The Express.
London, England, 1847-09-04 00:00:00

PROVINCIAL

THE BANKRUPTCY OF MESSRS. CLAYTONS AND
Co.'s BANG.—The last examination of the Mews. Clayton
and Mr. Wilson, lately carrying on ',naives, as beakers at
Preston, was appointed for yesterday, before Mr. Commis-
sioner Skirrow, at the Manchester Bankruptcy Court, but
nothing of interest transpired. The liabilities are stated at
133,1231. 2s. 6d. In the balance-sheet 109,0231. 70,3 d. were
put down so bad debts, and 33,0241. as good debts ; but it la
understood that the available assets will amount altogether
to about 60,0001., and that about a like amount will be avail
able from the private estate of Mr. Clayton, the senior
partner. This would give a dividend of 15s. ; but it is not
expected to exceed 13e.

PENNY SUBSCRIPTION TO PURCHASE SELAKSPRARE'II
Houss.—On Thursday a meeting, convened by circular, was
held in Liverpool, for the purpose of devising means for
raising a fund, by penny subscriptions, in aid of the purchase
of Shskspeare's house. The meeting was very thinly at-
tended. Mr. H. M. Young, who occupied the chair, stated
the object, and mid that a committee had been formed in
6tratford.upon-Avon and in London, for the purposes of
purehaaing the house in which Shskspeare is Mid to have
been born. It was originally intended to confine the sub-
scription to a penny each contributor, in order to snake the
object a mere national one ; but'this resolution had been
abandoned to allow those who were desirous of contributing
more. A committee of 24 was formed to carry out the
object of the society. It was suggested at the close of the
proceedings, that a number of boxes should be procured, and
be left in public places, after the fashion of the missionary
collecting boxes.

DITBJIAW.

SUNDERLAND SHIP:EUILDIRO.—The &nuke.land
Herald of yesterday says :—" One of the causes of the great
progress that the port of Sunderland has made in the trade
of ship-building ha, been very much lost sight of. We
allude to the alterations made in the mode of ehresification in
Lloyd's book in the year 1834. Previous to that date, the
time that a vessel was allowed to stand on the first letter de-
pended more on the character of the port she happened to
be built at than on the quality of the materials employed,
or the manner in which she was put together. Under
these circumstances a builder had leas inducement to
build a good vessel, since she could not thereby be re-
tained fur a longer time on the first clam. But since
that time the real merits of the vessel have been more
taken into consideration in the classification; and the
Sunderland builder has, for the first time, had, thereby,
fair-pier. The result has been a rapid improvement in the
mode of construction, and a great increase in the number of
vessels built. As evidence of the daily improvement that
is taking place, It is stated that when the head surveyor
from Lloyd's was down, a few weeks since, he was struck
with the great advance made in the last twelve months ;
and that he recommended the surveyors from other ports to
come to Sunderland, in order that they might carry these
improvements to the ship-builders at home. We have also
the gratification of being able to state, that, from recent
parliamentary returns, it appears that upwards of one-third
of the ships built in the United Kingdom, in the year 1846,
were built at the port of Sunderland.

