The Express.
London, England, 1849-12-19 00:00:00

THE
MANUFACTURING DISTRICTS.

THE THREE ABOLISHED LAW COURTS —The
functions of the three &handsel law courts will cease and de-
termine from and after the list inst., atter which day the
records, muniments, and writings of the several courts shall,
as soon se convenient, be placed under the charge and su-
perintendence of the Master of the Rolla, as Recorditeeper,
to be deposited and kept in such place or places as the
Master of the Rolls phalli direct. By a clause in the act
abolishing the courts, all judgments obtained in any of the
courts on or before the 31-t inst., may
.be entereed hy the
process of the court in which such judgments shall re-
spectively have been obtained.
CHARGE OF MANSLAUGHTER AGAINST A DISPEN-
SARY hinrwirs.—About five months ego considerable sense.
tam was created in Sheffield by the publicity given to the
entraordinary conduct of en elderly woman of the name of
Hannah Cushforth, one of the midwives of the Sheffield
public dispensary, displayed during the exercise of her voca-
tion in the ease of Harriet, the wife of Francis Mappin, a
file forger livinr in Queen's-court, Shepherd street. The
circumstances of the case came to light in the form of an
official investigation before the district coroner. The lead-
ing facts are these :—Harriet Mappin was brought to bed of
her woad child on the morning of the 27th of June last.
At 9 o'clock she sent for Mrs. Ought trth, who arrived
about an hour afterwards. Her services were not
required till some time in the afterhoon when she com-
menced the critical operation which she lied undertaken.
o themeesful were her efforts that she separated the
•Dy
of tant from the head, and afterwards made bar-
batons use of • common meat-hook as an instrument to aid
her in the completion of the operation. The agonised n.o.
ther began to sink under the treatment, when Mr. Moore,
surgeon and druggist, who had been fetched by a neighbour,
arrived, and speedily arnpleted, at about Ms in the event ng,
that which the midwife had so unskilfully attempted. Mrs.
Mappin afterwards revived, and ultimately she recovered.
Tne misconduct of the midwife having reached the ears of
the gentlemen oonetituiing the board of the dispensary, tb' y
appointed Mr. Hunter and Sir. Barber, accoucheurs to the
dispensary, to investileate the ease and make a report there-
upon. On Wedneedsy, the 25th of July, the board received
a report containing' this paseage , • •• •• •• tt she
adopted unwarranted treatment, displaying great ignorance
of her duties, and even greater want ot humanity ; and we
recommend her immediate dismissal from her office ot mid-
wife I. the dispensary." The hoard insmciist.ly
acted upon the r. commendation, and about the
time of )ilea.
Cushforth's dismissal they received
from her a written resisnation of her office. It is
only fair to state that the accused party had practised her
vocation for a period of 20 years, and was reputed to be
skilful. The result of the investigation was, that the jury
found Mrs. Cushtorth guilty of manslaughter in Teepee, o
the infant, end the coroner c'mmitted her to York Castle,
where she his been se r siaoe, awaiting her Dist at
had
ttie
assists now going on. Ample preparation for the trisl
been radar` n the p.rt of the prosecution, aid not less pains
and prepion bestow' d upon the defence. Before the bill
of indictment had been presented to the grand jury, however,
the learned judge who had looked over the depositions inti-
mated to the conducvn of the prosecution that he did not
think it possible that the evidence would bear out the eha-
de
of manslaughter, inasmuch as it could not be proved that the
infant was alive when the midwife undertook the case. His
lordship therefore advised that the prosecution should be
abandoned. Toe hint was at once adopted, and the consc•
quence was, that on Thursday Mrs. Cuhforth was discharged
from custody after ell incarceration of nearly fire months.—
Sheffield Tinter.

FREEMEN OP TUE CITY OP LONDON.—By the
new act for the government of the City of London, freemen,
on taking up their freedom, are required to make the fol-
lowing declaration, in lieu of oaths or of formerly
prescribed :—" 1, A. 8., do solemnly declare that I will be
good and true to our sovereign lady Queen Victoria • that I
will be obedient to the Mayor of this City ; that I will mein.
tain the franchises and customs thereof, and will keep this
City harmless in that which in me is ; that I will also keep
the Queen's peace in my. own perms : that I will know no
gatherings nor conspiracies made against the Queen's peace,
but I will warn the Mayor thereof, or hinder it to my power;
and that all these points and articles I will well and truly
keep, according to the laws and customs of this City, to my
power."
