The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1839-06-25 00:00:00

Imperial Vadiament.

Sir ROBERT PEEL rose, but was assailed with cries of
" Spoke," from the ministerial side.) He said, how have I
spoken more than the noble lord ? Ido not mean to move
an adjournment, or take any other step, because the noble
lord has assented to my proposition, and I merely wished to
state, in one sentence, without pledging myself to any par-
ticular course on the next proceeding, that to legislation (for
it is legislation) on such an important matter, in this way
nothing would have induced me to consent, and that I should
have felt myself justified—l never did it before—in moving
an adjournment, or offering any other obstruction to taking
a vote at half-past two o'clock in the morning, in order that
I might put upon record my objection to the principle of
proceeding in this way by legislation ; for, in fact, it is Vir-
tual legislation, by the single act of the House of Commons,
not allowing us an opportunity of stating our opinions upon
that vote itself, without commencing a discussion at half-
? past-two. I, therefore, do not concur with the noble lord,
that my opposition is unreasonable.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL—Will the right hon. baronet ob-
ject to the Speaker leaving the chair now, without our tak-
ing any vote at present f
Sir R. PEEL—I shall certainly not object to that course ;
but what object does the noble lord propose in it?
.r ord JOAN RUSSELL—What I meant by the proceeding
virl" tit might be understood that any fresh discussion
o e place in the committee.—(Cries of " Divide.")
tfe., EL.—I did not mean to push my opposition to
4,14 k Went.
` I only wished an opportunity of
,6 •
„
14?lef
t 40!;•"'411,`

HOUSE OF LORDS.+—THURSDAY.
The Duke of RICHMOND gave notice that when the con-
sideration of the High Sheriff's Expense Bill was brought
forward he should move that it be read a second time that
clay six months.
The Earl of WINCHILSEA gave notice that he should on
Friday present a petition, with 3,000 signatures, for the re-
peal of the Roman Catholic Relief Act.

On the motion of Lord Denman, the Rules of Proceedings
Borough Courts Bill was read the third time and passed.
On the motion that the Windsor Castle Stables Bill be
read the second time,

