The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-08-26 00:00:00

*VN- 7 VQ4k ~~ 4 T', w • HISTORY AND U ANALYCESIB , OP TUX DISTRBANS ••••••••• The crisis of the disorders in the north seems to have passed ; and, considering the wide spread of the disturbance, with less of mischief than might have been anticipated. The progress of the insurrection—for such, from its extent, it may be called—has proved one of the most instructive chap ters in the contemporary history of the country ; like a fall of land it has laid bare the state of the social foundation. It began, as our readers are aware, some weeks back, among the colliers and miners of Staffordshire ; the proximate cause being an attempt by an extensive ironmaster to reduce the wages of his workpeople at the rate of sevenpence a week each. There can be no doubt that with that gentleman the proceed ing was a mere matter of accounts ; adopted, it may be very safely assumed, with great reltictance. The colliers enter tained the ordinary feeling of discontent at a money loss ; the obstinately refused the new bargain ; being more deeply conscious that they could ill spare sevenpence a week, than that their employer could not afford to loose some hundreds of pounds. They struck work. Others determined to stand by them ; and other masters to stand by their class-fellow; it became a class contest ; and old grievances, including the truck system, were revived. The men became exasperated ; and they sought to extend their vindictive combination, sending delegates to other coal districts, Similar causes of contention already existed in the adjoining mining districts, in Wales,in Scotland ; and similar disputes spread, or burst out successively, in all those quarters. The Staffordshire miners had put themselves into communication with the Cheshire miners, and disorders occurred; bet still without producing any effect among the cotton population—it was a miners' question. The manufacturers have long complained of bad trade, and reduction of wages have been frequent. At Staleybridge three firms threatened their men with a reduction ; but only a single house carried out the threat. One firm, perhaps one only of that firm, a Mr. Bayley was determined ; the men this time would not yield ; one among them, a person named Pilling, was equally obstinate, and it seems expected more from the cessation of work than the obdurate master. Mr. Bayley and Mr. Pilling would make no concession, and thus the cotton population were drawn into the strike. The dis tress had thrown multitudes out of employ ; Mr. Pilling found at his command thousands of reckless idlers, the raw material of armies, " having nothing to do and nothing to lose ;” and he had no difficulty in marching away with them to Manchester. They executed various manoeuvres in dodg ing the police and soldiers, whose presence gave eclat to the tumult; and they left Manchester to spread the turn-out in other quarters. But they had communicated the spark to the great magazine of discontent. In Manchester there were the same influences in operation—bad trade, reduced wages, thousands of idlers made desperate by hopeless po verty, and Manchester joined tumultuously in the turn-out. As the word to cease work was carried from Stalybridge to all parts of Lancashire and Cheshire, it derived strength from the adhesion of Great Manchester. The progress of disorder acquired a momentum of its own, and it rapidly ad vanced into Yorkshire; while Derby, placed between the two fires, scarcely needed the new impulse from the north. At Manchester, however, a change was seen. Hitherto we have observed the movement of only one class, the turn out workmen ; but Manchester, the metropolis of the manu facturing districts, and therefore the metropolis of the dis tress, was also the metropolis of Chartism—the progeny begotten by disappointed hope of the reform bill on popular discomfort. Chartism has its permanent staff of officers, its organisation more or less complete, and has been ever ready to seize the occasion of any outbreak. The population, ren dered idle by bad trade and congregated by the turn-out, was seized by Chartists as the engine for a new movement ; and strenuous efforts were made to convert the economical com bination into a political insurrection. It does not appear that the movement had any other organisation—any in fact, of its own. The turn-out workmen were obliged to crave support from place after place successively, with no simulta neous prearrangement of any duration or extent. The councils vary—now they ask for the prices of 1840, now of ]839, now according to some special rules; here they ask for a ten hours' bill, there for the charter, and elsewhere they positively repudiate the charter. In the mining districts, where the people are rudest, their demands rest most upon small particulars for the personal benefit of the claimants ; in Manchester, where the people are more inquiring, intelli gent, and accustomed to regard abstract questions, the de mands assume at once a more general and a more definite shape, and the charter is more commonly, though not univer sally, the crowning claim. Here, therefore, the insurrection assumed the most organised and political aspect ; and daily riots for five days, increasing in violence, alarmed the country with fears of some ulterior visitation. At this point, the executive government stepped in with authority and power. On Sunday, a Queen's proclamation called the people to order ; and reinforcements of troops es inced the determination to compel. From that time there was a remarkable accession of discretion to the councils of the leading disturbers ; they themselves made arrangements for saving to the troops the trouble of dispersing them ; and when the authorities forbade the public procesion on the an niversary of what is popularly termed the " Peterloo mas sacre of 1819," the managing committee themselves relin quished the project, as if of their own motion. In the smaller towns, indeed, where there is less political intelli gence, and less judgment respecting a critical turn of events, the adoption of strong measures did not so immediately result in a more acquiescent demeanor on the part of the populace; and in the least intelligent quarters the violence increased, even to the loss of lives ; but in the large towns the virtue of moderation was recognised. Through the gloom and confusion, the inferences to be drawn are cheering. Although the country has been sub jected to some of the greatest difficulties and trials, the spi rit of disorder can obtain no real hold of it. The whole of manufacturing England has lain in unguarded riot at the mercy of Chartism, and Chartism has been unable—perhaps unwilling —to convert the tumult to revolution. The party has been exhibited in utter destitution of leaders to direct it in time of crisis; the leaders of 1819 would either have ar rested the follies of the last few weeks, or have turned them to more account ; the titular leaders of 1842 are really mere followers of the times and of the common herd. _ Twenty-three years have elapsed since the day of " Peter loo." The Tories are again in power ; there are riots in Manchester, and troops are there to quell the riots ; yet there is no new Peterloo. If the Chartists have not such leaders as the followers of Hunt and Cobbett, they are themselves, perhaps, less dependent on leaders ; they have certainly more judgment of their own—more moderation and acuteness. If the same party is in power, it has not the same view as in 1819 of " vigorous measures" against the "com mon people"—the most " vigorous measures," charged against the chief of the party, especially exempts the com mon people. Above all, by good fortune, a plentiful harvest will intervene between these tumults and the winter—there lay the worse danger.—Spectator. . . .1%11;Sh VSS E >6 \N , , THE IN'COMIC TAX, coltauT MET/10D OP MAKING RUTURNS, The following useful hints are from one of the many little works which the above-mentioned ad has called into ex istence. There are four papers usually left by the assessor to be filled up and returned. 1. A list of lodgers and inmates. This return is required to be made by all householders. This return must include all lodgers and inmates and persons chiefly employed in their service, whether resident in their service or not, but no penalty is incurred by omitting to return the name of any person chiefly employed in their service but not resident in their houses, if the person so omitted has an income of £l5O a-year. It is not very clear what is meant by chiefly-em ployed; we presume it means those persons whose time is principally devoted to their employers ; and not such as are only occasionally employed by them, but whose time is prin cipally devoted to other pursuits. It Would save lodgers and persons so employed, (whose income is under £l5O a year,) as well as the assessors a great deal of unnecessary trouble, if they would make a return in this form, or to the like ef fect, viz. ;—" My income arises from my trade of and does not amount to £l5O a-year." This might be signed by the party and annexed to the householder's return, and would in most cases save any further trouble. 2. The second paper is a return to be made by the occu pier of a house and premises, not including land, except gardens. If the occupier be not the owner, he is required to state the name of his landlord, the rent which he pays to his landlord, and if he is not at a rack-rent, he must state the value of the premises to be let at a rack-rent, whether subject to a land -tax, &c., and by whom the taxes are paid. The tax, in respect of this assessment, must be paid by the tenant, who may deduct it from the rent payable to his land lord, if he is rated at no higher sum than he pays to his land lord for rent, but if he is assessed at a greater sum he is en titled to deduct, 7d. in the pound upon the rent which he pays to his landlord, and must bear the difference himself, — such tax being a tax in respect of his improved rent. No deduction can be allowed for repairs, but the assessment is not to be levied for such time as the house remains unoccu pied ; no deduction will be allowed for insurance. We think that the omission of repairs, as a deduction from the rent, in case of private houses, must have been an oversight ; we cannot see why the repairs, if done by the landlord, should not be deducted from private houses, as well as from a house occupied for the purpose of trade. Repairs which recur from time to time are surely a diminution of the profits, but we must take the act as we find it, and it is enacted, that no deduction shall be made but such as are enumerated in the , act. _ _ _ _ _ _ . 