The Express.
London, England, 1848-12-18 00:00:00

PROVINCIAL.

MISTING OF RSFOTHESS.—The Manchester Times,
of Saturday, says:—" We understand that it is in contem-
plation to hold a great meeting in the Free-trade Hall laws-
distil, after Cheats's, probably on the 4th of Jan., at
which Mr. Cobden, Mr. Bright, and Mr. Gibson are erpected
to be present. We are not at liberty to enter into derails,
bat may state that the Important questions of parliamentary
and financial reform will be then discussed ; and it is not un-
likely that a scheme opsratione, having reference partieu•
lady tea general registration of electors, will Ise developed.
We make this annouseeneent with the utmost satisfaction,
well assured as we ars then it will give plessure to all true
sothemen in every pert of the country."
CHAHOE OF FELONY AGAINST AN ATTORNEY.—
AS the ftew Bailey, Manchester, on Friday, Mr. William
Ambbft, an , ad Peter Moan, a bailiff's usistant,
IMO sheeted with _ . Mr. Gibed, the town clerk, said
thetame, =mei lobed Birch, residing at Pendleton, and
she wee he ado reseed circumstances, bad applied to
Ambler leir alefeed *e amuse adopted with reference to
Mmwas NS which the iavestigalien of the case would *owl
ea be of the most serious character he had ever keows.
ikolo, who was thus in difficulties, unfortunately applied to
• pants named Hopwood, who obtained business for attar-
says, who at that time was as a clerk for Ambler, and
be eimemmended Mr. Ambler to Birch engaged Ambler
dew him in some proceedings against bin in the county
imeth. L assordado withadvice given by Mr. Ambler, Birch
maim dignessnt of his property to Mr. P. Newton, for the
Wadi of de creditors; but, after Newton had taken posses-
sion, a quantity of the goods were taken from Birch's house,
earned into Manchester, and there sold, by Mr. Ambler's
illeestioe, ander a pretended claim of a bill for fret aring the
deed of aulgemeat. Goods to the value of about 1001. had
bees samtheed in that manner. If these facts were proved,
be Mend deem it necessary to ask for such punishment as
would tend to check any each practice by other. Mr.
Gibson thee inquired if there was a person in court named
Joe* Mowood. Ambler said he was not near him ; but
Imposter 'dock apprehended him at the door, and he was
placed in the dock. Wined et having been heard in support
of Mr. Gibson's statement, Mr. Trafford said there was no
proof that Hopwood had taken any part in the affair, and
therefore he mast be discharged. M'Leaa appeared to have
acted under the authority of Mr. Ambler, and probably was
not aware he was acting Ulegally. He should, however, re.
mend the ease, and allow 9PLean and Ambler to find bail
for their appearance.
WASWICHSHISS.
STATISTICS OF CHIME no BIBMINGIIA3I.—The cri-
minal returns for the borough of Birmingham for the last
year have just been collected and published by Mr. Stephens,
the chief of the police form in that town. Theee returns em-
brace the number of persons taken into custody with the re-
sults, together with comparative statements for the years
1839 to 1847 inclusive, and ass upon the whole both curious
and interesting. Taking first the returns for the last year,
we find the offences classed under six different beads : the
first embracing murder, stabbing, assaults, and other offence.s
of that character, shows ;that there were; taken into: custody
486 ; of these, 405 were assault cases, 188 of them
being upon the pollee in the execution of their duty ; and
there were discharged by the magistrates 186; summarily
disposed of, or held to bail, 234 ; actually tried and convicted,
16 only. The offences under the second head eml.race ouch
crimes as burglary, housebreaking, &C.: there were taken
into custody, 63 ; discharged by the magistrates, 11.; com-
mitted for trial, 40; convicted, 24. The third section em-
braces horse-stealing, embezzlement, larcenies, &c., and there
were taken into custody 1,696; discharged. 882; committed
he Ina' 1,610; convicted, 416; out of which number 203 were
fee simple larcenies only. In the fourth seetioe there were
114 Wien into custody for malicious offences against
property, ef whom 63 were discharged, and 62 sum-
marily disposed of, or held to bail. Under the fifth
bead there are forgeries, uttering of counterfeit coin, &c. ; 57
were taken into custody ; 61 discharged by the magistrates;
6 committed for trial ; and 3 only convicted. The sixth sec-
tion embraces drunkenness and other minor offences : there
were taken Into custody, 1,762; discharged by the magi-
strates, 1,613; 248 were summarily disposed of; there not
being a single committal for trident of this nearly 1,800 per-
son. charged with aboat a score different kinds of offences.
The recapitulation under these heads shows that there were
taken into custody in the year for various offences, 4,027 ;
discharged by the magistrates, 2,694; summarily disposed of,
763; committed for trial, 680; convicted, 458; acquitted,
77; bills not Sound, &c., 46. Of these 4,027 poems
taken into custody them retains further show, with regard
to their ages, that there were of-12 years and ueder, make
168, females 18; 16 years and above 12, males 492, femeles
62 ; 21 ran and above 16, males 726, females 227. The
foregoing illustrates the neensity for early traiaing, and
the following from these tables is proof enough how
Mal defective eddied= bee to do with due. Of
them 4,027 deader, there could neither reed ear write,
1,102; red or red end write imperfectly, 1,986;
reed sad write well, 197' impeder edemas, IL
Oa airmail review of theme estimates (says a correspoaded;
it is found that of the whole offloads, lees thee one.fifth are
females, but that of the mimes of en wended character
these bear a yeepertisa of mere then see third : for in-
side% of the add eseamittale eiddies, three were
hmilm of robidies treth the ease
there were 119
themelm I of SS atailh*doweelies, 70 were females, but
ef the NO la aehely fifer &inhumes 706 were of the mile
as. eel ea/ 1/44 Imam The three great items In these
shahs tee druelemew, Nagle and raisin
hem the poen ; thaw pease. me law than .wads...Upset the whelk however, It la rams te Anne,
that astwithstesibg the rate at whkit the mulattos of
Bagdosain her gees aa barewirtg the mashie of eaavie•
dos AWN' in INT was Ms by 64 than It wee la 1840.

