The Sun. — London, England, 1844-05-30 00:00:00

not the same power of choice as those who were living in a large city.—( Hear, hear.) Now, how ever, they could go into the market and speak to the farmers on the subject of free trade without being asked whether they meant to ruin the country.—(Hear, hear.) The farmer said " I see with you that it is impossible for us to oppose this question much longer; although we may not agree with you, yet we feel that before long we must yield to our free-trade opponents." But these are the worst sort of farmers—(Hear, hear) —these are the farmers of the old school.—(Hear, hear.) If they were dissected it would be found that they had a grumbling apparatus constructed in their stomachs. —(Laughter.) Such grumbling might naturally be expected from men who depended so much upon nlimate, instead of depending, like the inhabitants of large towns and cities, entirely upon their own skill and handicraft. The farmer must be excused if now and then he grumbled more than others, seeing that he was so much at the mercy of the elements. — (Hear, hear.) But they felt that they had made way both in argument and feeling. Through the esta blishment of protective societies the farmers had been taught to think ; and not only had they learned to think, but to act for themselves. Living amongst farmers, as he did, he really believed that since the existence of protective societies, through their becoming so rife, they had gained converts amongst the agriculturists of Worcester shire.—(Cheers.) The exertions which were made in populous towns, and especially in this great metro ry;lis, cheered the hearts of those who were working In the country, and aided them to a degree which they could not imagine without residing for a time amongst them. He recollected going over a museum, and seeing, amongst other things exhibited, a short spear. It was strong, and stiff, and sharp at the Point ; and about two feet from the point was a cross bar. On asking what it was, he was told that it was a Norwegian spear, for killing bears. "It saves a great deal of trouble," said the man ; " the bear, im mediately he is pricked by the point of the spear, em braces the bar with his arms, presses the spear home, and kills himself." " This," thought he to himself, "is exactly what the agriculturist does."—(Great laughter.) The sharp point was the corn-law : the cross-bar was the bar of protection. The farmer, 'reeling pricked by the corn-law, embraced the bar of protection.—(Hear.) He hoped, however, that those who felt so bitterly towards them—those who were embracing this cross-bar of protection—were now diminishing in number, and if he were permitted to address them again he trusted that he would have to address protectionists and anti-protectionists all united in one body and all enjoying the benefits of free trade.—(Loud cheers.) Mr. COBDEN then came forward, and was received :vith tremendous cheers, which lasted two or three minutes. After the applause had in some measure subsided, he said that if he had returned from South Lancashire, where he had been doing his duty as a freeholder of that important county, and had come decked with laurels, they could• not have bestowed upen.• him a more favourable reception.—(Loud cheers.) It was a proof, at all events, that they did not desert their friends in what their enemies called the hour of adversity. But he came there not to talk of misfortunes, of losses, or defeats; he came there to claim for them a great moral triumph as free traders. They had been out-nosed, it was true ; but he would count noses with them, and see what they were made of. They had not lost a man for South Lancashire ; they had only failed in getting one. Their late amiable representative, who had been so suddenly and in such an untimely manner snatched froni them, was opposed to them upon principle. — (Hear, hear.) They were hurried into the contest in SOuth Lancashire more unexpectedly and sud denly,and were altogether unprepared for it. Let them look to how the contest stood at present and how it stood when their late worthy respresentative—for he was a most amiable awl excellent man in private life— was elected for South Lancashire. The last contest was in 1837, and was between two Tories on the one side, and two Whigs on the other. Lord Egerton was then at the head of the poll, with a majority of 1,200. In 1841, when the last general election took place, the leading friends of the Reform party looked into the registry and found that they would be in a minority of two thousand, and they left the field to Their adversaries. At that time the friends of free trade were in ignorance of their strength. But in the late election they had separated the wheat from the chaff.—(Cheers.) They had had a candidate who had no connexion with the county. He had stood for ward only as the advocate of the total abolition of corn-laws, and every restriction upon commerce. He stood this conflict against all the influence of the landowners, with the splendid exception of Lord Sefton, who gave to the advocates of free trade all the dssistance in his power.—(lmmense cheering The result was, that the friends of free trade polled 6,974—(Cheers)--of the freeholders of South Lan cashire—(Renewed cheering)—which was 400 more than had polled for the two Whig- candidates in 1837. —(Cheers.) They had thus 6,974 of the voters of South Lancashire pledged to the total and immediate repeal of the corn-laws.—(lmmense cheering.) They had been told before, that the election would be no fair trial of the strength of the agricultural interest. But let them listen to what that veracious authority the Standard said upon the subject.—(Cheers and laughter.) "The South Lancashire election has ter minates by the return of the Conservative candidates with a majority of nearly 600; the whole number of electors polled being 14,458. The result of the South Lancashire contest is, on many accounts, de serving of observation. An election at which be tween 14,000 and 15,000 electors polled must be, of course, free from suspicion of any external influence, whether of the Government or the aristocracy ; and an election in a district almost as densely peopled as a great city, must be equally free from the suspicion of any local territorial influence."—(Great laughter.) Now, let them see how far territorial influence was out of the question in this case. There was the Earl of Derby, Sir. T. Jerrold, Mr. Scaresbrook, and other proprietors.—(Hear, hear.) But the Standard went on to say that " The not very extensive district now represented by the Conservative Mr. Entwisle and the Conservative Lord Francis Egerton, must amount to considerably more than half a million, and it includes the important towns of Manchester and Liverpool (towns larger and immeasurably richer than many capital cities, Bolton, Oldham, Rochdale, Bury, &c. Whatever, influence, then, it is possible to imagine t o b e exercised in a South Lancashire elec tion, must be a mercantile and manufacturing influence, and indeed of this influence the party of the League have been very profusely boasting for the last year or two. We know not whether all our readers will recollect, some certainly must, that the journals of the League have recently set down South Lancashire c ps a sure conquest, assigning, among the other grounds of their confidence, the reduction, by no less than 2,800 votes, of the Conservati v e force, which they said had been effected by a diligent attention to the registry. These reduced votes would raise Mr. - Entwisle's majority to 3,400. As it is not said that the Conservatives manifested corresponding ac tivity in the Registration Courts, it appears but fair to- allow for some considerable increase Of Mr. Entwisle's majority on this head. Let us, however, be content to take the ma jority as it actually stands—at 590. Is not such a majority in favour of a Conservative candidate —in a district which is constituted, a 3 it were, of a federation of mercantile and manufacturing towns — a district which may in truth be called all one great manufacturing metropolis—is not such a victory in such a place conclusive testimony to the real feeling of the mercantile and manufacturing. interests in the country ? Let the decision be treated fairly as a test of opinion—as a test of the popularity of free trade on one side, or protection on the other ; and it will be admitted, we think, that- the friends of free trade could not in England expect to find more favour able judges; and yet protection carries off the great majority of votes. We have not as yet heard any reason assigned by th e f ree t ra d e a d voca t es f o r the defeat of their candidate, though defeat was tolerably certain even at neon on Monday, and we own we are at a los s t o con j ecture what apology they will offer. . As we have said, Government influence, aristocratical influence, l oca l territorial influence, are wholly out of the question i n a district like South Lancashire, all cut up into small possessions, with a population of more than half a between fourteen and f i fteen thousand electors actually and tually brought to the poll." (The reading of th e extract was repeatedly inter ruptel by loud laughter and derisive cheers.) proprietor ? (Cheers and laughter. What,) was Lord Francis Egerton a Was Lord Derby a small proprietor ?