The Sun.
London, England, 1850-10-26 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 26, 1850.

LLOYD'S SIIIPPiNG.—(THIS DAY.)
LONDON, (CT. 26 —Wind this day at noon, N.N.W.,
light brc, ze and cionoy.
I)EAL, OCT. 2.s.—Wind E. to E.N.E.—Arrd. Bre.. zo.
Deeia; Vigiircnt Gronendage, Osternj. SI i. Peston.j.-•
Bomeliee, Adelaide, South Australia; Isabelle,, Hercus,
Port Lytileton, .New Z:atai;(l; Dale Park,Sierra Leone;
Ellen, Jack:aka; Adu, Jam ca; Niculai 1.,
Suc-
cess, Aftehdde, South Australia.
Sitha;
LIVERPOOL, OCT. 25.—Wind N.E.—Arrd. Jcharipes,
von TritzA, Virginia; Win. Punton, Sharp, Newfound
land. Sid. VCru, Russell, Pernambuco; Radiant, Singa-
pore; Z.,phyr, Arica; John Browham, Atrica; Bri-
tannia, lifer Is; Emperor, Bahia; St. Vincent, Sr. Via-
ceet; Aurora, Thomas; Judah, Toure, New Orleans;
Josiah, Bradlee, New Orleans; Cumming:, Charleston;
Corra, Linn, New York; Lord Sandon, Staten Island;
I/ fence, Stetin I.land. 011 port. Blarrey steamer.
FALMOUTH, Ocr. E.N.E.—Arrd. Thane
of Fife, Liddle, Rio Janeiro, for Hamburgh, with loss of
sails; Dove, Lawson, ditto, for Rotterdam.
PLYMOUTH, OCT. 25.—Wind K—Arrd. Dasher,
Morthmore, Denia; Ajax steamer, Cork; Elizabeth,
Limerick, all for Londou; Pelican steamer, London, for
Cork ; Robert, Dieckert, Liverpool, for Riga.
PORTSMOUTH, OCT. 25.—wind E.—Arrd. her Ma-
jesty's steamer Retribution. a cruize; Prince Albert,
Meyer, London, and sailed for New York.
YARMOUTH, OCT. 24.—Arrd. Enterprise steamer, Rot •
terdam; Maatschappy, Vanderveen, Katwyk.
SALCOMBE, CCT. 25.—Wind N.E., fresh.—Arrd.
Se HI, Shears, Smyrna. A vessel, waterlogged, was
passed yesterday, about five miles W.N.W. of the Lizard,
by the Swift, Shears. arrived here.
DARTMOUTH, OCT. 25.—Wind E.—Arrd. Recovery,
Gorki, Lisbon, for London; Fulmar, Johnson, Bahia,
for Cowes.
LONDONDERRY, OCT. 22.—Arrc1. Creole, Watt, Phi-
ladelphia.
CARDIFF, OCT. 25.—Wind N.E.—Arrd. Royal Vic-
toria, Hunter, New Orleans.
BRISTOL, OCT. 25.—Wind N.E.—Arrd. William, Tat-
mr,gowle.
JERSEY, OCT. 24.—Wind K—Arrd. Unity, An-
quest al, Labrador; Francis Philip, Dreland, ditto.
OFF POINT LYNAS, OCT. 24.—Siddons, New York;
Albert, Gallatin, ditto, with piloes on board.
HUMBER ROADS, OCT. 24.—Arrd. Pirate,' Osborne,
Rotterdam, for Dundee, with sail split, &c.
DUNDEE, OCT. 23.—Sid. Johannes, Valparaiso.
SWANSEA, OCT. 24.—Sid. Industry, Yarmouth, United
States; Pearl, Madeira.
WEXFORD, OCT. 23.—Wind N.E.—Sid. Brothers, Sa-
vannah.
MONTROSE, OCT. 23.—The Standard, of this port,
from Dundee to Riga, has been lost on the Swedish
coast; crew saved.
MARYPORT, OCT. 24.—The Grace, Burin, from
Quebec, which was run on shore near this place 7th
Oct., was got off last night and brought into the harbour.
ILFRACOMBE, OCT. 25.—A Chasse-mar 6a, with mast
standing, and which had been in contact with an out-
ward-bound ship, was passed about two miles off Ly-
mouth yesterday, and the crew taken to Bristol; and this
morning a tiller, supposed to belong to her, was picked
up. It is blowing strong from N.E.
SHIELDS, OCT. 25.—The Marianne, Italian brig, for
Naples, in putting back to-day grounded on the stones
near the north side of channel in the harbour, but it is
expected off.
The Jane, from Perth to London, which got on the
rocks at Tynemouth yesterday, has broken up, and her
cargo is scattered about the Leach.
SUNDERLAND, OCT. 25.—The Hitchina Geerchina
(galliot), from Amsterdam to Newcastle, is on shore
near this port, but expected to be got off without damage,
HARWICH, OCT. 25.—The Johan Friederich, of and
from Bremen for Charleston, was totally lost on the
Gunfitet Sand last night; crew and passengers saved.
GOTHENBURG, SEPT. 29.—The Hedwig, from t unds-
wall to France, has put in here to repair, having been
dismastf d off the Text,!.
LISBON, OCT. 18.—The James Boorman, Englebrecht,
sailed hence for Batavia, sth Oct., but put back on the
13th, with loss of foretopmast, &c.
BOSTON, OCT. 25.—The Generous, Cogle, from Riga
to this port, which got on shore in this river 21st
Oct., has been brought up alongside the Quay. About
30 tons of the linseed has been got out to be dried.
BRIDLINGTON QUAY, OCT. 25.—The Cumberland, of
Newcastle. loaded, was spoken yesterday afternoon in
great distress, and running for the beach a little to the
northward of Spurn Lights, by the Loyalty of Sunder-
land, which put in here this morning. The three
vessels reported on the beach yesterday were all in
ballast, and have received but little damage.

