The Express.
London, England, 1847-12-27 00:00:00

WALES.

"A LATTER-DAY SAINT," an he termed himself,
lately lodged at the Crown public•house, at Llanddewi•
Aberartb, near Abersyron. Oo Friday night, after leaving
the Crown, the landlord, Mr. J. Davies, missed a Welsh and
Easelish dictionary, and informed oue of the constabulary
force of the feet, who lost no time in changing his public
raiment, and, putting on his private clothes, followed the
steps of this would-be-saint, and eacceeded in coming up
with the object of his pursuit at a place called Bronfre, near
Llsnayron, oa Situnley evening, where be bad taken up
his quarters for the night, at the house of Mr. T. Davies, a
respectable blacksmith. When the officer of justi^e ap-
proached, the saint was in the act of preparing an oration,
which he intended to deliver on the morrow (herog Sunday),
and, amongst other books in hie pensendon, the miming die.
tionary was found, minus the owner's name, which was torn
out. he was lacked up, and will doubtless be tried for the
robbery.—Corne Journal.

CHRISTIIAS Boxes.—The tradesmen of Pembroke Dock
having determined to abolish the custom of giving Christ-
mas boxes to their customers, and having had a meeting, and
issued en address to that effect, a very amusing degree of
excitement was created. Piaci:lds were posted up of—" No
Monopoly—Down with Combination!" dc.; and by public
requisition, a meeting was held in the Temperance-hell, •
spacious building kindly lent for the purpose, when certain
regulations were adopted for obtaining groceries and other
articles direct from the Bristol, Liverpool, and London
markets. The local paper dates that " orders to the amount
of 30!. were sent off this week ; and the sum to be trans-
mitted during the ensuing will reach nearly 1001. The re-
mit of the coated is looked forward to with considerable
anxiety by all parties."
EXTRAORRDINAY FLOODIL—The Welshman says—The pe-
riodical recurrence of extensive floods in the valleys of South
Wales, more especially in the agricultural districts, at this
portion of the year is by no means uncommon, and, perhaps,
usually expected. But we were quite unprepared for the
extraordinary deluge which manifested itself in the valley of
the Towy. during the whole of Friday, Saturday, and Sun-
day st'atught. In consequence of the heavy rains the vari-
ous mountain streams hen become swollen and turgid, and
rushing down with great impetuosity speedily caused the
placid streams of the valley to sesame a similar appearance,
and to burst their banks in every direction. The prospect
from Carmarthen-bridge on Saturday was truly grand.
A vast sheet of angry rushing water spread it-
self out far beyond eyeshot, leaving the village
of Abergwilly, with the Bishop of St. David's palace,
standing prominently out from the centre of the liquid
plain. 'I he various roads on the southern side of the Towy
and in close proximity to the river were almost impassable,
the water having covered them to the extent of eight or ten
feet. Beets were plying upon the Penmen and Tyllwyd
roads, being continually in active requisition to convey the
farming population to our mark, t. In one instance • ma-
gistrate for the county was camp lied to desert his comfort-
able carriage and to tin=s the wider in the old-fashioned
Welsh coracle, made of willows covered with tarpauling.
Meson. Brigstone's brickyard suffered severely from the I
inundation—no less than 70,000 bri ks being spoilt by
the flood. Belle Vue-house, the residence et the Re..
David Evans, curate of St. David's, had its lower
apartments completely inundated, the furniture re.
ceiling considerable damage, and the occupants sus-
taining muds personal inconvenience. The Swansea
mail, for the first time during 19 year!, had to desert the
usual route, and, with six borate. had great difficulty in
making its way along Perinea, and thence to the Cronin-
wynd-road—the inside of the vehicle being completely filled
with water. The Lampeser mail eart and driver were in
great danger on Friday morning in consequence of the
flooded state of the node, and the Lempeter and Aberydwith
letters and newspapers were not, therefore, forwarded
through their usual channel, but were transmitted through
Llandovery by the northern mail on Saturday morning.
The flood continued with scarcely env abatement until Mon-
day, when it in a great measure subsided. At one time fears
were entertained for the safety at Carmarthen bridge, but the
old structure stood firmly against the warring elements. No
loss of life occurred.

