The Sun.
London, England, 1844-12-19 00:00:00

:SHE SUN, LOND'ON, THURSDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 19, 1344.

The proceedings commenced by the singing of the
miners' hymn.
A miners' delegate, of the name of PARKINSON,
from the county of Durham, addressed the meeting.
He remarked that on the employment of the miners
depended the existence of many other trades ; and as
to the masters, they were reckless, money-amassing
monopolists. He was informed that, in Oldham, the
masters had several times advanced the price of coal
without giving any advance whatever to the men.
Another miners' delegate, of the name of Ent-
BLETON, from Newcastle-on-Tyne, next addressed the
meeting. He felt convinced the operatives would be
crushed if they did not effectually combine to protect
the interests of their trade.

A miner of the name of lamas, who spoke some
time, asserted that the American slaves were better
treated: than the miners of England; but they were
determined, at all risks, to be better paid far their
labour than they had hitherto been. He con-
cluded by moving a resolution to the effect, " That, in
the opinion of the meeting, the miners of Oldham had
been grossly oppressed by their employers, and that
the meeting pledged itself to do all in its power to
protect the miners in their struggles to gain their
rights." _

A. miner of the name of ROBERT WinTwoRTR se
conded the motion.

DIXON, of Manchester, then made a lengthy
speech, in which he remarked, that such was the in-
fluence of wealth, such the power of their oppressors,
the coal kings, that it was an easy matter to get
penny-a-liners to write all manner of hard things
against the poor colliers ; the very parties who had
preached up the doctrine, that wages were regulated
by the principle of supply and demand, were those
who turned against the operative the very moment he
began to put these principles into practice. The coal
proprietors had been induced to advance the price of
coals through what the lying press had said, that the
miners were united for the purpose of imposing high
prices on the public.
Other speeches were made, and the proceedings
concluded by the appointment of a Committee to
effect the purposes of the turn-out.

SIIOCEING SUICIDE ON A RAILWAY.—On Sunday
night, shortly before the train which leaves Manchester
for Birmingham at a quarter past six o'clock, had
reached Wilmslow station, it passed over something on
the rails, which afterwards proved to be the body of a
young woman, about twenty-eight years of age. It ap-
pears, from inquiries subsequently made, that her name
was Elizabeth Frith ; that she had left her home, at
Audley, in Staffordshire, a day or two before, and had
since been wandering about, apparently uncertain as to
her movements. Just before the passing of the train,
she had placed herself across the rails, being in a state
of insanity ; but nothing was known of it till after the
accident took place. An inquest was held on the body
at Wilmslow, en Monday night, before Mr. Roscoe,
coroner, when the jury returned a verdict to the effect
that she had' placed herself across the rails while in a
state of insanity, and was then and there killed." She
was struck by the buffer, and one of her legs was nearly
taken off. She died almost immediately. It was stated
that she had had a severe attack of illness the spring
before last, and a renewal of it last spring, which is sup-
posed to have impaired her intellect.
EXPLOSION ON BOARD A SEDAM-YESlEL.—Tuesday
morning some sensation was created in the vicinity
of Old Shades Pier, owing to an explosion having
taken place on board the Propeller, plying between
the latter place and Sheerness. The above vessel was
formerly worked with the Archimedian screw, but
about twelve months ago was altered into the •ld sys-
tem, with paddle-wheels, and has regularly plied be-
tween London and Sheerness. Yesterday morning,
shortly before her time of starting, the engineer, after
leaving the engine ready for proceeding on the jour-
ney, went on deck to speak to the captain ; he had
not left the engine-room two minutes before he heard
a load explosion from the latter place, followed
by an immense body of steam, which prevented
him from going below for some time. When the steam
had subsided he ascertained that the bottom of the
boiler, near the fire-box, had fallen out, owing to
some portion of the iron being in a rotten state.
The Propeller is built on the new system, with air-tight
bulk-heads, which fortunately prevented the steam front
entering the cabin and other parts of the vessel.
We are requested to state, that a paragraph which
appeared in our last paper, copied from the Perthshire
Courier, having reference to the sale of the estates of
the late Lord Lyndoch in Perthshire, is incorrect in
several places. The sales of Lynedoch and Balgowan,
to Messrs. Simpson and Thomson, are made by Mr.
Graham of Balgowan, not by the trustees of Lord Lyne-
doch, and are conditional sales, dependent upon Mr.
Graham's power to sell, which is disputed by the heirs
of entail, and will form a question in the courts of law,
—Edinburgh Advertiser.

