Northern Times. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-07-16 00:00:00

LANTIC TELEGRAPH. The Right lion. John Stuart Wortley, chairman of the tlantie Telegraph Company, attended a public meeting at lasgow the other day, and made a lengthened statement garding the position of that undertaking. Re 'noticed .e difficulties which had to o be met with in the laying of e first cable, the advantages which had now been gained d the inventions of men of science, and the prospects there were of being able successfully to establish telegraphic communication between Great Britain and America, if the necessary amount of capital were ob tained. In order to enlist the interest and support of all sses, it had been resolved to reduce the amount of shares each, and the gentlemen present were urged to re n the past by making fresh exertions d had 1 into w An arrangement xrantee of 8 per cent was obtained according to certain cified conditions, and the directors had obtained the cordial co-operation of several eminent scientific gentlemen who would form a consulting committee to investigate and advise the directors and responsible officers of the company nent of external form, specific gravity, and electrical construction of the next cable, the laying of which was to be done by contract. Mr. Wortley, after some few introductory remarks, said They were aware that the present direction—more especially since its reconstruction—were not " responsible for any of the errors which might have been committed at the outset of the company. He was not, therefore, about to enter into any explanation or apology with reference to any mistakes which might have been made in the mode in which the company was originally formed, in which officers were engaged, or in the course taken ; but at the same tim( he felt it would be a great injustice to those wh o h a d th e direction of affairs at that time, not difficulties under which they laboured .111, s acau The field on which was one vast and attractive in its extent and character, but it was a field hitherto untrodden and untried ; and so far from its being any reflection on them that they did not succeed in all they undertook, it would have been wonderful and unaccountable if, on the first attempt of such an enterprise, some errors had not been committed. Since Nov. last, however, such a course had been taken as would prevent the recurrence of these errors, and protect the resources of the company from any Waste consequent on ill-adjusted and ill-advised proceedings. With that view they had not proceeded hastily. Some had thought them sleeping at their posts, and that they had not been sufficiently active since the last failure of the cable ; but the number of directors in London who had the power of attending the board was limited, and these had been most assiduous in their attention, and in endeavouring to resuscitate and make prosperous this great company. There were gentlemen even in Glasgow, he dared say, who considered the directors had been too inactive ; but he only begged of them to reflect upon the history of the last 18 months to be cautious of the difficulties which necessarily presented themselves. This great enterprise, though suc cessful up to a certain point, had unequivocally failed ; the Rubhc, mind was depressed, and then came the com mercial depression, enhanced by the alarms of war which broke out • and they had only to look at these facts to see the difficulties they had in endeavouring to come before the public and induce them to assist them. The capital originally subscribed—subscribed more from a public spirit than from any commercial speculation of great prospective advantage---had been spent and exhausted, and beyond a limited sum at their credit the directors had no capital which they could apply to experiments or active operations. During that great depression, it would have been most injudicious to have come forward with any scheme, and endeavoured to raise the necessary capital ; but now that these clouds had passed away, and English commerce had.-shown itself elastic, they flattered themselves that . they came at a time when they had more' chance of enlisting public support to this great undertaking. (Hear, hear.) It was a happy circumstance that they had the news of the present temporary cessation, at all events, of the unhappy war which had broken out in Italy, and with that, and the prospect of ultimate peace which the present suspension of hoitilities afforded, com merce again returned into its natural stream, and British enterprise_ revived and resuscitated, they antici- pated meetin g with greater success now in their endea yours to carry out the work. Besides, if there was any fault in being inactive, they had had the benefit of additional experience. They had seen the operations of other companies more favourable than themselves, and would be able to profit by their success and the means by which they had attained it, as well as by the experience of their shortcomings and failures. They had therefore, now, the advantage of great additional experience, and- they should have less - excuse if they did not proceed now in the right direction. As the organ of the company, he could not but entertain the hope, if sufficient funds were collected; that, according to the predictions of men of science the Convictions of all practical men, and from the knowledge possessed of electricity in 'connection with the laying of submarine cables, this great work, whether done to-day or to-morrow, would be accomplished in a short space of time. Men of scientific ingenuity and practical skill had been applying their minds, since the failure of the cable, not only to account for this occurrence, but also to devise means prevent its nventiOn§ - ter invert 1 submit to the directors ind were still being sub- <lifted, for the purpose of improving every element of their enterprise and affording them safer means of accomplishing without referring to any higher assistance, that they would be more fortunate in respect to the season, and in the selection of a lighter and better cable ; that they would be favoured by the elements and by Providence, and saved from all the injurious strains and accidents attendant on '-st occasion. Another advantage had been that other hinds had been set in a position to start rival com 3, but hitherto without success. They had been to change their plan, and to abandon the route they , ken and adapt others. There were those, whose he did not like to designate, who, having been connected with the company, had done everything they could to thwart and injure them, and had toed to devise the means of setting on foot some new scheme which • lmt vAnthr .;thont success: and though, by the influence of one great organ, publicity, and like credit, had it been given to one of these _ there was reason to believe that, in substance, ch a company did not exist, and if 'the present company could command public confidence to get the necessary capital, the other would have no chance. The directors had not been n designs, N lectful of inquiring into the nature of the other routes proposed. With reference to one of these—which the pretended company' he had refered to spoke of, viz., from Land's End throun'h the Strait of Belle Isle, they had applied to Capt. A. B. Becher, who, judging from what had been said on the subject of the navigation of that strait by that experienced officer, Admiral Bayfield, "thought there )e two opinions amonm naval men, that it could could not oe considered safe there from one day to another, owing co the irregular and rocky character of its bottom, the general curr en t d own f rom t h e