Northern Times. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-06-15 00:00:00

POLICE C OURT.- SATURDAY. LIVERPO 1)1, (a s osn Ma J, S. AWOL D Ties DIFP7RENC BMW r.EN WINE AND WATEL—Mary Ellen Mines, late a waitress in the publichouse of Mr. J. Vickers, 6, Moor-street, was charged with having stolen three bottles cf valuable old port wine, the property of her master. The prisoner, a young and respectable locking person, was defended by Mr. Block. A young woman, named Ann Peters, who wee about a week in the employment of Mr. Vickers, stated that she was cautioned not to go into a small room up stairs, where wine used to be brought from the cellar, for the purpose of serving the customers of the house. -She wos also tcld to watch if any one took wine out cf it. She saw the prisoner drink porter on the stairs instead of taking it to customers. She saw the prisoner on three different evenings, leave the room in question, and on each occasion she saw her with a bottle of wine in her hand. Mr. Block : Why did you not tell your master at first ? Because I thought she might have had authority to take it. Do_you swear it was wine was in the bottles ? No, I won't swear it was wine, but one of the bottles had a black seal on it. Mr. Bluck : It might have been water that was in the bottles ? I will not swear it was wine. Ma Block : It might have been Pike water, then ? 1 don't know Mr. Vickers was then examined, and said two hampers of wine were put into the room from the cellar, for the use of customers; it was very old wine, and was bottled in Loudon in 1847, by Chillingworth & Sone, and was of fine quality. Mr. Block: That is valuable wine ; I should like to have some ef it at home. Mr Vickers : I shall be happy to send you some home. He said there ware sixteen bottles of this wine missed, and he had some suspicion of the prisoner. The seals on the bottles were black, as described by the witness. In reply so Mr. Bluck, he said she wine could not have been sold to customers, as he kept a bin book, and entered every bottle sold, Mr. Block addressed the court, and contended that the evidence of the female witnees could not be depended upon, as she wanted to gain favour with her master. Mr. Mansfield said there was only one course for him to adopt, and that was to send her for trial. He would, however, take bail-- two sureties in £lO each—for her appearance. EXTENSIVE PIA:BBB& BY A LODGIC&•—A respectable looking female, named Matilda Massey way charged wide having stolen and pledged property to the value of nearly £2O, the property of Mrs. Emma C. Challoner, of 39, Charlotte-place. The property consisted of wearing apparel belonging to men and women, blankets, sheets, towels, and other household linen, boots, &c., and the greater portion of it was produced in cour by the pawnbrokers at whose shops the prisoner had pledged it. It appeared that the prisoner, who was described as the Nate of a respectable printer, 'edged at the house of complainant, who was the wife of a respectable master carter, and the former, avail ing herself of several opportunities, took the clothes, all of which (with the exception of one suit) belonged to com plainant and her hasband, and pledged them at several pawn shops. The prisoner was identified by several of the pawnbr kers' young men as the person who p'edg -d the ardcles. She was fully committed for trial POLISHING or TWO FRENCiI. POLISHEHS.---TWO well dressed men, apparently about 30 years of age, whose names appeared on the charge-street as George Harr's ea and John Lamb, were charged by police-officer Bolton, 702, as suspicious persons, " rogues and vagabonds," the associates of thieves, and so forth, " contrary, netwith standing otherwise," and against the peace and statute, and to the detriment of the crown and dignity of Queen Victoria, FM. Def., and so forth, and against the local act of parliamenr, &c., and the like. The constable said, he saw the prisoners doe ging about the Town Hall, and that locality, on Friday, and knowing them to be the companions of notorious thieves, burgers, pickp rke's, and other depredators, he kept an eye on teem. After some time he raw them go into the private doer of Messrs. Moss's Bank, just the same as if they had an somas there, or ad ii they were partite. s in the concern, they went in so independently. They remained ieeide for a abort time, and then came out. He went in and asked a eierk Rha, , , they anted, and he was told they had inquired for Mr. Moss, who was in the country. He th - n watched , he prisoners to the Liverpo ol Bank, where they also entered, and he was ging in after them, but met thane at the door. They went into Water street, and ref er watching them go into several counting houses, he presumed to etek them their peculiar business in editing all these places ? They told him he was an impertinent fellow to interfere with gen'le men in the pursuit of thsir vocation, but, nothing daunted by their boldness, he took them into custody on the charge already stated, awl thee the prisoner Lamb, in a manner ' meek as his name, condescended to inform him that they were selling a recipe for making French polish. (Laughter.) He told them Psnks were not likely places in which to dispose of this valuable recipe, and recollecting that two fellows had some time since attempted to swir.dle Mr. Robertson Gladstone with the " polish," he took them before that gentleman, who at once recognised Lamb as one of the fellows who had made the unsuccessful attempt. Mr. Mansfield : I remember the cese ; it is some timo ago. Mr. Clough said no doubt the prisoners were visiting the banks and other places for ulterior objects. The prisoners made long and bold defences, stating that they were cabinet makers out on strike, and that they had it welted a recipe fez. French polish, and were going about selling it, or would sell the stuff itself if required. They would submit it to the test cf any chemist. They then (particularly Lamb) dwelt upon she ,bardship of being arrested in a free country, and demanded, in a peremptory tone, to be set at lberty. Mr. Mansfield (to the constable) ; You say you know them to be the assoc'ates e thieves ? Officer : I do. well ; and have watched them for some time. Mr. Clough : There is no doubt about it, sir. Mr. Mans field t I shall therefore send them to jail for seven days with hard labour. lamb said : I shell call at your house, Mr Mansfield. when I come out, to sell my polish ! Mr. Mansfield : I think you had better not. If you are brol ght up here again on a charge of this sort, I shall certainly send you to jail for three menthe. They were then removed. T FJE AUSTRALIAN PARCEL-EXPLANATION, Mr. Kiraptou of Sweetinvtraer, came bet ore Mr. I , Mansfield on Saturde.y, and said that in consequence of a paragraph that appeared in the papers, a day or two since, he wished to say a word or two in reference to it. It ap peared by the report, that two young ladies had made an application to his worship in respe:t to &parcel that had been sent from Australia to them through his office, and that they had applied for it to him, but could not obtain any information about it. Mr. Mansfiehle The application that was made to me wes that you refu.sed to give them any information, and it was desrahl that they di eild have suca info ration, a 9 would enable them to sue the parties in Melb - Jurne fur the value, as the ladies were going out there. I directed the ladies to go to your office, to get such information there as wo Ild enable them to recover the money or value in Melbourne. Mr. Kempton sail it appeared that some one ca led at his office, but he was absent in Altehester ; and without waiting to see him they came before the magistrates, and made the application that appeared in the paper. The piece' alluded to came by the Donald AtKay from Melbourne, and she arrived here on a Satur day, and on the f 'lowing Tuesday, the earliest moment after her arrival he forwarded it, as