NOYRL IMPORTATION INTO SCOTLAND. - Last
week the Helen Scott, of Kincardine, reached the Nith
direct from Montreal, laden with Canadian wheat, flour,
barley, oatmeal, aad peas—the first arrival of the kind,
as far as we know, hitherto reported in Scotland. The
cargo on board, with the addition of a lining of boards
and staves, has been consigned to Mr. Beveridge, baker,
miller, and flour dealer, Maxwell-town, and will be fol-
lowed by others, should the ♦enture realise the hopes of
the exporter. The different articles will pay the altered
rate of duties set forth in the Act of last session,
viz., 6d. on barley and peas, Is. 2d. per cwt. on oatmeal,
and Is 6d. per quarter on oats. The flour, we under-
stand, is remarkably fine.—Drumfries Courier.
REMARK/OMB CIRCUMSTANCE.—BOSTON, Nov. 23.

We were informed yesterday by a fisherman, just in
from a cruise, that during his absence he had witnessed a
most singular phenomenon, the like of which has never
been known in this latitude. The smack in which he
was had been unsuccessful, very few fish having been
taken, and on many of the old fishing-ground* net one
could be found. In returning along the south shore of
Long Island, their attention was attracted to the beach,
which was literally strewed with the bodies of dead
fish, just washed up by the sea. Black fish, cun-
ners, lobsters, and crabs, and many other species
which inhabit our shores at this season, lay promis-
ingly on the sand. On examining the well of the smack
it was discovered that the fish which they had taken
were also dead. As far as the shore was examined
eastward toward Montauk Point, it was found to be
covered alike with dead fish. We are also informed that
the smack Caroline, on Friday last, while about 15 miles
from land, passed through a " rip " of the sea (formed by
adverse tides, we suppose), and that as far as could be
seen in either direction, the " rip " was filled with dead
fish. Soon after this the well of the smack was exa-
mined, and every fish in it found to be dead. These re-
markable facts require scientific investigation. Similar
phenomena have been observed in the Mediterranean
after a volcanic irruption on some neighbouring moun-
tains ; and it is quite probable, we think, that the de-
struction to the finny tribe noticed above was caused by
a. like irruption at sea near our coast.—Americall Paper.

no prudent man would purchase at any price,
or even accept as a gift ; and we take it that
land affording no rent is one of these concerns.
But why should rent be annihilated ? The
average price of the quarter of wheat is this day 48s.
sd. The average price of the quarter of wheat this
day ten years was 415., this day nine years 365.; so
that the quarter of wheat is now worth 7s. in money
mere than it was ten years ago, 12s. in money more
than its prise nine years ago-,—threugh what leak is it,
then, that rents have disappeared ? The population
has augmented one-seventh within the ten years ;
and, as no more foreign corn has been imported, nor
are the people much worse fed than ten years ago,
rent, instead of disappearing, must have increased
in pretty much the same ratio, unless the cost
of cultivation has become greater; but every
improvement in agriculture, every additional outlay
of capital upon land, renders the cost of cultivation
much less, and it is notorious that many improve-
ments have been effected in agriculture since 1834,
and that much capital has been laid out upon land.
Mast we then not, however reluctant to oppose such
high authorities, come to the conclusion that Messrs.
Thomas Attwood and the Morning Post are mistaken,
and that rents are not yet either actually or virtually
annihilated.

TURN-OUT of the COAL-MINERS

OLDHAM, TUBSDiY.—The miners at nearly all the
collieries in Oldham and the neighbourhood absented
themselves from their work on Monday morning,
having turned out for the purpose of procuring an
advance of wages of 3d. in the shilling; for shaft
mining, besides the extra allowances of 3d. per cwt.
for short quarters, and 4d. per cwt. for long quar-
ters. Between Saturday evening, when the fortnight's
notice expired, and Monday morning, a few of the
employers acceded to the terms proposed by the turn-
outs, namely, Messrs. Brideoake's, of Union Ground
colliery, and Mr. Abraham Lees, of Oldham Edge
colliery.- Messrs. Alexander Collinge, r. Mills, and
a few small colliery proprietors, at and near Sholver
and Shore Edge, are said to have come to a satisfac-
tory understanding with their men on such terms as
will yield a fair proportion of advance when Compared
with the Oldham prices. The very large number of
miners in the employment of Messrs. Lees, Jones, and
Co.; Joseph Jones, jun., and Co.; and Barker, Evans,
and Co., are out, but they have received intimation
that a* answer will be given to-morrow (Wednesday)
as to what course these firms will pursue in reference
to the demands of the men. The strike has extended
to the collieries of Messrs. Jesse Ainsworth, Pit
Bank ; Job Lees, North Gate and Moor Field ; and
Harry Bentley, Barrowshaw ; but these parties are
endeavouring to bring about an arrangement. The
miners in the employ of Mr. William Wrigley, of
Low Side, have likewise struck work. The entire
number of turn-outs, including boys as well as men,
will not be far from 1,000. A large meeting of the
coal miners and other operatives, "to lay before the
public the various grievances existing between them
and their employers," had been announced to take
place on Monday afternoon, in the open air on Curzon-
ground, but was ultimately held in the 'Working-men's
Hall, Horsedge-road, a spacious, well-arranged build-
ing, not quite completed. The number of individuals
present appeared to be about twelve hundred.
A miner, of the name of Benjamin Hawksworth,
was called to tile chair.