-----
ASSAULT ON A SUNDAY-SCHOOL Tads= BT A
CLEROTYAN IN A CHIIRCH.—At the Hyde mime*
on Monday, the Rev. D. Seddon, vicar of ems
&Alined with assaulting John Schofield and S. arm lay,
in Mottram church, on the Bth of Aug.*. User, et
Dearnaley being taken first, Mr. Broo =jewegteiled
that the complainant was a peamble
man, who during the week was engaged in a man • turfy
and on the Sunday employed his time fa telehlig
generation in a school connected with Yiessi deem&
On the Bth of August, the day when tide amok WaS ant-
=Wed, the complainant, along with the eluldrea hem die
school, attended the church of which the defeeene epee
minister. He was sorry that he should bare to delethei the
defendant's irritable and overbearing manner.= thitallmelea
referred to: it reflected disgrace upon him, netimig as a
clergyman, but sea man. Some time ago, Mr. Ilenkia
complained to some of his congregation of the
state of the school connected with the ehurehorhea they,
with a laudable seal, set to work, and established a school
at Broadbottom. This school became very flourishing; and
in February last the teachers and scholars began to proceed
regularly to church, where they occupied the free titling,.
They went on the day in question, when, just before morn-
ing service, Mr. Seddon came into the church, apparently in
a most irritable temper. He went to the sittings which
these teachers and scholars occupied and requested them
to leave them. Thee refused to do so; and upon their
refusal he seised them, and pulled them out ism the
aisle. He (Mr. Brooks) was consulted by the defend-
ant and a number of the parishioners, and had advised
them to bring the case before the magistrates. Under or-
dinary circumstances the ease was one which called for
especial notice ; but when it was taken into account that
the defendant was a clergyman ; considering, tao, the place
where the offence was committed, and the confusion which
was created in the church, as all the people stood up to see
what was ionise, the case was much aggravated. There was
not the Meat vindictive feeling in taking these promedinp ;
it was slily to prevent • repetition of the offence that thee.
steps were adopted. The complainant, Mr. Dearnaley, had
conducted himself with the greatest propriety, not having
retaliated in the least when Mr. Seddon laid hands upon
him, and forcibly put him out of the pew. It was a; clear
offence against the common law of the land, and he
(Mr. Brooks) thought the bench would, by their deci-
sion, prevent like occurrences in future.—Sa* muel Dear
naley was then called, and in answer to question,
from Mr. Brooks said: I have been in the habit of attend-
ing Mottram Church. I am a conductor of the Church
Sunday School at Broadbottom. I and the scholars
attended church en the Bth of August, and occupied the free
Nitta's. We were in church ten minutes before service
commented. We were in the sittings next to the christening
place We have been in the habit of sitting there ever since
rebruary last. When we bad been there for some time
Mr. Sodden came into the church ; he proceeded to the tint
pew down the aisle, inwhich our scholars and teachers ware,
and ordered theta to come out. He came to the pew in
which I was, and asked me to come out. I said I would not.
He inked me again, and I refused. He said, " send for
a constable." -I said, " Very well." He replied, " have
you in custody." I said, " 'Very well, sir.' He then sent
for John Chatterton, the constable, by Samuel Swan. The
constable came, but did not take any notice. He merely
walked down the able. Mr. Bidden then entered the pew
in which I was (the constable being gone), seised • Ltile
boy, and put him into the aisle. He afterwards did so to
three others. After that he came to me, and I refused to go
civieawhen he laid his bands behind my shoulder, and
packed
me out into the aisle. He appeared to be mush
excited. He polled me in • way that I did not like. I
remained in the church during Persia, bat did netretern
to my mat. Two of our teachers left, and went hemp. I
did not give Mr. Seddon the least meatkes.—Crom-
emmined The seats we occupied were formsey the ohurett-

wardens' pew: they were free sittings. We sat where
there was room left We set there a month before the
t•dt at AWnm. I -ennui tell. hem Ghee - the eettelas•
freest Breadbottom had sat there ; but they had sat there
many times—cis or seven times. I had no couvenetion
with any one that morning about where we should sit.
—John Beranek, churchwarden, said, I had applied to Mr
Seddon to maae arrangements for the scholars prior to the
Bth of August, but no arrangement- was made until after
that time, when Kr. Seddon did so.—lentel Stott, use other
churchwarden, being in court, was called by the bench.
He said he had consented to no arrangement. The mate
formerly seed by the ehorehwardens were now rant-
pied by scholars. He had never been asked to a
prints teats for the scholars.—John Cbatterton said tihat,
as constable, he was applied to en the Bth of August,
by Samuel Swan, who said Mr. Seddon was turning the
scholars me of their teals.—Mr. Brooks said that was his
cans.—Mr. Cooper begged to submit that there was no ewe.
It had been proved by his friend's own witnesses that Mr.
Seddon had sawed the ipartles to come oat quietly, which
they refused to eo. Mr. Seddon, therefore, only did that
which be was justified in doing. The man refused to go
out, and Mr. Seddon, as vicar, had a right to pet him out.
—After a short consultation, the bench agreed to hear the
next cue before they gave my decision —Mr. Brooks then
said that the other case was similar to the one they had just
heard, with the exception that the seat in which the second
complainant was had no connexion with the churchwardens'
pew, but had been a free seat from time immemorial: If Mr.
Seddon had such a poweru represented, they would be ender
the most priestly servile domination, such as existed before the
reformation What a tendency it must have to dempthe
energies of those engaged in instructing the rising generation
on the Sabbath. He could not conceive with what mieettlhe
'defendant could go into the pulpit. Mr. Brooks proceeded
to call his witnesses in the second use whose evidence wee
almost exactly similar to that previously given.—The Chair-
men (to Mr. Cooper): Do you intend to call any wannest
—Mc Cooper : I do not require them—The magistrates deli-
berated for a few moments, alter which the chairman said the
bench had given the cases their best attention. With regard
to the second case, that of John Schofield against Mr. Sed-
don, they thought there was no assault proved, and they
should, therefore, dismiss it. But as regarded the charge
preferred by Mr. Dearnaley, they were of opinion that an
esaault had been committed. He had sworn that he bad.
reason to believe, from the defendant's conduct, that he
would assault him again. From his petition u a teacher,
they considered that he ought to be protected, and they
would, therefore, call upon Mr. Seddon to enter into hie
own recognisauce, in the sum of 201., to keep the peace fur
six months.

