion, that land is disproportionately burdened —that it has taxes exclusively or peculiarly its own —the answer is ready. " The land-tax is," say they, " a burden peculiar to land, as its very name imports." What, then, are the facts of the case ? If it can he shown that this, the strong-hold of the landed inte rests in their defence of claims to exemption on the one hand, and to protection on the other, is untenable, their case, as against the community, is overthrown. Let us then look on the land-tax question, with a view to ascertain whether it be capable of serving the landlords in the way in which they have employed it. Sir John Sinclair, in his work on the Revenue, esti mates that when the land-tax was first imposed in the reign of William the Third, and during the reign of that monarch, the amount contributed to the Exche quer was 34 per cent. upon the entire revenue—being more than one-third of the whole taxation of the country. Mr M'lntyre, in his " Influence of Aristo cracies on the Destinies of Nations," gives the same estimate. Speaking of the state of England, in the reign of William of Orange, he says—" More than a fourth of the public revenue was derived from the land-tax. At that time the whole of the revenue was about 4,600,0001., of which the tax on land was about 1,300,0001." No fact is better capable of demonstra tion than that, since the close of the 17th century, land has increased, in the ratio of productiveness, to a greater extent than any other description of property. The incomes of the landlords have been doubled, trebled, quadrupled within the last half century. The sites of large towns, and the land in their neighbour hoods, have, in several instances, increased them twenty-fold, thirty-fold, sixty-fold. Reasoning by analogy, land-tax should have borne an increase pro portioned to the increased revenue requ'red for the ser vices of' the Government. How stands the fact ? In the year 1842, the total amount ofrevenue was 52,000,00 W., to which the land-tax contributed 1,200,0001. The land-tax redeemed since 1798 ought to be added to this, seeing the annual payment was sold for a value equal to it. If this be done, the land-tax ought to be taken at about 2,000,0001. What, then, becomes of the landlords' stock argument, that the land-tax is a burden so heavy that it ought to procure for land an exemption from the fair proportion of the public taxation, and protection for the produce of the soil at the expense of the consumers ? A third at the very utmost, has been added to the land-tax ; while the common taxes have been increased nearly twelve times in amount within the same period ; and this, notwithstandin g the vast increase in the produc tiv-ness of land would have justified a proportionate augmentation of the tax which is referred to as its peculiar burden, in consideration of which it has a claim to exemption on the one hand, and to protection on the other! STANDARD.—We publish to-day another letter from the Bishop of Exeter, the first composition of the Right Rev. Lord that we have ever printed with re gret. The letter, which is addressed to the Dean of Exeter, might, we think, as a whole, have been spared, without any injury to the Bishop, or to the peace of the Church. Even supposing Dr. Bull and Chan cellor Martin to have acted wrong in calling on the public to arbitrate in the division between them and their diocesan, surely it was not necessary for the Bishop to imitate the conduct which he condemns. When a . party challenges an umpire as incotn petent to judge between him and his adversaries, a simple protest is his proper course ; and there is a manifest inconsistency in arguing before the offered arbitrator, to convince him that he is incapable of judg ing of an argument, if not unworthy to be addressed. Besides, the general objection to such a letter as we publish, there are particular objections which we cannot overlook, but which we cannot notice without great pain. In the first place, in this new letter—as through the whole of the unhappy controversy in his diocese—the Bishop, certainly from no want of can dour—for a more candid or honourable man does not lire—but, probably, because attending more than is fitting to details, leaves altogether on one side the real cause of discontent—the innovation in doctrine, with which the attempted innovations in practice are connected, and of which they are the symbol. We believe that there is not a single in• stance, except, perhaps, his Lordship himself, in which a clergyman, not more or less fa vourable to the Tractarian heresy, has taken an active part in promoting the innovations. In the second place, the Bishop, in his letter to the Dean of Exeter, seems to brand as schismatics all of the clefgy and laity, that is nineteen-twentieths of the whole body of the Church, who offer a respectful, but firm resistance, to the changes introduced by the Tractarians. Now this, we humbly- submit, is most unjust. Besides the manifest impropriety in lan guage of calling the compact and immensely preponde rating majority of any body separatists from that body, more than mere separation is necessary to constitute schism. Schism must be active and aggres sive, if there be any meaning in language ; here it is applied to what is passive and inert. This the Apos tle very clearly points out in his warning to the Roman converts, to mark and condemn the makers of schism. "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which you have learned, and avoid them." ' Now here, we have described as clearly as words can describe schismatics—they who cause divi sions. We have here no less clearly described heretics —they who cause offences contrary to the doctrine which you have learned. And if a man were required to describe the leaders of the Tractarian move ment, he could not describe them with more truth and precision. No less, too, than the de scription of the offenders is the solemn in junction " to avoid them ;" but if to avoid such ; la in ces th of e p c u i b ty lic an m d ,or i s n hi t p, the constitutes fied is St. Paul a teacher of sc hi sm . In the third place, l above a y e s c h all, we must, with sorrow, object to the time when, and the circumstances under which, the Right Rev. Lord advances the authority of the Church. This, we con fess, is what we feared all along from the most un happy controversy. The people have long and earnestly invoked the authority of the Church MIDLAND CIRCUIT. —Lincoln, Dec. 20. to relieve the m f rom th e pest il en t h eresy t h at h as ; (Before Mr. Justice ParrEsost.) poisoned the minds of too many of the young and . The principal part of the day was columned in trying The for the concealment of birth and assaults upon uninformed ; but the Church has not answered to the call. The only authority that has as , f ema les. yet