addressed, to Belfast. It was not likely that he would give a parcel to two persons in Liverpool, when that parcel was addressed to Belfast, and to which place he ha forwarded it. It was addressed to James Shaw, in Belfast, and even if he had it, he would not give it to two females in Liverpool, who merely called at his office, and about whom he knew nothing. He had, as he said, forwarded the parcel the moment he got it, and he now wished to give this explanation to set the matter right. Mr. Mansfield : I have no doubt whatever that the gentlemen who attend here from the public press will give your explanation due publicity. Mr. Ki mpton : We have a large business from Australia to this country and the Continent, and if the paragraph went forth unex plained, it would be calculated to do us harm. If the parties had waited until they saw me, I would have ex plained all this to them. The ship that brought it was about 100 days out, and persons began to get uneasy about their property, but we forwarded it the moment it arrived. The matter then dropped. A CALL TO LIVB --It is well known in the "Ros" that scarcely any books sell so well as, pions memoirs; and that in pious memoirs in general those go off he-f. which relate to young people, e4ecially young females, who, after a morbidly exemplary career, have made " kin early and lovely death." The serious-consumptive mar ket, as we may. call it, is always to be reckon , A upon, and a wretchedly diseased taste the fact implies. It would scarcely seem to need insisting on, that a young girl is made Co live. That is the express object of all this com plicated machinery of youth and beauty. The lungs are to breathe, the heart to beat, the legs to walk and run, the hand to clasp, the lips to kies, and the eyes to shine. • It by any misfortune the lungs should become unfitted for their office, and the fair creature should die, it is a great sorrow ; something abnorfnal—a warning; ray, a penalry. Such an event says to those who have ears to hear : " Purify the air you; ventilate your dwellinl houses; minimise au wholesome influences of all kinds; train your own daughter, it you have one, to active ex ercise ; give her as little desk and as much open air as possible; in a word, do all you can to help her to do what he wax made to do—to live."—Tait. THE NORTHERN TIMES.-LIVERPOOL, MONDAY, JUNE 15, 1857. MILITARY EDUCATION. Sir De Lacy Evans will move the following resolutions on Military Education, in tlio House of Commons, on the 300 inst.:— .t That, as the numerical strength of the British army available for European war is far less than that of any other great Power, and as our government have for many years neglected the education of the commis sioned branch of the service, while other governments have been devoting.to this object large annual sums and very great attention, it is the opinion of this house, that a higher' standard of prOfessional instruction thin of late deemed requisite ought to be established for our officers generally, but especially- for those of the staff—That this cannot be effectually accomplished in this country, where powerful influences obstruct the best intentions of those invested with patronage, without having recourse to the principle of competitive examination, in conformity with the recommendations of her Majesty's Commissioners on Civil and. Military Appointments and Education, recorded in their reports recentlypresented to Parliament. - That the candidates nominated by the Commander-in-Chief for commissions in the line, be therefore subject to the con dition of competitive examination previously to their being appointed to commissions ; and that officers of a sufficient term of regimental service, desirous of qualifying them selves for the staff, in the senior department of instruction or staff School, should receive their admissions and final certificates of qualification on the same principle.—That commissioners, consisting of an equal number of military officers and civilians, should be nominated by the Secretary of State for the purpose of superintending these examina tions, and that the educational establishment for the line and staff be under the direction of the Secretary of State, who is responsible to Parliament for the administration of the army, and who is already charged with the control of the existing schools and examinations for the artillery, engineers, and the non-commissioned officers and privates of the army." CHURCH BATRS.—According to a return just printed, th 3 receipts from Church rates iu England and Wales were, in 1839,: £363,103, and in 1854 it fell off to £314,659. In 1830, debts secured on church rates amounted to £535,236, aud in 1854, £318,200. SINGULAR BATTLE AT BEE DING.-03 Saturday morning last, a's a carter named Standing, in the employ of Mr. Randall of Tottingharn Farm, was going with his horses to plough on Tottington hill, he met an old stoat, accompanied with five young ones nearly as large as herself. When he approached, the mother sprang from her young, and challenged him to battle, which challenge was readily accepted, and in a short time she and three of her offiprieg were laid prostrate at his feet. The remaining two, not exactly liking the reception their comrades had met with, turned tail, and beat a hasty retreat up the hill, but after a' short but severe chase were overtaken by the knight of the catgut, and doomed to share the same fate as their comrades.— Vest Sussex Gazette. THE COLSTON or ors. DAY..—Conrad Finzel, Esq., has just been guilty—for it has always been his custom " to do good by stealth, and blush to find it fame"— of another act o: munificent liberality. The Bethesda, a building at the top of Great George-Areet, was offered for for sate, and the congregation of Plymouth Brethren wor shipping there feared they might be dispossessed of it. To relieve them from this strait, Mr. Final has bought the building, paying £1,700 for it, and has presented it to the congregatioe.—.Beistoi Paper. GREAT NEWS TOR EMIGRANTS —The leviathan steamer in Russell's Dock-yard will, it is said, be :placed on the Canada line. She is to sail from the westernmost part of Ireland to the easternmost laud of America, and if she can accomplish twenty-four miles an hour she miy complete the distance in little more Than three days, being 1,800 miles. This will admit of her taking in fine weather a great number of deck passengers, - ancl we believe that a great stimulus to emigration to Canada- will result from the success of the enterprise. >i-' FALSE CARDS OF TTiSASCOT RACKS. —At the Bow-street polic:-co art, the other day, Joan 13.-yan, an fellow, but better dressed than usual for his class, was charged with the following fraud :—Copt , iin Baker, of the 10th Hussars, said that he was crossing Waterloo-bridge, on his way to Ascot, that morning, when defendant offered cards of the races for sole to 'fith He bought one In. Is. and drove on (he was in Isis earriage,): Presently be looked at the card, and found that it was one of last year's cards, and that the date had been altered. He returned to look fur the prisoner, who, as soon as he saw witness's carriage, took to his heels. Witness followed, caught him, and gave him in charge. A number of small cards were found on him, altered in the same manner. The prisoner said he did not know that the cards were last year's. Mr. Jardine said the prisoner probably expected to commit this fraud with impunity, as peop'e who were hurrying to the station to ro to_Ascot vrere not very likely to name back to press a charge of this nature , then they discovered the fraud. la.this case it had turned but othA.wise. The prisoner must be remanded. A Miscaravous Fna.o - w.