Northern Times. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-12-23 00:00:00

Sys, Which rh instsst, id 250,0 [5 Of 50# c ontainil Robert reruorsh i P of Lrd:on , irOU tbe to stle cv ` - o f Ssione r Ve r n. D en • 5 ies of ea espateb Luge of u. g issued o ,sea 170.0 t r Deed .0 rably frog► the Nerold Of a b're n s d to Uni x n we oin s t, 19e. P ° , 1 j Mee , °- este' llgre vuo I , ton inari d r, comoi e l f ?lanChev e thath Nis of tat pec °r- Fa o9 _ 4 ' . custa ir coust itg. he P res s ' , THE NORTHERN RECENT FAILURE IN THE IRON DIS TRICTS, AND THE WOLVERHAMPTON AND STAFFORDMIRE BANK. e- At a meeting of Messrs. Wright and North's creditors, held .in Wolverhampton, on Monday, Mr. G. Robinson, solicitor, on the part of the Wolverhampton and Stafford shire Bank, and the course which it intended to adopt With reference to insolvent forms in future, made the f ollowing statement : As this is the first opportunity at which the bank has been „ able to explain their conclusions on the subject of the many estates before the public, I shall be obliged if the meeting will permit me to go into the subject rather generally before I speak of Messrs. Wright and North's ?articular estate. It may appear on the first blush improper to do so as to any particular estate, except that Qa which we are now met, but when I mention that all, or Ilearly all, these estates are but so many links of one chain—that A. says if B, C, and D had not failed I shoula be on my legs—that B says if A, C, and D paid I could Pay —that C says if A, B, and D pay I am right—that D says if A, B, and C meet their bills there is nothing the matter—thet each of them lay the blame on the others. I have, I hope, said enough to justify me in trespassing upon your attention beyond the immediate estate before as, and especially as that estate, when I come to it, Zama fall within general rules which the Wolverhampton and Staffordshire Bankine Company have laid down for their government in all these matters. But before I proceed farther, let me also say that nothing of vin dictiveness guides our proceedings ; that in approving of Public principles we are not in a position to do so at our °am expense, and that the rule which we adopt is ne cessarily that of getting the most with certainty for our !elves. It has, indeed, by our depositors and creditors been required that we should wind up every estate in avowed insolvency as the condition of the concurrence 1 11 our going on, but we have bound ourselves to no extreme. We concur in the reasonableness with which our depositors declare that their moneys should not remain to be used for keeping afloat insolvent: estates ; but w e claim a discretion in the mode of closing such estates. It is our firm conviction, too, that it is only by an honourable adherence to this rule and principle that we shall place the bank upon a sure foundation, and make it what it ought to be—one of the first institutions in South Staffordshire. We feel bound to realise estates in utter insolvency if there is nothing to fall back upon or no security for the use of present assets and promised profits. But a word more. The bank owes £350,000, and !t is only by the collection of €400,000 of accounts due to it that it can pay its debts ; the latter are especially and necessarily appropriated for the farmer. The current ' busing cc of the bank is from new capital of €lOO,OOO, adrenced by the directors, and .€50,000 paid by the shareholders, which, after completing other engagements, shall be applicable to it. The present debts are to be Paid by the present accounts, and it is preposterous on the part of the persons representing insolvent estates to suppose that the bank can continue the difficulties of their circumstances. With these few preliminary remarks I will come to the point, and I will endeavour to show the application of the principles which guide us. boring the whole of the last week a committee of the directors have b:en daily and incessantly engaged in investigating various estates, including that of Messrs. Wright and North. It is always more agreeable to concur than to dissent, and to do so upon conviction is one of the most grateful of duties. Let me, then, in the first place, say how truly we wish success to Messrs. Solly. With but an apparent surplus at a sale price of stock and tools, they feel that by exertion they can pay their creditors in full, and they ask but a very reasonable time to do so. Credit, founded on integrity and prudence, is Property, and most earnestly do we hope that credit will not be withheld from these gentlemen. We have ourselves accepted their proposition without a comment, except that of approval of their object, and a sincere desire for its success, and whatever aid we can give them shall be at their command. Let me also do equal justice to Mr. T. H. Pemberton. At present sale prices his property Would not realise 20s. in the pound. but, being mineral, it has ir herent sources of future profit. He disclaims ar.y idea of using it otherwise than for paying in full, and we have accepted his own mode and means of doing so. I 1118 h I could add to this list. First in the opposite direc tion is the estate of Messrs. Fletcher Brothers, and Green—they have not met us or given us any explanation of their affairs. All we know is, that they commenced business about two years' since—that they are already largely insolvent, and so late as the Ist of this month they appear to have given a preferential bill of sale for £3,500. Until this matter can be satisfactorily explained We determine that their estate and conduct in business shall be investigated ;n the Bankruptcy Court. We have come at present to a similar conclusion as to the estate of Messrs. Pearson and Kendrick, and I make this statement With extreme regi•et. I had formed a high opinion of t heirandustry and prudence. I had prepared a security to them for £2,500, and I have twice within the last year, b een confidentially applied to respecting them, and on each occasion I have written in terms to insure credit to " e al• I am, therefore, deeply mortified to find myself In erro r , and though the facts which I am about to state W ill create a strong impression, I am bound to say that Still I believe Messrs. Pearson and Kendrick have erred by mistake rather than from any wish to do wrong; it often, indeed. happens that artful people avoid difficulties which more really honest people fall into, and I do not Mean to bear herd upon Messrs. Pearson and Kendrick personally in the statement which I am compelled to Make. It appears that Messrs. Pearson and Kendrick began business only in 1852, with a capital of £2,000 ; that they owe now £37,642. and estimate their assets at £14 ; 215; and that trom 18;52 to the present time have drawn from their business for their personal expenditure £5,428, being at the rate of .€l,OBB per year. They ex- Plain their loss to have arisen from €1,500 in depreciation of iron, in €7,455 of known bad debts, in €7,144 for loss of bills now supposed to be bad, and in about £6,000 of bills given by pre-payment for iron not delivered, nor likely to be delivered. Passing by such a disregard of all 'regularity in business, I come to a more painful subject. A Mr. Gregory had a small iroawork near West Bromwich, Messrs. Pearson and Kendrick were in the habit of supplying him with iron, and, to secure them- . selves, they took a charge on his works to the extent of £2,600 in 1854. Subsequently, it seems that they took a release of the equity of redemption from him. But they continued till their failure to supply him with iron, and renew his bill for the amoutit, of it from time to time as usual secured on the work.: On the 17ht of last Month they owed Gregory in cash £49, and he owed them *2,762 on bills running, the first of which bscam due cn the 15th of this month, and the last of which is not due until the 12th of March next. On or about the 18th of bet month, when Messrs. Pearson and Kendrick must have known themselves to have failed, they conveyed this Work to Mr. Yardley, the father-in-law of Mr. Pearson, for securing an advance he had made to them, though they have not returned his acceptances for the iron on account of it. It is almost unnecessary to say that unless Mr. Yardley voluntarily gives up this deed, or a very different view of it can be given to that which it at present bears, the estate of alessrs.Pearson and Kendrick must go through the bankruptcy court. This also brings me to the case of Mannix. I am sure that no one will hear of a profes sional person of Dr. Mannix's position being involved in commercial difficulties without r. Bret ; but when we learnt that Dr. Mannix's brother had procured a preferential security from him, we at once determined to have it Judicially investigated. The prompt withdrawal of it, however, at the request of Dr. Mannix, removed our difficulty, and we have accepted the offer he was then enabled to make us, fully guaranteed by his brother, being satisfied that it was all in his power to accomplish. We have come to a similar conclusion in Mr. Charles Perry's estate, and I believe the dividend made by him, which is also fully guaranteed by his brother, exceeds considerably the value of his properties. Two other estates of great importance have engaged our most anxious attention, those of Mr.W.T. Riley and of Messrs. Fletcher and Rose. They are estates respecting which a great amount of feel lag naturally exists. The debts of Mr. Riley amount to no less than £240 831, and his assets, at his own valuation, are but 80,310'. The accounts and valuations of his estate have appeared to us imperfect, and we have been unable to come to any conclusion; suffice it now to say, that his ability to pay