northward, through the strait, bringing numerous icebergs, the tides on each shore keeping the ice drifting either way. All this would tend to place a cable in perpetual danger from the ice in motion; and then should it be fixed (which it might be occasionally), the part where it landed would incur the additional risk of being torn away, frozen in it, from the shore, whenever the a pleasant prospect for shareholders ! and more likely to happen. So that, what with ice in ion or fixed, the current, and the tides both ways, the depth varying suddenly from 70 to 20 fathoms, on ice and rocks, the poor cable would have an unquiet and hard bed!" lie urged them to "have nothing to do with it," and added that "if they adopted the Strait of Belle Isle they would regret some clay not having followed his advice." Another route proposed was from John o'Groat's to the shores of Iceland or Greenland, and on this route also they had had the advice of Capt. Becher, who, in a letter which they had received from him, dated at the Admiralty, 23rd June last, said—" I perceive you are for going north about in your present plan. Do you know what you are running against ? I suspect fire and water in the shape of ice. You are aware of the proximity of llecla to the south shore of Iceland, off ,ast there are some rocks (volcanic, I have no at were all but favourable to the yacht FloWers of when my friend, John Barrow, made a trip to that id told us all about the extraordinary geysers of Then, as to ice, you will have enough of it there, " --- ewell, where I can hardly suppose it can be er earnestness to take an electric cable—a lity which I apprehend is rather fitted medium temperature of quietness, and neither be disturbed and bruised by travelling ice, nor armed to an undue temperature by volcanic emissions ch as that which I mentioned to you of the Azores, or hich, I suspect, has affected the Malta and Cagliari cable. D the crows—" Don't go Mere :" You will be do ! I need not tell you how beset are those , lond and Greenland with is for many months there. So, after all, I nest." The opinions of )rities h Ito the same effect. Yet zliblv by person who had been endeavouring, but not successfully, to constitute riva companies. A third route spoken of was by the Azores, but he pointed to the disadvantage of not having a proper knowledge of th e li ne by survey, and stated that they had no notion of departing from the ascertained line, which was the best yet discovered. With regard to a report which had been circulated respecting various important messages sent by the Atlantic Telegraph, that no such messages had been sent, he called atte n ti on t o a correct statement which had been prepared of the number of messages, words, and letters that were transmitted by electricity, between Ireland and New foundland, through the conductor of the Atlantic cable, from the 10th of August to the Ist of September, 1858, `inclusive. From this it appeared that there had been sent from Valentia to Newfoundland 97 messages, containing 1,102 words, containing 6,476 letters ; and from Newfound land to Valentia 269 messages, containing 2,840 words, containing 13,743 letters ; being a total of 366 messages, 3,942 word!,:ai!d 20,219 letters. Among these were the ing the conclusion of the treaty with China, a message • passengers aicer her collision with the Arabia, and two messages for H.M.'s War Office, which latter had effected a very large saving to the revenue of the country. The report that these messages were a mere imposition• was not only scandalous and disgraceful to those who set it on foot, but entirely unfounded. He pro ceeded to notice the difficulty they had felt of raising ad ditional capital, and the result of their applications for assist ance to Government, with whom an arrangement had been provisionally entered into by the directors, the articles of which were as follow :—I. A dividend of 8 per cent per annum, to be guaranteed for 25 years upon such portion of a new capital as shall be called up and expended in esta blishing communication with America, not exceeding in the whole the sum of £600,000 ; this guarantee to commence when the cable has been successfully laid, and to subsist while it is capable of being worked at the rate of one hundred words per hour. 11. A minimum sum of £20,000 per annum to be paid to the company for Government business during the time the new + cable is capable of being efficiently worked as above. 111. The • company to be allowed to spend £20,000 out of the new guaranteed capital in attempts to make the existing cable available for business. IV. If these attempts are successful, the Government will immediately commence to pay a . minimum rent of £14,000 per annum, which rent is to be increased to £20,000 per annum, as above, as soon as the new cable is brought into successful working order. V. The existing arrangement of the company with the Government of the United States is not to be interfered with. Under that arrangement the Atlantic Company will be entitled to a minimum rent of 70,000 dols. per annum for the business of the American Government, so soon as the communication is established with Newfoundland. VI. The Atlantic Tele graph Company are to transfer to her Majesty's Government that portion of their privileges, under their a g reement with the New York, Newfoundland and London Telegraph Com pany, whereby they derive the exclusive right of landing on the shores of Newfoundland cables intended to connect Europe with that country ; but the Government will not grant to any other company or persons any right of landing cables in Newfoundland, so transferred to them, unless the guarantee and contract referred to under Articles I. and 11. shall have proved efficient in raising the requisite capital ; nor until by the instrumentality of such capital, telegraphic communication shall have been established across the At lantic; it being understood that, in case of failure either to raise the capital or to submerge the cable, with such suc cess as to be enabled to work it at the rate of 100 words per hour required by Government, the company shall perma nently revert to its present position in respect to all its pri vileges, includi g its exclusive rights now existing under the agreement with the New York, Newfoundland, and London Telegraph Company." After opposing the hostile idea, to which the currency had been given, that the com pany were to enjoy a monopoly, he pointed to the advan tages which would arise from it being made the interest of Government to help them and protect them from competition, remarking that, if they did not succeed, the right of the company, transferred to the Government, would revert to them as formerly. He mentioned that it was proposed to reconstruct the Board, by which the direction would be made to consist more largely of gentlemen resident in the vicinity of London. Ther)] were two vacancies in the direction, and he was happy that they were to be filled by two men of distinction in London ; and he was gratified to be able to mention that Mr. Dalg,lish, M.P. for the city, was to be a member of the Board, who, no doubt, would enjoy the confidence of his fellow-citizens, and be a valuable acquisi tion to the number of directors. With the view of enlisting the sympathy and interest of all classes, it had been re- were appointed, among whom were Latimer Clark, C.E., as engineer, and Mr. C. F. 