—The other day, at the Marl borough Police-ond, William Pullen was charged with throwing a quantity of vitriol over the dresses of two young women. Sarah Tucker, a waitress ,it 52, Nowlawl street, a coffee-house, kept by Mr. Jones, stated that on Tuesday afternoon the prisoner came into the kitchen, and after making a surly remark, went behind her and threw something on her gown. The next morning she found that her gown was burnt Into holes. Margaret Bailey lived as servant in the same house. On Tuesday night she found a gown, which was hanging up in her bedroom, smothered with vitriol. When she got up the next morning she found a frock and another gown burnt with vitriol. The damage done amounted to between 4/. and 51. Heard Mr. Jones ask the prisoner why he threw the vitriol over the girl's dresses, to which the prisoner answerel that he N./lilted to do them some mischief. Henry Rat, servant to Mr. Gilbert, oilman, Tottenham Court-road, proved that on Tuesday the prisoner bought a pennyworth of vitroil, and on being told there was water in it, had it changed for the stronger sort. The prisoner denied the charge, and was fully coal. mitted for trial. MEL,t;waoLt ACCIDENT.—The Memorial de Allier relates a most melanchely affair :—The Count and Countess de l3,2urbon Chains, of Moulins, bath young, left that city four awnings sgo , accompanied by a friend, to visit the coal-pits of Montet, at a distance of eight le :Ives. On arriving at the village they g4ily breakfasted, and then went to the pits, where they were joined by some ether perms. As they were standing near the orifice of one of the pits, a cracking noise was heard, and the windlass suddenly broke down. Whether in its fall any portion of it struck the countess, or whether, frightened by the noise, she unconsciously darted forward, is not known; but, dreadful to relate, she fell in '.o the pit! Her hus band and the manager of the establishment immediately le themselves down by mans of a rope, and fund the lady lying with her limba broken, and in a frightful &ate. She was still alive, and was raised to the mouth as rapidly _ . as possible; but it was seen that she could not possibly recover, and a priest was summoned, who administered to her the last consolations of religion. Her husband, who wag almost distracted, entreated her to say if she recog nised him, and she faintly answered "Yes," after which she expired. GENICEAL THOMPSON AND THE PREMIER. —ln a letter to a cotemporary, General Thompson, M.P.. says :—" grieve over the way in which the reform cause has been thrown by its managers into the hands of the Minister. The Minister was in a scrape in cons: uence of the vote of the House of Commons against him, and the consequent coop d'etat. My notion would, therefore, have been that this would have been the time to push him home, and whether he was left with his head on or not, make a high demand from his successor; instead of which, the reformers rushed into the first noose the Minister holds out to them, and tell him trippingly on the tongue, that if he w;11 give them anything, however infinitely small, and at any time that may suit him, he shall be let alone in his hour of difficulty. He wanted to tide over a particular moment, and they did all they could to help him. The truth is, they have no general abhorrence of the iniquities of the Minister, and are quite willing to say to him, " For the Jew Bill you shall bomberd Canton ;" " For the bal lot you shall go to Pekin," and, for an extension of the suffrage you shall have war all over the earth." Ido not think these are wise virgins." THE BISHOP or EXETER.—It was stated a short time ago that the churchwardens of St. Olave, Exeter, had made a presentatien to the Bishop of Exeter, respecting a little book called the " Hymnal Noted," which the Rev. It. Roper, the rector of the parish, had introduced into the service of the church, and which the churchwardens alleged to have a Roman Catholic tendency. On Saturday the:Bishop of Exeter cited the Rev. R. Roper and the churchwardens, Messrs. Escott and Husband, to appear before him at the palace, Exeter. The "Hymnal Noted " was introduced, and the Bishop read several passages from it, dwelling particularly on the following : Faithful cross ! above all other One and only noble tree ! None in foliage, none in blossom, None in fruit thy peers may be; • S Neetest wood. and sweetest iron Sweetest weight is hang on thee. Bend thy boughs. 0 Tree of Glory! Thy relaxing sinews bend ; For awhile the ancient vigour That thy birth bestowed suspend ; And the King of Heavenly Beauty On thy bosom gently tend ! After a lengthened interview, and it having been repre sented by the churchwardens that several parishioners left the church in consequence of the use of the " Hymnal Noted," the bishop strongly advised the rector to dis continue its use, and asked hi.n to reply, either one way or the other, at that moment. The rector, however, asked I for time to consider the matter , wh ich hi e l ordshi p granted, and the parties then withdrew. THE SWELL MOB. At the Worship-street Police-carat, London, on Wedhesday. John Edwards, alias Martin a noted pugilist and "flash" pick .ocket, and Richard Shaw, who falsely represented himself as an omnibus conduotor, were b . :ought up for final examination before Mr. D'Eyncouit, charged with the commission of various robberies at the Shoredutch terminus of the Eastern Counties Railway. The prisoners had been remanded last week to enable the police to discover . the owners of a purse and money, a banker's cheque, and oth er aet'cles, which were found in the possession of Shaw on the occasion of h's apprehension, and Edwards, - upon a charge of 'teeling a gold watch, of the value of .4'60, from Mr. James Lonergan, a ,merch.mt in Austiniriars. The following addition- , 1 ev:dence is now proceeded with :—Mr. William Verry, a builder, in Great Tower-street, stated that on-the afternoon of Tuesday se'nnight, he was at the booking house of the railway, and having paid for his ticket to Loughton, he carefully replaced his purse in his trousers pocket, which contained a cheque for Si. odd on Glyn, Mills; and Co., two sovereigns, and some silver, besides various important private papers. Such a dense crowd of persons was assembled at the time that he elosely watched his pocketuntil he had seated himself in one of the carriages, when he discovered that in spite of his vigilance, the whole of its contents had disappeared. The loose money now produced by the police exactly tallied with the money he had lost, and he also identified the purse, stamps, and cheque, the latter of which had been partly eaten away. Mr. Bent, the railway superintendent, said that after the capture of Shaw uponanother charge, the gold and silver money in question was taken from his hand, the empty purse and papers from his pockets, and that the cheque which he assured them was tobacco, was forced out of his month while he was attempting to swallow it. At the close of the evidence, Mr. Verry informed the magistrates that he had engagements which would render it ratter Inconvenient for him to prosecute the case at the next Middlesex sessions, and in the coarse of the conversation which ensued upon the subject, the prisoner Edwards foolishly joined in with the observation, "I should be very sorry to pat the gentleman at all pit of hie way, and as his tine seems so very precious, your worship hal better settle it here, and sena us to the Bailey' instead of the other place." Sergeant Turpin, Al 6, here entered the witness-box, and accounted for the accommodating complsisance of the prisoner by stating that he was " present at the other place" in the month of Febrnsry, 1856, when Edwards was tried for felony, and sentenced to t elve months' imprisonment. The prisoner became completely chopfallen at this announcement. but made no reply to it. Tire depodtions were then completed by Mr. Sifters, the second clerk, and the prisoners were fully committed for trial. • INHUMAN ASSAULT UPON A MOTHER BY A SOF. At the Southwark Police-conrt, on Thursday, John Donovan-, a tall powerful young fellow, 22 years of a;e, was brought before Mr. Combe, charged with committing a violent and inhuman assault