The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-08-14 00:00:00

INQUEST ON THE BODIES

On Saturday morning, the coroner for the county, M.
Pearson, Esq., of Selby, arrived by the train at the place
where the castastrophe occurred, where he was met by C. H.
Philips, Esq., solicitor to the Hull and Selby, railwax.coni-
,,, sy,.. .c-iirovecr Linn the juristtiction of Howden.:
The jury being sworn, proceeded to view the bodies. They
presented a most awful and terriffic spectacle, every feature
being disfigured or obliterated either by wounds or blood ;
and the bones, especially of the female, almost all crushed to
atoms. Witnesses were called to identify the bodies. Those
of Mr. Nicholas Veltman and Mr. Stead were identified ;
that of the female was not known. The rope was here pro-
duced that had been used to fasten the casting on the truck.
It was evidently nearly worn in two by friction in several
places, and had been cut by the casting. A juryman asked if
the weight of the iron had been ascertained. A gentleman
replied about three tons. Examination—Neither the engine
nor the tender had been thrown off the road, nor the truck
upon which this casting was laid. They were all on the road,
as was also the truck on which the casting was laid. Seven
carriages next to the truck were all thrown oft the rails and
crushed to pieces. All were overturned. All the seven were
laid upon the road, under which the two bodies were laid. I
did not notice many persons upon the road. The carriage
train was only coming at its usual speed. They were travelling
according to my idea, from twenty to twenty-four miles an
hour.

R. liesketh evarnined-1 live at Selby, and am an engine-
driver on the Hull and Selby Railway. Yesterday morning,
about seven minutes after eight o'clock, 1 started from Selby
with the train, I managing the engine. Everything was right
at Selby. I got off the engine and examined the coupling,
which is the chain that attaches the first carriage to the ten-
der. This carriage was the truck upon which the metal was
placed. I cannot say whether the casting was either fastened
or tied to the truck by chain or rope, or whether it was not.
I did not make that observation. The casting was laid fair
and level on the truck. It projected a little over each side,
as it was longer than the truck, and overreached about an
inch and a half on each side. It did not reach over more on
one side than the other. All was right when we got near to
the Howden station ; at least I saw nothing that alarmed me
until the time the accident occurred. It was about half a
mile on this side of the Howden station when the engine gave
a jump. I perceived nothing fall from the train before the
engine jumped. I had been looking forward. The engine
after the jerk began to go faster. I then looked back and
saw the engine and tender and one truck were separated from
the rest of the train, and that I had left the passenger car-
riages behind. The engine was on the line, but the two hind
wheels of the tender were off. All four wheels of the truck
were off the line. Neither engine, tender, nor truck was
overturned. As soon as I could stop the engine I got off and
went to the passenger carriages. They were from sixty to
one hundred yards from where I stopped the Engine. The
hind wheels of the tender were thrown off, in my opinion, in
consequence of my having stopped the engine so suddenly.
According to my idea, as near as I can speak, I was going at
the rate of twenty-three to twenty five miles an hour. This
was about our usual speed. It is customary to let off our
steam when approaching the station, but we did not go to the
spot where we usually do so. This was not a dangerous rate
to travel at, provided the road had been clear ; it is slower
than that at which passenger trains generally travel. I have
been employed upwards of seven years as engine-driver--
first, on the Bolton and Leigh Junction, then on the Liver-
pool and Manchester; afterwards. in Belgium, for Brussels
and Antwerp, and now upon the Hull and Selby. The jury
expressed themselves perfectly satisfied with the witness's
conduct.

William Greaves, whose face was severely cut, was next
examined. He said—l reside at Leeds. lam a guard in the
employ of the Leeds and Selby Railway Company. Before
we started for Selby I went from one end of the train to the
other, and ascertained that all the " couplings" were safe.
I noticed that a truck followed, and was attached to the
tender, between it and the passenger train. Everything
appeared to me, as far as I could see, to'be safe and right.
I observed nothing calculated to excite any alarm, or appre-
hension of danger. It is my opinicn that it would be safer
to put trucks, having iron or castings upon them, behind the
passenger carriages ; for if anything fell from" these trucks
they could in that case do no harm to the passengers. It is
considered conducive to the safety of those who may be
passengers to place the passenger carriages at a distance
from the engine, It is, therefore, usual to place the goods
between the engine and the passenger carriages, as in case of
any accident happening to the engine it would be safer for
the passengers that the passenger carriages should be placed
last. In th►s case, were the engine to get off the line, the
carriages at the greatest distance from the engine would be
most secure. I have seen this occur, and it is the cause
from which accidents are most to be apprehended on rail-
ways. Before we started from Selby I did not observe
whether the casting was fastened to the truck by any ropes.
This casting had come from Leeds, but not by the train
which I arrived by. The coroner asked how the casting had
come from Leeds to Selby? One of the company's servants
answered that it came by the goods train.
The inquest was then adjourned till nine o'clock on
Tuesday morning, at Loftsome-bridge Inn. The only clue
as yet found calculated to tead to the identity of the woman
is the following mark on her chemise—" E. Lee, No. 3."

