The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-10-05 00:00:00

THE IAVERPOOt STANDARD.

antral ftlilSrrilanv.

The form of thanksgiving for the late abundant harvest
is appointed to be used on Sunday the 17th,
Father Mathew is going to teetotalize file Americans in
the spring of 1848.
The bells of All Saints, Norwich, were rung in honour
of the arrival of Jenny Lind in that city.
Mr. Strafford (acting for Earl Ducie) bid 340 guineas
for a cow, at Mr. Carruthers sale.
It has been calculated that there are now about 108,000
women servants in London.

On Sunday week, upwards of 250 vessels, of all sizes
and classes, sailed in various directions from Penarth
roads.

In Thursday's Times a gentleman has inserted .an
apology (in an advertisement) for passing a friend in the
street without speaking.
At the Devizes petty sessions, a few days since, a man
was sentenced to pay a fine of 20s. for having assaulted a
young woman, by kissing her without her consent.
Another Edinburgh assistant inspector of the poor has
died of fever, being the second victim of a similar grade
since MOnday.
A young woman named Newby, who was born an idiot,
died in London on Friday, from the effects of a large
quantity of yellow soap, which she bad eaten.
The porter at Southampton, who was suspected of hav-
ing opened a letter addressed to the Queen, during her
stay in Scotland, has been dismissed from the service of
the postoffice.
Madame Albertazzi, the celebrated vocalist, died on
Saturday at her residence, St. John's Wood, aged 35 years.
Her maiden name was Howson, and she was married to
Albertazzi at the age of 16 years.
LORD MAYOR OF LONDON.—Mr. AltiOrMaD Hooper,
vintner, was on Wednesday duly elected chief magistrate
of the City of London. Mr. Wm. Cubitt and Mr. Chas.
Hill were sworn in Sheriffs.

So abundant is the crop of apples at Steeple Ashton,
Wilts, and other villages in that locality, that they are
being sold at less than 4s. per sack. The best potatoes
are selling in the same county at Bix shillings per sack.
The Glasg()w testimonial to Sir Harry Smith took the
form of an epergne valued at £450, which having been
presented, Sir Barry returned a very handsome letter of
thanks.

No fewer than three destructive fires happened last week
in Worcestershire, throm.rli the carelessness of children,
who were playing with lucifer matches in the neighbour-
hood of corn stacks.

A heap of lime having been placed near the scaffolding-
erected for repairing a house in London, the rain that fell
during the night slacked the lime and set the scaffold poles
in a blaze.

Mr. O'Connor, M.P., commenced a letter in his last
paper, addressed to the editor of the Weekly Dispatch,
with these words ;—" You unmitigated ass ! you sainted
fool ! you canonized ape !"
CORNISH MINERS.—One hundred Miners arrived at
Falmouth on Monday en route to Durham, having been
engaged to proceed thither for the purpose of working
some newly-discovered iron mines.
ON THE INTENDED MARRIAGE OF THE DUKE OF WEL-
LINGTON WITH MISS ANGELINA BURDETT COUTTS

The duke must in his second childhood be
Since in his doting age heturns to A. B. C.

MONETARY REFORM.—A meeting of the " Mends of
monetary reform" was held at Anderton's Hotel, Fleet-
street, London, on Wednesday last, and resolutions
adopted for organising an " Anti-Gold Law League."
A Mr. Bennoch was in the chair.

At Spofforth, on the 18th, a young man of twenty and
a boy twelve years of age, drank, before breakfast, six
gills of raw gin mixed with whisky. The young man,
after remaining in a state of stupor for many hours, re-
covered under medical assistance, but the boy died.

METHODIST NEW CONNEXION, (STOCRFORT CIRCUIT.)
—The friends of this community held their annual tea
meeting on Wednesday last, in Cross-street School, Port-
wood. The day being fine, the meeting was well at-
tended.

VESTRY MEETINGS.—A correspondent of the County
Chronicle states that the vicar of Chertsey has closed the
doors of his church against vestry meetings, and adds that
it is the intention of the parishioners to try the question
of right.
In the case of Mary Ann Hunt, convicted of the cruel
murder of the aged female with whom she lodged, a jury
of matrons have decided that she is not pregnant, although
she declared before the Judge that she was. Mr. Baron
Platt therefore said that the law must take its course.