3. The third paper relates to income arising from lands and tenements and heriditaments, and is divided into eight num bers. No. lis the return to be made by the owner, who oc cupies his own land--he will be charged 7d. in the pound on the full value to let, and 31d. on the income as occupier. No. 2 is the return to be made by a tenant who is not the owner. No. 3. This return relates to tithes, and must be made by the person receiving the tithes ; the occupiers of land who pay tithes or rent-charge, are not required to make any return respecting tithes. No. 4 relates to mines, quarries, 4 docks, railways, &c. No. 5 is the return to be made by the lord or lady of a manor. No. 6 is a return to be made by any person who receives a consideration for granting a lease of lands or tenement (except customary lands, that is copyhold lands.) No. 7is a sort of sweeping clause to catch any other profits of land which have not been before enumerated. No. 8 is the form to be signed by every one who claims to be ex empt. The particulars required under each head are so clearly stated, that with a little attention any person may make his return; the only difficulty we have endeavoured to remove, namely, that of pointing out what form is applicable to each person's case. This form he has only to fill up, and either to negative, or leave unnoticed, the others which do not concern him. 4. The fourth paper relates to the duties under schedule D. ; that is to say, an income derived from professions, trades, &c. The return of income must be made in the first page. In the schedule of particulars of income they are ar ranged under nine different heads. Ist, income from trade ; 2d, from a profession; 3d, income derived from property out of Great Britain, or from sources not otherwise chargeable; 4th, from dividends in the funds, if less than £5 a-year ; sth, from securities in Ireland, or in other of her Majesty's do minions; 6th, from possessions in Ireland, or in other of her Majesty's dominions ; 7th, from foreign securities ; Bth, from foreign possessions ; 9th, is another sweeping clause to catch income from any source that may have been omitted. No. 1 directs the return of income from trade which must include the net income after deducting all expenses incurred in the course of business, estimated according to the instruc tions in the third page. The same observations apply to No. 2, the income derived from professions—which is to be cal culated in the same way—the particulars are not required to be stated in the first instance, but merely the amount ; if the return is not satisfactory, another notice will be given, re quiring the particulars. No. 3, interest from property out of Great Britain, and not in her Majesty's dominions, and also from securities in England, not otherwise chargeable such as Exche quer-bills, discounts, and as it were, casual profits, the particu lars of which are not required ; but not to include dividends on Bank, South Sea, or other stocks, nor India Bonds, shares of railways, &c., of which no return will be required by the owner, inasmuch as the duty will be stopped out of the dividends ; nor of income from mortgages or other securities paid annually, the duty on which will also be deducted by the parties paying them. The remaining heads require no observations, except that the income from securities or pos sessions in the British colonies, or foreign countries, if remitted in produce, need not be returned in the first page, but in form No. 2 in the ,next page—according to which, it must be stated at what port the produce is imported, and the return of income must be made to the commissioners of the port, without waiting for any notice. A person in partnership, not having £l5O a year, should require to be separately assessed in order to obtain a discharge of the assessment on him ; he must fill up the forms No. 4 and No. 6. Persons having two residences need only make a return of income in one of them, and in the other be must fill up the form No. 2, or if a partner in trade, Nor 3. Per sons to be assessed under schedule D., desirous of being charged by the special commissioners, must give notice to the assessor, and deliver their returns sealed to him, and the assessor will thereupon transmit the returns to the special commissioners ; they may also require to be charged by a letter or number, and to pay the tax to the proper officer for receipt—we presume the receiver-general—instead of paying it to the collector. t x , \ IAN ( C 716 c*l\ Nx\No. c .`~ CONSECUTION OP THE COLONIAL BISHOPS. The ceremony of the consecration of the five colonial bishops who are about to proceed to their respective dioceses, took place on Wednesday in Westminster Abbey. Since this vener able pile has been dedicated to divine worship under the aus pices of the Reformation, no occasion has been presented in which the Protestant Chorch has had such reason to rejoice. It is true that an equal number of bishops has been conse crated since the Reformation, in some of the cathedrals of England, at the same time, but then they have been conse crated to fill up vacancies incurred by death or resignation, or translation, and not to fill'up bishopricks created at the time. But, on the present occasion, the consecration of the five bishops has led to the extension of the episcopal church of England by the addition of four pew sees to its constitu ency, (the diocese of Barbadoes being divided into three sees, and two new sees being created,) viz., the sees of Antigua, Guiana, Gibraltar, and Tasmania, (Van Diemen's Land;). the see of Barbadoes, in its present state, being the fifth see. The consecration was concluded with all the solemnity which was requisite. The public were admitted to the cathedral by cards, and the choir was set apart for the clergy, who attended in great numbers. In consequence of the indisposition of His Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, the consecration of the five colonial prelates was by commission entrusted to the Bishops of London, Winchester, and Rochester, by whom the ceremony was performed. The service was commenced by the morning prayer for the day, according to the rubric. The prayers were chanted by the Rev. Mr. Lupton. The lessons were read by the Rev. Mr. Waters, and the litany and communion service by the Bishop of London. The sermon was preached by Dr. Coleridge, the late Bishop of Barbadoes, who chose for his text the very appropriate fifth and sixth verses of the 43d chapter of Isaiah : " Fear not, I am with thee, I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west. " I will say to the north give up, and to the south keep not back. Bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the end of the earth." After the sermon the ceremony of the consecration was performed, the bishops being presented by the Bishop of Chichester and the late Bishop of Barbadoes in the following order : Dr. Parry, bishop of Barbadoes. Dr. Tomlinson, bishop of Gibraltar. Dr. Nixon, bishop of Van Diemen's Land. Dr. Davis, bishop of Antigua. Dr. Austin, bishop of Guiana. The ceremony having been concluded, the Sacrament was administered to a great number of communicants, the con tributions at the offertory amounting to 1131. Mr. Tune presided at the organ. The introductory voluntary was from the overture to Esther, the voluntary after the sermon from Sphor, and the concluding voluntary from Haydn. The Te Deum Jubilate from Narss, and the Veni Creator Attwood. Nothing could surpass the devotional and digni fied effect of this very sacred ceremony, and it is a matter of congratulation to the Church of England particularly, and to the whole Christian community generally, that so efficient a step has been made for the propagation of that faith in which all who profess and call themselves Christians repose their hopes of salvation and happiness. TOUR IN THE MANUFACTURING DISTRICTS OF 'LANCASHIRE. (From the Times.) We resume our notice of Dr. Cooke Taylor's letters with an extract from his description of the mills of Mr. Henry Ashworth, of Anti-Corn Law League notoriety. Having never had the pleasure ourselves of visiting this gentleman's establishment, we are of course prepared to take for granted our author's eulogium, though our own personal observation in similar places leads us to entertain doubts, both as to the salubrity of the atmosphere and the lightness of the labour which is said to prevail in well-regulated mills. We shall never forget the oppressive feeling in the lungs produced by the minute particles of cotton, which float like the " atoms in a sunbeam" in the atmosphere even of the best ventilated cotton-mills, nor the languid air of the operatives, the nature of whose employment corowls them to stand for many hours in tte same wearisome, if not actually larborious position. However, let Mr. Henry Ashworth have the full benefit of the following description of his mill. " The interior of Mr. Ashworth's mill does not differ ma terially from that of many other well-regulated mills which I have visited, such as Ashton's of Hyde, Taylor's of Pres ton, and a host of others. I was, however, pleased to find that great care had been bestowed upon the boxing-up' of dangerous machinery. I learned that accidents were very rare, and that when they did occur, they were, as my own senses convinced me that they must have been, the result of the grossest negligence, or of absolute wilfulness. I men tion this circumstance because the burst of sentimental sympathy for the condition of the factory operatives which, a few years ago, frightened the isle from its propriety, appealed largely to the number of accidents which happened from machinery, and I was myself for a time fool enough to believe that mills were places in which young children were, by some inexplicable process, ground—bones, flesh, and blood together—into yarn and printed calicoes. I remember very well when first 1 visited a cotton-mill feeling something like disappointment at not discovering the hoppers into which the infants were thrown. I have since found that such absurdity is only credited by those who, like myself at that period, could not tell the difference between a cotton-mill and a tread-mill. But a very little consideration should have taught me better; derangements of machinery are very ex pensive accidents to remedy ; and if the millowners of Lancashire were as reckless of human life as the worst of their assailants have chosen to describe them, they are cer tainly not men likely to disregard their own pockets. I have had some opportunities of estimating the cost of accidents, and I know that the engineer's bill is considerably heavier than the surgeon's. Without at all giving millowners credit for more than the average philanthropy of their countrymen, I am quite ready to repose confidence in their anxiety to prevent accidents, because their own obvious interests are a tolerably safe security for their humanity. " The conditions of health in the mills of Turton and Egerton, and I may add generally in all that I have exa mined, are exceedingly favourable. The working rooms are lofty, spacious, and well ventilated, kept at an equable tem perature, and scrupulously clean. There is nothing in sight, sound, or smell to offend the most fastidious sense. So much space is occupied by the machinery that crowding is physically impossible. I should be very well contented to have as large a proportion of room and air in my own study as a cotton-spinner in any of the mills in Lancashire. With respect to the length of time during which the work is con tinued, I must remark that the toil is not very great, nor is it incessant. The heaviest part of the labour is executed by the steam-engine or the water-wheel; and there are so many intervals of rest, that I am under the mark when I assert that an operative in a cotton-factory is at rest one minute out of every three during the period of his nominal employment. On the other hand, these intervals of rest are brief and quick in their recurrence; they cannot therefore be turned to any useful account. Hence I should not be indisposed to give favourable consideration to a time bill, if its advocates could show me bow the time of labour could be shortened without the amount of wages being reduced. Some of them no doubt will say, compel the employers to pay still the same amount of wages, because in all ages of the world that philanthropy has been fashionable which consists in being exceedingly generous at the expense of other people; but I should like to know by what process employers could be forced to pay a rate of wages disproportionate to their pro fits. I trust that those who use such arguments will acquit me of the heinous sin of political economy when I tell them that acts of parliament could no more control the rate of wages by direct agency than they could regulate the course of the winds or the flow of the tide. Indirectly, indeed, they can effect a great deal; they can close a market against the products of