any dividend of importance depends on the value of mines to be realised, and we are taking the most efficient measures to ascertain what they will Produce within a reasonable period. If we find that a continuation of them will liquidate his debts, we shall expect them to be worked out for creditors until they are Paid, and I am bound to say that Mr. Riley has not Objected to such a principle. We laid down the same rule to Messrs. Fletcher and Rose, and were not a little surprised to bo told that it was an unreasonable one. They thought the only principle in insolvency was that of taking what a man then had, and that it was unjust to tax his future exertions. I will not attempt to charac terise this idea ; I will simply say it will not prevail with U s. I forget when these parties began business, and am not sure what capital they brought into it. I am certain, however, that it was very small, and in 1855 they called their creditors together. They then owed 58,2761, and called their assets 9 0 466 1 . They offered 7s 6il in the Pound, which their creditors accepted And now they owe 40,4e61, and all their assets are 21,3221. The appa rent result, therefore, of their proceedings, is this—they have reduced the 58, 0 7G1 of 1855 to 38,2731, by 20,0001 paid from the 58.2761 on account of the promised dividend of 1 855, and they take credit in their present accounts for 9 ,4e31 for profit since 1855. We more than doubt that statement of profit; but no matter; I take it as t hey give it. And they debit themselves with losses be the amount of 28,627 1 . So, that if these figures he correct, they are €20,000 worse than when they c ompounded in 1855. They do not deny this deduction, and they explain it by saying that they have taken ' 6 1,500 from their present creditors to pay the old ones,. !ad have made £12,000 of bad debts. The estate of Messrs. Motteram and Deeley affords a similar illustra tion of the impossibility of making profit withont means. But what is the proposal of Messrs. Fletcher and Rose ? !t is to pay 12s. 6d. in the pound by instalments extend ing to two years. Now mark, towards these dividends th e available stock and debts come to ss. 6d. in the pound, a nd the rest they expect from colliery profit in two ' e ars. The colliery contains 165 acres of land, of which net fifteen will be worked out in two years ; a large in -of the creditors' money has been expended in open leg this colliery, and if it will really pay 7s. 63. in two years, R will pay 20s. in three years more, and we simply ask Messrs. Fletcher and Rose to go on till their jest creditors are paid in fall : we add that should it appear impossible to do so we should cease to require it, but we meet with no assent to s principle which we should have supposed would at once have been gladly accepted, and we determine that if the inquiries we are making respecting the capability of Messrs. Fletcher and Rose's colliery justifies such a conclusion, they must either work it under inspection until it pays their debts in full, or go into the Gazette if they refuse a proposition so rea sonable. But to be plain, if the colliery is worth this re sult, it ought to pay in full: if it be net worth it, the offer to pay 7s. 6d. from it is only a delusion. Similar inquiries as to the capabilities of Mr. Pool's colliery are being made before we can accept the proposed amount of his dividend : we believe that it. must be considerably increa sed. The same rule will apply t• the proposals of Messrs, T. Morris and Son. Now I come to estates and to a principle which guides us in estate like that of Messrs- Wright and North. I shall first take the estate of Messrs. Rose, Higgins, and Rose, as it is called, though, in fact, no one but Mr. Thomas Rose belongs to it. Messrs. Thomas Rose. Isaac Higgins, and William Ress began business in 1849, with a capital of only £4,600, which they soon reduced te X6OO, by giving William Rose £4 .000 to leave them. They say their works cost them £25,400, so that giving them the utmost credit for their own state ment, they advanced and spent £6OO of their own money, and £26,000 of other people's money, and now they owe 412,501 besides their works ! They stand. indeed, thus DR. Works cost . CR. £2`,100 Leis paid out.. 4 000 } ' 4'6 " stock and dsbts . Mortgage on works .... 15,000 General debts . 72,501 drh4,817 Deficiency 33,284 £83,101 £BB,lOl • Mr. T. Rose admits that he was insolvent in 1855, and it is char, from the above figures, that since he has been in business he has carried it on at a loss of £33,2B4—upwards of £4,000 a year—and yet he proposes still to carry on these works, paying 2e in the pound in two months, 2s in nine months, and £3,000 a year afterwards until lOs in the pound is paid, when he is to cease to pay any more! I have had no small experience in business, and I have seen many impracticable propositions in my days, but never anything so impracticable as this. Just take it as Mr. Rose puts it. He says he owes 472,501, and, besides his works, has but £29,417 of assets, which he proposes to reduce to £11,297 by paying 5s in the pound out of them, and then, without capital or credit, to go en with his business, and turn a loss of £4,000 a year into a profit from manufacturing of £9,000 a year ! Ido not wish to be rude to Mr. Rose, and therefore I shall only say that if there are persons who believe his idea to be practicable, we shall be greatly obliged if they give an earnest of their convictions by guaranteeing it. The highly respec table gentlemen (Mr. Stubbs and Mr. F. Sony) who waited upon us, required ❑othing so idle ; they only urged that an immediate sale is the present state of trade through the bankruptcy court would be very prejudicial, and that it would be advisable to allow a few months for the realisation of Mr. Rose's property. In that we fully concurred. The bankruptcy courts are so inadequately conducted that the public has lost all confidence in them ; they are not only most unnecessarily expsusive but they afford very little protection to creditors ;_ uo sufficient inquiry, but little discrimination between the honest and dishonest bankrupt, and a mere routine of meetings are in nine cases out of ten everything that creditors can see in the practice of the bankruptcy courts. They aro everywhere avoided if possible, and if the authorities of those courts do not themselves sae the necessity of some reformation of them, public opinion will soon call for their extinction. We have agreed, therefore, with Mr. Stubbs and Mr. F. Soils', that, as far as we are concerned the estate of Messrs. Rose, Higgins, and Rene shall be assigned to trustees, with power, if they shall see fit, to keep on the trade for a period not exceeding a few months, in order to give time for the most profitable con version of the stock and sale of the works. We pro pose to adopt a similar rule with respect to the estate of Messrs. Wright and North. I wish, however, before I go further, to say that I come to that conclusion with great personal regret. I was associated with Mr. Wright in our Town Council. I know that there was no more sensible, public-spirited, or useful member of it, and I have never heard any one speak of his difficulties but with regret. But business must be business, and what is the state of their accounts ? In 1850 Messrs. G. Dimmack and North began business with only £1,500, and it is but two years ago that Mr. Wright, unfortunately for himself, joined Mr. North in the place of Mr. Dimmack, in consequence of their being due to him (Mr. Wright) a large sum for machinery he had made for their works. Ido not know how far the state of the concern at that time may affect the accounts now produced, but as Mr. Dimmack was paid a sum for retir ing, I suppose the concern was then solvent, and if not Messrs. Wright and North ought long since to have closed it. However, they now state to us that they have expended £lB,OOO in their works, and there is a mortgage to the bank of £5,000 upon them. Irrespective of these works, they owe no less than £39,100, and they estimate their assets at £20,100. Upon these figures they have lost during the last two years at least X 6,000, thus : • Ds. Mortgage of work .e 5,000 Debts. • ..... Cs. Cost of works . .. assets .. .eEB,OOO Loss in business.— 6,000 £44,000 Whether the offer is to pay 103 in the pound within fifteen months, as I have understood or 203 in the pound at the end of six years, as has been spoken of, is itn• material. If the former, we can realise it ourselves all events, we cannot let works, stock, and debts remain in insolvent hands without security, and this estate stands exactly in the same" category as that of Messrs. Rose, Higgins, and Rose. We do not question that the business of Messrs. Wright and North has been conducted as well as their means permitted, or that they have ,bought iron for the sake of raising money by reselling it and multiply= in; bills ; but I must also expressly state that we have in no case made much inquiry into such circumstances. We disclaim every feeling and desire-1 might in our own situation say every right—to criticise errors either of judgment or necessity, and we simply deal with these cases as matters of business. We know it to be impossible to carry on any manufacture to profit without capital or credit, and we are certain that all attempts to do so would only end in increased disappointment and increased loss. We can listen to no delusions on tha' subject ; we are not at all likely to use the property of the bank for such a purpose, and we cannot make invidious distinctions, but we beg it may be understood, that in determining that this estate must be wound up, we wish it to be without bankruptcy, and done in the saind considerate manner towards Messrs. Wright and North, and economically to realise the fullest value of the property. I may also say that there is another reason in this case for this conclusion. Neither of the partners has any private estate to come in aid of the liint estate. Mr. Wright's own liabilities and assets are, indeed, these : £44,000 On acceptances on open accounts .. .... 