The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1850-08-13 00:00:00

THE Laiiiion STANDARD.

Otneral Altsrtilanp.

The will of the late Sir Robert Peel was proved on
Saturday, and probate passed for assets under £500,000.
Pigeons are now used as Sabbath letter-carriers between
London and Southampton.
A salmon, weighing 38 lb., was caught in the Trent, at
Holme. a few days since.
During the last three months 200,003 pine apples have
been received from our colonies.
Several packages of hops were received in London last
week from Lisbon—the first from that country.
The Isteplulese Ambassador arrived at Edinburgh on
Wednesday, and returned on Friday.
It is stated that in London glass is now being exten-
sively used instead of iron for cellar grids.
A little boy, twelve years old, was killed by the light-
ning, on Thursday, at Halifax.

The inhabitants of Newcastle have determined to make
the day on which her Majesty will visit the town a
general holiday.

At one of the London police-offices, on Monday, a man
was fined 10s. for wilfully tearing from the dooi of a
church a portion of the list of voters.

A common sized barn-door fowl, at Keynsham, has,
during the week, laid eggs measuring eight inches by six
and a half, and weighing upwards of four ounces each.

During divine service, on Sunday week, an old man, a
naval pensioner, instantly expired in the parish church of
Arbroath.

Mr. Longbourne, agent to Lord Milford, was drowned,
on Monday, whilst attempting to ford, on horseback, the
river Cleddy. in Pembrokeshire.

There is now growing on a farm in Langtoft Fen, Lin-
colnshire, a barley straw bearing five ears and fifty-two
kernels.

Nineteen turtle reached London by steamer from Cork
last week, being the first importation of turtle from
Ireland.

On Monday the freedom of the city of Edinburgh was
presented to Lord Gough, who is at present there on his
first visit to Scotland.

The public profession of three young ladies as nuns,
took place on Friday week, at the Roman Catholic
Chapel, Clifton.
The public will learn with satisfaction that the two-
penny fee for admiqsion into St. Paul's Cathedral is really
to be forthwith abolished.

, Grain Ins actually been carried from Copenhagen to the
east coast at ls. 3d. per quarter, while 6s. 6d. has been
obtained for the same, and latterly from 3s. to 3s. 6d.

At the Westminster County Court. on Saturday, a por-
trait painter recovered £l5 from the Nepaulese prince for
his portrait,

The convict, William Ross, declared at the Yorkshire
Assizes guilty of poisoning his wife, is ordered for execu-
tion to-morrow.

Two sons of Mr. Wilkinson, grocer, Leicester, one aged
twenty, and the other a little younger, were drowned whilst
bathing on Monday.

A steamboat rage took place on the Humber last Sun-
day, when the engineer of one of the boats seated himself
a considerable time on the safety-valve! to the great alarm
of the passengers.—Hull Advertiser.
The Ef st India Company entertained Lieutenant-Gene..
ral Sir William Gomm, K.C.8., at dinner on Saturday
evening, in honour of his appointment as Commander-in-
Chief of the Bombay Presidency.

On Wednesday week a servant woman and a little girl
went into the water of Bala Lake, near Llanyeil Church,
to bathe. They unwittingly got into deep water, and were
drowned.

The Pilot, steamer, which was unfortunately sunk in
Lochlomond about three weeks ago, by running on a
rock, has been raised again, and repaired, so as to be as
complete as ever.

THE " CITY or GLASGOW."—This superb steam-ship
sailed from the Broomielaw on Thursday, at noon, on her
third voyage across the Atlantic. She had a full comple-
ment of passenger, arid goods.

Sir William and Lady Cockburn have presented to the
parish church of New Radnor, Herefordshire, " the new
casting of the church bells," as a monument to their

deceased son

There is now in the possession of a woman residing in
Taunton, a very remarkable kitten. It has been favoured
by nature with four ears on one head, two bodies, eight
legs, and two tails. It was born alive.

On Monday the British Association of Edinburgh con-
cluded its labours for the year by fixing Ipswich for their
next annual place of meeting, and elected Professor Airey
to be chairman.

MR. NEWMAN AND THE POPE.—The Pope, to express
his sense of Mr. Nt wman's services in the cause of theo-
logy, has conferred on him the degree of Doctor in
Divinity by diploma.

Lord Lincoln has arrived at Portsmouth, in his yacht
the Gitana, from a lengthened cruise in the Mediterra-
nean, and a journey through Egypt, Arabia, and Pales-

During a fire which consumed the buildings of Parso-
nage Farm, near Newport, Essex, on Monday week, two
cart horses, a sow and pigs, and some pigeons and fowls,
perished in the flames.

