The Express.
London, England, 1848-01-20 00:00:00

PROVINCIAL.

CIVIL DISABILITIES —OP THE JEws.—At a meeting
of the town council of Manchester, yesterlay, on the mo-
tion of Mr. W. Evans, seconded by Mr. Ald. Welker, a
petition to both homes of parliament, preying for the re-
moval of the Jewish disabilities, was corned by a majority of
ES votes to 5.

DISSATISTACTION EXISTS AMONG THE WORKING
CLASSES at Blackburn. The notice given by the mill-
owners of a reduction of 10 per cent. in the wages or the
operatives has excited much bad feeling in the minds of the
latter, a portion, at least, of whom seem determined to
resist the reduction by a turn-out, without regard to its
consequenees to themselves. They held various meet-
ings last week, when the raillovnien were denounced
in no measured terms. On Sunday lest they held
a large meeting, in the vicinity of Blackburn, for the
purpose of hearing speeches, and coming to a resolu•
lion regarding the course to be adopted. Two speakers
from Manchester were announced in the placards, but they
did not come, their place being occupied by a person from
Accrington, named Beesley. He denounced the millownen
and the clergy in the most violent terms.—R. Norris, secre-
tary to the Power-loom Weavers' Association, also ad-
dressed the meeting, and stated his belief that a general
Nears of one week would compel the masters to give in.—A
vein was taken whether the hands should strike or not, when
it was determined by a majority that the mills should "turn-
out" Rumours are rife of threatening letters to different
millowners ; and in the streets and public places unequivo-
cal evidence is given of a disposition to practise this special
of intimidation for the attainment of their ends. The meet-
ing of Sunday was attended by a poem, of police, but broke
up without any disturbance. About 6,000 persons, it is
computed, were present.
A MAN WITH Two Wilma—An extraordinary
owe was heard at the Manchester nolice-court on Tula.
day. A man named Joseph Cooke, apparently a me-
ehanie, was summoned for an alleged neglect of family.
Some years ago, it appeared, Cooke was married at the
Reaniah chapel, Preston, by a Rev. Mr. West; and about
four years ago he abandoned his wife, and married another
woman. For so doing he was apprehended, and tried at the
Chester anises on a charge of bigamy, in the year 1844 ; but,
as the prosecution failed to show that the registrar of Preston
was present at the first marriage, the judge gave it as his
opinioa that the marriage was not legal, aid Cooke was
acquitted. Subsequently, he was brought up before Mr.
Maude, at Manchester, and, on being told that he
would be sent to prison if he did not aupport his first
wife, he entered into an arrangement to pay her
and her two children 7s. a week. The money was
paid until within a month ago, when Cooke determined to
dispute his liability, and hence the present ass.—Mr.
Roberta, solicitor, appeared for Cooke, and urged the ille-
gality of the first marriage, on the ground that the registrar
was not present when it was solemnised. The registrar,
Mr. Walker, of Preston, was in court, and produced a copy
of the register ; but all that he could say was, he had no
doubt that he was present, from the fact of his having
found his name affixed to the entry of the marriage in
him books.—The brother of Mrs. Cooke stated that the
registrar was in the vestry when the certificate was signed ;
but he could not swear that the gentleman was present
at the marriage.—At this stage of the ease it was inti-
mated that Cooke had admitted his liability to eup-
port hie first wife by allowing her the 7s. per week, but
Mr. Roberta argued that he had done no such thing. He
said the man had been brought before Mr. Maude, who said
"I'll send you to prison if you don't maintain your wife,"
and by the solemn way in which he (Mr. Maude) had said
it, he frightened the poor tallow, as he had done others
before.—The clerk to the magistrates referred to the act of
parliament, and cited a clause enacting that a marriage
should be null and void if the parties " knowingly and wil-
fully" were married in any other place than the Church of
England, without notice to the registrar, awl without the
presence of the registrar. From this he inferred that the
onus lay on Mr. Roberta to show the neglect had been
wilful, supposing it had existed. Mr. Roberts disputed this
interpretation, and pointed out, that if the magistrates de-
cided against his client, they would be setting aside the deci-
sion of a court of law ; they would be pronouncing • mar-
riage legal which •• jadge had declared illegal, and they
would decide that the second marriage, which was now held
to be legal, was illegal. After • consultation, Mr. Hodgson
said that the bench were satisfied that the requirements of
the law had been complied with, and that the marriage had
been proved. The prisoner was then told that he might, if
he chose, make an arrangement with the overseers; but ulti •
manly the matter ended by his giving notice of appeal
against the decision recorded.
THE " REIGN OF TERROR" AT LIVERPOOL.—The
highway robberies in the neighbourhood of Liverpool have
created a " reign of terror," and people travel about armed.
Upon which the Liverpool Mail remarks, " Some, by their
ignorance of the proper way to use their weapons of defence,
are likely to hurt themselves more than the highwaymen.
On Friday night, three gentlemen went a short distance
from town in a car. One mounted the box, armed with a
loaded pistol in one hind and a life-preserver in the other.
On entering a rather dark lane, the defender of the box,
changing the position of his weapons, so as to have them
ready for immediate service, unluckily brought the life-
wwrver against the head of the driver, who was nearly
knocked off his seat ; on uttering a cry, the two gentlemen
inside, thinking that an attack was really made, were in
great alarm, and presented • pistol from each window. The
driver was not so much hurt as frightened, as he also thought
that the blow came from some desperado who was going to
kill them all."
SERIOUS CHARGE AGAINST A COLLIERY PROTRI-
ETOR.—For some time part suspicion has been entertained
that the workings of the coal mine of Mr. Bleaadale, known
as the Chapel Colliery, in Wigan, near the Wesleyan Me-
thodist Chapel, in Wallgate, have bean extended beyond his
legal bounds, and under very valuable portions of property
in several parts of the town. Mr. Blsesdale holds the Chapel
Colliery on lease from CoL Walmaley, but has also at various
periods purchased other portions of coal under lead sear or