The Express.
London, England, 1847-04-26 00:00:00

IRELAND.

DUBLIN, Aram 24.
The change from winter to summer weather has
operated unfavourably on the condition of the coun-
try. The country. papers announce the spread of
fever, and some eminent names have fallen victims.
Foremost amongst these is the Rev. Dr. Trail, rector
of Skull, who died, on Wednesday, rather from ex-
haustion than disease. His efforts for the alleviation
of the terrible misery with which he was surrounded
knew no repose. His days and nights were spent in
the discharge of duties which others should have
divided with him ; and between his anxiety, his cor-
respondence, and actual labour in relief, his body de-
cayed, and a good man is gone. His death has caused
the most painful regret in all circles. Another name
of some repute is that of Mr. Gregory, father to the
member for Dublin. He caught fever while engaged
on the relief committee of his district, and died.
These deaths have produced a more than ordinary
sensation among the better classes. None can rely
on health with fever festering among the lower
classes. Ina short time many will be flying to the
continent—to England—to the sea-shore. Considera-
tions of health precede those of duty.
While a future so terrible alarms society, very.
strange to say, in those very districts where famine
and fever hays been most general and acute, there
humane duties are most disregarded by the class whose
interests are most deeply involved in the event. I
noticed before, Castlebar and Westport in the west; in
Bandon and Bantry, the depits of southern destitu-
tion and death, there is the ante fatal and, I fear,
intentional neglect. The Bandon workhouse has been
closed. Relief works have been rejected. In conse-
quence there was great misery and sickness, bat there
was no rate ! The Temporary Act is evaded for the
same cause, and this while nearly every second house
in the town is represented as • small fever hospital !
Then in Bantry, of whose workhouse Dr. Stephens has
just reported scenes worthy the horrors of romance,
the guardians, as well as the representatives of pro-
perty in the surrounding country, have resolved
neither to afford any admission to the shocking work-
house, such as it nor to impose any rate for its
support, nor to err ploy the labouring population (of
which there is a superabundance), nor to give effect
to the Temporary Relief Act. This policy is not
more inhuman than suicidal.
There is reason to believe that the recent order of '
the Board of Works, enjoining the inspectors to close
all the public works throughout Ireland upon the'
let of May, was never intended to be universally
enforced. By the order, government served a double
purpose. First, it provided for weeding from off the
relief works such parties as could subsist without
public employment; and, secondly, it stimulated the
cultivation of the soil. In this latter direction it is
gratifying to know that its operation has been ex-
tremely successful.
A very mysterious paragraph appears in one of the
Durham papers, " What can it mean P" We are in-
formed of some system of espionage about to be insti-
tuted because the police have been ordered to institute
certain inquiries. The mystery and espionage are
easily dissipated. The constabulary have simply been
directed to ascertain, approximately, the amount of
land under cultivation for preservative purposes, and
wholly unconnected with income or any other tax.
Ten DUBLIN DORPOIATION.—A bill termed "the
Dublin ImprovementEill," which is now before parliament,
has caused no small sensation in this city. The object of the
bill is to place in the hands of the corporation of Dublin new
and enlarged powers, similar to those enjoyed by English
corporations. This is opposed by a large and influential

PROVINCIAL.
LANCASHIRE

THE EXPREB6, MONDAY EVENING, APRIL 26, 1847.

I body 0: the attune, who have subscribed to a fund to oppose
its becontilg law. The promoters of the measure inert that
the GPPesitiot is partisan and sectarian ; and very recently a
placard was posted extensively here, calling on the protes-
tant' to oppose the Popish bill. These were printed on
orange PePer. Ono side cried out, Here is confirmation
of our charge of sectary, i opposition"—the other, that the
placards wee the work st the promoters of the bill.
The
Dublin Chamber of Commene, which leads the opposition,
has this day issued as adverts:mint, in which it is stated
that the printing of the orange plac,rds—they bore no name
sr imprint—has been traced to the p:iuter of cue Repeal
Assomation.
0 re4BILAL MBADZ.—III OUT paper of April 5, we :bled
ph from the Newry Telegraph, stating that Oenaal
131= with a property of 20,0001. per annum, had not coa-
-1 tributsd to the funds of any relief committee. Th:, may be
true, but hie agent, Mr. Crane Brush, declare., in a letter to
the above paper, that the general initructel him early in
October last, to contribute liberally and directly to the wants
of the poor on his estate, and, in conformity with these di-
rections, Mr. Brush distributed sums amounting to 1,5601.