'Varley as consulting electrician. They had enlisted the feelings of some of the most distin guished scientific men of this country, and succeeded in pro viding a liberal number of gentlemen, who, although unwil ling to be named as officers of the company, had allowed their names to be published as a consulting committee, with whom they would advise as to the preliminary experiments to be made before laying the new cable. This committee consisted of It. Stephenson, M.P. F.R.S., &c. ; Isambard 'K. Brunel, F.R.S. &c.. ; Edwin Clark, C.E. ; G. P. Bidder, C.E. ; John Hawkshaw, C.E. ; James A. Longridge, C.E. ; Professor Wheatstone, F.R.S. ; and Wm. Allen Miller, M.D., F.R.S. Professor Wm. Thomson, whose name was so emi- wise consented, on retiring from the direction, not to sepa rate from them, but to accept at their hands the position of honorary consulting electrician : but, though honorary, his zeal was so well known that they were sure to have the full benefit of all the assistance he was so well able to give. (Applause.) Suppose £300,000 were raised by these £5 shares, they would proceed to obtain and lay the cable ; or, if the sum raised was smaller, a skilful and properly organ ised effort would be made for the restoration of the existing cable., Application had been made to the Admiralty, and they expected to obtain the assistance of three of 11.111.'s ships which were lying at St. John's watching some nego tiations with regard to the Newfoundland Fisheries. The next thing would be to lay the new cable; and in this instance they would not commit the error of endeavouring to lay the cable themselves, but have it done by contract. There had been a proposal on the part of the directors to obtain a policy of insurance to cover the risk of submersion. Mr. Wortley, after referring to the benefits which might be expected from the improveinents being made in recording instruments, concluded by remarking that the speculation, though no doubt hazardous, was one which might be enor mously profitable. Already in London they had been successful in enlisting the assistance of some of the most distinguished merchants anti °au Kers, mitt ne ulguu ueou gentlemen in Glasgow to take a high view of the enterprise, and support the directors of the company,' not only by their approval, but by endeavouring to redeem the past by fresh exertions. WEST INDIA IMMIGRATION.—A great meeting on West India immigration was held in the London Tavern, on Wed- nesday night. Lord Brougham appropriately occupied the chair • and the meeting was attended by many well-known members of the anti-slavery party. MEDITTERANEAN , EXTENSION TELEGRAPH pany nas given orders for the manufacture of a strong sub marine cable of 60 miles in length, with one wire, at a cost of £12,000, for the service between Malta and Sicily. It will probably be laid in the first week of September. FRENCII MILITARY. -As I walked through the pie turesiue streets towards the river, I observed that several groups were converging towards one point. To this I directed my course too, and after crossing a bridge near the gate of Stereograph, No. 63, and ascending a number of terrace-grounds called, I believe, the Garenne or Warren, where the 57th R eg i ment of, the line was going through its evolutions before the general of the district, who was staying at the same hotel as I. After manoeuvring for some time, the men piled arms and fell out of the ranks, when the band played some opera airs in a style of which we, in England, can form no con ception. It was in the most perfect tune and time, and so light and graceful, I was quite enchanted. I observed, too, that the officers and men treated each other with much more familiarity than is permitted in our army. They lighted their cigars and pipes, as the case might be, and formed groups close to each other, talking and laughing without the slightest restraint. This arises, partly, no doubt, from the peculiarities of national character, but partly also from the different modes of raising the army in the two nations. Where men are obtained by voluntary recruiting none but the very lowest will enlist ; whereas the conscription seizes impartially upon all classes, and many a poor gentleman finds himself obliged to shoulder a _musket, with a tolerable prosp ec t, however, of obtaining a commission after a reason able time. There is not, therefore, in the French service that almost impassable gulf which separates the officers from the men in ours. As far as the army itself is concerned, it makes the profession of a soldier popular among a higher class than with us. But it would be an evil day, Mdeed, for England when war and a standing army came to be con ‘,Z - naffed a means to an end; with the F;ench it is the end itself. Military glory and the foolish pomp and parade of war, are dear to the people's souls ; and for these mis chievous toys they sacrifice *rational liberty.—" Jephson's Brittany." NORTHERN DAILY TIMES. A BRETON PARSONAGE At about half-past three I arrived at the bourg or village of Lauleff, and wa s di sa pp o i n t e d - t o see a star i ng new churc h crowning the gentle eminence on which the town stands. I enquired for the Temple, as it is called, but the peasants could not speak French. While I was in this dilemma, my eye fell upon a picturesque thatched cottage, covered with vines and enclosed within a garden wall. It was the pres bytere, or parsonage. " Shall I knock at the gate ? No ; the parson is probably bigoted and narrow-minded, ignorant of everything but crabbed school divinity and casuistry. Besides, what should I think if a Frenchman, travelling with a knapsack at his back, were to knock at my Essex parsonage ? lam afraid I should look rather suspiciously at him. But it is half-past three. There is no inn, and I have walked about 15 miles without tasting anything but my cup of coffee at eight this morning. The parson may possibly be a good fellow after all. I will e'en chance it." So I knocked at the gate. It was opened for me by a hag, who, on my asking for M. Pabbe, ushered me through a mtgarden into the kitchen. At first I was prey,— _,,vented from seeing anything by the clouds of tobacco smoke which filled the upper air. But presently, as my eyes became ac customed to the reeky atmosphere, I distinguished M. l'abbe himself, seated on the table, smoking his afternoon pipe. He was a short, stout man, of about fifty, dresses in cassocks, bands, and cocked hat, and as I looked at his good-natured face, I augured well for my reception. After we had taken off our hats to each other in due form, I opened my mission. I was a tourist, come to see the celebrated. Temple Church., which I had heard was in his parish, and I should feel obliged if he would kindly give me some information re specting it, or any other curiosity in his neighbourhood. He did not, naturally, seem very communicative at first, but after talking about antiquities in general, in which he seemed to feel some interest, and offering me a pinch of snuff, he went up stairs to his study for a book upon the subject ; and then I perceived, for the first time, that he wore sabots or wooden shoes. I had heard of "a poet en pan toufles," but never of an " abbe en sabots." On his return with the book, he excused himself for not offering me re freshments on the plea that he had dined, and that he; in company with twenty of his parishioners, were going that night to St. Brieux, to present an address to the Eniperor. This was sorry news for me, but I was obliged to make the best of it, and we walked out together to visit the Temple. —" Jephson's Brittany." SIR JOHN LAWRENCE ON THE COLONI SATION AND SETTLEMENT OF INDIA. On Tuesday, before the parliamentary committee e on this subject, Sir John Lawrence, G.C.8., was examined :—He had served 27 years in India. With respect to the moral character and habits of the native Hindoos and Mahome tans, and the general