—(Rene wed laughter.) It was true that the Earl of Derby had not issued his fiat that his teraltry should vote against free trade. But there was a way of signifying, through the steward, how the "Rising Son" would wish the tenantry to vote • —(Great cheering and laughter)—and accordingly there had been put forth a circular amongst the tenants, stating how much the Noble Lord would do if the tenants of his father would vote against free trade—(Cheers)—and he (Mr. Cobden) did believe that the Derby tenantry, almost to a man, voted against the free trade candidate.—(Cheers.) Out of the sixteen thousand and odd electors who voted at • the late election, there were four thousand six hun dred tenants-at-will entirely at the disposal of those gentlemen.—(Hear ' hear.) They had been told that • Manchester showed but a small majority in favour of •• free trade. But it was to be recollected that Man • cheater was-included in a district which extended to a circuit of fourteen or fifteen miles round the town. `The tenantry of Lord Francis Egerton and the others hemmed the electors of Manchester in, and kept them in a state of siege.—(Cheers.) The truth was that, in th e result of the election, they were swamped those by the ten an t ry of who br oug ht th eta to t h e poll, just as if theylithe t e nants-at-will had been their o wn qua d rupe d s.— (Hear, hear.) were taken away the majority of the electors had returned Mr. Brown —(Cheers.) In the contest of 1837 he had been at an inn where there were sitting a number of persons decorated with ribbons of the colour of the Whig party—blue, that of Stanley and Townely. A shrewd countryman, who was in the same room, observed that at a future election they would wear other colours. — (Hear, hear.) Since that time the proprietor of the land upon which those independent electors were tenants-at-will, had changed politics, and he (Mr. Cobden) had seen the same men at a subsequent elec tion with the favours of the opposite party on their coats.—(Cheers and laughter.) But, again, the pro perty was sold, and at the last election the same tenants-at-will were again to be seen in their blue favours.---(Cheers and laughter.) He had received letters from Stockport explaining the manner in which the influence of the landlord had been exercised in that district, and in that of Ormskirk. As to the district of Ormskirk, it was a deception to say that there had been any canvassing. There had been no such thing. The steward went out and intimated in what way he wished the tenants should vote. He would therefore call on the meeting to bear this in mind, that they had in this contest all the great land lords of the county against them, and that, in reality, they had had a great moral triumph.—(Cheers.) Whatever their opponents might say of the triumph which they had gained in sending Mr. Entwisle to Parliament, it could not be said that he went there to represent the intelligence or the independence of South Lancashire.—(Cheers.) The contest had been productive of great advantage.—(Cheers.) It would turn to good in the future.—(Cheers.) It showed them what their strength was. It was like clearing the decks.—(Great cheering.) It was a great moral triumph ; in which men of all parties merged their party differences. Whigs, Tories, Radicals, and Chartists, united in support of the free-trade candi date.—(Cheers.) Now he would take the borough of Oldham. He was there with Mr. Brown during his canvass ; and Oldham was a place entertaining, as a borough, as extreme opinions on political ques tions as any borough in the kingdom. Mr. Brown was there catechised by an individual who held these opinions. He did not, in any one point, come up to the mark of their political faith ; but at a crowded meeting held in the Town-hall of the borough, he (Mr. Cobden) saw—what was cer tainly an unexampled thing in the history of elec tions—an unanimous vote passed to support a candi date on free trade principles, moved by a man who himself's professed Chartist opinions. He wished he could say there had been equal unanimity on the part of those who called themselves Tories and Con servatives in the district. But they (the League) had made a breach in that party on this question, which would never be healed—a breach which would go on widening. Their efforts had drawn men out of the slime of party—(Hear)—and had compelled them to record their votes as free traders. The gentleman who nominated Mr. Brown pro fessed himself a Conservative (Hear) many polled for him irrespective of party considera tions. They . had an immense number who could have polled in that district, who stood aloof from them merely to join them on some future occasion ; and he believed that in less than two years from this time, men of all parties in their manufacturing towns of the north, except the lunatics of party—(Hear, hear)—except those men to whom reason was denied —with those exceptions, he believed all would be found, within two years, taking up common ground on this question ; and they would make short work with the landlord monopolists, when they all came to a good understanding of their own interests. They had been defeated for want of union. There had been men sprung from commerce and manufactures, men who were recreants to their own order, and traitors to the interest to which they were allied, who sallied out of the towns, and joined in bringing in the serfs of the agricultural districts, to swamp the honest and independent votes of their n eighbours.—(Hear, hear.) He knew of nothing to compare to the con duct of these insane and suicidal politicians, unless it was that displayed by some of the manufacturing towns of the Low Countries during their feuds with the aristocracy, when there were among the burgesses individual cases of treachery in men who opened the gates of their own towns, and spiked their own guns, and brought in the common enemy to devastate their streets and ruin their fellow citizens.—(Cheers.) On one thing he would congratulate the meeting— the importance attached by their opponents to this test. They said that defeat in South Lancashire would be death to the League. Let them bear that in mind ; if they asserted that, they could not refuse to admit that success in South Lancashire would be death to monopoly.—(Cheers.) He was glad of the importance attached to this great contest. It bore him out in what he had said on the question of free trade—that it would not be carried by a mere nume rical majority in the House of Commons. And now they had a proof of it. They would not have to wait till the pocket counties of Buckingham and Wiltshire were converted ; but as soon as Middlesex, and Bris tol, and Hull, and Leeds were found side to side on this question with Edinburgh and Glasgow, there was no Prime Minister who would dare to maintain mo nopoly one hour longer after public opinion through these formidable channels had been declared in favour of commercial freedom.—(Cheers.) Their course then was clear; they would leave Launceston, and Aylesbury, and give up Hastings, if they pleased ; the contests there, and the nominations there, excited no more interest among the monopolists than so many squabbles in their servants' hall among their own domestics. But they would have to do with the large constituencies, and at the next election they would return two free traders for Lan cashire, provided they would give them a couple of registrations to enable them to effect their object. They must arm themselves with this electoral weapon ; they must enable themselves to vote in the electoral booths ; every man must become a freeholder who could afford to lay out 50/. at 4 per cent. per annum, in order to return a rental of 40s. This was the duty of every man in South Lancashire and in the West Riding of Yorkshire—to become a freeholder in order to be entitled to vote at the county elections. By that simple means they would have ample power to repeal the corn-laws. Let them bear in mind that their opponents would play the same game : they had played the same game while the free traders had been asleep. They had divided their farms, rented, perhaps, at 2001. a-year, and compelled the tenants to take in their brothers and sons as joint occupiers, in order to have the advantage of their votes. The landholders had done their worst ; the free traders had done comparatively nothing.—(Cheers.) But at the next revision of South Lancashire in November, they would be placed in a clear majority, above any their opponents could place on the register ; and let them only give them another registration before another election took place, and they would make the number fourfold.—(Cheers.) On this practical point let him urge their attention in the metropolis ; they had among them a Registration Society which had been most diligent and systematic in its operations in London. Its place of business was at 68, Cheapside ; there they would find every advice and aid, it would be attended with no expense, and by applying to it they would learn all the law of regis tration and the practice of the Registration Courts, and be put in a way of becoming electors, whether in the boroughs or among the county constituency of this important part of England. He was glad to hear of the great progress made by the Society in London. Their opponents felt that there was a rod in pickle for them in the City of London.—(Cheers.) They were aware that by a recent decision of the Court of Common Pleas, lodgers paying 101. a year rent, if they liked, became qualified to vote. A vast number of young men in London in houses within the City or its other boroughs, paying 101. a year for a. floor or apartments, might have a vote. These.were the very men who wished to aid them in this cause, for those who had their way to make in the world had no wish to see the avenues stopped up by which they could attain to fortune. Let them inquire by what means they could become registered, let them omit no means by which they could join in the battle for commercialfreedom. With these practical remarks he need not that night go into the question of free trade ; but he should net do justice to their Chairman unless he expressed their sense of their obligation to Earl Ducie for his attend ance there to-night.