The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-08-01 00:00:00

STOCKPORT', JULY Si.

The distress in this place, from the same causes to
which the general distress of this manufacturing district
i 3 attributable, is quite (qua! to that of any of the other
towns; and the recent suspension of the works of a large
factory here has, as a matter of course, added to the
number of the unemployed ; hut it is consoling to observe,
that the good sense of the working classes has disappointed
the hopes of the few disaffected characters who wished to
mislead them. In the Manchester market, during the
last week, there have been some considerable sales made,
particularly in grey cloth. This has encouraged the ma-
nufacturers of that article in this town to continue work-
ing their factories at the same rate at which they have
been working, and two mills, which have been shut up for
some time, are expected to commence operations in the
course of the present week.
The establishment of a Branch Bank at Manchester,
which it is untlerstooC. will certainly take place, has given
confidence to those whose mercantile transactions are on
I the most extensive scale.

NOCTURNAL MEETING OP THE STOCKPORT OrEltk
TiVE9.-" Manchester Courier Office, Friday, 9 p.m.—
We have just received information that a meeting of the
operatives of Stockport is convened to take place to-night,
at 10 o'clock, and they are expressly desired, in a printed
hand-bill, to come armed 1 The military, of which there
is an ample force, have orders to be in readiness at a mo-
ment's notice. Such is the information we have received,
but we have no further particulars."
WINCHESTER, JeTv 29.—We are sorry to record a
dreadful accident which happened near this city on Ft iday
afternoon. Lieut. George Mason, of the 4th regiment of
foot, accompanied by a brother officer, was driving a tan-
dem on the Southgate road, when the leader took fright,
and the unfortunate gentleman, in attempting to jump out,
came in contact with the harness, and was thrown to the
ground with great violence. He was immediately taken
up, covered with blood, and a surgeon was in a few
minutes on the spot ; but it is feared that no skill or at-
tention can avail. The answer to inquiries this morning
was, that he felt on the whole better, but that there were'
slight, if any, hopes of his recovery. The other gentleman,
who kept his seat in the vehicle till the horses were se-
cured, escaped unhurt.
SUPERSTITION.—BRUSSEIS, Jez.v 29.—The French
Papers contain a shocking account of cruelties exercised on
a young woman named Lasalle, on suspicion of being a
witch. We regret to say that we have to record a precisely
similar instance of the ignorance, stupid credulity, and su-
perstition in this kingdom. Peter Arnold Ichoulet, a mil-
ler at Molts, and his three sons, appeared on Monday last
before the Court of Assizes at Liege; they were accused of
having treated in the most barbarous manner a woman
named Itignelle, who having gone to their house to carry
home some work, was accused of being a witch, who had
brought upon them various misfortunes. They declared
that she had three accomplices, whom they ordered her to
name, as well as to confess her own guilt. As she persisted
in her innocence, they laid her on a wood fire, and burnt
her in a most shocking manner; the details are too
horrible to be dwelt upon. Not bein., able to extract
any confession from her, they at length threw her
out of the house. She crawled to her own home,
mutilated as site was, and afterwards, assisted by her
daughter, contrived to reach the house of the Burgomaster,
to whom she related the facts. She did not long survive the
cruelties inflicted upon her, hut yet beyond the time fixed
to qualify the crime as murder, so that the prisoners could
only bo indicted fur inflicting dangerous wounds. Some of
the witnesses are children who were at play near the spot,
who not only declared they had heard tho cries of a woman
proceeding from the house, but had seen one of the accused
come into the yard for a faggot, and another take a chain
from a cart; agreeing with the statement made by the poor
woman, who said the father had fetched a chain, with which
be threatened to scourge her in the chimney. (We have
not yet r.,ceived the account of the conclusion of the
proceedings.)