In reply to many inquiries which have reached us on the
subject, and in reference to a paragraph in a contemporary
journal, affirming that no Brevet will take place unless the
child of which her Majesty is enceinte should turn out to be
a boy, we have to state, once for all, that the sex of the young
stranger will make no difference in the matter. Whether
boy or girl a Brevet will assuredly take place on the event. It
would be but a poor compliment to her Majesty to presume
that a daughter (an heiress presumptive at all avents) may
not prove as good and efficient a Queen as herself. At all
events, no such distinction as that which has been guessed at
by our contemporary is in the least likely to be drawn.—
United Service Gazette.

GREAT VIADUCT.—The grand viaduct which crosses the
Union Canal, below Port Downie, will, when completed, be
one of the most imposing works of the kind in Britain—an
ornament to the improved masonry of the age, and, we trust,
a permanent example of the stability that railway work ought
to exhibit. The principal span is 130 feet, and the second 60
feet. We believe there will only be one other example of a
similar arch with so low an elevation, it being only 24 feet
in the whole, which will tell at once to the scientific calcula-
tion of the engineer, and will reflect deserved credit on the
contractors.—Stirling Observer.

STATIONS OF PREACHERS IN THE WESLEYAN

METHODIST CONNEXION

The following arc the stations of the several preachers in
the Liverpool and Manchester district, as appointed by con-
ference :

LIVERPOOL

Liverpool, North (Brunswick Chapel, &c.)—John Davis,
Chas. Haydon, David Hay; Calverley Riley, Supernumerary.
Liverpool, South (Pitt-street, &c.)—William Vevers, Jo-
seph Beaumont, John Nelson, Richard Brown.
Liverpool, Welsh (Benn's Gardens, &c.)—Thos. Aubrey,
William Owen.

Chester.—William France, Joseph Hargreaves, Edward
Jones ; Isaac Lilley, Supernumerary. _ _ .

Holywell, (English.)-Henry Hine, George Greenwood ;
Henshaw, Supernumerary.
Carnarvon, (English.)—George Hughes, John Ward, jun.
Wrexham.—Luke Heywood, Thomas Denham.

Whitchurch (Salop.)--John Squarebridge, Thos.-Rodham.
Warrington.—Samuel Wilde, James Laycock, Walter
Coates; William Jones, Supernumerary.
St. Helen's and Prescot.—Thos. Slung, George Dickinson.
Wigan.—Richard Smetham, James P. Fairbourne.
Southport and Ormskirk.—Ralph Gibson, George Paterson.
Preston and Chorley.—Thomas Cocking, Benjamin Slack,
William Winterburn ; William M•Kitrick, Supernumerary.
Garstang.—Moses Rayner, John P. Johnson.
Lancaster.—Thomas Hall, 'William Baddeley.
WILLIAM VEVERS, Chairman of the District.
JOHN NELSON, Financial Secretary.

MANCHESTER

ND BOLTON

First Manchester (Oldham-street, &c:)—John Rigg, John
Smith, 3d., William M. Bunting; Edward Gibbons, John
Thompson, W. 0. Booth, supernumeraries.
Second Manchester (Irwell-street, &c.—James Methley,
Thomas Dicken, Henry D. Lowe ; John Taylor, Josiah H.
Walker, supernumeraries.

Third Mnehester (Grosvenor-street, &c.)—Joseph Tay-
lor, James Dixon, Peter M'Owan, Benjamin B. Waddy,
William R.,8. Artily.

