The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-12-16 00:00:00

THE NORTHERN DAILY TIMES

THE BIRMIAVGHAM CATTLE SHOW

BIRMINGHAM, TUESDAY.—This show of cattle and poultry
was opened for private view this morning., and a very
successful exhibition it is pronounced to be, excelling in
many important essentials all its predecessors. The show is
already in its fifth year only, yet m most respects it is con-
sidered to be quite equal to that of Smithfield club. The
great object which the promoters have had in view has been
to foster and encourage the principle of " early maturity."
All the classes for neat cattle were well filled with animals
of the highest merit, and so equally matched that in some
classes the judges had very great difficulty in awarding the
prize. There is not quite so large a show of Hereford
oxen as last year, but in point of quality the display is, upon
the whole, superior. The show of Hereford steers is emi-
nently successful, for a finer range of young oxen were never
stalled. The Hereford heifers are equally good. In the
short-horn classes some very fine specimens are exhibited,
heifers chiefly attracting the attention of agriculturists. The
breed of pure Doyens is well represented. The cross-breds
exhibited are superior to those hitherto sent here, and there
was a large number of animals stalled ; the first prize in
this class was awarded to the Duke of Beaufort for a cross
between a west highland Scotch bull and a pure Devon
cow. A few long-horns are shown, quite average samples
of their class, but this breed finds less favour with breeders
and feeders than some others. There is a capital display of
the Scotch and Welsh breeds, in which, as usual, Mr.
Robbs, of Thirsk, contributes some of the most meritorious
specimens. Altogether the cattle show is deserving of the
very highest consideration.

The classes for sheep were not so well filled as last year,
but such as were shown fully maintained the character of
the show, there being very excellent pens of Southdown
and Shropshires.
There are between two and three thousand pens of poul-
ry, which have attracted immense notice.
BIRMINGHAM, WEDNESDAY.—The annual dinner in con-
nexion with this show took place last night, at the Royal
Hotel, under the patronage of Earl Howe, who was sup-
ported by Lord Calthorpe ; James Baldwin, Esq, the mayor;
Mr. Newdegate, M.P., Mr. Spooner, M.P. ; and amongst
the company of 150 were Mr. Chandos Wren Hosky_ns, of
Wroxall Abbey; Mr. Alderman Lacy, Mr. Alderman Hodg-
son, Mr. Alderman Phillips; Mr. William Mathews, Cor-
byns Hall, &c Amongst the toasts given was, of-"course,
" The Agricultural Interest.," proposed by Mr. Mathews,
who observed that if; a few months ago, he had been called
on to propose that toast, it would have been in mourning,
and with sackcloth and ashes • to bewail the fate of what
was once the embodiment of all prosperity ; to lament over
it as having seen the best of its days. But these short
months had passed by; and instead of bewailing agriculture
as in the last stages of senility and decripitude, we find it
full of lusty life, the silky sides of the fat stock they saw
that day being but a feeble type of its strong and healthy
condition. He congratulated those around him on this
happy combination of circumstances. The pursuit of agri-
culture found always a warm sympathy from every man
whose heart was in the right place. (Cheers.) In the morn-
ing the public were admitted to the show; the hall had
been densely crowded throughout the day.—Tuesday after-
ternoon the Duchess of Sutherland and a large party from
Trentham visited the exhibition.

CRUEL TREATMENT OF THE EX-MINISTER
POERIO IN PRISON.

NAPLES, DEC. 4.—1 am sorry to inform you that Baron
Poerio, who has now worn,the chains of a galley-slave for
more than four veers, is subject to fresh severities, which,
if continued, will ere long remove him from the troubles of
this world. Hitherto the police authorities have 'permitted
the ex-minister to spend ten ducats (2/.) per month for such
necessaries as his state of health demands. Orders have now
been issued that henceforth he will be permitted to receive
from his family only one carlino (foiirpence) per day. Now
the prison in which this victim of the Neapolitan constitu-
tion is confined, at Montefusco, is so exposed, that without
fire the prisoners would perish of cold, and the 4d per day
will scarcely 'pay for wood; independent of which M. Poerio
is in such a wretched state of health as to require many
comforts; such as are accorded to the very worst criminal
are refused to the late friend and adviser of his
Sicilian Majesty. It may 'be said the' king knows
nothing of this new cruelty practised towards Poerio,
but on the other hand it is rather remarkable that so
important a person should be thus condemned to
death by the inferior police. The time may come when
these inhuman acts will weigh with a government and people
which may be called upon to support the thrones of the
Bourbons. At present we have no influence sufficiently
strong to induce the Neapolitan government to renounce a
policy, and abstain from acts which are degrading monarchy
and offending the laws of God and man.
Several more arrests have taken place in Naples, owing
to some verses (in everybody's mouth) said to have been
posted up in the streets. The rhymes say :
Tho' Naples be so fair and good,
We've naught but Indian corn for food.
Were Masaniel', alas ! not dead.
Why we should feel no lack of bread.
If things go on till then as now,
By Christmas time we'll have a row.
The French are coming—God be praised—
And pric,. of bread w.ll not be raised.
There can be no doubt of the existing poverty and high
price of food, with a decrease of commerce, which falls
heavily on the poorer classes.
The .Neapolitan board of health has this day imposed a
quarantine on all vessels coming from Marseilles. Ten days
is the period fixed, and several travellers are already in the
lazzaretto. M. Maupas, the French minister, has protested
against these proceedings, and maintains such acts ought to
be promulgated before vessels come into port, and not on
their immediate arrival.

ELorwsiENT.—On Wednesday last, the wife of Mr.
Stocker, proprietor of a 'highly respectable academy at
Boughton, near Faversham, left her home in company with
one of the ushers, named Chatterton, and has not since
been heard of; the guilty parties took with, them all the
plate, and a considerable sum of money; th faithless
woman left three children and a husband in a state border-
irig on distraction, and the worthless scoundrel, the compa-
nion of her flight, has succeeded in victimising several
tradesmen in Boughton and Faversham, to rather a large
—amount. South Eastern Gazette.