British industry by refusing to take the only payment which those who are eager to be purchasers have it in their power to offer, and having thus turned off the cus tomers. the authors of the mischief may turn to the piles of goods left in the warehouse, and console the disappointed proprietors with a schoolboy oration on over-production. - - " It happened that Messrs. Ashworth had made a reduc tion of wages some short time before I visited their facto ries. I was anxious to know how this measure had been re ceived by the persons in their employment ; and I took the opportunity, which I found easy enough, of inquiring their opinions in the absence of their employer and the overseers. They uniformly stated that Messrs. Ashworth had delayed making the reduction for weeks after it had been made by their neighbours, that they were conscious of their being forced into the measure by the decay of trade, and this decay they universally attributed to the refusal of the Governmen't to admit the materials of payment proffered by those who were anxious to become our customers. On one occasion, the group with which I was conversing on the road was joined by a man who was stated to have belonged to a large factory which bad just been closed. He described the in creasing misery which this event bad produced in the district from which he came—l think the neighbourhood of Ac crington—and then quite astounded me by declaring that abundant means of furnishing food to the starving, and em ployment ro the idle, so as immediately to relieve all the dis tress of the manufacturing districts, were in the country, and were perversely withheld. Not a little surprised and perplexed, I asked him for an explanation. The corn in bond,' he instantly replied ; it would pay for my former employer's yarn—it would give food to my starving family— it would set those wheels going which are now likely to turn another spindle.' Here was a lesson in political economy from a vagrant cotton-spinner which I had not learned from my university education or private study. I felt and con fessed my obligation. He coolly replied, I hope you will never have such a teacher as I have had—it has been starved into me !' I shall feel obliged to any one who gives me the credit of inventing this anecdote; for the mind that minted the concluding phrase must have been richly endowed with the highest attributes of genius." The next extract we shall make will probably cool the glow of benevolent sympathy in which our readers may have in dulged when reading tho Ithure eloqueut descripthm of what has been done externally to promote the comfort of the operative. Dr. Cooke Taylor, as our readers will find, loses no opportunity of thrusting forward his free-trade opinions, wherever he can find a peg to hang them on, and that not always to the workman's advantage. For instance, he gives as a reason for cheapening sugar—what will our readers imagine? That it would be an additional boon to the la bouring classes, an additional source of nutriment when in health, and of comfort in sickness ? No : but that, when mixed with a due proportion of rhubarb pies and puddings, it would he a cheap and wholesome substitute for meat. Oh, Mr. Political Economist! so this is what your cheap sugar is to come to? Will you be so good as to recommend this " cheap and wholesome substitute for meat" to the Poor But let tphr t ee h fle n art publicterm visitinga see y bthe your osuurspset cottageseatt suspected d i o n f e o n Tf t u b a r e t t oi lnnegntgostoht something Law Commissioners ? They will thank you for the hint. L ao p o la a c sh ei re, lt a s n i d m d m ra e w ns s e o w ro a w te d r ; w of he v e i l s i istoorns! o F f e t w hel o v f on th d e e m rs t so o ht . n ' ol ~‘ o — e s t e hi o n f g Eger ton r a - P T ° u s e r d t o n fail to be attracted by the substantial neatness of the cottages in the village, and hence the families of the operatives, being u fo s r ed it t . o iT h sp is ec i t s io n n o , t m th a e y o b a e se su a p t in some iii cases to prepare main lines of road, and is a secluded n'owokiwe reached without some trouble. Theprincipal s p t i a e n d o b e by the fi toperativessbeiog situated o is t enamed the B a s n o k ol t n op i , t urfa i which lies h i village o s ut not of ot coc the buo. ni the th si e de ci ravine remote from Mr. Ashworth's dwelling. The situ ur a fe t u i t o rnh n e , though open and airy, is not unsheltered ; the cottages are built of stone, and contain from fou r to M roomsx each (; pack premises with suitable conveniences are attached ) them all. I did not observe any traces of th at taste for title cultivation of flowers which I found rife among the occupants of Mr. Ashton ' s cotta g es at H y de, in Cheshire, nor did I find that any of the operatives raised in their gardens a sup p ly o f v egetables sufficient for the consumption of th e i r fami lies, as I have found in other places. I saw, however, some fine plants of rhubarb, and learned that they often furnished materials for dinner in the shape of puddings. Let me here observe that the domestic economy of the working popula tion would be vastly benefitted by a larger and cheaper sup ply of sugar than they can at pr esent obtai n. It is obvious that fruit and rhubarb pies and pu ddin g s wo uld be a cheap and whol esome su bstitute for meat , if the high price of suga r did not more th an counterbalance the cheapness of the other materials. I nee d no t apologise to you for introducing thi s o subject,lwhsioeuhs I learned manyw from will regard as lordship trifling, for wa ct one c of p 0 r t . n a earliest es of the text, " D esp i se no t the day of small things ;' and for my own part, I regar d no thing as trifling which hhe import. tend in any way to promote the health, the happiness and the comfort of the working population." We think Dr. Cooke Taylor might have learned soma more important texts from the Archbishop of Dublin than one which could lead him to recommend to the poor factory people fruit and rhubarb pies and puddings as a cheap and wholesome substitute for meat. FIRST EXECUTION AT NENAGH. The extreme sentence of the law was carried into effect on Saturday, between the hours of twelve and one o'clock, on James Shea, alias Smyth, who was found guilty at the last assizes of this town of the inhuman and most barbarous murder of Rody Kennedy, at Loughane. Previous to the wretched culprit making his appearance on the platform, the Rev. Mr. Scanlan, R.C.C., came out and addressed the multitude. He begged of them to preserve a solemn silence during the awful ceremony, and not to disturb the last mo ments of the poor man by any unseemly demonstratio n . The rev. gentleman hoped that if the condemned one ad dressed them, that he would be beard without interruption. He then begged of them to kneel down and implore the Almighty God to have mercy upon his soul. The gaol clock now tolled twelve, and a thrill of horror seemed to pervade the hearts of those assembled. There was a movement made in the ward, near the drop, and in a few moments the culprit stood upon the platform. As is usual, he was pinioned ; he looked rather ghastly, and seemed to totter. In adjusting the rope about his neck, there was, what appeared to us, an over anxiety on the part of the hangman to hasten the execution. The unhappy man then addressed the multitude in a strong, firm, and distinct tone of voice. " I call," said he, " the Almighty God, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and all the saints and angels to witness, that I die innocent of the murder of Rody Kennedy. That I had neither hand, act, or part, or any knowledge of it. I call God—H e in whose dread pre sence a few short minutes will place me, that I am innocent —not only of that, but of any other murder whatsoever. I forgive my persecutors ; I forgive every one ; pray to God to have mercy on my soul. lam innocent—l die innocent — and I hope I will go to heaven." Those assembled simul taneously knelt and prayed audibly. The cap being drawn over his face, there was a fearful pause of some seconds, during which the ill-fated young man moved his hands and bowed his head as if engaged in prayer. The bolt being sprung, he was launched off suddenly. He showed signs of life for eight minutes, but his struggles were but few and not violent. After being suspended for an hour, he was cut down, and his body was buried within the precincts of the prison.—Nenagh Guardian. MURDER AND INQUEST. An inquest was held on Wednesday last, at Lattera, by James Carroll, Esq., on the body of Ellen Murphy, who came by her death as follows :—The first witness examined was Judy Hayes, who stated that on Sunday, the 3d of July last, she went to the house of John Murphy, the husband of deceased ' • John Murphy was also sitting on a stool in the corner. Mrs. Murphy, the deceased, then came in from the yard, and passed into the inner room, and brought out some boiled potatoes for the fowl in the yard. Denis Murphy fol l'l'wed deceased out to the yard, and Mrs. Murphy returned almost immediately to the kitchen, and sat down by the fire; went followed by Denis, who kissed both his harlin, and to the dresser and kissed it also. Mr. Murphy called thanw him " You omedhaun iraun, you are more rogue kw: expressiona. " Say that again," be said, and she repeated the Denis then walked into the room inside the kitchen, a, Whai are Mrs. Murphy followed him, calling out, need yo u 6 2 0 u doing there ?" He answered. " What husband of le." Witness then called to John, the a former man ; deceased, and the father of Denis, by ing (Denis) mio g o e f to go into the room for fear . he men quickly as possibled say or do anything to her. J o hn , as the father got up and followed them into the room ; nis, and desired rem onstrated her with deceased for arguing with De biota re him trusting to himself. " Why don't you correct could be no satisfaction " she said. John answered, there g o t of him, whatever he was to do. Deceased took a lookin t er s from Denis in the room, and hushedushed the door after brought she was coming out, and she pit again. She then dresser, the looking-glass to the kitchen, and went to the and appeared to threaten Denis with the looking-glass, ba t r fi did not strike him. She came back to the middle of the nor , , anci to her husband was him o be trusting to him- Denisig her to let him alone , and knocked they were self tbe father, and not to mind tne de ceased the handle e aware of it, got hold of a spad e ceased down by a blow on the shoulder, and up, tooke of the broke the spad e on her; he then ran out of the house, w i spade in his band. Deceased thengot roe !, was a iron of' the spade from the floor, and said, "a nd if T up the strong woman, that blow would have killed NN , itnes then called to decease d not to go out, but sh e follow as Denis into the yard. Immediately after witness heard e the sound of blows she ran out, and saw deceased on the ground bleeding from the head, and Denis Mur by running away with the spad e handle, passing the win do w towards the potato field. Previous to this, in the morn ing, witness was talking to deceased, who said Denis was going on with his tantrums, and that he had raised a stool over her Wad and killed a pullet on h er ; witness also visited deceased several times since she was struck, and found her up about the house, and also saw Denis one day sitting by the fire in the kitchen. Mary Madden, daughter of de ceased by a former marriage, was also examined, and said that her mother told her that Denis Murphy struck her and was the cause of her death. The evidence of the medical gentleman in attendance was, that there was a longitudinal wound of three inches on the right side of the head, on the parietal hone ; another at an angle from that near the crown of the head, th e sca l p muc h thi c k ene d, an d frontal bone fractured ; there was inflammation c and suppuration on the brain, which caused death; the right shoulder was dis coloured from,the,effects of a blow. The following verdict o w f as on fo e un m d o :r•-t-al woundpeeeased came by her death in consequence on the forehead, inflicted by Denis Murphy, on the 3d d which she languisheda?ril7f July last, with a spade handle, of Tuesday, the 16th day of August instant, and then di e d at Lattera." The coroner's warrant was issued on Thursday morning, and in the course of the same day Denis Murphy was arrested and lodged in the county gaol of the N............