The Bishop of Bath and Wells and the trustees of a
school at Enmore, near Bridgewater, have declined to re-
ceive a government-grant in aid of the institution upon
the ground that the conditions exacted are contrary to the
provisions of the Trust.
CURIOUS IMPORTATION.— The City of Rotterdam
steamer has brought over 852 pair of wooden shoes, the
manufacture of Holland. Wooden shoes are generally
worn by the humble classes in Holland, and are of great
strength and thickness, and totally impervious to wet.
The Duke of Sutherland has promised to give his
Scotch tenant fishermen two prizes, consisting of a boat,
oarsails, and fishing-lines for the greatest quantity of cod,
ling, &c., caught or cured, within the period from Sep-
tember current to July, 1848.
At a meeting of the Bramber Agricultural Association
at Arundel, on Tuesday, it was resolved to break up the
society in consequence of a deficiency of funds to carry. it
on. The Duke of Norfolk was president of the associa-
tion.

THE MURDER BY A MANIAC.—Thomas Macintosh
Davidson, charged with the murder of Lewis Mugford, by
stabbing him with a knife, has been pronounced of un-
sound mind, and Mr. Baron Platt has given directions for
his safe custody during her Majesty's pleasure.
The Manxmen are going to erect a monument in honor
of Prince Albert, on the spot where he stood when he
surveyed the beautiful country round Ramsey. The pro-
prietor has presented four hundred square yards of land
for the purpose, and £l6O has been so far subscribed.
A court of inquiry is sitting at Portsmouth, nvesti-
gating the circumstances under which the Birkenhead,
steam-sloop, Commander Ingram, ran down the unfor-
tunate brig, off the Lizard, a few days since. It is
upposed that the result will be a court-martial on the
officers. _

On Wednesday, Mr. Alderman Thompson, Mr. Chris-
topher Pearse, and Mr. John G. Hubbard, were elected
directors of the Bank of England, in the room of Mr.
Prescott, who has been appointed deputy-governor, and
in lieu of Sir John Rae Reid and Mr. Abel Gower, who
have of late disqualified.
In reference to the complaint that some of the postage
labels wouldn't stick, a correspondent of the Times
says :—" Damp both sides of the label, by drawing it
gently through the lips or otherwise, thus swelling both
sides of the paper alike, and there will be no difficulty in
making them adhere."
On Saturday morning last, a seaman belonging to one
of the ships lying in the docks at Hull, rose, while asleep,
and walked overboard ; but some of his shipmates over-
heard the noise caused by his plunge into the water, and.
succeeded in saving the unlucky sleepwalker from d;own-
ing.
At the County Court held at Barnard Castle on Thurs-
day the bench decided that a publican could not recover
for spirits sold out of the house in quantities less than one
pound sterling in value. Many publicans have the im-
pression that this law merely relates to spirits sold in the
house.
ACCIDENT TO VISCOUNT MOILPETA.—We regret to
state that the noble First Commissioner of the Woods
andForehstosrmsee,
whichtwi with ahases sincerious naccocidfiennetdlahsim twteoekhbisyraofoamll
from his
at Castle Howard. His lordship, we are happy to state,
is going on favourably, and is expected in town next week.
At the Westminster County Court, on Tuesday, Mrs.
Latham, housekeeper at Berkeley House, obtained
judgment for £l9 13s. 10d. against Grantley Berkeley,
Esq., M.P., for articles supplied to hint prior to 1844.
The housekeeper, it appeared, was placed on board wages,
and supplied articles for the family, for which she made a
regular charge.
At the Privy Council held by the Queen at Osborne,
Isle of Wight, on Tuesday, Parliament was ordered to be
further prorogued from Tuesday, the 12th of October,
until Thursday, the 11th of November. The last occa-
sion of the prorogation of parliament, after dissolution
by writ, was in the year 1837. The last parliament was
dissolved, August 21st, 1847, and the writs were made
returnable on the 21st of September.

