The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-08-11 00:00:00

WHIG PURITY OF ELECTION !

ear riaze

At Nottingham assizes, yesterday weak, James Hitchens,
John Pearce, William Milford, and William Morton, were
indicted for conspiring together to prevent John Hickman
from voting for Mr. Thesigar at the last election for the
borough of Newark, and forcibly carrying off the said Hick-
man to a distance from the said borough on the eve of the
election. _ _

The witness Hickman, after detailing various tipplings
with the Solicitor-General's agents, proceeded to say—
" They then brought me down to the Castle and Falcon,
Sergeant Wylde's head-quarters. Went into a lower room.
There was present, Mr. Hitchens. He said, Now, Jack,
what will you have to drink ?' and I said, ' I don't want
anything to drink.' He said, I must; and I said, "If I
must have anything to drink, I will have sixpennyworth of
brandy and water.' Mr. Hitchens then went to fetch it ;
but instead of brandy he brought laudanum. When I smelt
it, it smelt very nauseous. I said, ' Hitchens, this is not fit
for a man to drink ;' and he said, your eyes, Jack, you
shall drink it.' I made no more to do, but I drank it up ;
and so soon as I had drunk it he said, 'There, him,
take him away ;he is right enough now.' The room was
full of people when he drank it ; but he did not know who
they were. Cannot remember what took place afterwards.
He was like a dead un' directly.' "
The next witness was Thomas Wootten, a resident of Not-
tingham, whither the Solicitor-General's agents carried
Hickman after they had polibned 'him—the -distance from
Newark being twenty miles—
" Hickman was insensible at the time he was put into the
bottom of the chaise, and Hitchens and Melford caine back,
and Hitchens said, Where are these. boys ?' Melford then
took them out of the house before they had had the glass of
brandy that was ordered for them, and they were shown into
the chaise, the door was shut, and they went off without
their hats. Hickman was put on the seat ; he leaned on
Wright's shoulder. Moreton drove the chaise. Melford
was in the front of the chaise at the end of the town. He
then got off, and opened the door, and asked, ' How many
are there ?' I said, Three.' He said, Now my lad, More-
ton, you will do what I told you : take him as far as Not-
tingham, and if he does not waken before he gets to Notting-
ham, put hint down at the end of the town, so that he may
get into the hands of the police, then we shall know he will
e safe, so that he cannot come and poll.' Melford then
went away, and Moreton drove at a rapid pace towards Not-
tingham. When they got to Ratcliff, Hickman was sick ;
told Moreton the old man had thrown up. He said, Oh,
he be d—d ; I think the old devil has had laudanum enough.'
Proceeded to Nottingham, and stopped near the town end.
Moreton pulled up, took Hickman up, and laid him in the
horse-road, so that if there had been any carriages he must
have been run over. It was about three in the morning.
Moreton drove into the town, and told a policeman a drunken
man was lying in the road, and that he had like to have run
over the old devil. They returned to the Castle and Falcon
about eight in the morning. Saw Hitchens after the election
was over. He was making a speech. Asked him for another
sovereign. He said, ' Oh, be —; I shan't give you any
more than a sovereign. You have managed it badly, for he
came back and polled.' "
The jury retired for a few minutes, and then returned into
court with a general verdict of Guilty against all the defend-
ants except Morton, whom they only convicted of an assault,
he being the post-boy, and whom they recommended to

mercy.
The Lord Chief Justice, in passing sentence on the de-
fendants, observed that their offence was a most serious one ;
there was nothing more injurious to the rights and liberties of
Englishmen than interference, either by intimidation, vio-
lence, fraud, or corruption, with the voter's freedom of elec-
tion. It was lamentable to find a persoi), of the talent dis-
playcd by the defendant Hitchins (who is one of the county
coroners) committing outrages of this nature; but it was
evident that he had been the ringleader on the occasion. In
order to serve as a warning to themselves and to others to
abstain from such conduct in future, it was necessary that
their punishment should not be a light one. His lordship
then sentenced tlte defendants to be imprisoned in Notting-
ham gaol, Hitchens for six months, Pearce and Milford for
three months, and Morton for a fortnight.