A girl named Morgan, about six years old, was killed at
Swansea on Monday week, by a large stone striking her
forehead in its descent from a wall on which she had been
climbing in company with other children.

At Marlborough Police-court, London, on Friday,
three notorious dog-stealers were sent to the House of
Correction for six months, with hard labour, for stealing a
Scotch terrier and 13 spaniel dog.

Pot-ash Farm, Norftilk, is announced for sale. its
former owner was Mr. Isaac Jermy, who, with his son,
was murdered by the tenant of the farm, James Blomfield
Rtish.

A flock of twenty-three sheep. sheltering under a tree
at Upper St. Leonard's, near Gloucester, on Thursday
evening, during a thunderstorm, was struck by lightning
and killed.

Fourteen hundred Parisians arrived, on Monday, in
London, on a pleasure excursion. Some difficulty was
experienced in finding lodgings for so many. The ma-
jority being of the working class, en blouse, and wearing
beards, they attracted much curiosity.
The thriving town of Seaham Harbour was all bustle
and animation, on Saturday week, in consequence of the
arrival of its noble founder, the Marquess of Londonderry,
accompanied by the Marchioness and other members of
the family, at Seaham-hall.

On Tuesday Parkhurst prison for juvenile offenders, was
partially destroyed by fire. One of the wards three
stories high was levelled to the ground. The loss is
£3,000. The prisoners had a narrow escape. Thirty of
the prisoners were in custody for setting the place on fire.
Prince Albert has fixed the day for the banquet to the
Lord Mayor of London, at York; it is to be on the
25th of October. The Lord Mayor of London has fixed
the 25th instant for the civic banquet to his lordship at
Southampton.
Ernest Jones, who has just completed two years' im-
prisonment for the share he had in the seditious move-
ment of 1848, was feted last week at Halifax. He has
received a purse of fifty sovereigns to set him up in
Iwitsktinn

-On Saturday, the La Clarata, from New Providence,
arrived at the St. Katherine's Docks, with no less than
30,000 pine apples and 600 Queen conch shells, which are
used in the making of beautiful cameos. The remainder
of the cargo consisted of rich dye woods.
A man at Weston-super-Mare, a few days since. dis-
posed of a considerable quantity of pieces of old iron,
casually picked up, at a shilling each, which he assured
the purchasers were fragments obtained from the ill-fated
Red Rover, after the explosion.
At the Exeter assizes, Robert and Sarah Bird, who, it
will be remembered, were acquitted of the murder of
Mary Anne Parsons, by brutally ill-treating her, were
found guilty on the minor charge of assault with intent to
inflict grievous bodily harm. A law point, raised in this
case, has been reserved for the decision of the judges.
During the sitting of the House of Commons on Sa-
turday week, a stranger was observed behind the bar, to
whom several members paid marked attention. On in-
quiry we were informed that it was the Rev. Geo. Cop-
way, otherwise Kah-ge.ga Gab Bouch, an Indian chief-
tain.

There was a total eclipse of the sun on Wednesday af-
ternoon, but it was invisible to any part of England. The
penumbra first touched our globe at 56 minutes past six
in the afternoon, and left the same at 11 minutes after
midnight. The eclipse was central and total over a large
extent of the Pacific Ocean.

At the Dundyven Ironworks, Glasgow, a new furnace
has been erected, which heats its own blast upon an im-
proved principle, and effects a great saving of futl. This
furnace produced upwards of 245 tons of cast-iron in the
week before last, and it is fully expected to yield a still
greater produce. _ _

- The balance sheet of the income and expenditure of the
United Kingdom for the year ending July the sth, 1850,
has just been published. The income is stated at
£53,429,672 10s., the expenditure at £49,991,313 12s. Bd.,
leaving an excess of income over expenditure amounting
to £3,438,358 17s. 4d.

BLASPHEMY IN LONDON.—A correspondent of the
Christian Times states, that in Smithfield on Sundays,
groups of men are gathered together, listening to various
demagogues who utter the most daring blasphemies.
Some are profane infidels, others profess to be Red Re-
publicans. Many of these men have Bibles, which they
ridicule in the most awful manner.