Amongst the last bills which were presented on Friday
by the grand jury, at the Central Criminal Court, was one
for misdemeanour against Lord William Paget. The of-
fence imputed to his lordship is, that he, by means of
false ftetences, obtained two one hundred pound notes,
under a pretence that he was in a condition to obtain for
the prosecutor a certain situation, and upon this repre-
sentation the money was advanced to his lordship.

Jenny Lind has been singing at Norwich at three con-
certs, the receipts of which amounted to £3,500, of which
Mdlle. Lind received £1,200. It is stated she returned
£2OO to the giver of the concerts, as the prices were lower
than any where she had previously sung. The Swedish
nightingale also left with the Bishop of Norwich, with
whom she had been staying, £2OO, to be distributed
among the charities of the city. -;
ANOTHER. INCENDIARY FIRE.—On Saturday night a
fire broke out in the stack-yard of Mr. Gale, of Little
Brick-hill, near Woburn, and was not subdued until ten
or twelve ricks of agricultural produce had been consumed.
Great discontent exists in this district, owing to the re-
duction of wages with the price of corn, and some of the
labourers refused to assist in extinguishing the conflagra-
tion.
THE LATE MR. ROBERT THoM.—Lord John Russell
has kindly presented to Mrs. Thom, mother of the late
Mr. Robert Thom, Consul at Ningpo, China, £250 out
of the Queen's Bounty Fund. Mr. Thom, we understand,
has acquired a new claim on the gratitude of his country
by devoting the last week of his life to preparation for pub-
lishing another work on his favourite topic. It is entitled
" the Chinese Speaker."
FATAL AFFRAYS.—On the 11th instant, a sanguinary
'arrel took place in Sheffield between some soldiers and
or three civilians, during which one of the latter,
' Thomas Morton, received such injuries that he
Thursday last. The inquest is now sitting.—On
ek a sanguinary affray took place in the same
• party of Irishmen, during which a labourer,
ndley, received such frightful injuries on
on Friday last.
-CAL FESTIVAL.—We pronounced
-ucc.essful one ; and we are now
c comparative results, which
-o.casion were six hundred
-lue of the tickets sold
has amounted to
•e to be able to
ills. Their
'ost, we
`ran.

cp.
two .
named
died on
Sunday Nvc,
town an icnig.t.
named :John Mak.
his head t hatdie,die.
GLOUCICSTER Muss,
the festival last week a 4,
enabled to give a statement O.
shows that the receipts on this 6,
pounds more than in 1844. The vt..
in 1844 war about £1,975 ; this year L.
about £2,575. We should heartily /*jolt..
add that this covered the outlay of the stew
loss, hpwever, is not likely to be large—at the mi.,
hear, about £p each—possibly less.—Gloucerter

EMIGRATION.—The New. Zealand Company intend to
despatch two vessels, of 600 tons b►irthen each, on the
30th of October nest—one from the Clyde, and the other
from the port of London—with stores and emigrants for
their new settlement, Otago. lath vessel will convey 200
settlers.

DR. CUMMING'S LECTURES AT EXETER HALL.—These
lectures, whi6h have obtained so wide and intense an inte-
rest, and which are now being published, have been sent
for from the highest place in England, and are at this
moment read, there is reason to believe, by the most illus-
trious personage in the realm.
A respectable grain firm in ,Fife has issued their annual
circular regarding the crops of this season, and their
report is to the following effect :—Wheat, 61 to 641 b. per
bushel, and a fourth above last year's crop. Barley, 53
to 561 h. per bushel, and a fourth aboYe last year. Oats,
three-fourths of an average crop, and about the same as
last year in quality. Beans and Peas, average. Potatoes,
good crop, but only about one-fifth of usual quantity
planted. Turnips, a very large breadth sown, but crop
not likely to be average.
Some villains lately placed a tree across the line on the
Esk viaduct of the Caledonian. It was fortunately seen
in.time. One hundred pounds has been offered as a re-
ward for the discovery of the perpetrators. We are sorry
to notice also that a large piece of iron, the crane of an
old fashioned wood plough formerly in use in this county,
has been placed upon the rails of the Kendal and Win-
dermere line, near to Staveley. This, too, was discovered
before the passing of the train. A reward is offered for
the discovery of the guilty party.
CURRENCY REFORM.—BIRMINGHAM, Thursday.—A.
meeting of merchants, manufacturers, and others inter-
ested in a reform of the currency system, has been called
by circular, and will be held at Dee 's Hottl, in this town,
on Monday next. Invitations have been forwarded to
several members of Parliament who have taken an inter-
est in the question, as well as to other persons ; and the
meeting is likely to be of an important nature. The
memb, rs for the northern division of this county, and for
the borough, have promised to be present.
The scarcity of water is beginning to be felt as a cala-
mity in Edinburgh. It is really distressing (says the
Caledonian Mercury) to witness the struggles for preced-
ence which take place between the crowds that assemble
at the public wells, when the water is put on, perhaps
twice a day for an hour or two, and which are frequently
in dangei of leading to a breach of the public peace. it
was only the other day that we heard a poor woman ex-
claiming, in tones almost of despair, and whilst waiting
her turn for service, " Dear me ! there's nine o'clock
struck, and there's no water to mak' the porritch."