Fourth Manchester (Bridgewater-street, &c.)—Barnard
Slater, Timothy Ingle; William Shelmerdine, supernu-

merary.
Altrincham—lsaac Woodcock, who will change on one sab-
bath, in every three•weeks, with the preachers of the fourth
Manchester circuit.
' Manchester—(Welsh)—Samuel Davis, who will change on
two sabbaths in every three months with the Welsh preachers

in Liverpool.
Stockport, North (Triviotdale, &c.)
William H. Clarkson.
Stockport, South (Hill-gate, &c.)—
Rees

—Edward Walker,

Amos Lear oyd, Louis

New-Mills—lsaac Dennison, Thomas 0. Keysell.
Glossop—Abraham Watmough Richard Stepney.
Ashton-under-Lync----John Raby,! Samuel Leigh, James

Scholes.
Oldham—Roger Moore, Peter C. Horton, James Little.
',N.B.—Brother Horton resides at Middleton.
Delph (Saddleworth):—Thomas Ludlam, who shall change
on one sabbath in every five weeks with the preachers at
Oldhatii. •

Bolton—Thomas Stead, John Bedford, John E. Coulson ;
James Hyde,,Richard Allen, supernumeraries.
Rochdale—Richard Felvus, William Clough, Joseph Low-
thian (Brother Lowthian resides at Heywood.)
Burnley—James Heaton, Thomas Powell ; John Phillips,
supernumerary.
Bury—James Blackett, Thomas Jeffries, Joseph Heaton.
Blackburn—Thomas Ammon, William Exley.
Haslingden—Abel Dernaley, Jabez Bought, John' P.
Lockwood.
Bacup—Benjamin Pearce. James Wilson.
Colne—William Levell, Joseph Mortimer; John Barritt,

supernumerary.
Clitheroe—Christopher Newton, James Houghton.
Leigh—John Hague, who shall change on one Sunday in
every month with the preachers at Bolton.
JOSEPH TAYLOR, Chairman of the District.
JOHN SMITH, 3rd Financial Secretary.

THE MURDER OF ONE OF LORD BALCARRES'S
UNDERLOOKERS AT WIGAN.

The police force of the borough of Wigan, whose jurisdic-
tion, according to the provisions of the municipal reform, ex-
tends to seven miles from the borough, have been active in
their endeavours to discover the perpetrators of the horrible
murder of Coulton. an underlooker of the collieries of Lord
Balcarres, in Haigh, near Wigan. This body, notwithstand-
ing the extension of a great force appointed under the county
constabulary act in the township where the murder was com-
mitted, appear to have acted with promptitude and ability.
Two of the borough police (heath and Smith) have appre-
hended three men suspected of having committed the mur-
der. They are what are called " navigators," and it had
been discovered that on the night of the murder they were
not in their lodgings at all. Their names are George Swift,
William Almond, and Thomas Sharples. Subsequent in-
quiry has discovered, that on Saturday night, the 20th of
July, the night of the murder and robbery, the prisoners re-
ceived taeir wages from the " ganger," or railway contractor,
in whose employ they were, and proceeded, in company with
a person named Halt, to Chorley. about seven miles from the
spot where the murder took place. There they remained
drinking until near midnight, and then left. (The murder was
committed about one o'clock.) They were next traced to a
place called Rawlinson-bridge, in the same neighbourhood.
There they arrived about two o'clock, and stayed in the cabin of
a boat, along with the boatmen, about an hour and a half.
They lay down to sleep, but the boatman observed that some-
thing was wrong, for they appeared very uneasy in their minds,
and could not sleep. When daylight appeared, Swift said
they must leave before any one saw them, and all three de-
parted. The boatman noticed that Swift looked downcast,
and more uneasy than the rest. He inquired where they had
been, and they said they had been drinking. When brought
to the Wigan lock-up, the chief constable asked Swift if he
knew the nature of the charge against him ; to which he re-
plied, " I suppose it is that Johnny Coulton's job." They
then further said, that on the night of the murder they were
drinking at Chorley until twelve o'clock ; that they then left
that place, and went to the cabin as above stated, and that
on leaving there they walked towards Wigan, and arrived at
Red Rock-bridge, near the residence of Coulton (the deceas-
ed), about six o'clock. There they had some drink, and then
left. After that they went to the Boar's Head, where they
found Coulton. who was about being conveyed home. We
should remark, that Coulton, on the day he was shot, stated
to his daughter and a niece, that as he was passing along the
high turnpike-road he was met by two men, who attempted
to rob him ; that he fought desperately with them, and would
have overcome them, but that third came nazi Vitt
ledge left to know that they robbed him.2i The man who shot
at him Coulton described as a tall man, which so far agreed
with the appearance of Swift, one of the prisoners. On Sa-
turday the prisoners were brought before the magistrates at
the Court-house, Wigan, and remanded.