—(Great cheering.) He thanked him for those valuable documents, of far more value 1 out of that assembly when printed—documents, ela borately correct and unquestionably:faithful—which he had read to them ; he thanked him for his valuable statements completely establishing their cause in that ground where they were supposed to be most valuable, proving that it was in the power of the farmer of this country to compete with the foreigner in the sale of grain at a good profit, with a perfect freedom of trade in corn. There was one encouraging ' f or :e ir t l. w ir h . ich they should bear in mind': if they found an agriculturist, whether a proprietor like Earl Duck, LattimoreH ollan,d.m, who tenant-farmer,awastbenwere in favour who, h e was the same time might remark, that a presen present , like r his Mr. H friend, un afraid of had not yet reached them • if they to b free trade, they would be found at agriculture. And by the way he e . men remarkable for their skill and intelligence in manufac turing districts, and foun e d y am tb o e ng the tall chimneys went into the goi ng int o () rule applied. They would not findvery reverse of that men who were monopolists, th issioner, or a that . those . were the men to whom a GovernmentC mldanufac traveller from abroad . ever 1 turing districts to make inquiries, w e aa either think of applying for information, with respect to his own business, or on the principles of social policy — they would not find that these were the men elected to offices of trust by their fellow townsmen. For the agriculturists who were free-traders, he thanked them for their support, and for the sacrifices they had made to give it—sacrifices to which Mr. Holland had alluded, of that social comfort which men had 6eldoni moral courage enough to forego. He thanked them for what they had done. Let them not be dismayed at the attempts made to put down the League. What was the League ? It was nothing but the impersona tion of the struggling commercial principle. Did they think that by choosing any other name they would have rendered themselves less disliked by their opponents. If they had chosen the brightest name under the sun—if they had called themselves an angelic choir—the monopolists would not have disliked them less.—(Hear, hear.) It was not the League they disliked—it was the principle of commercial freedom embodied in it. Why, there were leagues before—(Hear) —and they were generally successful. Did not history record the success of the Solemn League and Covenant of Scotland ? That was most obnoxious to the ecclesiastical monopoly and tyranny of the day. And why ? Not because it was called a Solemn League and Covenant, but be cause its principle was the principle of religious free dom.—(lmmense cheering.) Then they had a League in Germany ; it was called the Hanseatic League. What was it ? It was an union of the merchants of the trading towns of the rivers and coasts of Germany—for what ? To put an end to the bri gandage and robberies of the feudal barons of the middle ages, who built their castles along the rivers, issued forth with their mailed retainers to harrass and plunder the commerce of that day. Did they think that that League would would have been viewed with more favour by those brigands under any other name? It was not the name they hated, but because their purpose was to put down spoliation and injustice. Their League had no other end—had no other object in view. They might taunt them, and call them what Anil names they pleased. They had nearly exhausted their vocabulary of foul-mouthed abuses. They could not call them anything so bad as they had called them this time two years. And the League was in a better position, with an exchequer well replenished for meet ing their calumny, which fell still-born, for these who used it knew that it was not true themselves. The League was not strangled—it was not dead. The League was the anti-monopoly principle of this country, and would die only with the death, and, he hoped, the repentance of the commercial monopolists of this kingdom.—(Cheers.) Give them London, Edinburgh, Middlesex, Glasgow, the West Biding of Yorkshire, and the corn-laws would be repealed. Let the constituency do their duty in London—they would do theirs in Lancashire. Why, he had left them en couraged and animated. This very day a staff of clerks was employed on the register of South Lan cashire, analysing and examining it, and preparing for another contest, whenever it should take place. Mr. BRIGHT then came forward, and was received with tremendous cheering, waving of hats and hand kerchiefs, which lasted for several minutes. When silence was in some measure restored, he said—l con fess I have never before come from an election con test in which my party have been in a minority, and in which I felt so little of that feeling which men are supposed to have when they have been .defeated. (Loud cries of " Hear, hear," and great cheering.) The ardent labourers in the cause of free trade whom I parted with last night in Manchester, evinced no symptoms of defeat. They were persuaded that they had made enormous advances, and they were satisfied that the immense meetings of the League which as semb'ed in Covent-Garden Theatre, would express their hearty sympathy with them in the struggle they had made, and that they would be willing to cheer them on in the continuation of that struggle until they had accomplished the victory.—(Hear, hear.) I can bear testimony to the manner in which many hundreds of men have voted during the election in South Lancashire, and to the manner in which the supporters of the League generally have conducted themselves. We have disseminated free trade prin ciples boldly and fearlessly ; and let it be recollected that it is a very different thing for men like the mem bers of the League to solicit votes, and the steward of a large landed property, where the tenants are ac customed to consult the pleasure ,of their lord, and obsequiously to obey his dictates. It is very hard to convince such men as these of the necessity of supporting principles adverse to those which their landlords up hold. You may talk, and argue, and debate, and reason with them that it is their duty and their in terest to support free trade, but to those arguments, however substantial, they are too often insensible. — (Hear, hear.) The labour, then, in our share of the contest, is infinitely greater than that required by our opponents ; for we have to induce a large num ber of electors who have always voted against our principles, who are, from their circumstances, neces sarily pledged against us; and then we have to ob tain the votes of those who are not so bound up. — (Hear, hear.) You have heard a paragragh read from a monopolist newspaper. The monopolist news papers will chuckle over this victory, and they may well be thankful for it. The monopolists have had few victories in this country of late years, and there are fewer still in store for them.—(Loud cheers.) But there are other newspapers which pretend to be the foes of monopoly, and which have thought it their duty to find fault with the conduct of the League on this occason. Now these papers profess not to be in the service of the monopolists. I will take the liberty of reading to yeu a quotation from an article in the Globe newspaper pub lished this evening, which will show you how far the party it represents has sympathy with our struggles. After speaking of the tenacity of the League in _adhering to the obstinate, total, unquali fied, and immediate repeal of the corn-laws, the Globe says—" Here, we think, the League has taken up an untenable, and, therefore, detrimental position. Tenacity in striving for that which is unattainable, has created, or increased, the difficulties of beating down the sliding-scale, and substituting for it the better system of a low fixed duty. Instead of re garding every advantage gained over the advocates of restriction as a victory, the uncompromising aboli tionists subject themselves, and the cause of free trade generally, to defeat, by aiming to accomplish that which is unattainable." I give this a flat and most unmistakable contradiction. It is false in fact, for there has been no election yet, since the League has commenced its struggles, in which any other than a thoroughly free trade candidate could have polled so many votes as we have polled. The Globe goes on to say, " They thus exhaust their resources, and subject the Liberal party to reverses and dis couragements in places where, by union and com bined exertion they might become increasingly strong, and eventually triumphant. Our remarks may be unpalateable, but we know them to be founded in truth, and that they have been practically exemplified in several instances. We believe that had the sup porter of a low fixed duty, in the person of a gentle man of landed property, and connected with one of the influential families of the county, or its immediate neighbourhood, stood in opposition to Mr. Entwisle, South Lancashire would have been wrested from Tory domination." Before going into Lancashire, just a few nights previously to the election, I had been spoken to by a gentleman, a Member of the House of Commons, on this very subject. He said to me, "Your electoral policy appears to me most unwise; you endanger seats, if not lose them, which would be otherwise secure. I asked him where we had done so, but he could not give .me a single instance. Why, the fact is, there is no instance.