His LORDSHIP, in passing sentence on Brown, said
no doubt could exist as to the intent of the prisoner in
firing the gun at the prosecutor, and a very few years
ago the offence would have met with capital punishment,
for no doubt if the man bad died of his wounds the
case would have amounted to murder of the most deli-
berate kind. The motive for this outrage was apparent
enough. He and other workmen had thought fit to
strike, and it was not the first time, on this circuit, to
his own knowledge, in which those strikes had led to
similar offences, offences induced by the opinion that they
could not succeed in the object of their strike so long as
other men were willing to work ; and those men who
did not adhere to their party were generally the objects
of their malice. The sentence of the Court on him
was, that he be transported beyond the seas for the term
of fifteen years.
John Marley (who bad yesterday pleaded guilty to
two charges of burglary), William Plummer (who was
acquitted on one of those charges), and Mary Wilkinson,
aged 26, were charged with feloniously breaking and
entering into the house of James Hay, in the parish of
Monkwearmouth, and stealing therefrom various arti-
cles, his property.
Mr. Granger conducted the prosecution ; the prisoners
were undefended.

In this case it appeared that on the night of the 28th
of October the house of the prosecutor was broken open,
and part of the articles were found in the house in which
the prisoners resided, in the row= respectively occupied
by Marley and Wilkinson (who resided with him as hiv
rife), and by Plummer and a woman named Hannah
Ewing (who passed as the wife of Plummer). A tele-
scope had been placed in the hands of a publican at
Sunderland, for the loan of two shillings ;by Plummer ;
and Wilkinson had sold a tea-caddy (in which were
afterwards found a silver knife and fork belonging to the
prosecutor), to the wife of another publican, living at
South Shields, for five shillings.
Marley and Plummer Guilty of the principal charge ;
Wilkinson Guilty of receiving-.
There were three mere indictments against the pri-
soners for similar offences ; but this conviction being ob-
tained, no further evidence was offered.
His LORDSHIP, in passing sentence, observed that the
prisoners had been guilty of several other offences ; and
it was evident that they had lived on the plunder of
others, and that they were pursuing a regular and
systematic course of burglary and housebreaking. Such
persons could not in justice be permitted to infest any
country where the laws held their force, and their sen-
tence was, therefore, that they each be transported be-
yond the seas for twenty years. In addition, Marley
was sentenced to one month's imprisonment and hard
labour for the burglary at Thornely, to which he yester-
day pleaded guilty. Wilkinson, twelve months' impri-
sonment and hard labour.

Thomas Matthew; aged 21, was found Guilty of
forging and uttering a bill of exchange at South Shields,
with intent to defraud Robert Simons, but was recom-
mended to mercy by the jury on account of his youth.
Two years' imprisonment and hard labour.
True bills have been returned against David Buglass,
one against Matthew Watson, and one against the said
Matthew Watson, James Watson (his son), and Henry
Russell, for a forgery on the Stockton and Durham
Bank, and with uttering the same. The trial is fixed
for to-morrow.

True bills have been returned against all the other
prisoners.

December 17.
The Court was engaged the greater part of the day
with the trial of several cases of rape, the particulars of
which are unfit for publication.
One petty case of robbery from the person was dis-
posed of. It contained no point of public interest, and
terminated in an acquittal.