GENERAL THANKSGIVING.-It is understood that the
day appointed for the General Thanksgiving will be a
Sunday ; probably the 10th or lith of October. The
selection of a Sunday does not exhibit the national grati-
tude in a very striking or favourable light. The only
ground there can be for taking that day, is that of saving
time. Sunday gratitude does not lose the nation a single
Minute. It costs absolutely nothing. Independently of
the religious question, we do not see why the labouring
classes should have been begrudged a holiday. They had
a fasting day given them, and why may they not have a
day of festivity.--The Guardian. _

ANOTHER ACCIDENT FROM READING IN BED.—Thurs-
day morning, between two and three o'clock, the family
of James Antrobus, Esq., 19, Seymour-street North,
Euston-square, were alarmed by loud shrieks and cries
for help proceeding from the bedroom occupied by Miss
Antrobus, on the second floor, who was found with her
night dress on fire, and the furniture of the room in flames
around her, which with some difficulty were extinguished.
The young lady is so severely injured that her recovery is
considered extremely doubtful. The accident was caused
by the flame of a candle, by the light of which Miss An-
trobus had been reading, in bed, and had fallen asleep
without extinguishing.—Bristol Mirror.
SUICIDE BY A MERCHANT.—On Wednesday, Mr.
Wakley held an inquest at the residence of Mr. M. A.
Reynolds, in Tunbridge-terrace, on the body of that gen-
tleman, aged 60. The deceased, who was a merchant,
carrying on business in the city, a short time ago lent a
large sum of money to a person who became Involved
during the late commercial crisis, in consequence of which
the deceased was fearful that he would not be able to meet
his engagements, though his affairs were not complicated.
On Sunday night, as usual, he read the family prayers.
The following morning the female servant entered his
thorn, when she found the deceased suspended from a bed
post by a silk handkerchief, which he had tied under his
chin. Verdict, temporary insanity.
FEAST OF THE FIRST MAYOR OF BRADFORD.—The
first civic feast, given by the first Mayor of Bradford,
Robert Milligan, Esq., of Acacia, took place on Friday. in
the large room of the Exchange-buildings, and was an oc-
casion of princely bounty and magnificence worthy of that
liberal. excellent, and public spirited gentleman, who last
week presented 200 guineas to that excellent institution,
the Bardford Infirmary. Brief as his term of office has
been, the first mayor has at least given a guarantee already
in munificence and generosity almost unexampled, that
those who aspire to fill the high and dignified office of first
magistrate in this borough shall evince a deep and tender
regard for the humblest and most helpless of its people ;
while, at the same time, he displays a rich and bounteous
hospitality to its principal citizens.—Halifax Guardian.
THE CARDINAL-LEGATE.—Among the on dits of the
day we have heard it stated that Dr. Wiseman will cer-
tainly receive a cardinal's hat, and be appointed " legate
from the holy see to the court of James's." It is further
stated that this appointment will not be published until
Lord Minto has been accredited as English ambassador
to the court of Rome ; after which event Dr. Wiseman
will be received at the English court as a prince ! We
must say that we have not much faith in this report as a
whole ; though it is pretty certain that an overture will
be, or has been, made for establishing diplomatic relations
with Rome. We believe that the appointment of that
Popish gentleman, Mr. More O'Ferrall, to the governor-
ship of Malta, has something to do with the matter.—
Church and State Gazette. _ . .

