The Sun.
London, England, 1846-04-30 00:00:00

DISCOVERY OF SKELETONS
IN MANCHESTER.
The neighbourhood of the New Cross has been in a
state of much excitement, in consequence of some men,
employed in excavation, having discovered two human
skeletons there: The excavators are employed in
digging a branch sewer, near to, and parallel with, the
easterly side of Oldham-road, at the New Cross, to con-
nect the property of Mr. Wolstencroft with the main
sewer. The men came to the first body yesterday morn-
ing week, at a depth of about three feet only from the
surface. It was in a coffin, the skeleton being entire,
and a considerable quantity of dark, pitch-like fluid was
at the bottom, which emitted a most horrible stench,
probably being a portion of the body in a state of de-
composition. The workmen disengaged the skull, which
being exhibited, and purchased from them by some
passer-by, led to the matter being noised abroad, and a
great cr )wd of people collected to witness the further
operations of the excavators. At length, towards even-
ing, about seven feet from the first body discovered,
and about five feet deeper in the earth, the workmen
touched upon the foot of another coffin. The excitement
upon this became almost past belief; and though there
was no occasion in this case to have disturbed the
repose of the dead, the end of the coffin was broken
off, and one of the excavators actually crept inside it,
almost to the length of his body, that ho might reach out
the skull. When the much-sought prize was obtained
and exhibited, the "fever of speculation" may be said
to have attained its height, for the riot and confu-
sion were so great that the police were obliged to
interfere. At the moment of their intervention, this
second skull had just been knocked down to a cabman
belonging to the adjoining coach stand. We believe,
however, it was subsequently taken from him by the
police, and by them privately interred again at night.
During the remainder of the evening it required the
presence of a strong police force on the spot to keep
order. These skeletons are supposed to be the
remains of suicides interred there under the " old
law or usage," by which the bodies of all persons
committing suicide, and upon which a coroner's jury had
given a verdict of "Felo de se" (being denied a place
in" Christian" burial grounds), were interred in the pub-
lic highway ; and a shoemaker upwards of 70 years old,
who has resided for the greater part of his life in the
neighbourhood, states that he distinctly recollects two
bodies of suicides being interred near the cross, ap-
proaching to 40 years ago, the one being a male
and the other a female. The former was a
man named Smith, a boot-closer, who had worked
for Mr. Tysick, then a flourishing tradesman in
" Market-street-lane." This man was said at the time
to have committed suicide in consequence of an " affair
of the heart" with a female of some considerable per-
sonal attractions living in Milk-street, who kept a very
disreputable establishment at the time, and which,
through the public feeling excited against her by this
tragic act, and an indictment at the subsequent ses-
sions she was compelled to give up, and she quitted the
town. The interment was at near midnight' the " run-
ners" of those days officiating to keep order among the
spectators attracted to witness the sad scene. Of the
female nothing particular is known, beyond the fact
that she was a domestic servant, destroyed herself by
poison, and was buried here on the 22d of September,
1808. The last interment there is said to have been the
body of a soldier, who committed suicide in 1821. We
may add that another place of sepulture in such cases
was Kersal Moor, where, in 1807, a prisoner in the New
Bailey, named James Massey, who hung himself, was
buried the same evening near the distance chair; and
was a few days afterwards exhumed and " buried in the
ditch where old Grindrod was gibbetted," was a second
time exhumed, and finally buried near the Salford weigh-
ing machine.—Manchester Guardian.

--- ---
CIRCULATION OF NOTES.
The Bankers' Magazine, of which some proof sheets are
before us, furnishes some interesting particulars relative to
the circulation of notes in the United Kingdom, from which
we take the following portion, referring to le Irish and
Scotch issues, not included, of course, in the weekly returns
from the English banks

The returns of circulation of the Irish and Scotch banks,
for the four weeks ending the 28th March last, give the fol-
lowing as the average circulation, viz.:—

Average circulation of the Irish banks £7,444,960
Average circulation of the Scotch banks 3,018,681

Average circulation of these banks during the
past month
on comparing these amounts with the returns for the
month ending the 28th of February last, it shows—
A decrease in the circulation of the banks in Ireland of X 24,769
A decrease in the circulation of the banksin Scotland of 65,111

Total decrease last month £89,880
And as compared with the month ending the 29th of
March, 1845, it shows—
An increase is the circulation of the banks in Ire-
land of
An increase in the circulation of the banks in Scot-
land of

67,811

Total increase on the year £460,594
On comparing the present returns with the amounts which
the several banks are now authorised to issue, under the New
Banking Act, it appears that the following is the state of
their circulation :
The Irish banks are above their fixed issue .. £1,090,466
The Scotch banks are below their fixed issue ... 68,528

Total circulation above the fixed issue
This excess of circulation is based on the stocks of gold
and siver coin held by the several banks:—
Gold and silver coin held by the Irish banks £2,568,158
Gold and silver coin held by the Scotch banks

Total of gold and silver coin 3,700,305
Being an increase in the amount held by the Irish banks
over that of the preceding month of 8581., and a decrease in
the amount held by the Scotch banks of 11,330/. ; the total
decrease on the month in the amount of gold and silver coin
in Ireland and Scotland being, therefore, 10,4721.

FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.
This Bill is again amended, and of course again reprinted;
and it is now to have a new title, the phraseology of which
is, on the face of the new Bill, enclosed within mournfully
strong black lines. The following is the inscription inserted
under the title that is to be defunct on the third reading of
the Bill :—" New Title for Third Reading : An Act to amend
the Laws relating to Friendly Societies."
Then follow the new clauses, of which we give the leading
particulars.
Clause (A.)—Contributiens to be distinct for each purpose.
Clause (0.)-r-Separate books of account to be kept.
Clause (P.)—Returns of sickness and mortality, assets, and
liabilities.
Clause (B.)—For establishing the legality of certain so-
cieties, namely—That any friendly society established before
the passing of this Act, for any purpose which is herein-
before specified, or for any legal purpose which shall be cer-
tified and allowed, as is hereinbefore provided, and shall not
have been adjudged not to be within the provisions of the
first-recited Act, by any court of competent jurisdiction,
shall be deemed to have been within the provisions of the
said Act from the time at which the rules thereof shall have
been or may be certified or allowed by the Barrister or Advo-
cate appointed to certify the rules of friendly societies.
Clause (C.) repeals part of 10 Geo. IV., cap. 56, and 4 and
5 Will. IV., cap. 40.
Clause (Q.)—Provisions of 39 Geo. 111., cap. 79, and 57
Geo. 111., cap. 19, not to extend to friendly societies.
Clause (D.)—Registrar of friendly societies in England to
be paid by salary.
Clause (E.) provides how salaries and expenses of office
are to be paid.
Clause (F.)—One transcript of certified rules to be kept by
the registrar.
Clause (G.)—For securing the solvency of friendly societies.
[A most valuable clause—it is rightly termed clause " Cr,"
ror it is good—it is to be hoped that it may at all events
pass.]
Clause (R)—For appointing new trustees in certain cases.
Clause (11)—Settlement of disputes.—That every dispute
which shall arise between the trustees or managers of any
friendly society, and any member or officer thereof, or any
executor, administrator, or next of kin of any such
trustees, managers, members or officers or any creditor or
assignee of any trustees, managers, members or officers
of any such society who may become bankrupt or insolvent,
or any person claiming to be such executor, administrator,
next of kin, creditor or assignee, or to be entitled to any
money paid to such society, or to any benefit arising
therefrom, for the settlement of which, according to the
laws now in force, recourse must be had in England or
Ireland to one of her Majesty's superior Courts of
Law or Equity, and in Scotland to the Court of Ses-
sion or Sheriff Court, may be referred in writing to
the Registrar of Friendly Societies in England, Ireland, and
Scotland respectively; and where the value of the subject
matter in dispute does not exceed twenty pounds, every
such dispute shall be so referred, unless in England or Ire-
land her Majesty's Attorney or Solicitor-General, or in
Scotland the Lord Advocate, shall certify, in writing,
under his hand, that such, dispute ought to be decided by
the judgment of a superior court of law or the
said registrar shall have power to proceed ex-par
or sent by
left te o
in writing to the said trustees or managers
last-known
-ska
oi do
w registrar
place
ot of theres i
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ofof the
eevery
e institution,
trustees,
rn
mana-
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determinationhe
ger s ,
roffiecemrsa;deanbdywthhaetesaviedr
raegwiusrtrda, order,rshall b
ore
binding and conclusiveoroses,without
lotnantany all
parties,
appeala;
ashallnd able,
payments,final to
intents and purposes,
assignments, sales, and transfers made in pursuance of any
such order, shall be good in law; and no submission to, or
award or determination of, the said registrar shall be subject
or liable to, or charged with any stamp duty whatever.
Clause (I.)—On reference, books may be inspected, and
oaths administered to witnesses.

Clause (K)—When trustees shall be absent, &c., registrar
may order stock to be transferred, and dividends paid.
Clause (L.)—Fees of awards.
Clause (M) for enforcing awards.—Be it enacted, that any
one Justice of the Peace residing within the county within
which such society shall be held, or within which the
i
party resides against whom such award s.tnade, upon com-
plaint made upon oath by the party desiring to have the
benefit of the award; or, in the case of the managers or
trustees of any such society, by an officer of such society,
appointed for that purpose, may summon the person against
whom such award shall be made, to appearat a time and place
to be named in such summons; and upon his or her appear-
ance, or in default thereof, upon due proof upon oath of the
service of such summons, any two justices residing within
the county aforesaid, upon due proof of the execution of
such award, may order payment of the fees and money
thereby awarded to be paid, to the party appearing to be en-
titled thereunto, with such costs as shall be awarded by the
said justices, not exceeding the sum of ten shillings ; and in
case the person against whom such order shall be made shall
not pay the sum of money so ordered to the person, and at
the time, specified in the said order, such justices shall, by
warrant under their hands and seals, cause the same to be
levied by distress and sale of the goods of the parson on
whom such order shall have been made, or by other legal
proceeding,-together with such costs as shall be awarded by
the said justices, not exceeding the sum of ten shillings, and
also the costs and charges attending such distress and sale,
or other legal proceeding, returning the overplus (if any)
to the owner. Provided always that in Scotland it shall be
competent to enforce payment of such fees, and of any sum
of money so awarded to be paid, by proceeding before the
sheriffs in the same manner as is by the law of Scotland com-
petent fur the recovery of any debt of the like amount.
Clause (N).—Certificates, awards, &c., to be receivable in
evidence.

GRAY'S INN, APRIL 29.—The undermentioned gen.
tlemen were this day called to the degree of barrister-at•law
by the Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, viz., James John
Wilkinson, Esq., and Benjamin Way, Esq., B.A.