The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-02-02 00:00:00

REPRESENTATION OF PENRYN.—We are sorry to learn
that Mr. Freshfield, the conservative member for Penryn,
has announced his intention of resigning the representation
of the borough after the close of the present parliament. Mr.
Freshfield adverts very briefly to his long and honourable con-
nection of fifteen years with this representation ; and to the
expectations which he had naturally formed, that after con-
testing the borough on five occasions, his faithful and useful
services would have been considered by the constituency as
placing him beyond the necessity of competing for the seat
with a stranger. But finding that such a course was expected
of him even by his own supporters, he has come to the deter-
mination of withdrawing from any future contest for Penryn.
We trust that the conservative party is not to lose one who
brings to its ranks, at all times, too large an accession of that
influence which is derived frem high integrity and great ex-
perience in public affairs tobe spared without prejudice to its
best interests.—Morning Herald.

NEWSPAPER PROPERTY.—On Tuesday week, at the Auc-
tion Mart, London, Mr. Surridge offered for sale the copy-
right and entire interest of the following journals, which have
for some time been in the bands of the Rev. Charles Eyre,
who is, we believe, a dissenting minister, viz.—The Essex,
Herts, and Kent llercury, the Essex and Suffolk Times. and
Ipswich Express, all liberal journals. The novelty of the
sale did not +tract a l--

at. ..arge company, there not being twenty
persons in the room. Mr. Surridge, having described the
several properties, which were offered in three lots, observed
that he hoped, as there was no reserve, he should meet with
a fair and liberal competition. He next read a letter from
the reverend proprietor, in which he stated that as the pro-
perty was advertised to be sold without any reservation, he
was determined to abide by it. The auctioneer then called
on those present to make a bidding for lot one, but not did
succeed in his appeal ; he nest offered lots two and three
with no better success.

THE NEW POOR-LAW.—IMPORTANT TO MASTERS AND
MEN.—The Official Circular of the poor-law commission-
ers of December 24, contains a report of a case arising out of
an application made by certain framework-knitters to the
board of guardians at Hinckley. to be allowed to work at
stone-breaking, rather than to be compelled to submit to a
reduction in the price of their labour—an application which
met with a reply in the affirmative from the poor-law com-
missioners, and thus prevented a depression of wages from
taking place. Mr. Senior, in giving a report of the case,
says, "I am now desirous of reporting to you the result of
this decision. Mr. Law, the clerk of the union, informs me
that the workmen of this town (Hinckley) have; got em-
ployment from those same masters who offered reduced
wages, at the former rate; and the result of the attempt at
reduction has been, that, owing to the sanction and assist-
ance of the guardians in affording labour, in breaking stones,
and relief in bread, the prices of the workmen have for the
present been sustained, and the masters have been prevented
from reducing their workmen.' "

ACCIDENT ON THE BIRMINGHAM RAILWAY.—AS the
train from Birmingham that arrives at Euston-square at a
quarter before 7 was on its way from Camden-town to the
London terminus, an accident occurred, fortunately attended
with no loss of life, nor serious personal injury. At the pro-
per distance, the breaksmen used every exertion to stop the
train according to their usual practice, but in consequence of
the slippery state of the rails, the breaks had not the least
effect. The consequence was, that the train proceeded at an
increasing speed until it came in contact with a luggage van
that fortunately was on the line of rails, and which alone
saved by its interposition, probably, the lives of many of the
passengers in the carriages from destruction. As it was the
luggage van was struck by the force of the concussion off its
springs and wheels, and was driven in a side direction across
the platform amongst the cabs and omnibuses. A second
class carriage, the foremost of the train, was shattered to
atoms, and the passengers were more or less injured. Had
it not been that the luggage van was in the way, the results
would have been dreadful, as the breaks were quite useless.
It is to he hoped that the company will be provided with
more efficient means to meet such a contingency in future.—
Times of Friday.
PORTSMOUTH.—The Indus, 84; Captain Sir James Stir-
ling, will remove from her hulk during the week, and proceed
to Spithead to complete her crew. The Tweed, 20, Com-
mander Douglas, will also go out of the harbour in a few
days, reported for the South American station. The Snake,
16, in Sheerness Basin, and the Bittern, 16, at this port, are
to be brought forward for commission. The steam-frigate
Salamander, Commander Henry, remains at Sheerness, under
Admiralty orders ; her destination is not accurately known.
The Dee steamer, Commander Sherer, and the brig Satellite,
16, Commander Robb, are ordered home from the North
American station. The latter was at Bermuda, on the 15th
ultimo, all well, refitting. The Dee left Halifax, it is sup-
posed for England, on the Bth of November ; but as she has
not yet arrived, must have taken a circuitous route. The
ships at Spithead are the Iris, 16, a new corvette, Capt. Hugh
Nurse, and Pelican, 16, Commander Napier, the former des-
tined for the Cape and West African station. Both are
awaiting Admiralty orders to proceed. The Calliope, 26,
Capt. Herbert, and Samarang, 26, Capt. Scott, are on their
way from the Brazils to the coast of China, to join Rear-
Admiral Elliott. The steamer Alban, Mr. King master, is
refitting in the harbour to proceed to the Irish ports, when
ready, for men for the navy.—Brighton Gazette
THE MURDER AT HORFIELD
e I dreadful occurrence was in ty