condemned the Tractarian heresy is the Uni- I Of the former Jane Covey, ag e d t we nty-f our , Fanny versity of thaOrd. Highly to the honour of that ancient seat of learning and of sound religion, it has done its duty ; but it has not been very zealously seconded by the Church, if, as has been said, we hope untruly, the person silenced at Oxford for heretical preaching was almost immediately after his merited disgrace invited by a Bishop to his diocese, and invited to preach there, doubtless, the very same doctrines which had caused him to be punished in the University. Be this, however, as it may, the people have complained, if not loudly or dis respectfully, still universally, and earnestly com plained of the seeming connivance of the Bishops at the advances of the Tractarian heresy, because the law has not been put in force to reduce the false teachers to silence. The complaint has been, we believe, so far unjust that the bishops, whatever their nominal authority, have really no available power to repress the dissemination of false doctrines. £his want of power in the bishops is then their real defence, we think their only imaginable defence, against the connivance too generally imputed to them. Is it then wise, is it courteous, to the Christian people to make a display of power in pampering and encouraging the Tractarian schismatics when the bishops are obliged to throw themselves for their defence upon their want of power to repress the Tractarian heresy 'What will the people—what can the people—think of the use (and this is a utilitarian age) of a power which is impotent for the protection of those Protestant Gospel truths which they cherish, and can be exercised only when the enemies of these precious and highly prized truths are to be gratified by its exercise. Thorpe, aGred twenty-seven, and Rebecca Costingtor, f, were convicted of the offence of concealing the births of their bastard children. We do not publi,h the details, tut the Learned Judge, after pointedly alluding to the serious offence the prisoners had committed, sentenced Ii Anny Thorpe to two years' imprisonment and hard labour, and the two other females each to twelve months' im prisonment and hard labour. Joseph Sharpe, aged twenty-three, was charged with having, on the 3d of September, at Barrowlsy, com mitted a capital assault on a married woman named Mary Leeson. The facts were few. It appeared that, on the day in question, the husband of the prosecutrix being absent from his home longer than was expected, his wife be came apprehensive, and went in search of him. The prisoner accompanied her, and when only two hundred yards from the cottage ii which the Leesons lived, threw her down, and, according to the evidence of Mrs. Lee son, completed his purpose. The jury found him guilty of the common assault only, and the judge sentenced him to twelve months' imprisonment and hard labour. The calendar, which contains but two or three cases of any interest, is likely to begot through with on Saturday. NORFOLK CIRCUIT. Norwich, Dec. 2 The County Court was opened at an early hour to day, to enable his Lordship to pass sentence upon the several prisoners convicted, either by verdict or confes sion, of arson. Accordingly Rutland, Dye, Medlar, Rump, Parker, the two Quantrells, Baker, the two boys, Harvey and Lessams, who as well as Parker pleaded guilty, and Jane Watts, having been placed at the bar, Mr. Justice WILLIAMS, with great earnestness of voice and solemnity of manner, proceeded to discharge that which he could not but feel to be a most unwel come duty. The exhibition now before him was most painful to his mind, coming as it did so close upon a recent penal example, in which he had borne a part, in the adjoining county of Suffolk. It had been hoped that the example and exhibition then made would have tended to diminish and check the commission of a crime which, in his (Mr. Justice Williams's) opinion, ranked next in atrocity to that of murder, being one which resulted from a settled determination to do wrong, and was attended, moreover, by no benefit to any single human creature, while it in flicted incalculable injury on those whose property was destroyed, and, indeed, on all the labouring class too. In one of the cases now before him, a witness had well said that " a fire would be a bad job for we labourers," and if persons of that rank in society would but think seriously on the subject, he was sure they would all come to the same conclusion. His Lordship having then briefly adverted to th e di st i ngu i s hi ng features o the charges against the several prisoners, proceeded to sen tence all the men, and Parker (who had pleaded guilty to two indictments), to transportation for 15 years, but adjudged to the boys, Harvey and Lessams, in conside ra•ion of their .extreme youth, imprisonment for one and two months respectively ; and to Jane Watts, whose case was of so singular a character as to induce the jury to believe that she must have been mad, the like punishment for 12 months. Ills Lordship then adjourned to the Guildhall, where three prisoners awaited him. Of these cases the follow. ing alone was worty of notice : Lucy Thorpe, aged thirty, was indicted for the wilful murder of her illegitimate child Mr. Palmer appeared for the prosecution, and the pri soner was defended by Mr. W. Cooper. From the evidence of Mrs. Roll, whose husband keeps the Dove Inn, in this city, and her daughter, if appeared that the prisoner came in August last and demanded lodgings fur herself and a child aged two years. Her size even then attracted the notice of Mrs Roll, but on her asserting that she was not enceinte she obtained her object. Towards the end of a month her landlady's ste.- picions were again roused by her increased bulk, but she positively denied the charge, with more solemnity than truth, for in a few days she gave biro to the being whose fate was the object of this inquiry. It appeared that on the night of the 10th of September, the prisoner had for her bed-fellows her little boy and a (laughter of her land lady, aged fifteen. According to the testimony of this girl, they passed the night as usual till six o'clock with out any disturbance ; but ut that hour she was awoke by the noise of a baby crying. On getting up, she she saw the prisoner dressed and walking about the room. She then went out to get some water, and on her return was seen to wipe up setae blood which was on the floor. Immediately after the noise was heard by the witness, when the prisoner knelt clown by the bed-side, and pulled the curtains clew down. Her son, who was also awake, then asked his mother, " what that noise was?" to which she replied, " that it must be some bird," and then got into bed again. The witness then got up, and, having acquainted her mother with the transactions of the night, an inquiry was made, which resulted in the discovery of the dead body of a fine male child under the bed, and covered up with towels. A surgeon having been called in, certain marks were discovered on the neck of the poor thing which led to this charge ; but, it being impossible for the medical witnesses to-day to de cide whether they were to be attributed to accident during delivery, or to design, The jury were directed to Acquit the prisoner, without any defence being gone into. With this case the first Norfolk Winter Assize may be said to have terminated ; fur, soon after its close, all parties concerned therein, from high to low, having packed up their bags, briefs, and b o di es , went their way across the market-place, rejoicing, no doubt. that the festivities appropriate to the ensuing week were not to be broken in upon and marred by any unwelcome and close coi.taminaition with vice and poverty—those fruit ful sources of that wretched thing, a heavy calendar. OXFORD ClRCUlT.