QUARANTINE NOTICE.
Lisbon, Oct. 18, 1850.

Sir,—The Board of Health, by an order of the 10th
Oct., in the _ZHaI io of the 11th, declares all the ports of
Egypt to be infected with cholera.
(Signed) C. JAUNCEY, Lloyd's Agent.
To Captain Halsted, RN., S.--cretary, Lloyd's.

MARKET NEWS.-(THIS DAY.)
COVMATT-G.IIILIDE7S. _

Large sapplies of both Fruit and Vegetables were on
sale to-day, 3 et the general demand ruled steady, at but
little alteration in prices.
English Fruits—Pine Apples, 3s Od to 5s Od per lb;
Hothouse Grapes, is to 3s; ditto, foreign, 8d to 2s 3d
per lb; Peaches, 3s to lOs per dozen; Figs, 2s to 4s
per punnet; Melons, is Od to 3s each ; Plums, is to
Es 6d per punnet; Pears, Is Od to 3s Od per dczen;
ditto, Cs to 15s per ball sieve; Apples, dessert, 4s to 8s
per bushel; cooking ditto. is 6d to 64 6d; Walnuts, 10d
to Is 2d per 100; ditto, 12s to 24s per bushel; Filberts,
40s to 50s per 100 lbs..

Foreign Fruits—West India Pine Apples, lod to 4s
each; Oranges, 2s Od to 3s per dozen; ditto, 8s to 24s
per 100; Lemons, is to 2s per dozen; Almonds, Cs to Os
per peck; ditto, sweet, 2s to 3s prr lb; Brazil Nuts,
12s to 14s per bushel; Barcelona Nuts, 20s to 22s ditto.
Vegetables—French Beans, 3s Od to 4s Od per
half sieve; Cabbages, 6d to is Od per elt z6n; Greens,
3s Od to 4s Od per dozen bunches; Cauliflowers,
2s Od to 4s per Od dozen; Sorrel, 6d to 9d per
half sieve; Potatoes 50s to 80s per ton; ditto, 2s Gd
to 4s per ca•t; ditto, is 6d to 2s 6d per bushel;
Turnips, 2s Od to 2s 6d per dozen bunches; Red Beet, Is
to 3s per dozen; Cucumbers, is to 6s per ditto; Leeks,
Id to 2d per bunch; Celery, is to Is 6d per bundle;
Carron, 3s to .5s per dozen bunches ; Tumatas, is to
Is 6d per punnet; Spinach, is 6d to 2s per half sieve;
Onions, 2d to 6d per bunch; Spaidsh ditto, is 6d
to 4s. Od per dozen ; Shallots, 6d to 8d per lb;
Garlic, 4d to 8d per Ib; Artichokes, 2s to 4s per dozen;
Vegetable Marrows, 6d to is 6(1 per ditto; Cabbage
Lettuces. is to is Gd per score ; Cos ditto. Gd
to is 6d per ditto; Endive, is to is 6d per
ditto ; Small Salad, 2d to 3d per punnet ;
Horseradish, Is to 4s per bundle; Mushrooms, is 6d to
2s Gd per pottle; ditto, 5s to 7s per bushel; Fennel, 2d
to 3d per bunch; Savory, 2d to 3d per bunch; Thyme,
2d to 3d per bunch; Parsley, Is to 2s per dozen
bunches; Marjoram, 2d to 4d per bunch; Mint, green, 2d
per bunch.
Foreign Vegetables—French Carrots, 2cl to 3d per
bunch; French Beans, is Od to 4s Od per half sieve;
Cucumbers, Id to 2d each; Dutch Melons, is Gd to
2s 4d each; Spaniih Onions, 14s to 20s per box.

was lying on his back with his heAd hanging ovt r the
kerb stone. Sergeant Bushell, the prisoner, had his
lett hand in the deceased's neckerchief, and was kneel-
ing on his chest. I wer.t to 01) brother's assistance, and
he told me to get away and keep out at trouble. The
deceased elot up by some means. The prisoner and
S, rgeant Macra then pushed him up against the railings
outside the public-house, and tie prisoner dealt him