Mr. Hancock, a solicitor of Yeovil, has served a notice
on th churchwardens, requiring to be provided with a pew
in the parish church appropriate to his station. Theßishop
of Bath and Wells has told the churchwardens that they
are bound to seat every parishioner ; and if they refuse to
comply with Mr. Hancock's request, that gentleman in-
tends to proceed against them in the Ecclesiastical Court.
On the 13th ult., while a man named Goode, employed
in chemical works at Birmingham, was standing astride a
a boiler of scalding acetate of lime, for the purpose of
stopping a leak in a steam pipe, his foot slipped, and he
fell into the liquid. He succeeded in extricating himself,
and was conveyed to the hospital, where he lingered in
great pain until Sunday week, when he expired.
MORMONITES.—A man, supposed to belong to this de-
luded sect, was endeavouring to shake the faith of an
honest boatman, employed on the river Severn, when he
received from him the following answer :—" Why, the
Scripture says, that if even an angel from heaven was to
preach any other Gospel than what the apostles preached,
he was to be accounted accursed."

NOVEL BAZAAR.—On Monday week, a sale of useful
and ornamental articles took place under the arches of
the South Eastern Railway, Neckinger-road, Bermond-
sey, in aid of the debt incurred in fitting up the arch 114,
as a ragged school. The novelty of the place selected
attracted a numerous company. The place was tastefully
arranged, and ladies presided over the stalls.

One day last week. a boy, named Bromless, was playing
in a field at Hedley Hill, Durham, with some companions,
whilst a man was engaged in mowing. One of his com-
panions pushed him within the range of the scythe, and,
before the man had time to stop the motion of the instru-
ment, the lad had received suli Eel/ere injuries as to cause
his death coon after.

SINGULAR ACCIDENT AT WELLS.—On Thur3day last
a large sculptured statue, weighing several hundred
weight, in front of the cathedral, fell to the ground with
a tremendous crash. The Sheriff's coach had been stand-
ing on an adjoining spot, waiting for the judges and
sheriff for some time, and had only moved off a short
time before.
The journeymen tailors of the metropolis have deter-
mined to establish what they term a "Tailors' Guild,"
with a view to protect themselves from the sweating sys-
tem, and the other evils of over competition. Prince
Albert having been requested to patronize the proposed
institution, has given an encouraging answer; but his
royal highness declines actually to connect himself with
it until he sees how it works.
At the Southwark Police-office, London, on Monday,
Mary Grogan and Anne M`Carthy, on being sentenced to
a month's imprisonment for using obscene language in
the public streets, took their heavy shoes and threw them
with great violence at the magistrate's head. It subse-
quently took ten constables to drag the prisoners to their
cells, and, in doing so, their clothes were torn from their
backs.

THREATENED ASSASSINATION OF LORD JOHN Rus-
SELL.—W. P. James, the young man upon whom a let-
ter, threatening the life of Lord J. Russell, was recently
found, was brought up again on Thursday. Since the
last examination, several letters of a threatening nature
addressed-to other noblemen and gentlemen have been
discovered at the prisoner's lodgings. He was committed
for trial.
At Watlington, on the 11th ult., a marriage was cele-
brated in the Wesleyan Chapel by a local preacher, in
defiance of the regular minister. It appears that the new
Marriage Act entitles Dissenters, who have obtained a
registrar's certificate, to demand a chapel and employ
whom they please to celebrate the marriage. The chapel
gate had been secured by an extra lock, which had to be
forced by a blacksmith for the occasion.
On Tuesday, at Alnwick, the annual show of stock of
the Northumberland Agricultural Society took place.
The exhibition was held under the most favourable Ras-
pices, his Grace the Duke of Northumberland having
taken a very active part in it. After the show a banquet
took place, the Duke of Northumberland presiding. Sir
George Grey and other influential persons connected with
the county were present and spoke.
ALLEGED DEATH FROM QUACK MEDICINES.—Wm.
Tait. a disciple of Dr. Coffin, was indicted at the Carlisle
assizes for having caused the death of William Hewitt, at
Parton, near Whitehaven, by administering to him a
quantity of a poisonous drug called lobelia inflate. He
was acquitted. The judge stated his approval of the
verdict, at the same time expressing a hope that persons
of insufficient education and skill would abstain from ad-
ministering dangerous medicines.
In an account of s bazaar recently held at Aldmons-
bury, near Bristol, in aid of the funds for the erection of
a church, it is stated that " some of the more expensive
articles were disposes of by raffle ;" " a lottery, with no
end of prizes, proved a most attractive part of the enter-
tainment ;" " and those who liked were enabled to have
their characters told at Punch's office, efficiently presided
over by the Rev. Caddell Holder." We need hardly ask,
is this quite in character ?
ACTION AGAINST A NEWSPAPER.—Another criminal
information, against. Mr. Latimer, of the olynzotith
Journal, was tried at the Exeter assizes, on Tuesday.
The libel was in reference to a charge of adultery by a
dissenting minister in that town ; but the action was
brought by a protestant clergyman, the Rev. Mr. Prynne,
who assumed that the allusions applied to him. The
jury returned a verdict of " not guilty," which was
received in court with cheers.
The market value of the iron, copper, tin, lead, zinc,
&c., raised yearly in this country, touches the sum of
£14,000,000 sterling ; and the total value of the gold ga-
thered up in bath continents scarcely covers £13.000,000.
It to the value of our mineral products we were prompted
to add (as in all strictness we might) the value of the salt
and coak brought to the surface, and sold annually in this
island, the gross total of our mining produce would be set
down at £25,000,000 sterling per annum.
ANTIDOTE FOR CHOLERA.—At this season of the
year, persons exceriencing pains in the abdomen, in the
absence of medical advice, should put three or four drops
of spirit of camphor in a wine glass of water, and if relief
is not afforded in the course of ten minutes the dose may
he repeated. A correspondent, who employs more than
500 persons in his factory, invariably applies this remedy,
and it would seem effectually so, as in no one instance
has he known the antidote to fail.—Essex Standard.
MONUMENT TO THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE.—A large
meeting was held at the Mansion-house, on Tuesday, to
consider the propriety of erecting a monument to the "good
Duke of Cambridge." The Lord Mayor was in the chair,
and resolutions in support of the object of the meeting
were proposed by Lord R. Grosvenor, Mr. B. B. Cabbel,
the Marquis of Granby, Earl Talbot, and others. It was
determined to ask Prince Albert to preside at a similar
meeting to be held at Willis's rooms, and subscriptions to
the amount of above £3OO were declared in the room.