AN AOOIIROATZ Moretti 01 POOZ-LAW
Ullsaa-
Dta.e of the OIVIOSI two la the musty of WofOldlif be
beta hWd, to tab late emithratlon the qesseica of as alte-
red= of VW system of r for the relief of the poor, and
the mammy of eseahltstoing a district Bekaa
saws*, theirs= et the board of guardians
of the Worm* prosi64 ad there were premed
deputethes ham the Snows, Droltwieh, Upton.or
Severn, Posher% sml Kidder/ark, Valens; among whom
were Lord hythilisat far J. 8. Natives, Bart.. MX.. and
seat nosiloMos ; J. T. Graves, am, the poor law in.
speelsr, sod 0. Spaces, 'eq., one of her majesty's in.
spathes sehods, were also preesat. A return baying been
read, sh al
rift that in the twelve porkies or *Mom of Wor
sear elly tie poor-rats varied him Is. 6d. to Is. in the
mewl ea the rateable valve, the Rev. R. anew sawed
▪ gmet 11; late the miaow of the system of the sad
of wpm Weretithe; Mr the pupae cot sharing the emir
de• mg tithe paint melon, and its Westin. He ear
Vat the Jai assmary bertha of the we of
theme leme madly beersad that the wielthier t
pay tie in to the }sane s, sad the poorer pe6le the
moot, fa prepertisa to the moms of seek; sad that a national
=rata rag le. N. in the pound. throughout the
Mini XhiOsm diet a jest and unproved retold,
weal be amply for the support of the poor. A
&swim hilowei, la the souse el ethic); Lord Lyttelton
observe& Mel the quad= was surrounded with difficulty,
MI that um the owlish he had no loath that • meal no.
tfeetalpsm~sye ass 11 be hoof te be the bed. la the end
Me fßwl.f raslatime wen pat bibs and carried
NM : I. That tie mime immeal of rating
for the summery tappet ei the ihottithe poor is erronsom ia
end injerfthe in rasa& 2. That wealthy
C121111aldilllt• their it
qua Is seek sale ore bat =
rfaburies is thrown upon peer yet mlees parishes
w of their mataining hearse width the needy can
alehlt. 3. That weetelid sod Min farina* is In-
wood roily fa perish Wien le ieleoudne the settle.
mr=auce. 4. Thee geme esst is she unnecessarily
im la rasped of mew who frequently return
telthiliee ham whisk they bad beta tweed at the public
anplaes. I. That is equal vats yea_ miry parish to the
Is the impiset sat wily ~mei cum for such
haat
Want. Illyeight to ton pre mat. in the last/ stated that impede& had increased
ear.
Ottaimut B=ooL.—We have
received a letter ham ths hoed meter, sad shall insert all
that is eimlamaity. The masiadm we a permed attack
which resin be,. drawn dews ea um espies sad rejoinders.
sad lambed vs la poisceil writhes may little to our taste.
We meet however premise that the assures, of our report
Is net WM is imietion. Aware that Ike subject to be
brim& under diesmeisa had excited a geed d aagry
Mew la the town, we throated t
ispe reportseal of
Mr.
to attiad
Sieeffi sod be elmems, rapist to Mr. Corkin's
kV" "Of as troth ef tie sismaists made in Mr.
Omida's lotkoe, I ham se mem then of the truth
of the Mateemats math se the aroolisog. When I
west to KM6erealastair I was mrsomelly maw to