two violent blows with his staff, one on Ile right
thigh and the other on his right side and arm. The pri-
soner struck the deceased several times, and he was then
taken towards the station by the prisoner and Sergeant
Matra by the collar el the coat, whilst they took him
to the station he was struck eaversl blows with the
truncheon by Macra and the prisoner. I said, " Don't
kill him, he is going quietly." My brother bed no
weapon in his hand. I did not tee him strike the
police. I saw my brother at 11 o'clock, when he was
quite sober, and I did net see him again until between
12 and 1 o'clock. I followed him as far as the station;
he was then taken in and I did not see him until
next morning, a little after 7 o'clock, when ho was at
his own house. Ile was in a very bad state; he com-
plainei that his body ached all over. He took to his
bed, where he remained all day. He got up the next
day to appear before the magistrates. I went with him
before the magistrates by whom be was discharged.
Every day afterwards he continued to complain. lie
remained at home from his work a fortnight after this,
and was very poorly during that time. He had been at
his work the week before the Sunday. He did not keep
to his bed in the day, but remained at home from his
work. After this fortnight he went to his work for
about ten days, but he complained every day during that
time. After those ten days, he came home, and took to
his bed, where he continued till he died. The deceased
was in good health up to that night. Mr. O'Flaharty,
the surgeon, saw him, and attended him to his death. I
waited upon him until his dying day.
Cross-examined by Mr. BALLANTINE—I took the de-
ceased's meals to him at his work. The deceased usually
got hr me from his work about seven o'clock in the even-
ing, and sometimes went out afterwards. In my com-
pany he was not out of his own house as late as one
o'clock in the morning. During those ten days, I don't
think he and I have been out together so late as twelve
at night. We have been out, perhaps, so late as
eleven. I have been in a public-house with
the deceased during those ten days. I have been there
with him four or five days. The deceased drank
a glass of beer occasionally during those ten days. He
was fond of a small drop of brandy, if he liked any-
thing. I don't recollect whether he, and I had brandy
together during those ten days. I was never drunk in
my life. The deceased was charged before the magis-
trates with assaulting the police, but was discharged.
Maurice, another brother of mine, who was taken into
custody on the same occasion, was fined 10s., but the
deceased was discharged. I went to a public-house that
afternoon, but not directly from the police court. I did
not see Maurice and Jones at a public-house that after-
noon or evening; I might see them outside the public-
house.—(A laugh.) The deceased never happened to
have an accident before this matter, by falling over some
balustrades.

