The Express.
London, England, 1848-02-03 00:00:00

PROVINCIAL.

LOCASITIRE.
THE LIVERPOOL Rostvz CLUB.—On Tuesday even-
ing the first soiree of an institution of a social and literary
character, taking the name of the Roscoe Club, recently
formed, and which, since its formation, in regard to numbeis
at least has met with almost unexampled success, was held
at the Concert-hall, in Liverpool. The chair was occupied
by H. R. Sandbach, the president, and about 300 or 400
ladies and gentlemen were present. Unfortunately the
soirée was not honoured with the attendance of any of the
distinguished littjraletirs who had been invited, but ad-
dresses were delivered by several gentlemen of local in.
fluent* and character.
_ YORKSHIRE,

POISONING DT IMPROPER MItDTCINE.—The ad-
journed inquiry into the cause of the deattugof John William
and Alfred, the twin children of John Ryan, a dyer'.
labourer, on Sunday week, was resumed on Monday after-
noon, at the Court-house, Leeds.—Mrs. Ryan, the mother
of the deceased, proved that she bad purchased two powders
for her little boys. When she got home she put the powders
over the fire-place, calling her husband's attention to them,
and telling him that they were for the children to take in
the morning. Sho had bought powders before for the
same purpose at the same shop, and the young man
then told her to give them in sugar, and to give no liquid
tor halt an hour atter. On this occasion she was told to
mix the powders with a little treacle, but as they had none
her husband gave them in tea.—Mr. Allinson, the house
surgeon at the Leeds General Infirmary, said that the
children were brought there about half-past eleven o'clock
lon Sunday forenoon week. Alfred was rather more 'typi-
fied than the other, but both were asleep and breathing
hardly. They had all the appearance of haring
taken some preparation of opium. Ho applied
the stomach-pump to Alfred, but did not succeed very well.
It was subsequently applied to the other boy with better
"emcees. The liquid that was ejected smelt of coffee. The
pupils of the eyes were contracted, and there was some cold-
ness at the extremities. They both died between five and
six o'clock on the Sunday evening. In the afternoon of the
following day he made a post mortem examination of the
bodies. There was much congestion of the brain.
The lungs were generally healthy, but a little congated.—
Mr. West, F.R.S., chemist, stated that he had analysed the
contents of the stomachs, which had been sent to him. He
first satisfied himself of the absence of mineral poisons, and
then he detected the presence of morphia, which was not
only the active principle of opium, but one of those prin-
ciples which denoted the presence of opium. Ile could not
attempt to weigh it, but, from such grounds as the cue
admitted of, he thought there might be three or four
grains of one of the forms of morphia in each
stomach. The morphia appeared to be in solution.—Mr.
Albumen said that three grams of morphia, if the quality
was good, would be a poisonous date for such young chil-
dren.—The Coroner then summed up the case, and the
jury, after a short consultation, returned a verdict in each
case of " Homicide by misadventure," and accompanied
their verdict with a strong recommendation to Messrs. Bell
and Brooke, and to all other druggists, to keep all poisonous
drugs in a separate compartment, and to have them marked
by some prominent distinguishing character.
WAX—

Jllxvisll DISABILITIES.—Thu Mends of civil and
religious liberty held a meeting at Birmingham, yesterday,
to consider the propriety of petitioning Ppar~liaamment in favour
of the bill now before it, for the removal of the civil dis-
abilities of the Jews. Mr. Ald. Martineau presided, and after
speeches from Mr. Scholefield, M.P., Dr. Raphael, the Jew-
ish rabbi, and other gentlemen, the following petition was
unanimously adopted:" That your petitioners have heard
with great satisfaction that a bill is about to be introduced
into your right honourable house for the removal of the civil
disabilities under which her Majesty's Jewish subjects la-
bour. That your petitioners consider these disabilities very
unjust and inexpedient, and therefore in contradiction alike
of the spirit of religion and the British constitution." The
Marquis of Lansdowne is to be entrusted with the petition
to the House of Lords, and the borough members with that
to:the commons.
MIDLAND FREEIIOLD LAND ASSOCIATION.—Thie
association, formed in September last, for the purpose
of enabling mechanics, and others in similar circumstances,
to passers, themselves, for a small consideration, of the
county franchise, held a soiree In the Music Hail ac Dheed.g
lumen Tuesday night, William Scholefield, Esq., M.P., pre-
siding. The report showed that upwards of GOO persona had
already become members of the institution; these, by the
payment of a sum amounting to about Is. Old. per week,
Will be entitled, at the expiration of lain than four years
(according to the first purchase of land), to a free-
hold of the value of 455. per annum. In the course
of his speech, the honourable chairman' said that in one
sense the institution held out advantages which savings
banks and benefit clubs did not—it had a political
object; and he used that phrase, not in • narrow and party
spirit, but in its widest sense—implying that every man had
an interest, and ought to exercise it, in the good government
of his country. He bad no idea of politics being cultivated
merely for the purpose of excitement, or for the gratification
of personal ambition ; but if they were made available to the
promotion of the moral and religious condition of the people.
he conceived that a more ennobling duty it would be im-
possible for a man to discharge. There were some political
questions at least in which all were concerned—for instance,
there was a talk of increasing the national defences by an
expenditure of two or three millions of money additional,
but before that was done, it would be as well the poor
people should have something to defend beyond union
workhouses. Then there was the income-tax to be
not only re-imposed, but augmented, with all its un-
just provisions. These were matters which showed
the urgency of the people availing themselves of that
suffrage which for a small consideration the law gave
to them. He said that, irrespective of party politics, he was
one of these who thought that every man of mature age was
entitled to a full share of political rights; unfortunately the
law said No;" but at least the means were afforded by
which every man might imam himself of that which he
believed was unjustly withheld from him. The county
franchise had been shown to be a great weapon in the hands
of the masses : in his opinion it might be very much further
extended with usefulness, and the means were effectually
and intelligibly presented by such an association as this.—
Mr. Ald. NVeston, and Councillors Baldwin and Collins,
subsequentlyp. addressed the meeting, and resolutions were
to the effect that, as the association had it in view to
increase the happiness of its members by enabling them to
improve their social condition, and by habits of frugality to
obtain for themselves a voice in the election of the Commons
House of Parliament, the meeting pledged itself to co-operate
in promoting its principles and objects.

-DEVONSHIRE.
THE BISHOP OF Ex ETER AND TUE VICAR OF BLIMP-
FORD SPEEE.—The following statement is taken from the
Wotan Times ;—" DSr. Gorham, the clergymen whom the