650 Open accounts.... ..... 000 Overdrawn at bank .... 2,800 Stock an' tools ........ 5 500 Liabilities on returned t and at Monmore' 3OO bi 11....... .... On W. and N.'s Gills 6,28) W. and N.'s bills, £6,280, £11,793 say 4612,128 Mr. Wright's own estate is therefore dependent upon getting 2,8001 from the joint estate, and we cannot put the private estate in jeopardy from loss of the joint estate. We cannot listen to such a contingency. I will only trespass further upon the attention of the meeting to say that in determining these matters we have a most respon sible and painful task, and that we act only under a sense of duty to the bank, its shareholders, and customers, without being influenced by extraneous objects of any kind. THE WOLVERHAMPTON Thursday, the first Jay of the re-opening, the confidence of the public in the sta bility of the concern was. shown by the amount of cash brought in being more by some thousands than that paid out.—Birmingham Daily Press. _ A RECEIVER OP STOLEN PROPERTY.-At the Bo'.ton Borough Court, on Saturday, a dealer in rags and old metal, named Richard Pearce, was charged with receiving 47 lbs of lead, knowing it to have been stolen. Consiiera ble quantities of lead having been taken from various places in the borough, police constable Sharpies was sent round amongst the dealers in old metal, to endeavour to true the property. On Thursday, the 17th inst., he went to the shop of the prisoner, in Turton-street, and inquired if he had bought any lead that day. Pearce said he had not. The officer then told him that large quantities of lead had been stolen, that the dealers would rot admit of having bought any, and that the authorities were determined to make an example of those who were encouraging and pro tecting the thieves. Subsequently, Sharpies sent his soa to watch the prisoner's house, and, on Friday afternoon, he saw a man, named James Prescott, go in, and, from his pockets, place about 30 lbs. of lead upon the scales. The prisoner was present at the time, and, when Prescott came cot, the lad watched him to Foundry-street, where he and others were employed repairing a building. Both Prescott and Pearce were apprehended, and the latter stated that he had only bought three lbs. of lead that day. Prescott, however, confessed that be had so!d two lots to Pearce, the first, 19 lbs. in the morning, for 2a. 4d., and the second, 28 lbs., in the afternoon, for 3s. 4!. To reach the man who was "worse than the thief," Prescott was taken as a witness, and stated that he was working en the roof of a bui!ding in Foundry -street, belonging to Mr. Wm. Park, and that the slater gave him the lead to sell. He admitted that he knew it was stolen, and said that he had the money received from Pearce in his pocket when taken into custody. Pearce, the receiver, was committed for trial ; and, if a similar course was taken in all cases of this kind, property would be more secure, and gaols ',compara tively empty. If there wore no receivers there would be no thieves, TRIAL OF TWO POLICEMEN. At the Middlesex sessions, on Friday, Hugh Brady, formerly a - conitable of the H division, N 0.186, who had been brought is custody from Dublin, upon a judge's warrant, to take hls trial, was indicted, with George Queenby, police const.ble l2i H, who amen dered, for haring, on the Bth July last, unlawfully and maliciously inflicted grievoui bodi y harm upon Diedrick Rathgen. The prose cutor, upon the present occasion, was tried for an assault upon the two constables (now the deeselants), and acquitted, on the ground that they had been guilty of brutality towards him, and had acted greatly in excess of their duty. Brady was allowed to resign; Qaeeuby was retained, pending his trial. Mr. Sleigh, who defended the prosecutor on his trial, and Mr. letarence, were for the Prosecu tion ; Mr. Metcalfe appeared for Brady, and Mr. Ribton tor Queenby. Mr. Sleigh, in opening the. case, commented upon the gravity of toe ()Vence with which the prisoners were charged. He then called the prosecutor, who said: lam a bag m •ker, and re ids at N 0.9, Old Montague-street, Whitechapel. I have resided there for some years, and my name is on the outer doer. On the Bth of Jaly lass, I went with some friends to a German Festival, held at Highbury Barn, and rae, my wife, her sister, and friends return() i home in cabs between three and four o'clock next morning. We all got out near White chapel Church, about four minutes' walk from my house. A young female was with us, and my wife and hemsister went to see her home. While waiting for their return, I heard an altercation in Hope-street, close to my house, and en going there I found the defendant Itra, ly— the policeman on duty—aad say wife and her sister. My wife com pleinel to me that Brady had insulted her, and hal thrown her cape over hoc head. the sand he had cellsd her a soliciting prosti tute. I said, "Why did you do Ulu'?" He said, " What is that to you? give you asp iota on tho faae." I then told my wife to go home. A young man was with us ; ha lives in our hone, and we all went in together. Au we were leaving Hope-street, Crieetaby came up. I hod not struck or done anything to Brady ; not dire occurred till we were inside my hOuso. When Quaenby come up, I said I had got erady's number, and should report him. When we went in, Conrad shut the gate, nod was leaning upon it. Both defendants came up to the gate. I was standing in the passage with my pocket book in my hand, writing the number of nredy. bat before I could do so I was struck a blow on the head with a truncheon. I cannot say which did it, but both rushed into the pessaze at the same time. Conrad came in bleeding; he had been, stele% on the head and elbow by Brady, and he ran no stairs. The defendants broke down the gate. [it was produced.] Waren they rualiectln, I received several blown on the head, but I could not see, for my eyes were filled with the blood flowing from my head. Somehow I got up, and laid hold of Brady's transheoi, when the defendant struck me six times on the arm. I struggled with Brady from the passage to the kitchen, and held on to the truncheon to save my life; but was at last com pelled to let it go, and Bra'y then gave me a bl sist en the top of the head, and I fell down from the effect of it. Both of them then went cut into the sheet. I remained inside some minutes, and then went out to go to the stati n to complain. I got as far as the corner, but finding I was covered with blood. I went back to get it wised. The defendants were then in Old Montague-. street, and I told them I should go to the stateon, when they lased h aid of me, and said they should lock me up. Tbey del so, and charged me with having assaelted thorn with a poker. I did not do anyth ng of the kind. My doct r came and cut the hair from my head where I was hurt. I was deteiael half an hour and was then bailed out. I appeared at the police-court to answer the'r charge, but was so bad that tie magistrate ordered me to be taken to the hospital. I was an in patient till the 23rd July, but was under medical are some time after, and now feel the effects of the blow. Sometimes it is so tied ,that I nearly faint. I was tried in this court for assaulting them, but acquitted on the evidence of my witnesses. I then charged them. Mrs. Rathgea gave evidence fully beerin: out that of her husband. As to tee cause of the ateer she said: When I returned rom taking th e girl horns I saw Brady at the bottom of Ely-place Ho followed us to the top of !lope street, wisest lie became behind me and threw my black cloth m tittle over my head. I said. " What have you done that for ?" • He sae', ' You know what I did it for." I sail, " I don't understen I you, sir " lie sail. " I know you, and if you don't go on, I'll lock you up." I said, " I have lived in my neuse o - er the way eight years, and you cannot Race me up fur I've done nothing." Ile said, " you aro out soliciting p - ostitntion." I thee said in a loud voice, as I got very excited at such, an insult, " I'll take your number and report you," and at the moment my husband and Conrad came up, and I told thorn what he had said. My hus sand took me by the arm, and told me to go indoors, and said he would report hen. Queenby cense up. and I told him of Bra'y's conduct. He told me to be off home, and we wort home. In three or four minutes they came up to the doer. The rest of her evade ice was with reference to the assault— precisely the same account as that given by the prosecutor. Emma Roberts, Airs. liathgen's sister, who was with her when Brady t tiew no her mant'e, and s rid she was solidi- ,ting prostitution, ontise'y corroborated his account of what occurred, and Conrad Wen lenheim gave evidence as to the assault upon the prosecutor and eimaelf. Mr. Adams, surgeon at the Lon don Hossital, stated that he attended t i tilt. Rathgen on his admis sion to that institution, and found that he'hal a severe laceration of the scalp, which was cut in three or four places. He left on the 23rd of July, but the wounds wer net thee healed, and he was an out patient. Thu cross-exaseination of the witness was founded upon the evidence given b; the thread ruts on th 3 former Vial, to the' effect that Brady, in the first inst nce, civilly a keit the parties who had been drinking; and were making a mesa in the street at an advanced hour