Susan Geary was next called, and examined by Mr.
PARRY—She is the widow of the deceased. Remembered
the Saturday night when ho was beaten by the police.
Saw him first about twenty yards from his own door, in
custody of the police. He was taken away by them,
and laid down against the pavement in front of the An-
gel public-house. The witness then went on to corro-
borate the evidence of the preceding witness, as to the
assault committed on the deceased. Witness inter-
fered to protect her husband, aid whilst she . was
doing so the prisoner called out to the other police-
constable present to "lock up the b-- bitch." After the
assault the deceased was very much disfigured, and bled
out of the left ear. He had, besides, a great swelling
on the jaw and the left ear. His left arm, from the
wrist to the shoulder, was bruised; as were also both
his legs, as if they had been kicked. His loins, sides,
and chest were likewise bruised. He kept his bed all
the Sunday.
Cross-examined by Mr. BALLANTINE—Her husband
occasionally drank a little brandy and water, and ►ery
little of that. The deceased was not trying to throttle
the prisoner during the scuffle. Although the deceased
was going quietly to the station, the police kept beat-
ing him.
(The trial was proceeding when we went to press.)

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

PORTSMOUTH, OCT. 25.—The Retribution steam-
frigate, Captain Warden, arrived at Spithead this
morning, coming in through the Needles under steam.
She left Cork on Sunday, the 13th instant, and has had
a trial cruise of eleven days. It is reported that she
will go into harbour to have an increase of six guns to
her armament, which, from her buoyancy, she is well
able to carry, and an increase to her complement of thirty
men, previous to which she will require some "cook-
ing." Her cruise has not been so satisfactory as could be
wished, though she proved a good sea-boat and an easy
ship in some rough weather she had; but she is said to
steer very wild, both under steam and canvas. Under
steam she averaged about 7 or 8 knots; under sail
she did better, making about Di to 10 knots with the wind
on the quarter, and on a wind about 8 knots. On a
wind, boa ever, she carried her helm a turn and a-half
to two turns a weather, from having too much after
sail. With her spanker brailed up and mizentopsail
furled, she steered better. She ought to be barque-
rigge 1, with a light mizenmast ; indeed, we think that
all large paddle-steamers •should be rigged as barques,
their square sails on the mizeumast seldom b.ing of any
service. We suppose the Retribution, to improve her
steering, will have an additional piece attached to
her sternpost, to throw her rudder further aft. She is
stiff under her canvas, but would steer better if she had
more ballast on board.

Commander F. J. Leroux (1844), on the retired list,
died a few days since at Plymouth. He was a lieute.
nant of 1800, and served in Lord Howe's action of the
Ist of June, and at Egypt.
Tte Admiralty have ordered tha lacnches of the Al-
bion, 90, and St. George, 120, at Devonport, to be fitted
for laying out anchors on Lieutenant Seccombe's plan,
both
sauerinaitennncihdempen cables, Lieutenant Sec-
cm their fitting, and the respective
c
to report on the plan after a sufficient trial.
(4,
pt ba ewi
D iists h
are to chain
hp
Clrado,., a similar-sized steam-packet to the Banshee,
but built with iron, has received a coating of Mr. H.
Hay's composition.
HERMES, STEAM•VESSEL, COMMANDER FISHBOITRNE.
—The barque Anna Robertson, which was in Algoa Bay,
bad been arrested under a warrant of the court of Vice-
Admiralty in a suit for salvage, on behalf of Captain
Fishbourue and the officers of the Hermes. The sum
claimed is about 3,0001.