WESTERN CIRCUIT.—Exeter, Dec. 17.
The same course has been pursued in this county as
n the other counties on the circuit. Mr. Baron Alder-
son arrived in Exeter late last evening, and opened the
circuit. This morning his Lordship attended Divine
service in the cathedral, after which the Court was opened
and the business of the assize commenced.
There are 41 prisoners for trial, as given by the calen-
dar. The offences of which they are charged are as
follow :—Six for arson, three for horse and sheep steal-
ing, one for bigamy, one for false pretences, four for
wounding, with intent, &c.; five for larcenies from the
person, one far rape, one for uttering base coin, one for
manslaughter, one for administering drugs with an un-
lawful purpose, and the remainder for simple larcenies.
Wiiham Hurford was indicted fur stealing a sheep, the
property of John Wise.
Mr. Kekewich prosecuted. The prisoner was not de-
fended by counsel.
as
Mr.
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of November
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covered that during.
been killed, the head, entrails, and the skin having been
loft on the ground. Suspicion fell on the prisoner, and
a search warrant was obtained for the purpose of search-
ing his house, and there, in one of the bed-rooms which
the house contained, was found a quantity of mutton
salted in a pan, and another quantity fresh in a bucket.
The mutton, it was proved, had not been cut up by a
butcher, from the coarse and clumsy pieces into which it
was separated. In addition to this, a piece of the neck
was found to fit exactly with a piece of flesh which had
been left attached to the skin. The constable who
searched the house stated that he had heard that the son-
in-law of the prisoner lived with him, but he could not
say, as he had never been In his house before.
The prisoner, when called upon for his defence, said
that his son-in-law lived with him ; that the mutton was
found in his room, and that he (the prisoner) knew no-
thing aboutt
where the matter
he
stated.
besyotned.dthe fact that the mutton
had been found

Mr. Baron ALDERSON summed up, telling the jury
that, as the evidence on the part of the prosecution
had partly raised the difficulty about the son-in-law, the
prosecutor was bound to have removed that difficulty if
he could, by showing who did live in the house in ques-
tion. The point in the case was, was the mutton found
in the prisoner's possession ?
The jury, after a short consultation, Acquitted tho
prisoner. I

LAW INTELLIGENCE.
PRIVY COUNCIL, Dec. 18.
THE LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR OF GUERNSEY.
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.;
Mr. WADDINGTON having concluded,
Mr. BURGE proceeded to reply, but not having con-
cluded when their Lordships rose, the further considers.
tion of the case was adjourned till Friday at ten o'clock.

TICE- CHANCELLOI?' 8 COURT, Dec. 18.
(Before Sir J. Wiatu.x.)
WALTER V. TIIOMPIION.
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.)
His HONOUR directed that the plaintiff be at liberty to
bring an action at law to establish his right as patentee,
the motion to stand over till the decision of the cow-
men-law court should be obtained. The defendant
could, of course, apply to the Court in case the plaintiff
should not proceed at common law.

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.
NORTHERN CIRCUIT.--Durham, Dec. 17.
Mr. Justice Coleridge took his seat on the bench this
morning at nine o'clock.
Robert Brown, aged 25, and George Muckleroyd, aged
23, were severally charged with having, at Waldridge, on
the 25th July last, feloniously fired off a gun into the
house of John Walker, with intent to do grievous bodily
harm to the said John Walker and Isabella, his wife.
Mr. Granger, with whom was Mr. Thompson, appeared
for the prosecution, and Mr. Otter for the prisoners.
In this case it appeared that the occurrence complained
of originated in the recent strike of the pitmen of Dur-
ham and Northumberland. The prosecutor was a
" black-leg," who refused to enter into the pitmen's
union, and never left his work. On the other hand the
prisoner Brown was a unionist, and had, shortly before
the offence was committed, been ejected from the house
which he had held under the colliery he worked at.
As to the other prisoner, no evidence was given directly
to show in what capacity he was engaged, but in-
directly ground was laid from which to infer that
he also was one of the recusant pitmen. On the
morning of the 25th of July, about one o'clock, the
prosecutor was awakened by a loud report, and immedi-
ately after felt himself wounded in the left arm and
groin. His wife also was wounded in the left knee.
He got out of bed with great difficulty, and summoned
assistance, after which he proceeded to the colliery office,
about 400 or 500 yards off, when, some time after, four
or five shots were taken out of his arm, and four or five
more out of his groin. The knee of his wife appeared
to have been penetrated by the shots, but the surgeon
had not been able to find them. The next door neigh-
bour of the prosecutor was awakened simultaneously by
another explosion, and it was ascertained from the marks
outside the houses that the person or persons who had
fired the guns had run from the place where the first
shot was fired to that whence the second one was dis-
charged; and in the latter case the charge of the gun
had penetrated the window shutters outside the window,
broken the panes and window frame, passed through the
back room, into which it was fired, and lodged in the
front wall of the front room. Luckily none of the inha-
bitants were injured. To prove the malicious motives
of the offenders, it was shown that the prisoner Brown
and another person had beea seen, during the previous
afternoon, inspecting the premises from the outside,
where they would be able to see the position of the bed
on which the prosecutor and his wife lay; and that as the
ground behind the cottage was an ascent, the parties had
knelt down on one knee, in order to take a more delibe-
rate and certaim aim at the prosecutor. To connect
the prisoners with the transaction, it was shown that
Brown bad borrowed a double-barrelled gun of another
pitman a few days before, holding out an intimation that
he would purchase it, that the gun was handed to him
ready loaded in both barrels, and that the shot found in
the prosecutor's bed, and taken from his person by the
surgeon, were of the same size as those with which the
gun had been loaded. The previous day and night had
been rainy, and a quantity of sand bad been washed
down from the hill sides on the foot-path which ran
behind the prosecutor's house, whilst the ascent behind
had been rendered soft by the same cause. On the
rising ground were seen the marks of the man's knee
and toes, where he had knelt to fire the two shots, and
both there and along the footpath were the distinct
marks of two persons' shoes. The two prisoners were
apprehended at different hours the same morning, in the
tent erected by a pitman, named Hepplewhite, a unionist
pitman, who bad been ejected from his house by the
owners of the Edmondsley colliery, about one mile from
Waldridge. The clothes and shoes of both were wet,
and marked with the peculiar kind of clay which was
carried down the rising ground, and the trousers of
Brown were daubed with clay on the right knee. The
shoes worn by the prisoners were compared with the
footprints near the prosecutor's house, Ind found exactly
to correspond.
The jury found Brown Guilty, aid Acquitted Muckle
royd.