__0rth R iding.--Nen ag h Guardian. A flying fish was seen in the river Fal, near Falmouth, a short time ago. This fish is a very rare visitant of our shores. BALLOON ASCENT. Mr. Green and Capt. Currie ascended from Weymouth on Friday, being the 280th of the former, and the 36th of the latter. The course taken was a north-east direction, passing over the figure of his late Majesty, King George 111., which is beautifully cut in chalk on one of those range of hills between Preston and Osmington. There could not have been less than 15,000 and 16,000 persons ; every place commanding a view was densely crowded with spectators; in the area alone there were upwards of 1,600. Mr. Green, accompanied by his friend Capt. Currie, arrived in Wey mouth at eight o'clock on the following morning. MR. GREEN'S ACCOUNT. On leaving the earth, the balloon took a north-east direc tion, passing over the north end of the bay and the White Horse. Our view of Weymouth and the sea at this period was grand and imposing beyond description ; but at an ele vation of about 3000 feet we lost sight of the earth by enter ing the clouds; in a few minutes we enjoyed the pure light and heat of the sun, the gas now began rapidly to expand, and we soon attained our greatest elevation, near two miles, where we met with a current from the north-west, and as this was fast carrying us to sea, we descended through the clouds. Our course now varied to the east by north, and at 2000 feet from the earth the wind became more westerly. The country over which we were sailing being mountainous and unfavourable for landing, we lowered the guide line, by the aid of which we continued our course at an elevation within 500 feet of the earth, until near the river in the vale of Piddle, where we effected a landing near Bere Regis, six miles north of Wareham. A strong wind prevailed at the earth, and had not the grapnel performed its office in arrest ing the progress of the balloon, we must have encountered great difficulty in consequence of the alarm and astonishment of the peasantry near us, who ran in every direction but to wards us. After remaining at anchor some time, and the balloon', by the escape of gas, having ceased its, to then, terrific motion, we at length prevailed on some of the distant gazers to approach us, and we then found them most ready and willing to render every assistance. At our greatest ele vation we had a most extensive view ofthe sea and prominent lands. In the east, St. Alban's Head, and the Isle of Wight. In the north-west, the whole line of the Devonshire coast ; and Portland Hill in the South. On the upper surface of the clouds we observed the same beautiful phenomena which I have often seen—viz., the reflection or shadow of the bal loon encircled with a double halo of the most brilliant pris matic colours. Lord Charles Wellesley, second son of the Duke ontrelling ton, has been returned, without opposition, for South Hants, in the room of Mr. Fleming, who accepted the Chiltern Hundreds. The new Game Laws Act, which has just received the Royal assent, transfers the collection of the revenue, arising from the sale of game certificates, from the Stamp Office to the Board of Excise, and increases the penalty for sporting without a game certificate, from twenty to fifty pounds ! The townspeople and tradesmen of Bromsgrove find fault with the farmers in that neighbourhood for employing Irish men to get in their corn instead of the nailors belonging to the parish, who are accustomed to harvest work, particularly at a time when nailing is so slack. A Mr. Henry Bailey was lately put upon his trial at Dublin for bigamy. His first marriage in 1831 was celebrated by a Presbyterian minister, and the second in the Church of Eng land. He had calculated on tne invalidity of the first; but as both the parties were found to be dissenters, the marriage became lawful. He was accordingly sentenced to seven years' transportation. THE ROYAL GEORGE YACHT.—Her Majesty will embarli 1 from Woolwich, for Scotland, on Monday. The above ves sel, which is to convey her Majesty, is undergoing a com plete renovation, and a number of hands are employed, without intermission, to have her finished for the reception of her Majesty. Dr. Reid, the inventor of the most ap proved mode of ventilation was on board yesterday and to day, personally superintending the laying of pipes for the free ventilation of the vessel. The royal bed has been removed to London, and a new one, expressly made for her Majesty, will be substituted. The interior of the state cabin is superb, beautifully carved in the more prominent parts, and richly gilt, having a most pleasing effect. It i s lighted by five windows in the stern and two on each side of smaller dimensions, of the finest plate glass. Round the whole of the interior are placed ottomans and sofas, the latter convertible into beds, and by richly gilt rods, appearing at first as supports for picture frames, curtains of the mcst graceful drapery are made to surround them. Near the stern windows is a beautiful brass stove of the most ele gant pattern in the form of a handsome covered vase, the smoke descending behind the grate, and finding egress at some distant part of the vessel. The recesses are neatly fitted with shelves for book cases. The floor is covered with rich Brussels carpet of a very chaste pattern, and in the centre stands a splendidly-finished round mahogany table. The royal bed-room is in keeping with the rich appearance of the state cabin, the floor covered with the same Brussels carpet,ot a and ve r y li g ht an d a i ry i n i ts f orm , an d i n ev ery re spect . i adapted for the comfort of her Majesty during the voy age. s entered f r o m the right of the s t a t e c a bi n in a spacious uoor in character with the dimensions of all ,the other parts of this model of elegant ship-building. The ornamented as v,, comforts w dining-room also very handsome, but not so could enjoy whil e highly hich a ....! other cabin, and conveys an idea of the that surround ourghliedim smalli select party of loyal and noble guests of the state cabin are beloved g along on the surface of the seas cleaners. island. The panels of the doors excellent taste and judgement with mirrors ; but her Majesty's ordered appears to dislike them, and they have been the privacy of the state cabin to be covered, so that not have every movement of the will be preserved, and presented to the eye in all quarters. The of the occupants vessel is kept beautiful and The deck of the the seams with a white yet permanently being filled in will not soil the most delicate shoe. A Y t bald composition, work of renovation is going on, the deck is i)resent covered ' , while the can vass. The binnacle compass is covered in in the with lantern, and surmounted by a royal crown. On th f e onn of a of the stern is a beautifully carved royal crown. onetxitierior terior of the stern is a beautifully carved royal arms , x.. , richly gilt ; and altogether the Royal George yacht •is a vessel of which we have reason to be proud; and it is to be hoped her Majesty will be so delighted wilh her voyage as to order this fine pleasure vessel to be kept at Woolwich for her Majesty's use. ARRIVAL OP TO GREAT WESTPRN. This fine, and as the editornf the New York Jerald calls her, " good 'old-fashioned, teteady-going steanur," arrived in the Mersey, from New Ycvrk, on Wednesdar afternoon, about two o'clock. She was very confidently enoected about the period when she made her appearance, and may have been said to have kept time with exact punctually. She put out from the wharf, at New York, at two o'clocl in the after noon of the 11th instant, annid a storm of thunder and lightning, and against a strong east wind. On the second day this inc rease d' to a gale, arid during no less than seven days of her passage, she had to contend with easterly winds and a heavy sea. In the face of these difficuties, however, she made Holyhead by eight o'clock on Weinesday ,morn ing, and completed the whole passage, being her fiftieth voyage across the Atlantic, in thirteen days. She has brought about seventy passengers, a lint of whom is elsewhere. Amongst the passengers, was M. de Bacourt, recentiy the French minister at Washington, who returns to Europe to recruit his health, and Mr. Ricardo, the tanker, who has been in the States considering tlier state of tie stocks. It is said that the latter returns chagrined and disappointed, as Mississippi refuse to pay her debts, and Congress declines to assume them. "He will," says the New York Herald, " give melancholy accounts to his friends inEngland." The previous arrival at Cowes, nf the Belgium Steamer, British Queen, with advices to the 7th instant, had already put us in possession of intelligece o f the final terrmination of Lord Ashburton's negotiations. From tbe papers brought by the Great Western, we learn that a treaty or treaties (it is generally believed that ther e are two) between the United States and Great Britain, b y Lord Ashburton and the Secretary of the American Stages, had been signed on Tuesday the 9th instant. The annexed pargraph, which was published on the 10th in the Madisonian, the official paper of the executive depart ment, was the only entirely authent is notification of the act that bad appeared. " THE TREATY.—We understand,' from authentic sources, that one or more treaties were signec l this day at the Depart ment of State, by the Secretary o 1: State and the British Minister Extraordinary.' It is, as we have before observed, surmised that there are two treaties, one relating to the bound aries ; the other adjust ing the other points formerly in dis pute and lately in dis cussion. Of course the cases of the (;aroline and Creole are included in one or other of the treatie s. It is stated by the New York American, that in the C aroline case apology is made by Great Britain, to which other informants add indem nification. As regards the Creole as 3it is said no money is to be paid, but that certain stipulat ions are made for the future. An article in the treaty is said to be the renunciation, by Great Britain, of the practice of imi gressment on board of American ships. It was not doubted i n any quarter that the Senate, to whom the treaties were tt be immediately sub mitted would promptly ratify them. 4 copies of the treaties were to be sent home by the Great We stern. Lord Ashburton was expected at New York, and his arrival was looked forward to with ;mat interest. The settlement of the points in dispute had given extreme satis faction. Great preparations were m akin; by numerous individuals of the highest respectabilit y for giving a grand fete to his lordship, in celebration of the satisfactory manner in which he had brought the important 1 negotiations between the two countries to a termination. The new Tariff Bill, which had passed the Senate, was, in accordance with the general anticipation, vetoed by President Tyler, on Tuesday, the 9th instant, the same day on which the treaty between the United States a nd this country was signed. The message conveying the ch 'termination of the President, is the fourth veto message whi ch that functionary bas sent to the Congress. The President : objects principally