DEATH FROM YOUTHFUL BRAVADO.—An inquest was
held on Saturday, on view of the body of Thomas
Russell, aged 15 years, who while standing near to the
shaft of Elemore George Pit of Hetton Colliery, remarked
to a person who was standing near him that he would leap
upon the rope : he immediately did so, and hanging by
the rope which is used for drawing the coals up the shaft,
his weight caused the engine to move, and he was lowered
down the shaft about a fathom, whereupon he called to
the brakesman to stop the engine, but before the latter
could accomplish this it had reversed, and the deceased
was drawn up to the pullys over which the rope works and
was thrown off. He fell upon the settle boards at the top
of the shaft and was precipitated thence to the bottom, a
depth of thirty-three fathoms : he was quite dead when
taken up.—Durham Advertiser.
At Cheltenham, a few days since, handbills were cir-
culated through the town, headed "Unprecedented at-
traction ! " and displaying with much skill, in large
characters, such words as ' Jenny Lind,—Signor Alboni,
—Signor Mario," while the real facts of the case were
arranged in comparatively small type. Many persons
thought that Jenny Lind was really to honor Cheltenham
with a visit, and the room was filled. When the curtain
was removed, an aperture was disclosed, where might be
perceived figures, painted on canvass, representing the
principal characters in the Opera of The Barber of Seville,
while ' behind the scenes," were chanted forth the lays
which, doubtless, were intended to produce a magical
effect upon the audience. This was followed by a mis-
cellaneous selection of music, introducing similar repre-
sentations. Much ridicule was excited, and many jeers
were indulged in, and there was an end of it.
CULTIVATION OF THE BEAUTIFUL.-It has been the
fashion with prudes and pedants time immemorial to run
down the advantages of external appearance—thus the
phrases, "Outside show," and " Skin-deep beauty," had
Obtained a sort of currency which gave them, and others
of similar import, an appearance of grave authority. The
present age is bold enough to question this dictum, and
even to go as far as to extol the study of externals as a
duty to society, which should have presented to it agree-.
able objects, and now contends that the cultivation of the
beau.fiful holds a place second in importance only to the
promotion of the good. This it is which holds out encou-
ragement to those wao labour to put the public in pos-
session of means to this end. Oldridge's Balm of Co-
lumbia, as the most efthctive preservative or renovator of
that most beautiful ornament the Human Hair, takes first
rank, and as long as its valuable properties continue to be
known and appreciated, must take the precedence of
every production intended for exterior improvement in
this direction.
AN IRISHMAN'S PURSE.—A few days back a. son of
the Emerald Isle, on his way home from the harvest, en-
tered the public-house of a repeatable widow in Gilmer-
ton, and called for a bottle of porter, which was brought
to him. From the external appearance of her customer
the hostess entertained but faint hopes of payment. Pat,
however, drew from some part of his rags a thimble or
ferrule of a walking-stick, and began picking out a small
round substance about the size of a pea, which to her
astonishment, on being unfolded on the table, was a
genuine £1 note, with which he requested the landlady to
pay herself. On her return her visitor was engaged un-
folding another from the same repository, and proceeded
to do so until they numbered five, when he inquired if she
could supply him with silver for the whole, as Scotch
bank notes were at a discount in Ireland ? Having
received the silver, he turned out the foot of an old stock-
ing, and deposited his treasure there, tying it up with a
rope of straw, hanging it to his reaping hook, and throw-
ing that over his shoulder, exclaimed as he left the house,
" By my soul, they may search my person long ere my
money be found, but they will never examine my hook.—
Edinburgh Courant.
FURTHER SERIOUS FAILURES.-011 Monday, the
London papers announced the failures of Messrs. Cock-
burn, bankers and army agents, and Messrs. W. L. Ben-
susan, Barbary merchants. On Tuesday, Perkins, Schlus-
ser, and Mullens, Baltic and East India trade ; liabilities
£250,000, expected to be paid in full. J. A. Armstrong,
cotton dealer, Manchester. On Wednesday, Fry, Griffiths,
and Co., indigo brokers ; liabilities not known. News,
by the arrival of the Caledonia, of the failure of Prime,
Ward and Co. The liabilities are stated at 8900,000, of
which'44oo,ooo consist of deposits. It is supposed they
will not resume payment, or pay in full. One writer esti-
mates the assets as likely to yield 75 to 80 cents per dol-
lars Letters from Manchester announce seven stoppages
during the week. Liabilities supposed to be small, ex-
cept in the cases of Mr. Armstrong, cotton dealer ; James
Guest, and Co., cotton spinners ; E. M. Cooper and Co.,
Manufacturers. But the most alarming intelligence was
contained in the Times, of Friday, which said, Thursday
was " one of the heaviest days yet experienced." Among
the failures announced were Messrs. Shewell and Co., for
a large amount ; Messrs. Lyall, Brothers, and Co.,
£400,000 ; Samuel Phillips and Co., £150,000 ; W. Steel
and Co., of Liverpool ; Watson, Knight, and Co., of
Glasgow, and others, whose names are not given. The
Morning Post says, "We might very safely include in
our gloomy enumeration of those who close their doors
this evening, the names of three or four other firms, of
greater or less consequence, who have been unable to
meet their engagements."