of the moreieg,, to go home—that he was struck by the prosecutor with a poker, and that Queenby went to render him that assistance which he was bound to! give to a brother officer under such circumstances, when he, also, was assaulted with the poker; bat the facts given in evidence were not in any degree varied, although there were,some m n it discrepancies as to certain parts of the transaction. Mr. Metcalf addressed the jury at length on behalf of Brady, who, he said, had served cre litably in the police force, in the Sits Hus are, and the Land Tranport Corps in the Crimea—having left the police to jolts that service, and was again received into the force. Ha contended that it was clear upon the evidence, that there were good grounds for that constable interterine, to induce oisorderly persons to go home, and that he used his staff only after he had been struck with a poker, as he had solemnly sworn upon his oath—supported by the testimony of the other defendant Mr. Ribtoe, on behalf of Queenby, urged that whatever view the jury might take of the case as against Brady, it was totally different with respect to his clie it, who had nothing to do wi h the original cause of the quarrel, and acted, as he considered, properly in aiding a taleteller °Meer, whom he believed, and knew, indeed, to have bees assaulted, and was assaulted himself. He dwelt with great force up -It the circumstance of both defendants having sworn to their account of the occnrrenee, and submitted that they were as much ntitled rco be believed as the witnesses now trortght against them. Queenby was entitled to his acquittal, if the jury thought be acted in the honest belief that he w s renderieg proper ass stance to his fellers LIE er. Several sereeants, and an inspector of the H divisio,a, gave earls defendant I an excellent character, as an eficient and well-conducted officer. Tee regimental sergeannm ;jar of the Land Transport Corps spoke of Brady while in the (Aimee, as a quiet, wall-behaved mars. Mr. Creasy summed up with great care eni minuteness. He said the im ortance of the case could not be well exaggerated, and drawing the dettetion between tic conduct of Brady and that of *Queenby, as deposed to by the witnesses, told the jury that Queenby ought to he acquitted if they real y believed Wit at the time he was acting under the impression that he was aiding a brother co , table who had been ill-used. The jury retired, and, after some consideration, they came into court with a verdict of gn lty against Brady, and not guilty with respect to Qateaby, whom, nevertheless, they censured for net reetrairens tee violence of his brother constah'e. Mr. Creasy said he would consult the Assistant Judge as to what sentence &mild bo pa sed upon Brady. A COURAGEOUS LANDLIDY. At the Southwark Pol ce-court, on Saturday, William Oglaway, a tall, powerful looking young sallow, with a downcast look, was chargod with breaki..g and entering the Greyhound public-house, Greyhound-tridge, Bermondsey, and taking therefrom a gold brooch, a iilver brooch, eight silk handkerchiefs, two waistcoats, and a pair of trowsers, the property of the landlord Mr. James flay. Mrs. Mary Hay, the wife of the prosecutor, stated that about ten o'clock on the pravions night she was in the bar, when see heard a violent ringing o' the bells ttpstal s. She, however, had to inform His Worship that their sleeping apariments were on the second floor, and between that. and the first floo was a door, which was always kept shut,and to which were attached two bells, so that if any attempt should be made to open it, an alarm would be immediately given. At the tine above-mentioned she rushed npstai s, and saw semeth ng like a match going out inside the doorway, when she called out, " Who's there ?" She received no answer, but on proceeding feirtlier she met the prisoner, and asked him what he was doing therti ? He replied that he was looking for the water-closet. Witness immediately seized hold of him, and in his ettempt to gat away, he endeavoured to throw her down stairs, bathe failed in his object, as his feet slipped, and he fell hmeself. she again caught held of him, and, assistance coming up, he was secured. Witness afterwards we,t up stairs, and found the drawers rlisacked and property strewed about in all directions. The prisoner had over his own clashes a pair of her husband's trousers and two waistcoats, and on him was found a gold brooch, a silver one, and eight silk handker chiefs, which she identified. They were safe in the room .4 seven o'clock. He must by some means or other have obtained admission to the second floor a: an early part of the evening, while some one had left the doer open, as he could not o:herw:se have gained admis sion without ringing too bell. She bad no rec Tection of seeing the prisoner before. Henry Wilimott, No 25 i, said he was called in to take the pesener into custody, when he . found on him two waistcoats lis?longing to Mrs. Hay, besides o gist silk hanikerchie is, and a gold and silver brooch. He then took him to th> stati n house. The prisoner acre said it was no use saying anything except that he was guilty. lie was a paiater, god had teen out of work some time, which induced him to commit the theft. The prosecutor hoped his worship would deal with th. prisoner under the Criminal Justice Act. Mr. Combe a cordingly sentenced the prisoner to six months' hard labour in the Wandsworth home of cO.ection. ALLEGED CRUELTY AT SEA, AND SUICIDE OF A BOY. On Saturday, Captain Robert M'Eachim, the master of the brig Heather hell, apps ired be:ore Me. Yard ey, at the Taames Police court, to answer a charge of assaulting a boy named John William Norris. Mr. Charles Young, solicitor. ceridncted the prn-ec'ition ; Mr. Wa'ter Pelham, clerk to Mr. Fletcher, solicit or, appeared for the defence. The falter of the deeeased boy applied for a warrant against the prisoner on Monday evening last, and it was greeted. Howland, 89 11. was directed to execute it immediately, and he went , down to Gravesend and ascertained that the ship had sailed for Bar badoes, and was likely to remain in the Downs for several days. 'The captain hearing that a warrant was issued left his ship in the Downs, and came to London to answer the charge. The father of the deceased, on applying for the warrant, alleged that his son had been ill-treated on the voyage by Captain APEachim, and that, while labouring under fear of more severe punishment, he was threatened by the prisoner, and jumped over board and wa' drowned. At the same time, Mr. Norris produced a letter from Captain M'Eachim, stating that the boy fed overboard on the 30th of October, while reefing the tore op-sail, " and it being a dark, stormy night. with thunder and lightning, he was lost sight of." The second mate of the ship, who wcompanied the father of the deceased when he applied for the warrant, et ted teat Captain AP.Eathina had given a false account of the boy's death, and chat the boy had committed suicide. Mr. Young state.] that he believed he could establish a case of great cruelty against the defendant, and called a seaman named Stewart, who said the voyage of the Heather Bell recently terminated was the first on which the deceased boy bed ventured to sea. The boy was apprenticed by the Marine Society. The Heather Hell made a voyage to the West Indio and back. A few days alter leaving Encland the captain commenced ill-using the boy, and scarcely a day elapsed without the captain beating the lad with a rope's-end in a most brutal manner. One day the boy was at the wheel, and the captain strock him with his fist and knei:ked hi a down. This was repeated upon other occasions, and upon one of them the boy's eye was blackened. The boy had often said in the fo - ecastle that tho captain, by hi; continual bad t eatment, had made him stupid. The day the bay was lost the witness was at the helm, and he sow the captain take hold of the boy's tyro t with one heed, and compress it until the deceased was block in the face, and with his other heed, which was clenched, he struck the bay on the face. The deceased appeared to stiffer a great deal of pain, and the same day was lest. Mr., Yardley : How did ho go overboard ? I can't tell how he went overboard. Mr Walter Pelham said the captain had came up from the Downs to meet the charge, and he hoped bail would be taken. Mr. Yardley said he would allow the defendant to be a: large upon entering into his own recognisances is the sum of £5O. MILIT INSPZCTION AT BURY.-011 Friday, Li7lut.- General Sir Harry Smith, G.C.B. ' general in command of the diitlict, attended by Colonel Wemyss and two aides de-camp, arrived at the Bury Station of the East Lanca shire Railway, by the train due at Bury at 9 25 a.m , and proceeded to the barracks to inspect the companies of infantry now lying there, after which they returned to the station and proceeded by the 11 10 train, on their way to Preston, where a curt-martial was to be held at one o'clock. . TIMES.