THE BIBLE, WHAT IT IS, AND WHAT IT IS NOT.
A Lecture, delivered in Paradise-street Chapel, Liverpool,
19th February, 1839, by the Rev. James Martineau, being
the second delivered weekly, in answer to a Course of
Lectures by Clergymen of the Church of England.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES

Sir,—As you admitted an article into The Times of last
Saturday, explanatory of the religious tenets of the Rev.
Connop Thirlwall, may I beg a small space in your columns

insert a few extracts from the said rev. gentleman's trans-

lation of Schleinrnacher's Critical Essay- on the Gospel of
St. Luke? "The discrepancies found in the Gospels com-
pel us to admit, that the superintending control of the spirit
was not exerted to exempt the sacred writings altogether from
errors and inadvertencies."—lntroduction by the translator,

page 15. Nay, he speaks of " the more rigid theory of inspi-
ration having been so long abandoned on account of the in-
superable difficulties these opposed to it, that it would now
be a waste of time to attack it."—Pp. 15 and 11. The Rev.
James Martineau. in his lecture cited above, appears so de-
lighted with the liberal church champion for the doctrines of
the followers of Socinus, that he says, at page 35 of his lec-
ture, " I have brought Mr. Thirlwall to confront the question
of facts." Is not this pretty good evidence of the Rev. C.
Thirlwall's creed, and of his fitness to wear a Welch mitre ?
" It is so universally understood, says the lecturer, " that we
are indebted to Mr. Thirlwall for the admirable translation
of Schleinmacher's essay, that I conceive there can be no im-
propriety in speaking bf the work as his, though his name
does not appear in the title-page."—(Note, page 58.) At
page 23 of his lecture he says, " I quote the opinion of the
Rev. C. Thirlwall, a divine whose distinguished philological
attainments have given him a European reputation, without
at present raising him to that station in his own church
which would best suit his merits and her dignity." Here we
have—first, an Unitarian minister's perfect concurrence in
Mr. Thirlwall's theological opinions ; and secondly, his re-
commendation (based on this fitness) of him to a bishopric.
H.

COURT CIRCULAR.-SATURDAY

The Queen held a Court yesterday afternoon at Bucking-
aim Palace.
..

Shekib Effendi,the Ottoman ambassador, had an audience
of her Majesty to deliver a letter from his Sovereign. His
excellency was introduced by Viscount Palmerston, G.C.8.,
her Majesty's principal secretary of state for foreign affairs,
and conducted by Sir Robert 'Chester, master of the cere-
monies. His excellency was accompanied by Mr. Salame,
her Majesty's Oriental interpreter.
Mr. Altavella Villette Calichopolo was presented to the
Queen by Lord John Russell, her Majesty's secretary of
state for the colonies.

Mr. James J. Reid was presented to her Majesty at an
audience, by Lord John Russell.
The court was attended by the Duchess of Bedford, lady in
waiting, Viscount Torrington, lord in waiting, Lord Hill,
gold stick in waiting, General Hon. Sir \V. Lumley, groom
in waiting, and Colonel WeMyss, equerry in waiting.
Her Majesty and Prince Albert took an airing in the parks
yesterday afternoon, in an open carriage-and-four, Colonel
Wemyss and Colonel Bouverie, the equerries in waiting on
her Majesty and his royal highness, attending on horseback.
Viscount Melbourne had an audience of her Majesty,
yesterday. _

The royal dinner party at tlie'palace, last evening, included
the Duke and Duchess of Bedford, Earl of Surrey, Hon.
Charles Gore, and the Hon. Frederick Byng.
The band of the royal regiment of horse guards was in
attendance at the palace during the evening.
His Royal Highness Prince Albert honoured Mr. Alfred
E. Chalon, R.A., with a sitting, yesterday, for a whole-
length portrait.
The Duchess of Kent took an airing yesterday in a

Sir Matthew Tierney has attended the Princess Augusta
daily since the departure from town of Sir H. Halford. The
Duchess of Gloucester and the Duke of Cambridge visited
the Princess Augusta yesterday. The following was issued
yesterday : _ _ _ . .

" The Princess Augusta has had a more comfortable night's
rest, and her Royal Highness is better.
" Clarence House, August 7."
The Duke of Cambridge had a dinner party last evening at
Cambridge House.

ECCLESIASTICAL AND UNIVERSITY

INTELLIGENCE

(Prom the Oxford Herald.)