—Storfford, Dec. 20. (Before Mr. Justice COLTMAN.) At the sitting of the Court this morning., the Learned Judge directed Joseph Penn (who, on Wednesday last, had been convicted of the manslaughter of Prudence Hughes, at Sedgley) to be placed at the bar where upon, his Lordship sail, "You have been found guilty, upon the clearest possible evidence, of the manslaughter of Prudence Hughes. The jury, by their verdict, have evidently taken a mast merciful view of your case, and have acquitted you of the more serious crime of murder. The sentence of the Court is, that you be transported for the term of ten years." John Sherri, an account of whose trial,'together with that of Miss littilton and Mr. Hildreth, fur the conceal ment of the birth of a child, has already appeared in our columns, was again placed at the bar, under an in dictment for using a certain in,trutnent on the 19th and 23d of October last, at the parish of Wolverhampton, with intent to procure the miscarriage of Miss Jaue Railton, a young lady. The prisoner pleaded Not Guilty. Mr. 13eadon appeared for the prosecution, and stated the facts of the case clearly and concisely to the jury. Miss Banton was then called several times as a witness against the prisoner; but as she did not come into Court for that purpose, the Judge ordered her recognisance to be estrr sued. Mr. BEADON then observed that it would be needless for him to proceed with the case during the abs-nee of so material a witness, and the Learned Judge directed the jury to acquit the prisoner, upon which he was dis charged from custody. Matthew Leach was then arraigned for cutting and wounding Win. Skinner, with intent to do him some grievous bodily harm, on the 2d of last September. Mr. Beaden appeared for the prosecution; Mr. Neale for the prisoner. The evidence adduced tended to show that the prose cutor and some other men were together drinking in a public-house at Sedgley, when the prisoner suddenly came in and tried to take Skinner's pipe from his mouth. This gave rise to a quarrel which ended in an inter change of blows. Both the prisoner and the prosecutor fell to the ground, and a jug which Leach had in his hand was smashed against the ground. On picking up the prosecutor he was found to have received a severe cut on the back of his neck. For the defence it was contended that the injury was inflicted by a broken fragment of the jug. The jury found a verdict of Not Guilty. John Given, Mary Gavan, and Margaret Muchintyre (natives of the sister kingdom) were indicted for stab bing James Coyne and Hobert Coyne, with intent to do them some grievous bodily harm, at Wolverhampton, on the 25th of August last. Mr. Yardley appeared for the prosecution. The prisoners were undefended. James Coyne, a labourer, stated that between eleven and twelve o'clock on the night of the 25th of August, he, with his wife and brother, were returning home along Stafford-street, Wolverhampton. They had arrived within twenty yards of their house, when they passed James Gavan and other persons standing in the street. Prosecutor said, Good night, lads." John Gavan put out his leg to throw prosecutor down. lie escaped, how ever, but just as he had passed the party, he felt a knife running into his left arm. He turned round and seized John Gavan.. They wrestled, and the prosecutor re ceived a cut on the chin with a knife. His wife ran for the police. He received tour cuts on the arm, and two on the chin. Prosecutor did not know any of the other persons. Ellen Coyne, the prosecutor's wife, corroborated her husband's testimony, and saw Mary Gavan make a blow at witness's husband with a knife. Her husband was on the ground at the time, and kicked off the blow with his foot. Bridget Coyne said that she saw John Gavan with a knife in his hand, with which he stabbed the prosecutor. Michael Steaart, inspector of police, saw the prose• cutor shortly after the occurrence. He was covered with blood. Witness then apprehended John Gavan, Mr. Edward Francis Dehane, surgeon,Welverhampton, described the nature of the wounds the prosecutor had re ceived. They were such as might be inflicted with a knife. The jury found the prisoner, John Gavan, Guilty of a common assault, and the Learned Judge sentenced him to be imprisoned twelve calendar months to hard labour. The female prisoners were acquitted. James Thompson, Benjamin Moore, and James Mar chant, were indicted for feloniously wounding Thomas Westwood, on the Ist of June, at Kingswinford. Mr. lluddlestone and Mr. Woolrych appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. Neale for the defence.. The prosecutor, who is a glass-maker, had been very cruelly ill-treated by three men, when returning home from his work on the evening in question. The prisoners were not clearly identified as the parties who had com mitted the outrage, upon which they were acquitted. At about half-past four o'clock on Friday the business of the winter assize fer this county closed, having lasted altogether about eleven days. With the last trial here the present Oxford Circuit terminated. The cases which came before the Learned Judge on this occasion were almost all of a very serious character, and the number of prisoners was far greater than was anticipated; although, however, several of the charges against them w ere of a capital nature, only two men have been left by Mr. Jus tice Coltman for execution. CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT SENTENCES. Sub:oined are the principal sentences which were pass,d upon the prisoners convicted in the three Courts at the late session t Banishment.