—(Loud cheers.) It is very true there is one case in which that party (Whig) returned a man ; but that man, be it known, although Whig, is a thorough protectionist. He is opposed to the principles of free trade. I ask how these people, who seem to be so conversant with the affairs of South Lancashire, come to know them, and I tell them they are mistaken. They know nothing about the spirit which prevails in South Lancashire. I tell you, that if any man came for ward to contest that county in opposition to Mr. Entwisle, and who held Liberal principles, lint who would not vote for a total repeal of the corn-laws— and I speak it with a knowledge of the fact—that candidate could not, with the utmost exertion, have polled more than half the votes the League candi date had.—(Cheers.) It may be unpalatable to some to hear those remarks, but it should be unpalatable to the writer of this article to learn that in breaking down the fences between Whiggism and Toryism at the Lancashire election, these terms were not much thought of. The struggle was between the free trade candidate and the monopolist candidate, and Iwill venture to say that there was no man connected with that contest who will attempt to deny that we have done more to break down old party distinctions, and to annihilate those delusions by which the people have suffered so much, than was ever done before in any election, or in a number of elections.—(Loud cheers.) Let those men who taunt us so much with our want of success, take care with what and with whom they find fault. Whilst they are doing little or nothing to break down monopoly, we are doing all we can. Whilst we are subscribing our money freely, and whilst hundreds and thousands who earn their bread by the sweat of their brow, are subscribing liberally to this great cause; whilst hundreds of thousands of men have made sacrifices of which little is known, those great leaders of political party have done nothing, and it ill becomes that party to come forward at a moment like this, and help those whom they pretend to be their opponents to strangle this hated conspiracy, upon which you have set the seal of your approbation.—(Great cheering.) I don't know that I have much to add, for I did not come here with the intention of speaking. Everything convinces me of the wisdom of the League, as taking up principles which can be easily understood, from which we will not deviate, and from which no man shall drive us. — (Loud and continued cheering.) We have seen men working with energy, although unknown in former contests. How was it in 1837 ? We then fought with ardour in favour of a candidate, who at this election did all he could to defeat the objects we are aiming at. We were then hunting after a false scent. We were then fighting for a man merely rbe cause he hoisted con t rary par t y co l ours :* It is well fo us that he was no t returned then, for THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY MORNING, MAY 30, 1844. we might find it as difficult to get rid- of him as of Mr. Entwisle. We have placed free trade principles on a firm basis in South Lancashire.—(Cheers.) We have done a good deal in b iroughs, but there never has been a county election in this country in which the total, immediate, and unqualified repeal of all monopolies was made the test. In this first county election we were placed in unfortunate circumstances. The opposition had the combined power of all the landed interest in the county, and yet it was only yesterday morning that the advocate of monopoly trembled in his shoes at the prospect of the majority he had, on the previous day been diminished, if not destroyed. The monopolists make a fine chuckle and glorification, because out of 14,000 voters, 4,000 of whom were mere serfs, we had not obtained the majo rity. But whatever exertions they make at the next election they will prove unavailing before the progress of enlightened, independent, and honest principles. (The Hon. Gentleman sat down amidst thunders of applause.) Earl DUCIE said he had to announce to the meeting that he had received a communication from Mr. Milner Gibson, intimating that circumstances over which he had no control prevented his being in town, and attending at the League this evening. It now became his duty to state that this meeting stood adjourned to this day week. When he was address ing the meeting in the early part of the evening, he was afraid that he had spoken too diffusely upon a dry and almost threadbare subject—(Cries of " No, no.")—and there was one statement which he did not read, and for not doing so it was possible that he might be called to account; but he abstained from reading this document merely on account of its sheer absurdity, and because he should account himself a fool if he placed any faith in it.—(Cheers.) Mr. COBDEN then rose, and, amidst enthusiastic applause, proposed " Three cheers for the best prac tical farmer in England—the Earl Ducie." It is needless to say that this was responded to with every emanation of heart and of due appreciation of the high merits and total forgetfulness of the prejudices of caste which induced the Noble Earl to join in the struggle for buying in the cheapest market and selling in the dearest. The meeting then separated with the utmost order and decorum. SOUTH LANCASHIRE ELECTION (From the Manchester Guardian.) It will be seen, from the details which we give elsewhere, that the election for this division of the county has terminated, like those which have pre ceded it during the last nine years, in a Tory triumph, Mr. Entwisle having been returned, after an unusually severe struggle, by a majority of 578. So close - was the contest at different periods of the first day of election, that some of Mr. Brown's friends, who had previously despaired of success, began to entertain some hope of a favourable termination; and when, at the close of the day's poll, it was found that, out of 11,500 votes polled, Mr. Entwistle had obtained a majority of only 341, or rather less than three per cent. of the whole number, the chance of final success appeared to demand a strenuous effort on the second day, to beat down the Tory majority. The attempt was consequently made ; and for a time, in Manchester, at least, it appeared not unlikely to have a favourable termination, as the returns from the booths in the town, coupled with those first received from the neighbouring districts, gave Mr. Brown a majority of 108 on the day's poll. Later accounts, however, and returns from more distant polling places, did not bear out this favourable prospect. It was found, as is usually the case under similar circumstances, that the electors who do not feel sufficient interest in the contest to record their votes the first day, are better inclined to swell the triumph of the winning, than to soften the defeat of the losing party. Before noon, the tide turned decidedly against the Liberals ; the Tory ma jority was gradually increased, until, at the close, at four o'clock, it amounted, as we have already stated, to 578 votes. We imagine that few of our readers will need to be informed, that, however much we might desire to witness the return of a thorough free trader like Mr. Brown, our expectations of his success were by no means sanguine. From the very first occurrence of the vacancy in the representation, we considered an election at the present time, and under existing circumstances, a very untoward event for the Liberal party, as, in our judgment, they could neither avoid a contest, nor escape a defeat. It was quite clear, that the battle must be fought under the auspices of the Anti-Corn-law League ; and, whatever may be the merits or services of that body, we have never thought it likely to carry an election in such a con stituency as that of the Southern Division of Lan cashire. It appeared tolerably clear to us that, whatever advantages might be derived from the organisation of the League, or its influence in some quarters, they would be outweighed by the unanimous and determined hostility of the landowners, and the unfriendly feeling of very many parties amongst the manufacturing and commercial classes, who, though in the main friendly to freedom of trade, are disposed to view such associations as the League with great jealousy and distrust. Under these circumstances, we could see nothing to counteract the effect of the votes of four thousand 501. tenants- which were pretty sure to , be, and we believe were, recorded in favour of Mr. Entwistle. The wonder is, under all the circumstances, that the candidate of the League, fighting against the whole aristocratical and landed influence of the county, and contending with many adverse prejudices, sh oul d have been able to poll so many votes, and to ru n so c lose a race with his oppo nent. We imagine that, by saga c i ous an d di scern i ng men, this result will he considered another " fact," fraught with deep and important meaning. It will be seen from the returns of the polling that the total amount of votes recorded on the occasion was upwards of 14,500 ; exceeding by about six hundred those given at the election of 1837. This is a result which, we believe, has surprised almost every one concerned in the election, as few expected that the poll would reach that of the previous election, notwithstanding the increase in the