His Grace the. Duke of Leeds has been pleased to appoint
the Rev. H. Jodrell, B.A. of Exeter College, to be one of
hii Domestic Chaplains.
The Rev. Arthur Nugent Buckeridge, M.A. of St. John's
College, has been appointed, by the Governors of the Church
of Crediton, to the Rectory of Kennerleigh, Devon, vacant
by the resignation of the Rev. W. J. Kirkness. _

Rev. Mark Cooper, M.A. of St. John's College, Cam-
bridge, Lecturer of Westbury, to the Perpetual Curacy of
Bramshaw, Wilts ; patrons, the Dean and Chapter of Sarum.
Rev. T. Atkinson, late Curate of Fawley, Hants, has been
appointed one of the Earl of Cavan's Chaplains.
Rev. Wm. Charles Woollaston, M.A. of Leeds, to the
Rectory of East Dereham, Norfolk, on the presentation of
his father, the Rev. Charles Hyde Woollaston. _ _

Rev. Thomas Owen, of Altrincham, has been appointed,
by the trustees and pew owners of St. Clement's Church,
Manchester to the Incumbency of that Church, vacant by
the death of! the Rev. W. Nunn.

Rev. Lewis Deedes, B.A. of Emmanuel College, Cam-
bridge, to the Rectory of Branfield, Herts, vacant by the
death of the Rev. Edward Bourchier ; patron, Abel Smith,
Esq. M.P.
The Lord l2ishop of Lichfield has been pleased to appoint
the Rev. R. Corfield, Rector of Pitchford, Rural Dean for
the parishes of Condover, Stapleton, Frodesley, Pitchford,
Longnor, Leebotwood, Smethcote, Acton Burnell, Langley,
Shineton, Cound, Cressage, Harley, and Kenley, in the
Archdeaconry of Salop.
Rev. W. Wilkinson, formerly of Carlisle, to the lay Vicar-
ship of Winchester Cathedral.
Rev. John Reid, Curate of the parish of Dowapatrick, to
the Chaplaincy of Down, vacant by resignation.

Rev. Mr. ealthorp, Examining Chaplain to the Bishop of
Lichfield, to the Arehdeaconry of Derby.
Re*. Dr. Prior, to the Vice-Provostship of Dublin Uni-
versity.

Rev. Cecil Greene, Vicar of West Hampnett, to be Domes-
tic Chaplain to the Duke of Richmond.
Rev. Joseph Crane, NI.A. of Bewdley, has been appointed,
by the Earl of Mountnorris, to be one ol• his Lordship's Do-
mestic Chaplains.

A JUDGE TAKING THE PLEDGE FROM FATHER
MATHEW.

(From the Dublin Evening Mail)

" Judge Crampton was among the number of postulants
who received the pledge of teetotalism from Father Mathew
during his stay in Castlebar. His lordship, who has ever
been a steady and steadfast friend to the temperance cause,
was presented by the great apostle with a splendid silver me-
dal on this occasion."—Mayo Telegraph.
Really this is a very curious proceeding. Everybody knew
already that Mr. Justice Crampton was, and for some years
had been, what is called a teetotaller. Nothing could be
more notorious than the fact, that he had spilled a very good
cellar of wine in attestation of the sincerity of his abhorrence
of alcohol in every shape, and under every disguise. He was
in fact one of the first. both in point of time and rank, who
joined the temperance cause in this country, and, it is well
known, allowed nothing stronger than tea to pass his lips at
a time when those who are now apostles of temperance re-
joiced daily in their tumbler of whisky-punch. His ardour
in the cause was so well known six, and even seven years ago,
that the wits of the day used his name, in connexion with
total abstinence, as a catch-word in their squibs and im-
promptus—as, for example, in an ode to the Marquis of Wel-
lesley, done by one of our own devils, in days of yore, " when
good King Will" was king—
'Twas enough to make Phil Crampton
Get drunk, to see you tramp'd on,
And kicked out for Sooty Lambton,
Daddy Foozle, 0 !
In a word, the whole country was aware of the fact, and
every drunkard in the country had it before his eyes, as an
example and an encouragement, that a judge of the land had
wholly repudiated spirituous liquors, from a conviction of the
great national injury occasioned by their abuse ; and all the
honour and glory, as well as all the usefulness that could arise
from such an act of judicial devotion, was already realized to
the learned judge and the edified community.
What more could man do ? He had made all the gutters
of Fassaroe run red with the best blood of his cellar—the
white trout of the Bray river were in a state of intoxication
for a week after. He had presided and assisted at temper-
ance meetings without end—had contributed to all the pub-
lications of the day having the encouragement of temperance
for their object—and had all but poured out the tea and
coffee at dozens of teetotal soirees. What more remained
for a judge of the land to do? We protest we cannot see
what more remained to be done worthy of his position, or
consistent with his principles.
It was hardly worthy, we think, and we say so' with great
respect, of a judge of the land, speaking with reference to
his position, to descend from the judicial bench for the pur-
pose of countenancing an organisation, pregnant, as we con-
ceive, with danger to the peace of the country and the sta-
bility of the laws.
The teetotal movement, little more than a month ago, had
excited the apprehensions of the executive, and a manifesto
from Lord Ebrington had apprised the country that our
rulers viewed the progress of that organisation with uneasi-
ness, if not alarm. It was unworthy, we think, the high
personal character of Judge Crampton, if this story of the
Mayo Telegraph be a true one, to turn on a friendly govern-
ment at such a crisis, and to add the weight of his respecta-
ble name to a society which had already incurred the implied
censure of the authorities, and which begins every day more
and more to smell of RIBBONISM.