Lord DUNCANNON, in answer to Lord Ashburton's in-
quiry,) said that it proceeded, as regarded the Woods and
Forests, on a principle that had been observed for the last 20
years.
The Earl of RIPON inquired whether it would be requisite
to sell any of the crown lands to carry into effect this bill.
Lord DUNCANNON answered in the negative. The com-
missioners possessed sufficient means without resorting to
such a mode.
Bill read the second time.
, The Jamaica Bill having been brought from the Commons,
and read the first time.
Lord LYNDHURST gave notice that he would, on Friday,
present a petition from Mr. Burge; praying that he might be
heard at the bar against the bill.
After some conversation the second reading was fixed for
Friday next.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—THURSDAY.
On the third reading of the Commercial (London and
Blackwell) Railway Bill being moved by Mr. T. DUNCOMBE,
Sir R. INGLIS complained of the very little attention ex-
tended by that house or its committees to the interests of
small proprietors where railway schemes were concerned.
Lord J. RUSSELL, in answer to Lord Dungannon, said that
the further consideration of the Ecclesiastical Duties and
Revenues Bill was already fixed for Wednesday next, on
Which occasion the amendments would be proposed and de-
bated.
Mr. Sergeant TALFOURD, after some conversation with
Lord J. Russell, deferred the committee on the Copyright
Bill till Friday, on an understanding that if the discussion
were not concluded by nine or ten o'clock it should be further
postponed.
Mr. HARVEY moved addresses, which were agreed to, for
a return respecting the amount received by the colonial, or
any other government department, under the name of Lady
Michie's Charity, and of the application thereof. Also for a
return of the names of the principal clerk and chief clerk, for
whom salaries of £9OO and £6OO a-year were mentioned un-
der the head of estimates for the commissariat department.
NATIONAL EDUCATION.
The adjourned debate on national education was then re-
sumed, and occupied the whole night. It made some amends
for the tediousness which, with two or three exceptions, had
been the characteristic of the speeches on the earlier evenings.
Mr. DISRAELI began, and with so much ability as to com-
mand the applause of both sides of the house. He combated
Mr. Wyse's assertion that the interposition of the state was
indispensable to any satisfactory system of education, main-
taining that Fngland was indebted to the state for but little
of her social advancement, and owed it chiefly to private en-
terprise. The principle of our ancestors was to increase the
power of society and diminish that of the government, so as
to effect a union of liberty and order, enjoyed by no other
country. He denounced the plan now propounded,.as a cen-
tralization injurious to national character, and maintained
that in proportion as you reduce the duties devolving on your
people as individuals, you endanger their rights as citizens.
Mr. EWART delivered an essay on the other side, which
contained nothing worthy of remark.
Mr. PLUMPTRE vindicated the conservatives from the
imputation of seeking to " judge their neighbours."
Sir GEORGE STAUNTON differed, not without pain, from
the government, whom he was accustomed to support ; but
could not concur in a plan which went to place the church of
England under a disadvantage, and subject religion to a board
exclusively political.
Mr. GAILY KNIGHT repelled the charge that the conser-
vatives were adverse to education, when in fact they have
made the greatest efforts in its favour, and are adverse only
to the ministerial scheme with its fluctuating board.
Mr. GIBSON spoke on the ministerial behalf, in a vein of
loud liberality and fluent common-place.
Sir H. VERNEY followed on the same side with forbear-
ance and moderation.
Sir ROBERT INGLIS then, with great ability, addressed
himself to the defence of the church of England, and of the
University of Oxford. The University, he said, was not to
be held responsible for those new doctrines of certain of her
graduates which had called forth the disapprobation of some
of the speakers in these debates. Ministers professed to
have made a change in their scheme, but no change could be
satisfactory while the board should be left a portion of the
plan. He illustrated the moral superiority of the education
afforded by the church from a return of the number of young
persons who, during a period of six months, had been dis-
charged from Newgate at the expiration of their sentences.
Those who had been instructed at schools with which the
church had no connexion. He gave credit to ministers for a
sincere belief in the established religion ; but as this belief
must lead them to a conclusion that any dissent from the es-
tablished religion was an error, he apprehended that they
departed from their duty when they gave encouragement to
such dissent. He concluded by a reference to the overwhelm-
ing multitude of the petitions and petitioners against the plan
of the government.
Mr. O'CONNELL endeavoured to weaken this last argu-
ment by contending, that though the petitions were many,
the signatures to them were not very numerous. (The
latest lists, we suspect, would convict the learned member of
an " enormous" mistake.) The opposition, he said, to be
consistent, should not give a mere preference to the people
of the Church of England, but should absolutely exclude all
other, sectaries. " But work out that," said he, "if you
dare ! lam here now, in spite of you: turn me out if you
can." Having indulged, in this expression of acrimony, he
, suddenly assumed a tone and manner of the utmost gentle-
ness, unbroken through the remainder of his speech, except
by some splenetic comments on the course of the Wesleyans