on Catharine Donovan, his mother, who was confined to her bed in her acct. - ache:lent. He was also charged with assaulting his father. The latter, a hard-working old man, said thathe gained his livelihood by working at the wharves, and brought up a large faintly, who chiefly supported themselves, except the prisoner, wire lived at home. On the previous afternoon, his wife was confined with a fine baby, and everything went on well until about two o'clock that morning, when the prisoner came horde, rather the worse for liquor, and roused them all up. lie then entered the room is which his mother and the baby were lying, and, making use of an oath, he struck her several times, and told her to get up. She called out for assistance, and when wit ne.s went up, his son had palled hex out of bed, and was threatening to throw her out of the window. He immediately seized hold of him to prevent him, and had not a constable come in at the time, he believed murder would have been committed. Mr. Combe asked him whether his wife had received any injury which was likely to be serious? Witness replied that she was much frightened by the violence of her son, but he did not think any particular injury was inflicted. Police-constable 202 M said he was on duty in Ewer street, Gravel-lane, at two o'clock that morning, when he heard cries of murder proceed from one of the two houses. He accordingly entered and saw the prisoner struggling with his father in the bed-room where his mother was lying with an infant. .Witness seized hold of him to prevent any further violence, and took him into custody. The prisoner said no was drunk when he went home, but he was sure he never assaulted his mother. lie might have struck the old man because he aggravated him. The father denied having done so. Ho was sorry to inform his worship that the prisoner was a lazy fellow, and would do nothin , T to keep himself. Mr. Combs told the prisoner thet his whole conduct was that of a lazy, cowardly, brutal fellow, and he never heard of such an inhuman fellow as to assault his own mether, while in her confinement. He should not be doing Ms duty - . , nle7s he punis'ied him with the utmae , t severity of the law. He .. , corlinely sentenced him to six months' hard labour in the House of Correction. FAILURE IN Tan GRAIN TRADE.—A deafer in gnin and meal in the Handy distr'ct, who carried on a rather extenAvo badness, disappeared Turin,; the last week. It is understood. the habilties amount to bstween .412,000 was .e 13,000. The losses will fe'l partly on the b.1711:3 an:? partly 'n indiaidnan wiJi whom ha hal dealings In trade. —Barjthire Journal. Geaseow.—DßUNKENNESS.—eiaturday evening presented a similar disgutting scene to that recorded this day fortnight. Up till four o'clock ou Sunday morning persons in all stages of intoxication con tinued to ha brought into the C ntral Police-office, and no fewer than forty cases of, die rderly conduct were bo)lted for Mondee's court. ese, of course, are exclusive of the incipables dismissed after obtaining a. nigh;.'3 snoortein the cells. —Glasgow Herald. ATTEMPTED MURDAR AT PECKHAM.— At an early hour on Thursday morning theinhebitants of Coal Harbour-lase, Peckham, were thrown into a state of excitement in consequence of an attempt made by a man named James iieedy, an excavator, egad 40 years, to murder a fellow workman named James Purcer, aged 33. the two me, were quarrelling, when Reedy pulled out a knife., and plunged the pointed weapon into Parcer's heal, dividing- the eye. the sufferer is in Gay's Hospital, and the culprit has for the time escaped. TIDE LAST DESCENDANT *OF SHAESPEARE.—lnformation was re ceived on Saturday of the death of W. Hammond, Esq., of Camden Road Vil as and Scott's Yard, London, who has expired at Hastings. This gentleman was the last lineal descendant of the great poet 3ixalsopcw.m.b. AL. dlesex, and culled oa basiness as a merchant for 40 years in the city of Lenten. Tee friends of Mr. Hammond are desirous to place his remains as near as possible to those of the great poet, at Stradfsrd-on- Avon. ANTI-PHOTOGRAPHIC BANK NOTES.—Some of the bills belonging to banks in this city were copied so perfectly by the photograph process that they could not be detected by the bank officers. This has led the banks to issue bilis with yellew coloured groundwork, which cannot be so copied. The yellew or luminous ray of light exerts no chemical action on the prepared paper of the photographic artist, therefore the yells) w-coloure I ground of a genuine bill will produce a black ground in a photographic copy.—Sidentieic American. DECEIVING SPIRITS.—A respected correspondent in Michigan sends RS the first of a s& rtes of communications based on what is commonly called Spiritualism. The purport is that the spirits with whom he has ben dealing have confessed to him teat they are not the persons that they have hitherto professed to be—era not the once mortal friends and relatives of those who have interrogated them from this side of the vall—are not of the human family at all, but a different and darker race, outcast and abandoned, who derive a malicious pleasure from deluding and misleading credulous human beings. There is a poi drat more of this sort, lent this is the essence of the revelations which our friend supposes has been made to him from that undiscovered country."—New York Tribune. It appears that the British Government (as well as the Canadian Government) vow with favour General Eyre's representations, and hare requested Canada, New Brun ewe k, and Nova Scot ia eacu to send a delegate to s ngland the coming summer, to confer with the Bri ash Government and military authorities upon the feasibility of the scheme and the means of carrying it into effect without delay. Mr. Wilmot publicly announc d this on the hustinee, in St. John, oar the day on which the cand dates were nominated previous to the late election. He also stated that for some time past the Government had been is cemmunication with the Canadian Gerernment on the subject, and that they were regetiatine with the St. Andrew's and Quebec Railway Company to indu , e them t' approach Fredericton as near as possible, so that a junetien may be formed with their road from Fredericton to Woodstock. A MAN TAISIIFG —SUDDEN DISAPPEARANCE —A young man named Geoi-go Wells arrived in this city fro - e England on the let of Hay, and took lodgings at the grocery store and boarding house of Mr. Bellamy, in Ray-street, and remained there until Thursday last, when he sud denly disappeared. Wells is ebout tweety-five years of age. and has teen enganed tor some years as a dry goods clerk in Leicester, England. He eonsiht a imilar situation here, and being unsisecessful tried Toronto with no better success. After returning from the latter place, our ieformant, a fellow boarder, noticed that Wells was labour ing under great depression of spirits, and endeavoured to chest - him, but without effecting any app :rent ehange for the better. On the 7th May ho left the boarding house, where he has left a trunk, portmentean, and overcoat, and has net since bean heard of.