every ato Cl the pods@ who Wok jut la tie procreatr--
al opens uaisloisisol la say natters ocanotesi with the
fro Kb* weber bad I owe Were hoard /Ir. Cookie's
amt. The mien amis.' upwards of throe hours, sad
la the spins of lossiltsa tansies:tors of a column I pre-
sented a digest el the 6eo ss they were sot forth by the
different speakers. It would have boat Impossible for me to

do otherwise, Immo& as I had no other num of obtain.
fog infmaation ea the sultiost. Rem line I wrote in the
shape of iatrodoolloo—the WOW to smoke the subject under-
stood—embodisd lie matioolatt of me or other of the
opoikors, of whoa limo woe moo down."

lar,-11, Meal= hie beim *am lo a nowt in yew mow al
Dem Ms tememiag held et ildiumbelor tespeadsi Chommaist
Moe( at while I eat the head=riguil eel milt that
yea whit paw le be • ex-
=l:a I iamb moot yewr imartialleterthers.
dim molders' must lt to Dot
I Iwo Mame my tminum am bad mem of t CM ailed by waear-
IMF *sit iff mum Medea " bias Om the Chirt of
Mit le filen c I die Imo bera Nam an he enp•
Mill UM •II hull melee hie dm prierle mime age be(-
mmals Whim b rimer aa empsielmmt maw
IS Mama all ithalibehid Ole um aid pedial Or 1111 it tie
semli • pallem.ifmale.weuld our reedeedoe mesdro
eflammut ISMoily "dim vmalhis hied OM the
SW•
UM dllbt. MUM lola most, at semorwmd ml meetly
mosolisted blokes w appiimigant is Ile heed maid* of the
wheel ; ad la the may dim "bp tabu It Chem% nimbly, an
emembent stag Wham&obi the pemat Meeb time that I
bird la • psalm roe Wert; bat I did a eaty a fares the
mateireau ad my redbmee woe tore allemek tq Wary do-
ormat air go psielbsetion& ilteentiome. to equity Melba Ilse
proems/ the
tom beyelltem Vie wheel. emodleg le the model drumbases of
the aim I au miler Me elm= of 1111.1. width hie mew tom
Maui is SM tamest, Soul, the elomst Omagh Mil*
the InimMemle are to mufti to. name of Week at
to the teribm awl I edam Oro sot wish te Moe wry
power to ~MA the name of say Mee bp, even la
to me to, the upon* of Use holism Apache, and mime charge
I. nada, that la tmeemsare of thelerge semborollosoders (sow
the prim whack It laellksed, aremeimmed from the public Mods
of the Mead, are directed ti. thsfr roper eV =town hale
and &en le Nommen (the hoodoo). Now la plait, the
=an all us le pin" easenitilies;baid every bey is Se school
aura ase of iblebieg them ; it Is motorbus to era,
or wholes any el tie maul. that time prime ars en-
** eiggiled freaka9l:llBdZseurtes The poises br Panel me given
by the mead mom ; two prim melt year are glom by bloods of
my at betmeted la the sisal; an every Mho prise to glom at
lay imdividwel num. lime to • dame in the Mom
ut ymodes the Mame to emend St& per num os
br the me of the tied ad let mime ; bat in comemsbosh'eue
of the to, state of the Mod twigs Me Mem his num been
tarried gut. Me ham Myr avow Mum ample sheifew towards
