Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-08-29 00:00:00

DPICIMAL COINAGIC.

Mr. Ingram asked the C`lancel:or of the ,Drebequer
why the replies:to Lord Overstonis questions, upon the
decimal coinage, which have been some time in print, were
not delivered to this house.
The ChancTllor of the ExchFrper said the Commission-
ers had not yet sant in the answers to the form.

INDIAN TELEGRAPH.

Mr. Benne asked the noVe viscount the First Lord of
the Treasury what arrangements had been entered into by
the pverament for establishing a telegraphic communica-
tion with India, via the Elphrates or the Isthmus of Suez
and the Red Sea ?

Lord Palmerston said—A communication by the Eu-
phrates was undertaken by a private company with certain
contingent engagements, bat we have heart within the
last few days that the Turkish G,,vernment has not given
permission to lay that Hue down. That dec'sion may
hereafter be reversed. With regard to the line by the
Isthmus of Su z and down tin Red Sea, and s) across to
Burrachee, there is a private eompany, I believe, that
contemplates such an arrangement, and as far as it may be
in the power of the goverament, without the assistance of
parliament to aid them to make use of that line, we shall be
glad to give them all the assistance in our power. (Cheers.)

EUIV)PE \NS IN INDIA.

Sir Da L. Evans appealed to the noble lord to direct
that assistance should be given to the wives and families of
Europeans in India, to enable them to return to England.
That could easily ba done by placing the return transports
at their disposal.
Lord Palmerston thanked the hon. and g,fllant general
for his suggestion, which wan a sally humane one, but
until the government obtained more detailed accounts from
the Governor. General of tha condition and wan's of those
on whose behalf it wan made, he did not know how they

could act.

Mr. Mangles assured the hous3 that the Court of Direc-
tors of the East India Co npany had sent out instructions
to give all the assistance possible, not only to the civil and
military servants of the company, but to all classes in
distress. (Cheers.)
After some questions had been asked and answered, and
a few " notices of motion" given for "nest session," the
procee sings of the sitting were interrupted by the appea-
rance of the Usher of the Black Rod, who summoned the
house to the House of Lords.

The Speaker, accompauiei by nearly all the members
present, repaired thither.
On their return the Speaker took his seat at the table, in
the chair usually occupied by the chairman of the com-
mittees; and the members having gathered around the
table, the Speaker read the royal speech.
Lord Palmerston and all the other members present
then shook hands with the Speaker, and so terminated the
second session of 1857.

EXECUTION AT CUES [ER,

YESTERDAY MORNING.

FROII OUR OWN RZPORTER.

Yesterday morning, at eight o'clock, John Blagg was
executed in front of the city gaol, at Chester, for the murder
of John Bebbington, a gamekeeper, at Tilston, by shooting
him in a field near his own residence, on the morning of

the 16th April last. Since bis cmviction the culprit had
been most obstinate, and manifested a painful inlifference
to the exhortation of the chaplain, the Rev. Mr. Milner,
In the earlier part of his visits the chaplain fJund him

almOst inaccessible to the influence of religious service s,

but within the past le v days he had become more softened,
and frequently gave expression to loud ejaculations when
speaking of his wife and faulty. His wife had daily
interviews with the unfortunate man, the last of which
was about six o'clock the previous evening, and was, as
might be imagined, of the mast painful character. To
her, and t) the chaplain, and all the officials of the gaol
who visited bins, he stoutly denied his guilt, and when
at the close of the final interview with his,
wife on Thursday night, she implored him to confess
his crime if he was really guilty. His reply was
in an apparently calm and collected manner, "My dear,.
I am► as innocent as you are, and some day it will come
ou►." The distressing interview than terminated, and she
bade him a final adieu. Shortly afterwards the barber
came to shave him, and on this office being completed, the
culprit rose, and passing his hand over his chin, he
remarked, with extraordinary coolness and self-possession,
well, I suppose this here is the last shave until to-morrow
morning." On Thursday forenoon, a very intimate female
friend visited him, and implored him, if guilty, to•confess
his crime, and pray to Christ, who was always ready to
have mercy on the worst of sinners. ifs reply was
" I will pray to myself." They then prayed together for
a few minutes, during which she said to him, "now John,
tell us who has done it,—thoa knows who has done it," when
he replied with great coolness, " Agnes, I,know who did,
bit I'll never tell," these were the last words between
them, with the exception of the parting farewell, which
almost immediately followed. At four o'clock yesterday
morning the sheriff and the city gaoler made a demand
for the eulprit at the county gaol. He was then handed
to them by the governor of the county gaol, and• accompa-
nied by the Rev. Mr. Kilner, the Chaplain of the county
prison, and was conveyed to the count! gaol in a cab. The
Rev. Mr. Kilner, and the Rev. Mr. Ilevesou the Chaplain
of the city gaol remained with him during the whole of the
night. Ho s'ept little, and in answer to questions, from
the two reverend gentlemen, he persisted is his innocence,
and repeatedly remarked that " some day the mnrderer
will be fotind out." At twenty minutes to eight o'clock
the culprit, accompanied by the two Chaplains, was
condected to the chapel, where service was performed.
The Sacrament was not administered•. A few minutes
before eight he was c )nducted to the room adjoining the
drop, where Calcraft (who h•ad arrived on Thursday
evening) went throtegh the pr mess of pinioning. The
procession to the scaffold was then formed, during which
the county Chaplaia repeatedly asked the prisoner to con-
fess his crime, if guilty, but he stoutly denied it, and
maintained he innocence to the final moment, his
words to the chaplain being " I am an innocent man."
He remained in prayer with the chaplain until eight
o'clock, Vrlash the bolt was drawn and the miserable man
was launched into eternity, dying without the slightest
struggle. About half an boar before leaving the
county gaol, one of .the. turnkeys said to him "new
Blagg, it is of no use now denying your crime, if you did
kill the man—if you shot the wean, say so." He replied,
" I know that in a short time I shall have to meet my
Maker, and I tell you that I am as innocent of the crime
as at y man in this prison."

The Arcbdeaconry of Llandaff, remlared vacant by the
preferment of the Venerab'e Taornas Williams, M.A., to
the deanery of ManilaEf Cathedral, has been conferred
upon the Rev. James C. Campbell, M.A., rector of Merthyr
Tydvil, Glamorganshire. The appointment has given great
satisfaction to the clergy of the diocese.
Till LICENSING SYSTEM.—AIt the Bradford Brewster
Sessions, held od Waneslay, the Mayor announced that,
out of 140 public houses in the borough, there had been
only five convictions during the past year ; while out of
250 boerhouses, there had been fifty-seven convictions
within the same period. The Mayor thought that tb.ese
facts would jestify the magistracy and gent y of the town
in the support given to the rejected bill of Mr. G. Hardy,
for placing all houses of entertainment under the direct
supervision of the magistracy. Whilst regretting the loss
of this bill, he added that Sir George, Grey had given a
pledge that the whole subject of I;,censing should be taken
into consideration during the re,ass, and a measure boug:at
forward next Eessioil.