— Hamilton Journal, May 17. Stecueas CASE or Suicinx —On Sunday evening week, the village o! W ile,by was thrown into a state of excitement is consequence of a labourer having been found hung in an outhouse. He was about 21 years of age, and had been married seven months. It appears that he and his wife had had some words on Sunday. He asked her to go for a walk with him, but she being far advan,ed in pregnancy declined. After the quarrel was over, the deceased kissed his wife, but she would not speak to him. He said that he would teilt her three times, and if she would not speak to him he would go and hang himself. The wife sttll refused to steeds. and the deceased, under a stupid idea that he was under an oetieation to fulfil his threat, took a clothes line and want into an outhouse and hanged himself. It appears the wife did not interfere. The following extraordinary and very unreliable statement con cerning Mr. "Caine, the American conjuror, appears in the Courrier de Parris :—" Mr. Hume cmtinues to see scarcely anybody. He lives with a person who has offered him the hospitality of his house, and the Duchess of Hamilton and the Marquis de C-- are almost the only people admitted to see him. He often goes to the Tuilleries. On the day of the return of the Court from Fontainebleau ha had the honour of breakfasting with their Majesties, and role back to Paris is the imperial berline with the Emperor and Empress, the King of Bavaria, the Grand Duchess of Baden, and the Duchess of Hamilton." TIIE BANDIT PERALD OF PEACE —The Gazrefta Populare of Cag hari gives an account of a solemn reconciliatima effected between the vit!ages of Perfugas and Dertigadas (islaed of Sardinia), the inhabi tants of which had lived in perpetual feud (venditta) fo- upwards of a century. The most singular circumstance connected with this event is, that it has been brought about by a notorious bandit named Pietro Marras, a native of Perfagas, who has teen the terror of the country for the last 22 years. He obtained a safe-conduct from the govern ment, in order to be present at the ceremony of the reconciliation, and it was intimated to him that if he would constitute himself a prisoner, and submit to a trial, he would obtain a pardon in consi deration of the important service he had done to his country; but he refu ed, and returned to the woods immediately after the banquet which closed the proceedings, saying that "birds liked the forest better than the cage." Dxaxu FROM DRINKING.—An inquest was held at Lower Moor, Warrington, on Saturday, on the bo ly of James Hilton, aged 63 years. Toe deceased was well known in the town, from his excessively drunken habits, and he boasted that for the last 26 years he had never gone to bed sober ! On Viledneelay night he was found by a podce-constable in a si ate of drunken insensibility, and he was bleeding profusely from the nose. The constable raised him up, and assisted 0 put him to bed. In the morning his sister, having to go to work, locked him in tee house, and on her return at breast time he had not got up, so she did not disturb him, and again locked him in. At dinner time she found him still in bed, tut she thought there was nothing further the. matter with him than the effects of drinki At six o'clock in the evening, when she returned from her work, she again went up stairs, being surprised that he had not rises, and on tookiee, at him she found that he was de: d.—There wasno evidence to show the cause of death, and the jury returned a verdict of " Found dead in bed." EXCITING SCENE BEFORE A MAGISTRATE.—A sailor who had been stabbed in Cardiff. not being likely to recover, his dying depositions were taken last week. When the suspected offender, an Italian, was introduced for the pur ose of identification, the apparently dying man (says the Star of Gwent) started from his recumbent position as if electrified, and his whole countenance underwent a frightf al change. His featnres in an instant 1 ecame contorted, and his mus cles worked convulsively from the intensity of his feelings. His voice, which hitherto was low and broken, now became suddenly loud, and he shouted forth, to the astonishment of all who witnessed the extraordinary change—" Oh, you bloody seoundrel—you bloody wretch ! yen have killed me ! I know you. He had white buttons to his coat. That is the man." Ths wounded man then became dreadfully convulsed. and as he glared upon the prisoner the perspi ration broke copiously out from his face. So dreadfully had he be come excited that it was feared he would at once expire. So affecting was the above distressing scene, that a gentleman who was present in an official capacity fainted away, and had to be carried out of the ram. ATTEMPTED MURDER AT WITHAM. At the Witham petty sessions on Tuesday, the examina tion of Charles Finch, •the man who has been remanded from time to time for the attempt on the life of Harriet Freeborn, took place. Harriet Freeborn deposed : lam a single woman, and on the 2z,th of May last, I was in the service of Mr. Upton, farmer, of Rivenhall. I was going to church in the afternoon. I went as far as the stile lead ing to the church path. Charles Finch' came behind me, eangbt hold of me suddenly, and cut my throat with a , razor. I don't know whether he threw me down or 1 whether I fell. He turned a vay, and said " You black guard." While I was on the ground he came to me again, and cut my throat, saying "You are a dead woman, and I shall be hanged for you ' • if I don't I'm -." John Rackstraw said : I live at the Rev. H. Dalton's, at Kelvedon. I know the prisoner. On Saturday, the 23rd May, he was working with me, and he spoke abo it the young woman, and said, " I'll do for her some time or o her." I saw him walking with her on the previous Tuesday. On the Saturday he told ms he was jealous of a young man in London, and that he had a razor in his pocket on the Tuesday night. Mr. .T. M. Tomkin, surgeon, Witham, said : On Saturday afternoon, the 2 7th May , about half-past three o'clock, I was called in to attend the young woman. I found her in a fainting state, with two large gashes in her throat. They were such wounds as in all probability would produce death. I have no doubt they were inflicted with the intention of killing. Police-constable Medley, stationed at Witham said: On Sunday, the 24th of May, I apprehended the prisoner. I have had charge of the prisoner since he has been at the station. On the following day he confessed his guilt. The prisoner, who, up to this period of the examination had exhibited a perfect air of indifference, suddenly became serious, leant his head on his hand, and seemed lost in thought ; his eyes were filled with tears, and he was evi-. dently suffering great mental anguish ; in a minute ~ r two, however, he recovered himself, and, after receiving the usual caution, the chairman asked him whether he wished to say anything in answer to the charge, and he replied, "Nothing." He was then fully commited to the next. assizes for trial, and the witnesses bound over to prosecute MURDER OF AN AGED WOMAN. On Friday afternoon, an inquest took place at the Swan Inn, Redvales near Bury, before Mr. Price, deputy coroner, on the body of an aged woman which was found in the river Irwell, at a place called Britain, in the parish of Radcliffe, on Wednesday evening last. The matter is still involved in considerable mystery, the following being the principal facts that have yet been brought to light : On Wednesday morning last, between six and seven o'clock, a woman about sixty years of age, called at a lodging-house kept by Rachel Robinson, Cross-street, Bury, and stated that she had come from Ramsbottom, hav ing left the place where she lodged at an early hour, in consequence of their being fighting with pokers in the house. After taking rest and refreshment, she left the lodging-house at Bury, about ten o'clock in the forenoon, intimating that she was going to Radcliffe or Manchester, and that if she did not go to Manchester, she would return to Bary in the evening. About half-past four o'clock in the afternoon of the same day, a woman, named Mary Settle, went to a well for-some water, when she observed some sticks near to the river side, and on going to gather them saw a human hand projecting out of the water. Infor mation was afterwards communicated to the police, and the body was removed to the Swan Inn. A post mortem examination was afterwards made by Mr. Lancashire, surgeon, Pilkington, when he found that several severe wounds had been inflicted. The right side of the head was much bruised and torn ; on the right eyebrow there was a triangular cut, eaca of the three sides being about an inch in length ; the temporal bone on the right side, and part of the skull were laid bare, and the covering next to the bone was stript off; the skin about the left eye and cheek was bruised, and there was an irregular cut extending from near the left eye two inches and .a half in length ,dowTt to the bone, the scalp was almost entirely stripped from the skull, and the bones of the skull were broken into seven pieces. The base of the skull was also fractured. The second, third, and fourth ribs were fractured about three inches from the spine. The spinons processes of the sixth and seventh cervical ver tebrae were broken. Mr. Lancashire was certain that thefrac tures of the skull were produced before death, and by some person or persons other than the deceased. She was killed before being placed into the water, as the heart cauld not have been empty if she had been drowned. The fractures of the skull, and the separation of the cervical vertebrae were sufficient to cause immediate death. She was more than sixty years of age, and was without teeth.