THE CHARGES OF FORGERY AT STOCKPORT.

As the charges of forgery at Stockport, to which we briefly
alluded last week, have now become notorious, by the public
advertising of a reward for the apprehension of the party
charged, there can be no necessity for any further reserve on
the subject. The individual in question is Mr. John Ken-
yon Winterbottom, solicitor, and recently a banker, at Stock-
port, clerk to the court of requests, councillor for Portwood
ward, clerk to the magistrates at Stockport, prior to the
passing of the municipal reform act, and a man not only of
extensive practice and considerable reputation in his profes-
sion, but very generally esteemed and respected in the neigh-
bourhood by men of all parties. We understand that Mr.
Winterbottom, though generally reputed to be a rich man,
and being apparently the owner of real property to a consi-
derable amount, has been for some time past greatly involved
in his circumstances, owing to some severe losses on money
imprudently advanced on mortgage, and to the unfavourable
issue of several speculations in winch he had embarked, and
has therefore been tempted on several occasions to apply to
his own use sums of money that have come into his hands on
account of his clients ; but the particular circumstance which
has led to his flight, and to the offer of a reward for his ap-
prehension, is understood to be the following :—As solicitor
to the late Mr. Isherwood, of Marple Hall, and to the exe-
cutrices of that gentleman, Mr. Winterbottom was employed
to obtain payment of 4:5000, being the amount of a policy on
Mr. Isherwood's life in the Pelican Life Assurance Office ;
and various communications took place, from time to time,
between him and the executrices upon the subject, when he
alleged first one thing and then another, as furnishing a rea-
son why the money had not been paid by the insurance com-
pany. At length, either from sonic suspicions which were
entertained, or from impatience at the supposed delay, the
executrices, a few days ago, applied at the insurance office
through another channel; and they•then learned that, as long
ago as December last, Mr. Winterbottom had received the
amount from Mr. Tate, the Manchester agent of the corn-
pang, in a bill at seven days' sight, drawn payable to the
order of the executrices, at Messrs. Roberts, Curtis, and
Co.'s, bankers, London ; and, on further inquiry being made,
it was found that this bill, bearing endorsements purporting
to be those of the executrices (the widow and daughteris bI
the deceased), had been negociated by Mr. Winterbottom
through the bank of Stockport, and had been paid by the
London bankers. We understand that the executrices de-
clare that the bill was never endorsed or seen by then); that
they never authorized Mr. Winterbottom to endorse it for
them, and that the endorsements purporting to be theirs are
consequently forgeries. We believe that, in addition to this
charge, there is another of a similar character, and relating
to another insurance of X3OOO in another office; but not hav-
ing heard the circumstances stated on any sufficient autho-
rity, we shall not now detail them.
Mr. Winterbottom, we believe, was last seen in Stockport
on Sunday the 2nd instant, on which day he left hoine in his
carriage, accompanied by his wife, of whom he took leave
near the railway station, in Liverpool Road, Manchester ;
and he no doubt quitted this town by railway for Liverpool
on that day. In a day or two after his departure, Mr. Bush,
the solicitor to the London Banker's Association for the de-
tection and punishment of forgery, made his appearance at
Stockport, and applied to the magistrates for a - warrant
against him. In the first instance, we believe, the magis-
trates did not think that there was sufficient evidence of a
forgery having been committed, and declined to grant the.
warrant; but, the deficiency having been afterwards aim-
plied, a warrant was issued, and delivered to,a police officer,
who immediately went in pursuit of the fugitive. The fol-
lowing is a copy of the advertisement, offering a reward for
his apprehension, which appears in the London morning pa.
pers of Saturday last :

" FORGERY.-£2OO Reward.—Absconded, since Saturday,
the Ist day of August instant, after having committed seve-
ral forgeries, and having also, as is supposed, taken with him
several deeds and valuable securities, not his own property,
John Kenyon Winterbottom, lately of Stockport and Heaton
Norris, in the county of Lancaster, attorney-at-law and
banker. The said John Kenyon Winterbottom is about 55
years of age, five feet six to seven, rather stout and square,
built (inclining to corpulency), short and quick step, walks
erect, not much colour, at present rather sallow looking, large
face, with pleasant expression and common, features, with
whiskers rather grey, hair light-brown colour, but rather
bald, thick-necked, voice loud, speaks thick, with a strong
accent and rapid delivery. Usually dresses in black coat,
black cloth waistcoat, and checked or plaid trousers. The
above reward will be paid on the apprehension of the said
John K. Winterbottom.—For further particulars apply to
Messrs. Bush and Master, solicitors, St. Mildred's Court,
London ; or to J. or D. Forrester, Police Office, Mansion
House."