SOHAM FREE 56H007.;.-111111s ancient and once
useful and valuable school, was, in the month of December
last, and still continues to be, shut up, and altogether de-
serted. The schoolmaster and
.scholars were dismissed,
under the alleged authority of a new scheme, obtained from
the Court of Chancery at an expense of upwards of 1,0001.,
for the purpose of confining the benefit of the insti-
tution to the children of members of the Established Church,
in exclusion of the children of dissenters ; the gates leading
to the play-ground are demolished; the broken windows on
the west side of the buildings are boarded up to prevent
further mischief. Since " the schoolmaster has been
thread," it ha, bees discovered that owing to some flaw in
the Chancery proceedings, more difficulties have arisen in
reference to the ousting of children of dissenters, than
was expected. By the new scheme it is provided, that
the Muter of Pembroke Hall, in Cambridge, be the visitor
of the school, and in his absence the Vicar of Sobam. On
every vacancy the trustees are to proceed to an election within
eight weeks, and if a majority should not bare agreed with-
in that time, the right of appointment is vested in the Masts
of Pembroke Hall and the Vicar of &sham, jointly ; and if
they should not agree, and perfect the game within one fort-
night after, then the right is vested in the bishop of the dio-
cese absolutely. The trustees and the Master of Pembroke
Hall, andthc vicar, having neglected to appoint within the
dam prescribed, the appointment, it appears, is now vested
k fie Bebop of Ely, and it is hoped that his lordship will
to exercise the power given to him with u little
now stand, it seems that the
childrenb of uirecl As matterswellmen,as
as those of dissenters, are ex-
cluded from that benefit which the founders of the charity,
established in the of Charles the Second, intended.

reign
BUCI

CHURCH ACCOMMODATION FOIL THE POOR.—The
Bishop of Oxford has addressed the following letter to the vicar
of Upton co m-Chorley church upon the subject of some recent
alterations made in the church of that parish, which altera-
tions caused some discnseion amongst the parishioners, en
already reported in this paper :
Cuddeedon Palace, Aug. 2S, 1847.—Rev. and doer Sir,—My absence
from home has prevented my receit log your letter until today. I
touch regret the misapprehension as to their legal powers, with regard
to the alteration at your church, which seem to tweeere your nary. I
will endeavour onne more to etas, se clearly es I car, what the true
I state of the case is, and what is the course which 1 it/wit be compelled
to take If the rivailution adopted on the 19th be earned out. : —l. The
panda in vestry Me no legal right to determine upon alterations in the
pariah church. They may agree upon the expediency of alterations, but
such alterations cannot be made without a faculty. 2. The alterations at
=Church hate been made without • faculty, and are therefore
8. They are further, in my judgment, highly objectionable,
11 became, firet, they involve a breech of faith with the incorporated
moiety; ask asseidly_ , santamolego Odic/• the cr the Poor. and
gbriatl Um to the ridt. The santidatscs Won= nee that he moaned
to no mish plea. It In my acsakt dkalg to defesd the poor, and I
muestalsed then. Bali, thertliage, I remits an immediate emat-
rause dud =a arid Os poor an either malty or in practise restored
to thom, as thins =la I at the side of the church substitute!
for Way I lean be to begin proccedinge against the church-
wardens. 4. Ms mess of Oro proceeding. will be ea follows :
First, as ceder (to wb =ors can be made no asp:Maas)
will =us to the ehortinnimMos to restore the meats to their
=ism mate, by a day to be ilosatrythe court ; sad, secondly, to pay
the ea= of this p if by the day Pl t= mats
have not been re:dore'd,4ll Z the massy Pled the
the churchwardens will
be pronounced •in aastmegt" and committed to prima until their
contempt is purged by oboillase to the order. of the court. All these
additional coma will fall op= the churchwardens, and the vestry can-
not charge them upon the church rites ; for the church rates =mot
pay the punishment of the wardens for diaobeylng the orainary. In
parse and in canon the churchwardens are Liable. I most earnestly
trust that the Lhurchwardeas, upoo further conaideretion, will epee
me the great pain of taking these stets; but the came is the came of
the poor, ..d if compelled to do so, 1 shall sminsin It to the utter.
most.—l am, 8. Ozov.
Alter a lung discussion upon this communication the vestry
appointedr
relative aZi deputation
ve t o hep o tic:itswiaint upon, and colder with, the