—Mrs. Robinson identified the body as that of an old woman who called at . her house.—The jury returned a verdict of " Wilful Murder" against some person or persons unknown. The 7 . 7 ,4 a-r. 7n fhA of the day. in such a populous district, could take place without being discovered; and it is difficult to conjecture what motive could be assigned for the commission of such a barbarous act, upon an old, and apparently a poor woman. THE CENTaAL AMERICAN' FILIBUSTERING.—It is esd mated that in the Walker-Nicaraguan war more than 2,000 Americans and 6,000 or 7,000 Central Americans have perished. Tan Calarnioseriele ANTIQuITIIIs.—A letter from Tunis of the 29Lle ult., states that the English frigate Caregao, having taken an beard all the antiquities collected by Mr. Davis in the ruins of Carth tge, had sailed for England. NEW RoMAN LOAN.--1 letter from Rome states that the sacred College has jest concluded with Baron do Rothechild a new loan of 3,800,000 Roman crowns (about £800,000) intended to be employed in calling in the copper money. Tian MonmoN Smuset.—According to a report from the Great Salt Lake, the schism in the Mormon church has assumed a formidable character. Brigham Young was said to have deserted the Tabernacle and remained shut up in his oem house, guarded night a• .d day by his friends. lie was afraid to ,flow lehneell in public. RT.TssIA. IN THE BLACK SEA. —A telegraphic deepatch from Odessa says, that the steamers in communication with onstantinople, the Crimea, Nieholaieff, Cherson, and os:off had commenced retuning : and. that those for Gala z an] the Sea of Azeff ware to follow shortly. THE LUNDHILL COLLIERY EXPLOSION.—The operations for the recovers of the ho lies are still continued with unabated vigour. Up to Saturday week, 100 bodies hal been brought out. During the past week, twelve more have to be added to the list, meking a total of 132 band up to the present time. On Tuesday two more were found ; on Wednesday, six ; and on Thursday, two. The first fife were found on the north side, and the remainder on the south side, where nearly the whole of the volunteers are at work. NUMEROUS ARRIVALS OF SHIPPING IN THE THAMES. — The number of vessels of all clas3e3 entered inward at the i Custom-house since Wednesday, amounted to 370, and the vessels reported as heving arrived at the month of the Thames this morning are 108, making a total of 478 vessels, the aggregate tonnege of wnich is 70,700 tone. The arri vals are from every part of the globe, including Australia, India, and China. The number above stated does no., however, include the passenger steam ships or mail boats between the country and ports in Europe. GROSS SUPERSTITION IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY. —Within a few miles of this town, and within forty of the metropolis, scenes of the grossest superstition are daily enacted, wire' few pets , el 3 in this enligh.enA age would credit. In the parish of Doonan, iu the Queen's County, there resides a Roman Catholic Clergyman, the Rev. Mr. Nolan, whose reputation for performing miracles has spread far had wide amongst the humbler clasees professing that faith throughout Ireland. Travellers passing through the district are not a little surprised at meeting a number of individuals afflicted with all manner of • diseases, and if unacquainted with the cause, must naturally conclude that the Queen's County people, of all others, are the moot unfortunate. Should he, however, have the curiosity to inquire of come half dozen of unfortunate cripples whom he may meet on the road, slowly dragging their limbs after them on crutches, where they belouged to, or where they were bound to, he • will invariably be informed that they came from Kerry, M yo, Galway, &c., as the case may be, and that they were going to see the "good pariah priest of Doonau," fully persualed that they woul I be able to return home, after having recovered the use of their limbs. For the last month his reverence's house has been literally besieged by hundreds of the lame, the blind, the deaf, the epileptic—in fact, with persons having every variety of disease, but no cures have been, as yet, reported to have been effected. La , :,t year, it is true, a young woman from Kilkenny, who was alleged to have been a cripple all her life, paid her devoirs to Father Nolan, and returned, to the astonishment of her neighbours, perfectly cured, enter ing the city with great ceremony, and sounding aloud the miraculous powers of her kind benefeceer. An investiga tion having been instituted into the circumstances by the mayor, the whole story was found to be untrue, whereupon the impostor was ordered to leave the city. That people are so blind as to believe such miracles are being performed is most extraordinary ; and although reports are fre quently circulated with a good deal of industry of the blind receiving their sight, the lame being able to walk, and such nonsenee, the tricks are ofttm exposed, the poor dupes finding to their cost that they must make their way back no better than they came. To the farmers living in the locality these wretched creatures are a great burden, because, on finding they have no chance of having their wishes accomplished, and all their little means exhausted, they are obliged to apply to the nearest houses for alms —. Carlow Correspondent of Saunder's News. Letter, SPIRIT OF THE WEEKLY PRESS. THE POLITICAL STAGNATION. Instead of reviving, party appeara to be utterly paralysed. The House of Commons has not in dulged in long debates, but it haa prelonged the sittings, in order to compress into each night de bates upon separate subjects enough for a week And if each member has not been content to be silent, under the pressure of the universal hurry, and the dread of being stopped, he has " cut it short." Once familiar voices are seldom heard.. Nothing is more curious than the aspect of the House during these discussions. The promised watch upon Ministers is scarcely kept. Mr. Glad stone, who was to be* such a thorn in the side -of Lord Palmerston, " waits" so long that the friends of ministers are almost uneasy at his quietude, and put forward provocatives to make him break it. Cobden, however, is scarcely more absent from the debate than Glad stone. And where is " Lord John?" Silent too, or speaking only as a man who stands apart—a spectator. Sir James Graham looks on as if he felt a lively interest, and speaks now and then if it is to corrct some historical point, but that is all. It is not that subjects to talk about are wanting. Quite the reverse ; there is an unusual number of questionable acts which demand scrutiny—law re forms too crude to pass, bills begun to be recom menced, public buildings begun to be abandoned, public money voted for doubtful or even unexplained objects. The still small voice of the " private -member" occasionally calls these duties to mind, but the call falls flat. Ministers reply, in various forms and tones of mild ‘, conciliation" that it is " all right," and every question is hushed. The subdued debating