to the combination of provisions for distr. ibuting the proceeds of public lands in a bill for raising revent le, in which bill the duties are placed so high as to defeat the object in view, while the two objects are totally incon matible with each other. The news appears to have been received generally, with extreme pleasure, though many mi m of business de plored the immediate effects of the measto re in the depressed state of the markets. The question most commonly mooted was, what the majority of the Congress a could do when the labour of eight months had thus been rem lered futile. The President at the conclusion of his message calls on them to re-consider the matter, and his desire is, e vidently that they should frame a bill unclogged by the prov , isions for innova tions in the compromise and distributio n acts. It was believed by some, that the Cabinet would immediately resign, while others thought the Congress s would at once adjourn, leaving the financial affairs of the government in a state of extreme difficulty. The future new; s from Washing ton was looked for with great anxiety. The effect of the veto upon business, wi tlich was before dull, had been to produce a complete stagnati 'on. The Stock Market was greatly depressed, and State Stocks were offered at rapidly declining prices. Operations in tl to market were not frequent, and when they occurred the y were chiefly owing to some temporary demand to fulfil col itracts. From all quarters accounts had been receive dof the abund ance of the grain crops. "We shall be out in our reckon ing," says the New York American, " if, bet are the month of November, flour be not as low in this mat ket as in 1826. New Wheat is selling at Rochester, in this Sta te, from 90 to 95 cents per bushel; but this price must fall a 's soon as the western wheats, hardly yet thrashed begin to al rrive." The cotton crop, it was said, promised to :ceed any be fore gathered. The estimates carry up the whe de produce of the cotton growing states this year to two and a half millions of bales. The operations in exchange, per the Great' Western, had been extremely limited. The rates were, on En gland 61 to 7 per cent. premium for sterling bills. Bill on , Paris were at sf. 40 to 5 37i. Freights to Liverpool for cotton bad slight ly advanced. For round bales 3-16 d had been obtained. The news of the satisfactory results of Lord , kshburton's negotiation had caused great rejoicing in Can ada. Lady Bagot and family had arrived at Montreal. Th e Montreal Herald says a great proportion of the recently-a rrived emi grants were wandering about the streets pennyless, and house less, without the means or - possibility of procurini ; work. The advices from Texas, which are to the 27th July, state that the congress had adjourned on the 23d, 04 3 president having on the preceding day vetoed the bill for auti thorising a defensive war against Mexico. Notwithstanding this, pre parations were actually m aking for hostilities ; a body of ar 1000 men, by w h om Texas had been invaded, w ere to be promptly met and a battle was anticipated. D.leanwhile Mexico. Ari s t a and Santa Anna , w ere arra y ed a g t tinst each other and the country was in a state of in testine wt tr. HOW A "LIBERAL" MAGISTRACY ST( )P, OR, RATHER, DO NOT STOP, A RIOT. . Ont un gust, a:large meeting wal 3 held on mtra resolutions were passel !, to the n S m d m ay nnr the , n i t th w o h f i lu effect that there should be a general and compulsor y cessa tion of labour in Ashton-under-Lyne and its neighb ourhood t on the nest day ; and th at on the da y followin g (1 'uesday)he turn-outs should m arch to Manchester for the / ,ur p ose, not only of forcibly stopping all descriptions of labs ur, but also of visiting the exchange, and, as the speaker ex, pressed it "of teaching the merchants how to give better pr. ices for goods." The resolutions p a ssed at the meeting on Mottrata Moor, and the execution of that portion of them which ret sted to the neighbourhood of Ashton-under-Lyne, were well known in Manchester about noon on Monday; we heard c .f them before three o'clock ; and we have good reason for be lieving that they were communicated to the police authoritie sat or before that time. , a large meetin g vra 3 held morning was again dist !timed it no O MA n saho t t h cni e lne e .sn v t eennrdieonrog. Ashton-under-Lyne, the en e, as: followingmw ehidcahy the intention of m a rching and affirmed ; and it was perfectly notorious to almost every upon thousands,f their e Manchester, g uar , assembled not i d n y Ao only hn p tl e ny r n s person in Ashton and it s nei ghbourhood. But, notwithstanding t he se palpable warnings, by vhich the civil and military authorities in Manchester ong ht to a n agyve t o and been , aim )c, their u n ne Tues day, n o o v n n n s t wing i n t e ntion of putting an entire stop to l a b our , b u t c;A r rying that intention into effect as they proceeded along th e two s e several departedepr a u t t roads leading to this town.—Manchester Guardian. [We only marvel after this that the cottonocracy ai It I their magistrates did not dispatch a band of music to escort the rioters to the scene of their triumph.—Ed. L. S PECUNIARY CRISIS IN AMERICA. The following letter presents a remarkably vivid and. true picture of the financial situation of the United States at ;the present time : " NEW YORK, Aun. 7.—The cry of ' Hard times 'h as not been so loud for many years as it is at the present t e. The rich, as well as the poor, feel deeply the general de pre 3- sion which prevails throughout the country. Merck ant 3, mechanics, and operatives, from th e hi g h es t t o th e l o we ;t classes, are struggling against the disasters which have. re tle• ° cently come upon the nation in r a pid success i on, red • git from an artificial prosperity to a s t a t e o f bankruptcy an d ruin. The facilities for obtaining l arge l oans in Eng lan d upon nominal securities have been for se vera l years past 't so easy, the ruinous system of granting long cre di ts in eves branch of trade, and the rapidity with which fortunes hal .y e been made in speculations, have all tended to make the pea - p pie believe that the nation was really in a more pros erati s condition than any other on the face of th e g l o b e. This belie f led naturally to an extravagance in everything, which socta I reached from one circle to another, till all classes found that their expenditures were far greater in amount than their in comes. Large debts baying been unnecessarily contracted abroad pay-day came round, and the merchants of the Atlantic cities attempted to collect their dues from the merchants of the interior states ; and when they in turn called upon their nu merous debtors, to their astonishment they found that few or no collections could be made! The effect of this reached. the. Atlantic merchant, and swept onward to the English. • manufacturer. The same system and its effects will apply - 1 to the contractors for gloat stete improveloetii, to ' which loans were obtained, principally in England, to- enormous amounts, and with astonishing facility ; these im provements were unecessary, because the natural trade of the country would not warrant them. The inevitable result. of such wild schemes is now two well known—too sadly: known by the English creditor—to require any further re-- mark. Ten of the best states owe at this time, in round numbers, 150,000,000 dols. ; at the present average value of 6 the stocks they are worth in the market about half that sum ! and from present appearances, in a few months, they will_ not probably b e w o r th one - q uarter of the gross amount ! " The political horizon is dark and gloomy. The govern-• ment is reduced to the pitiful necessity of sending brokers. from one city to another to o btain sufficient funds to keep the wheels of its offices in motion; but, unable to find these funds at home, she sends her agents abroad ; her pride may be brought yet l ower by receiving a refusal from En g land to render further assistance. E ng land ought to refuse her , and it is to be hoped that she will, for it will have the effect of teaching this nation a great mora l lesson, which will stand out in living characters beyond the present generation. The nation deserves to be made thus humble; her haughty pride pawnbroker's is r re luctantly . and boastful tones deserve to be subdued ; she has been wickedly wasteful, extravagant , a nd careless, and now she must suffer for her follies, and her sufferin g s must be dee p l y felt to be remembered. Finding t hat she can no lon g er sus ythand thousands navy, reduce ds of her sus tain her credit at home or abroad , and that her re p utation is far gone, she stands like one desperate door offering her trinkets for the most they will brin g , and in such a questionable shape ! , ot he meantimeat a she tlhucetpana;lyofcohmerpeplluedblitcoocffiuctedrso: isvdnheehraarrgrne subordinates, and clip all her expenses as close as possible. And this the first step of reform, which ought to have been made long ago. Well it is that the people-are following her example—not from any merit of their own, but from com pulsion. It is well. It will teach them economy and hu mility, and it will make them wise for the future. The peo ple as well as the government, are now going through a fiery ordeal that will try them severely, and they all appear to be sensible of it. While the nation and the people have pa sse d this critical stage, real prosperity, gradual and enduring, will return. How dearly purchased are the great lessons of every age !" Times of Wednesday. DARING OUTRAGE AND MURDER. —On the evening of Wednesday, the 10th instant, as an offending Protestant, named Mercer, was on his way h ome from t he market of Aughnacloy, to his residence at G lenkean, abou t three miles from that town, he was attacked b y a party of Ro man Ca tholics, and beaten so severely that he died on T ues d ay last. Previo m us o t o o re h ! jsusdteicae of thhtihsedpeepaocseis who issued a warrant fortions !were taken by M r . Hugh the apprehension of two men, whom the deceased identified; both of whom have absconded. The police are making every exertion to apprehend the offenders. It is rarely that a deed of blood such as this occurs in the peaceable county of Tyrone.