---LIVERPOOL, WEDNESDAY, EXTRAORDINARY AFFILIATION CASE. At the Guildhall police-court London, on Saturday, Mr. Peter Vincent limotley. a surgeon anti apothecary, at e 8 Barbican, ap peared to answer to a summons, calling upon him to show cause why he ahoreld not be aijne.ged to be the father of an illegititnee child, o. which the complainant Is the mother. Mr. Buceanne, of B esinghall str,et, attended for the complainant, and Mr. Wontner, of !skinner street, for the defence. Mr. Bucean in having stated the case for the complainant, called Thirza Aiderwooe, a respeet eble looking young women, who said —I am at present residing ire the City ef London Uuion. My sister, Louisa Chandler, was CDlllfi ,ed in January last, and I attsndei her. I was in the toilet of going to the defendant's home for ro tdicine for her, and he always directed me to go into his surgery. On one occasion when I went in he took hold of me round the waist, and Mr. Martin (the chief clerk) : Ties is not a charge of rape. Mr. Buchanan : There is no doiest that was the course that ought to have teen taken. Alderman Wire : Them eine e tons are not nesossary in this case. Mr. : Two or three qua tione will be quite seielcient. Witness : t an the mother of a male chili, born on the 24th Oct. last. The defendant is the father of that child. Dir.Wentner : Now continue the story where you were stopeed—when he took yon round the waist. Wnet did he do after that? witness: He took me roan l the waist, but did not throw me clown on the floor. I have never had improper intercourse with any other men. When my sister was confined, the defendant set 1 I was also in the family way, but I said it was not the case. Nearly the whole of what I have stated took place prior to the 20th of Ja .uary. 1 have been undsrthedoetor's ands before, but not for any particular cetnelaint. That doctor told me I was three months gone in the family way. Mr. Wontner : Oh, ha e id, did h.; and pray when was that ? Witness : That was in September, 1800 1 knew that was not the case, as I lied known no man at that time. Alderman Wire : I cannot Fee what all this has to do web the case. If you tell me what your defence is to be, I shall then be ab e to judge in wit t manner these questions beer upon the Illa f ttr. Mr. Wontner ; It ferny intsntlon to call witeesses, sir, to sho you that this is a grass cense': .cy to extort money from my a eat: The defendant was then sworn, and on being examined, said: I know the complainant. but I only learned her nem• the other day. I saw her the first time at her sister's oc the 13 h of January last, and I' saw her again a few clays after, when she called at my place. I saw: her i emy front surgery, which i.e open 1., the atreet, and which every one may c ome into. I have two surgeries now, but I had only one at that time. I cannot say if there was any one else in the surgery: I had uo ftsteningte.any cf toe doors except the e enmon latch which is tarred wel a handle from the ote side. She has something In her hand to contain weatever she might require, ewe I teed her she need not come again for medicine, as I would send it ream 3 by my boy, and from that time I always sent it round. I took no liberty ‘N her of any kind at that or are ether time. She afterw :Hs rased upon ins about this matter, and I said I would turn her out, but I del not tell her why. I told her her father and bro her had been to me to try and extortenoney, and that they had said I had committed a criminal offence, and asked me what I would settle it for. Imait an appointment with them to meet me again in the evening upon the subject, and I hal a detective ofil cr at my home to take them, but they were not forthcoaa.n • . I know a surgeon oft e name of Mason. He has said roinirthine about tele case wheel will be a subject for inquiry elsewhere. Tho sander in that case is not obeut any other woman. I swear I nterer had connection with this worm in. Sits told me she was a marre d woman, and seeing rings upon her fingers, I believed it, and asked her if she would let me attend her. I did to because tarn a young man in practice, looking out for pa ia eta. See said if at any time she required any one I sh mid stemd her. Mr. Buchan - au : That is the case, sir. Allsrman Wire : There 1, not the evidence required by the Act of Part ament, and the case in, therefore, dismissed. Alderman Wilson: Whet way the object of calling tee defendan ? Mr. Buchanan : Because he had no other evideave to corroborate the complainant. Alderman Wi'son : Anti son have got nothing out of him. Alderman Wire: The complainant can have another sem-reins whenever she obtains further °yid atm of a cur re bo7 Wive character. The summons was dismissed. • PROSECUTION OF AN NI P. FOR PITJTJAY The first steps in the prosectition instituted against Mr. Edward Auchmuty G over, the ex-rite caber for Beverley, have been taken, and. in accordance with the tree bill fonyea against It m at the Central Criminal Court, a bench warrant has been issued for his apprehension. The charge preferred against hian, our readers are aerate, is that of having made a false declaration in reference to his qualification to entitl. him to take his s-at as a member of the House of Commons; and such a charge being one by which other honourable gentlemen may ill. ewise be affeated. supposing their respective road fizations to be rigidly inquired into, it has naturally excited a sensation among a certain section of the legislative body. Upon what pri iciple M-. Glover has been selected t o undergo such a prosecution we know not, but that gentleman will have good ground to consider himself as chosen to be the seeps-goat for the tr tnsgres - stars of a whole class, if a similar measure of j istice is riot dealt out to all who are in a similar poation. It seems that the select com mittee who sat to inquire into the circumstances of the late Beverley election, were so scandalised at. the disclosures then made as to the want of a proper qualification by Mr. Glover, that nothing would satisfy them but a prosecution by the Attorney-General, which they strongly recommends i accordingly. Moreover, on the matter bein g referred to the house, a resolution was passed ratifying the recommea daton the committee, end directing a prosecution to be forthwith csmmeneed. We have no %tell to cavil at the virtuons resolve of our legislators, in a matter affecting their reputation for purity. yet it cannot fail to strike most persons as rather s:ranee, considering toe lax notions which have hitherto prevailed on the subject of a property qualification, that a prosecution of this kind should have been ordered under the high sanction of the House of Commons. Had great care always been displayed, and a lig' t scrutiny oeee exer cised, with regard to the qualification of its members ant if every gentleman who may be , resume it to have set the law in this re pact se defiance had been blatantly visited with its displeasure, we could more clesrly understand the step which has been taken with re,-rd to Mr. Glover Bu - . when it is notorious that divers hon. gentl men are firmly believed to be in exactly the same position, and, in default of possening any property themselves, ha , e merely borrowed it from others t r the special purpose of enabling them to make the ' required declaration. it does seem a piece of gross hypocrisy to affect indignation in this case, as though his co-du t were unique _ it the profligacy and want of principle it exhibit:. or ourselves, ' we are wholly oppose' to any property meal fl:atirn whoever as a condition for a seat in Parliament, and deem the choice of the e'ectors the best possible groun I for his right of ain-issi en to that assembly ; stilt, if the property principle is to be sternly insisted upon, let it be impartially applied. Let us have a rigid inqui ition into all doubtful cases, ant allow no other memiar to escape the penalty of doing that for which Mr. Glover is about to be pro , ecnted, If prima facie grounds are needed, they can hardly be wanting is such a case as that of Mr. Townsend, the member for Greenwich. who, despite his property qualification of £soo a year, was lately declared a bankrupt, albeit his debts, if we mistake not, did not amount to a sum teat would be represeetel by the income in .question. Certain .Irishmem' era also would Ise apt to tremble e. eeretinisinge inquiry were made as to their possession of property yielding the required sum., We are quite aware that the ingenioni device of burrowing a q ialification is occasionally resorted to, in order to save any, delicate scrnples of conscience on the part of the incipient legislator; avid it is posstb'e that Mr. Glover may have neglected that prudent formality, and thereby laid himielt open to legal proceedings. But, on the other hand, there is much excuse for that gentleman, knowing that many of his brother legislators wore in the Name piespenyless predicament as himself, if he regarded the matter as one of sm ill tnomen , and the doclaratio a itself as a conventional sham. Had ha condescended to borrow what he required he would doubtless h eve been safe ; for what committee would engnire too closely into the validity o' a watt tics which has become almc,t a prescriptive right? It is rather too much for the 'louse to affect to be horrified at what they know to be constantly taking place. To ba suree the man who lends a qualifica tion is as much a party to a gross decopti n as he who b arrows one, and ought to be equally liable to punishment ; but fictitious transac tions of this sort have been too frequent not to be perfectly within the knowledie of every member of the House; ani it must have required no common degree of assvarre, on the part of that vane, ab Assembly, to instruct the Attorney General to prosecute the late member far Beverley or riot possessinr a qualification which so many others besides himself actually, or virtually stand in need of. We shad watch the proceediaeeetistituted egotist Mr. Glover with mirth interest, feeling anx'ous to tarn whether the offended virtue of the Leeislature which had lad to the law being pat in force in his case, will not be productive of a few more yr r widens egnall called for, if a duo sense of right and j stice exists among lea members. NEW COUNTY MAGISTRATES AT ROCHDALE.