......
IS IT LEGAL TO LET PEWS IN PARISH CHURCHES ?
--r-The Cheltenham Exansiner says : .• The abuse of pew-let-
ting, so long c.inplained of, is at length likely to be put an
end to. The bishop of the diocese, at his visitation on Mon-
day, brought the subject before his court, and trom some
remarks dropped by himself and Dr. Phillimure, it appears
to be pretty certain that the practice is illegal, and that the
remedy may be easily administered. It is a well-known fact
that pence who never think of attending the church them-
selves, who reside at a distance, or are themselves members
of dissenting congregations, claim the right of property over
certain pees, and derive a considerable revenue by letting
them to other parties. Some pews in good situa-
done let as high as 121. and 141. per annum. It is also
wall known that this abuse does not exist only in a few
isolated cases, but that a large proportion of the scats
which ought to be occupied by the parishioners at large are
male the seiject of this system of sale mid barter. Dr.
Phillintore expressed a very decided opinion on the subject,
and the court made an order on the churchwardens to make
a report et the number ot pews so claimed, and the parties
claiming by the let of November next. It is likely that
these parties, both lesson and lessees, may receive summonses
to appear before the ecclesiastical court to explain the grounds
on which they justify the practice."

THE FIRE AT EXEYER.—Under the direction of
the authorities, the inquest on this mysterious fire was not
held. Solomon is still in custody ; be was examined on
Thursday privately, and remanded to Wednesday next.

- _
MILTSHIRE.
REMOVING USELESS FENCes.—The paragraph in
the Express on this subject has induced the following
remarks from a correspondent of the Salisbury Journal:—
" I contend that thousands of seeks of corn may be grown
annually in this country more than at present were land-
°lrma and tenant-farmers to turn their attention more than
many of them do to the removal of useless fences. I em of
opini..n that many of the landomien have imbibed the no-
tion that farmers are anxious to tear up their fences for the
purpose of destroying game; but this is very far from being
the greatest evil &ruing from having too many fences, hedge-
row., &c. Sy allowing too many oldies* nuisances to remain
on your farm (for I know no better term for them), you not
only lose the crop the land which they occupy would bear, but
I also the produce of several yards of tendon each side of the same.
One farmer has a field of 40 acre* to get sown to ...them ;
another has the same quantity of land, but in four or five
different fields. They both begin sowing on the same day,
and follow the work till it is completed; and while the one
is ploughing his head-pieces, and turning about his horses so
many tames, the other completes the work ; and the farmer
who hu his 40 'cretin so many fields is a day and a half or
two days later than the other. This is another very
great advantage arising from baying fields large. Bona*
landlords will say, if they allow their tenants to break up
so many of their fences, they shall have no cover for
their gems. I would say to every landowner through-
out the kingdom, get your tenants out of the detestable
practice, which many of them have got into., of sowing
barley after wheat, or any sort of straw crop, in two suc-
ceeding years. Let them keep their farms well filled with
turnips end every other sort of green crops, and this will
make plenty of cover for game, and be the means of keeping
the land in a fit state to eow corn on. I would again reite-
rate the my throughout the land, 'Down with all unneces-
sary fences,' as it will ultimately prove a very great benefit
to the landlord as well as the tenant. And where fences are
really necessary on amble lands, let them be kept neatly
shorn down, so that they may not shade the ground on either
aids, nor prove a harbour to sparrows, linnets, and many
other destructive birds, which destroy annually in this coun-
try handfed', and I think I should not be going too far if I
were to say thousands, of lecke of corn."

L ITREA TU RE.
Aieetstures cm the Western Coast of South lialdriek
M.D.aged
Me latenorof California,lso. By Jost, Coots,
2 volumes.
Them volumes are somewhat late in the field.
Their author went oat on the voyage—the etweft-
tions and experiences of orbs** they proems Se 4le-
seribe—in the year 1851, and retuned tosiUnd
1838 ; so that they have Dot mow that IT-
tt
commendation of an iadithoset book—samoligisity
ooatainethe latest hdlonsation on the abject. le.
moreemejelocessadreart; the "meta .m=t
reZthe mdao and •=O. •• in
ens; air moral tone decidedly-ob-
jectionable; and tfie observations beck that prolipsawl