The Express.
London, England, 1847-09-24 00:00:00

PROVINCIAL.

BENEVOLENCE ILL REVTARDED.—On Wednesday
a foreign gentleman, named Edmund Henry St. Peire, was
brought up at the Liverpool police court, charged with ob-
taining money on behalf of the widow of the late Dr.
Wetherell, that lady having, it was stated, given kim no
authority for so doing. Dr. O'Donnell stated that on Tues-
day last the prisoner called upon him, and represented to
him that he had been requested by Mrs. Wetherell to collect
her late husband's accounts, she (not a naturalised subject)
being prevented from doing so herself; and also to appeal
to the benevolence of her husband's friends for some relief
for herself and family. He (Dr. O'D.) gave him It ; and at
the same time he stated that Dr. Bickersteth and Dr. M'Cul-
lagh had else given him It each. Mrs. Wetherell denied in
the most positive manner that elm had authorised the prisoner
to solicit for her in this way. Mr. St. Peire was asked for his
defence, when he entered into a lengthened statement, from
which it appeared that he had been influenced throughout
the whole transaction by motives of charity, and had acted
with great zeal on behalf of the widow, who, upon repeated
occasions, had for his good actions severely abused him. On
his statement being examined into, the magistrate ordered
him to be discharged.
DISTEMPER AMONG CATTLE. The Preston
Guardian says, "We have on all hands complaints of
disease among cattle. In various instances it has proved
fatal. Cow-keepers, both in town and country, have been
sufferers. We know one farmer who has lost seventeen
good cows, and our Poulton correspondent states, ' The dis-
temper is prevailing to a fearful extent in sone parts of the
country among cattle. I hear of one respec.able farmer
having loot fifteen or sixteen, and others have suffered
considerably.' "
CILD3IIIRE.

BIRKENHEAD A FREE —43ORT. —The adjourned
meeting of the dock commissioners for the purpose
of reducing the rates of the decks, in accordance with
the recent proposal of the railway company to the board,
viz., to reduce the rates of tonnage on all foreign ves-
sels to 6d., and on all coasting vowels Id. per ton, was held
yesterday at the board room, Hamilton•equare, J. ii. Green,
Esq., in the chair. Mr. Thompson moved the following remo-
tion :

That the toenail* rates leeled at the Birkenhead Docks be chanted
from tb.. date at the rate of 6d. per Vat on foreign vowels, and Id. on
*mating reeaela ; and that the law dera be ordered to advertise the
lame In the usual way.

This motion having been seconded by Mr. Cole, it was pat
and carried nent dia. Mr. William Laird observed that by
this arrangement, the railway company were to pay all rates
on vessels landing cargoes ; and although nominally the
dock oommisaioners levied N. per ton on vessels from foreign
pare , and Id. per ton on coasters, yet the docks of Birkra-
head were, in consequence of this arrangement,to be virtually
free to the public, and there were therefore now no dues
whatever on ships entering, or goods landed in the Birken-
head Docks.

THE VALE OF iVE9FL4I47IGRICULTCRAL SOCIETY
held its annual meeting yesterday. The competition in the
ploughing was not so close u in former years, only nine
ploughs entering. The match came off at Mr. Gough 's farm
at Hinton-on-the-Green, about two miles from Evesham,
and the majority of the prizes were awarded to ploughmen
in the service of Mr. Niod. The exhibition of cattle and
horses was satiafactory, but of sheep there was not so good
en assortment as at former meelangs. Among the prize
holders were Lord Northwick, Mr. Itandell, Mr. Beman, of
Donnington, Mr. F. Woodward, an active Vale farmer, and
others eminent in the locality. The show-yard was opened
to the public at 12 o'clock. An unfortunate accideat hap-
pened in the course of the morning to a servant of Mr.
Woodward, who, while attending to his master's cattle in
the yard, was kicked in the stomach by one of the horses.
He was conveyed to an adjacent Ilion, blood running pro-
fusely from his mouth. He recovered a little towards the
evening. There were the usual premiums offered for com-
petition by agricultural labourers avid servants, shepherds,
&c., for long and faithful service. Some of the prizeholders
halived for more than half a century on the same farm.
The dinner in the evening wail well attended. The chair
was taken by J. H. H. Foley, Esq., M.P. Many eminent
agriculturists were amongst the company. The usual toasts
were given, and many practical speeches delivered in the
course of the evening. Some of the speakers urged the ne-
cessity of using every effort to increase the produce of the
country, and declared that the result of the working of these
associations had already shown in that district an increase in
the produce of the Vale. Tho party did not separate until
nearly eight o'clock.
• NN. T mamma IP

DESECRATION OF THE DEAD.—On Sunday fore-
noon the assistant sexton, in digging a grave in St. Bene-
dict's churchyard, came upon the coin of a person named
Ryall, who died not many years ago, which he broke,
throwing out the human remains in a manner which pre-
sented a horrifying scene. It was witnessed by many per-
sona is the neighbourhood, and though he was remonstrated
with, yet the man persisted. We (says the Lincoln
Biloollorti) trust that the scene will have the effect of
sinestbeffilag the movement that is making for procuring •
samara mastery ; the burial of the dead in crowded beige
edit& our city's walls is a crying evil

TEE RECENT GALE.:ll3ejittry and Suffolk Hersh,
Duriog the heavy gale of wind from the Wile. Id&
which,we were visited during the past week, a sa
propelled by means of an Arcbimedeaa screw, :tg=
gnat distress into our roads. She is called the Archimedes.
and trades regularly between Sunderland and Loaded'.
Whoa only about half a mile from Hasborough Sands, •
heavy swell of sea washed away her boat, aced drove area
her davits in contact with • material portion of r
screw part of her machinery. Whilst in this
condition, another wave caught her • broadside
carried away her main-mast, funnel, doing in other re.
epees very considerable damage to her. She
to get into the roads, and was on Friday united=
harbour in a very shattered condition. She now Um mss.
site the oil-horses previously to being refitted. She lista
good many passengers on board, and on Saturday eaves of
them applied to the magistrates for assistance, stating that
they had only a few shillings among them to get to Sunder-
land. Of course the magistrates were not the parties to
whom to apply, and the mayor referred them to the parish
authorities, and to the secretary of the Shipwrecked Man-
ners' Society.
KENT.
A FATAL OCCURRENCE happened on Tuesday morn-
ing in the river Medway, whereby two lives were loot, by
the capsize of a peter-boat, in Salt Pan Reach, half-way be-
tween Chatham and Sheeran'. The peter-boat was observed
by the crew of the yacht Defiance, running down with all
sail set, and observing a squall approaching the yacht was
hove to, the crew immediately reefed the sails, and in a
. .
Pm!