—At the early part of this week, .Alderman Livsev and Councillor Scott, at the instance of a numb3r of gen. lemen who hid. got up a memorial, waited upon the flight Hon. T. M. Bainee, chancellor of the duchy of Larcashire, for the purpose of presenting a memorial requesting that the ex mayor, Jacob Bight, Esq., and the present mayor, R. T. Heap. Esq., might be appointed county magistrates. We understand a favourable answer was received. It is not the intention of the town conneil, tor a few months, to propose the appointment of a too ough bend. TILE LATE EXCISION OF A MAN'S TONGUE AT EDIN BURG ll.—We understand that the patient who had his tongue removed went on very well for nearly a week, Shen the external wound was quite healed, and everything promised fairly for his recovery, but that he th n rapidly sunk. On examination it was found that the cause of death had no direct connection with the operation, and was one which might have proceeded from any other source. of irritation. It is proper that. this should be known, since the principle involved in the operation may be of consequence in the practice of surgery. It map be remarked, that the patient wag a man of in'emperate _habits and bad coaditian.— Reesman RUBBERY OP GOLD WATOFIFIS PION THE WELL!NGTJN STATION, LEEDS.—At the Leeds Court House, on Saturday rn ,rning, Arthur Carr, a young man living in Cloth Hall street, and at present out of employment, was charged with brenking open a box at the Leeds Wellington Station, on the 6th instant, and stealing therefrom four gold watches, the property of Mr. Umfrerille, traveller for a wholesale jewellet'a establishment, at Birmingham. Mr. Umfreville had arrived by , an evening train from Bradford ; and, being desirous of getting forward to Selby the same night, he called a porter to assist him with his luggage, which consisted of a small box containing jewellery, and, enclosed in a leathern case, a portmanteau, and a third package. He asked the porter what time he should be s.b!e to reach Selby, and the porter went to ascertain, leaving the packages l in a barrow on the platform of the station. Mr. Umfreville had, meanwhile; entered the refreshment-room, to procure' a cup of tea; and, during his absence and that of the porter, some daring and adroit thief broke open the end of - the small case, and abstracted from the box four valuable gold watches, worth £5O. The case itself caat tined jewel lery to the amount of £l,OOO. When Mr. Umtreville returned to the platform, he found the case had been forced, ant immediately ascertained his loss The numbers of the watches being easily learned from his employers at Birmingham, informatiou was given to the pawnbrikers in the West Riding of the numbers, description, &a., of the stolen goods. Nothing was heard of the watches until the 9th inst., when a young man, named Arthur Carr, who was subsequently found living in C'oth Hall-street, attempted to pledge one of them at the shop of Mr. Middleton, pawnbroker. Mr. Middleton immediately stopped the watch, and told the young man to call again on the following day, and he would tell him what he could advance upon it. He farther intimated to Carr that the watch 'resembled one that had been tfioler. The prisgper Carr, however, never called again for. the watch, stack was a few days afterwards apprehended by Mr. Superintendent . Grauhan, and charged with the robbery.. Carr acknow ledged that he had attempted to pledge the watch, but denied having any Share in the robbery, and said he had bought the article of a man at the top of Briggate for £3, a few days before. Of this man, however, ho could not afford any satisfactory account, and he was accordingly now charged with being concerned in the robbery. He was committed for trial. DECENTI3ER 23, 1857. BRUTAL . CASE OF WIFE SLAUGHTER. At the Durham assizes, on Saturday, before Mr. Justice Cramptou, James Megee, pitman (sa), was indicted for the e Will murder of Dorothy Megee. his wife, at flewsworth, near the city of Durham, on the 9th August Mr. l'avison having opened, the case, Margaret Weatherburn stated: I am the wife of the landlcrd of the Red Lion Inn, Plaweworth. The prisoner aid his wife were in our houses on the night of the Sth August. They came in about eleven o'clock at n ght. About twelve o'cleck the Mile was sitting sleepieg, leaning on her hns'saed's sho .ks_e e Shortly after, the prisoner was taking his wife out. My bnab nd took hold of her and be ught her back. The prisoner said he was quite qualitied to take care of her himself. My hnsband then went to bed. About half an hour after, I bevel, from another room, Megee going to take his wife out. I went into the kitch n. The prisoner was trailing his wife. He held her by the hair, and dal led her head upon the flagged floor. He then took her by the right hand, and trailed her outside. I shut the deer after them: I went up stairs about leaf an hour afterward!, 'and looked out of a bay window upon the road in front. Megan's wire was oa the g ound. Megee was kickin,e her; he did so several times ; she cried to him to give over. I vent to my husband. On returning to the window, the orisoner had remoosd his wife further down the road Site was lying on the ground: Wheu the prisoner went out he had had drink, but did not appear to be drunk. The deceased was very drunk. Robert Weathereurn, husband of the lets witness, sated that he told w .en he was taking his wife out of the house, that she was so drum she was not fit to 'e o. Witness brought her back into the kitchen, and the prisoner retut ned into he same room. When witness looked out of the window, the deceased was lying below the window ; the prisoner was pressing her to get up. She sai she woull n't He then - trailed her aline the turnpike ab :ut ten yards. Next morning, he found a quantity of blood a, hair on the ternpik road. There was a good deal of rain that night. Another witness corroborated the two witnesses. Mary Ann Megoe, the prisons 's danzhter, said : My mother was 53 years of age. My brother Thomas, my sister Slizebeth. and myself, were living with me father and mother at Waldridge Fell in August last. Pe arrived home alone about ten minutes past four o'clock in the morning of of 015 9th of Anzust. Ile appeared to know what he was about though he bed had drink. Elizabeth was in bed, a•d he told her to go to the litt'e house betide flasworth, where my mother was lying. I knew the place he meant. There are two roads to Plaswortb, one by the fields and the other by the lane. Thomas w:nt by the fields, and I west with my sister by the lane. There is a blacksmith's :shop on the read, before coming to the Fed Lion Inn. When we got to the blacksmith's shop, we met my brother resting with my mot ter. I think she wait alive at that time. She did not speak. My sister Flizaeeth spoke to her, but she gave no Forever. My sister and me assisted Thomas in telling, my mother home. We c ,rried her easefully. and arrived home between five and six o'cleck, Elizabeeh laleeee"corroboetted the last witness, an her boo her, Thomas Megee, spoke to finding his mother or the real. Robert Clauaham proves the Ilndiez come hair and a bsinnet ribbon on the road. Henry Smith also spoke to finding a la-ge quantity of hair. Pole:a-constable Ellison aeprabendoe the prisoner. and produced the clethes he wore that night. The shirt was bloody on the right arm and breast. W. It. :-heist', surgeon, said, on the 9th August he footed tha deceased dca I is bad with part of ter clothes on. The back part of her flannel j eltrt was staned with blind abeu' the neck. I exam ned the b.ely at Viet time. 'There were several marks of discoloration of the skin on ho h the 'ocs and arms. The mares on the write' were the largest The sin on the Lee was abraided, and part'c es of mud were adhering to she brolasn skin. Tee alorasien was about the 4Z3 of a crown. On the left eye-brow there was a contueed cut ab .us half an inch in ex .e t. Oa the other eye, there were twt cuts of the same bind. about the elm, in extent. They were severe, and passed down to the one. There was cons'derable swelling on tee left temple. The head and the scalp were very much hr. iced. The scalp was torn from the eked', commencing at t e back east, about an inch from the nape of the neck. ('sensation.) At the commencement the torn part was three inch - s broad,. The sale was then torn forw -rd, to the fore he id. The length of the free portion of the scalp was ten inches. Upon this loose porti n of the scalp were three wounds, cutting through to the bore 'I here was no injury to the bo- e below. On the right tide of the head were two other contused wounds, one going down to the bone. The remaning p ire of the scalp was 100-e, and whetted the finger being passed between the skull and the scalp. There were two or three place where the hair had eon torn off The scalp is not easily removed from the skull. In this CSS3 a con eiderab e amount of violence hat been used to ramose it. The next day I made a post mirtem examination of the 13 sly. 01 the left s:de of the sseull, corresponding with a swelling, the temporal muscle was in a gelatinous state, and contained a quantity of effused blood. Tke mnsc'eo also passing from the nape of the neck up to the head were very muds braised, and co tamed effaced blood. I then removed the skull. The membranes covering t• e ]Train were eonge-ted, and the b - ain itself with the exeeptio t of that peculiarity, was healthy. Nothing particular was found in othes parts of the body. In my opinion, the cause of death was severe injects to the, head. In my jnelg ment, the injuries were sufficient to cause death. In the state the scalp w us, draggi"g the body by the hair of the head would be very likely to tear the scalp from the skull. Tke toe of a shoe would be very likely to produce the wounds over the eyes. There were other wounds which might have been prodnced by kicking. The swaging