—Derry Sentinel. THE A,NTI.CORN-LAW LEAGUE RIOTS. We are happy to say, that a very small space of the STANDARD will be occupied with a report of what has taken place since our last, with reference to the disturbed condition of the manufacturing and mining districts. MANCHESTER. On Tuesday several of the mills resumed work, but the return of the hands to their occupation was not so general as had been expected. Au attempt was made in the morn ing by a party of men and boys, said to be the hands from Mr. Kelly's mill, to induce the hands at Mr. Kennedy's mill to turn out. In this attempt, however, they were only partially successful, some portion of the hands going out; but the mill continued to work duriria the day. Several placards appeared in the course of the day upon the walls, some being from the masters, showing that the discontent was fast subsiding, and others from the men, expressingtheir determination to remain out until a certain increased rate of wages were agreed to. Several meetings were held, at which resolutions to a similar purport were passed. On Wednesday the aspect of affairs had not materially changed. The mills were very generally in operation with such hands as came forward, but the bulk of the people still held out. The town, however, remained quiet, and there ap peared a gradually increasing disposition to return to duty upon the slightest inducement. Meanwhile it was not con sidered desirable to reduce the force of the special consta bles, and all the arrangements which had been made for the preservation of order were still strictly maintained. While the evil has been gradually dying away in the dis tricts which were first disturbed, it has been extending in a circle around them, but not in such a manner as to create any very serious apprehensions. At Ashton, there was some dis turbance on Monday, in consequence of a body of turn-outs having assembled for the purpose of stopping the silk mill of Mr. Wanklyn. The mob were with some difficulty dis persed by the military. Three prisoners who had been ap prehended, were examined before the magistrates, and or dered to find sureties for their appearance to take their trial at the next assizes. At Bolton, Bury, Rochdale, Middleton, Leigh, Wigan, and Preston, after some few demonstrations of disorder, tranquillity has been restored, and the mills have generally resumed work. At Oldham, the operatives have held several meetings, and listened to the exciting language of the Chartists, but the various trades were, according to the latest accounts, gradually resuming labour. It is said, that a special commission will be, in a short time, issued for the trial of the numerous prisoners captured in the course of the riots. The trials will probably take place very shortly in this as well as the adjacent counties. At Manchester, during the whole of Wednesday, entire ' tranquility prevailed. The committee of mill-owners and others, employing work-people in the town and vicinity, caused the following report to be posted at the Exchange : ; " Chamber of Commerce, 12 o'clock, a.m., Tuesday, 23rd August, 1812. "The committee have to report that, in addition to the mills and other works which started at the end of last week, all the remaining fine mills, and several course mills, went in yesterday, and continue to-day steadily at work. " That the hands in many other branches of trade resumed labour yesterday, and also continue steadily at work. " That the committee have reason to believe, that the dis position to return to work among those who are still out, is gradually increasing. "That wherever this disposition has manifested itself, and an opportunity has been afforded to the hands to go to work, labour has been resumed. " That previous to starting, parties are recommended to give notice to the authorities, at the Town Hall, stating the locality of the works, and the time fixed for starting." THE RECENT RIOTS. ADDRESS OF THE LEAGUE. At a special general meeting of the National Anti-Corn-law League, held at their rooms in Manchester, this 20th day of August, 1842, Robert Hyde Greg, Esq., in the chair. Moved by J. Bright, Esq., of Rochdale ; seconded by H. Ashworth, Esq., of Turton ; and resolved unanimously, that the following address be published to the people of the United Kingdom : " In the present deplorable state of the country we, the members of the National Anti-Corn-law League, in special meeting assembled, whilst wholly disregarding the wicked and calumnious attacks made upon us by the abettors of monopoly, feel it to be our duty to recal to the calm consi derafton of all classes the long-prevailing, evils against which we have unceasingly contended—evils which we solemnly believe to have led to the existing commotions, and which, unless removed, will inevitably involve the nation in still greater calamities. " It will be remembered that, in the autumn of 1838, im pelled by the accumulating privations and alarming prospeCts of the people, a united effort to procure the abolition of the corn-law was commenced by the establishment of associa tions in various parts of the country ; and in the spring of 1839 an appeal was made to the House of Commons by a numerous body of delegates assembled in London, to be heard at their - bar. This application the legislature refused. In 1840 another delegation assembled in London, to press upon parliament and upon the ministry the necessity of re pealing the corn-law. This second appeal was likewise re jected. In 1841 another very numerous body of deputies assembled in the metropolis, and reiterated their arguments, and produced a mass of facts bearing upon the question of the corn-law ; but again the legislature refused the act of justice demanded of them. During the recess between the sessions of 1841 and 1842, meetings were held in almost every part of the country (amongst which must be particu larised one comprising 650 ministers of religion in Man chester, and another of 800 ministers and office-bearers of Scotch congregations at Edinburgh), proclaiming the ncoral and physical deterioration of the working classes, and the ruinous effects of the corn-law upon every de partment of industry. With the opening of the session of 1842, seven hundred delegates commenced their sittings in the metropolis. They sought an interview N6th the prime minister, who declined to receive them. They published an apoaling statement of facts, proving the dreadful sufferings of the great mass of the population, and the intimate con nection between those sufferings and the working of the corn law. The ministry proposed, and the legislature sanctioned a partial change in the law, worthless as a remedial measure, and tantamount to an utter denial of the just claims of the people. Subsequently, the distress of the labouring class being intense, and whole districts being prostrated, another delegation assembled in Landon, and had interviews with the Prime Minister and his colleagues in the government. They laid before them the state of the country, the impend ing destruction of some, and the depression of all trades ; the intense and wide-spread sufferings of the people ; the exasperation of feeling and the hopelessness of redress which prevailed amongst them ; and the danger that some great social convulsions would result from the infatuated resolu tion of the majority of the legislature, despite the prayers of millions of petitioners to maintain, at all hazards, their destructive monopoly. " Having thus pointed out the cause, suggested the re medy, and foretold the consequences of delay, our duty was performed, and we threw the responsibility, as we now do, upon the government and the legislature. " It is thus obvious that we had long foreseen, and often foretold, those disastrous effects of the corn-law which have been gradually developed, and have continued to increase in severity, until all the manufacturing districts have been thrown into a state of convulsion. " Whilst we most strongly and unequivocally condemn every breach of the public peace, we desire to express our sympathy with the unmerited and long-continued sufferings of the working classes, and our belief that the industrious population of this country, if justly governed, would inva riably be disposed to conduct themselves as peaceable and honest men and good citizens. " Finally we consider it our duty to step forward on the present painful crisis, to declare once more our solid and un shaken conviction, that the unjust and inhuman corn-law is the main cause of the evils which afflict the industrial com munity, destroying the profits of the manufacturers, reducing the wages of the working men, and bringing beggary and ruin upon a large portion of our countrymen ; and we desire to record it as our deliberate opinion, that the dense and in creasing population of this country cannot be in a prosper ous, comfortable, or even contented condition, so long as they arc subjected to the pressure of the corn-law ; and that there can be no guarantee for the peace of society or for the security of life and property, whilst large masses of the peo ple are sinking into a state of abject destitution. We therefore earnestly implore our countrymen of every class to unite with us in urging upon the government the necessity of immediately re-assembling the legislature, with a view to the total abolition of the destructive monopoly in the food of the people. **ROBERT HYDE GREG, Chairman." BIRMINGHAM. On Tuesday a chartist meeting was announced to be held near this town, and at the time appointed many thousands assembled, but in consequence of fears of being disturbed, White, the leader, succeeded in drawing off a large body of the persons assembled. Heading this party, he proceeded at a rapid pace towards the ground at the Asylum, where the meeting had been held the day previous, followed by about 120 of the police, under the command of Superintendent Atkins. Finding themselves hotly pursued, the mob did not attempt to occupy the ground at the Asylum, but proceeded towards Handsworth, about a mile or two further, on the borders. of Staffordshire, where the mob made for some waste ground and brickfieids to the right of Hunter's-lane, adjoin ing the nunnery, a newly-formed establishment in this past of the country. Here the multitude fairly tired out cattle to a dead halt, and the police having been reinforced by a party of military, the avenues of the road were guarded, and the further progress of the mob was effectually cut off. The police then charged the multitude, and dispersed them in a few minutes ; in the melee, however, White, the leader of the party, effected his escape. Whiilst these proceedings were taking place in one quarter of the town, the snob continued to increase in Duddeston• row, and the police, stationed there to keep the ground clear, Sound considerable diificuity in accomplishing the work, their force having been considerably weakened by the de tachment which had been sent in pursuit of a portion of the mob. In this state of things information was sent to the public office, where the magistrates were sitting, that further assistance would be required, and Col. Thom, the comman dant of the district, instantly placed himself at the head of a party of dragoons, and galloped to the spot. On his arrival 1 he found that the snob had commenced throwing stones at the police, and were fast pressing upon them. The appear ', ance of the military, however, produced an instantaneous change in the disposition of the mob, who immediately fell back and cheered the dragoons and their gallant em it - sander. Col. Thom addressed a few words to the people, a: ad advised them to separate, telling them that in case o: f their refusing to do so, the Riot Act would be read, at id prompt measures adopted to disperse them. This ad vice was followed by a considerable portion of the meeting, bt it others, evincing an indisposition to move, the police were or slued to charge, which they did with great success, using th a flats of their sabres with much effect, and the ground wl s cleared in a few minutes. Numbers of persons, how ev, !r, continued loitering about until dusk, but no attempt wa a made to congregate in a body a second time. ] in consequence of private information received by the ma gis trates, a warrant was issued on Tuesday morning for the api n.ehension of White, whose house, or lodgings, in Broms grc ye-street, was searched by the police, and a large quart tit3 - of papers and correspondence of a most seditious cha rac :er were discovered, clearly proving that the present mol vent was long planned by White and his mischievous assc .ciates. White was arrested on Wednesday along with anot :her man of the name of Taylor, the former being charged with inciting the people to violence, and the latter with having prim ted a seditious placard. They were to be brought up yests srday (Thursday,) for examination. The town is now agais t peaceable. SCOTLAND. TB E COLLIERS' AND IRON-STONE MINERS' STRIKE. We are glad to learn that, although the strike still con tinues in the Lanarkshire and Henfrewshire mining districts, the idlt population are 'perfectly quiet, notwithstanding that emissaries have been at work attempting to give the turn-out a politic !al aspect, by introducing the question of the people's charter as an element in the unhappy dispute, which at the present time can only have the effect, as far as the men are concern' Id, of alienating from them the sympathy of many well wis tiers to their cause. We are also glad to learn that there at e symptoms of amendment apparent, and it is earnestly • to be hoped that all may he soon satisfactorily settled. A private letter written from Coatbridge on Satur day last, by one who has good opportunity of observation, says :—" There was unusual bustle visible among the work ing-classes 3 here yesterday, owing to one of the Dundyvan Ironstone Works being at work. The men had lately an in terview wi th the proprietor, and it turns out that all hands have agrees Ito go to work at 4s. per day ; but there are still some little items unsettled. The rumour here is that the refit will follow the example ; and it is to be hoped that by the end of next week all will be restored to peace and good order." In our publication of Tuesday last we inserted . a notice regarding the turn-out of the workers at the Campste Alum. Works. We arc happy to observe that matters have been adjusted. MOVEMENT IN AIRDRIE. SATURDAY.