No man in the community ought to know better than
Judge Crampton, that the passwords of, the wretches who
have been brought up for trial before him and his brethren
of the bench, in many instances savour so strongly of a con-
nexion with this society. as to render it matter of certainty
that the one association is used and perverted to the ends of
the other. Of this fact we are free to admit Judge Cramp-
ton was not aware when he permitted an assemblage of forty
thousand members of the Mathewite Society to meet and
escort him into the town of Nenagh. Had he then appre-
hended the possibility of that vast confederacy becoming
implicated in any shape, or to any extent, with the ribbon
body, we are well assured that he never would have permit-
ted his name to become mixed up with so formidable a de-
monstration. But the case is different at present. Every
day now discloses new evidence of the fact, that the ribbon
confederacy are abusing the Mathewite Association to the
worst and most dangerous purposes. The very fastest friends
of the cause admit the fact, and deplore it.

IRON STEAM VESSELS.—Hitherto iron steamers have
depended chiefly for their strength on what may be called the
casing of vessels, but Mr. W. D. Holmes, civil engineer,
has proposed a plan to take off the greater portion of this
dependence, and to place it in the framing, which he does by
a peculiar construction of bonding the frame. If this be
accomplished there will, of course, be greater strength, and
the power of building much greater vessels. He also proposes
a mode, by air tight compartments, to eject any weer which
may come in through fractures in the casing or sheathing,
by pumping in air so that the leak may be repaired. He
purposes to admit a man or men to the air tight compart-
ments through a large tube or funnel reaching to the deck,
and having screw caps at the top and near the bottom. As
soon as a man has entered the funnel the upper cap is screwed
down, and by unscrewing the under one he descends to the
bottom. We understand a large vessel is immediately to be
built on Mr. Hohnes's plan.—Railway .Magazine.

LONDON AND BIRMINGHAM RAILWAY.—The half yearly
meeting took place yesterday, and we have exerted ourselves
to give our readers a report in time for the morning mail.
Very little discussion took place, except about a grant of
£lOOO towards building a church. The report recommended
a dividend of £4 per £lOO for the half year, and an
addition to the reserved fund. The report also contains
much matter of interest. It appears from it that an increase
has taken place in the half-year's traffic of 174 per cent, as
compared with the corresponding period of last year. The
directors seem at last to have learned the necessity of pro-
viding for the low class traffic, as they state that they have
decided upon establishing trains of third class carriages at
14s. They also recommend the proposed Warwick and
Leamington branch to the attention of the proprietors.—
Railway Magazine.

MISCELLANEOUS

His Royal Highness Prince Albert will visit Oxford im-
mediately after the vacation, when it is said his royal high-

ness will have the honour of D. C. L. conferred on him by
diploma.

