The Press.
London, England, 1857-02-14 00:00:00

Vrailincial.

THE SEAMEN or HULL have struck for the main-
tenance of the usual rate of wages—namely, for the
East Indies, 3/. ; Mediterranean and West Indies,
31. 10s.; and America and the Baltic, 41. a month.
The shipowners of Hull are attempting a reduction
of 10s. per month.
. _

A PARTY OF SOLDIERS, belonging to Chatham gar-
rison, last Saturday committed a violent attack upon
the postmaster of the town, Mr. Dodd, who interfered
to prevent their illtreating a soldier. Four men
have been Arrested, and the matter has been reported
by Colonel Eden to the Horse Guards.
THE MANCHESTER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE held
their annual meeting on Monday, when Mr. Bazley,
the president, spoke at great length upon the subject

THE PRESS.

of the cotton supply. The supply was unequal to
the demand. We could not expect that the South
American States, which now give five-sixths of the
supply, could further increase their production at the
rate required. Mr. Bazley then proposed, as the
British empire contained more soil fit for cotton
cultivation than any other empire in the world, to
form a great confederation—a cotton league, to
agitate for the encouragement of the growth of
cotton in all capable colonies, especially in the East
Indies, which alone possessed inexhaustible resources
of soil and labour.

ARCHDEACON WILBERFORCE, late Archdeacon of
the East Riding of Yorkshire, died at Albano, four-
teen miles from Rome, on Tuesday, Feb 3, of gastric
fever.

Xab3 anb Valict.

THE CASE OF ALICIA RACE, heard in private before
the Vice-Chancellor this week, has been concluded.
The child is to be restored to the Orphan School
An undertaking being given by the Rev. E. \V. Bicker-
steth and four other parties to clothe, maintain, and educate
the infant, Alicia Race, in a manner suitable to her station,
and to an amount not exceeding 25/. a year. The court
appoint Captain Conolly and J. E. Woodroffe, Esq.,
guardians, if they will undertake the office, of the said
infant ; it' not, refer it to chambers to appoint a fit and
proper guardian. Child to be delivered to the matron of
the Sailors' Orphan School, Hampstead, and to be brought
up in the Protestant faith.

SAWARD AND ANDERSON, charged with the
extensive bank forgeries, were fully committed
for trial on Wednesday by the Lord Mayor.
A CASE FOR A REFORMATORY, not a gaol, came be-
fore the magistrates at Bow-street on Monday. A
boy twelve years of age, one Seiby, and shop boy
to the post-office keeper in Lamb's Con fact-street,
was charged with stealing a registered letter con-
taining money. The robbery was discovered at the
Post-office, and soon traced to the child, in whose
bedroom the money was found, with the exception of
5d., which he accounted for thus :-3d. he had spent
in regaling himself at a coffee-shop, Id. went in
" bull's eyes," and Id. to a street beggar. The child
was ful►y committed.
ANOTHER " Necessaries for an Infant " case oo•
curred at Westminster this week. The action was
brought by " Dolan and Woulfe," tailors in Conduit-
street, against Mr. Propert, surgeon of New Caven-
dish-street, to recover their bill for clothes supplied
to his son to the amount of NM while a student at
Haileybury College in 1854-5. Woulfe, the tailor,
in giving his evidence, described how " business "
was done by a respectable firm :

I furnished all the articles charged in this bill, except
those which were put down as clothes, but really were
money lent and silk furnished. Those items amount to
131. 13s. The first is in December 10, 1855 :—A super-
fine mixed frock coat and velvet collar, 51. 15s. The
defendant had money at several times amounting to 81.
15s. This bill was made out to go to the defendant's father
in this shape at the defendant's request.
The CHIEF BARON : A grosser and more abominable
traud I don't know of. If a tailor lends a youth money
and charges it to his parents as goods sold, that is, in my
opinion, worse than picking a pocket.

Witness continued: The fictitious items amount to
131. 13s. All the rest are for clothes actually supplied.
The CutEr BARON : Are you aware, sir, that if you had
obtained this money from the father you would have been
liable to be transported for fourteen years?
Mr. Woulfe, on cross-examination by Mr. James,
admitted that all London tradesmen are probih,
from entering the college. " I tried it once. I was
not turned out "

Mr. J,►MEs : I suppose, Mr. Woulfe, you then went down
in sheep's clothing. (Loud laughter.)
Cross.examination resumed : I wrote several letters to
the defendant soliciting intreduction to freshmen "at
the college.
The letters were then read to the witness. In one
of these Woulfe announces his intention to visit
Mansfield-house on the 20th of September with all
the " new autumnal patterns" and solicits the intro-
duction of the defendant to the "new corners."
Another thus concluded .

If Mr. Propert can favour him (the plaintiff Woulfe)
with a recommendation to any of the freshmen, Mr.
Woulfe would not be unmindful of the obligation the first
time Mr. Propert needs his assistance.
A third thus concludes :

Mr. Woulfe would not fail to return the compliment
when Mr. Propert is in need of assistance.

The defence was on the plea of infancy, the boy not
being of age till September next. The Lord Chief
Baron in summing up characterised the tailor's loan
transactions as being " dishonest and fraudulent."
The jury at once returned a verdict for the de-
fendant.

MR. EDWARD W. Cox, of the Western Circuit, has
been appointed to the Recorderships of the boroughs
of Falmouth and He!stone, vice Mr. C. Bevan, op.
pointed Judge of the Cornwall County Court.

155

Two UNDERGRADUATES OF CAMBRIDGE, Messrs. Hay-
cock and Fisher, of Clare Hall, a short time since,
thrashed a "gyp " for some improper conduct. The
case was brought before the Borough Court of Pleas
on Monday, when the man was dismissed from the
post, and the undergraluates fined 1301. for the
assault.

Mr. IYEYNCOURT, at Worship-street Police-court,
has this week received a communication from the
secretary of the committee of unemployed workmen
deprecating the street-begging system adopted by
some of the destitute men, but at the same time
protesting strongly against those workhouse regula-
tions which compel the skilled artisan to break
stones in order to earn sixpence a day; and finally
suggesting a national subscription to be appropriated
under magisterial supervision to supply the wants of
such as are deemed worthy of relief. Mr. D'Eyncourt
said he entirely approved of the sensible and tem-
perate sentiments contained in the letter.
BACON AND HIS WIFE were again examined before
Mr. Elliott on Wednesday, and again remanded.
Dr. Taylor, Professor at Guy's, was expected to
have been present to give evidence respecting
the analysis of the contents of the body of Mrs.
Bacon, sen., but he had not then concluded his task.
When the prisoner Bacon was brought out to the
prison van he appeared much more cheerful than on
any previous day. and, the gaoler observing him in
such good spirits, asked him whether he was aware
that the body of his mother had been exhumed and
examined, and he replied that he wa.s " quite well
aware of it." Cook, the gaoler, also asked him
whether he was aware that his wife had confessed
that she bad put arsenic into the broth taken by the
old woman, and that he (Bacon) had subsequently
put more arsenic into her medicine. Bacon's reply
to this was that his wife had stated wrong, for that
he knew nothing about it, and that he should act
under the advice of his solicitor.