in joining the church on this occasion. He bad never heard
of their having done any good to civil liberty, and they
seemed strangely inclined to a cry of "No Popery." So
long as the public money. was given only to the National and
o the British and foreign schools, there was no objection
from anybody, because so far the Roman Catholics were not
partakers ; but as soon as a scheme was proposed in which
the Roman Catholics were to share, the " No Popery" cry
was set ut He entered into statements for the purpose of
showing not very conclusively, as the well-informed reader
will anticipate) that the numbers of the Church of England,
-rrith elao of yt.‘ YV GL e
only in the proportion of about Bor9 to 6. He deprecated
party motives, and concluded by exclaiming, with an air of
the most captivating and affectionate sincerity, " Let us
quarrel about something else."
Mr. GLADSTONE began an excellent speech by demolish-
ing Mr. O'Connell's statistics, and showing from the ac-
counts of the dissenters themselves, that their numbers,
even including the Wesleyans, were only between 2 and
3,000,000 ; while the whole population of England and Wales
is about 16. And, in vindication of the Wesleyans from the
learned gentleman's sneer at their alleged indifference to
liberty, Mr. Gladstone reminded the house of the part which
they had taken in the abolition of slavery. It was a mistake,
coatinued he, to assert that the inclusion of Roman Catho-
lics in this plan had brought upon it a disapprobation not di-
rected against that of the British and Foreign schools, which
were alleged to have excluded Roman Catholics. The
British and Foreign schools placed no peculiar bar upon
Roman Catholics ; their scheme was meant to exclude all
special faiths alike ; and their objection to the system of the
church was owing not to any leaning in favour of the dis-
senters, but to a general determination against all peculi-
arities of Christian faith. Their plan was indeed a limited
one; it gave no advantage to any religion; but at least it did
not let in truth and error, to take their places side by side. If
the principle of the government were to be followed out to
its consequences—if it should be recognised as a duty of the
state to endow dissenting schools by reason of some abstract
right of all classes to religious education, it would be equally
a state duty to endow dissenting chapels. In India, where
you have millions of poor subjects, and whence you derive
large revenues, you ought to endow Hindoo and Mahometan
institutions. But the present ministers were men of mere
shifts and expedients, who took up an argument only to
serve the turn of the time, and regarded not its further con-
sequences nor its general value. They had learned nothing
from the repeated defeats they had sustained in their attacks
on the church. Still baffled and still disgraced, they still re-
turned to the attack, and strove to undermine what they
were unable to storm.
Mr. SPRING RICE contended, with a good deal of spirit
and energy, that, according to the arguments of the opposi-
tion, you should educate the children of the establishment
in the established faith, but leave all other children wholly
uneducated. Tbat, however, had not been the policy of Sir
Robert Peel's government with respect to the grant for May-
nooth, or to the endowments bestowed upon various sects in
. our colonies, Roman Catholics themselves not excepted. He
denied that the church was intitled to the superintendence
of national education, and defended the constitution of the
proposed board against Lord Stanley's opening objections.
Sir JAMES GRAHAM vindicated the consistency of his
friend Lord Stanley. The argument contended for by ministers
would entinguish the principle which perfers and sanctions
one faith as the religion of the state—would put an end at
once to all established religion.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL was the last of the speakers on the
ministeral side.
Sir ROBERT PEEL closed the debate with a masterly ad-
dress—an address, unsurpassed, perhaps, in power and
beauty, by any of those brilliant speeches, with which the
right honourable baronet has enriched the parliamentary re-
cords of the present session. Sir Robert Peel's exposition
of the ministeral scheme of national education ought, in fact,
• to be " read, marked, and learned" by all who desire to save
.the Established Church of England from subversion.
The house then divided, when the numbers were—
For the motion . 2BO
• For the amendment.
Majority.
The result was hailed with the loudest cheers from the oppo-
sition side.
Sir R. PEEL begged to ask, whether the noble lord intended
to take the vote now ?
Lord JOHN RUSSELL replied in the affirmative.
Sir ROBERT PEEL—Then, sir, I decidedly object to that
course. The noble lord proposes to Bring forward a scheme
of education not by bill, and he proposes to allow only one
night for the consideration of the whole subject, and to take
the vote at half-past two o'clock, I decidely object to the
principle of that proceeding. )Loud cheers.)
Lord JOHN RUSSELL said I must recall it to the attention
of the house that the original motion was for going into a
committee of supply, and that the motion of the noble lord
has interposed a three nights' debate, that debate being be-
gun by a, statement containing every sort of false construc-
tion. (Cheers from the ministerial side, and deafening cries
of " Oh, oh," from the opposition side). I am perfectly
aware that I have a perfect right to make this proposition,
and I protest against the opposition which has been made.
I am perfectly aware, however, that in so numerous a house
it would be merely a oss of time to divide, and I shall, there-
fore certainly not press the house to do so, declaring at the
same time, that I do not think the opposition a reasonable
one.