the rim Not •to pries hal 'or Mem Mon Me Mod
Were I Some head seem esd of
I bete no Me to eve
pelme le my Itemmion le Me erbium of the lowa hem I orbMy
ineyideldemZ4br them le b ammo Ufa the town
=1; tar the width me et my mu personal
imam' a& A. :Pr "Inewbell is an erbium,
wad tee pork Met • mMe pekilihed to your report
was Mimed aroma wpear willow, when seem Wee et the time It
ow ukase ea bemblisa." liMiimg ma MOM Moe Ohm seek
an smortkm. The widow to whew It wig Milemed was mm gear, lot
.he is • grow with a veep geed Mime la "me of the beet situ.
lions In lallbewthabw. Ileatto we Ow boy in Oo ithool or
the time bet mote wee edam (Mei 19, 1644), he he had
be.. removed from the gremeer NOM am lase the
previous Christmas: air liiral4 far tall two iambs iota
date of that Moto lie balm M mother obtd, sad to moo mnot
clearly that peacetg odd set le /WM to the al" the boy was
taken frusta ohm' Moro the imp weeelcrugortu amd placed
at mother whore the imp was flaly that ineant. It is
further rOmmiell to be 'hem le my prairie' dot my Mary from
the per
is et =Mom most. bit "went to to mot leo than
MM. isma. Whom mot only le the immaid otemmaily Mown,
but It was eves Mated by her. thtMli at lie meedu to be UM. re
emu. The Mow" "kik Mr. alllmed late
with • Mew to gym 11" 1 was otrawire I VMS. per mem at Wear
profits foes thmeheMers,ilketemother ofideeemetbe=etbm in-
correct. B mogabeeeladisuthe gangue el Mom it right
to mem sae ter Oa lussee.tu Me, • somewhat simile searsail to that
Motel bed bienameued by UrOc th•andltsWmapportmityof
movies to the Wire oadebetion of the b.—mm amitlesimarrA,
and, ammegmatly, to sow mot wilhost to. meedisliedok that
my satin ant biome from them:hook indashe at lasalem widow
Mho seams of molt, for the year ending dlliklmanat Ile, was
6301.7• al, aot quite half of tha asee stated. But If the amertrous
made be Mu abutted, it my matarelb M asked Timms arise
this oppoidea to the geed? TM ore le to be bead in the
mood of my letters Mon la your paper—la the ex-
ercise of that dliortke. which in duty tom& throe
estroted by meats to my oars I WI bound
to we in reeetvlog into my home It and proper esinp=ror them.
But sow that that which is in bet merely a peromel matter has
gained sollatent notoriety to occupy the columns of the Looksm
daily
prom, it is mly due to myself end to m friends that the u
Oatmeal' whisk ham been made shouly d be contradicted and emceed.
In doing so I hare left manotlesel many paints to which I @oak, have
wished to ollor taplanatioak from a tear that I shoWd be encroaching
too much upon your alumni • et the tame time I hoot that I hare
satisfactorily easwend the nag Margot brought forward mainst my_
sell, and the school ehlehlua been Mead under my superintendence.—
WILT. 1•11 COMM, Rood MAW of the MOlerminster Grammar ettmoL
—Woodfield Homy Dos. 12.