Foreign copper ores have so much increased at the Swan-
sea mart, that several of the Cornwall mines have been aban-
doned, and large numbers of men are disemployed accord-
ingly.—Cornwall Gazette.
THE QUEEN DOWAGER.—Her Majesty will complete
her 46th year on the 13th instant. Her Majesty is in excel-

lent health, and intends passing_ the winter in this country,

having give.n..llpl. we understand, her contemplated visit to

Germany or Malta for season.
NEW KIND OF TIN PLATE.-111. Budy has formed a supe-
rior tin plate of iron and nickel. It is five or six times harder
than that now in use, and is very advantageous for culinary
utensils, as it does not communicate any colour to sauces.
which common tin plate frequently does.
TAE WEATHER—THE HARVEST.—The weather is still

most favourable for the crops, which are now advancing
rapidly to perfection. The accounts from all parts of the
country are to a similar effect. The harvest will soon begin
in Scotland, should the fine weather continue.—Scottish
Standard.

A NOVEL SENTENCE.—At the Huntingdonshire quarter
sessions, John Parmer, aged fifty-seven, maltster, charged,
on the oath of Mr. Richard Hopkins, with stealing_a quan-
.

tity of steeped barley, his property, at St. Ives, pleadedguil-
ty, and was sentenced to be detained in the custody of the

jailor for one hoar ! !
THE PENNY POSTAGE.—By a treasury order, every post-
master and letter-receiver, without exception, is bound to

sell the postage label stamps to the public at a penny each,
whatever number sold, whether a single stamp or more; and
the covers at ad each. This should be universally known—
that wherever thew is a postoffice there is also a depot for
the stamps and covers.
THE PARLIAMENT.—AS the session approaches its latter
end, both houses of parliament, like conscious sinners, are
working hard to make up for lost time. Not only do the
bills before them gallop through stage after stage without
discussiOn, but " flights of new bills," as Mr. Warburton
observed, are introduced nightly, to be sped through all the
legislative formalities, and to become parts of our statute
law, whilst most of the legislators are absent, and many of
them far away in other lands.—Spectator.
MIRACULOUS ESCAPE.—On Wednesday, the 29th ult.,
Mr. William Wood, farmer, Barrack, New Deer, in com-
pany with his son, went to take out a stone that projected
from a draw-well on his farm. He descended into the well
about nine o'clock a.m. ; and, when about to remove the

stone, thirty feet under th'e surface, thci-whole of the internal
building gave way and buried him in its ruins. His son gave
the alarm, the neighbours were promptly on the spotc and
commenced working with the greatest vigour, but'never 'ex-
pected to see their friend in life. After live hours of severe
labour, the body was got out, and, to the surprise of all
present, life was not extinct, nor a bone broken ! On
Thursday morning Mr. Wood was able to speak, and strong
hopes are entertained of his recovery.—Scottish Standard.

DEATH OY A NOTED CHARACTER.—On Monday after-
noon, as Mr. Samuel Holme, of Radcliffe, well known for
his extraordinary bulk and weight (he being about 18 score,)
was on his return from Bolton in his curricle, in company
with his mother-in-law, the horse took fright, and set off at
a gallop, and in a short time the carriage was upset, and the
parties thrown out, when, shocking to relate, Mr. Holme's
skull was fractured, and he died the day following. The un-
fortunate female suffered a fracture of,one thigh in two places.
—Blackburn Standard.

The Antwerp papers state that Capt. Lescauff, of the Julie,
arrived at Marseilles, from Dunkirk, reports having fallen in
with, on the sth ult., in lat. 37 5, long. 14 20, on a raft, se-
ven human beings in the last state of exhaustion, who would
undoubtedly have perished in a few hours had it not been for
this timely preservation. Capt. Lescauff took the sufferers
on board, and learned the history of their sufferings, which
were of no ordinary character. He found that the vessel
they had left was the Lisbon, bound from Faro to Glasgow,
which had taken fire. Capt. Lescauff saw the vessel on fire
a few miles distant.
COMMONS' QUEER LIGHTS.—Just as the 1-louse of COM-
-mons was about to adjourn last night, at a quarter after 11,
an extraordinary and, very soon, a rather ludicrous sensation
was produced, owing to the sudden hesitation evinced by the
new lights of the house to continue their illumination of the
proceedings. One of the two grand lights flickered most
phantasmagorically, amidst the alternate surprise and laugh-
ter of the half-dozen members, exclusive of the Right Hon.
Speaker, then remaining in the house ; in which merriment
the contingent of reporters, and the straggling officers in the
side galleries of the house, were of necessity obliged to join,
for what better occupation had they? That light eventually
went out. Another threatened; and such were the flicker-
ings that no paper could be read, and nothing but laughter
was the order of the night. The only regret expressed was
that Sir F. Trench did not happen to be present, to have a
triumphantly wicked argument in favour of wax-lights. The
door-keepers, prompted by the Serjeant-al-Arms, hurried in
with wax candles for the clerks' table; but small was the il-
lumination thereby given; and the business, such as it was,
that remained, was hurried through, and then, amidst the
loud merriment of all present, the house was adjourned.—
Morning Herald.