discussing the policy of the vote itself, and I shall be con-
tent, and advise my hon. friends to be content, if a full op-
portunity be secured to us of discussing that vote and divid-
ing upon it.

Colonel SIBTHORP said he suspected the noble lord, and
he objected to the opposition offered by the servants—he was
going to say the slaves—of the government, to the course
proposed by the right hon. baronet. The other evening the
government had a bare majority of 10, but they were now in
a descending scale with a majority of five only. He should
almost say they were utterly annihilated. They had the
hon. member for Salford to move the adjournment when it
suited their convenience—where was he now ? Let him now
move the adjournment, or if he did not, he (Col. S.) would
do it. Finding, however, that the sense of the house was
against an adjournment, the hon. gentleman did not press his
motion.

Lord STANLEY said, I am really glad the hon. and gallant
member, on further reflection, has not thought it advisable
to press the motion of adjournment, because I am sure it is
not the wish of gentlemen at this side, any more than it is
my wish to offer any kind of factious opposition, even where
the question was to be decided by this house alone without
reference to the other house, and without its passing through
the ordinary stages of a bill in this house, they will allow me
to remind them of the steps upon which a factious opposi-
tion might have been offered to the government. He did
take an objection to the order in council constituting the
committee of the privy council—we might have objected to
the committee of supply—we might have voted against re-
ferring the subject to a committee of supply—we might have
divided against the vote in a committee of supply—we may
oppose the report of the committee of supply—if we had
chosen to offer a factious or vexatious oppositionove, in the
minority, being in number within five of the majority, had
in all these stages a perfect parliamentary right to oppose
the majority in every one of them. We desire no such
thing, but we say, having taking the question upon rescind-
ing the order in council, and not upon the vote of money, to
be in furtherance of your plan, it is not unreasonable for a
minority, within five of your numbers, to require time to
consider whether it be advisable or not to take another divi-
sion in the committee of supply on the grant ; further than
that we have no desire to go. We wish for time to consider
whether it be expedient again to raise the question and test
it by a division, and I think that, on reflection, my noble
friend, although upon the first blush he may have felt some
disappointment at not carrying the vote to-night, will feel
that such a plan, particularly on the plan of such a minority,
is neither factious nor unreasonable.—(Cheers.)
Lord J. RUSSELL—I shall not object to that course, pro-
vided it be understood that the next question will be taken
upon the vote in the committee of supply.
In reply to many members, who asked when the vote was
to be taken—
Lord J. RUSSELL said, I propose to take the vote on Mon-
day.
The other orders of the day were then proceeded with.
Mr. FINCH was understood to move the third reading of
the electors' removal bill.

Mr. BAGGE objected to having such a bill read a third
time at so unexpected an hour, and after so heavy a discus-
sion as had just taken place. If such a course was adopted,
he should move that it be read a third time on that day six
months.

Sir ROBERT PEEL requested his hon. frier/d not to press
his amendment, as it was not the practice to lake advantage
of an accidental superiority of numbers.
Mr. LABOUCHERE was glad that the right hon. baronet
was present, and witnessed the obstructions which were thus
thrown in the way of public business.
Sir ROBERT PEEL had never heard so ungracious a remark
as that which the right hon. gentleman had just made, more
especially after the suggessions which he (Sir R. Peel) had
made, and which he was sure would be adopted—(cheers).
After a short conversation it was agreed to postpone the
measure until Thursday next.
The other orders of the day were disposed of, and the house
adjourned at a quarter past three.

HOUSE OF LORDS.----FRIDAY.
Lord WYNFORD presented a petition from the clergy of
the diocese of Canterbury, with 57 signatures, against the
Church Discipline bill.