THE GAME.LAWS.—The premium of twenty guineas
offered by the East-Lothian Anti-Game-law Association
for the best essay on the moral, social, and economical
effectvf the game-laws, has been awarded to Mr. John
Cheine Shepherd, farmer, Gleghornie; near North Ber-
wick. The essay is to be published immediately. It may
be mentioned as another indication of the universality of
the feeling against the game-laws among the tenant far-
mers. that Mr. Shepherd, the successful essayist, is a con-
servative and protectionist, and distinguished himself by
debating the corn-law question against Mr. Cobden, at
Haddington.—Scotsman.
EXTENSIVE IMPROVEMENTS IN DUNROBIN CASTLE.—
We learn from a letter received from Sutherlandshire
that the Duke of Sutherland has expended no less than
£lOO,OOO in the extensive alterations he has been_making
for some time past in Dunrobin Castle, which is now re-
presented to be, in its internal arrangements, one of the
most magnificent ducal mansions on either side of the
Tweed. There is a universal impression in the north of
Scotland that Dunrobin Castle is the place which is des-
tined to be next honoured by the temporary residence of,
her Majesty, and that August next will, in all probability
be the period in which the expected visit will be paid.
DISCOVERY OF MANUSCRIPTS.—The workmen while
repairing some wainscoating in the mansion of Mr. C.
Bathurst, of Sydney-park, Gloucestershire, in removing
one of the panels, fell upon a recess, in which they dis-
covered an old table, on which were laid several books of
the ]sth century, a pile of manuscript sermons, many of
which had been preached before crowned heads, a silver
chalice, which appeared as though it had been burnt, and
an old newspaper. The mansion was formerly in the pos-
session of Sir John Wintour, a distinguished Roman Ca-
tholic and Royalist in the time of Charles I. ; so that in
all probability the documents were hidden there in the
days of the revolution.
In the southern parts of this county the crops of apples
and pears are immense in quantity—we never saw any
thing to exceed them. Thus a great deal of cider will be
made, which will be peculiarly acceptable this season.
Hop-picking has commenced, and from the very scanty
nature of the produce, will very soon be over. We have
heard of one grower who instead of his average crop of
five tons, will have about four hundred weight ! We re-
gret much that, owing to the failure of the crop, the
families of the industrious poor will be deprived of much
of that employment which, in more favourable seasons,
they obtain at this period of the year. Last season it was
difficult to get hands enough to work.—Hereford Journal.
STEANGE DEATII.—A very melancholy sensation has
been created in the parish of Cairney (Aberdeenshire) and
neighbourhood by the death of a woman under the follow-
ing circumstances. She had been attending as sick nurse,
on a young man suffering under malignant scarlet fever,
and, in wiping the face of the sufferer, some of the puru-
lent matter from his mouth came in contact with a pin-
scratch on her hand. Her arm almost instantly became
inflamed, and she was soon in an agony of extreme suffer-
ing and fever. Everything that medical skill could sug-
gest was tried to stay the progress of mortification, but in
vain. After some little time the arm was amputated ;
even this failed, and after a few more days of great dis-
tress the woman died.