PROVINCIAL.
LANCASHIRE.
TER WORKING °ESNS POoR REMOVAL LAW.—Meetings
have been held in various parte of the country to consider
what changes should be proposed in existing lawn for the re-
lief of the poor. The local papers have also been actively
osenvaming the subject. The Preston Guardian of Saturday
- thus speaks of the cruelty and expense of removing the poor
who happen to become chargeable. " Among the various
instances which have come under our notice," says the
editor of that journal, " we do not remember one which af-
fords a more striking proof of the necessity of alterirg the
law than the following r—Andrew Hammon, a spinner, with
a wife and four children, aged 2,4, 6, and 9, residing at
Moon's Mill, Walton, was out of employment in consequence
of the stoppage of Mr. Calvert'. mill at which he worked. He
applied to the relieving officer of Walton, and was relieved 6 I
weeks, at from 2a.6d. to 3.. 6d. a week. The man it seems had
understood from his mother that he was born in the island
of Jersey, but bad never been there since he was three
months old. The board of guerilla= ordere4 him to be re-
moved, and on Wednesday, Nov. 17, Mr. Maloney, the
general assistant overseer, took the whole family by rail-
way, going himself along with them, from Preston to Lou-
don, and from London to Southampton, where he put them
on board a steamer and paid their passage to Jassy.. On
triday they were put oti shore in the island without a
penny in their pockets. They wi re advised to apply to the
high constable, to know what they were do, who at once
sent them to the workhouse, or, as he called it, the hospital.
They remained there till Sunday morning, when the porter,
be master's orders, took them away and seat them
ack on board a vessel with a NW to Southampton,
which he gave to the captain. This was done without
asking Hammon any questions and as he could not
smderstend their language he did not know what
they said to each other. However, at halfpast eight in the
evening they were placed, on the gnay at Southampton, and
led to go whffe they pleased. Hammon was hoping that

some arrangements had been made for forwarding them
home, but be was mistaken, and here the whole family was
left destitute. In this hopeless condition, with his family on
the goat', his first effort was to find the relieving officer,
who gave them 2s. for the night, and the next day they
were brought before the board of guardians, who happened
to be sitting. They granted them 6s and told them they
mast leave the town immediately, or the constables
would be after them. In this distressing dilemma,
the family, himself, wife, and four small children,
commenced tramping back again, begging the whole
of the road, and suffering the most severe privations.
They arrived at Walton on Sunday, December 6, being
three weeks from the day they were shipped from Jersey.
Occasionally they got relief from the parish officers
on the road, and were accommodated at nights in the tramp.
houses. At Knutaford they slept in the lock-up; and at
other place*, where no such relief could be had, they laid in
barns and stables, one night in a hovel where horses are
shod, and another in a eattle.shed in • field. We have here
given the bare facts, which we believe to be correct. But so
one of the officers, we understand, has insinuated that
most likely something had been given him to return,
we have sent for the poor man main, who affirms
that he did not receive a farthing, and, indeed,
was never coasulted about his return. If there
be any doubt', the high constable can be written
to. The mill is expected to start again in a week or
two; but suppose the man had received 6s. • week for •
quarter, or even for half a year, the whole cost would have
borne no comparison to the cost of his removal, to say no-
thing of the family's sufferings. There are men who even
talk of imprisoning the man as a rogue and vagabond for re-
turning ! The poor fellow was not daunted by the threat
of the prison. It has no terrors for a man who has tramped
from Southampton to Preston in cold November weather,
with a wife and four children, begging their bread from
place to place."
runian•a•urirretwararrow