number of voters on the register. voted for the free trade candidate ; but Of the independent freeholders of the division, a swamped and overw h e lmed by the ? b r i g s e m m a j a o j r o i r t i y ty w as tenant voters. Indeed it will be seen that the Tory majorities at Newton and Ormskirk, where these votes are most abundan t, amo unted to upwards of 900, exceeding by mo re than 300 th e en ti re majority on he poll. GENERAL ASSEMBLY. rm oofGt their ne hie rr Eaal annul n u b s: u le r ml g n h be el Assembly t n concludedeg l r a t s is t e r n , i g o hf the h T . e u T es h d e a Tuesday.) . ) statutory 'he ter l( m F pro ceedings of the last three days have embraced mat ters of great moment to the Church ; but the late, or rather the early, hour this morning when the businessthan offer closed, i p e u f t r s e i t t ro b s e p y e r t beyond our u t r he powerprln principal dol topicsmore submitted for consideration. One thing we may re mark, that, never within our remembrance has an Assembly, generally . speaking, been conducted with greater decorum, with less of the asperity of party feeling, and on the whole, considering the difficulties which the novelty of their position in many of the cases placed them, with more harmony and unani mity of Judgment than that which has just ter minated. It seems to have been the anxious desire to avoid extremes on either side, to judge can didly and impartially according to the evidence laid before them. It is also worthy of special observa tion, that the more the different cases were can vassed, the fuller the expositions made with regardto the meaning and purport of the Benefices Act —the nearer did the views and sentiments of all parties coalesce. For confirmation of this remark, we need only refer to the speeches of Dr. Cook and Dr. Muir, in the cases of the presentee to Port Glasgow, to the parish of Insch, and to the united parishes of Firth and Stennes. In each of these discussions there was a concurrence of judgment, an approximation of mind and opinion, which we gladly hail as an omen for good to the future peace and prosperity of the Church of Scotland. On Friday the Court was occupied with the reports of the Widows' Fund scheme , t he Indian Mission, the question of University Tests , an d Ministerial Commu nion, and, finally, the case of the presentee to Banff. On Saturday the Assembly heard reports on the state of the Presbyterian Churches in England—on the Home Mission—the Colonial Committee—the cases of the presentee to the Hi g h Church of Edin burgh, Portmoak, and Port Glasgow. Yesterday, the Report on Education, and other matters, occupied the attention of the Court; but the most important subject before them was the new Directory, or Overture, as it is called . , respecting the induction of ministers. We have given a . copy of this document, as drawn up by the Colnmittee but the Assembly, in the course of a long discussion on the different clauses, made v arious alterations, the nature of which time *ill not allow us at present to advert to. We must also postpone our remarks on the subsequent cases. The assembly did not con clude until near three o'cl ock this morning. The meeting of next year is fixed for Thursday, the 22d of May. SUICIDE :IN A ` SKITTLE-GROUND.--YeSterdity, about half-past seven o'clock, as Mr. Temple, landlord of the Jolly Gardeners, in the Cornwall -road, Lambeth, was pass ing through his skittle-ground, he was astonished at seeing a man hanging by the neck to one of the beams. He imme diately called for assistance, and having succeeded in cutting the unfortunate man down, sent for Mr. Sewell, the surgeon, of the New-cut, who promptly attended and pronounced life quite extinct. The decease d, it appears, had lodging at the above house for only two or three days, and is unknown in the neighbourhood. He was five feet ten inches nigh, very stout, and apparently between forty-five and fifty years of age. He was dressed in corderoy small clothes, light striped waistcoat, blue ribbed cotton stockings and new low shoes, and white fustian shooting jacket. The body lies in the vault of St. John's Church, to be identified. When the de ceased applied to Mr. Temple fir a lodging, he old he wee a farmer's bailiff from Essex. SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS. FROM THE EVENING PAPERS OF YESTERDAY. GLOBE.—As Ireland seems resolved not to rebel, nor Mr. O'Connell to accept the crown of that country at present, Sir James Graham, like Alexander, naturally feels somewhat at a loss for new worlds to conquer. Government, and the grand Moguls of Leadenhall, not having, as it was once rumoured they intended, given him the opportunity of outshining in the East the glories of Sinde and Gwalior—holey Foley beir b es deposed at Epsom, sans coup ferir, by the whiff and wind of the fell swoi'd wherewith the Home Secretary menaced that time-honoured dynasty—to what field could the all victorious Graham look for further fruition of That stern joy which warriors feel In foemen worthy of their steel? Sir James Graham has looked—he fondly deemdd not in vain—to the Channel Islands. Our readers have probably been not a little puzzled by the repeated announcements of embarkations of troops for Guern sey. The late precautionary armaments to Ireland have been repeated to the smaller island on a smaller scale. First of all the Government steamer the Dee appeared in its roads, and landed a Queen's messenger with missives in hot haste for the Governor—Major- General Napier, the historian. What these mys terious dispatches might contain, the harmless natives were left to conjecture—but evidently something too momentous to be trusted to come by the penny post. Presently appears another war steamer, the Blazer ; and it is now clear the affair is no joke. "Soon," says Le Pilate, " a military chief is seen to disembark from the steamer—a man of colossal stature, ala figure balafre, and girt with a sword full four feet long. 11 n'avait pus lair d'un plaisant, celui-la." This redoubt able chief, and near four hundred troops, land in boats, from the Blazer. Further arrivals of troops follow. Her Majesty's transport brig Nautilus arrived from Cowes on Tuesday, the 21st, having on board about 170 men of the depots of the 23d and 97th Regiments, and of the 2d battalion of the Rifle Brigade ; and the next morning the Atalanta steamer, from South ampton, brought three officers and ninety men of the Rifles. It was understood at Southampton that a company of artillery had also been ordered ; and that three or four hundred more soldiers had been embarked in the Lightning steamer. These however did not make their appearance. The peaceful inhabitants of Guernsey have been asking each other ever since, what these armaments mean—against what spec tral enemy Sir James Graham has launched them ? On the arrival of die Blazer in our roads, says Le Pilate, the commanding officer of this protecting army, asked the pilot, as he camo on board, with a more than ordi nary degree of interest, " How are you?" " Much obliged to you, M. le Commandant," answered the brave pilot, "pretty well,—Et eons ?"—" That is not it," said the officer, "I wanted to know if there are not troubles in the island ?" " I have not heard of any," said the pilot: "but it is possible there are, and if you like, I will go and inquire for you." The broad farce of all this is beyond Bombastes Furioso, or Major Sturgeon. It is evident that some one has been a Great Alarmist, and that Sir James Graham has been a Great Alarmed. One would think we were under the ad ministration of some junta of Physical Force Chart ists —some fire-and-sword Committee of Public Safety, who had heard from the Channel pro-con sul that the tree of liberty had been cut down in Guernsey, or that patriotic warriors could get drunk there for next to nothing. Lord Ellenbo rough's swaggerings have been compared by the Edin burgh Review to Barere's Carmagnoles—but here is Lord Ellenborough, or Barere, in little—here are armies of invasion—colonnes infernales—for the con quest, or chastisement, of—Guernsey ! This last Home office escapade may seem too ridiculous for comment. But is it a small matter that the Government of this empire should make itself ridiculous? Is it a small matter that troops should be poured into a perfectly tranquil islet, where there were no bar racks ready for them—and no possibility of force being required ? Suppose drunken quarrels should take place between these uncalled-for protectors and the inhabi tants. Who will answer for the blood that may be shed in consequence of crowding troops, where troops could not possibly be wanted ? The only approach to a probable solution of this extraordinary false alarm at the Home office is afforded by some supposed grave motive for disarm ing the local militia. In what degree the Guernsey militia may be supposed formidable to theßri tish empire,we cannot pretend to say, as we cannot pretend to penetrate the mighty mind, and preternatural powers of apprehension, of the Home Secretary. But sure we are of this : that if the Guernsey militia gave all this umbrage to her Majesty's Ministers, there was nothing required but to signify orders from the Queen in Council that this ter rible force—should disband. " In the Queen's name I charge you all to drop Your swords and daggers !" The present Governor, it seems, is at loggerheads with the civil authorities of the island, and had already threatened military force on a small scale, to cut the knot, and effect the immediate release of a pardoned convict—without the order of the local court. But it seems that General Napier disclaims all previous know ledge of this military occupation of Guernsey. He has frightened Government more than he meant fur the peace of this warlike and turbulent dependency. STANDARD.