PAUPERISM IS LAROELY ON THE INCREASE within
the district comprised in the Lincoln union. In the pour
bouse the number of inmates has rapidly risen from LA to
280. The additions comprise able-bodied persons and fa-
miliea.-77se Nottingham Journal says, the Guardians of
the Loughborough Union have latterly refused to admit
able-bodied vagrants into the Union Workhouse fur the
' night, and the result has been that the " dark hole," at the
top of Mill-street has been crowded to excess. On Monday
night the sergeant of the night watch, being attracted to
that place by a great disturbance, found 17 persons—eleven
men, a boy, and five women—crowded into a place which is
only adapted for holding half a dozen. Lockwood called up
the clerk to the Board of Guardians, who instructed him to
take the women toe lodging house for the night, which he
did. This "hole" is scarcely fit to put a human being into et
all, much less is it adapted for so great a number as are fre-
quently there." At the Nottingham Board of Guardians,
on Tuesday, the number of inmates in the Union Nouse,
was reported to be 943. Upwards of 200 vagrants had
been relieved during the week, whilst the number of
out-door paupers receiving relief was 2941. The clerk read
the following letter, which had been received from the Poor-
law Beard

Poor.law Board, Somerset House, Nov. 30, 1846.—Tke poor-law
hoard hare received a communication from the Cokalat Lad end
Emigration 000111BSZOtiell, propoaing to facilitate the emigration to
a limited extent to Australia of young females from the En gtish work-
houss, provkird they are sent out as soon u they are fit for work,
and bare obtained sufficient education. The enclosed extract from
the letter will explain to the guardians the terms on tibias it le pro•
posed that the emigration should be conducted ; and the board re-
quest that the guardians will take the subject Into their comdrieratica
end Inform them whether the guardians would be desirous of pro. I
mating the emigration of any young females In accordance with the
amusements there suggested. A set of format sent herewith, which
will further show the condition required to be fulfilled, end the course
that mud be punned In case the emigration le proceeded with.—
(ffignel) W. J. Leutrr, Ambit. Ste.
The letter wan accompanied by two forms, one to be filled
up by the guardians., and another to be presented by the
female wishing to emigrate.

THE FOLKESTONE CilioB7.—LThe Canterburylournal
says :—., For about a fortnight a story has been in circula-
tion that a' ghost' was to be seen on the . Boyle,' nightly
playing his pranks upon those unlucky enough to come
within his reach. As is usual in such cases, the most ridi.
culotte reports were greedily devoured by the lovers of the
wonderful ; children were afraid to stir out of doors after
dark ; and women were sees in groups discussing the various
tales of ghosts and goblins which they had heard spoken of.
A pinion was stated to have been robbed of hie dainties;
veal, mutton, and beef patties' vanishing at the sight of the
I smile ' the piens= leaving his basket in haste to escape
from die ghost's clutches. Many schemes were talked of to
catch the spectre if he was made of flesh and
blood, and drag! him through the Boyle pond.
A hw gaming' since a child was !tuning down the
steps, whim a man strangely drooled ran after him. The
and ran bean to its father, crying ' Father, the ghost, the
insEurC =To Si
Ito
graTeirremallthhos ind t°oL mth
ane spot,
":"h1:-
ims rental him two or threew olankets, and two
board., ace behind end one before, to give so appear-
ant* of great height. It proved to be an man named
Spider, upwards of 70 years of who lived in a wretched
shed seer the steps, a recipient of age, 2s. 6d. per week from the
perish. Ho was taken by hie captor to the station-house,
sad sod noising brought before the Mayor in his ' shoofly
ettfre.' Kb worship, taking into consideration his great age,
ordered him to be deprived of his weekly allowance and to
be takes to the Liam Union. The ' ghost' was then
asseelei hi the pane to his cottage, amidst the yelling and
hoot=r mob, and was shortly afterwards taken to
his

REPRISISTATION OPEIiNN.—E handbill has been
=in which the electors are requested to withhold
toe, " as a gentleman of very liberal principles has
eassessal to contest the borough of King's Lynn, in the
krthastalai election, against the Han. E. H. Stanley."
Ala da wry liberal gentleman may be hes not been made
pulls i hat, says the Norwich Mercury, there la not the
ronste probability of his polling a hundred votes."

