The Express.
London, England, 1847-12-09 00:00:00

INTELLIG]

THIS DAY, bur o'Clock.
In the House of Commons last evening the following
new writs were ordered, consequent upon double
returns: For Stockport, in the room of Mr. Cobden,
who has made his election to a t for the West Riding
of Yorkshire; for Kilkenny, in the room of Mr.
John O'Connell, who sits for Limerick ; and for the
south division of Lancashire, in the room of Mr. C.
P. Villiers, who sits for Wolverhampton. New writs
were also ordered for Liskeard, in the room of Mr.
C. Buller, who has accepted the office of chief cola-
• missioner for carrying out the administration of the
law for the relief of the poor ; for Weymouth, in the
• room of Mr. Christie, who has accepted the Chiltern
' Hundreds; and for Edinburgh, in the room of Mr.
• Cowan, declining•to take his seat, on the ground
that at the time of his election ha was a party
I' to a contract then subsisting with her Ma-
jesty's stationery office, and therefore unduly elected.
The second reading of the Roman Catholic Relief
• Bill was moved by Mr. ANST EY, in a speech enplane-
' tory of the various enactments it
.proposes to repeal,
the measure being similar in principle to that intro-
duced by Mr. Watson, the then member for Kinsale,
in the last session of parliament.—Sir R. INGLIS
strongly opposed the measure, and asked bon. mem-
bers to consider whether its provisions would not in-
- directly, if not directly, endanger the rights of the
crown and the safety of the established church. The
hon. baronet called upon the house to reject the mea-
• sure ; first, on the ground that it was unnecessary ;
and secondly, on account of tie aggressive character
• tithe Romish church, to whom it proposed to give
"6 additional character and status; concluding by moving
Ord it be read a second time that day six months
Ss other speakers against the bill were H.
H.
. Datosnosn, Mr. WAteotE, Mr. Ptolemies, Mr.
NEWDEGATZ, Mr. GOULBURN, Mr.FARRER, and Mr. J.
ST DART.—Sir G. GREY thought there were parts of
the bill which it would be wise to adopt,
particularly as regarded the repeal sf ob-
solete statutes, and which would be in strict accord-
ance with the opinion recorded by the Criminal-law
Commissioners. He should support the second need-
ing of the bill, reserving to himself the r4ht of oppo-
sing any portions of it In committee.—TheEarl of
ARUNDEL AND SORBET, Mr. J. O'CON RILL, Mr. SHELL,
Mr. fiats, Mr. CARDWELL, and Mr. GLADSTONE
also supported the motion, the latter right hon. gen-
tleman stating that the substantial question for con-
sideration related to the act of 1829 ; and although
fully sensible of those considerations which went to
show that it was exceedingly unwise to interfere with
settlements of long contested questions, yet placing
himself in the position of his Roman catholic fellow-
subjects he felt that he could not with justice adhere
entirely to the settlement made by that act. Think-
ing that sufficient ground had been shown for its re-
consideration he should vote for the second reading of
the bill, in order that in committee that object might
be effected.—On a division the second reading was
carried by a majority of 32; the numbers 168 to 136.

The following amount of the state of affairs in
Tahiti is from a letter, dated Valparaiso, Sept. 28 :
From Tahiti, letters by different yeseeh mention that the
natives are allowed by the French to reside on their
own lands away from rapeita, the Hat of government ;
where they are governed as of old by their own laws and
enemas. They have resumed their former mode of life, de-
riding for subsistence on the natural productions of the
island, such as fruits and roots, &c., and on fishing. The
French do not contribute towards their support. The Queen
seems to have made rather • good exchange by coming beck
to her native piece, and living under the French protecto-
rate. Iler majesty and her husband reside in her old
palace, surrounded by native courtiers, and by one or two
" sharp observers" in the French interest, and attended by
native servants. The annual allowance made to her by the
French government, added to a few thousand dollars which
she receives as rent for "crown lands" let to the French
government and to private individuals, suffice to rapport
her establishment in tolerable comfort. She is a quiet,
unostentatious person, has been very pretty, and is still
comely, so a person who saw her lately describes her. Her
husband is a remarkably fine loosing man, and they live
very amicably together. They have a family of five
children; 11.0,1 present appearances indicate • speedy addi-
tion to the number.

MURDER OF FOUR CHILDREN BY THEIR
MOTHER, AND SUICIDE OF THE MURDERESS.
BATH, WEDNESDAY NIORT. A moat horrible
trsgrdy has taken place in this city, a wretched woman hay-
ing cut the throats of four of her children and then dis-
patched her own life by the same dreadful means. The
unhappy creature was the w ife of a jobbing brewer, named
Ridout, occupying • small cottage adjacent to the Bradford
Canal boat stet on. The husband, it appears, had
been absent the whole of the day. A female,
named Seers, residding in an adjoining cottage, not
having seen Mrs. Ridout or the children during the day,
went to their dwelling, but found the door locked. She wee
then induced to look ta at the window, when she saw the
wretched woman lying on the kitchen floor, steeped in
her own blood. She instantly gave the alarm, and the su-
perintendent of the police hastened to the cottage,
with all speed, when the door was forced open.
Passing the body of the dead woman, the throat being
frightfully dirided, and a razor lying by the aide of the
co se, within an adjoining room were the lifeless
bodies of four children, forming the family of the
poor creature. Their heads were nearly severed from
their bodies. The youngest child was en infant, tine
months old, and the eldest about six years of age. Of
course the only presumption Is that the unhappy parent was
It a state of teensy when she committed these dreadful acts.
It appears that she had been subject to An of insanity for
some time put, and it is now only to be deplored that some
means were not taken to restrain her.

LOW) Inapt Rossm.L.—We feel much pleasure in
being enabled to state that the health of Lord John Runell
continues to improve, although he is not sufficiently re-
covered to leave his room. The answer to inquiries at the
residence of the noble lord, in Chesham-place, this morning,
was, "His lordship is rather better."

COMMERCIAL eff MARKETS.
MONEY MARKET & CITY INTELLIGENCE.
Two o'Clock.—lt would appear as if pigeon ex-
presses were employed solely for purposes of fraud,
and that in almost every case they are no better than
the bearers of lies concocted on the other aide of the
water. Yesterday, as reported under this head,
one of these expresses brought the fabricated
news of the approaching dissolution of the Guizot
cabinet. We have this morning advicee from Paris,
in the regular course, from which it appears there
was not a word of truth in the statement, nor any
report current in that capital to warrant it. It is
surely time that measures should be adopted by the
committee of the Stock Exchange to expose, at least, if
not to punish, the parties concerned in these fraudu-
lent practices.
The funds have improved this morning, in the
ahem* of fabricated news, and Consols are now 881
to ; for time, and 8.51 to for money, being advance
on the opening prices. We have a quiet market, and
not much business. Reduced Threes, 841 to Three-