administration of justice, he believed perjury to be one of the main hindrances to the due admi nistration of justice in that country. He did not believe that perjury was a" universal vice of the natives, but if a man was their enemy they would not hesitate to commit it against him. He considered their religion to be one of the greatest stumbling-blocks to the improvement of the popu lation. He did not think that caste interfered with the administration of justice. He would no t i gnore cas t ei . or or ask a man to do a thing that was offensive to him. He would not take a man as a recruit without any regard what ever to caste. He would regulate caste in a politic way, so as not to have a regiment all Hindoos or all Mahometans. Religious mendicancy had very much decreased of late years. Some of the - native judges were well acquainted with the English language, and spoke it very well. With regard to the settling of Europeans in India, he adviied ad vances of capital in the production of cotton and other articles. If -Europeons cultivated cotton or sugar they would not be likely to have their crops injured by the na tives. He thought the secret of managing the natives was to treat them kindly. He thought a wide-spread knowledge of the English language in India would be a very great ad vantage, but he would not at first make it absolutely the language of the government. He did not consider that the success of schools, especially missionary schools, had kept pace with what was expected from them. They were dis tasteful where the parents wished to have their children employed, in labour instead of being at school. He did not think we could get a thoroughly trust-worthy body o f m e n in India to conuct the administration of justice without professors of the Christian religion, although he knew many honourable exceptions to that as a general rule. He did not know that the Mahometan religion forbids lying, but he knew that a Mahometan could justify murder. If this country were conquered by the Mahometans, he should object to the introduction of the Koran into schools, nor would he make it compulsory on the natives of India to read the English Bible - or religious books, though he be lieved, if the Bible were introduced into missionary schools, some of the natives would take it up of their own accord. With respect to the Punjaub, it was not represented in the legislative council, and the people did not desire that it should be. He agreed that the legislative council ought to be either abolished or considerably enlarged. MR. COBDEN, M.P., ON THE ILLINOIS CENTRAL RAILWAYS. The following observations by Mr. R. Cobden, M.P., , on the affairs of this company, will no doubt be acceptable to the English shareholders :—" I paid two visits to Illinois, had free access to every department of the land-office and the railway, travelled over every mile of the line by daylight, and made several excursions into the interior among the farmers. The railway appeared to me to be under the management of competent and trustworthy persons ; but I have had no practical experience in railroad matters, and therefore my judgment could add little weight to what has been said by others. I was told there is rolling stock ready for double t,he present traffic, and Captain 31‘Clellan, the vice-- president, was looking forward to the result of the present harvest, and to the opening of the through line of railroad to New Orleans, for a large increase in the earnings during the ensuing autumn. I have no doubt that in a few months his expectatiolas will be realised, but in the meantime it would be useless to speculate on the matter. My attention was directed principally to the land department, which constitutes the peculiar feature and the chief value of the undertaking. The company had a grant of about 2,600,000 acres of land, bordering on the railroad, of which nearly one-half has been sold on credit to immigrants; and the most important question for the shareholders is—will this land be paid. for ? On inquiry, I found that the settlers amounted in number to 10,000, and that their average pur chases were about 120 acres each. Being the first comers' their farms were, of course, near to the railroad and the stations. This circumstance, together with the improve ments which had taken place such as the breaking up and fencing the land, and the erection of houses or other buildings-had certainly added 50 per cent. to their value. There seemed, therefore, to be no reasonable motive for quitting the land. On looking over the correspondence in the land-office during the past year—which has been at period of great suffering in Illinois and the whole of the north-west of the United States and Canada, owing to 4 calamitous failure in the crops in 1858—I found that the settlers, almost to a man, expressed anxiety to remain on their land ; and, while asking, as they did in the great ma jority of cases, for an extension of credit, they iromised - fulfil their engagements after they had gathered. in the en= suing harvest. On inquiring from those who had the greatest experience in selling land in Illinois, I found them unanimously of opinion that the company's land *ould he paid for.. Not so much importance seemed attached to the punctual payment of promissory notes given for land as to the regular discharge of the interest ; iiiueresL, ,vile the most essential condition of all was that the purchasers should be occupying and improving the land, which, under such circumstances, was estimated to double in value in five years. I may add that it was the deliberate opinion of the gentlemen at the head of the land depart ment in Chicago, that not three per cent.. of the company's settlers would throw up and abandon their purchases. The only question, then, remaining w as whether these farmers, who were generally men of small capital, would have it in their power to pay for their farms? The terms on which they were purchased allowed five years for payment, in instalments of 20 per cent. I was told that upon soil so rich as to require no manure for many years, and where no outlay of capital or labour w as necessary for clearing the forest or removing any other obstruction from the service, it was easy, with ordinary seasons, for the farmer to raise enough produce to pay for his farm in five years. The greater part of the western lands had, I found, been purchased out of the proceeds of the labour of the immi g rants, who had . generally .started with very littl e capital. The result of my inquiries was that I came away satisfied. Ent", with the ability of the company's settlers to pay for ther land. It is not easy for an Englishman to "realise excepting from th e evidence of his senses, the nature and extent of the prai r i e Isoil of Illinois. For hundreds o f miles you pass over a slightly undulating surface without seeing a hill, or rock 7 VL ravine, or an acre of ba rren or broken ground to obstruct the progyess of the plough. After examining the landed property of the company, I came to the conclusion that although the cost of the railroad will, including loss of in! terest, exceed the first estimate by 50 per cent, the land will surpass the value originally put upon it to a still greater extent, and will, if judiciously managed, ultimately defray the whole expense of the railway."