THE SALUTES FIRED Pita THE SOUTHAMPTON
nanomr, on Wednesday lam, at 10 pin., during the ban.
;met to the oaken of the American frigate, in honour of the
Meat of the Qom and the President of the United Stotts,
caused the most seriossfirmahensailone at Portsmouth. It
wee Maginot that the were signals of diaries, and
vends were sent into the in oenaequenes. The
autherhiss at Southampton have resolved oommunioatione cm
the saltiest

ATTEMPTED MvßDn.—On ie 4th instant an j
attempt was 'mumps a labourer named Joseph Chapman,
by a man named Edwin Adams, for many years •
keeper. Some time since Mama and Chapman had beam I
out together, when some injury being sustained to the har•
nem of a pony, they put things in order, and • shilling was
given to Adams by the owners, which Chapman required
should be divided, and which he smarts Adana kept. On
the night of Monday, Adams was at a public-house at Bar-
rington, drinking, in company with Arthur Allen, James
Condor, and others, when Chapman came in, and, having
asked Adams for the id:pence and some ether debt, words
airtes, but no tight took heathen. Between eleven and twelve
o'clock Adams left thephouse, taking with him his and
accompanied by Condor, , Prpte, the landlord, and
othen. The three Bret, accompanied him to his pt.,
where they left him. They had just turned back 'Weill
they met Chapman, who used some bad language, and
whom they saw entering Adams's gate. Condor and Allen
returned a little way, so that:they could see by the light of
the moos what took place, and saw Adams come near Chap-
man and fire his gun. Chapman cried out," He's shot me."
Chapman was conveyed home on a gate, where it was found
that a wound larp enough to cover a mm's hand had been
inflicted an car thigh, and the other thigh had the appear-
ance of shot having entered. The wounded nun was after-
wards conveyed to Addenbrooke's hospital. Adams was
committed to take his trial at the Walt for the offset*.
CHARGES OF FORGENT.—G. E. Sheldon was at
brought up at the Cambridge Police-court,on Tuesday
for fernery. Mr. Hunt, solicitor, produced a bill, drawn by
O B. Sheldon upon, and purporting to be accipted by,
J. A. Stewart, of Vfistooh, St. Peter's, which he had &l-
eonine& for Sheldon. It bore the latter's Indorsement. He
had been induced to emit it in the belief that the signature
was genuine, and on Sheldon's representation that he did
business with Stewart, and had supplied him with considera-
tion la the shape of perfumery aad other goods. Mr. Rance,
solicitor, also advanced mosey to Sheldon, on his promie•
sory note, on the 23rd et September, 1848. The amount
was TM 10s, Sheldon headed him, as collateral security a

promissory note for 401., sod interest, purporting to be
signed by "Charles North," and " Robert Jams' Hewett,"
and payable to Sheldon. Mr. North had afterward said
that the eignature was a forgery. Mother ease of the
same description was gone into, and the prisoner wee com-
mitted, tender et bail having been refused.
OXIFORDSIMUL

-----
THE LATE BOOK-STEALING CABE AT OXPORD.—A
few days ago we stated the particulars of a robbery of books
from the shop of Mr. H. Blotter, and also from the library of
the University Reading-room, by an undergraduate, mem-
ber of Cambridge University, named Botany, and that he
was remanded on the latter charge. On Friday the prisoner
underwent another examination at the city gaol, which
ended in his being fully committed to sessions en
the second charge. It is stated that, after his com-
mittal, the prisoner made a confession before his
solicitor and Alderman Browning of having stolen the books.
In reference to this eon the Cambridge Chronicle says,
" There is too much reason to fear that the prisoner has
carried en similar practioes in Cambridge. On Wednesday
last Mr. Mayor, of St. John's College, inquired of the libra-
rian to the Union Society if he had missed ' Ward's Ideal
of: a Christian Church,' out of the library.tUpon receiving a
reply in the affirmative, Mr. Mayor said he believed he had
recognised the book in the shop of Mr. Johnson, Sidney-
street. The librarian proceeded thither, and discovered
amongst the stock of Mr. Johnson, who afforded every fa-
cility to the inquiry, not only the book in question, but about
30 °than belonging to the Union Society. These books, it
appears, Mr. Johnson purchased of Balmy at different times.
Tee external marks had been carefully erased, and the labels
within renamed with so much nicety that it was difficult to
dircover that they had ever existed. We understend that
no less than 128 volumes have been missed from the Union
rooms."

COMMISSION BY TYE LOUD LIEUTENANT.—A.
Rolls, Erg , and B. P. Herbert, Esq., to be Captains, and
R. A. Laurent*, Gent , to be Lieutenant, in the Royal
Monmouthshire Militia.