On Thursday night, the extensive farm-yard of Mr.
John Cannicott, of Stebia, near Ilminster, was the scene
of an alarming conflagration. Besides the destruction of
the stables, barns, stalls, piggeries, washhouse, harness
room (with all its contents), and gig-house, there were
about 300 bushels of old wheat in Jags, and upwards of
2,000 bushels of new wheat in stack, consumed ; also 25
tons of excellent hay, a rick of straw, and a quantity of
wood, with a chaff-cutter, all the dairy utensils, and a
great part of the household furniture. A valuable hack-
neylorse was burnt to death. Report states the esti-
mated loss to be about £2,000, while the insurance ef-
fected in the Sun-office amounts only to £1,500. The
fire evidently commenced at or rear the stable, and sus-
picion is afloat that it was a wilful act.
An article in the Times of the 28th ult. is very facetious
about restoring the old exploded law of wager of battle, in
order that the murdered men in Ireland may have a
chance shot with their assassins • but it does not tell us
how assassins are to he compelled to take their share in
the duello. It blunders on the very threshold of the ar-
ticle, by stating the cause of the repeal of the law, in a
prisoner refusing to plead, and his attorney claiming the
privilege of wager of battle. The case causing the repeal
of the law, was that of Abraham Thornton, who was ac-
quitted on a charge of the murder of Mary Ashford, and
brought up for a second trial, for the same offence, on
new evidence. It was on the peculiar case of the second
trial that his attorney discovered he privilege of the pri-
soner, in claiming to fall back on the ordeal of battle.
At the Central Criminal Court, on Tuesday week, John
Bull, an " agent," was tried for obtaining by false pre-
tences a bill of exchange for £2OO from John Alexander.
Alexander was a draper in Kelso, he answered an adver-
tisement offering to lend money ;. and sent a bill for £2OO
to Bull to be discounted in London. The bill had been
accepted in the Scotch method, Alexander writing his
name under that of the drawer : the agent wrote to him
that he could not negociate such a bill in England ; and
induced Alexander to forward another £2OO bill. The
Scotchman got no money ; and he discovered that the se-
cond bill was obtained from him by a false pretence, for .
Bull had endeavoured to negotiate the first. The " agent"
was found guilty, and sentenced to be imprisoned for two
years, with hard labour.

MURDER OF A CHILD.—For some days past the magis-
trates of Cardiff have been engaged in investigating a
diabolical case of murder of a young child. The party
accused is Catherine Evans, its grandmother: It appeared
that the daughter of the prisoner, a single woman, had
given birth to a child, and, from some cause which is un-
explained, the prisoner took the child from the bed in
which it was sleeping by the side of its mother, and with-
out making any remark, put both her hands round its
neck and endeavoured to strangle it ; but in consequence
of its not dying fast enough she procured a pan of water,
put the unfortunate child into it, and covered it over,
where it remained till it was quite dead. The bench re-
manded the prisoner, in order that the child might be
exhumed and examined, and at the same time ordered the
mother to be apprehended.
CURIOUS USE OF ELECTRICITY.—We shall shortly
turn that dread agent—electricity—into " a servant of all
work." We already use it in the electric telegraph to
send messages—in the electrotype, process to silver our
plate—in medical galvanism to cure our diseases, &c. ;
and now we find that Mr. Andrew Crosse, of Broomfield,
n this county, has turned the tables on the thunder for
making beer sour, by calling in the aid of lightning to
make it fine. The above gentleman has recently. enrolled
a patent for improvements in treating fermentable and
other liquids, so as to cause impurities or matters to be
extracted or precipitated. The means proposed are elec-
tric currents (generated from zinc and iron in water, in.
porous cylinders) passing through wine, cider, beer, &c.
through the first two during,,.but through beer after, fer-
mentation.—Bath Chronicle.