Mr. Felix Le Sage, a very clever performer at Fran-
eoni's Circus,_ Glasgow, met with a serious accident on
,

Wednesday. He had made his wonderful leap over a man
on horseback, through t circle of tobacco pipes, and
alighted on his feet on the mattress prepared for breaking
the fall, but in such a very awkward position that by a
sudden twist one of his thigh bones snapped. The acci-
dent was unobserved by the audience, the sufferer pre-
serving his equanimity most marvellously. He is gradu-
ally recovering.

The Gateshead Observer has recently received " a lock
of a lady's hair"—a lock snow-white, blanched by a hun-
dred and nineteen winters. The person from whose tresses
it was cut is Mrs. Benton, who was born near Raby Cas-
tle in 1731, and can still walk in the garden. She re-
sides at Elton, with her grandson, a farmer. Her daugh-
ter keeps a public-house, and her husband's mother still
survives, in her ninety-sixth year ; so that she is proba-
bly singular in the extreme longevity of both her mother
and her mother-in-law.

DISTRESSING SUICIDE. -At Shipston-on-Stour, on
Monday, a lady, named Elizabeth Rees, who kept a ladies'
school in that town, committed suicide by suspending
herself by one of the ropes which were used as swings by
the pupils. She had lost considerable sums of money in
railway investments, but her friends had, in the course of
the previous Friday or Saturday, posted a letter, the con-
tents of which were of a nature to ease her disquietude as
to her pecuniary embarrassments. This letter, however,
did not arrive until late on Monday.

VORACITY OF THE PACE.—A tIeITITI from London
was fishing in the Stour, at Christchurch, on Monday
last, and hooked a small pike about a pound weight. The
fish ran into a bed of water-lilies, which had to be cleared
before it could be landed. Up3n bringing it to the bank,
it was discovered that another pike, about six pounds
weight, had fastened on the smaller one just under the
shoulder, and held so firmly that it would not leave its
prey until kicked off, when it broke away a large piece of
the shoulder of the smaller fish, which was quite dead.
THE VALUE OF WEST INDIA PROPERTY.—Wednes-
dav, Messrs. Farebrother and Co. put up to auction the
freehold sugar plantation called " Needs Must," situated
in the parish of St. Peter, in the island of St. Christopher.
The estate comprises 225 acres of land, of which 166
acres were cane land. The average yearly produce of
sugar was 75 hogsheads. it was subject to certain claims
estimated at about £lO,OOO, and to a balance of about
£1,400, due to a consignee of the Court of Chancery, and
was sold by order of the assignees with the consent of the
mortgagees. It was knocked down for £2O.
POISONING BY A DISINFECTING FLUID.--A very sin-
gular trial came on at Ipswich last Monday, in which a
woman named Mary Robinson was charged with the mur-
der of her son, by administering to him a quantity of
Burnett's Disinfecting Fluid. The case, from its novelty,
excited much interest. Burnett's fluid contains 50 per
cent. of oxide of zinc, the poisonous properties of which
are of course well known, but no one had ever previously
been deprived of life by its means. The evidence as to
the guilt of the mother appeared in many respects con-
clusive ; but on the whole the jury were not convinced of
a deliberate attempt to murder, and a verdict of not guilty
was returned.