Since the above was written, we have been informed that
there is little doubt that Mr. Winterbottom took his de-
parture in the Acadia steamer for Halifax, Nova Scotia, on
Tuesday last. It is stated, that he had taken a berth in his
own name, in the President, for New York, which sailed on
the preceding Saturday, and that he was in Liverpool on the
morning of that day, probably with the intention of going on
board ; but, fir some reason or other, he abandoned that in-
tention, and returned to Stockport, which place he finally
left on the following day, as we have already stated, and was
seen on the Cheshire side of the Mersey on Monday. If, as
is believed, he left the country in the Acadia, on Tuesday, he
most probably assumed another name; for his name does not
appear in the published list of passengers by that vessel.—
Manchester Guardian.

JUNIUS.—A grandson of the late Sir Philip Francis, and
his widow, Lady Francis, are each of them said to be prepar-
ing a life of that accomplished statesman, in which the iden-
tity of the author of Junius's letters will unquestionably be
established. The box or trunk, so frequently alluded to in
the investigation of this subject, and which was always re-
ported to contain undoubted testimony of this author's name,
has, we are told, been discovered by the grandson of Sir
Philip Francis.—Morning Chronicle.

STATE OF THE SUGAR TRADE

MISCELLANEOUS

(From a correspondent of Me Times.) It is reported that Durrow Castle, late the residence of
The British government has certainly managed to get itself Lord Norbury, has been taken by the Jesuits.—Limerick
into the Americans call " a pretty considerable sort of a Chronicle.
fix on the sugar question. The Ear of Shrewsbury had 100 beds made up for the
Our readers must be abundantly aware that the price of
sugar in Enghtnd has within the last few years been very visites
visit rs Alton Towers on the occasion of the Queen Dow-
ager'. —Worcester Chronicle.
neaaly doubled. Coarse brown c. ugar was sold in London,
not very long since, at 5d per
pound. It now brings gd, and The Journal du Havre of the 7th instant, states, that or-
even that high price yields, we are told, no profit to the ders had been given to fit out the new ship Friedland, of 120
guns, and frigates the Reine Blanche and the Calypso, of 60
guns each. A levy of 2000 seamen had just been ordered in
the first maritime division. At Brest there were two ships
of war ready to he launched.
The right hon. Sir Robert, with Lady Peel and family,
arrived at the White Lion hotel, in this city, on Thursday,
from Bath. Sir Robert was waited upon yesterday by the
mayor, who conducted him over some of the principal build-
ings. The visit of this distinguished statesman was very
brief, he having returned to Bath the day after his arrival.—
Bristol Mirror.

The cause for this rise is sufficiently simple and obvious.
Blackey, now left to his own option as to working among the
sugarcanes or in his own garden, very frequently shoulders
his hoe at ten or eleven lathe morning, pockets his " bit "
for three or four hours' work, and amuses himself with his
wife and children for the rest of the day.
Now this is all very pleasant, as far as poor sambo is con-
cerned
; but then, in the result, there is one feature which is
not at all palatable. We have, probably, in London alone
at least 100,000 working men, who, with their families, con-
sume, on an average, a pound of sugar per week. A rise of
4d per pound is equivalent to a tax of 17s per annum on
each family, for this, which is now almost a necessary of life.
So that, while we were talking of " relieving the poor man "
of an eightpence on the postage of a letter now and then, we
were fastening on him a new burden of at least twenty times
the weight.
But there is another point in the case which is still more
awkward. The price of sugar might be lowered at once this
whole 4d in the pound, if we would only take the sugar of
foreign countries at the same duty with those of our own
colonies. We are paying tax of some say £4,000,000 per
annum, some say A:6,000,000, merely to give a preference to
our %Vest Indian connections.
It is a question whether this can be maintained. It is to
be expected that some means of evading the law by re-ship-
Piung or other covert modes of smuggling will ere long be
fod, if this enormous difference should continue.
Would it be wise to do anything towards an equalisation of
the duties ? Here another difficulty meets us, and one of no
unimportant kind.
We forced upon the West Indian planters the law of eman-
cipation, and paid them the sum of £20,000,000 to cover
their estimated loss.
But this was for the loss of their slaves, not for the loss of
their estates. If me throw open our ports to slave-grown
sugar, they who are not allowed to have slaveS will be in-
stantly put out of the market, and their estates will not be
worth a shilling an acre.
Nor is this all. The vast sacrifice we then made was made
with a vie.v to put an end to a certain amount of misery and
guilt, by the enfranchisement of our negroes. But what, if
we forget all this, and carry our custom for sugar to the slave
colonies of other governments ? The result evidently will be
the vast increase of demand for their sugars, an augmented
cultivation and augmented demand for slaves ; and a total at
last of fully as Much human Wretchedness as ever, although
the scene may be changed from one island to another.
Here, then, is our present dilemma. In what way are we
to be extricated? Something must surely be done; for it
cannot be imagined that the people will long submit to pay
double price for so needful an article as sugar.
.., Many schemes have been mooted for increasing the labour-
ul and with them the productiveness of our own colonies.
We doubt the expediency of transplanting Asiatics or Euro-
peans Why not augment the number oenegroes in the Bri-
-.
t 5" West Indiaislands, without slavery? Why should the
liberated blacks, for instance, be cast ashore at Sierra Leone,
when they might be far more happy in Jamaica? _
And further, are there no sugar colonies which might be
Purchased by England, or obtained by exchange? The idea
!IlaV seem extravagant; and so, under ordinary circumstances,
w?uld be. But the country is in a dilemma of no ordinary
kind, and some course of a similarly extraordinary character
lutist be taken, in order to restore something like a proper
equilibrium. If we are paying even £3,000,000 per annum
More for sugar than we need, we are paying the interest on a
capital of £100,000,000.