ABOLITION OP OATHS IN ELECTIONS or COMMON
Cot Nclotrx.—ln the ensuing elections of Common Coun-
cilmen for the City of London, a declaration is to be made
by voters in lieu of the oath heretofore taken, and In car
any person shall refuse or neglect to make the same, the poll
or vote dutch person shall be nail and void, and as such
shall be rejected and disallowed.
A SHIP ON FIRE IN TUE LONDON DOCKS.—Leat
evening, between 6 and 7 o'clock, it was ascertained that one
of the large ships lying In the eutern basin of the London.
does had taken fire. The vessel was named the Maclouden,
end se one was on board when the disaster occurred. By
MISS of buckets of water the firemen got the flames sub
slued, bat net until the caboose was burned, and ens of the
ship's yards consumed. The origin of the fire is unknown.
SUDDEN DEATH. —An instance of sudden death
Occurred near Ingatestone, to an elderly lady, of the name
of Turner, who was on her way home to Dedham, in the
11 o'clock train, on Friday morning. It appeared that the
deceased, who was about 70 years of age, had been in London
kw mu days, with her sister and brother-in-law, to give
uldisase relative to some property in Chancery, and they
VIM preeeediue on their way homewards, when the de-
ceased was suddenly taken ill, and died almost immediately
after from palpitation of the heart, as was supposed, brought
on by over-excitement.—Esau Herald.
PORTLAND lIREAKWATEL—WO learn from the
I Western Flying Post that the works at Portland were last
week proceeding with considerable nativity. The storms of
last week, however, were not to be restrained by the trifling
resistants offered by the works but just commene.a, the
whole of which were swept clean away, and on Tuesday a
systematic commencement of the national breakwater works,
with permanent materials, by the convicts, took place. The
whole of the convicts were mustered to see its commence-
ment, Captain Whitey, the governor of the prisoner, and Mr.
Coode, the engineer of the breakwater works, accompanied
the first waggon to the water's edge. 800 convicts will be
immediately employed thereon, and kept constantly at work,
so that the laying ref Use last stone, as well as the first, may
now be saticreated.
A BRIO BUN DOWN.—FALMOUTII, DEC. 17.—Yes-
terday the Russian hip Dygden, Super, muter, from Abo for
Parma, fell in with the people of the brig Jane, of Bristol, in 1
an open boat. It eir.i.,.cate that the Jane was from Cardiff to-1
war& Wylmington, in North Carolina ; and at a.m on I
Saturday morning, the weather being very thick and dirty,
was ran into, in lat. 49.30 N., long. 7.21 W., by a lugs
ship, supposed an American, which took effect before the
bra-chains, and in less than two hours she foundered. The
I muter and crew got into their long-boat just before she west
I down, and were rescued by the Dygden, which put bask,
land landed them here to-day.
A CENTENARIAN AT OSBORIIE.—A correspondent
Ist Cower write sit hso on the 18th last.:—" It having reached
the ear of royalty that an aged woman, named Read,
leading in Cowes, would complete her hundredth yea-At
a
the 21st inst., and that she had lost none of her facueW s,
her Majesty caused a carriage to be sent to convey the old
, lady to Osborne, whither she went, wondering but rejoicing
After an interview with the Queen Prince Albert, tie
Duchess of Kent, and the royal children, she was sent home,
loaded with gilts, and with a well grounded persuasion that
her few remaining days will be cheered with plenty. The
deed may be tr,flint, but it speaks volumes in favour of her
Majesty's kind feelings."
DANGEROUS DEALINGS.—A Smithfield bargain is
necessarily a gambling transaction, since it always involves
risking the chance of a toss-up.—Pwides Alnsonack.
BURGLARY AT BICKERSTAITE.—On Friday night,
between eight and nine o'clock, five or more men,
with pistols, entered the house of Mr. Shockley, wheel-
wright and farmer, near this town, and demanded money.
At the time of their entry four men were in the house,
and ens of them endeavoured to make a show of resist-
anee. Fur this purpose he endeavoured to take • gun
from the chimney-Piece, when one of the villains seized
the gun and broke it over his head. It appears e
house that
whilst the thieves were engaged in ransacking th
for money, three other men in the service of Mr. Stock-
ley came in, and an attack was made on the burglars.