leaves the political atmosphere stagnant ; the material stillness is exceeded by a sort of moral silence, and is so great in the house that you may hear a bill drop. Of course there are reasons for any condition however extraordinary and strange. One obvious reason for the present situation is, that the minister is supposed to be too strong for any resistance to have a chance of success. Circumstances out of doors have contributed to weaken antagonism against him. If there is any attempt at attack upon him, he turns it aside by an immediate assent The willingness of ministers to do whatever they are asked—if they are asked enough—is quite charm ing. They are ready to concede anything to importunity. The Jew Bill was volunteered. Sir De Lacy Evans has something to say about military reform—but military reform is promised. Ministers will g ive anything— even church-rates. Sir John Trelawney was going to ask for them, but his mouth is stopped by the promise of a ministerial measure on church rates ; and Sir John Pakington is silenced by a promise of the bill " this - session." "Anything else ?" is the only question. Fortunatas has all You want in his purse, from a Reform Bill to a new bridge, or new licensing system. Usually,if a political artist is employed upon some great work, he invites friends to look at it, and at all events produces specimens. ' Such is not the case at present. The military education scheme has been kept under a close- screen ; 'the new licensing system proposed by Sir George Gray is as great a mystery as the Reform Bill ; the manner in which the church-rates are to be settled is entirely Un known. We must take everything upon trus`, and wait till 1858. But what will be the end of this state of things ? " It cannot last," cries that sapient ners6l Everybody ; '"somethhig must bring it to an end." But the something appears not. Some say that so intense a tranquillity must, like an extreme stillness of the atmosphere, forebode a thunder storm ; but at present no i.gn of thunder is seen in the horizon. There is no appearance of any new war abroad—at- least, nothing unusual for Lord Palmerston's own handling. ,'here is not The slightest sign of any domestic disturbsuce. "The working classes do not announce that " the time has arrived," &c.; Scotland allows her Unicorn to sleep : Ireland is boasting of her tranquillity and her prosperity. The speculations of one set of politicians are founded upon the age and health of the premier; it is impoSsible, they are saying, that he can stand the wear and tear much longer ; already he looks considerably aged by the harass ing uirournetanUnti of -1110 position, and it in pre dicted that, Unless be consent' to break down suddenly, he must retire to a marquisate and the consultative repose of a Lansdowne or- a Peel. Some are remarking the inherent weakness of the present cabinet—its want of commanding talent or prestige, and are reckoning that as soon as it is 7orced to come to the rough and difficult work of political reform, it must break down. The promises postponed to 1868 must at all events arrive at maturity in that year, if only by force of accumu lated liability; and how can such a cabinet then contend with real Reformers on the one side and insidious Conservative Reformers on the other ?— Spectator. FRANCE AND THE ELECTIONS. Can any reasonable or thoughtful man see, in the existing situation of affairs on the other side of the Channel. the promise of a tranquil future? In what respect, we would ask, is the political repose of France more assured since the 2nd of December, 1e51.? There is still the unmixed government of the sword. Public opinion, in tellect, and worth, are trampled under foot by the demi-monde rabble of a court of adventurers. Throughout the length and breadth of France, the government is regarded with indifference by the vulgar, and despised by the educated classes. The country submits, it is true; but it submits with a mingled apathy an disdain. The patient may sleep for the moment, but he will assuredly awake again, one day or other, to a more certain and fear ful delirium. The present dictatorship in France was the temporary refuge of a terror-stricken people, but the government is fast losing the sup port which it found in the servile fears of • the middle classes. The present state of things can not continue for ever. Already, within the past year, murmurs have been heard which have caused the Emperor serious and well-founded Uneasiness The profligate public expenditure,'which it would have been the proper function of an independent parliament to control, is hastening on a social crisis, which will, at no distant day, try to the utter most the strength of government in France Louis Napoleon has staked everything on his personal popularity, and with that popularity his whole power meat crumble to pieces; and then the country will feel the whole extent of the blunder which has been committed, in neglecting the precious opportunity of five years of tranquility to plant and foster some system of government which should have a chance of surviving' the accidental fortunes of a single man. If there had been a bona fide attempt on the part of the Emperor to give a true representation to public opinion in the Chamber, restrained by such limits as the condition of France might require; it would have been possible to hope that her political and social diseases might gradually heal them selves, by the curative powers of nature. But the insolent manifesto lately set forth in the Noniteur, shows that there is no honest intention to give any real existence to this imperial plaything. The so-called" representatives," it is clear, are meant to be exactly like any other officers of the household, and to form part of the ,pageant without partaking of the power of the state. The enemies of free institutions will tell us with a sneer that these are the natural fruits of the uni versal suffrage. They take the same sort of delight in the degradation of the representative principle as a mile would find in the detection of a missionary in a peccadillo, or in the sight of a quaker reeling in the street. But the truth is, that the whole of. France, from the very nature of its civil government is one gigantic close borough. To return an inde pendent member against the influence of the im perial government would be almost as easy as to return a tory for Calne, or an opponent of the ministry for a dockyard. It rested with the Emperor to determine whether the elections should be free, and he has not bad the courage to make up his mind in the affirmative. He has never dared to trust public opinion, and public opinion is beginning to turn against him. . All the precautions which have been taken to make the elections safe, are fresh proofs of the distrust with 'which the Emperor views the state of public feeling towards hie government. He ad- ~1 I heres to the simple principle . of force on which he founded his power, and his' governfnent has not cast one single root into the country by which it might sustain itself against_ the accidents wh'ell may unmake as easily as they have made it. While such a state of things exists in France, there m-y be a powerful army, but there is not a strong government.