INSTANCE OF DARING COURAGE.—About eight o'clock
on Monday evening last, two of the workmen at Scremerston
colliery were busily engaged in the shaft, changing the buckets
of the pumps and drawing the spears, and one of them, John
Nesbit, the engine-keeper, had just removed a hoop from one
of the boxes, when suddenly 90 feet of spears fell to the bot-
tom. Upon the instant that this took place, Thomas Rae,
joiner, wo was stationed 18 feet lower in the haft than Nes-
bit, and who had retired for a moment into the drift on hear-
ing the noise, advanced towards the platform, and called
upwards, to learn if all was right. Receiving no answer, he
looked up the pit, and by the light of Nesbit's lamp, which
was placed in a ring adjoining to him, he saw his companion's
body doubling upon itself, and just in the act of falling, being
suspended over the abyss, with his leg in a loop of the jack
rope, and in such a position that, had it not been intercepted
in its descent, he must inevitably have met a horrible death.
On the impulse of the moment, with the most remarkable
presence of mind and intrepidity, Rae placed himself in such
a position on the edge of the platform as to receive Nesbit in
his arms when he fell, which, fortunately, he accomplished
without serious injury to himself or his companion, who fell
upon his breast, and was thus saved from impending.de-
structibn. Most providentially;they wete both driven -into
the drift, as, had it happened otherwise, they would have
been precipitated 18 or 20 fathoms down the pit, in which
event Rae must have forfeited his own life in his heroic effort
to save the other. Assistance was soon obtained, when
Nesbit was found in a state of insensibi ity, with his head
severely cut. Rae had sustained no injury except a slight
sprain in his arm, occasioned by, the concussion. We are
glad to learn that Nesbit is now doing well. It is certainly
impossible to speak in terms of too high praise of the con-
duct of Rae, evincing, as he did, so much coolness and such
a complete forgetfulness of all danger to himself, in his da-
ring, humane, and happily successful attempt to save his
fellow-workman.—Berwick Warder.
WITCHCRAFT IN THE 19TH CENTURY.—EXETER As-
siz ES.—The following is the detail of an actual case of witch-
craft which was deposed to on oath by a witness in a cause
of " Fogwell v. Clarke," in the inquiry before an arbitrator
at these present assizes. The witness was produced by the
plaintiffs to support the evidence of a previous witness whose
testimony had been considerably shaken upon cross-exami-
nation the day before ; Mr. Slade, counsel for the defendants,
asked him how the plaintiff _came to get hold of him ?
" Why," says he, " T— B— came to me last night and
said, Tom, they have been and proved me a liar.' "
" Why you must have a pretty strong power of belief," says
the learned counsel, "to believe him anything else. Are you
a believer by accident in witchcraft?" " I have good rea-
son to believe in it," says the witness. "As how?' " Why,
I saw a white woman at two o clock in the morning, nine
years ago, drawing circles in the air, and the next day my
mouth was drawn tip to my eye. I went to Dr. —, and he
gave me a charm which cured me immediately. I gave him
ss. for it. What it was is best known to himself; he told
me that I should go to sea for seven years, and that at the
end of that time I should have my mouth drawn up again,
and•so it was. I went. to sea for seven years, and that very
day seven years my mouth was again drawn up. The Doc-
tor was •gone to America, so I could not get it charmed away,
and I lay on a sick bed for a tvielYemonth." The roars of
laughter with which this curious account was received by a
numerous auditory may well be imagined, especially when
the rough honest exterior of the witness (a sailor) is consi-
dered, and the implicit and unfeigned belief which he gave to
the origin of his illness.
EXTRAORDINARY SUPERSTITION.—A few evenings since
a number of persons were attracted to a field abutting on the
Globe-road, Mile-end, in consequence of a report being spread
that a man, the occupier of a small shop in the neighbour-
hood, was sitting on a bank in the field with the carcass of a
cat placed on his right knee. On inquiring into the circum-
stances of this singular exhibition, it appeared that the de-
luded man had for some time been afflicted with a contraction
of one of his knees, for which he had received medical advice,
but unattended with success. Under the influence of an ab-
surd superstition indulged in by the lower class of Irish peo-
ple, to which nation he is said to belong, he resolved upon
killing a cat which he had in his house, and after removing
the entrails of the animal, to sit for the space of three days
with the remains of the body upon the part affected, in the
hope of effecting a cure. This he actually did, carrying out
his intention by remaining in one position almost the whole
of the time, at the expiration of which he returned to his
home. During the period that he was in the situation alluded
to a vast concourse of persons assembled, by many of whom
he was scoffed at and jeered, but this did not seem to produce
any effect upon him.—London paper.
SWALLOWS AND GAS.—A pair of swallows, of the species
hirundo rustica, known in England by the name of the
chimney-swallow, and in Scotland generally as the house-
swallow, lately took up their abode in the gas-work at
Hamilton. The place they fixed on was one of the iron
beams that support the ceiling immediately above the
retorts. From the grelt heat, the nestAwildiug-aarecast
made for some time little or no progress ; for as soon as the
clay became dry, it cracked and fell to pieces. By dint of
perseverance, however, and skill in mixing up the clay with
straws and other tougher materials, a nest was formed, and
the work of incubation commenced ; and at present there is
a brood of thumping young swailows, active and vigorous,
just at the point of flying. The peculiarity in this case is
in the swallows having fixed upon such a locality, continually
filled with vapours, and smelling strongly of gas ; and when
the retorts are filling, dense volumes of smoke, mixed with
lurid flames of fire, till the whole building.
" Fierce to devour, the fiery tempest flies,
Swells in the wind, and thunders to the skies."
But while Vulcan's dire squadrons deluge all around, the
peaceful little strangers—
" Pleased, sit viewing the triumphant flames."
The rearing and perfecting of this brood is a clear proof that
coal-gas is not hurtful to the most delicate organs. It may
also be stated, that this odd place for a swallow's nest has
been selected in spite of an inscription on the door of the gas-
house—" Everything in its place, and a place for everything."
—Scottish Guardian.