—TimEs. HORRIBLE MURDER IN PITTSBURGH A WOMAN KILLED BY A JEALOUS HUSBAND-HER PARAMOUR Shortly after nine o'clock last night a murder of an exceedingly cold-blooded and atrocious character was per petrated on Second-street, near the end of the new Bir mingham bridge, in the Eighth Ward. The victim was the well-known Mary Delany, and her murderer Richard Jones, Constable of the Sixth Ward, her, husband. The greater part of the hair had been torn from the head of the unfor tunate woman, while her body was literally hacked to pieces, and her entire Clothing deeply saturated with blood. One of her fingers had been, shot off, and there was a horrible gash on her skull under the left ear, which pene trated to the brain. The face and breast were covered with clotted blood, and the whole appearance of the corpse indi cative of a long and determined struggle. It appears that shortly after nine o'clock, while the Alderman was engaged in taking bail in a larceny case before him, Jones rushed into the house, and, approaching the magistrate, exclaimed in a rather excited tone of voice, " I've killed her." The Alderman astonished, inquired, "Who ?" to which Jones replied "Mary. I killed them both. I caught thein in the a& A the Birmingham bridge." The Alderm u an still at a loss whether to believe the man or not, told him to sit down and he would attend to the matter in a moment. The latter did so, and presently a messenger entered the office and informed e Alderman that a woman had been murdered near the end of the Birmingham bridge, and that from the appearance of the body it was believed that it was that of Mary Delany. This convinced the magis trate that the statement of Jones was no idle story, and he both promptly and properly committed him for further hearing on Monday. On his way to gaol he was about giving the Alderman a full and candid history of the transaction, when the letter cautioned him how he made statements which might afterwards be used in evi dence against him. The prisoner took the hint at once, and has not since, as we could learn, referred to the mur der. His version of the affair, summed up in a few words, is this : He states that he went home on Friday night and found his wife absent. lie had good reason for suspecting that 'she had returned to her old practices, and was cohabit ing with other men, and, believing that she was engaged in an intrigue of this kind, he resolved to find her out and punish her. With this view, and tilled with a thirst for vengeance, if not for blood, he traced the deceased to the scene of the murder, where he alleges he " caught her in the act" with another man. He shot them both, and afterwards attacked them with a knife. The woman was butchered almost on the spot, but what became her para mour, if indeed there was a paramour, he was unable to say, nor has he yet been discovered. If a man sought the life of another, and had liven him the privilege of selecting a place for the perpetration of the crime, he could scarcely fix upon a spot better adapted for so terrible a deed than that where Mary Delany lost her life. There are no houses in. the immediate vicinity, and save, the few who cross the bridge, at this late hour, the chances. are small that a person determined to commit a murder there would meet with anything to intercept the execution of his designs. And the murder once committed,. it was the easiest matter possible to dispose of the body afterwards. The road rims along by the river, from which it is but a few yards distant, and it would be but the work of a moment to pitch it over the bluff into the waters below. But as there seems to have been no desire in the case before us either to keep the matter a secret, or avoid the responsibility of. the act, it is un necessary to dwell on this part of the subject further. Near the place where the body lay, two pistols were picked up, a crooked comb, several bunches of hair, and an um brella. The latter was covered with blood stains, and belonged either to the murdered woman or her paramour. They were found last night. This morning a further in spection of the ground was made, and a hat discovered, which bore unmistakable evidence of the narrow escape which the head that filled it had from being a recepticle for a bullet. This hat, it is supposed, belonged to the murdered woman's paramour, of whom 'something further will be found in another paragraph. It is in the hands of the police, and is said to belong to Charles Metz, a Birmingham butcher, and the party who, it is stated, was with the deceased when surprised by her husband. There are few of our citizens who have not, through the police reports or otherwise, heard of Mary Delany. Her father was an Irish labourer, and, having early . neglected her moral training—an omission of which but too many fathers are guilty—she became a prostitute at a tender age, and one of the most notorious of her class in the city. At one time she kept a house on Washington-street, and sub sequently on Prospect-street, where we believe Jones, steeped though she was in guilt and sin, made her his wife. Here, on the 9th of April, 1853, she murdered a man named Jacob Shaw, by ripping his bowels out. She was tried for the crime, and, instead of expiating her offence on the gallows, she got off with the lenient sentence of two years and six months imprisonment in the penitentiary. After her "discharge she seemed to lead a better life, and Jones, fearful of his life if he acted otherwise, took up with her as befora. They have had two or three serious quarrels since, in one of which she attempted to take his life.' We have often heard it stated that he stood' in the deepest fear of her, and that but for this he would long since have broken off all connection with her. The parties had one child, a boy, who is still living, and is acknowl edged by the prisoner as his son. The murdered woman's mother is also alive, and residing in this city. She was a woman of singular beauty, and even in death her face bore unmistakable traces of what she had. once. been. She wds, however, a perfect tigress in disposition, and possessed of courage of the most indomitable character. This, added to the fact that she usually went armed, led her to be feared by many, and by none more so than her husband. Jones, like hts victim, has been rather too often before the public to render it necessary for us to refer at any great length to his career. - Though belonging to a most respect able family, he became early asseciated with abandoned characters,. and for years led a reckless and abandoned life, shunned by, his friends and avoided by all but his evil asso ciates. In 1857, however, with an energy and resolution rarely witnessed, he cutloose from his old companions, and• entered on an entirely new career. He was selected Cons table of the Sixth Ward, and so satisfactorily did he dis charge the duties of the office that he was reelected in 1858 to the same position. In fact, apart from his association with the deceased, which he declared , himself anxious but afraid to terminate, he was altogetheva.reformed man, and as an officer he was. among the best in the city. H e is a man of great nerve and coolness, yet under the eye of his wife he was almost as helpless as a child. He is about -30 years of age, and has numerous relatives residing in and: about, the city. He takes the matter very coolly, and does not seem at all to regret what he has- done. We have a card, purporting to come from Mr. Met; in which he denounces. the report that , he has been guilty - of adultry with Mary Delaney as false in the most positive terms. He says that he will be forthcoming in the proper time, but for the present he feels it sufficient to give a flat contradiction to the reports in circulation respecting :him. tie rurtnermore states tnat ne is uninjured, but in such vague terms that it looks as if this latter assertion might not be open to doubt. . - A HOTEL IX BRITTANY.