—The South Lancashire election has terminated by the return of the Conservative candidate with a majority of nearly 600 ; the whole number of electors polled being 14,458. The result of the South Lancashire contest is, on many accounts, deserving of observation. An election at which between 14,000 and 15,000 electors polled must be, of course, free from suspi cion of any external influence, whether of the Government or the Aristocracy ; and an election in a district almost as densely peopled as a great city, must be equally free from the suspicion of any local territorial influence. The population of the not very extensive district now represented by the Conservative Mr. Entwisle and the Conservative Lord Frannis Egerton, must amount to considerably more than half a trillion ' and it includes the important towns of Manchester and Liverpool (towns larger and immeasurably richer than many capital cities), Bolton, Oldham, Rochdale, Bury, &c. Whatever influence, then, it is possible to imagine to be exercised in a South Lancashire election, must be a mercantile and manufacturing influence, and indeed of this in fluence the party of the League have been very pro fusely boasting for the last year or two. We know not whether all our readers will recollect, some certainly must, that the journals of the League have recently set down South Lancashire as a sure conquest, assigning, among the other grounds of their confidence, the reduction, by no less than 2,800 votes, of the Conser vative force, which they said had been effected by a dili gent attention to the registry. These reduced votes would raise Mr. Entwisle's majority to 3,400. As it is not said that the Conservatives manifested corresponding activity in the registration courts, it appears but fair to allow for some considerable increase of Mr. Entwisle's majority on this head.. Let us, however, be contented to take the majority as it actually stands—at 590. Is not such a majority in. favour of a Conservative candidate — in a district which is constituted, as it were, of a federa tion of mercantile and manufacturing towns—a district which may in truth be called all one great manufacturing metropolis—is not such a victory in such a place conclu sive testimony to the real feeling of the mercantile and manufacturing interests in the country ? Let the decision be treated fairly as a test of opinion—as a test of the popularity of free trade on one side, or protection on the other ; and it will be admitted, we think, that the friends of free trade could not in England expect to find more favourable judges ; and yet protection carries off the great majority of votes. We have not as yet heard any reason assigned by the free trade advocates for the defeat of their candidate, though defeat was tolerably certain even at noon on Mon day, and we own we are at a loss to conjecture what apology they will offer. As we have said, Government influence, aristocratic influence, local territorial influ ence, are wholly out of the question in a district like South Lancashire, all cut up into small possessions, with a population of more than half a million, and between fourteen and fifteen thousand electors actually brought to the poll. Neglect of the regis tration, the next common excuse to influence and inti midation, is negatived by the boast to which we have re ferred, the boast namely, that by diligence at the regis tries, the free traders had struck off nearly 3,000 Conser vative votes. And as to corruption, if it were not absurd to talk of the possible influence of corrupting any 15,000 electors, the free-traders are certainly the party the most open to the suspicion of administering bribes. The immense wealth of their candidate, Mr. Brown, and his' liberality in bestowing it, were trum peted even to nausea, and without a day's intermission, in the journals of the League, from the day of the va cancy to the day of the election. If there were any elec ors base enough to look for bribes, they were sufficiently apprised by advertisement where to look for them. We are not, however, desirous of imputing bribery to Mr. Brown or his friends ; the election fully satisfies us upon the hypothesis that it has been a fair election. As such it must impose silence upon the unfounded, dishearten ing, and most mischievous predictions of those who, like the Times and Morning Post, have been bewailing the near downfal of the Conservative party ; and as a fair trial of strength it prostrates the League into a posi tion from which that vile and hateful conspiracy can never recover. MONEY MARKET and CITY NEWS. CITY, TUESDAY EVENING. TIMES.—The premium on gold at Paris is 114 per milk, which, at the English Mint price of 3/. 17s. 104 d. per ounce for standard gold, gives an exchange of 25 44 ; and the exchange at Paris on London at short being 25 524, it follows that gold is 0.34 per cent. dearer in London than in Paris. By advices from Hamburgh the price of gold is 4354 per mark, which, at the English Mint price of 3/. 17s. 104 d. per ounce for standard gold, gives an exchange of 13 104-; and the exchange at llamburgh on London at short being 13 10, it follows that gold is 0.12 per cent. dearer in Hamburgh than in London. SOUTH LANCASHIRE ELECTION FINAL CLOSE OF THE POLL. NEWTON, TUESDAY NIGHT. Brown. Entwisle. Newton Ashton Bolton Bury 522 480 Districts. Manchester Oldham Rochdale Liverpool Ormskirk Wigan 6,934 7,524 Majority for Entwisle, 590. STATEMENT BY MR. BROWN'S COMMITTEE, For Mr. Brown For Mr. Entwisle Majority for Mr. Euttele... ..... 573 LAW INTELLIGENCE. COURT OF CHANCERY, May 29. The Lord Chancellor sat to •day for the first time since Saturday, and proceeded with the hearing of lunatic petitions. LN THE MATTER OF DYCE SOMBRE, A SUPPOSED LUNATIC. Mr. WAKEFIELD, at the sitting of the Court, stated that Mr. Dyce Sombre arrived in London last night at six o'clock. That he and Sir Thomas Wilde had had a consultation with him for an hour and a half; and, after that, they were ready to proceed with the case on any day his Lordship would ap point. The LORD CHANCELLOR asked if the parties on the other side had been made acquainted with the fact? Mr. WAKEFIELD said they had not. The LORD CHANCELLOR thought the best course to adopt would be for Mr. Wakefield to consult with Mr. gethell, and he would hear the case on the earliest day possible. The Court was occupied the whole morning with un opposed lunatic petitions. ROLLS' COURT, May 29. His Honour the Master of the Rolls was occupied during the morning in disposing of petitions, none of which possessed any feature of public interest. VICE-CHANCELLOR'S COURT May 29. The Vice• Chancellor of England sat for the first time since the Whitsuntide recess. srAnKEs v. WHITTON. The arguments in this part-heard case were resumed and concluded, and His HoNoun gave judgment, dismissing the appeal with costs. (Before Vice Chancellor Sir J. WmnAm.) His Honour sat this morning in the Magistrates'-room at the Westminster Sessions-house. The case of " Taylor v. Harewood" came before the Court for judgment upon the minutes. The point upon which his Honour's decision turned was of n• interest except to the parties concerned. _ . In consequence of the Court.being occupied, Vice-Chancellor Sir J. K. L. Bruce postponed his sitting until to-morrow. COURT OF QUEENS BENCH, May 29. (Sittings in Banco.) The Court took the Crown paper to-day. No case of any public interest came on during the course of the morning. COURT OF COMMON PLEAS, May 27. (Sittings in Banco.) The Court took the special paper to-day. Nothing of the least importance came before the Court. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. (YESTERDAY.) CLERKEN WELL. Messrs. Dossett and PulLy, the overseer and clerk to the guardians of St. John's parish, Hackney, were yes terday summoned before Mr. Greenwood, to answer the complaint of Mr. Hicks, relieving officer of St. Mary's, Islington, for refusing to pay the sum of 6/. 4s. 2d., being the sum expended by the authorities of Islington, for clothing and maintaining eight paupers in Islington workhouse. whilst under order of removal to Hackney, their native place. Mr. Hicks deposed to the fact of the paupers having been in the Islington workhouse for three weeks, and to their having been clad and fed—two adult paupers named Cox and Weakly, and six children. Mr. Dossett urged as a reason for disputing the claim, that the Islington parochial authorities had been served with notice to transmit the paupers to Hackney at an earner period, but the notice was informal, and the ob jection was overruled. Mr. Dossett then objected that the charges for the clothing and maintenance of the paupers were excessive. Mr. GREENWOOD—What are the charges ? Mr. Hicks—There is first 10s. for a coat, for Cox. Mr. Dossett—What ! 10s. for a pauper's coat ?—Mr. ick s —Ye s. Mr. Dossett—Then how much did it cost you ? Mr. Hicks-10s. Mr. GREENWOOD—DO you intend making any profit out of these things ? Mr. Hicks—Certainly not. Mr. Dossett—Well really I can't see what a pauper wants with so fine a coat. Mr. GREENWOOD—WeII, I must say I do not think 10s. for a new coat for a full grown person a large sum. Mr. Dossett—But I don't think Cox wanted this coat at all. Mr. Hicks—lndeed he did : all the paupers were in a most disgraceful state of destitution, and the parish authorities of Hackney know it. The next item was 10s. 6d. for a coat for Weakly. Mr. Dossett-10s. 6d.! Why, this is 6d. more ! Mr. G REEN WOOD—I suppose the coat was larger. Mr. Hicks—lt was. Mr. Dossettl beg your pardon, Cox was the bigger man. Mr. Hicks—No, Weakly was the - bigger.