—Within the last two days, matters in the dis turbed districts of miners and colliers, have taken a new and it is to be feared, more formidable aspect than any they have yet assumed. It was generally expected, at the commence ment, that the question of wages and their own local grievances, would alone occupy the attention cf the struck miners in the neighbourhood cf Airdrie, Coatbridge, and llolytown, and that so soon as their demands were complied with, the workmen would return quietly and at once to their employment. The result, however, of large meetings held yesterday and the day previous, does not at all favour such expectations. A public meeting of the coal and ironminers friendly to the cause of democracy was held on Wednes day, in a field on the south side of the Chapel Street road, Airdrie, granted for the purpose by the proprietor, Mr. Adam Prentice. After an address from a Mr. Thomas Roberts, delegate from Clackmannanshire, and at whose instance, we believe, the meeting was got up, it was resolved, " that in order to obtain the means of permanently improv ing their condition. the colliers and miners assembled, con tend for the people's charter, and that they use every effort to induce other trades, far and near, to strike work on a given day, and cease from producing a farthing's worth until the charter is made law." At this meeting it is said there were present nearly 3000 persons. It is described by eye witnesses as one of the largest meetings of the miners that has yet been held, and one of the most orderly and peaceable. From the statements of the delegate from Clackmannanshire, it would seem that a similar resolution has been adopted at a great many meetings in that conntry. This .meeting was held in the fore part of the day, but there was another in the evening at the same place, and a much larger one, composed of different trades and the shop-keeping classes. It was attended by a great body of the inhabitants of Airdrie, and it is confidently stated that it could not contain less than 4500 persons. The person named Roberts, again addressed the assembly, when a similar resolution was put and carried, with the addition, that a communication be opened with other towns and villiages, calling upon them to do likewise. A committee was appointed to carry this part of the resolu tion into effect, when the dense mass quietly separated at a late hour, the meeting having commenced at seven o'clock. At another meeting, held at a place called Pottery Quarry, near Coatbridge, at which 1,800 were present, and composed almost exclusively of colliers, similar sentiments were uttered and similar resolutions were adopted. At this meeting also, which was called principally by the workmen connected with the mines around Dundyvan, terms were proposed on behalf of Mr. Wilson of that quarter, for the men connected with his works, which came up to the men's expectations, with the exception of the matter of a "lying week" in every five, which the master insists upon having as formerly. The men will only consent to allow him to retain three days of what is called " lying money" in the month's pay. This, we under stand, is now the only ground of difference between Mr. Wilson and the workers at Dundyvan. We regret to state that the other masters and their workmen in the same position as before—the masters expressing a willingness to grant a little, and the men firm and determined to have all their demands fulfilled. The military are still stationed at Airdrie, Coatbridge, &c., and may be seen chatting with the unemployed, going in and out of the houses of the inhabitants, and altogether on the best of terms. There are not so many potato depredations, however, although occasional liftings take place at some distance from the towns. On Thursday morning, Mr. John Wilson, farmer, Craigwalhan, about a mile and a half from Airdrie, lost about a rood, of which immediate information was given to the Sheriff, The depredations committed in this way, it is understood among the farmers, will be de frayed at the expense of the county, and consequently, they begin to be a little more careless as to the potato diggers. CARDIFF. SUNDAY, HALF-PAST SEVEN, A.M.—The excitement continues to increase here, and accounts are reaching us hourly of the unsettled state of the hills. The magistrates are on the alert, and are making every preparation to put down the disturbances which it is very evident they antici pate. Much alarm has,, been created by these movements, and several families have left the place for Bristol and else where. The magistrates have obtained the presence of an additional company of soldiers, and expresses have been sent for further military aid. As I told you in my last, it was determined to go to Dowlais ; and accordingly the miners and colliers met to the number of about 1,600 or 1,800, in the square ; and, a man named Miles having been called to preside over them, they marched two-and-two to Dowlais Great Pend, to meet the workmen belonging to the Rhymny and Tredegar Works, whom they expected to join them. Mr: Hoinfray, of Tredegar, and the proprietors of the Rhymny Works, fortunately succeeded in preventing their workmen from joining the mob, which consisted of the workmen at the Cyfartha and Plymouth Works, together with some from the Pen-y-Darren Works (Mr. Alderman Thompson's). After remaining about Dowlais for some hours, the mob returned to Merthyr between two and three o'clock ; and Miles having addressed them, and appointed another meeting for six o'clock in the evening, at Penrylge reg, on the mountai.i, Mr. Crawshaw, with a view to the putting an end to the disturbed state of the town, and to prevent the meeting on the mountain, sent the public town-crier round to summon a meeting of the workmen in his employ who were inclined to go to work, to meet him and his agent. At the appointed hour, about 1,300 of his workmen met him ; and, after his addressing them on the impropriety of their conduct in leaving their work, a large number promised to return to their work in the morning. It was thought that this course would have restored order, and would have been the means of preventing the meeting on the mountain. Much, however, to the surprise of the authorities, a very large meeting was held on the mountain at the very time that Mr. Crawshay was addressing the meeting in the town, the mountain meeting being swollen by numbers of workmen from Aberdare. At this meeting much indignation was expressed at, and threats were held out to any who might return to their work. It was resolved that they should to-morrow apply to the relieving officer, and demand relief ; that the market this day should not be disturbed ; and it was stated, that, if the government could not now be overturned, the state of the country would be ten times worse than over ; and that, if they withdrew from the banks, in gold, all their deposits for clubs, &c., and resolved not to go to work until the people's charter became the law of the land, they would be sure of success. It was also resolved to hold another meeting on the mountain at four o'clock on Saturday. - - Groups of idlers have been parading the streets all the day; and already they have begun to make forcible demands for bread, &c., in the outskirts of the town. The announced meeting was held on the mountain at four in the afternoon, when not fewer than between 2,000 and 3,000 of the workmen assembled ; there were also several women present. They determined on not returning to work, and on preventing the others who were willing from doing so. They also agreed that their emissaries should induce the puddlers not to light the fires on Monday morn ing, which would (if they were successful) effectually put a stop to every kind of labour at the works. WHO IS TO BE THE NEW LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION ? We have learnt within the last few days that Lord John Russell has signified to Lord Palmerston, in answer to repre sentations made by the latter, as to the necessity of the liberals advancing with the popular feeling, thst closely con nected as he (Lord John Russell) is with the Bedford family, he could not consent to be a party to further reform ; and that, therefore, he thinks it were better if the opposition would louk out for some other leader before the commence ment of another parliamentary campaign.—Morning Adver tiser. [Who must be that other leader ? Lord Palmerston, we should say. He has, at least, the required " assurance." Or what say you to Richard Cobden, who has, at least, a sufficiently good opinion of himself? Or William Ewart— but he is blown? Or Joseph Hume, who is, by his own confession, the greatestfool in the house? Or Tom Dun combe or Admiral Napier, the one the best player, the other the best fighter, in parliament ? Or why not, if the liberals must " advance with popular feeling," hoist Feargus O'Connor or Joseph Sturge into the house, and follow the hero of the Northern Star, or the Chartist Quaker ? You have a rich lot to choose amongst. Gen tlemen—choose you wisely !