The Express.
London, England, 1847-10-14 00:00:00

aural fest, eri-dog from the waist of employment, the conse-
quences inu.t he mast serious."
COST OF I'ACPERISM. —The overseers of Belton
applied to the borough magistrates on Saturday lot, and
obtained their sanction to a new rote upon the township of
Jour ahillusgs in the pound. Tree overseers stated that Irons
this re's they expected to realise 13,0001., and that although
there is still a considerable amount to be collected of the old
rate, they did not expect that the whole account would cony
them ever next March.
TREATMENT OF PAUPERS IN THE BOLTON WORK-
HOUSE.—W. (Manchester Guardian) have already pute
lished the particulars connected with the death of John
Rothwell, aged 72 years, a lunatic, who died in the 13ulton
workhouse three weeks ago. After his death, intimation was
sent to Mr. tincture that tbe old man had been severely
beaten with a whip by Henry Birchen, a pauper, who offi-
ciated as under-nurse in the ho-pital, and whew duty it au
to attend to the deceased. The subject was accordingly in-
veetigated by the board of guardians, owl subsequently by a
coroner's jury, when it appeared that Birchen had taken a
whip into the hospital, unknown either to the governor or the
female nurse; and that on one occasion during the night he
struck the old man with it when he refused to go to Ind. On
the body of the deceased, as shown by the evidence of the
surgeon, there was not the slightest indication of external
violence, and nottbe slightest doubt existed that the man
died from a violent attack of dysentery. That the conduct
of Birchen, in using a whip to the old man, was highly re-
prehensible, there can be no doubt. This was the opinion of
the workhouse committee, and they immediately dismissed
him from the hospital as under-ours.; and if they hail had
the power to punish him, they would have done so. These
are the simple facts of the case ; yet some mischievous indi-
vidual, knowing the prejud ce of the Times against the New
Poor-law, sent a most unfair and garbled statement to that
journal, sud on Friday last there appeared a leading article,
treating the matter as an unexampled instance of cruelty,
and calling for a full investigation of the whole system of
treatment of the inmates of Bolton workhouse. To this
there can be no objection. The Poor-law Commissioners
have already sent for this depositions taken by the coroner,
end we doubt not that further inquiry will satisfy both the
commissioners and the public.
Tnn ECLIPSE which took place on Saturday lut,
though unseen by the inhabitants of London and its vicinity,
was visible in many parts of the country. " Front the ad-
jacent heights (says the Chester Courant) the eclipse war
distinctly seen throughout great part of its duration. It
began, as affects this locality, about frleen minutes bt fore
sunrise, or nearly six o'clock; but, owing to bar', it was not
seen until about a quarter before seven, when about a fourth
of the sun's surface was covered by the smeller planet. A
considerable part of the eclipse was distinctly visitsle by the
naked eye, the intervening haze acting as a dimmed glue in
protecting the vision, without obecunng the outline of the
visible part of the sun. When this ham was not present,
smoked glass was in requisition. The clove was not distinctly
seen, owing to the view being interrupted by clods. The
eclipse was the largest that has occurred in England for 83
years, exeeedieg in misty respects the famous one of April 1,
1764, and not to be equal!, d in magnitude by any that will
take pl-c: until Mush 15, 1458."—0n the subject of tem-
perature during a solar eclipse, a correspondent of the Duey
Post, writing from Sudbury, tine: " In C.XISI qu, nee of the
unfavourable state of the atmosphere, which rendered the
eclipse of Saturday invisible here, I could not, as I intended
to have done, observe the effirts upon the temperature ; hut
I suppose. being so early in the morning, very little differ-
ence would have been experienced. llad it happened, anon
the 15th of May, 1836, in the middle of the day, and with e
cloudless atmosphere, the temperature would, no doubt, as
then, have been greatly lowered. Not hsvingat that time sent
to print the striking difference which took plate, nor having
ever seen any account of it, I send the observations I then
made.
hum. turn. deg.
3.34 atone addillo 6G
3.10 e 7
3.43 60
4. 0 71
77 4.20
73 433 70
4.43 eat 79
: temperature, from the com-
middle, of 30 degrees."

dex.
96
6.16
2.30
2.43 61
77
2.19
8.20
Showing a difference in
aencement of the eclipse to
_ _ WAN,

...•
----
TD .E
RECENT MURDER IN BIRMINGIIA3I.—The in-
quest on the body of the womanmurdered by her husband in
Birmingham, as reported in this paper, was held yesterday
afternoon. The evidence adduced was completely corrobo-
rative of the facts already published —Eliza Yarnall, a char-
woman, stated that she had worked for the deceased eighteen
months; that she had a family of three children ; and that
she was at her house on the morning of the murder. At the
time she went in the prisoner Davies was there, and one
of his children ; the former was peeling potatoes, and his
wife washing herself. He prewed her not to appear against
him before the magistrates for the assault ho had committed
upon ber. Site refused to listen to his entreaties. Ibe
deceased in the meantime went to the sink to wash ber
hands, after which Davies went up to her and said, " Mary,
do you intend to go ?" to which she replied, " If God spare
me I will." The prisoner stood near her with his left
hand raised to put over her shoulder, as if to him
her, while be had the knife in his hand. It was
customary for him after ill-using her to kiss her, and it
was witness's impression that ho was going to do so on
this occasion. After uttering some threat, witness observed a
gush of blood flow from the throat of the deceased, but bad
not observed Davies use the kutfe, although she was certain
the dect ased could not have done it herself : there was a
straggle between the two. Witness ran into the street, and
deceased called out, " Murder! he has cut my throat!"
She ran out of the house and fell. The prisoner
then threw down the knife—put his hands into his
pocket, and stood with his back to the fire, with apparent
unconcern. The evidence of other witnesses was similar in
its purport. The surgeon deposed to the effect that the
wound inflicted upon the deceased was 6 or 7 inches long and
3 inches deep: that it passed through the windpipe, and di-
vided all the blood-vessels and nerves on the right side,
touchint the the vertehric, until it approached the right ear,
where it terminated. The inquire occupied four hours ,• and
at the conclusion the jury returned a verdict of " Wilful
murder " against Davies.
TIPITZIAMITIO

-.--....-
FIRE AT THE GVNWHARF, DEVORPORT.—A fire
was discovered, about 10 p.m. on Monday, in a carpenter's
shed adjoining the armoury in this establishment, and but
for the timely alarm made by the sentry the consequences
would have been most disastrous. The cause of the fire has
not yet been discovered, but it is sunposed that a spark had
dropped upon some shavings from some part of the fittings of
the gun carriages, and had caminunicatad to the carpenters'
benches and tool chests, and thence to the roof of the build-
ing. Assistance was quickly on the spot, and by the aid of
the gunwharf and dockyard engines the flames were sub-
dued without doing any very material injury. Great praise
is due to the sentry, a young soldier of the 81st regiment,
for his promptitude in discovering the fire and giving the
alarm.