Rattlesnake, 8, Acting Commander Yules, sailed early
on Thursday morning from Devonport to Chatham, to
be paid off.
Sinbad, lighter, Follett, master, arrived at Devonport
en Thursday morning, with victualling stores from
Deptford.
Portland, 50, Captain Chads, flag-ship of Rear-Ad.
miral Moresby, C 8., will be taken out of Devouport
Harbour on Monday next, the 28th inst., (weather per-
mitting), after which she will be swung and her com-
passes adjusted by Mr. Thompson, the harbour-master.
Plymouth, buoy. boat, Harris, master, arrived at De-
vonport on Thursday with stores from Chatham.
The Banshee steam-vessel, Master-Commander
Smithett, sailed this morning for Woolwich.
The Prince Albert, New York packet, arrived this
morning from London.
This morning, as a gang of convicts were at work by
the seuth duck, one of them seized an iron bar, with
which he immediately commenced striking the keeper
over his legs, and at the same time struck him with his
fist in the face. The keeper, after receiving several
blows, succeeded in closing with his bloodthirsty oppo-
nent, whom he immediately threw down, and held until
police aid came, when the prisoner was removed to the
Stirling Castle hulk. The man is a confirmed bad cha-
racter, and bad been frequently reported by his keeper
for his refractory behaviour, which may account for his
mprderous attack.
A most interesting experiment was tried in this gar-
rison this morning by order of the Major- General
commanding, which if adopted in the service will
greatly facilitate the loading and firing of the forces
either afloat or ashore. This was a self-priming
musket, the patented invention of Manton and Harring-
ton. In the stock along the barrel of the piece runs
a groove or well containing 70 percussion caps, which
by the agency of a fitting appliance in connexion with
the ramrod fall into their place over the nipple of the
gun simultaneously with the withdrawal of the ramrod
from the stock for the purpose of ramming home the
charge. In cold weather or a cold climate such en im-
provement would be inestimable in its value to our
troops, as the difficulty in fingering so diminutive an
article as a cap with benumbed fingers can only be ima-
gined by those who have been so unfortunate as to be so
circumstanced. Colonel Maxwell, of the 82d Regiment,
quartered in this garrison, tested the invention this
morning on Southsea-common, and its performances
yielded the moat satisfactory result. Seventy rounds
were fired with the regulation cartridge, and not one cap
failed. The self-priming machinery is quite independent
of the lock, and might be fitted to any musket at the
expense of a few shillings. The Major-General Com-
manding is highly pleased with the invention, which will
enable soldier to fire 70 rounds without s topping to
prime—no mean advantage in close firing.

WOOLWICH, OCT. 25.—Rear-Admiral M. F. Fitz-
hardinge Berkeley, C. 8., one of the Lords of the Admi-
ralty, Captain Sir Baldwin Walker, K.C.8., Surveyor
of the Navy, and Mr. John Edye, Assistant-Surveyor of
the Navy, arrived at the dockyard here at ten o'clock
A.m., and immediately proceeded on board the Wasp
steam sloop, at moorings in the stream, accompanied by
Flag-Lieutenant Gore, Lieutenant Robertson, Mr.
M•Donald, )Master-Attendant; Mr. Lang, Master-Ship•
.
Chief Engineer; Mr. Chat-
Wright;fierlidg.ht. Commander Humphries,
Peal e, e
Crozier
and Al
ltlr assistants to the Master-Ship.
ss,
received hie Lordship and
the Surveyor of the Navy on board, and conducted them
ae ,
over the vessel, suggesting several alterations which
would improve her trim, and otherwise render her
a better seagoing vessel. When the Admiral
went on board the draught of water of the
Wasp was 1315. 7in. forward, and 16ft. 2in. aft,
being a considerably gr.( ate r immersion at the
stern than was desirable, and in order to remedy
that detect the ballast was ordered to be taken
out from the stern. part of the vessel, and Lieutenant-
Colonel Colquhoun, of the carriage department at the
Royal Arsenal, was sent for to change one of the 68-
pounder guns of 87 cvit, on board at the stern, and sub-
stitute a 32-pounder of 56 cwt. The armament of the
Wasp will now consist of one 68-pounder, of 87 cwt. and
9i feet long at ber bows; one 32-pounder, of 56 cwt., at
her stern; and 12 broadside guns, 32-pounders of 32 ca t.
and Ei feet long each, with two 12-pounder brass
howitzers, and one 6-pounder brass gun. The taking
out of the ballast and other alterations will detain the
vessel at Woolwich until to-morrow, when she will
leave for Plymouth to take out the November mails to the
coast of Africa. His Lordship came on shore after being
upwards of en hour on board the Wasp, and proceeded
to the basin at the west end of the yard to visit the
Geyser steam-,loop, Commander Tatham, now nearly
ready to proceed to the Brazils for service against the
slavers in that quarter. The guns on board the Geyser are
one 42-pounder of 84 cwt., on traversing platform; four
32-pounders, of 42 cwt. each, and one 10-inch gun,
of 86 cwt., on traversing platform, with two 24-
pounder brass howitzers, and one light 12-pounder
howitzer. The Buzzard steam-sloop was also in-
spected; her armament consists of one 10-inch gun, of
86 cwt.; aft; one 68-pounder, of 95 cwt., forward, both
on traversing platforms; four 32-pounders, with two
24-pounder brass howitzers, and two 12-pounder howit-
z,rs. Re;r-Admiral Berkeley and Sir Baldwin
Walker then went round the basin to visit the Volcano
steatu-sloop, fitted with a rudder and jury tiller on a
plan submitted by. Captain Denham, R.N., F.R.S., and
subsequently went on board the Rosamond steam-sloop
to witness a plan for obtaining power over the helm by
using the foot of the steersman, submitted by Lieut.
Robinson, R.N. The latter plan is similar to the break
used in stopping lifting-cranes, and for the wheels of
railway carriages. His Lordship, with Sir Baldwin
Walker, left at half-past twelve o'clock on their return
to town.