—Th* undernamed were sentenced to be transported beyond the sea for the terms named--- For Serer. Years—Mary Davison, J. Prastly, J. James, C. Heath, T. James, J. Sandfoul, G. T. Sanders, G. Haines, T. Maile, J. Barnes, G. Sweeny (19), T. Brown. Ten Years—T. Lucas alias W. Tupping, G. Welch,T. Nl‘Phon, Sarah Diprose, E. Edwards, T. Miney, A. Wil son, C. Drake, W. Tefford, H. Barrett, T. G. Batley. Fourteen Years—NV. Hill. Fifteen Years—G. Palmer. Life—W. Burgess, for the Bank robbery. Imprisonment.—The following convicts were ordered to be imprisoned in the Houses of Correction for the counties in which their offences were committed, with the adjunct of hard labour. Two Years—J. Greenhall, E. Elbury. One Year—L. Mayon, T. Kemp, Leah Mary Roper, Charlotte Kemp, G. Molloy, H. Hiller, W. Trudge, T. Turner, T. Leech, G. Reeves, W. Cox, G. Ryan, M. Noon, B. Ewen, W. Key. Nine Months—W. Contrail, E. Challis. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. (YESTERDAY.) UNIO N- HA LI— HOUSE BREAKING.— Joseph Astelford, a man dressed as a mechanic, was charged with breaking into the dwelling house of Mr. Court, at Meeting House-lane, Peckham, and stealing three suits of clothes and other apparel. A brother of the prosecutor stated that at eight on Saturday morning he left the property safe in the bed-room of a small house attached to his father's residence in Meeting House-lane, where he and his brother slept. The front door was left on the latch, and could be opened with a common latch key. At the rear of the premises, which had connexion with his father's house, a large dog was kept which would not only make a noise but attack a stranger. At eight in the evening he entered by the back door, and proceeded into the bed-room, when he found that the drawers had been broken open and robbed of their contents. He also found the front door ajar, and he had every reason to think that the entrance was effected by that door, as it was seldom opened by any one. Constable, 47 M, stated that about ten minutes past eight o'clock he was on duty in the Kent road, when he saw the prisoner with a bundle under each arm. He asked where he got them ? He replied that he was employed to carry them by a man he never saw before. He afterwards contradicted himself by saying he had found them. After he had said so he dropped the bun dles, and ran away, but he pursued and took him into custody. The prosecutor identified the whole of the pro perty. The drawers and desk had been forced with some brass compasses and a pair of snuffers, which were lying about, and were broken to pieces. In answer to the charge, the prisoner said he picked up the bundles. As for the robbery, he was quite in nocent of it, and did not even know where the house was situated. He wished to be remanded, as some clue might be obtained of the real offenders. Mr. TRAILL said he intended to do so until Thursday. THE FIRE in GUILDFORD-STREET LATEST PARTICULARS. Workmen have been employed almost unceasingly from the time they could safely venture on the ruins, in removing the burnt embers, but they had not disco vered the bodies of the two other unfortunate per sons. The ruins present a melancholy appearance. The walls are black, and ruptured in several places, and the fragments of a handsome pier-glass over the fire-place of the first floor may be plainly distin guished. The whole of the floors have been carried down to the ground or kitchen floor, and the mass in which the two unfortunate men are buried presents an extraordinary appearance : long joists of wood, many of - which are standing nearly upright, chairs, tables, hooks and book-cases, and other valuable property. In the course of the morning a number of articles of furniture, partially destroyed by the fire ; books, some of which are stated to be of extreme value, and irreplaceable ; and deeds and papers, were removed into the street by the firemen The walls of the house are in a dangerous state, being cracked in several places, especially the upper win dows. Hundreds of persons remained about the ruins until about one o'clock, when the police, acting on the instructions Of their inspector, caused the street to be cleared, fearing that any sudden falling of the walls might cause a serious disaster. The time for the holding of the inquest has not yet been fixed, and it is probable that it will not be held for a day or two. A HORRIBLE AFFAIR. The following extract of a letter from Lahaina, Sandwich Islands, gives an account of a most horrible occurrence which recently happened at a neighbour ing island, dated March 22 :—" You will have heard from Captain Green, of the Ontario, that three men deserted from him last Friday night. To-day two of them returned ; they were brought to the United States Consulate Agency, and made one of the most horrible statements I ever heard. They, as they say, hired a boat of three natives on Friday eve, and started for Hawaii. There were three in the boat—viz , Walter G. Pike, of New Windsor, Orange County, New York ; Robert M`Carty, New York City ; and Jacob Von Chef, belonging to Middletown Point, New Jersey—the latter a co l oure d man . Th ey pulled all Friday night, Saturday, Sunday, and their nights, and became exhausted, and were unable to pull any longer. On Tuesday they drifted on the rocks at Lanai, and, having been without food or fresh water- the whole time, and having drank salt water, they were in a state of starvation. They were not able to get up the pali (precipice), and agreed to cast lots to see who should die for the benefit of the other two. The lot fell on Von Chef, who was killed by blows on his head with a stone; they then cut hi s arm an d t h roat and drank his blood ; after which they cut a piece from his right arm and ate it. After they became strengthened they got up the pali, and met with some natives, who gave them food, and brought them across the island, and to this place, in canoes. The natives have been examined, and confirm the statement made by the men. The dead body was found as they de scribed, and buried by them. The governor will send to Lanai to-morrow for the women they first saw after landing, and for the remains of the boat." We are informed by a letter, that these men were subsequently tried for murder, and acquitted ; and subsequently tried for stealing the boat, and fined eighty dollars and costs. Having no means of paying the fine, they were working it out on the public roads.