on the left tide of the head might have been produced by lifting it up and dashing it on a stone floor. C ross• mut nined I don't aorib it' death to congestion of the brain, but to the shock to the nervous system. Congestion of the brain some times causes death, and, no doubt, was nine element in this case. Violent intoxicie ion will produce congestion of the brain. A heavy tall, backward. by a person intoxicated, might cause death. Mr. Hudson, surgeon, was also examined. Mr. Liedeli then addressed the jury at considerable length. poin'iog out that there was ne motive for the prisoner to kill his wife, that there were s veral hours unaccounted for by the evidence, and suggesting that the wife's injuries had been cancel by her falls and tumbles, whilst her drunken hu -band was endeavouring to get her home. His Lordship having summed up, the jury retanad a verdict of -` Manslaughter; and the prig :ner was sentenced to twenty years' penal servitude. DESTRUCTION OF FARM BUILDINGS AND STOCK BY FIRE, NEAR PRESTON. During the night of Sunday the barn, shippons, and stables of the farm called Blash us. i t Penwartham, three miles ,on the road to Liverpool from Preston, and occupied by Mre. Breakell, eerier the trustees of the late Colonel Raw.to•ne were totally destroyed by fire. The first intimation of the disaster wee, the failirg in of the roof of the barn about ten o'clock; which awoke oae of Mrs. preakell's sons, who imineoiately race to a.certain the cense of tins noise, ard found the barn a mere shell, awl the whole of the other outbuildings in flames. He alarmed the rest of the family, and Mrs. Breakoil, in au ;Tony of fright, ran across some fields in her night dress to Itep:ise the residents et another farm of the calamity. Previous to th • fereily retiring to test, there was not the slig'ite•t smell or sign of fire. Tidings of the mishap wore conveyed to the fire brigade station, in Preston, and Mr. Marriott, the superintendent. and a body of firemen. hastened to the farm, which they reached abent half east eleven o'clock. with one eneine. But there was a great scarcity of water in the neighbourhood, and the firemen, after e•iiwying two ponds, • had recourse is a sillies near the premises, and succeeded in getting the flames well under about two o'clock the next morning. AU the outbuildings and most of their contents were utterly destroyed, iecluding the stele of hav and wheat in the barn, aed four fine calving caws in ens of the shippons. There - were fifteen cows upon the premises. but eleven of them were fortunately Out that night. Tee shrieks and moans of the unfortemate animals, which were being literally nested alive, were pit ous, and very great but unsuccessful efforts were made to• save them. • All the tools and aericultaral implements contained in the buildings burnt down were of coarse destroyed. "1 ferni•ure in the house, which adjoined the outbuildings, was xemoved during the regress of the fire, but, through the timely arrive' of the firemen, and the judicious direction given to t elr labours, the homestead escaped without a ,y further damage than the slight scorching of one of the gables, and a small portion of the 100 f. The firemen continued to play upon the ruins till nearly twe ve o'clock on Monday. With respect to tkie origin of the fire, nothing prnisely is known; but as there were some retcetch-re in the barn ,on eueday evening, aid as they asked for a lantern to Icok for e ferret they had lost, it in suspected that they dropped a spark from the cantle anion{ the hay, and that it stir , u'd-red until after the family retired to res•. We are informed that Mrs. Breakell is not iipured. The full extent of her lost has not yet been ascer feriae, but it must be very considerable. DARING ATTEMPT AT BURGLARY IN WORCESTERSHIRE. On Thursday night laat a very audacious attempt was made by a gang of, it is believed, five desperate fellows to break int the resi dence of the Misses Ande-ton, Belle Walk, Moseley. Fortunately, however, it was unsuccessful, and through the gallant exert ons of Hawkes, followed np by the activity of two other officers in the same force of the Worcester constabulary, two of the thieves were appre hended, and are new awai in 4 their trial. Their names are Thomas Smith and James Pettifer, and they describe themselves as boatmen. The particulara-of the occurrence were detailed before two magis- Arates for the County of Worcester, at Balsall Heath, on Saturday. The principal witness was, of course, police constable Hawkes, who Witted that about a quarter-past one o'clock on Friday morning, whilst on duty at Mosely Wake Green, he passed the hack of the Misses Anderton's house, and as he was doing so heard a noise resembling that of a door being tried. He went ncross the road towards the garden, sod wood in the ahwiew of a wall to listen, and had not been there more than a few seconds when the garden door was wrenched opon, and a man cautiously mode his appearance. Ho looked irouud him to see that ull was clea-, and thin observed, "Now then. co ae on ; it', all right." Elawkes stepped from his concealment, and turned his light full upon the man, whom he now pesitively identified as the prisoner Smith. Smith immediately turned back across the garden, closely followed by Hawkes, but the letter had not gone many yards when he heard footsteps behind him, and on 100 ing round he perceived another fellow c ose behind him in the net of raising a fomaidable bludg on to gra.: him. The blow, which he had not time to avoid or resist, deec.eid d heavily upon him, and h- was fellcd to the ground. This person was about such another person in appearance as the prisoner Pettifer, but be could not swear it was the same. He speedily recovered himself, and the men having in the meanwhile escaped, he called up Matthias Yardley, the Misses Anderton's servant man, and started off with him in pursuit. On the way, he called police constables Lane and Humphries to his assistance, and described 'minutely the personnel of the eepredators. His search, however, was unsuccessful; but about three o'clock Lane, who, in company with Humphries and another officer, had been on the alert, met the pri soners near the Mos2ley toll-gate, walk ng ,t a rapid rate towards eirmingham. From the desetiption given him by Hawkes, he was induced to stop them. and ask where they came from, and what their names were, They said they had come from Worzester, and had gone there with a boa', and paid off there, and received 7s, o' which Smith said he had 6s remaining. I.ane then inquired what places they came through, ar.d they said they could not tell. He then ; eked them the name of tho man who paid them, and they said the; did not know. Smith then said " What's the matter ?" to which Lane replied, "There is something of importance the mutter, and you must go back with me." The prisoners ..id they were willing'to go ; and were taken to Miss Anderton's, ald remained till police. consta' , l6 Hawkes came. Hawke. on se.ieg Smith immediately identified him, and expressed himself morally certain that Pettifer was the one by whom he was assaulted. They were afterwards removed to the lock-up at K ng's Heath, and on being formally charged with attenuating to break into the Misses Anderton's house. they se'd they had never been near the place, and repeated their story . relative to having waked from Worcester. A subsequent esanematicn of the premises and grolendt by daylight resulted in the discovery that one of the panels of the front door had been drilled with a centre bit, 'tut owing to the fact that the back was plated wits iron the plan of effecting, an entrance by these means was prevented. An attempt laud evidently next been made to force the door open by leverage, and failing in this, the rogues had then tried to Hit the sash of one of the winclowe by similar means, but without effect, and they then directed their attention to the garden gate so as to get at the house in a different direction. In the garden a crow-bar, with which, upon examinAion, these operations had clearly been made, and a heady bludgeon, we, e found; andlaot prints were also traced to the garden on comparing the prisoners' boots, with which, under the direction of Superintendent Humphries, they were found unmlstakab'y to :correspond. This being the whole of the evidence a;anst the prisoners, they, in reply to the charge, declared that they were as "innocent as babes unborn." They were then committed for trial at the next sessions,—Birmingham Post. 