Four shots were fired, two of which took [Met on the
wall without Wining any person. The burglars made a 1
strict search for money, but were only able to find es.
with which they decamped. They also took two single-
barrelled guns, one of them marked with the name of
" Barnes," and the ether with " Green." The pistols
which the fmlows discharged, were, as appeared hem
subsequent examination, loaded with slugs.—Lioerpool
Stannard.
FORGERY AND SPEEDY APPREIIENSION.-00 the
evening of Friday information was lodged with the police
authorities, that a forged order for 1001. had been that day
presented at the Union Bank of Edinburgh for payment.
By the instructions of Mr. Money, John Milligan, and
Alexander lePPnerson, criminal officers, proceeded to the
house of the party whose name had been forged, and who is
a legal practitioner in the New Town, d, after some in-
quiry, to-k into custody the female servant, whom they
suspected of the forgery. In the course of the evening they
also apprehended the party who uttered the document, and
another person who, it is believed, received the forged docu-
ment from the servant girl. When on her way to the pellet
office the female prisoner attempted to destroy toe other
orders upon the same bank, one or both of which are alleged ,
to be foroeries. The accuseonorties were brought lsoforeffeel
police judge on Saturday, a petition at the instead* a
Mr. Mousy, and were remitted for examination to the
sheriff. Millicau and M'Pheisan having learned that valu-
able articles of dress had diAppeared some weeks ago from
the house of the girl's master, made a careful search, and
discovered the missing articles carefully concealed under a
bed in the kitchen ; and having continued their search on
the Saturday evening, they found a chest, containing various
books, and other articles the property of her master, con-
cealed fit a cellar in the front area, covered over with rub-
bish--Caledonian Mercury.
THEFT AND CONCEALMENT OP SEX.—tht Wednes-
day evening a watch was offered for sale to a broker in the
Cowgsts by a party from whores suspicious appearance the
broker was induced to send for • police constable. The
party in resestion of the watch was apparently a seaman, of
a ripe old age, but it was discovered that he was a woman in
male attire. In the police ofßu she 'Omitted that she had
stolen the watch on Tuesday, from a b-uate in Prestonpane,
and stated that she had dressed herself in her husband's
clothes, as she was ashamed to offer the watch for sale in the
garb of the fair sex.—Ecinborgh Evening Cowrant.

(Teen the Deily Nem.)
MAINCRLATIR, Dec. it.
The subscription in aid of fonds to make good the
defalcations in the Rochdale Savings' Bank remains station-
my at 18,0001. An interesting meeting of the unecrolled
societies having deposits in the bank, whose aggregate
fends are said to exceed 10,0001., was held at Rochdale last
evening. There were deputations present from ledges of
Oldfellows, Druids (ancient and modern or& re), Foresters,
Ploughboy', Shepherds, Rechabitee, from female sick and
friendly societies, and from Sunday-scheols. Altogether
20 societies, or fifty lodges and societies, having an aggre-
gate amount of deposits exceeding 3,0001., were represented at
this meeting. Mr. Thomas Livesey, chairman of the board
of guardians for the Rochdale Delon, presided, sad said
there had been doubts expressed as to the prudence of hold
lag this meeting, but it havMg become notorious that Mr.
Tidd Pratt had been in correspondence with Mr. Johnson,
on behalf of one of the societies, and that he had expres-
sed an opinion to the effect that unenrolled societies could
not recover, if other depositors objected to their claims, he
thought there would be no utility in neglecting to take
steps to places themselves in a right position before
the country, and more especially before government. II
they had not a legal claim they had • moral
and equitable claim which no honest man nor honest govern-
meat could deny ; and he contended that the poor having
been deluded into& belief that their savings were guaranteed
by government, great are should be had how such confi
deuce in them was shaken. The impression had got abroad,
and was firmly implanted in the breasts of the working
dames, that in the savings banks they had government secu-
rity. It was a common sayiog that the money of the poor in
these banks was as safe uin the Bank of England. And no
matter bow the impression got abroad, he thought it would
be moat unwise and unsafe to let a different feeling take pos-
session of the public mind. Savings-banks had been a great
blessing ; they had induced many • poor person to hoard and
lay up money against old age, who would otherwise have
trusted to ehanoe, and would have became a burden to the
parish. Let the depositors in the Rochdale Savings-bank
fall victims to a mistaken confidence ; and let it be felt
throughout England, amongst the depositors in all
saviegelianks, that there was but a doubtful se-
eurity—sod people who_had higher aspirations would be
thrown back upon their own resources and led to indulge
in the same habits of intemperance and 'indifference with re-
gard to the future which distinguished too many of the
working population of England already. As the Clialrinaa
ot the Rochdale Board of Guardians, he could affirm from
experience that exceedingly few people who bad ever got the
habit of laying by their money in savings banks became
applicants for relief at the union board, and he should dread
the consequences of a change such as was involved in
the present catastrophe, if either government or the trustees
of the bank could not make good the deficiency. With
regard to unenrolled friendly societies, all that could be
said for savings banks could be said for them; they were
but instruments or arrangements for collecting the money
of the poor, and of hoardiag it against sickness, old age, and
poverty. It was not their fault, but the neglect and disre-
gard of government, that lead prevented them from becom-
ing enrolled, and in every way placed in • position to protect
their funds, whether in a savings or any other bank.