RAILWAY RETURNS

TRAFFIC RETURNS FOR THE PAST WEEK.

Miles
opened,

receipts,

1849.

£523
452

435
4;199
6,b12
1,684
255
785
711

815
3,127
16,218
I,boo
3,573
2,248

2,937

U 9
4,t)93

666
22,938
1,257
2,036
3,114
4,161

1,366
423
1,523
431
1,466
12,239

1850.

X 1,380

182
1,012

66
4,576
7,;344,
2.738
449
981
764

742
3,634
16.318
2,359
3,758
2,664

1,861
751

249
2,746
1,036
6,269
4,725
18,293
4,657
14,479
1,026

561
46,438

891
11,771
:11,424

139
6,118

651
23,471
1,403
2,249
3,4'•S
4,691

220
13,607

479
1,564

5U2
1,789

478
1,916
14,470

1,613
643
1,053
18,140
3,692
3.300
6,256
6, 05
2,783

94()
1,028
2,341
8:42
341

2:7
14,61)6
8,07 ts

1,614
b9l
1,180
21,500
3,587
3,121
9,222
6,679
2,67

THE NORTHUMBRIAN PEASANTRY.
(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
• The condition of the agricultural labourers in
Northumberland, as recently witnessed by a gentle-
man connected with this journal, affords a striking
refutation, so far at least as that county is concerned,
to the melancholy statements made both in and out
of Parliament by the ultra-Protectionist party as to
the misery and privation which have resulted to the
agricultural interest from the adoption of the principle
of free trade in corn. A ride which he took in this
present autumn through a purely rural district of that
county, in the company of an intelligent and experi-
enced farmer, added to some previous knowledge of
. the subject, convinced him that, whatever may be the
state of the agricultural population of the south-
ern counties of England, that of, the kindred
class in Northumberland indicates the enjoy-
ment of as • much of plenty, happiness, and
ease as the most ardent philanthropist could
wish them. Whatever may have been the trials
and vicissitudes experienced by the tenant-farmers of
this kingdom from time to time, even under, if not
consequent upon, a system of agricultural protection,
such has ever been the peculiar nature of the relation
subsisting between those in Northumberland and
their labourers, that the course of life of the latter,
humble though it be, has gone on from time imme-
morial almost wholly undisturbed by political change.
A time there was when the way in which the pea-
santry le that county were housed—cribbed, cabined,
and confined with their families, as they often were,
in one single apartment—was the most striking in•
convenience incident to their lot ; but even under
that state of things, which is fast passing away, un-
favourable as it was to the proper observance of
the decencies of life, the generally good morals
and the blameless lives of the class now under
notice have ever been remarkably conspicuous.
Rarely indeed have any of them been
brought before the criminal tribunals of
the country to answer for even minor offences, and it
is a proud thing to be able to say of the population of
Northumberland, large though that county is, that
until very recently no execution for a capital offence
had taken place within the county for a period of
about a quarter of a century. The execution which
interrupted this golden age was that of a young man,
in the condition of a farm servant, who perpetrated
the crime of parricide ; and that atrocious offence was
regarded with the more consternation in the locality
where it happened, because it was committed by a
person belonging to a class among whom crime of any
kind or degree was of such rare occurrence. The
crime of arson, to which a kindred order of men are
so much addicted in some of the southern counties of
England, is wholly unknown in Northumberland, as
is also every species of agrarian outrage. It was the
boast of O'Connell that the Irish were the finest pea-
santry in the world. Had he seen those of Northum-
berland he must in candour have qualified his eulogium.
The physical condition of thetiorthumbrian farm.
labourer is one of comparative comfort. Though the
circumstances of his position preclude the possibility
of his becoming affluent, in the ordinary sense of the
term, yet privation and want are things unknown to
him, and he is in the enjoyment of at least an average
amount of human happiness. We shall take, for ex-
ample, the case of the labourers on a farm which we
visited belonging to the Duke of Portland, a few miles
distant from Morpeth, in the occupation of Messrs.
James and Robert Jobling. It may be premised that
the hinds, as the married agricultural labourers are
called in that county, are paid their wages almost
wholly in kind and to a very small extent in money.
Each hind on the farm referred to is allowed by his
employers annually, in payment of his wages, a cottage
to live in rent free and six bolls of wheat,
five old bolls of oats, twelve new bolls
of barley, and five new bolls of pease—one
old being equal to three new bolls. He and his
family, however large, are thus supplied with an
abundance of bread-stuff throughout the year. He
has, besides, a cow bought him by his masters on
entering their service, and he is allowed, free of
charge, as much grass and hay as it can consume, and
sufficient shelter for it during the winter. This sup-
plies him with milk and butter, and when he lives
within a moderate distance of a market town is a
somewhat lucrative privilege, as thither he can con-
vey and dispose of the produce of his cow, and the
calf which sbe bears once a year, which together
may yield him an annual sum of from 121. to 151.
Such of the hinds as do not choose to keep a cow are
allowed ,ss. a week in lieu of the privilege they thus
forego. In addition to the cow, the hind is allowed
31. a year for what is called the "deaf stint," that is