'UNION WORKHOUSE AT 11IJD5 EESFIZLD —thr Friday, at the fortnightly meeting of the guardians of the Hudders field Union, a letter was read-from the Poor Law Board, asthoriving the guardians to purchasa a site, and erect a suitable workhouse thereon. After some discussion, a resolution was carried, by a majority of 19 to 5, that the workhouse should accommodate a number not exceeding 500, and the cost of land and buildings not exceed Lio,goo, The requisite form was then filled up, and eigaed by the guardians who had voted foethe resolution. LIVERPOOL INSTITUTE. Yesterday evening. at seven o'clock, the half-yeetly rehearsal of vocal music, practised by the pupils of the day schools, took place in the lecture room of the alms Ineti; • tote—Mr. Sem MS in the Chair The collection of pieces sung on the occasion were as follow : - " Glorious Apollo," " Rale Britania,” Smiling Morn," "The Roast Beef," " Alice Brand." "A Friend in Need," " The Gipsies," " Over the Sea," B ee our Oars," "Bonnie Dundee," " The Fairies." It will thus be seen that the pieces were well selected, and it would be too little to say simply they were well executed. Etch song and glee on the programme was sung with great ability, and displayed a proficiency which we were not prepared to find in so young a clams Great credit is due to Mr. Brown for the efficiency of his pupils. In the course of the evening the chairman culled up the following young gentlemen, and preeente 1 them with the medals Awarded by the department of Science and Art : Malcolm Guthrie, who had gained three medals, Edwin Guthrie, James Draper, Robert Evans, Charles B gge. and James Bentham, entitled to two metals, Russell, J. DAapariel. The Chairman said there were else fire ladies who had been awarded meal's from the same department, but they did not wish to have their names published. One of the licli..s was entitled to five mealy two ladies to three medals, and one lady to two medals. This announcement was received with great applause. Mr. Feeney, master cf the drawing department, read au. excellent lecture on the progress and utility of schools of art, after which Professor Wllveen being called upon, came forward and sai 1 , that many of them would remember, that on that platform a distinguished nobleman not long ago eai ', that the advantages of efucation at the present day, were so generally felt and appreciated, that none but a very few, and that an eccentric few, who have their hands always raised against every intellectual improvement, and every boon to be conferred no their fellow-beings, could be found against this universal conviee tion. It was adied, that this few were unchangeable—that to preach to them was in vain. The great victory gained over ignorance and blind p-ejudice through the means or education, was a universal and glorious achievement Its beneficial consequences, in egulating the lives of men, were inestimable Education had now come to the reach of every man. The poor man could now get an ed.:teaks. for himself and his children. Tne means were abundant,. and who would not rejoice b know that the means were not more abundant for the peer man than the rich. Every church, every chapel, evey workheuse, every gaol, every large manufactory, has its avompanving school ; every village has now its literary, scientifie, and medeaniete institutions, with different societies for the advancement of knowledge. Under the roof where he stood, a youth, at a very moderate expense, might fit himself for the learned professions, and a boy might learn to read, write, get a knowledge of arithmetic, and make himself acquainted with all the branches of learning for a single guinea a quarter, and have books and stationery into the bargain. la his (the speaker's) school-boy days, stationery alone cost hies a guinea a quarter. The ancient universities were at last turning round to the people, throwing open their gates, and calling upon all to come in. 'this was hope for the rising generation. But would the people avail themselves of the adventre l' es thus offered Y—that was the all-absorbing question. Would the parents new change their minds and send their children to these fountains of knowle lge, where they might drink abundantly, and gain that knowledge which God designed man t' know and be all the wiser for knowing. He had great confidence in intellectual culture. It was not estimated at half its merits. If our educational industry should languish and die out. England's death would ensue. England could not afford to stand still ; she must go onward, onward, or soon she would fall behind the weakest of the nations. The professor then proceeded at length to point out the importance of Bag land's position in the march of education, in her !tarings relations—her laws, religion, and commerce--and sat down amid loud applause. A vote of thanks was passed to the Principal, to Mr. Feeney, and to Professor M'llveen. To close the m eting. the boys were called upon to sing " God save the Queen," which they did in good style The meeting then separated, after enjoying a very planted evening [We are sorry to have to complain of the want of ace un modation for the reporters. Tne meeting was crowde, and no place being allotted for the representatives of the Press, we are, in consequence, unable to give such a report of the proceedings as we would otherwise have given I THE DIETTRESiED SILK WEAVERS AT NLWFJN ARATH On Tuesday, an amateur concert was given at the Chet-Ito: Mechanics' Institution, in aid of the fund now being raise& for the relief of the unemployed silk weavers at Newtos Heath. There was a numerous and highly relyctable aAience ; and the proceeds, after deducting expanses, amounted to upwards of £34, which has been handed °sec to the committee for dis:ribation. The amateurs donsistedl bf"two young ladies, who had taken great interest in the condition of the silk weavers, and three gentlemen. Messrs. Unger and Meeowernft also gave their clrvicas„ and the concert was altogether most successful. CRILMINE DOOMED.—No toilet has been adopted foe Morning walks and drives about the neighbourhood, bat that so appreciated by the Empress ever since her visit to Queen Victoria, and ca led, by her Imperial Majesty, " Toilette Oaborne," consisting, of course, of the simple Welsh petticoat, reaching only to the ankle, a black pipe looreJ at the side, high boots, black velvet basquine, an& the round flat hat de rigueur. The Emperor is said to be so enchanted with this c)stnme without crinoline, that her Majesty i 3 becoming gradually reconciled to its dismissal from tier wardrobe, and we arc, therefore, led to hope that a return to reason and moderation in the circumference of retticoats, is not so far off as we had imagined.—Paris Correspondence of the Court Journal. STATE OF TRADE AT HALIFAX —The trade of this neigh bourhood is still in a very unsatisfactory state. A ortuirbt ago, we stated that two or three mills had re-comruecced running full time, and since then some others have done the same. But it is by the smaller manufacturers chiefly that this coarse has been adopted. and in some instances the object has been to get all worked up, with a view of sus pending operations entirely for some time after Christmas: It was feared that a large number of workpeople would be thtowu oat of employ, in consequence of the suspensive of payments by S. C. Lister and Co., Wellington Mills, and subsequently by Mr. Taylor, of Hay's Mill (=hose liabilities are reported to be upwards of £20,000) ; bat neither of these establishments have yet ceased working, and it is to be hoped the propietors will not find it necessary to do so, as their " hands," in the present state of trade, would have no chance of ob Ailing work elsewheze. Though many of the large factories are still running short time, and numbers of people are altogether unemployed. the working population of Halifax are much better off than those other districts, and it h s not been found requisite, ac during the last panic which to place, to open soup kitchens or adopt other measures for the relief of the distressed. A. MAN KILLED RY FALLING DOWN A COALPIT &WM. Taylor, coroner, Pontefract, held an inquest ea . Saturday, at the Weavers' Arms, near o,3set , , on the body of Joseph Rushworth, Y:cksmith, 46 ye ors of age. Toes deceavd was ern ,loyed in attending the engine at the Manor Colliery, Oeeett, during the day. Last Tuesday evening Rushworth was relieved at the usual time by Luke Teale, the man who performs night duty. Rushwortie went to Henbury, and, returning between ten and elerma o'clock at night, he went into the coal cabin. At that time he was tipsy. He remained there a fey minutes, when he got ep saying it was too warm for hint there, left the cabla and was not seen again. Oa Friday afternoon last a miner, named Joseph C rappel, went down the pumping shaft oaf the pit to un'oose a rope, which he had made fast to the bottom a week ago, whin he was assiseing •to change Use buckets. When he got about forty yards down the shalt he saw the body of Rushworth suspended by a stay, his head and legs resting on a plank. The body. was mutilated, the legs broken, aid tie jaw bone crashed in. The shaft was only about thirty yards from the caal cabin ; and the deceased being no doubteonfused with the drink he hai, taken, had missed, hit way and had fallen down th.: pit. Verdict,. " Found decd with eALB OF, EARL FITEWILLIAM'S FARMING STOCK.—Oa Satur4sy• last, the sale of the farming stock of Earl Fits wild= (who is declining the farm which for some yeas has bean attached to Wentworth Hous , ), terminated, rea lising about £l,OOO, the whole of the stock fetching high prices, u nder the hammer of M. Tilburn, th e auc ti onee r. Friday's sale was attended by most of the principal breeders of s'ock in the county, and others from distant Parts of the kingdom. The sheep fetched on the average but little above the market price; but, in the case of the shorthorns and stare beasts, exceedingly large prices were theobained, ureA breed being. heifers ing.inmany instances , ver Y seepe rior. p fetched as high as Lit de. The Alderneys in calf realised good round sums; the first put up falling for £23. But this was an extreme figure; Ayr sh ir the e c o g w e s n l calf in qti r o ta e i . be put dawn as £ £l4. fetched £ l9 al ed ay lO3, £l7 10s. and ays fetched from £ll up to £ 22 dinhawanywbatridcsg; soldwhi tle moiricll about the latter figure. The short horns Avers of floe proporti on and g oo d stoc k, fetched a total of realised .about £24 each, and the five ba l ls , whic h £lo2—a sum cansidered by many to be far below their worth. The pigs sold exceedingly well both on Friday and Saturday, and much above the market price. Breeding loves went as high as£lo lO3, and ordinary ones foe roe .third more than the market prices. Such a sale as flit has not been held in this neighbourhood for m&ay years past. fe r) ,er O Jo a e 00' ) t te r " 04 r W e ait ea t ;00'