SHOCKING ACCIDENT AT HAMPTON-COURT PALACE

About four o'clock on Monday afternoon the Queen and
Prince Albert, attended by the Earl of Albemarle, and the
Misses Paget, maid of honour, arrived at Hampton-court
Palace by the way of the Home-park, the residence of the
Earl of Albemarle, whom they had honoured with a visit.
After alighting from the pony phaeton, as they were proceed-
ing through the clock-yard, three men, who had the appear-
ance of bricklayers, were on the roof, anxious to obtain a
sight of the royal party, when one of them overbalanced
himself. and, falling, from a height of fifty or sixty feet, struck
the ground not two yards from Prinee Albert. The queen
was greatly excited, and evinced much alarm. The unfortu-
nate man was immediately picked up, but life was extinct.
A CLANDESTINE MARRIAGE.—On Monday, an interest-
ing-looking young woman applied to the magistrates at the
Union Hall, to know what she should do : she was clandes-
tinely married to the son of a retired tradesman, a minor, in
March last; but immediately after the marriage ceremony,
the father surprised them, and took his son away in a gig.
She had supported herself since the marriage by mantua-
making. She had only seen her husband twice since, for a
moment at a time, as his father threatened to disinherit
him if he lived with her. Mr. Jeremy said that the young
man's friends could procure the marriage to be dissolved.
The husbandless wife said that she should prefer that proceed-
ings of that kind were adopted, rather than have a husband
and yet be debarred from all the indulgences and.. comforts of
the married state. "It was very unfortunate for she
added, " that I ever formed such an attachment. Mr.
Jeremy advised her to tell her father-in-law so.—Spectator.