for waiving his right to grass for another cow, to which
he is entitled by the custom of the county. He has also
from 800 to 1,000 yards of ground allotted to him,
on which to plant potatoes, together with a sufficient
quantity of manure; his coals are likewise led him
and his corn ground free of charge ; and living in
the midst of the great coal mines of Northumberland,
he can buy the best coals so low as from 31. Bd. to 4s.
a ton. He has, besides, the privilege of keeping a
pig on the farm, or eight stones of pork in lieu al-
lowed him in the year. But this is not all. There
is always an abundance of work on a farm for the
wife and growing sons and daughters of the hind, by
which they can earn ls. 6d. a day during harvest,
8,1. in winter, and 10d. during the remainder of air
year. We were shown an account by which it
appeared that the wife and two boys of a la-
bourer earned 1/. 11 s. in a fortnight ; another
with three boys, 1/. 16s. in the same time; another,
with one son, 1/. 4s. ; and this was over and above the
ss. a- week which each man received in lieu of a cow
that he did not keep, and an additional boll of wheat
or two in the year, which are given to the wives or
daughters of some of the labourers for taking care of
the poultry on the farm. Such is an unexaggerated
account of the material provision made for the wants
of the agricultural labourer and his family in North-
umberland; and though, for the most part, the de-
scription applies to one particular farm which came
under our observation, and that more by chance than
by choice, it will, on the whole, be found to be appli-
cable, rnutatis mutandis, to the condition of the same
class throughout the county.
Reference has been made to the wages which the
women are in the habit of earning on the farm; and
this leads to a passing consideration of a custom
peculiar to Northumberland and some others of the
northern counties. This is called " bondage work,"
which has been misunderstood by most strangers,
and much misrepresented by others. Cobbett, in a
flying visit he once paid to that couqy, heard, as a
matter of course, of the bondage workNhich prevails
among the agricultural population there, and taking
fire at the word " bondage" he went per saltum, as
was his habit, to the conclusion that it oppressed and
ground down the poor, and accordingly vented the
vials of his rage and indignation upon it. But for
once he was far out of his reckoning. The sum and
substance of the bondage system is this. There are
many descriptions of labour necessarily incident to
the cultivation of a farm, of a nature so comparatively
light that most of them, the " mint and cummin" as
it were of the concern, as to be beneath the appli-
cation of able-bodied male labour, which is
consumed on weightier and more important
matters ; and in order to the performance of these
lighter kinds of hand labour the aid of females has
immemorially been had recourse to. Remote as most
of the farms are from towns and villages, where fe-
males might be had to do this sort of work, the far-
mer has ever been driven to enlist in its performance
all the female hands about his own homestead; and
hence it has been, from time beyond the memory of
man, the indispensable custom for the farmer, on en-
gaging a bind, to stipulate that he shall find a female
throughout the year to do the work in question at the
wages already referred to, and which is called in
common parlance " bondage work," probably because
the hind is in a manner bound to make provision for
its performance. So far, however, from looking upon
this custom in the nature of a hardship, the agricul-
tural labourers, and especially their wives and
daughters, whom it chiefly concerns, embrace it with
pleasure and satisfaction, inasmuch as its emoluments,
paid in hard cash, enable them to grace their substan-
tial though plain fare occasionally with a few comforts
and luxuries otherwise unattainable, and to gratify
that amiable passion for dress, which sways the female
breast in every condition of life.
Formerly, as has been stated, the moat pinching
inconvenience suffered by the hinds was their being
lodged with their families, almost invariably, in cot-
tages, each containing only a single apartment, with a
few necessary offices. In a soil and atmosphere so
innate
delicacies it could scarcely be expected that the
delicacies and moralities of life could be maintained.
Nor was this the only evil resulting from such a
state of things. When contagious diseases lighted
upon any of those little rural communities the
consequent mortality was greatly aggravated
among families compelled to herd together in
one small room. With a most culpable negli-
gence, too, the landowner was often wont to
suffer the labourers cottages to fall into decay ;
hence they were often found to be cold, damp, and
comfortless. But a great change for the better has,
within the last ten years, taken place in this respect.
The benevolent mind of the Rev. Dr. Gully, a pre-
bendary of Durham, was attracted some few years
ago to the state of the dwellings of the peasantry in
the country ; he wrote and published a touching ap-
peal to the landed gentry on their behalf; public at-
tention was thus directed to the subject, and the re-
sult happily
has been, that the old cramped and com-
fortless thatched cottages in which the labourers were
formerly housed are rapidly disappearing, and
being supplanted by a neat, substantial, and
commodious order of dwellings in most parts of
the county. We would especially refer to the ex-
amples set in this respect, and also in providing schools
for the children of the labourers by the Duke of Port-

