The Express.
London, England, 1862-08-14 00:00:00

DISTRESS IN LANCASHIRE.

The Mayor of Birmingham convened a prelimi-
nary meeting of a few of the leading merchants and manu-
facturers yesterday, to take into consideration what steps
should be taken with the view to relieve the distressed
operatives of Lancashire. The result was that a committee
was appointed "to collect such information on all points
connected with the distress of the operatives in the cotton
manufacturing districts as may be useful in stimulating the
inhabitants of Birmingham to contribute liberally and judi-
ciously to their relief." It is understood that Mr. Osage
Dixon. Mr. J. S. Wright, and other gentlemen, will go
down into Lancashire to make inquiries.
Amongst the donations which came to heed yesterday at
the Mansion-house in aid of the Leneashire Operatives
Relief Fund were :—Mr. Alexander Barkley, 1004 ; morn-
ing collection after service at the Weigh-house Chapel,
811. 6s. 2d. ; T. L., 501. ; a foreigner, per Mr. Frederick
Kirschner, 401. ; Messrs. Charles Price and Co, 50/. ;
col-
lected at the parish church and chapel of St. Lawrence,
Westminster. 40/.
The Liverpool subscription in aid of the fund for re-
lief of the unemployed operatives in the cotton manu-
facturing districts continues to be well supported. Up to
the close of business yesterday afternoon the grass sum
subscribed in Liverpool amounted to 28,3381. 4s.

MR. COBDEN AND LORD PALtdERATON. —At the
monthly meeting of the Halifax Parliamentary Reform As.
sociation held on Monday evening last, the following reso-
lution, moved by Mr. W. Nicholson, and seconded by Mr.
Michael Stocks, was unanimously adopted :—" That the
best thanks of the Halifax Parliamentary Reform Asso-
ciation be presented to R. Cobden. Eaq., M.P. for his
reoent masterly exposition of the anti-liberal one.
duct of Lord Palmerston and his government
during the present session of parliament." The fol-
lowing resolution has been unanimously adopted at a
meeting of the United Liberal Association of North-
ampton :—" That this association, sympathising with Mr.
Cobden in the statesmanlike view taken by him respecting
the necessity of fortifying this country against our friendly
allies the Emperor and people of France, and the anneals-
sary and extravagant expenditure indulged in by the go-
vernment., the prompters of the same policy in other direc-
tions, hereby tenders its wannest thanks to him for his able
and independent opposition to the government schemes,
which involve so great an outlay of public mousy for pur-
pones which, after all, are likely to prove abortive ; sod this
association also expresses its high appreciation of the digni-
fied manner in which Mr. Cobden replied to the ungenerous
attacks of Lord Palmerston in the course of the debates on
those questions."
THE ROYDON HALL MURDER. —Toatordity the MX
men in custody—yiu, Joseph Obey, Thomas Stevens,
George Allchin, John Claw)°, alias "Happy Jack of
Sumer," John Hawker, sod Stephen Burgess—were brought
up for re-examination, before Mr. J. Savage, at Town
Mailing, charged with night poaching and the AM mur-
der of James Gray, a gamekeeper in the service of Major
Cooke, of Rovdon Hall. East Peckham. The evidence of
the prisoner Hawked', given at the last examination, was
read over, and he made the following additional statement :
—" I stood next to the man Luck, who shot the keeper.
Luck wore a billycock hat and a shooting jacket. When
Gray (the deceased) came up to us be mid he would
knock our brains oat before we should get away,
One of the men with me said • Stand bark you or I'll
shoot you.' Gray said. 'For God's sake, my good fellows,
don't shoot ; think of the Ooe that's above as. I don't be-
lieve there's a man among you will shoot.' One of our men
said, ' You ain't agoing to bit any of us with that Sail, Mt
you ?' Gray walked round us, and the same man raid,
• Stand back, you aint acoing to boodle e'er a one of us.'"
The witness then identified the lining of a hat which was
found on the spot after the affray as having been
worn as a disguise by the prisoner Stevens. Super-
! intendeet Hulse said that he apprehended the prisoner
Alkhia, who made the following statement :—" On the
night of the 22nd of January last I was at the Magpie,
at East Mailing, when Alfred Burr Luck, the
person now awaiting his trial, came to me and asked
me to go with him to East Peckham. I went oat with
him, and at the top of East Malling.street we were joioed
!by several other men. We all then went to East Peckham,
and on the preserves of Major Cooke, where we shot four
pheasants. We left the wood and went into a meadow
leading to another wood. We were crossing the meadow
when Gray and some other keepers came up to us. Gray
said, 'lf you men don't stop, I'll smash some of year Brains
out !' Gray struck at some of us with • flail, and shortly
afterwards a gun was fired and Gray fell. I don't know
I who fired the gun." Snlisequently the other prisoners were
apprehended, and they were all eoefronted with Allchin.
They all admitted having bees present in the any, but
denied having fired the gun. The primmer, were fully com-
mitted on the charge of mansianghter sod night-poaching.