The Archbishop of CANTERBURY said he respected the
petitioners too much to complain of this expression of their
opinion ; indeed he had a similar petition to present, and his
grace then presented one from the Society for Promoting
Christian Knowledge.
Lord LYNDHURST presented a petition from Mr. Burge,
for permission to be heard at the bar against the Jamaica
Enactments bill, and

Lord BROUGHAM presented a petition from merchants,
planters, &c., praying to be heard by counsel against the
same bill.

The Windsor-Stables bill, after some conversation, was
read the second time.

The Earl of WINCHILSEA presented a petition " for the
repeal of the Roman Catholic Repeal act ; ' and addressed
their lordships at considerable length in support of its
prayer.
The Common Pleas Regulation bill was read the second
time, and the remaining orders and business being disposed
of, their lordships adjourned till Monday.

THUNDER STORMS

ROCHDALE.—On Tuesday evening, between six and seven
o'clock, a dreadful storm of rain and thunder burst upon this
town. It was so dark that people had to light candles. The
electric fluid killed a very fine cow belonging to Mr. Abraham
Brearley, of West Hill ; and another cow was killed at a
place called Dunnis Booth, a short distance from the town.
The lightning also struck a man at work upon. the railway,
lifted him from his feet, and threw him several yards ; but he
received no injury save the burning of his eye-brows.- Several
other persons are also said to have had their hair or whiskers
burned. Manchester Guardian.
WIGAN.—On Monday and Tuesday evenings last this town
and neighbourhood was visited with storms of thunder and
lightning, of which expectation had been formed from the
sultry and oppressive state of the atmosphere. The lightning
was very vivid, but the thunder not unusually loud. We are
happy to say that we have heard of no accident having hap-
pened in the immediate neighbourhood from the effects of
the electric fluid. Very early this morning, between one and
two o'clock, we had a recurrence of the storm, and the rain
fell very heavily.— Wigan Gazette.
NEWCASTLE.—On Tuesday last' this neighbourhood was
visited with a heavy thunder storm ; the electric fluid fell in
Mr. J. A. Hall's yard, entered a window of the counting-
house, which it broke to pieces, passed through, and went out
at a window opposite. Fortunately Mr. Hall had just left,
so that there was no injury but to the window. At Chesterton
it fell on the house of Mr. Millington, butcher, but did very
little damage. At Red-street it entered the chamber of a
poor widow woman, and set fire to the bed furniture, but it
wasdput out before it had done any serious damage.—Staf-
for shire Gazette.
CHESTER.—On Monday and Tuesday afternoons in the
present week, this city and neighbourhood were visited with
severe but salutary thunder storms, which though terrific at
the moment, have not only passed away without any disas-
trous casualties, but have entirely altered the face of nature,
changing nearly general sterrility into the appearance, and,
we trust, the reality of profusion. In the storm of Tuesday
the lightning was peculiarly vivid and the peals of thunder
were instantaneous on the flash ; the. rain showered in tor-
rents, intermixed with large hail stones. On each occasion
the duration was not more than an hour.—Chester Chronicle.
PwLLHELL—On Monday evening last, about 8 o'clock,
this town and neighbourhood were visited by one of the most
tremendous thunder storms ever remembered, and which
lasted without intermission for about three hours.. The rain
fell in torrents, but providentially no serious damage was
done. At Henllys, Llanbedrog, about three miles from
Pwlheli, a small farmer named John Thomas, lost two, out
of three fine cows, by the lightning. There were no visible
marks on the carcasses, but a deep cut in the ground near
the place where the cows stood, sufficiently demonstrated the
cause of their death. The loss will be severely felt by John
Thomas, who has a wife and seven young children to provide
for.— Carnarvon Herald.
ABERDARON.—The storm above referred to appears to have
had a most extensive range, and we regret to state that in
one instance its effects have been fatal. At a farm house,
called Ystohelig, in the parish of Aberdaron, in this county,
a young lad, about 14 years of age, the son of a neighbour,
and a tailor by itrade, happened to have a night's lodging
with the farm servant, of about the same age, and a son of
the farmer, much younger, the latter being placed in the mid-
dle, the former the outermost, and the servant at the back
part of the bed. About eleven o'clock, the farmer's wife
being kept awake by the vivid flashes of lightning, and the
loud roar of the thunder, heard some of the furniture fall,
accompanied by loud moans from the bed-room. She imme-
diately proceeded to the bed where the boys lay, and found
that the moans proceeded from the servant. His thigh was
dreadfully scorched by the lightning. Her own son was safe,
and the bed-clothes were untouched : but the poor son of
her less fortunate neighbour was quite dead, although his
body bore no other visible mark of injury than a slight dis-
coloration of the lips. The servant, though severely injured,