—American Paper. DOMESTIC TRAGEDY. —O n Monday last Robert Hetherington, a carman in the employ of Mr. Richard Rutledge, of Bishops Mills, by whom he was much es teemed for his industry and honesty, committed suicide by drowning himself in the river Caldew. From the particulars which have reached us it appears that the deceased rose on Monday morning, shortly after four o'clock, and told his wife, who was about to become a mother, th..t he would go among her relations, and try to get some one to nurse her. She never saw him again alive. As he did not return home on Monday, consi derable anxiety as to his fate prevailed, and, a search having been made on the Tuesday, his body was found in the Caldew, about a quarter of a mile from his own house, having taken off his coat and waistcoat be:ore he committed the rash act. An inquest was subsequently held upon the body, before Mr. Carrick, Coroner, who) the jury returned as their verdict " That the deceased had drowned himself while labouring under an attack of temporary insanity." After the deceased had left his I house on the Monday, his unconscious wife, or the❑ more probably his widow, was prematurely delivered of a child, which still lives, and to complete the melancholy story her delivery took place in the same bed in which 1 her eldest child, about eleven years old, was lying ill of ' fever. The bereft widow, a poor and very delicate woman, is now left in a most deplorable condition, with four young children, and without the smallest means of support beyond what is conceded by the benevolence of the charitable.—Caylisie Patriot. Tuari-ouTs.---A strike of colliers has been avoided at Ashton-under-Lyne, the matter being amicably arranged between masters and men.—The moulders and millwrights at Bury still remain out.—The factory hands at Heywood have given notice to leave their employment unless their wages are advanced.—One thousand miners are out at Oldham.—The colliers who turned out at Tonge-lane colliery, near Rochdale, have resumed their work, the masters having granted the advance asked for. —The principal hands at Pilling and Co.'s and Town meadow mil are still out.—Prwon Guardian. LLOYD'S SHIPPING. LONDON, DEC. 23.—Wind N.E., strong breezes and cloudy. Dxax., DEC. 21.—E. to E.S.E., blowing strong.-22. E , blowing very strong.—Arrd. Warsulla, New York for Dantzic. COWES, DEC. 21.—Arrd. Puma, — Kitley, St. Kitt's.— 22. Boerhave, Vipan, Batavia for Rotterdam ; Nickeie, packet, Stof kin, Surinam for Amsterdam, leaky, with loss of sails, &c., and must discharge. YARMOUTH, ISLE OF WIGHT, DEC. 22.—The Emma, Stumble, from Swansea for London, got ashore about half a mite to the westwaad of this port, 20th inst., but came off yesterday morning, making very little water. SHEERNESS, DEC. 23. The hoop of Fortune, from London to Rotterdam, put in here, Bth inst., and still remains. There are now at least 300 sail of vessels in this port, windbound, and it continues to blow strong from the eastward. PORTSMOUTH, DEC. 21.—Wind E., blowing hard. 22.—Wind E.N.E. A !lA. Drie Vreinden, Wyn, Canton, for Amsterdam; Woden, Batavia. for Hamburgh ; Volusia, Bartlett, Honduras ; York, Duncan, St. John's, New Brunswick ; Marianne, Rees, Sierra Leone, for Hvanburgh ; Harriett, Abling, Rio, for Gothenburg, sailed Oct. 4 ; Wilhelmine and Sophie ; Datzen, Porto Rico, for Bremen. Sld. Ilebden, Ichaboe. SOUTLTA3IPTON, DEC. 22.—Arrd. Thames (steamer), bast, West Indies. DARTMOUTH, DF.C. 22.—Arrd. Wallace, Miramichi, SHIELDS, DEC. 21.—Sld. Ann, Cape of Good Hope ; Iduna, Havannah ; Grafton, Carthagena and Bombay. Several vessels are reported to have struck the bar last night in going out. Arrd. Swift, Hull, Quebec. HARWICH, DEC. 22.—Arrd. Marjory, Shields, for Ips wich, with damage to bows, &c., having been in contact with the Eleanor, of Lesndon. HOLYHEAD, DEc. 21.—The Nicolai Savar, from St. Petersburgh to Liverpool, ashore in this bay, has fallen over on her beam ends, and is waterlogged. CLYDE, DEC. 21.—Shl. Onyx, Charleston. CORE. DEC. 19.—Arrd. Atkinson, Calcutta. ABERDEEN, 'llr.c. 20.—SId. Robert Nl'Williarn, Sa vannah. WEXPORD, DEC. 20. —The Jager, Redington, of and 'mom Liverpool, to Calcutta, struck on Blackwater Bank his up , rning, and subsequently parted her anchors, and went ashore eight miles to the northward of the bar of this harbour, where she remains, and is full of water. BELFAST, DEc. 20.—The Waterlily, from Smyrna (arrived treday), is ashore on Holywood Bank, but ex pected off without discharging. HELL, DEc. 21.—The Sylphide, from Batavia to Am sterdam, has put in here leaky and must discharge. The Craigie, Bell, from Riga to Bridgewater, is ashore near North Somercoats, and is expected to become a wreck. OPP WEYMOUTIL—Tar, Langley, Mauritius. PLYMOUTH ♦ DEC. 22.—Wind E.N.E.—Arrd. Walde mar, Schmidt, Batavia, for Amsterdam, leaky; Pandora, Bisson, Honduras ; Mary Ann, Duncanson, Buenos Ayres, sails split ; William and Alfred, Culverwell, An tigua. Sid. Isabella, Watson, Port Philip. FALMOUTH, DEC 21.—Wind E., strong gales and squally. 22.—E.N.E., strong breeze and squally.— Arrd.—China, Livesay, and New Zealand, Grey, Cal. cutta ; Cecrops, Burrell, Quebec ; Clio, Quebec. BRISTOL, DEC. 22.—S1d. Princess Royal, New Or leans ; Druid, Mobile. PENZANCE, DEC. 21.—Arrd. Scotswood, Hall, Mau ritius. Off, Universe, Ritchie, Bombay. JERSEY, DEC. 19.—The Bolina, of this port, from St. Breux to London, in working out of the bay, twice went ashore on the rocks, having missed stays, and carried away keel, sternpost, &c., and has been condemned ; materials and part of cargo saved, the remainder damaged. Sld. Diadem, Rio. LIVERPOOL, DEC. 21 ♦ND 22.—Wind E.S.E. to S.S.E., light.—Arrd. Queen, Day, Calcutta. 22. William God dard, Potter, Mobile. Sld. Mischief; Mauritius ; Fame, Beunos Ayres; Cantab, La Guayra ; Snowdon, Africa ; Glamis Castle, Barbadoes ; Leligh, Lord Ashburton, and Tamerlane, New Orleans; British Ame rican, Mobile ; Pilgrim, for Ichaboe ; Lucille, Hayti; Cyrus, Havannah; Atlas and Malabar, New Orleans; Burrell; Charleston. The Rhoda, from Messina, aground off the King's Pier, came off on the flood without fur ther damage. The Independence, for New York, was found to be leaking yesterday, and has discharged. GENERAL TOM THUMB AND THE INCOME-TAX COMMISSIoNERS.—The " general," while exhibiting in Glasgow (which city he has lately left for Dublin), received, shortly before his departure, a visit from an official, who, to his great surprise, presented him, by order of the Commissioners of the IHcome•tax for Glasgow, with a printed form to be filled up, calling him to make a return of the amount of his income de rivable by the exhibition of his diminutive person. Mr. Barnum, the guardian of the " general," acting under advice, and in the belief that the Legislature never con templated taxing a foreigner who had no fixed residence in this country, paid no attention to the summons, which commanded the general to make his return within one day, instead of twenty-one, the period limited by the statute. The Scotch Commissioners have now pursued the little general to Dublin, and having assumed that his annual receipts are 25.0001., have assessed him to that amount, and now call on him for 729!. towards the income-tax This demand Mr. Barnum resists. SAINT. AGNES.