— Allowed. Mr. Dossett—l see there are four shillings a week charged for the maintenance of the adult paupers—how canoes that ? Mr. Hicks—Why, it is the usual charge. Mr. Dossett—Four shillings a week for maintaining a pauper! Do you swear that? Mr. Hicks—l do. You must know there are other little expenses included. Mr. Dossett—lt certainly- is a large sum. It was, however, allowed. A fresh discussion arose about a six and sixpenny pair of shoes, an expenditure which seemed to alarm Mr. Dossett very much. Mr. Hicks, however, :perse vered, and that and all the other items were allowed, and the full sum claimed was reluctantly paid. BOW-STREET. A female pauper, named Mary Roach, was brought up in custody from St. Giles's workhouse, charged with assaulting an aged pauper, of the name of Eliza Ticton, by striking her with a pail in the workhouse-yard. The poor old woman said that she told the prisoner, on the previous afternoon, that the bell was ringing, and the pri soner immediately said what is that to you ? and struck her with a pail in the face, by which her eye was very much in jured. She had given the prisoner no provocation whatever. Other witnesses corroborated this statement. The prisoner, in her defence, said the . complainant struck her first, and she appealed to the Magistrate, whether it was likely that she would have struck the complainant under the "equivocation" (provocation) of being merely spoken to. She also insinuated that the food in the workhouse was not of a proper description. Mr. TWYFORD said he should fine the prisoner 205., or in default of payment, commit her for a month. Prisoner—Well, I don't care ; there is good victuals in prison, and that's what there isn't in the workhouse. In the workhouse they only "pines" us every day. She was locked up. - MA RYLEBONE. Henry Danton, jun., was placed at the bar, charged by his father with having committed a violent assault upon his mo ther, sisters, and complainant. The evidence proved that yesterday evening the prisoner had entered his father's house, nt West-end, Hampstead. He commenced abusing his mother, and from words pro ceeded to blows ; he also kicked her severely, inflicting there by considerable injuries. His sisters and complainant inter fered, when he knocked the two first down, and turning then upon the latter, served him in a similar manner. Mr. RAwiiNsox—Why, what reason had he for doing all this? Complainant—Oh, no reason at all; it's a way he has when he is drunk. The sisters and mother did not appear to prosecute. The prisoner expressed his sorrow for his brutal conduct, and attempted to set up a plea of drunkenness in extenuation; Mr. RAWLINSON said that as his father was the only pro secutor, he (the Magistrate) would only take the assault upon him into consideration. For it he should fine the pri soner 405., or in default of payment two months in the House of Correction. The father prayed very earnestly that the punishment might be mitigated, and Mr. Itawmixsox said that if the prisoner could bring good bail for his future good conduct, he might be induced to lower the fine. • DETERMINED SUICIDE, BY AN AMERICAN.—At an early . hour on Tuesday morning, a most determined act of suicide was committed at the house of Mr. Huens, Prince's-street, Spitalfields, by a man of colour, a na tive of America, named John Moore, 23 years of age. It appears that he had lately arrived in this country, and having squandered away the whole of his money, he had made application to the American Consul to be sent back to his own country. He was accordingly placed by the Consul in the establishment of Mr. Huens, where persons in his situation are boarded and lodged at the expense of the American Government, until an opportunity offers to be sent out by the first ship. He had been in the house but three days. After being out the whole of the day, he returned home on the previous night, about ten o'clock, and went up to his sleeping apartment, which was on the third floor, at the back of the house. He had not been up stairs above three hours, when a heavy fall was heard in the back yard, and upon Mr. linens going out to ascertain the cause, he found the deceased lying on the flag stones, surrounded by a pool of blood, and quite insensible. He was immediately taken in doors, and Mr. Meeres, a surgeon sent for, who, upon examinition, pronounced him to be quite dead. He had pitched upon his head, and had dislocated the verte bra; of the neck. Death must have been instantaneous. The window of the bed-room was found wide open, and the unfortunate man had evidently precipitated himself therefrom. Not the slightest reason can be assigned for the committal of the rash act. - DESERTION FROM THE FIFTY-EIGHTH FOOT.—A great number of cases of desertion are reported to h ave lately occurred in this regiment, the heard-quarters of which embarked last week for New South Wales, whither the remainder is soon to follow. On Mon day morning, a young man, named George Duke was brought before the bench of magistrates at Roches ter, in the custody of a constable and a sergeant of the 58th, charged with being a deserter under the following circumstances :—The constable stated that on Friday afternoon, the 24th instant, he went into a low public-house, on the Brook, at Chatham, and saw the prisoner there, dressed in sailor's clothes. Sus pected ,he was a soldier, and asked him the question, but he denied it. However, he took the prisoner into custody, and conveyed him to the barracks, where he was recognised. Although only nineteen, this is - his third attempt at desertion. The prisoner denied he had any intention to desert, and asserted that he had at once told the constable what 'regiment he be longed to. The sergeant said that the prisoner had only been absent that morning, and was under punish ment at the time. The magistrates asked whether the colonel would not take the prisoner back, as a straggler, as he had only been absent a few hours, and was found within a mile of the barracks ; but the sergeant said, " No, he was found in plain clothes, and the colonel would try him as a deserter." The magistrates convicted the prisoner, and gave him up to his depot. EXTRAORDINARY INSTANCE OF INCUBATION. A fine female swan, in the Surrey Zoological Gardens, has sat upon her nest during the whole time of the erec tion of the model of " London in the Olden Time," a part of the buildings of which constitute a portion of the picture, actually surrounding the nest of the bird, yet she did not seem at all disturbed by the noise and con • fusion attendant on such a place ; and to add to the sin gularity of the event, during the first exhibition of the Fire of London on Monday night, three young swans made their appearance, and the mother has anxiously tended them since, never quitting the nest during the fire, smoke, and fireworks of the scene, and seems per fectly contented with the t. ingular place she has chosen to rear her young brood. ROYAL EXCHANGE. POSTPONEMENT OF THE OPENING. The interesting ceremony of the opening of the neiv Ro Exchange, it will be remembered, was originally fixed the Gresham Committee to take place in the course ofJullr and although no decisive promise was made, still there W little doubt but that her Majesty and her Royal Coo" would honour the City of London by opening it in P ell' : !3 i An event, however, of the deepest and most lively inteMt to the nation at large, likely to occur at the seine perieei precludes the hope of her Majesty's presence at so eariL date, in consequence of which the ceremony will be defe in all probability, for as yet no day has been named, September. Since the completion of the masonry of t splendid structure the Committee have diverg ed front 97. plans they had formerly agreed upon, and have rat" several important improvements, which, when comp will render the building far more interesting than i'La: anticipated. Amongst those of the most mo ment is "'t clock, bells, and chimes, the former being an imiSrta th n e feature. in the consideration of the Committee,' and e f manufacture of which being open to competit ion, th your was conferred on Mr. Dent, the eminent chronomeried maker in the Strand. The works are nearly completed, Any which, for ingenuity, skill, and correctness, will surpass . others of the kind in this country. The originalititerya of having the same number of bells (eight) as b efore th has been abandoned, and the number increased to dfte w .. „ • This alteration was at the suggestion of Mr. De nt, hoso as ing visited Brussels and other parts of the Continent, to obtain the newest improvements respecting the for which the artisans of Flanders have acquired a wa l l et , served celebrity, was induced to recommend that na4 teett so that a more harmonious chime might be gained , 'l O O bells giving three octaves, and thereby increasing the me._ bt of the chimes and differing the tunes, one key, as belOre. They have been cast by Messrs. Se ' for the bell-thunders in Whitechapel, and are almost read): try as they will not u_1147 hanging in the campanile or tower. The largest weigas,;, tl cwt., and the smallest 5 cwt., the whole set weighing sr . ,. tons. The largest is also the hour bell, and bears iefo/7. ing incription :—" Cast for the Royal Exchange, .4.1_..„5a year of Grace, 1844. Richard Lambert Jones, ChaWL".