i s 'expected to recover. The furniture of the room was much
shattered by the action of the lightning, and the looking-
glass was shivered to atoms.—lbid.
The storm was very severe at Bishop Auckland, where the
house of Wm. Trotter, Esq. and another in the Wear Chare
were injured by the electric fluid. The water was 18 inches
deep in Newgate-street, and all the cellars and most of the
rooms on the ground floor in that part of the town were in-
undated.—Durham Advertiser:
The thunder storm of Tuesday last, raged violently over
this city for upwards of an hour, and during its continuance
the rain fell more heavily than we recollect to have seen it on
any former occasion. Owing to the stoppage of the sewers
in old and New Elvet, the street in front of the Waterloo
Inn had the appearance of a river, and the water poured into
cellars of Messrs. Shafto and Mr. R. Brown, in great quan-
tities. Many cellars were likewise flooded in other parts of
the town.—lbid.
During the storm of Tuesday last, several persons sought
refuge in the Tunnel at Etherley Dean, but they had not
been there long till, from the sudden rising of the Beck, they
were carried away by the torrent. The Beck falls into the
Wear at a distance about 150 yards from the tunnel. Had
they been carried thus far, they must inevitably have been
every one drowned—as it was, many of them escaped a watery
grave with very great difficulty.—lbid.
An excavator named James Taylor, employed on the rail-
way now forming near to Byer's Green, was struck dead by
the lightning on Tuesday last, while running with a com-
panion to obtain shelter from the storm in a neighbouring
barn. He had only been employed on the railway for a short
time, and is supposed to have come from the south of Eng-
land. He was about 27 years of age. His companion was
struck down by the electric fluid, but received no serious in-
jury. Taylor was much burnt about the neck and chest.
An inquest was held on view of his body on Wednesday, be-
fore William Trotter, Esq., coroner, and a respectable jury,
when a verdict was returned of " killed by lightning." The
window of Shildon Bank Colliery office was forced from its
situation by the lightning on Tuesday last, and thrown, to-
gether with other materials, to a distance of a quarter of a
mile. The clerk had providentially quitted the office a few
minutes before it was struck by the electric fluid.—lbid.
THUNDER STORM.—A thunder storm, accompanied by very
vivid flashes of lightning, and most tremendous torrents of
rain, passed over this city on Monday last ;—and another
thunder storm, which, no doubt, visited some parts of the
county severely, was beard on Tuesday. The temperature
of the week has been very high.—Gloucester Chronicle.
TREMENDOUS THUNDER STORMS.—The Worcester Jour-
nal contains a long account of the devastations occasioned
by severe thunder storms in that city and neighbourhood.—
The first commenced about half-past one o'clock on Thurs-
day, and laited two hours. At its height the rain fell in tor-
rents, accompanied with showers of hailstones of immense
size, which laid large tracts of grass and did considerable
damage to theH_ crops. At ,Stone, Cliaddesley, endiet,ll9l_
arvington. Shenstone, Elmley, and part of
Hartlebary, the crops of wheat and barley are wholly des-
troyed, to the extent of several hundred acres. The whole
loss amounts to many thousand pounds. At William Ro-
bins's Esq. at Hagley, more than 2,000 feet of glass was bro-
ken, and an immense number of windows destroyed in other
districts. The hail was 18 inches deep at White Hall At
Powick the church and some houses were struck by the light-
ning. The storm of Monday last did not do so much damage ;
but a most terrible storm occurred on Tuesday, in the course
of which Mr. Mitton, of Old House Farm, near Worcester,
who was riding through a field near his dwelling, was struck
dead. The crown of Mr. Mittons straw hat was rent, and
his face had the appearance of being severely scorched, as
was also one side of the pony's head. The latter was also
found quite dead. Some cows were killed by the lightning.
THUNDER STORM.—On Wednesday, we were visited by
one of the severest thunder storms which we recollect for
many years, and which lasted for about three hours. It
commenced in the north, and passed gradually over the town
to the south and west. At one time the thunder clouds were
so near that the flash of lightning was followed almost instan-
taneously by the peal. The electric fluid struck the chimney
of a house in the New Wynd—struck a kettle off the kitchen
fire—and knocked down a man who was standing on the floor,
but without seriously injuring him. A woman in an upper
flat of the same house was also slightly struck. A fine ash
tree at Marykirk was struck by the lightning—its branches
were all torn off and strewed about—its bark was stripped off
to the very root, and the trunk itself torn to shreds. A barn
at Auchinblae was set on fire, but was happily extinguished
before much injury was done. The storm was accompanied
by a violent shower of hail—the hailstones were of an extra-
ordinary size. A considerable quantity of rain has now fal-
len since Tuesday evening, and vegetation is making rapid
progress every where.—Montrose Standard.