A countryman of O'Connell's states that his breakfast
after a morning's hunt, up the mountains of Iveragh, at the
house of one Mr. 13.. who resides at the head of. Waterville
Lake, was—first, a large bowl of new milk, which instantly
disappeared ; then, a liberal allowance of cold salmon, soaked
in vinegar—a very common dish ;of this he ate heartily ;
after which he finished a bottle of port wine, took leave of
his entertainers, and set off to walk six miles to his home.
" Duro ilia messorum !" We always knew Dan had the
hide of a rhinoceros, but never before that his digestio was
equal to that of the beast. He approaches the perfection of
disgust in and out.—Waterford Mail. -
How WAS THE NEWARK ELECTION CARRIED ?-13y
hocussing electors, and carrying them off, while insensible,
to distant places. This is the answer ; this is the mode in
which the solicitor-general fulfilled Lord Melbourne's reputed
instructions—" Say w bat you like, do what you like, only carry
your election." And they did win it ; and Sir Thos. Wilde
is her Majesty's solicitor-general, and a member of parlia-
ment; while Sir Thomas Wilde's confidential agent, Mr.
Hitchens, is imprisoned in Nottingham Gaol for six months;
two others, 'Pearce and Milford, for three months; and a
third, Morton, for a fortnight ! Such is the result of the
trial at Nottingham, on Monday last. We shall be curious
to hear something of the prison treatment of this Hitchins,
" a respectable professional man," and the procurer of Sir
Thos. Wilde's return. Remember, the [crime for which he
has been sentenced has the moral turpitude of risking the life
of an innocent man by poison for a corrupt purpose—namely,
to prevent his voting against the whig candidate! Thus was
the Newark election carried.—Manchester Chronicle.
THE MAN AND THE MooN.—During the wane of the
last moon, Johnny Prost, of Sandal, went toddling home,
about two o'clock in the morning, somewhat giddy in the
upper story. Tibby, his better half, of. course, had retired
to roost ; Johnny, not being pleased with that, sat down
before the fire in a pet, and fell fast asleep. In alvut an
hour's time he awoke, and found himself all in the dark,
except a small speck of light, which he took to be the remains
of the once bright fire. After, feeling about a short time,
he found the bellows, the pipe of which he put into the key-
hole of the door, taking it for the firegrate, and commenced
blowing with all his might. Tibby, on hearing a strange
noise, hastened down stairs to see what was amiss, and on
seeing her husband behind the door, exclaimed, " Johnny,
wotiver ista doin ?" " Wha," responded Johnny, " A'm
blawin t'fire up, ta be sure, can't ta see ? " Wha' wot a
stupid ninny hammer tha is, it's nowt but t'shadda at
t'moonin thar blawin at ! Gie owr, and cum to bed witha."
Newcastle paper.