—On Monday last, unusual excite ment was produced in this usually quiet tuwn, consequent on the clergyman of the parish refusing to bury the corpse of a child which had been baptised in a dissenting place of worship, and no certificate of the child's.baptism being produced. After much inconvenience, however, the present minister of the chapel at which the baptism had taken place read the service from or near the hedge of the burial ground, and thus the matter ended,— West .Briton. MARKET NE WS.—(YESTERDI I ' ) CORN EXCHANGE. . 0 11 Since this d a y se ' nn i g h t, up to Saturday, the 10 1 l t he of all Grain, especially Irish Oats, were, owing t o o . contrary winds, ex t reme l y li m i ted, yet a decidedpik, provement wa s a pp arent i n t h e general condition 01,176 samples Fr es h u p, very li tt l e Wheat of home Pr°"o. came to hand, coastwise or by land carriage, c °l3 Al. quently the stands were rather scantily supplied. et , though w e h a d not to say a large attendance of buYor the demand for all kinds of English Wheat wss 5 , t he what acti ve . I n some f ew i nstances the rates 0 , finest parcel s w ere more i n f avour of the sellers, roe cannot quote any actual improvement in them st middling and th e i n f er i or parce l : were likewise bes;tb, very full prices, which wer e o bt a i ne d b y the factors vitel, out difficulty, and a goo d c l earance was effec,oo The show of fine foreign Wheat was sma ll. An '1.141.• commanded a ready inquiry, and so me rat h er ext.°, of sales were conc laded, at extr e m e currencies. gliPire. the holders have withdrawn their samples for the. L i. sent. Bonded Grain was heavy, but not cheaper. fflr,, o , ing and di s tilli ng B ar l ey, b oth English and For.e'oa was taken fr ee ly, a t p r i ces quite equal to those pa id 111 Monday la s t, b u t gr i n di ng sorts were rather clah• , Ler . Malt more b us i ness was d o i ng, and the quotations woo. fully supported. The show of Oat samples wi s . u'ually small, owing to the non-arrival of the .11 761 The trade, th ere f ore , was firm, and an advance .g. a gl per quarter was obtained in nearly every instance. P w— jo and Peas were in sluggish demand, at late rates' is Flour rather m ore was d o i ng , b ut without altersts, value. Linseed Cakes sold briskly, at the late ady' CURRENCY PER IMPERIAL MEASURE. 00 Nutivr—Easex & Kent, Maur—Chevalier......... 6u red 404 to 50s OATS—Yorkshire and „,„ to IV_ Ditto, white -- 46. to 564 Lin co l nt h ., fee d ... Or Norfolk and Lin- P ot toe „ • N I " coin, red ........ 384 to 46s Vaughan a7lCork, r ar Ditto white 42s to 50s ; black :a, tow' Irish. red.......... Ditto, white ..... —4 to -4, 1 Scotch, feed ..••••••• itig to Ai RYE—Old ..... New .... 35$ to 364 Pigeons ........••••••• tor n , BARLEY—Grinding 26s to :31s Pass - Grey sor- Malting Cheva1ier........—.... 38s to 404; White 0 MALT—Suffolk and Nor- Boilers 4 ,1 folk sBs to 624' noun—Town made Brown 56. to 60s; Sono Kingston and Ware 63s to 64s' Stockton a-N-o.rfolk 33s p FOREIGN GRAIN AND FLOUR IN BOND. goon , Wnsay—Dantsic 324 to 36s BEANS a, P . Hamburgh 304 to —4 PitA IL ....»..••••••••• 26s to_a N; BARLEY 27s to iOs FLoua—American •••••• 9 0 6 f or OATS—New 1:s to 18s B a lti c 15s to 17. EINCITHPIELD. kot tils r For the time of y ear , cons id er i ng that the gestt h . r of was held last w ee k, we h a d a f u ll average ntilo tiers Beasts on sale, i n the g eneral quality of which Ai was nothing calling for particular observation , _ might be expected, th e a tt en d ance o f b ot h tow: ssi country buyers was very li m it e d, ow i ng to whicA', brist• most of them having pr ev i ous ly purc h ase d t h e ir L_L A i l is mas supplies, the B ee f tra d e was very d u ll , at It f: ho ll on last week's quotations or, 2d per Blbs, the very P . 1 1,00 figure not exc ee di ng 4 s 4 d, an d at wh i ch a cleatioll,T fro at not effected. The fresh ar r i va l s were extreme lysat nos ed all quarters—the Bullock supply being chiefly CO of those portions turned out unsold on Monday * nu , ce our last. The imports of live stock under the new tariff Sit last have been very limited, only eight Beasts an a e : r d a in! Sheep being on sale this morning from 1145t `i s hed Comparatively speaking, we had a good supply °,„ noel offering, and which, being more than adequate "' s a e , al the wants of the butchers, met an unusally dtit' t wee k', barely, in some instances a trifle beneath las t yd. quotations. Scarcely any Calves were at Ina',,, Ac iltf the Veal trade was dull, and prices were with wP . o f, suppOrted. In Pigs exceedingly little busine" doing, yet the rates were about stationary. Per Sibs. to sink the offal. • 4. to s. d. 0; Interior Beasts .. . 210 3 Secondqiudityclitto.« 3 . 6 : I Second quality ditto . .. 3 2 3 6 Coarso. woo ll ed ditto.. 31 0 6 Prime large Oxen..,... 3 8 4 0 Southdown Wethers , Prime Scots, &c. ...... 4 2 4 4 Ditto out of the, woe; $ 6 Large coarse Calves... 3 4 316 Large Hogs $ • O. Prime small ditto 4 0 4 4 Small Porkers... ••, 3 00 0 I I Suckling Calves, each 18 0 30 0 Quarteroldrigs,el)ll 6 o 0 0 Inferior Sheep • SUPPLY AT MARKET. rit.• &ins. I Sheep. I Calves. 1 gy) 1,319 I 15,420 ENVGATII AND LE"Minigjile"th Ad Notwithstanding the immense supplies of -° and country-killed Meat offering in these markeia_ hi s vr our last, and the g e n era l i mprovement i n qua lity : r ace s to report a v e ry ac ti ve demand, and good cle° 4- Tha . have been made, at in most instances higher rateS..43oo' show of Meat f o r Ch r i s t mas consumpt i on h as been' equalled, certainly never excelled.. •d' At per stone, ky tie Carcass. d. • I. d. to I. d. •-•s10 0 deef, infenor....... ..... 3 0 3 2 Mutt on , inirerier s .--. middling ......... 3 4 3 6 --- voiddlini•••• ,7 4 , g :1 it 0 --- prime large ..... 3 6 3 8 -- prime g -- prime snail 3 8 3:0 Perk, ; g Veal • ARRIVALS DURING THE PAST WEEK' rist. Beasts. Sheep, Calve" , 00 190 100 dorkik ... ...... 60 210 •-• 120 Suftblk ..... ...............-.............. 40 180 10 0 Cambridgeshire Essex ..... 110 100 10 0 7. • 200 300 SOA 40 Devonshire : 0 GO n . Wiltshire . . ........... 60 100 if . SW Other parts ..«.».».»....»....».. 200 200 Nu Scotia' :orkshire Total 1,060 2,051 q Previous week's arriv a l ..... 