TREMENDOUS STORM.—The town and neighbourhood of
Newcastle was on Tuesday last visited by a most tremendous
storm of rain, accompanied by loud peals of thunder, and
vivid flashes of lightning. It commenced about five o'clock,
and continued without intermission till seven ; but though
the rain fell little more than two hours, it completely inun-
dated most of the cellars and the lower apartments of the
houses in the town. In many of the streets, even in elevated
situations, the water flowed to the depth of between three
and four feet, and rushed forward where it found vent, with
all the impetuosity of a cascade. The common sewers in
Dean-street and the Side were burst open, and the pavement
torn up and carried forward with awful fury. Many of the
inhabitants had a very narrow escape for their lives, but we
do not hear that any one was drowned in the flood, though
several were carried away and rescued with difficulty. The
lightning entered a house in the Close, passing through the
roof, but did no further damage than breaking the ceiling.
At Elswick three men were struck with the lightning, and
are yet suffering from the effects of the shock. A boy in
-Marlborough-street lost his sight from the same cause. The
lightning struck the house of Captain Morgan, at the Bar-
racks, but fortunately the family had but a few minutes be-
fore the storm came on, gone out to walk on the moor, and
obtained shelter in one of the tents. The accounts from the
country are very serious, though the storm does not appear
to have extended far. An excavator, named James Taylor,
employed on the Railway, now forming near to Byer's
Green, was struck dead by the lightning on Tuesday last,
while running with a companion to obtain shelter from the
storm in a neighbouring barn. He had only been employed
on the railway for a short time, and is supposed to have come
from the south of England. He is about 27 years of age.
His companion was struck down by the electric fluid, but re-
ceived no serious injury. Taylor was much burnt about the
neck and chest. The lightning set fire to an oat stack at
Chadfin, belonging to Mr. Thomas Swan; but by the timely
arrival of the fire engines from Morpeth, and plenty of assist-
ance, the fire was confined to one oat stack.- At Tantoby,
theiightning -struck the house of John and Catherine Teas-
dale, and melancholy to relate, they were instantly killed.
The appearance of the two bodies, when found, is described
as having been most deplorable. It is impossible to parti-
cularise all the various kitchens, cellars, and shops which
were flooded, and in which goods to a very considerable
amount are either lost or seriously damaged. The loss sus-
tained by many poor families, especially in this town is truly
deplorable. A subscription has been commenced in their
behalf.—Newcastle Journal.
DREADFUL THUNDER STORM.—We had a dreadful storm
here on the morning of Wednesday last, about day break ;
the rain fell in torrents—to-such a degree, that the Nantyglo
Works were at a stand for some hours ; and the thunder rolled
in one continuous and deafening peal for upwards of an hour.
A chimney, in the middle of a row of houses, at Nantyglo,
was struck by the electric fluid, and shattered to pieces ; but
the stones, in their passage downwards through the roof and
loft, fortunately did very little injury to the inmates. The
wall, down which the lightning forced its passage, separated
two bed-rooms, each of which was occupied by a woman and
two children ; and in one of them the head of the bed was
placed close to the said wall, but, providentially, no one re-
ceived any injury. The principal part of the charge was di-
verted from its downward course by an iron curtain rod,
which it followed, and expended its fury on the opposite
wall, where the iron rod terminated. In the other room,
another portion of the electric fluid, after ploughing a variety
of fantastical figures on the plastering, forced its way along
a cross wall, and passed right through another, on the op-
posite side of which stood an iron bar, about five feet high,
down which it found a ready passage to the earth, and fully
accounted for the circuitous rout which it followed in this
room. Another house, about a quarter of a mile distant, on
the Garn Fach, was likewise struck about the same time, the
chimney, and a considerable portion of the gable-end was
thrown down, and the whole wall was rent to the very foun-
dation ; most fortunately the stones fell outwards, or three
persons who occupied a bed not two feet distant from the
wall, would have been dashed to pieces. The electric fluid
took its passage down the wall, dashing nearly the whole of
the plastering across the room, and shattering the leaden
lights to atoms ; some portion of it then apparently passed
out through the window, the board being burnt in two places
as if by a red-hot poker, and the wall outside below the win-
dow was strongly marked by zig-zag lines ; it afterwards
ploughed up the road right across, and effected its passage
into the earth on the opposite side; there the same provi-
dential care seems to have been manifested as in the former
case. No one who has viewed the shattered walls, could for
a moment have supposed that auy thing jvjng could /macs-