—The village of Carlin is a small place, but the little inn, dignified by the name of the ommerce, lean anc the fare gooi rather tired and not very well, Mad.seeing that the hostess was a nice motherly-looking woman, I called her into my counsels as to what I should have for supper. She im mediately suggested a soupe au *lait, the very thing for• a weary traveller who feels faint ands yet cannot eat; and I found that, as the French say, " I/appetit vient en man geant." I mention this as a hint, which may be useful to travellers. But the. Widow Gildas, for such, as I afterwards. learned, was my hostess's name,--thought that a little con versation might also be of use to me, after setting down; the dessert, began to let me into some of her personal history, partly, no dOubt, in expectation, that her confidence would produce a similar disclosure on my part. She was tall and well favoured, with a preCise *mouth, out of which _issued a sweet voice, tuned to the key of gentle and pious resignature. The description of the Prioresse in the Canterbury Tales might have been written for her. She "of hire smyling was full simple and coy ; hire month was smal, and thereto softe and reed." She was also " fill pleasant and amyable of port, and peyned hire to counterfeite there of court, and been estattiche of manere." Through ou t the house there reigned a n a i r o f pi e t y . -1 • ',moments were little 11' ' , tures on altars ; beside the bed was a prie dieu ; anc ,ne the walls were saints wita extracts from pious chansons un derneath. All this' was explained when Madame Gildas told me, on my saying that I had just visited the Chartreuse, that her father had beenamong the .unfortunate Royalists, shot on the Champ des Martyrs, and that her grandmother was one of the most zealous of those who, in the first Re volution, had harboured the persecuted clergy, and. arranged the midnight meetings on the ocean, when the people, like the early Christians in the Catacombs, worshipped. God with death and torture staring them in the face. It was in these bays and creeks, and which I had passed in the morning, that, when the ministers of religion were hunted down, when not even a barn was to be found in which it was safe to. worship God, when French soldiers occupied, every village, and no clergyman might invoke a blessing on the union of the bride and bridegroom, or admit the newly-born infant into ake fellowship of Christ's religion, the zeal of the. people and their clergy bade defiance to, the iniquitous, tn,w of the State.., —(g jeolison's Brittany." FATAL ORANGE RIOT IN SCOTLAND. A Paisley correspondent furnishes us with the particulars of a serious riot in the neighbourhood of Paisley, between the Orangemen and the Catholics, on the 12th of July. He says :—" As early as 6 i n th e morn i ng, t h e l o d ge mus tered in the High Street, to the . number of four or five hundred, among whom were a considerable number of women,, and headed by a band of music ; they proceeded to parade the town. Ultimately they directed their steps to Johnstone, and on reaching Millarston, which is close to the parliamentary boundary of Paisley, they were attacked by a body of miners. Some of their musical instruments were damaged, and severe wounds on the head and other parts of the body were given and received by both parties— one of the miners assailing the Orangemen had his hand severely cut with a sword. Ultimately the miners drew off, and the Orangemen proceeded to John stone.. Here in the square they waited some time, and had some refreshment, and again started on their route, proceeding to Quarrelton, and from thence by the .Milliken Park station, on the South Western Railway, till they joined the Kilbarchan and Johnstone -road. Here they turned buck, and again rested for a time in Johnstone. Shortly after 12 o'clock, they left Johnstone and proceeded to Linwood, by the Deafhillock Toll, reaching the latter place shortly before 1 o'clock. Here the Linwood lodge broke off from the procession, and the Paisley and Johnstone Lodges proceeded on the road to Paisley, with the intention of separating at the West Toll. On reaching the bridge over the Block Cart, at the south end of the village, they found their further progress opposed by, two'or three hundred miners, who, so soon as they made their appearance, attacked them with stones and bludgeons. The procession was driven back into the village in disorder, but, after a short delay, they induced four or five of the county police to accompany them again to the bridge, which they a g ain essayed to cross. A desperate e ncoun t er th en ensued, in which firearms and knives were freely used, in addition to less dangerous weapons, such as bludgeons, paling stobs, '&e. A continued succession of shots were fired, but apparently the greater number of them were dis charged at too great a distance to do much harm. As the struggle continued, the combatants drew close to each other, and a fearful hand-to-hand fight followed, the weapons used being chiefly clasp knives and bludgeons. We are assured by .a spectator that the scene was most fearful, the combatants apparently being animated against each other with a most savage and deadly hatred. Ulti mately, after the strugle had lasted for about three quarters of an hour, the Catholic party gave way, and fled alonc , the road leading to Inkermann. Two or three, who dropped behind were very severely handled by the infuriated Orangemen ; and, indeed, in one case in particular, but for the energetic interference of the police, it is questionable if the unfortunate man would not have been murdered. He was pointed out as one who had taken a most prominent part in the melee. After he was in custody, two pistol shots were fired at him. After the affray was over the combatants presented a horrid spectacle. On the middle of the road, where the fight had been hottest, lay extended the dead body of a strong muscular man, apparently about forty years of age. His skull had been severely fractured, and he was stabbed apparently with a clasp knife in the left breast. The body was conveyed to the village, whither also the more seriously wounded were taken. The procession then re-formed, and, accompanied by all who could walk, pro ceeded to Paisley, which place it reached without molesta tion. The man killed has not been identified, but it is supposed that he belonged to the Catholic party. FURTHER PARTICULARS The " North British Mail " of yesterday says :—A great number of both sides must have sustained wounds more or less serious in addition to those that we reported, as several medical men were engaged in dressing the wounds. A little girl from Paisley had a narrow escape from being trampled to death in the melee ; as it was, she had one of her arms broken, and was otherwise bruised. The two prisoners were examined on Wednesday, and committed for further exa miation ; but no other arrests have been made. • THE. BUTTER-STEALER. In the village where I was born, my grandfather kept a provision shop. I was frequently present while he served his customers, and one morning a tramping sort of a custo mer entered, and requested to be served with half an ounce of tobacco, at the same time pulling off his hat, from which he took an old handkerchief and wiped his face, and, in returning the handkerchief, he very dexterously made the acquaintance of a pound of nice fresh butter, lying on a dish close to his elbow, and slipped it into his hat. My grandfather was weighing flour at the time, and this escaped his notice. However, I told him on the sly, and he nodded his head. Although seventy years of age, he was plucky and powerful, and I knew he would be a match for the somewhat sturdy-looking thief ; but, as it