John Bendle, a miserably-clad and lame man, was
charged with having, on the night of the 27th September
last, set fire to a rick of oats, the property of John Laud.
Mr. Rowe prosecuted ; the prisoner was undefended.
It was proved that Mr. Laud was a farmer, residing
at 'West Buckland, in this county, where the prisoner
also existed as a pauper. Two or three days be-
fore the fire the prisoner was met by a witness,
who asked him if he was going home. (The wit-
ness stated that at this time the prisoner was living
in a linhoy or cowshed, but had before been in the
union.) The prisoner replied that he was, on which wit-
ness said that he ought to go into the union. Prisoner
answered that he never would go into the union again ;
bat he would do something before Sunday that would
prevent that. He had no animosity, be added, against
any one in the parish except the prosecutor, and he hated
him because he had used him so badly when they lived
together at Mrs. Dean's. He then went on to say that
before Sunday he would burn down his house or his
barton. On the morning of the fire it was proved that
the prisoner had bought a box of lucifer matches. On
the night of the fire two witnesses were passing near to
the place where the oat-rick in question and seven other
corn-ricks stood. They perceived the fire, ran to the
spot, and succeeded in extinguishing it. The fire had
been applied at the lower part of the rick on the out-
side, and had burnt a good way in. In a few minutes
more their efforts would have been ineffectual, and this
rick, and in all probability the seven other ricks, would
have been consumed. The prisoner, by another witness,
was seen, near about the time that the fire took place,
within a quarter of a mile of the spot on which the rick
stood.

On the same evening another witness stated that he
saw the prisoner, who told him that he had set fire to
Mr. Laud's rick, to do which he had bought a box of
matches. He then went on to describe how he had done
it. Witness replied that ke did not believe him, as he
should have heard of the fire. Prisoner then insisted
it was true. " Then," said the witness, " I suppose you
will be transported for it." Prisoner replied that he
hoped he should, and that he had done it on purpose.
A box which contained lucifer matches was found be-
tween the rick and the gate which led out of the barton.
The prisoner, when called upon for his defence, put in
a written paper, which was read by Mr. Gurney, and
which, we presume, had not been written by the prisoner,
from the style in which it was written. In very good
language it denied his guilt, and declared that the charge
had been made by the prosecutor out of spite to him.
After hearing the Learned Judge's summing up, the
jury immediately returned a verdict of Guilty.
Mr. Baron ALDERSON—You have been convicted,
prisoner, by the clearest evidence of this crime of at-
tempting to burn down Mr. Laud's ricks, since there
can be no doubt, had not the fire been discovered when
it was, the whole of the seven ricks had been destroyed.
You did this for revenge, and you must now suffer the
consequences of that revenge. I saw too much of this
most detestable crime last summer to feel any doubt as
to what my duty is in this case. Those who deal with
such crimes with lenity make themselves to a certain
degree accountable for the crime wken again com-
mitted. I will not do so, but will wash my hands of all
responsibility by inflicting the heaviest punishment of
the law. His Lordship than sentenced him to be tran-
sported for life.