—Ed. L. S.] STATE OF THE AMERICAN TARIFF QUESTION. For the information of our readers in the manufacturing districts, who may be not so well acquainted with the result of the late tariff discussions as we are in this locality, we give the following official notice by the United States' government, as containing the basis upon which, it is now almost certain, this year's fall trade must be done. It will be seen that it is one highly favourable to the British manu facturer. _ " Treasury Department, Controller's-office, July 1, 1842. " The bill passed by Congress on the 25th day of June, 1812, to regulate and fix the rate of duties on imports from the end of said month until the Ist day of August, not having become law, by reason of the President having returned the same to the House of Representatives with his objections there, you will proceed to levy and collect duties, in ready money, on all goods, wares, and merchandise imported into your district after the 30th day of June, 1842, at the rate of 20 per cent. on the value thereof at the port entry ; except those articles which are enumerated in the fifth section of the act of Congress on the 2d day of March, 1833, and in the first section of the act of the 11th day of September, 1841, or in either of said sections, as being thereby made free; and excepting also muriatia acid, sulphuric acid, and the other articles expressly mentioned and provided in and by the said act of the .11th of September, 1841, to be admitted on the payment of the rates of duty imposed on them respectively under then existing laws ; but these rates, except such as were specified, must be levied, however, on the value of the article at the port of entry ; and this value is to be deter mined by the appraisers in all cases, and just reference to the quantities and manner in which articles are respectively sold by importers, and to the prices which they obtain for them at cash sales, in the fair and regular course of trade at the port of entry. " The sum of the duty to be paid, at the rate of 20 per cent. on the value of any article at the port of entry, will in each case be the one-sixth part of the price, ascertained as aforesaid, at which importers sell said article ; and the officers or persons appraising any article, having ascertained the price at which it so sold, or will sell, should report the value of such article at a rate or sum which, with 20 per cent. added thereto, will amount to said price. For instance, if a bale of cloth was under their examination, and they found it would sell, in manner aforesaid, at the price of six dollars per yard, the appraisers should report the value thereof at said port to be fire dollars per yard ; because this rate, with 20 per cent. added, would produce six dollars, the ascertained market value of said cloth. ' " I remain, with great respect, your obedient servant, Controller." The above are the terms upon which, up to our last ad vices, merchandise has been admitted into the ports of the United - States •, and we may here explain the meaning of the duties having been paid hitherto " under protest." It has entered into the head of some wise people that, pending the recent tariff discussion, no duties were payable,—that, in the words of the New York Morning Herald, America has had " no revenue laws, no duties, no tariff, no nothing ;" and the device of protesting has been adopted to make importers to take advantage of such an absurdity being declared to be law, of which there is assuredly no earthly chance. The advices by the Great Western bring us the certainty of the latest attempt to overthrow this scale of duties being vetoed by the President; and although it is still thought that a " revenue bill" will be passed, the best private letters agree in assuring us that no measure will be sanctioned by the President, im posing higher duties than 20 per cent., unless it be accom panied by the appropriation of the proceeds of the public lands to the purposes of the revenue; and to such a proposi tion the majority of the states will never be brought to agree. POPULATION OF TW O D UTCH COLONlES.—According to the last official returns. from Surinam, there are in that col on y 2,500 whites, half Christians and Jews. Not 600 are natives of Holland. There are 7,000 coloured persons (4,000 free and 3,000 slaves.) There are 4,600 negroes, of whom only 1,000 are free. Total population, 56,000. Paramaribo has 15,000 inhabitants, of whom 8,500 are slaves, and 6,500 free. The whole number of whites is 2,000. There are 1,200 Jews. 3,000 coloured persons, and 10,000 negroes.—Dutch paper. TO CORREgPONDENTP'. A proof of the general accuracy of the LIVERPOOL STAN- D Aan has been unconsciously afforded by the extraordinary fuss which has been made bt several of our contemporaries relative to a report of a fire which we stated on Friday last had occurred on board the Oriental ;steamer on the outward voyage to Malta. No such lire has taken place on board the Oriental steamer; and we regret the mis take the more, as we know every precaution is used to prevent such casualties on board that magnificent vessel. The fire to which we alluded occurred on a sailing vessel of the same name, on the outward voyage from Liverpool to Buenos Ayres, and under circumstances similar to those described in the paragraph referred to. Elir Eibtrpoot 'tan tart. FRIDAY MORNING, AUGUST 26, 1 8 42. Most deeply would the present Conservative Go vernment have failed in its duty to the people of England if it had neglected to institute a strict inquiry into the origin and the progress of the recent distur bances in the manufacturing districts. Such an omir- sion, however, cannot now be laid to their charge. By the Manchester Guardian of Wednesday we are nformed that a Government Commissioner—a Mr. Gregory—is already in that town, engaged in pursuing the inquiry in question ; and, if we may judge from the promptness displayed by the Cabinet in despatch ing this official to the seat of the disturbances, we may safely prophecy that it will be one of the most vigorous and searching character. Such, indeed, it must be, or it can never satisfy or calm the excitement which the events of the' past fortnight have produced in the public mind. With respect to the origin of the recent turn• out of working people, it is possible that we know already as much as we are likely to be made acquainted with. We may not be able to trace the riotous conduct of :he factory population throughout the district to its real instigators—the League millocracy. But most certainly, if the enquiries of Government are conducted as we trust they will be, the people of England will have submitted to them a picture of reckless crime such as never attached to the character of any party in this country. If we have not brought home to the League millocracy the infamy of having personally excited to the destruction of property and life which we have just witnessed; if the League millocracy of Manchester shall not be proved to have aided with their purses the proceedings of the lawless insur gents; still, we are satisfied, it will be abundantly proved that they have aided them, and with quite as much effect, by a wicked and deliberate neglect of those means and precautions by which such pro ceedings might have been put down. In this opinion we are confirmed by the evidence of a host of observers, and by the admission of the Man chester Guardian itself—the organ of the " Liberal " party in Manchester; and when that journal backs out from the support of its friends, depend upon it, they are in a black case ! It was known in Manches ter, says the Guardian, that the town was about to be invaded by the insurgent workmen of the neighbour ing district. The " Liberal" magistracy of Manches ter had full previous information of the illegal purposes of the rioters ;—that the factories were to be forcibly stopped, and the merchants intimidated upon their own xchange ! And yet " What," asks the Gunrdian,— " was done for the purpose of preventing this alarming invasion? There was an adequate military and police force in Manchester; there was ample time for arresting the pro gress of the rioters at a distance from the town ; there were positions peculiarly favourable for that purpose. What use was made of these advantages ? Why, none ;—or at all events none that was in any way effectual for the purpose intended. There was undoubtedly an array of military and police—a parade of officers and magistrates—after the rioters had entered the town, and after they had commenced the ex ecution of their lawless purpose. There was an attempt to stop them in the streets, where the flanks of the military were turned by twenty different passages ; and, in spite of all the efforts they could make, the rioters spread over the town, turning out the workpeople at their pleasure. In short, so far as re garded the arresting of their progress, the magistrates, and the military, and the police, might just as well have been at Liverpool." !! Can any one, we ask, with such an admission be fore them, coming from such a quarter, doubt for a moment that a wicked toleration of the spread of the turnout from Stalybridge, where it commenced, to Man chester and other towns, was exercised by the League millocracy of Manchester, and other magisterial Anti- Corn-law brawlers ? Can it be doubted that by many of such men " a row," whatever its cause or its result, would be welcomed as a convenient instrument of of fence against a Conservative Government ? They had full information of its approach. They were warned, we know, by the officer in command of the police force of Manchester, Colonel Shaw, of the necessity of prompt resistance. Yet they did nothing ! They waited for the sacking of the town, which they were sworn to protect, in the hope of being able to convert such a calamity into an argument for the repeal of the Corn laws ! This damning inertness—this wicked tampering with outrage and disorder—will be established by the inquiry now pending; and the punishment which ought to be meted out by a government determined to protect the lives, the liberties, and the property of Englishmen, we need not even hint at. But can inquiry stop here ? It can not ! The Government are bound, we say, to carry their investigation into the character, the political connexions, and the past history, even, of some of the gentlemen (1) who adorn the magisterial bench in Manchester. If there are men upon that bench who are avowed agitators of the worst class, can a Conservative Government permit such men for a moment longer to remain on that bench to which a .venal Government, for purposes of its own, advanced them ? We answer fearlessly, No ; and we are convinced that such will be the answer of the Government under whose judgment the conduct of ,these men will shortly be placed. We have not had either space or leisure lately to notice the doings or undoings of the Dock Committee and their surveyor. It certainly was our expectation that some answer would at least be attempted to the charges brought against the latter gentleman, by our selves and by Mr. Chapman, in his letter to the chair man of the committee. In default of this, however, we must conclude that these charges are admitted; and with respect to the charge of Mr. Chapman , relative to the laying of the temporary railway along the docks, we can only say that we have had the original working drawing, for a compliance with which an old servant of the committee was dismissed at an hour's warning, measured by a competent party, and that that working drawing, which would prove the fault to be the surveyor's, and not the poor man's upon whom punishment has fallen, can be produced to the committee at any moment. as we set out. The bulk of the expenditure of the past year is O f course that incurred for the " new works" i n cours e of formation. We should have been glad, a nd th e public would have been glad, to have been told song' thing in detail with respect to this outlay—how roll yards of excavation, of river or dock wall, of paving and other matters, had been done, and how wail remained to be done ;—what proportion, in fact, the cost thus far of the works in question bears to th e original estimate. We have no such information, however, afforded to us. Again, with respect to th e lesser item of the gross amount—the expenditure tlY °ll " old works"—we are equally in the dark. The unlY_ con clusion, indeed, whi c h presents i tse lf , i s that to 13 : drawn from the frequent use of the words "altering' " rising," &c., viz, that the expenditure under 01115 head is in great part created by the necessity of rep air ' ing errors and completing "botches." We have now before us the yearly report of the engineer, and the usual statement of accounts accour panying it ; by which it will be found that the e% - penditure during the year, from June, 1841, to June , 1842, has been, upon new works, £125,585 19s. S cl '' and upon old works, (we presume repairs, alterations , &c.) £24,803 lis. 9d., being a total expenditure of £150,389 17s. sd. We have endeavoured, from this document, to arrive at the detailed cost of some parti cular works about which we feel an interest; but , alas ! our perceptions are quite unable to pierce through the dense fog with which the surveyor or his clerks contrive to mystify their statements. A mor e complete jumble of figures never came under our ob' serration ; and all that we can say, after an hour Or two's examination of the various items of which theY are composed, that, with respect to the cost of any on e of the works to which they relate, we are just as wise