} --Saturday Review. THE PUBLIC HOUSE QUESTION. It is with the utmost satisfaction that we see Mr. Hardy's Beer Bill, putting all house's of enter tainment alike under the capricious power of the justices, disposed of, though by no very telling majority. The truth is, that the corrupt interest which taxes'the drink of the people at large is very strong. The brewers coerce the publicans, who, with ,a few exceptions, are thoroughly at their . mercy. The publiCans have no small influence at - elections, and the members are afraid of turning a narrow majority into a minority by offending them. Whether with their will, or against it, the publicans are forced to uphold the monopoly of their creditors and landlords, and to serve in keeping up the system which mainly in terferes with their own independence and respect ability. If all parties understood their own interests, and were brave enough to act upon the conviction, it would be easy enough to break up this conspiracy, but just now the licensed victuallers are to the brewers what the farmers were to the landlords during the corn-law agitation=—their victims and their tools. However, it will not do for the public to rest at the mercy of any class, deceived, coerced, or selfish; it must take up the cudgels for itself, and bid all- parties. interested in plundering it stand out of the way. It is not so long ago since a compact- was made by the 'monopolists -in the public-house trade, and the Saints, to give' up the Sunday question to the Pharisees if these would help the brewers and their stewards to keep up the monopoly. The arrangement suited those concerned very well, but the effect was the abridg ment of the public's convenience and the taxing of the public's beer. .We must sweep aside all this fraudulent combination. And if the publicans themselves are disposed to ask for justice where indeed they have the fullest need of it, the people at large gvvill be equally disposed to assist them. Why, for instance, should a man, because he keeps an inn and must employ many servants, they being as, needful to his trade as the very viands he sells, be taxed for every one of them, cook, waiter, porter, unless because there is a compact that he is to fleece and be fleeced, very little of the gain being left for his own benefit. The committee of 1854, in their recommendation, made root and branch work of the business. They took the only true ground—free trade in drink. They felt, indeed, that the houses in which people assemble _to enjoy themselves, after a fashion that does not necessarily sharpen their faculties or increase their prudence, should be conducted by men of good character, and watched by the care of the police. But they took the right way to insure respectability of conduct. They did not conceive that this re spectability could reside in the bricks and mortar, or that it could be deputed from the owner of the premises to the tenant. They would not, there fore, license the house, but the man himself who is to conduct the house. They would exact-bond for his good behaviour from two sureties, They saw, the very clearest evidence, that while the house itself was licensed as:a property, though it might belong to' great and so-called highly respectable firms, as soon as' one' scoundrel was driven from his post by too notorious offences, another was put in his place to pay the rent, and that by pur suing the very same tine of conduct.- Of course the licensing magistrates would be naturally looked to for the -repression of _such practices by refusing the licences No such thing`;` they,thouglit more of the ".vested interests," as the chairman of one, bench deplared, than of anything else, of the property which the landlord hold, who thus knowingly transferred the lease from one ruffian to another, and thus they continuda the evil their power was expressly given them to correct. And what is the " property" which they thus prefer to all other considerations ? A monopoly in the people's drink. A right to charge so much more, or to sell an article so much the worse beea.use_the next door neighbour or the man over the way must not compete in the supply. A right conferred not for the sake of the publican, but that he may be thus screwed to some purpose for treble the natural rental of his house. If it were a question of the rich man's wine ; if it were proposed that the trade of the wine merchant should be licensed arbitrarily by any body of men, and that the right to supply it should be limited to those whom the licensers might select for the purpose of giving them a fortune, or at least a property in the monopoly, we should soon have the imposition denounced in parliament as the most imprudent fraud and tyranny ever attempted. It is because the poor man has no private stock, because, if he is to enjoy himself in society, he must find it where all alike pay for the entertain ment, because the pretence of regulating his enjoyments can therefore be set up, that a plunder is made of his money and an adulteration of his drink for the profit of giant establishments. True regulation there is none. A man need only open his eyes as he passes through the London streets and the metropolitan suburbs to be sure that the houses especially licensed for his accom modation are, in the main, just contrived for him to swallow liquor in, and nothing else. The supervision of the magistrates, which, if good for anything, would be good for the purpose of see ing that an inn or tavern is comfortably arranged for a place of social resort, is frankly belied by every staring gin -shop. The men do not do their duty , they know it, they never intended to do it. They oblige Mr. So-and-so, who married the cousin of one of them and who owns the gin-shop. Mr. Barrow in the debate on the Beer Bill says : " For myself, I believe the conduct of the magis trates to be above suspicion." Well, perhaps so— there is no need to suspect those who are proved guilty. We say, on our part, that, though there may be many who only carry their justice so far as to wink at the practice of their fellows, there is not one magistrate on the bench who does not know that licensing is a mat ter of favour and arrangement, a thing bought by friendship and ,connexion, if by no more direct bribe. Some men desire but want the nerve to put this down, and their dishonesty is, therefore, only of a negative class. But to attempt to set up licensing magistrates as specimens of moral purity and gentlemanly honour, would only set the thumb of any attorney's clerk to his nose that may be concerned in such business before them.— Weekly Dispatch. MAYO ELECTION PETITION—TH E SPEAKER'S WRIT — B ALLINROBE PETTY SESSIONS. —Pat Ward was charged with wilfully assaulting James Moran on Monday, the Ist instant, and taking from his pocket the writ of the Speaker of the Elouse of CommUns, summoning him to give testimony in the case of the Mayo petition. Mr. John Griffin appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. Blake for the defence. The indictment set fort h t hat complainant was proceeding to his home from the town of Ballinrobe on Monday the Ist instant, and was stopped at the bridge 1 leading out of the town by defendant and some other person unknown ; defendant asked him if he was the man who was going to swear ag ainst Fath er Conway ? Com plainant answered—No. -Defendant aga i n as k e d hi m if be had the summons in his p ocket, and on his replying in the negative he was kn ocked d own, and from his pocket was forcibly abstrac ted the w rit of the Speaker of the House of Commons, which he s aw i n the d e f en d ant ' s h an d for the last time, and which he has not recovered since the occasion. The bench unanimously decided that as the case was one of the greatest importance, no means should be spared to have it properly investigated, and the guilty parties severely punished. It had been clearly proved that Ward was present and had possession of the paper of which he was deprived. On the whole, they p lconsideredaintiff dcle i a t re a d case demanding the attention of the law officers of the Crown, and they would send it to the assizes. Defendant's attorney applied to have it sent to the quarter sessions, which would take place before the assizes, but the beach unanimously refused to comply. The de fendant was then required.to procure bail to the amount of £lOO, himself in .£3O, and two sureties of £25 each. Mr. Blake- complained of the e%cessive amount of bail required ; but the magistrates , - refused to lessen the amount, and intimated that they would commit the defen nant in &fault thereof. Great interest was taken in the case in consequence of its bearing on the Mayo petition;