SCOTLAND.
EDINBURGH, APRIL 23.
The freechurch synod of Dumfries have condemned
the education scheme by a majority of thirteen to five,
but before the vote was come to, the minority gave
utterance to some home truths in the style of
Mr. Guthrie. One member asserted that he was
willing to accept of the grant, and it now seems
all bat certain that if the free assembly should, on
abstract grounds, oppose the measure, its acceptance
or rejection by individual congregations must be left
an open question. This will be admitting the small
end of the wedge—the rest may be left to time.
A fatal epidemic is at present prevalent among
horses in Perthshire and the adjoining counties. It
is ascribed to the bad quality of the hay of last year,
and to the want of potatoes for mixing with dry food.
Some idea of the mortality may be obtained from the
fact that a Perth tanner purchased in one day fifteen
hides from farmers in his own neighbourhood. The
price of horses is of course augmented, good 'Laught
and working animals bringing 401. to 461., which in
thatlocality is reckoned unusually high.
The Edinburgh Stock Exchange has petitioned
government for the suspension for six months of the
Bank Act.

SUNDAY ORSERVANCII NY AN ENGLISNYAN IN SCOT-
LAND.--The foreman of the section now forming near
Abernethy of the Edinburgh and Northern Railway, was
brought up before a justice of the peace in Perth, at the
instance of the procurator fiscal, charged with a breech of
the decorous observance of the sabbath. The party was an
Englishman, and wily lately come to Scotland; and had
caused six men to be employed on the previous morning on
some preliminary work connected with laying the rails,
which had been attended with considerable noise, had ,
attracted a crowd of the villagers, and disturbed the parish
minister at his morning studies, The case was established :
but in consequence of the alleged ignorance of the offender
of the strictness with which the day is observed in Scotland,
and that the work ordered was of a trilling nature, the fine
was mitigated to ss. and mots.
TRH COUNT-OP-8688ION APOLLO —A TOW book of Mite
by one of the judges of the Court of Session, is announced :
the title is " Gleams of Thought, reflected from the
writings of Mikon, Sensate, and other Poems."
A NORTHERN BUNN.—The following is part of the bill
of the Perth theatre .—" The entertainments throughout
the season will embody the productions of the poet of all
time, in combination with the best standard writings of the
established dramatists, ancient and modern, sad will be
illustrated by appropriate scenery and costume."
Ton " PRONOTINS" or THE ARTI.—We have received
some further statements and correspondence respecting the
dispute between the Royal Institution of Scotland for the
Promotion of Arts and Manufactures and the Royal Scottish
Academy of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture. The
institution has formally withdrawn the personal imputations
which it bad made against the president and council of the
Academy, with an apology. But the dispute on substantial
matters continues. The institution still uses the letter of its
authority to resist the equitable claims of the academy. Its
sown accountant has substantiated, by an analysis of the
accounts, the accusation made on the opposite side, that by a
very unfair apportioning of expenses and profits, the institu-
tion saddled undue charges on the exhibitions of modern
pictures, and thus withheld from the academy its proper
emolument,. To describe in general terms the actual state
of the dispute, there is not so ill a feeling on the part of the
institution, but it still Wows sutotantial justice.—Speetatur.

Mottta.—An inquest was held at Manchester oa Friday
on the body of a child nine months old, killed by its mother
whilst in a fit of temporary insanity. The mother, Mary
Squires, lived with her husband in Thorniley Br*, but they
have been reduced to poverty by want of work, and while
he we' from home on Monday afternoon begging, the wife
brought the child to the front bedroom window and hurled
it out upon the pavement of the street, and then leaped out
after it. The child contained a severe bruise on tOe fore-
head, and survived only till Thursday morning. The mother
was carried to the infirmary, where she still remains in a
suffering state; but none of Air limbs were fractured, sad
she is likely to recover. It was stated before the jury that
the unfortunate woman had been ill for some weeks, and
had exhibited symptoms of insanity, though it would appear
that since the occurrence she has seemed to be rational
enough. The jury returned a verdict of " Wilful murder"
against Mary Squires, and a warrant for her committal to
the next Liverpool assizes, for trial, has been issued, but it
is said she is not yet in a fit state for removal to prison.
GREAT DISTRESS in MANCRESTER.—The stagnation of
trade is producing great distress in this town. For several
months past more than 7,000 factory hands have been wholly
cot of work, whilst upwards of 11,000 are working on an
average little more than three days a week. A corres-
pondent says:—" Of the former of these probably but few
wimald have any resource in the shape of olivine to fall back
tom, and furniture, clothing, and everything on which
massy could be raised will, long ere this, have gone to the
Wiwi or the pawnshops. A report issued by the directors
aft town mission gives some shocking details of the misery
sad dietrem which its agents are hourly in the habit of en-
countering, and fever has begun to show itself, and is expected
to increase rapidly with the warm weather. The workhouse
is full, and there Is scarcely room even for those who go there
but to die, ha •nngg held back as long as passible from that
feeling whichvindi sows those hitherto unaccustomed to de-
gradation to ask relief from the board of guardians. To in-
crease accommodation, and to prevent, as much ma possible,