A Buractaa's TRICK.—Last week, about half-put
eleven at night, a man went to the house of Mr. Brett, in
Brigstock Farts, and called him up, telling him that a hene
of Ins in the parks had met with an accident, and unless he
went to see after it, it would die. Mr. Brett thanked him
fur his information, and at first determined to go into the
parks but presently he thought he heard persons talking
near his house, and on looking through a window he per-
ceived two men standing there. 'lbis etcited suspicion
that there was some trickery in the alarm, and induced
him to remain in his house. The men, finding
that they had not ' succeeded, left the premises,
and in the morning Mr. Brett perceived that nothing bad
happened to his hone. At about half-put two on the next
morning a man called on Mr. J. Jerrie, of Lowick.mill, and
informed him that one of his cows was out in her crib, in a
barn about half a mile distant from his house. Mr. Jarvis
called his man-servant, and with bins proceeded to the barn,
but found that nothing of the kind had happened to any
of his cattle. Perceiving this, the thought crossed his mind
that the tale had been fabricated to draw him from his house
for the purpose of robbing it. He returned with the utmost
speed, and while on his way back again he heard a bell
ringing, which he kept for raising an alarm in time of danger.
Mr. Jarvis had taken the precaution to fasten the door when
he left the house, and on his return, Mrs. Jarvis informed
him that he had no stoner left the house) than she heard a
noise, as if some one were trying to force the door. She
called twice from the window to know who was there, with-
out receiving any answer. Shc then called more vehemently
and was answered in a feigned voice. She also saw, through
the window, a man standing at a little distance, besides the
person who was endeevounng to force the door. She then
proceeded to ring the alarm bell, and by the time
her husband bad returned the men had made off. That in
both the above cases there was an intention to commit rob-
bery there can be no doubt, and the following facts (gays the
Northampton Mercury) may auggzat an opinion as to who
the culprits were. A few days since seven prisoners, lying
for trial, made their escape fr.dn Huntingdon gaol. In the
scheme to escape thence, which had been six weeks in ma-
turing, there were eight persons concerned, but one of the
eight was left behind. lie confessed to the authorities that
be had been a participator in the plans of the otherseven' and
that they had agreed that, after they were clear of the prison,
they would attempt to effect robberies by going to certain
houses, and there endeavour to draw the strength of the
house sway by fabricating reports respecting any cattle that
it might be known they had at some distance. Of these pri-
soners one was named William Andrews and anothi r
Joseph Stephens. These two men have been captured.
Andrews was taken in Finedon' near Kettering ; and Ste-
phens was taken in a barn, in Burton Lattimer, where he
had concealed himself in some straw. Stephens was for-
merly employed by Mr. Jarvis, and was well acquainted
with his premises.
KENT.

DESTITUTION AND MURDER.—At Sandwich two
travelling musicians were passing over Sandown•bridge on
their way to Deal, when they descried something in the
water whielt they at first thought was a bundle of rags. On
closer examination it proved to be a child, which they drew
out and took to a neighbouring house, when it was put iota
a warm bath, and medical aid immediatel7 sent for, but too
late to restore animation. In the mean time the mother of
the infant, who had been absent but a short time, returned
to her lodgings, and said she had drowned her child in the
town ditch. The family were in a state of great misery at
the time. An inquest was held on the body on Monday,
when a verdict of wilful murder was returned against the
mother, Mary Sweetlove, who was committed to Maidstone
for trial.

REFUSAL OF A DiSSESTER TO EE A MAGISTRATE.—
On the recommendation of the lord-lieutenant of the
county of Monmouth, the Lord Chancellor wsa pleased to
add the name of C. Conway, Eeq., of Pontnewydd, to the
commission of the peace for that county. The honour, how-
ever, has been declined by that gentleman, on religions
grounds. Mr, Conway is a dissenter. Ile ea). in his letter
to the deputy clerk of the peace:—" I decline the honour
from purely conscientious scruples. I am a dissenter, be-
cause I believe from my heart that a legalised establishment
for the support of religion is a great moral and social wrong ;
and if I accepted the magisterial office, I should be com-
pelled to put in force laws for the support of that of which I
entertain this opinion. This I could not possibly do and
' maintain a conscience void of offence.' " He concludes by
saying:—" I em aware I have made a great sacrifice of ho-
nourable distinction, perhaps of influential station and dis-
tinguished association. All this I know, but no honour or
distinction can compensate for want of proper self respect."