caped in this small room from the visitation of a power so
awful. A poor girl still lies in a state of unconsciousness ;
bnt it is the opinion of the medical man who attended her,
that her indisposition is solely caused by fright. A large iron
nail, which lay on the window board, was found to be power-
fully magnetic.—Merthyr Guardian.
DREADFUL THUNDERSTORM AT RUNCORN.--011 Mon-
day evening last, this town was visited by one of the most
tremendous storms of thunder and lightning ever remem-
bered in the neighbourhood. The inhabitants were thrown
into a state of great alarm and consternation, but no material,
injury was done to property, except at the agency house of
the Mersey and Irwell Navigation, the residence of Mr.
Edward Atherton Lingard, which was struck by the electric
fluid, and received considerable damage. The electric fluid
struck a stack of chimnies, threw them partly down and
passed through the roof of the house, and attracted by the
bell-wire in one of the lodging-rooms, ran along it through
every room in the upper part of the house, dissolving the
wire in its progress, and burning the paper on the walls.
Two beds were ignited, but through the prompt and kind
assistance rendered to the family, the fire was soon extin-
guished, without any serious consequences. Through the
gracious interposition of Providence, every member of the
household was preserved from injury, though Mrs. Lingard
was in imminent peril, the electric fluid having passed close
by her feet, convulsing her whole frame. The preservation
of the family and dwelling was most remarkable, for those
who have surveyed the effects of the vivid and terrific stroke,
are astonished how the house escaped from being a heap of
fiery ruins, and the beds which ignited were two usually
occupied by the children, who would have been unconsci-
ously sleeping on them at the moment of danger, if they had
retired at their usual hour, but they were with their nurse
below stairs • and we gratefully ascribe it to the over-ruling
providence of God, that neither by them nor any individual
under the roof was any personal injury sustained.--Manches-
ter Courier.