AGRICULTURAL PREMIUMS.—Vihen the Times is puz.
zled to find a subject for a leader, it has recourse to the
agricultural premiums for stock, &c., setting forth the
moral contrast of the sum•of £lO to the best bull; and
two sovereigns for the labourer living longest in his place,
&c., or bringing up the largest family without aid from
the parish. This does very well for the tap-rooms, where
the cockney chuckles over the " slashing artides "of
the thunderer ; but would not the proprietors of the Times
liberally reward the inventor of a model printing appar-
atus that would enable it to print five hundred impressions
per hour more than it can at present, in preference to
giving the larger sum to the servant as an individual, and
the lesser to art which benefits the public ? Any im-
provement to the breed of cattle is an improvement in the
spread of the public dinner table, both in quality and
quantity. An improved breed of the cockney would not
tend to deteriorate the true English stock.
SHIPS ! COMMERCE ! I AND COLONIES ! ! I--These are
the old-fashioned national advantages of skill, courage,
and enterprise, which placed England at the head of the
world, and, as Scott said (no mean authority, by the bye),
would " keep her there, unless she chose to descend of
her own accord." These enabled us to beat Napoleon,
with nearly the whole civilized world at his back,—and
who, in his turn, sighed for " Ships, Coramerce, and Co-
lonies !" But these are now found to be all delusions,
and useless, or rather injurious, in the pursuit of free
trade,—as cheaply-built foreign ships, and low-waged
foreign sailors, rejoicing in black bread and train oil, can
bring all foreign produce to our soil cheaper than we can
get them by our own jolly tars. The Times has taken
upon itself to laugh at the miseries of Jamaica—one of
our noble colonies—ground down to the earth—suffering
and perishing in its passage to th© perfectibility of free
trade. - - - .

RETURN OF MR, BROOKE.-Mr. Brooke, the Rajah of
Sarawak, has arrived by the mail steamer, the Indus, at
Southampton, which port he left nine years back, in his
yacht the Royalist, to explore the seas and islands of the
Indian Archipelago. His researches and exploits in that
quarter are familiar to the public through- the book of his
friend and fellow navigator, the lion. Captain Keppel,
and through the newspapers. Mr. Brooke was received
at Southampton by Mr. Wise and other friends. It is
some time since we announced his appointment as Consul-
General and Commissioner from England to the indepen-
dent chiefs of Borneo, and his establishment under the
British flag at Labuan, which he so largely contributed to
bring under the protection of England. It was not until
his arrival at home that Mr. Brooke learned the full nature
of his appointments, and the measure of approval accorded
to his enterprising and useful labours. Mr. Brooke con-
templates a sojourn of six months in England, when he
will probably return to a fully organized and established
Government in Labuan.
The Birmingham Journal contains a curious romance
of love and marriage, A Mr. Robert Moore, guard of the
London and Holyhead mail, in passing through Shrews-
bury, saw each day a lady at the window of one of the
houses, and the two began to smile and at length to nod
familiarly at each other. One day the lady was missed by
the guard, but she she was standing on the road a little
further on, and stopping the coach, she asked to be
conveyed to Welchpool. She was invited to take her seat
by the guard, and they entered into conversation. He
learned from her that she was the widow of Colonel Tripp,
allied to a noble family, and possessed of a handsome in-
dependence. Other interviews followed, and at length,
on the 15th of June last (about two months from the time
they had first seen each other), they were married. After
the ceremony they started to London and took apartments
at the Euston Square Hotel, and there they lived ten weeks
in a continued round of gaiety. A carirage was always at
her service, and they called on many members of the no-
bility, but on these occasions the husband was always left
in the carriage at the door. She buoyed him up with state-
ments that she had £5OOO in Glyn's bank, and other pro-
perty. At length suspicions were aroused, and it was
found that the lady was the wife of a commercial traveller,
and Mr. Moore found that he was the husband of another
man's wife, and was owing £5OO for the ten weeks extra-
vagances. He has had the lady taken into custody on a
charge of bigamy. Her first husband was in Shrewsbury
at the time she was orought before the magistrates at
Birmingham, on Monday week, but no prosecutor ap.
peared against her, and 514 wg discharged.