411 2,660 219 ' Di ftrence since our last 649 290 33i r BOROUGH AND SPITALPIELVO'., 4 I The e mitrar y w i n d s h av i ng prevented the a!rl'her° several carpes of Potatoes, the supplies offertog j t ho are small for the time of year, owing to which. l ig kir increa se d consumpt i on, t h e demand is active, a ~,v i ag prices. Th e p resent rates may be considered as "" from 3/. to 41. per ton. BOROUGH HOP PoIEARRIIT. . e tivi As might b e ex p ec t e d, our mar k et i s in a very 111;10, state. How ever , h o ld ers are fi rm, and w i ll not se c i to cept at very full prices. We are l oo ki ng forw— .t. higher rates. WOOL MA-VALET. b O/6 The imports of Wool since this day se'nnig , -- „too been chiefly composed of 1,000 bales from Launc - 01 and Hobart Town. The best qualiti es o f foreiP., e s/ colonial Wools are in ste a dy request, at very 1 1l Pr l ' t be but in English comparatively little is doing, Y 6 quotations are supported. ALLOW. There is no alterati on T in this market worthy °f P ' ticular notice. Prices remain steady, and the de rnii „ a te° better. The supply of home Tallow is short celor e ie with several years past at this period. The Pr ic 40s 6d to 41s 6d nett cash. It is positively asserted and believed in t h e informed c i rc l es i n t h e F rench capital that her .Dsilbei4 Queen Vi c t or i a an d hi s R oyal Highness Pr i nc e is of will vi s it P ar i s t h e ensu i ng spring. Prepar ati°llolo' even said to be making for the reception of thes e c o urt trious visitors at Fontainbleu and Versaille°. Journal BIRTHS. a• On the 23d i ns t., i n B ruton-street, the lady o f Clell Scott, Es q ., o f a son. e ,if On the 23d ult., at Villa Corsi, near Florence, the Alfred Lambert, Esq., of a daughter. On the 16th i nst., at Sloane-street, Chelsea, the lad} ° Clarke, Esq., of a son. *if' On the 17th inst., at Spik e I s l an d , C ove o f Cork, t—: bte r ; of Lieute nant -C o l onel Burton, Royal Marines, of a def of On the 19th i nst , the lady of Warren De La Rae , ~ a daughter. MA. r'i On the 17th i nst., at Ferm RRIED o, T. Hamlet, Taylor, ,a Inn, Esq., to Hel ena Gertru y de, daughter of the late Waters, of Fermoy, Esq. I Aloe!' On the 18th i nst . , at L uton, Bedfordshire, David CD:e...of T. Esq., of Worcester, surgeon, to Jane, eldest &ugh °. - Waller, E sq ., o f Luton. DIEM. On the 18th inst., Anthony Barto Valle, Esq, ag ed i i sr. m' On the 18th i nst ., A mel i a Eliza, the w if e of '' . Coward, Esq., surgeon, Hoxton. On [the 19th inst., at M- d l South Lsinb ea ow-p ace, It B. J. Sharp. .pe c har On the 19th inst , at St. Peter's, St. Alban's, '' l Lydekker, Esq., M.D . ., aged 72. ~I nw fth . On the 19th inst., Mar 3, 7 Catherine Hammond, w•- 0w ° late William Hammond, Fs q., of Southgate. t d gbte On the 2d inst., at Naples, Emily Berton, O des " -all 1. of William R. Preston, Esq * ., of Aigburth, near LiverP° 4l ,-it t s On the 3d inst., at Rome, Elizabeth Mary, daughter 01 eth, ) 14 ' Dowager Lady Musgrave a red 19. On the 9th inst., at Robe ' rttbridge, Sussex, Henry rco 1)0O a ' Esq., On o th ß e 13thdinf utlan-pstlace,at Ily B de-ark. o u ritlf , Captain Willia m ... Campbell, lat e o f the. 20th Regiment. WW II ' On the 13th inst., at M i lf or d H ave n, Charles Chan' „,bo• Esb., late her Majesty's Consul at Carthagena and Coqu i a ; r ot On the 14th inst., at York-crescent, Clifton, 1 )., 1 , ar „a" ol ( ' Bogle, eldest daughtr of James Campbell, Esq , of_ l - I ,bells On the 15th inst., at Clapham, Surrey, Mrs. I! ,, l''' Tyler, aged 87. m 3 014 On the 15th inst., at Bath, Frances Matilda, 1° daughter of the late Rev. William Wilkinson. ~_1 , 0 6 ,11, On the 15th inst., in Regent-stroet, Mrs. Catherine 1. k.,_ , wife of Edward Salmon, late of the Scots Fusilier G±lee., London: Printed and Published by MURDO YOUN G No. 112, Strand, Printer, at. Tile Sun OtFee, o f &rend, in th e Preci N ct of the Savoy, in the COII III J Middlesex, Tuesday, December 24, 1844. ' COLLIERY EXPLOSION NEAR lIIORRI TON. (Abridged from the Cambrian.) Soon after the workmen entered the re n rj felin Colliery, the property of the Swansea Company, situated near Morriston, on Mc ni " .4i they were alarmed by an explosion of foul l e l in one of th e h ea di ngs, i gn i ted by a collier. 111,0 Thomas James, wh o was M ost severely burnt. A, workmen im me di a t e l y proceeded from all parts of7 ll pit to the sc ene o f th e l amentable occurrence, Wileip, they found the three lifeless bodies of John 11 °P' aged 20, Matthew Fisher, aged 20, b o th of Wit/ were unmarried, and Thomas Morgan, a boys Ad , years of a ge , w h o h a d b een most shock i ng ly figured, his held having been detached from the by the violent concussion of air consequent upon t explosion. An inquest was held on Monday and from th e evidence it appeared that the pit had been ka li ; worked during Saturday and Sunday, and that i ' t , deceased boy Thomas Morgan, who was emplolo soi turn the fan which cleared the mine of foul JIM A too young and too weak to work the fan effeetuw4 and that th e wor ki ng t h e f an had only commen ced few minutes before the men entered the pit. fo f The jury, h av i ng deliberated, returned a verdic t " Accidental Death," with an opinion, "that bad, t he fan been work e d during Sund a y night, or early o, o , Monday morni ng , t h e exp l os i on would not h a ve curred; that th ere i s bl ame attached to the o verina o Gloated, for not ha v i ng seen t h at t h e p i t was properly Cl and for not h av i ng emp l oye d a person suffic'euo strong to work at the fan.' LAW INTELLIGENCE. COURT 01; QUEEN'S BENCH, Dec. 23. (Sittings at Nisi Pries, at the Guildhall, before Lord DENMAN and a London Common Jury.) THOMPSON V. BLURTON AND OTHERS. This was an action to recover the amount of a bill of exchange, given by the defendants as far back as the year 1840, for coals supplied to the Buckingham Club. The defence w; s that the bill in question was held by Joseph Parker, to whom it had been paid by plaintiff, and that plaintiff had consequently no right to sue on it. The jury found for plaintiff—Damages, 241. ss. Counsel for plaintiff, Mr. V. Lee ; for defendant, Mr, Knowles. This is the last day of the present sittings. COURT OF COMMON PLEAS, Dec. 23. (Sittings in London.) PRESCOTT AND ANOTHER V. BARBER AND OTHERS. This was an action brought by the eminent bankers Prescott, Grote, and Co., against the defendants, as partners in the late joint•stock bank, the Birmingham Bor.tugh Bank, to recover the amount of the balance due to them as London agents of the Birmingham Com pany. It appeared that the bank stopped payment in February, 1840, but that the affAirs are n.)t, in fact, as yet wound up. Mr. Sergeant CHANNELL conducted the case of th• plaintiffs, and put in the usual evidence of the partner.. ship, and the debt, proving that the defendants sere shareholth•rs in 1839. Mr. HILL, Q.C., for Mr. Warden, the only one of the defendants who contested the question of their liability this day, addressed the jury at very great length, and submitted that as Mr. Warden's shares were forfeited in the early part of 1839, when the affairs of the bank were flourishing, he ceased to be a partly r before this balance accrued, and therefore was not liable. The LORD CHIEF JUSITCE having summed up, The jury found for the plaintiff—Damages, 2,478 L COURT OF BANKRUPTCY, Dec. 23. A number of trifling country insolvencies were put down for hearing, but none of them were of the slightest importance to the public. ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE. WESTERN CIRCUIT.—Exeter, Doc. 20. (Before Mr. Baron ALDERMON.) Henry George Carpenter, the druggist who was con victed 3esterday of an assault upon Elizabeth llibbert, was this morning sentenced to one year's ,imprisonment, bat without hard labour. The early part of this day was occupied in trying cases of a description not proper to be reported. All the other cases were finished before the Court rose, to do which, however, his Lordship was obliged to sit to a late hour. William Smith was indicted for assaulting and robbing Mary 4lyre on the highway. Mr. Bird conducted the prosecution. The prisoner was defended by Mr. Rowe. The prosecutrix, an old woman between 70 and 80 years of age, bent double with the weight of time, and wearing upon her face the many furrows it had made, in a feeble voce, that could be heard only a few feet from the spot where she stood, gave evidence to the following effect :—On the 6th of November last she was making her way as well as she could from North to South Molton. She had proceeded nearly two miles of her way (which must have been a great task for the old lady), when she was passed by two men, who asked her for some nuts, an article which she usually sold. They passed on and she followed. She had not got vary far, - when a man with a handkerchief tied over his head suddenly jumped from the hedge, and, ap proaching her, knocked her down, and forthwith proceeded to take from her pocket, in which was contained a box holding 375., and some other trifling articles ; and, hay ing done this and threatened her, the robber made off. Whilst standing over her, the wind blew back the flaps of the handkerchief which was bound round his head, and then she immediately recognised the prisoner at the bar, whom she had known for years. The jury immediately found him Guilty. He was sentenced to be transported for ten years. Rickard Back was indicted for the manslaughter of John Perriam. Mr. Stone prosecuted ; the prisoner was defended by Mr. Rowe. It appeared that the prisoner had occupied a house situated in Elford-lane, Woodbury, as a tenant of a Mrs. Elizabeth Back, who was his mother. About a year since she made over the property to a Mr. Wrench, who, unable to obtain payment of his rent, put a distress war rant in the hands of the deceased, and his son, Henry Perriam, with directions that they should distrain for the rent due. In obedience to those instructions, they went to the prisoner's house, whom they found from honie. Having ascertained where he was gone they sent for him, and after a time he made his appearance. Henry Merriam, the son, stated that on reaching the house the prisoner immediately went to one.corne r of the room, where a poker and a pair of tongs were standing. He seized them in his hands, and then, flinging the tongs away, grasped the poker in his right hand. The de ceased, on his entry, was sitting near the table, and commenced reading the warrant. Nothing else was said to him; not a word bes'aies was spoken. The prisoner said nothing; but, grasping the poker as described, he made a furious assault, on witness, struck him a violent blow on his right arm, which completely disabled it, arid the arm hung powerless by his side. He then aimed and inflicted a similar blow on his left arm, attended with like results, and added a third, which struck him on the 11'1as:deierlethe i : , o his son's assistan ce . discontinued the perusal c The prisoner swore if they did not l eave hi s h ouse he would knossk their brains out, and the deceased, there fore, quitted deceased,warrant fore, quitted the room, calling to his son nut to strike the prisoner, but to come a ith him, which he did. As he (the witness) reached the door prisoner struck him an other blow, and be tumbled in the 3 ard. He recollected then seeing his father standing by the door, and the pri soner's fist in the attitude of striking hire. He did not see the blow, but in a moment his father fell by his side, and he (the-son) fainted away. When he recovered his senses, his father was standing over him, the blood dropping from his face and falling upon his own. As soon as he could he got up, and then perceived that his father had received a violent blow on the lower part of his forehead, from the wound inflicted by which the blood was running. He went home. His father was upwards of 70, and before this had been well, but from that moment complained of being ill. and within ten days had done with earth, and was a corpse. Mr. Warren, a surgeon, of Exeter, was called, who had seen the deceased two days before his death, and had also made a post mortem examination. He stated that when he saw the deceased alive lie was labouring appa rently from some disease of the chest, which produced great difficulty of breathing. He said to him, " Why, Perriam, you must have been ill for some time," and the deceased answered that he had. Two days after he died. On making the post mortem examination he discovered a great quantity of watery serum an the brain, which also bore evident marks of a chronic disease, which must have existed for a long time. On examining the chest and surrounding viscera he found the heart very much diseased, which also must have been a complaint of long standing ; and ho considered the death of the deceased resulted from one or both of these maladies, and not from the effects of the blow. It was possible that the blow might have ac.!elerated his death, and possible that it had had no such effect. Mr. Baron ALDensore stopped the case, observing that everything was to be presumed in favour of the prisoner, the contrary of which was not satisfactorily proved. The jury, if satisfied with the truth of the evidence giv,en by the son, would find him guilty of an assanit. This verdict was immediately returned, and the Learned Judge then sentenced him to four months' imprisonment, with hard labour. John Maddock and William Maddock were indicted for assaulting and robbing Richard Coles, on the high way, and stealing from his person a hat and handkerchief; his property. The jury immediately returned a verdict of Not-G-uilty. Chai les. Rowe Salter was indicted for malieiously shoot ing at James Salter and Henry Canuiford, with intent to maim, &c. Mr. Cox prosecuted; Mr. Rowe defended the prisoner. From the evidence in this case, it appeared that the prisoner had most improperly fired a gun at the two boys named in the indictment, hut at such a great dis tance as to negative the supposition that he was actuated by the intent laid in the indictment. He was, therefore, acquitted ; but the Learned Judge expressed a regret that it was not a case in which the jury could find a common assault. His Lordship rose about nine o'clock, all the business being finished ; and this ends the business of the Winter Western Circuit.