The chairman havirg concluded his address, a man named
JOIIEPR BARROW proposed the first resolution
" That this meeting seriously deplores the great defalca-
tions that have arisen in the Richeisle Savings' Bank, and
has to express sorrow at teaming that there is considerable
doubt whether those friendly societies which are not enrolled
will obtain • return of their deposits; that this meeting,
composed of deputies from unenrolled friendly societies,
wishes to make the public aware that the immense funds
such societies have deposited in the bank have been accumu-
lated out el the bard earnings of some thousands of the in-
dustrious classes of this extensive and populous neighbour-
hood, by whose frugality hundreds of pounds are annually
saved to the poor rates, end therefore this meeting, deeply
'eating the position of the trustees and the managers of the
bank, anxiously hopes that the trustees and managers of the
bank on this matter coming before them, will admit the j est-
sees of the claims ot the above eocietii e, and by every means
in their power adopt the best measures that may be suggested
for obtaining, with other depositors, a return of deposits in-'
vested by these societies."
The speaker said it was a great anomaly in a civilised
coantry that bodies of men banded together for peaceful
and philanthropic purposes such as these societies embraced
should be denied the protection of its laws. This resolu-
tion having been carried, the tullowing were alsosubmittcd
and approved of :
That a committee of five members of the unenrolled
friendly societies, together with a treasurer, president, and
secretary, be appointed by this meeting, who, with •
' member of each society having funds in the back, be
empowered to carry the ton going resolution into effect.
Cirtsia expenses having In tu ar.d will be incurred In
carrying out these objects, resolved that a levy. of one half-
penny in the pound of the funds invested in the bank
be contributed by the societies affected, to defray etch
expenses.
The committee was then appointed, and this closed the
business of the meeting. It is expected that the whole of
the unenrolled societies having deposits in the bank wit
join thou who have come forward at this meeting.

IRELAND.

DUBLIN, DEC. .
So far as the tone of public opinion can be collected
from the most consistently liberal and enlight-
ened of its organs of the Irish provincial press,
the protectionists have not gained so mach
ground in this country as they pretend. The
Northern 11711 g, speaking the sentiments of the
liberal-minded men of Belfast, shows that they are
not deceived as to the real objects:of the landlords :
We would be more likely to feel thankful for what they
now prome to effect for the general improvement, if we
could lose sight of the fad that their announced struggle is
neither more nor less than a desperate and despairing
attempt to keep up rents and fill their own pockets
without the trouble of applying themselves to the
manly and honest discharge of their duties. They ate
embarked in th. it own particular department of
business, and, after having long neglected it and frequently
acted with reference to it, and towards those who were
toiling for them, in a spirit the most reckless and unjutti-
liable, they are now to be subsidised at the expense of the
rest of the community, and thereby saved from the noose-
quenees of their own misdeeds. • • Protection they
never more will have, except such protection as that which
they can make for themselves, by attending better to their
own business, encouraging their tenants, extendinr agricul-
tural information, and promoting peace end concord in the
country. " Protection" means simply a contrivance for
enabling them to sell their products above their natural
price ; and that contrivance, which has left a curse upon the
land from which it is now in course of being freed, will never
be resorted to again.
What do the tenant farmers, about whom the lend-'
lords tell ns they are so solicitont, say for them-
selves? At the great out-door meeting of the Tenant
Protection bociety held at dgap, in the aiunty of
Kilkenny, on Sunday week, when upwards of ten
thousand persons were assembled, not a word of
abuse of free trade was uttered.