CHARACTERISTIC DEATH OF A MISER.-011 Saturday an
inquest was held before Mr. Wakley, M.P., at the Globe,
New Compton-street, Soho, on the body of John Cooper,
aged 66. It appeared in evidence that deceased was one of
those rare individuals who deny themselves all the pleasures
and blessings of this life in order the more surely to gain and
hoard up money. He lived at the corner of Monmouth-
street and White Lion-street, and kept a huxter's shop, sell-
ing almost everything that the poor require most, and during
the last 20 years by strong and constant self-denial, he by
degrees amassed a very large fortune, part of which he laid
out in the purchase of several houses in the neighbourhood,
and part of which he left behind in hard cash to the amount
of many thousands of pounds. A parlour, the shutters of
whose windows were always up, served him for sleeping-
room, kitchen, office, and sitting-room. In it he kept his
money, and never.allowed a soul to enter but himself. It
was a disgusting and filthy place, and deceased was so negli-
gent of his person and dress that he was known in the neigh-
bourhood by the nick-name of " Dirty Jack." It further
appeared that on Wednesday evening last deceased had a
violent altercation with a nephew of his respecting a pair of
trowsers, the result of which was that the nephew left the
house, but had scarcely gone beyond the threshold when he
heard a noise, and on turning round saw the deceased stretched
and struggling in a fit on a wide bench in the shop. A sur-
geon was sent for, but before he arrived death had for ever
separated deceased and his gold. Verdict,—Died by the
visitation of God.
The Gazette de France has a letter from Ham, which
says—" The Count de Morella (Cabrera) is here a prisoner
in the full sense of the word, for he •is not allowed to com-
municate with any person but his companion in arms and
misfortune, Brigadier General Don Jose Domingo Arnau,
who sleeps in the town, but passes the day from eight in the
morning till eight in the evening with his late chief. On the
first day that the prisoner was permitted to walk on the ram-
part of one of the curtains of the fortress, he perceived that
numerous sentinels had been placed there, at which he was
so offended that he returned to his room, and has not quitted
it since. These measures of precaution are the more odious,
as before he entered France he had been solemnly promised
that-he should be at liberty, and inhabit any town of his
choice. Without this condition be would not have entered
France. When he presented himself on the frontiers, he
had with him 4000 men, and found only 200 French troops to
receive him. He might, if he had pleased, have ordered his
brave volunteers to fire, and have avoided this trap. He
must now bitterly regret having placed confidence in the
word of the French government, and at not having allowed
himself to be shot on the frontier. by the Christinos."
TEA AND TEA-TOTALISM.—The following hints, which
we find in the August number of Blackwood, are well worthy
the attention of all would-be tea-totallers :—" It may not be
improper, with reference to the question of tea-totalism,
briefly to advert to the present state of our relations with
China. If, in consequence of our hostilities with that whim-
sical people, the Linnrean system were to be persisted in, and
our supply of bohea, souchong, and the Howqua mixture to
be permanently stopped,, what would kg the_positioof an
individual who had unreflectingly taken the tea-total pledge,
under the impression that there would be no end to the im-
portation of this favourite herb? Is a pledge of this descrip-
tion like a Roman Catholic oath? Can absolution form it,
either total or partial, be granted by any authority, either
civil or ecclesiastical? If not, the tea-totaller might possibly
find himself suddenly deprived of his necessary element, like
a fish from which the water has receded, and left him floun-
dering and gasping upon the dry land. I, for one, shall cer-
tainly abstain from any pledge of the kind, until I shall have
been thoroughly convinced that the Chinese have become a
thoroughly rational, highly-educated, and commercial people,
understanding their own interests, and never actuated by
capricious impulses, or otherwise than by liberal, long-
sighted, and honourable views."

The following extraordinary narrative is given in a recent
letter from Milan :—" A priest, on returning a few nights
ago from visiting a sick person in the country, near Pistoja,
perceived lights in the windows of a farmhouse belonging to
a friend, and, supposing that there was a family meeting,
entered with the intention of partaking of their festivity.
On reaching the first floor he found the daughter of the
house suspended from a beam in the ceiling. He im-
mediately cut her down, and took means to restore
her. She recovered her senses, but before she could
speak she urged him by her gestures to go into an adjoin-
ing room. Hre he found the father and mother both dead,
having been evidently murdered. On returning to the poor
girl, who was about 15, she had recovered her voice, and told
him that the house had been entered by five men, one of
whom was the priest's own servant, who had first killed her
father and mother, then hung her, and afterwards decamped
with all the plate, jewels, and money. Having placed the
resuscitated girl in good hands, the priest went home. His
servant came to him as usual to assist him in undressing, but
he desired the man to go to the cellar, and bring up a bottle
of wine, as lie was fatigued and thirsty. The servant went
down, and the priest, stealing gently after him, succeeded in
locking him in. He then hastened to the magistrate of the
place, who, on hearing his tale, sent some officers to his
house, where they entered the cellar, and seized the servant
and two of his four accomplices, but the remaining two ef-
fected their escape. The whole of the booty was also found
in the cellar."