land, the Duke of Northumberland, Earl Grey, the
present Earl of Carlisle, Mr. Cresswell Baker, of
Cresswell, and Mr. Lawson, of Longhurst, whose
estates lie contiguous in that county. Wherever new
cottages are being built in the hamlets or on the
farmsteads, care is now invariably taken to provide
each family, at least, with two apartments, in addition
to the necessary offices. In some instances the exer-
tions made by the landowner in this direction are
shared, if not anticipated, by the tenant-farmer him-
self. This has been done, for instance, by the Messrs.
Jobling on their farm at Butterwell, belonging to
the Duke of Portland, who have provided each of
their hinds with two apartments, who had for-
merly only one. Speaking of the Duke of
Portland we cannot refrain from referring to the
amiable reputation his Lordship has earned in
Northumberland for his uniformly kind and consi-
derate deportment both towards the tenantry and the
poor on his fine estate there. Though he certainly
had neither act nor part in carrying the measure of
free trade, his Lordship has since spontaneously
shown a disposition to undergo the most generous
sacrifices in his dealings with bis tenantry, with a
view to ease the pressure of that transition state to
which the agricultural interest has been subjected by
a fundamental change of the laws affecting it. But
his Lordship's considerate generosity towards his
tenant-farmers, however, does not date so recently as
the inauguration of free trade, but was invariably
extended towards them in those seasons of depression
and suffering with which they were from time to
time afflicted under a former order of things. His
Lordship, in a word,: is an interesting example of
" a fine old English gentleman ;" and in Mr. Sample,
his resident local agent, a man of kind and unassum-
mg manners, his Lordship possesses a representative
who carries out his instructions with discretion and
firmness, tempered with urbanity.