—Since our account of this

Vie, we learn that on Thursday
morning a purse, which was supposed to be that of the de-
ceased, was picked up near St. Matthew's Church, Kings-
down, on the road from Horfield to the prisoner's residence.
The purse, however, is not known to be that of Mrs. Shed-
den. It was confidently stated yesterday in this city, that
the prisoner had made a confession of the murder to a ma-
gistrate. This, however, we learn, is incorrect. We under-
stand that there is a slight inaccuracy in the statement given
as to Miss Sowerby. That lady, we are informed, stated,
not that she heard the deceased answer the door at three
o'clock, but that she heard somebody walking in the house,
and, on looking at her watch, found it was five minutes
after three. Now if Miss Sowerby be not mistaken on
this point, we may infer that the murder had not been
committed before that time, as any stranger, seeing the
corpse in the state in which it was found, would instantly
have given the alarm. The person heard walking about was
probably the actual murderer ; and the question then arises,
with the evidence of Rudge's father and Louisa Knight, that
the prisoner was at Kingsdown from half-past one till ten
o'clock at night, whether he can have been the guilty
party ? Among other on Bite on the subject, it is stated that
two suspicious characters, ballad v

/endors were seen lurking
about the neighbourhood on Sunday; and it is a rather sin-
gular circumstance that on Saturday evening a man (not the
prisoner) was seen grinding a lathing-hammer, the very de-
iotion of weapon with which the so,— q

~.aeon Hs the mur-
der_w as committed, at a grindstone on the roadside, by a
blacksmith's shop, within a few hundred yards of Mr. Shed-
den's residence. This circumstance would not have been at

all remarkable had not the man been turning the grindstone
himself, and evidently using it by stealth. The policeman
told Rudge he was taken for murdering a woman at Horfield,
and then he said "Mrs. Shedden." We understand that
Rudge states he cari,prove by numerous witnesses, that he
was at his father's lmuse to dinner at one o'clock, and that
after dinner he went to' a beer shop in the neighbourhood
and there remained till e'en at night.—Bristol Journal.
,
THE FLOOD AT LOWER AND MIDDLE WALLOP, HANTS.
—On Saturday 14'st these quiet villages suddenly became
alarmed by the rapid rise of the water in every direction,
more especially about half-past two p.m., when the various
channels, dikes, &c., overflowed their banks. Many houses
were inundated, and the affrighted inhabitants hastily retreat-
ed to their chambers for safety. About 3 p.m. a sad spec-
tacle was presented, as the flood not only ploughed up the
green turf, but liter ally swept every thing before it, and flints
were washed together in a heap, so as to render the road en-
tirely impassable. At 3 p.m. the water was 3 feet deep, but
the greatest height was not attained till 7 o'clock that even-
ing. We regret to state that two lives were lost during the
inundation. One of the sufferers was John Vincent, a shep-
herd in the employ of a farmer of Middle Wallop : the other
sufferer was a very intelligent little girl, 11 years of age,
named Sarah Newman. She lived in one of two cottages,
and James Grist, a shepherd, lived in the other. They are
both situate in a vale, and, strange to say, there is no chan-
nel or rivulet near ; but the sad catastrophe was occasioned
owing to the turnpike ay.d passing nearly close to the cot-
tages, and there being. ftne newly-made ground directly in
front of them, the snow water, which rushed in torrents from
the hills, had no proper means of escape, and consequently
rose with fearful rapidity round the poor cottagers, who re-
treated to the upper rooms for safety. Neither of the hus-
bands were at home at the time, and in Newman's cottage
were his wife and a daughter of about 13 years of age, while
in Grist's cottage were his wife, his infant, and the unfortu-
nate deceased. The water at length reached the height of 5
feet : this was about 5 p.m., and when poor Newman return-
ed home, being fearful of the result, he ran about in a state
of frenzy, not knowing what to do : at length, however, he
seized a ladder, and by rushing into the water with it, fortu-
nately extricated his wife and daughter. Almost at the same
time the front of poor Grist's house gave way, and the de-
ceased and Mrs. Grist and child fell into the surrounding wa-
Fortunately
was for
discoveredM rs. Grist,by
a pig_
maiter,ntainedand
a deceasedstand sank.ng position,
dealer of Winterslow, who was returning from the Andover
market with his horse and cart. He left his horse and cart
in the turnpike road, and boldly ventured through the fastly
increasing body of water, at the peril of his own life, and at
length succeeded in rescuing the woman and her infant from
an untimely grave. The verdict was " found drowned;"
and in the case of Sarah Newman the jury attributed her
death to the want of a proper water-course under the newly-
made ground in front of the cottages. The bodies of, the
sufferers were interred immediately after the inquest, and in
presence of a concourse of persons.