The Express.
London, England, 1847-01-04 00:00:00

TORKSIIIRE.

ALLEGRO CONTIRIIIONS TO ROMANIBIL—Much converse-
ticm was excited in Leeds on Saturday last by a report that
on the previous day, being the Feast of the Circumcision,
three gentlemen, who had been hitherto members of the
Church of England, had been formally received into the
Roman Catholic Church by the priest at St. Ann's Roman
Catholic Chapel. The new converts are said to be the Itev.
Mr. M'Mullen, 8.D., Fellow of C.C.C., Oxford, one of the
curates of St. Saviour's church, Leeds, but who is understood
to have been under suspension by the Bishop of Ripon for
some time past; Mr. D. H. Haigh, lately a woollen
merchant in Leeds, and who was stated to have
given the rum of 10,0001. for the erection of a church in
Leeds, which was not long ago commenced by the Vicar of
Leeds, who laid the foundation-stone ; and Mr. T. W. Wil-
kinson, B.A. The apparent suddenness of these eonveraions
has increased the surprise which has been expressed.

STATE OP THE TTNE.—The entrance to the river, at
Tyncmouth Bar, is daily becoming more dangerous. One
ship after another is wrecked in eight of the owners, or so
senously injured, by striking on the bar, u to be afterwards
worthless. Yet, though such casualties are occurring day
after day, and are occasioning serious concern to the ship-
owners of the port, the conservators of the river make no
effort to remedy the evil, or even to inquire into it, and
the natural consequences are beginning to follow. The

character of the 'port is lowered-at the. inaunw 1140011,
and increased premiums are demanded for large womb eon-
ing to load here. Surely this will awaken the river eentadtiee
to a sense of duty. If their resident engineer cannot or
will'not do something to improve the bar, let another compe-
tenCperson, such as Mr. Rennie or Mr. Walker, be imme-
diately consulted. The subject is not one for trifling or
dallying with. It has been overlooked too long ; and, if a
repetition of the diameters Muse last two or three weeks be
again witnessed, we may anticipate very injurious conse-
quences to the iatereste of the port.—Nemeasdie Guardian.

A Wlni MORDIREITII;IIS;:iii;iii.ND.—Tbe secluded
village of Celdbeek was thrown into a state of great excite-
ment and alarm on Wednesday last, by the rumour that
William Stalker had murdered his wife, aged about fifty
years, on the preceding evening. Stalker has been for many
years a respectable farmer at Willie Ridding', where he
brought up a large family, and was about to quit the farm
and keep a grocer's shop in Caldbeck. On Tuesday even-
ing last, he and his wife went to the farm to milk the
WWII, and their not returning at", the usual time, about
two house afterwards, one of their eons repaired to
the farm to look after his father and mother,
and on entering the house fell over something lying on the
loot, when he fainted; on recovering he returned to Cald-
beck, and other persona went back to the farm-house, who
found poor Mn. Stalker lying murdered on the floor. From
the black marks which were discovered on both sides of her
reek, it was presumed that she had been strangled. Her
body was then removed to Csldbeck to her disconsolate
iamily. Search was then made for the murderer, who was
found the next morning sitting under a hedge in one of his
own fields, and confessed that he bad murdered his wife by
strangulation. Stalker has been in a state of mental debility
for some time put. The family is one of the most respectable
in the locality. An inquest was held, and a verdict of
" Wilful Murder " returned. Stalker was immediately com-
mitted for trial.

DUBMAIL.
ANEW PORT CRIIATID CT RAILWLTS.—The TOSS for-
merly imported coal from the Tyne; the Stockton and Dar-
liogion Railway extending into the Arland nod Sol, dm
collieries of which competed by land ardor on
equal terms with the Newcastle collieries by eft, in supply.
iag little seaport act Stockton with cods. On opening -the
rail way in 1826, Stockton became a coal shipping ;sort, and
son proved inadequate for the rising trade. In MO,
Middlesborough consisted of one solitary farm-henn ;
I this, with from fire to six hundred acres of land. wes per-
awed by T. Richardson, Esq., of Stamford Hill, Brien,
and of Allonby, in this county It, Pone aid J.
Emirs., both of Darlington • and two or three other=
railway proprietors. The 'railway was extended to this
place (about five miles), docks excavated, a thriving
town sprung up • in 1838 a new church was erookni_ ;
in 1832 • British school opened ; in 1842 extended
accommodation wee required fees the shipment of ma
Drops were placed skirting the specious docks of lion
acres, just excavated, which 'Are connected with en
main line of railway by ten threefold brunches, laid ups a
triangular platform fifteen lu:res in extent, having
room for three thousand loaded waggons, or nine thornl
tons of coals may to d.rop into the yowls. The tow" his

[ for some years been lighted with gas; has several schools,
[ chapels, a mechanics' institution, a news-room, a branch
auk, a custom-house, ship-building yards, various inana-
key,,-ies, three iron Fiundrics, and extensive rolling
.[1( for bar iron; aid but last week a splendid towa.hall
and extemi, e market-house were opened. The port is said
not to be
equit,',•ll by any in the north (excepting the Forth),
baring twenty-firs, feet of water on the bar at low water
(more than either :a...wattle or Sunderland can boast at
high water), and it is aeceasiWe by night as well as by day.
It will be anticipated that much business must be done in
this place. Accordingly, we find, from authentic records,
that the shipments •)1 coal on the rivet Tres have
been at Stockton, in 1841, 22,614 chaldrons (of 62 cwt.),
and in 1845, 21,170; whilst at Middlesborough, the ship-
ments were 137,885, and 19.5,796 chaldrons. From the
latter place it is raid 70.000 chaldrons of Brancepeth coke
was shipped by one establishment to railway companies,
iron foundries, and others, in the three kingdoms; and
besides 268,10.5 tons of coal. were shipped by the Clarence
Railway in the pa.t year, making the shipments of coal from
the Tees now to exceed three times the quantity shipped
at our good old aulport of Whitehaven.—Gateshead
Observer.