turned out, he was disposed to turn it into a joke, and punish the man at the same time. The thief had now the pound of butter between the top of his poll and the crown of his hat, and was preparing to depart. " You seem tired," said grandfather, " come into the house and sit down a bit ?" " No, thank you, I must be toddling forward," said the other. "Oh ! what's your hurry ? come in ; we have no beer on the tap, but we have some rare strong honey-drink," at the same time getting between him and the door, and shoving him, good-naturedly, to a fire big enough to roast a quarter of an o; and fixing a capacious arm-chair in front, and pretty near it, backing that up again with a strong table, then drawing a green moreen curtain (which was a fixture, to keep the draft of the door from the hearth to its full length, and pushing him into the chair. , " Haw canna stop ! haw canna stop !" said the thief. " Nonsense !" said my grand father, as with his eye glistening with roguery, he turned towards my grandmother, and with a sly wink, said, "Fetch this poor fellow a cup of that honey.:drink. my wench." "Haw reeley canna stop," repeated the thief. " Sit still man r sit still, and make yourself comfort able," said his tormentor, as he drew his own chair close up to the despairing butter-stealer, so as effectually to cut off his retreat, and keep him in front of the fire to be roasted, and pretty we l/ basted with butter, too, for the thick curtain behind him made a most excellent substitute for a hastener. " r think I never felt the air so sharp in my life, as it is this Morning," said my pandfather; as he looked slyly at me, to stop me from tittering... " Aaw dunna think it's nee so caud as rt war yesterdee," said the prisoner, as he tried in vain to hitch back his chair. The brown' mug of honey-drink was now placed before hiin, and' my grandfather handed him a pipe and the old leaden tobacco box. "Have a whiff, and keep me company a bit, man,' said he. " 'Thankee," said the thief, " I don't smoke." "What have you bought the 'bacca for then?" inquired my grandfather. "To chew," said he. The fine now began to tell its tale, and the melting butter trickledi down his face and behind his ears, and he made a desperate' effort to back, " Sit still, and warm yourself man ; you needn't be in a hurry," said grandfather. " Haw have to be at Winster by 11 o'clock, and it only wants ten minutes now,"' he replied. " You shan't go till you've had a bit of '+h us, I tell you." "Martha," s? nact a In. dinner mu,. he to the servant, "bring some more coals to the fire, and be quick." The martyr was now roasting beautifully, and fairly browning. He wriggled about like a new-caught snig, his face shone as if just turned out from the rubbing of a French polisher, and in his agony he clasped the _ _ and drank oft the last of the honey-drink. "Rave another mug ; fetch him a drop more, wench," said grandfather. Martha now entered, and dashed a scuttleful of coals on the fire, which roared and crackled, as if ready to devour the now frizzling•thief. " It's no use ; I must be off," said he, at the same time making a disperate effort to force the bar ricade. "You shan't;. I can't part with you till after dinner. Give me your hat,"' said my grandfather,, and without wait ing, he seized it from the man's head. " Oh, what a smell of butter !" said Martha. " Yes," said' my grandfather, " I'll teach him to leave my good butter alo ne i n f uture. Open that door," said he, and, introducing his shoemaker to the thief's tailor, he sent him sharply down the door step, and threw his greasy old tile after him.—" The Re view and Country- Gentleman's Journal," BRADFORD,. WAKEFIELD, AND LEEDS RAILWAY BILL me _mouse Os t,oramons' committee have struck out of this bill the clauses for constructing a tranch line, for making new taaffic arrangements, and for taking fresh running powers ; Leaving the bill as passed by the committee, " con fined to. the rising additional capital for general purposes into stock."---" Leeds Mereur 4 v." 4 - - MR. H, W. WICKHAM, M.P., AND THE BRADFORD in their annual report just issued, express their gratification that Mr; H. W. Wickham, M.P., has, since the last election, became w member of the association. The hon. gentleman had, previously stood alone upon independent gFounds, although he was returned at his first and second elections chiefly by Conservative influence and support, united with that of many influential Conservative Liberals. Such re gistration machinery as the Conservative party had em ployed of late years was worn out in his service, and there being now an end of that organisation, Mr. Wickham has thus, at length, by uniting himself with the Liberal Regis tvation Association, declared, in, effect, that he unites himself again actively with the great Liberal party ; the state of political relations in the borough, as well as the ancient political predilections of family and his own progressive tendencies, having all. coarilmted to this inevitable result. Satuaday, July 16, 1859. ATTEMPTED MURDER AND SUICIDE IN LEEDS On Thursday afternoon, Mrs. Watts, a widow, 75 years of age, and who resided in Westminster Place, Castle-street, West End, Leeds, rushed to the door of a neighbour, named Miss Tutin, with a towel wrapped round her throat, and told her that her throat had just been cut by one of her lodgers, named Abraham Fawcett. As she removed the towel, the blood started out in a stream.. Miss Tutin ,gave the alarm, and the poor old woman was shortly attended by Mr. Nunneley, surgeon, who sewed up the wound. Mrs- Watts was next asked where Fawcett was, and she replied, that he was cutting his own throat just as she rushed out'; of the house. The neighbourhood being at once alarmed Mrs. Watts's house was examined, and Fawcett was found on the floor of the old woman's bedroom, bathed in blood The room had the appearance of a slaughter-house. Front the fragmentary evidence furnished at intervals by Mrs Watts ,and other residents in the house, it would appear that Fawcett, a young man of 35, was employed as cloth dresser at Mr. King's establishment, in North. Halt Lane. He has lodged with Mrs. Watts for nearly twelve years, and was generally supposed to cherish towards her somewhat of the affection of a child. On Monday • last, Mr. King entertained his " hands" to dinner, and since then Fawcett has been drinking. He was "fresh" yester day noon, when he was seen at a public-house. About half-past two o'clock he went to his lodgings, and finding the door fast, entered by the kitchen window. Mrs. Watts had gone to lie down on the bed. The fellow appears to have gone upstairs, and made improper overtures to Mrs. Watts, which she of course resisted. He then seems to have become suddenly maddened ; for he drew his own razor from his pocket and cut the poor old woman's throat She managed to escape from the room, but as she was leav ing it she saw Faivcett attempt his own life. The house where the horrible affair occurred, is one of a row of cottages in the centre of a densely populated manufacturing digtnct. Mrs. Watts was last night in a very dangerous condition. the wound having been re-opened by a fit of coughing, and the bleeding having continued for half an hour before medi cal assistance could be again procured. Fawcett has in flicted a desperate gash on his own throat ; but up to last night he has been asleep, probably from the stnpifying effects of the liquor, almost ever since the occurrence. -Mrs. Watts could scarcely be expected to survive during the night, if the wound again re-opened. The only motive for the attack appears to have been the one given above. MEASUREMENT OF