FUNERAL OF THE LATE EARL OF DURHAM—NEW-
CASTLE-UPON-TYNE, Monday.—This being the day ap-
pointed for the obsequies of the late Right Honourable John
George Lambton, Earl of Durham, the movement of car-
riages and horses towards mid-day here was altogether of a
striking and animated order, bending their way to the
venerable mansion of Lambton Castle, it having been
understood that the bereaved family of the deceased
and lamented Earl would appreciate the compliment of
personal attendance on the part of his friends, as a
mark of valuable attachment on so solemn an occa-
sion. Hence the attendance was most numerous and re-
spectable, not only from this town, but, as might be ex-
pected, from Sunderland, South Shields, and Durham. At
11 a.m. the great bell of our metropolitan church, St. Ni-
cholas, commenced tolling, and continued to do so till 4 p.m.
(a ceremony heretofore never performed here except for de-
parted Royalty), and the same solemn notes were poured
forth from the church of St. Mary's, Gateshead, for the same
length of timer while the numerous shipping in the harbour
hoisted their colours half-mast high, the customary sign of
mourning. Although my reminiscence extends to half a
century, I recollect no demonstration of the kind so solemn
and imposing in its character, in this locality, as was this day
exhibited in affectionate regard to the Memory of the de-
parted Earl of Durham. No doubt so marked a tribute of
respect will be balm and consolation to his afflicted and sor-
rowing family. It is proper to add, that the whole of the
shops and places of trade in the borough of Gateshead were
closed throughout the day, and at Sunderland and South
Shields the same general suspension of business took place.
—Standard.

LECTURE ON THE CORN LXV/S.—Last night, Mr. Sydney
Smith, one of the itinerant lecturers of the Anti-Corn Law
League, delivered an address on the subject of the Corn
Laws, at the Temperance Meeting House, St. Andrew's-
place. The room was filled before the lecturer made his ap-
pearance. Owing to the inconvenient position we occupied,
we were not able to take any notes of the lecture. We need
not, however, apologise for the absence of a report of Mr.
Smith's harangue. We could ill afford the space that would
be requisite for the publication of the trashy verbiage which
he uttered ; and we should feel very reluctant to impose upon
any of our readers the irksome task of perusing his miserable
attempts at reasoning. The whole lecture was composed of
a tissue of vague generalities, vapid declamations, special
pleadings, and palpably gross perversions of truth, to suit a
particular purpose. Mr. Smith is certainly an adept in the
art of working upon the gullibility of his audience ; but this
he accomplishes in a manner that would convey the impres-
sion, to an accurate observer, that he utterly disbelieved
the statements which he put forth. His facts are the
wildest and most random fictions that ever were en-
gendered in the brain of a mad enthusiast. We have neither
time nor patience to examine in detail the fallacies which
pervaded almost every sentence of his address. He com-
menced by stating that he appeared before the audience as
the representative of the " largest class in the community."
Now, it is quite notorious that he is merely the hireling re-
presentative of the grasping and monopolising cotton-lords,
by whom, to judge from his hale looks and portly dimen-
sions, he must be exceedingly well paid. To him, we appre-
hend, the repeal of the corn-laws would prove anything but
a benefit. The grievances to which, according to his repre-
sentations, they give rise, are to him the source from
which his daily bread is derived. Of the falsehoods by
which he endeavoured to subserve the interests of his
employers we can only notice a few. He falsely as-
serted that the working-classes in England were in a
worse condition than those of any other country in the
world—that the distress now prevalent in this country was
attributable to the operation of the corn. laws—that the re-
peal of those jaws would make bread cheaper, absolutely, not
relatively—that the corn-laws were enacted for the exclusive
benefit of the landholders—that the agricultural labourers of
England are suffering under the grinding oppression of the
aristocracy—that the " home market" is not worth a fig to
the manufacturer—and that the corn-laws are condemned by
scripture ! We have only one more remark to add. Through-
out his address Mr. Smith designated our " lawgivers' as
" scamps." Does he know what is meant by a scamp ? We
ect in our next.
shall perhaps enlighten him on this subj