„, of the Gresham College Committee ; Daniel Master of the Mercers' Company ;. Ebenezer 4 Ch0 1 ; 10 man, Assistant ; William Tite, Architect ; ,b e ar, and George Mears, founders." The others only jos Royal Exchange, 1844. As vet the whole of the tunes,,,lo•a not been agreed to, the only ones decided on being, J' save save the Queen "" Rule Britannia," and an ancient rnalsa The barrel of the chimes is complete, and appears w ar ds o< astonishing piece of mechanism. It contains ur ra e car 7,000 holes, and it is next to an impossibility for J y mittee to name any hymn or air but what it can be 'fi l lta accomplished. On account of the beauty and noveltyeu is a clock and chime works, they will be securely pr eserv t separate and well-fitted apartment in the tower , ands` le, posed, as is generally the case in the metropolitan ee e Ndo to the inclemency of the weather. The pendulum' ife:tch four hundred weight, and is sixteen feet in leng th ' j oet" vibration being two seconds. The roof of the arcadei,,..floor, c e,' chants' walks, will present a very beautiful aPr - ilial„ 11 workpeople being now busily engaged in painting it ill o e, fresco style. That at the southern entrance is alrea j ciS t ot' and may be seen from Cornhill. It is also unders7 o ted. Lloyd's and other public rooms will be similarly de',jedi- The sculpture executed by Mr. Westmacott for thepods" fil ment of the grand facade will be erected in the eaar.,, by' few days. The foundation for the Wellington st a '''.6" fel been laid, and awaits the masonry, and nothing haste" t he transpired that will prevent the statue being raised 18th of next month. . • LLOYD'S SHIPPING. with 1; 11 1111 LONDON, MAY 29.—Northerly light breeze, VI) Ptmount, MAY 28.—Wind Easterly Buenos Ayres. tit i4 SCILLY, MAY 20.—Arrd. Lydia, Brunton, Calcutts;h 6t. Atlantic, Robertson, Ichiboe, sld. 20th ; Goldfuifioter John's, New Brunswick. Off Gloucester, Beard.sT an h tain Maid, Wrightson, Havannah ; Christina, Suru'itioo 4 ` Amsterdam ; Catharina, Charleston, for Antwerp - n a ts* house, Tate, St. John's, New Brunswick ; Gaulior, Guadeloupe, for Havre. t ic % SWANSEA, MAY 27.—And. Argentina, Nelson , -,p , etp-, LONDONDERRY, MAY 13.—Sid. Londonderry, row' Quebec ; Janthe, New York ; Warren Hastings, Al l ' cialist, Philadelphia ; Mary Stewart, Ichiboe. LIVERPOOL, MAY 28.—Wind E.N.E., light. J' nald Heber, Calcutta ; Rienzi, Victoria, and Alingibsa," New Orleans ; Eliza, Warwick, Charleston ; steamer, Boston 16th, Halifax 18th • Princess. lora, Andrew's ; Industry, St. John's, N.B. Sld. All.?„ 1 104 1 : Maranham ; Jane, Duffus, Boston ; Arab and Quebec. - Off, Ellen German, La Guayra • A aaw, vannah ; Garrow, Charleston ; Brunswick, Cal nongahela, al n ; OFF CORK, MAY 26.—North Esk, Allen, Havana* OFF CAPE CLEAR, MAY 25.—Camillus, Ashton , Brothers, New York ; Ben Nevis, Savannah. 1:40 , 7 HuLL, MAY 28.—Wind N.E., moderate —A for `, Pernambuco for Gothenburg; Augusta, Newcasu e tin, leaky, and must discharge. Dea tr4lQt OFF DUNGENESS, MAY 26.—Trifolian, New . -'• Hamburgh. OFF KINSALE, ALIT 23.—Henry Duggan, Charlatoll. MARKET NEWS.—YESTER-1)A v • ot CORN-EXCHANGX. whew' 'II There WAS only a moderate supply of English iip:solo# the demand for that article was inactive, at ab out p" quotations. In Foreign Wheat next to nothing 10 7 1 .0 I t o , yet previous rates were supported. The Barley s i dt_., inactive, yet Monday's prices were supported. 1 11 ,,,,,, r 4- ceedingly little was doing, at late rates. Oats, Jl'''- and Flour sold at full prices.. ARRIVAL& Oats. ',P ig Wheat. Earley. English. ... 1,210 qrs. 100 qra. 100 qrs. ....' Irish.. ...... — :3,75 0 / Foreign 9,030 4,900 1,6 t 0 Malt, 1,2911 qrs. SO VINXTECHAPE74. .0 , We had only a moderate supply of meat, yet th w o o was in a very sluggish state, at barely stational"' L ONA Beef from 2s 4d to 3s 4d; Mutton, 2s 6d to 35 VAL to 40' 8d to 5s 8d; Veal, 3s 4d to 4s 6d; and Pork, 2 % v.. per Sibs. 169' ERECTION OF AN INN AT ALDERLEY.---" l n de W cheater and Birmingham Railway Company D he f : s t mined upon building a splendid inn on their life fel' Alderley station. The building is to be c omtne . ,c e r Vi r osi‘; with, at a cost of nearly 4,000/.—Macelofiem 16,01 u," LAMENTABLE ACCIDENT ON KESIVICIC Or; On Saturday afternoon last four respectable je° l/ 00,, L l e ' all belonging to Keswick, took a sail on Derldl $9:6 Lake, to Lodore, in a pleasure-boat wh ich the O r _t There were several other boats on the lak c e_ ,O time. On their return down the lake from Loei;io 1 1 . 1 ri a mile distant from that place, the wind, blot proved unusually changeable of late, vee red. u;oe at, sudden most violent gusts, when the boat he e ,. s ts o 7 t manageable, and all the sails being up, • alst to to Cfr swamped, and sunk before the party were able p d. _ o f or shift the sails, and three of them were drolvecjoill& tain Peters, of Barrow-house, who from thew ih-ost,',h". his mansion was a witness to the sinking of th e ,lgb mediately ordered out his own boat, a nd altiio ol- 1 wind was blowing hard, and the waves we i r m e o t high, rowed towards the place where the sail ;;; to of down, and in the vicinity of the spot cam! .„ 0 0 fourth individual, and picked him up. when ,r. w its";, / ,,a to sink. The three individuals drowneu, ",. c 0 Y - ,40 William Dixon, of Keswick, draper; Mr. RicP ll- ( Us e ' 10 ton, tallow-chandler; and Mr. Isaac Banks,.gc I/Poot Mr. Hudson, of the Rnyal Oak Inn, ICesl, s -. b° 4 seven o'clock on Monday morning the hum - 0 0. been THE found. e# l —fin LATE R. M'WriadAm T or. sale was commenced at the Auction Mart, blurs of e r nock, of the second portion of the valuable c e : f ertd. late magistrate, Mr. R. M'William. It was -reder'-$O4 tensive freehold property, chiefly land - t! bltle uo ph consisting of eight large wharfs, extensive 0 1 P' oe il• drug mills, a tavern, several private houses end building ground, &c., extending from the where :if on the south, to the canal, on the no rth. Oily" forty-one lots for the day's ' sale inclue'"l'Tbe r four houses and the Maidenhead' tavero.., mer was disposed of for 29,3001., and the l o ld t d a much competition, for 3,4601. A lot of frneefeet, td ing-ground, having a frontage of about 5 94 ,, 6 401. 0 10 01 depth generally of about 64 feet, wen t for whole realised 32,940 L The auCtion.rootu w e - be taw and much of the property was purchased bY g usty The sale took place by order of the devisees l o oProe CASES OF \VINES AND SPIRITS 1 5 030, t4 0 1 1 0 consequence of a representation having been dforo.itia Commisioners of Customs that facilities sin, p etl o o lo B the Commission of fraud in the revenue. vi tbs,l4 cases of wine to be deposited under bona lore e room with cases of spirits and cordials,.the tionewroo! issued directions that the practice be disc e tote as 0 1 , that, in future, wine be deposited in A s e r a 0 5 ' fl i from that in which spirits and cordials ;,„pori:je warehoused. This order is of considerable ' o f h° to the dock companies and other proprietortoe P h r :ree, warehouses, as it will be irmmbent on thf le s, i v "iiiP s e separate places for the deposit of these a rtic e to o t o hitherto, they have ben permitted to h°l ls o is Sti criminately in one place. The regulation effect at the expiration of three months. C" .- IRTHS * On the 25th inst., at ß East Retford, the leaf of Y" tY l t°l* A 4 Hall, of a son. . On the 25th inst., at Thedden Grange, Ile — a , A yr' wife of John Wood, Esq., of a son. + h. ledf °I i tif . On the 26th inst., at Heywood Lodge, - t he t ot Sawyer, Esq., of a ,tat aughter. On the 27th inst., Shepton Mallet, s°lll ,..f erset tbe 'Gr°ll' -di# of Edward Holroyd Roberts, Esq., Master v• ..4 .1 0 ' _ ..,ste 4 " ...0 School of that place, of a son. On the 28th inst., at Goulden-terrace, Mrs. Thomas Johnston, of a son. MARRIED. blug' sty 1310 0011 bs, On the 28th'inst., at St. George's , Alert _A f or Mercer, Esq., of Ashford, Kent, to Anu'Astifowlil°oo daughter . of the late G. E. Jemmett, Es tooDi sbt ll;i l4° °Lille - 28th inst., at St. George's An°' oolf Haire, Eiq., M.D., of Lewes, to Ilarf late William Franklin Hick, Esq., of Lew" r trii' DIED. On the 2d of April, on board the General re,..l:46tht Or off Santa Lucia, Lieutenant Eustace Moffitt"noil 11 , ment, late Deputy-Assistant Quartermaster-ue" spiv' badoes. y ha Ifi ei. On the 10th of April, at Barbadoes, 0 0 - - at3 s ' LL.D., of Demerara, aged 49. tr o rig' At Bathford, Somerset, Richard Cowper, F-''''6ftb,. On the 18th inst., at Clifton, Nlillians. Lent's', gestwyl ing son of the late Rev. J. Digby, of Sew •Panwoliylojoll On the 19th inst., at Ballinamore Ile T,u•se'teOvt do* relict of the late Anthony Ormsby, EC. , -le° _.. P - North Mayo Regiment of Militia. Frs li° 74 o / 4 ( 1.0 On the 21st inst., at Axminster, Devon , , 54 .,0 0 the youngest daughter of Charles Haylnno, '.ll Johi l , g d On the 22d inst., at Mevagissy, Corni"" A 7 , ' , for - bilv Esq., aged 86. y „, Gray 00 On the 24th inst., at Southampton, PaYt.dicaz - C, late Phvsician•General of the Bombay g."' off' ment, lion. East India Company's service. ~, o f the On the 24th inst., at Clifton, .Tane, the 'fro , iv illir Edmund Wvlde. beer as On the 6th inst., Mary Caroline, daug of flow' Bell, Esq., Woburn -place. t c hil i ,..44 ll 'i On the 27th inst., Juliet, the youngq,„vistov- ~., 1 Edward Smith, Esq., of Endsleigh-s±-no,v, ff -spo I 'SP,' CI London: Printed and Published by 3, 1 '.. offieircoos w No. 112,. Strand, Printer, at The ou' - i o tlie Strand, in the Precinct of the Savol, Middlesex, Thuraday, May 30, 18446 ...••• Gk~ (Sun B, yel ;: i Fob trY , RIR b 0,,, To ito..,4ett PEN / 1 ?It A %.,.,t. N '!)11 et o ttr suf