GAS. The licensed victuallers of Manchester and Salford have issued the following circular :—" We beg to call your atten tion to a movement which has been set on foot on the above subject, and to invite your support and co-operation in fur therance of the same. Licensed victuallers are very considerable consumers, and for a length of time much dis satisfaction has prevailed upon the subject of inaccurate registration, but it was only prior to the late dissolution of parliament that, for the first time, Lord Redesdale brought before the House of Lords a bill, with the view of establish ing a fixed legal standard of measurement. ' This bill is again before the House. Your are doubtless aware that it has been customary for the gas companies throughout the kingdom to supply their consumers with the meters, the bulk of which, from their defective construction, renders it im possible for the consumer to ascertain the exact quantity of gas he is consuming, and w hi c h h as frequently led to his being charged in excess of the quantity he has actually con sumed to the extent of 10, 15, 20, and in some cases even as much as 50 per cent. It is, therefore, of great importance to the consumer, that gas as an article of consumption should be brought under subjection to some legalised standard of measure, in the same way as other commodities which are sold by weight or measure. Lord Redesdale's bill is designed to accomplish this object, by requiring all meters to be stamped, and placed under the inspection of the officers ap pointed for the examination of weights and measures, or such other compet en t p erson as may b e appo i nte d . This bill was read a second time in the House of Lords, on Tues day evening, the 12th instant, and it is most desirable that it should be supported by petitions, strongly expressive of public opinion, to be sent into both Houses of Parliament with the least possible delay. We need not say how im portant it is to the•various,corporate bodies, manufacturers, and tradesme n th roug h ou t , th e country t h at i the bill n question should become law. We beg to enclose you a copy of the petitions which are being signed in London, and other places, and when s i gne d, must b e sent to your l oca l repre sentative for :presentation. Trusting to be favoured with your early co-operation as above, we have the honour to be, sir, your faithful and obedient servants, Andrew . Debbie, chairman ; Samuel Ingram, vice-chairman ; George Can delet, secretary. The Government has purchased from Sir Hesketh Fleet wood the North Euston Hotel at Fleetwood, and a consi derable portion of adjoining land. It is. stated to be the intention to convert the hotel into a barracks, and to pro vide in the immeatte neighbourhood land for rifle practice. FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE NORTH-R4ETERN RAILWAY, AT LEEDS.—On Thursday afternoon, air adjourned inquest was held at Leeds, on the body of a carter named Thomas Holmes, aged 60 years, who was accidentally killed by a locomotive engine, on Thursday last, while loading a cart with metal from a track, in the low level yard of the North Eastern Railway, Wellington-street, Leeds.—John Waine, the driver of the engine, said he could have stopped his locomotive in two yards, but he thought he could clear the horse and cart. He was only driving at the rata of about two miles per how.: —Mr. Samuel Hey, surgeon, reported that the cause of death was extreme violence ; such' as might have been occasioned by the concussion in question.—The jury found the following verdict :—" That Thomas Holmes met with his death by accident whilst unloading a truck of pig iron ; but the jury are also of opinion, that if proper accommodation had been afforded by the North-Eastern Railway, for the unloading of the said truck, the accident would not have occurred."" DEATH OF Mn. JOHN ADDISON, COUNT:Y COURT JUDGE.-- We have to record the death of Mr. John Addison, County Court Judge, which took place at his residence in Winckley Square, Preston, about nine o'clock on Thursday morning. 'Mr. Addison first felt unwell in the trains. when proceeding from Preston to hold his weekly Court at Blackburn, on Monday. After his arrival at Blackburn he became worse, and medical aid was obtained ; but, as we stated on Wed nesday, he recovered sufficiently to be conveyed home in the evening. On Tuesday night Mr. Adrlison was thought to be progressing favourably, and was considered to be out of danger. Mr. Addison was appointed Suite, in March, 1847, when the County Courts were first establish e d . H e presi ded over No. 4 circuit, which embraces the. populous dis tricts of Preston, Lancster, Blackburn; Chorley, Garstang, Kirkham, and Poultham. Mr. Addison was a magistrate for the County of Lancaster, and also for the borough of Preston ; he was also Recorder for the .borough of Clitheroe, which office had been previously held by the father.: He has been twice Mayor of Preston, once before the pa ss ing of the M- Rill. in thc, - year when the greal arliamentary contest took place in the borough, and Mr Henry Hunt was rejected. On. that. occasion Mr. Addison received a valuable testimonial. Mr. Addison was a moll liberal patron to the Lancaster and 'Clitheroe Grammar Schools, and also to the Preston Parish elyorpi, uautuot.paintea window, given by him has thrown a gloom over the whole district.—" Guardian." His death Manchester PRESENTATION TO THE CHAIRALA_N OF THE PRESTWICIE BOARD OF G UARDIANS.—On Thursday afternoon, at a full: meeting of the Board of Guardians for the Prestwich Union, held at the Union Offices, Cheetham Hill Road, two addresses were presented to Richard Meadowcroft Whitlow, Esq., chairman of the board, for a number of years,. n. reference to his having recently been placed on the commis sion of the peace for the southern division.of this county Mr. Whitlow occupied his usual post in the chair; and , the Rev. Mr. Hittchinson, one of•the guardians, inn speech com plimentary to Mr. Whitlow, whom he had long known, and highly esteemed, moved the•presentation to him of an,addres from the board. This was seconded by Mr. S. M. niggles, in some appropriate remarks, and the address was pre sented. It stated the Pleasure which the fruardifina had in conveying to him thelr hearty con.gratulations upon the enrolment of his name• amongst the magistracy of the As chairman ot the board. since estabishment, they had enjoyed the 'benefit of his counsel, L and_ his l conduct had been markn rl byl" _ .n..nnea tuna nnirritaely their high appreciation of his services, and' their warmest wishes for his health and welfare.. Another address, signed by all the officers in the union, was moved .111 C nev. it. M., Birch, rector of Prestwich, and chaplain to the union ; and seconded by Mr. Richard Parker, clerk to the guardians, While rejoicing at the honour which was conferred upon Mr. Whitlow, it expressed a hope that it would not lessen his attendance at the meotintra of the guardians, over which he had presided so many years with credit to himself, benefit to the ratepayers, and the entire satisfaction of all connected with the proceedings of the board. Mr. Whitlow responded to the compliments thus paid him in a feeling manner, intimating that the honour s had come upon him without any solicitation, or anticipation on his part, —Mr. Diggles then moved, and Mr. b Waterhou se seconded, the thanks of the meeting to the Rev. Mr. Hutchinson and the Rev. Mr. Birch, for the way in which they had presented the addresses ; and in a shot"; time the routine business of the guardians was proceeded with, ASL CMS APE EUF PEE Thi Day I leave Day, TEL PAL ATL OLI DAI% STR