disease from spreading in She wrorkhouee, the guaidiiinshaye
engaged large separate building for tholes &fainted with fever.
Mendicancy has chiefly been confined hitherto to the Irish
poor, of whom we have still large numbers. but many of the
town's poor now mingle with them, sad it is scarcely passible
to walk 20 yards in any direction without encountering a
beggar. Parties of yosng men, too, have begun to trueru
the streets in which the better-off class of people reside, one
of each party usually knocking at the door',, and respectfully
soliciting subscriptions on their behalf. If mill-owners con-
tinue to refrain from reducing wages (continues our MM..
pondent) we may yet expect ,o.eseape any outbreak, but it
is said that in several quarters reductions have been spoken
of sa the only alternative of those who must otherwise close
their mills altogether."
RELIRN IN LIVIRPOOL TO IRISH PAI7PIII.—The ex-
penses incurred by the parish on amount of Irish casual
poor, from the Ist to 13th of April itclusive, amount to not
less than 1,5051. The average expense of one week is 8141.
The total number of out-door patients under medical treat-
ment, 3,129 ; fever eases included in the above 554.

ATTEMPT TO MURDER aN AMID Court.e.—George and
Sarah Bridgewood, both between 60 and 70 years of age,
►eide by themselves in a house in High-street, Fenton, in
the Potteries, where they keep a small provision shop. On
Tuesday night they retired to rest, and shortly after 1
o'clock oe the following ( Wednesday) morning the old man,
as he lay half,asleep, fancied he saw • glimmering light in
the room, and before he could rouse himself to ascertain
from whence it proceeded, he received a blow on the side of
his head, his wife, the next moment, receiving several cuts
on her face and arms from a knife, which, it is !Alloyed,
were aimed at her throat. The old man, recovering himself,
sprang out of bed, and seised a man, whom he got ea to.
floor, and pliWag hie knees in his assailant's throat, suc-
ceeded in kiiiminglisa down, his wife in the meanwhile con-
triving to reach the door, and call out " Murder,' In a
few minutes afterwards the police were attracted to the
house, and, on entering the room, found the old man in the
position described. Both were drenched in blood, and the
bed-clothes and floor exhibited fearful proofs of the astir
derous design of the reffian. On being taken to the station.
house, he was recognised to be a bricklayer, named William
Burleigh. He was in a very weak state, his throat being
cut, but how it was done was difficult to say. There is no
doubt that his intention, in the first instance, was to plunder
the house, but being disturbed, he attempted to murder the
aged pair, in order that he might complete his object and
escape detection. On Friday he underwent an examination
before the magistrates at the Stoke police.court. Mrs.
Bridgewood wee brought into the court on a chair, and was
propped up by pillows. After several witnesses had been
examined, the prisoner was hilly committed for trial at the
nest assizes on the capital charge.

iisawlcisiuse.
CRLIBILATION Or THE BIRTH-DAT OP &tantrum AT
B TTTTTTTTT —The anniversary of the poet's birth day was
celebrated, sensual, at the place of his nativity, on Friday
hat
lestthe Mg of April. In the early part of the day, the
anniversary;Club held its tweaty.third Wil-
liam , Eel, in the chair. The wending. derived some
intend the 'object dMcuseed : it was that of the pur
obese edges aid house, within the wells of which the bard
first law the light. This tottering edifice, by the provisions
of the will et the last ode NOE, was to be bold at the
death of his wife. This lady aspired at the eine of the last
year, and lbe societ/itot pommimg any tames wherewith
to purchase the, buil '
c:qt= was made to govern-
ment, throe& Lord the Chia Osemiasioade of
Woods aid ?crest., and the was reesived is re*:
TIT,-1 no allot as pea Ihr the etannneneed...._.ll2=
here bean pel amok, to Rims Bansirs
=.744llMrtbr aging et the Imes li=7he
after hers f epee thapVieurnles et
the see dlepeeel le Illhek Una the et me Ye-
e preporty probe MI eon to the el Wed than
to Its ammi.-11./elhelaneer to be, no, DiOIMML.
In these eiresesomees, coupled, too, with the fast that the
bibs stelae property decline to none any price
Cirm:budislife, bat hare rewired an stdmittifig it for