ORANGEISM.—On Sunday week a number of the
brethren of the Grand Protestant Association of Loyal
Orangemen, from Bradford and Queen's Head districts,
met at the lodge room at the Kirk and Heifer Inn,
Thornton Heights, and there formed in procession and
walked to the new church at Denimlm Gate, where an
excellent sermon was preached to them by the Rev. Mr.
Eggleston, the incumbent, from the words, " Let bro-
therly love continue." At the conclusion of the service,
a collection was made in aid of the funds of the Sunday
school in connexion with the church. The brethren

again formed in procession, and proceeded to the lodge
house, and after partaking of suitable refreshment quietly
retired to their homes.

Rim's IN FLINTSHIRE.—The Telergoch miners have
been committing serious disturbances, having made a for-
cible entrance into the residence of Captain Francis, the
agent of Milwr Mining Company, at Halkin, threaten-
ing to murder him if they could find him. The aspect of
things grew so serious that it was determined on Monday
to send for the military from Chester, and a detachment
of the 38th Foot, under Captain Smith, have taken up
their quarters at Holywell. True bills have been found

against six of the rioters, but the only two who were in
custody have been allowed to traverse till next assizes.
It appears that Captain Francis enforces the eight hours'
system, and the Telergoch men have expressed a determi-
nation to allow only six hours labour a-day.

JENNY LIND'S BROTHER.—It will be interesting to
many of our readers to hear, that last week John Lind,
mariner, of Stockholm, son of Hans Lind, schoolmaster,
and brother of Jenny Lind, the " Swedish Nightingale,"
was married in the register-office, in this town, to Mary
Gee, of Pillgwenlly. John had not seen his sister for

many years, until he accidentally met with her the other

day iltLiverpool, on her professional visit to that place.
Jenny presented him with a handful of pocket-money,
uut John, like his other two brothers, is able and willing
to work for his bread, and if his sister were to offer him

an annuity to exempt him from labour he would not ac-

Fept of it

He spoke in the most affectionate terms of

his sister, stating. that she had supported her father and
mother since she was 16 years old.—Bridgewater Times.
THE NEPAULESE HUNT.—This famous hunt still con-
tinues. No sooner is a sight caught of the Nepaulese
Princes than the whole company raise the hue and cry,
and run in full pursuit of them. The Chiswick Fete was
a grand day of this description. There could not have
been less than ten thousand persons in the field, including
a goodly muster of the fair sex, who enjoyed the sport
rarely. The Nepaulese Ambassador was hunted under a
scorching sun for full two hours, in the most determined
manner. He got to the Duke of Devonshire's kitchen-
garden, amongst the cabbages, and could not get out
again. As it was, he kept dodging in and out, from tree
to tree, running from one tent to another, in the hopes
of eluding his pursuers ; but all in vain ; they never left
him for a minute, and, wherever he went, there were al-
ways some hundreds close upon his heels. Ultimately
the poor, panting Nepaulese Ambassador was caught, and
carried off in a carriage, to be uncarted again at some
future festive occasion.

DEATH PROM THE BITE OF A CAT.—The wife of Mr.
Jugging, publican, Sans-street, Sunderland, died on
Tuesday last, from the effects of a bite from a cat, which
she received upon the back part of one of her hands,
about four months since. The wound was poulticed at
the time and healed, after which no notice was taken of
it. On Saturday week she complained of a severe pain

in her right hand and arm, which continued till Monday,
when symptoms of hydrophobia became manifest. She
lingered in great agony till the following day, when death
terminated her sufferings. She had been confined about
seven weeks ago, and the infant has a mark upon the
right hand corresponding with the pi3ce bitten by the cat.
SUNDAY NO SABBATH.—Our attention has been called
to the following passage, of which Lord Arundel is reported
to have delivered himself in a recent debate respecting
Sunday trading, &c.:—" Lord Arundel said, he did not
regard the observance of the Sunday as anything but a
precept of the church, and not as an ordinance of Divine
authority." We were aware that, to the great mass of
the Romanists, the Book of God is a sealed volume; but
the upper classes of that persuasion have, from time to
time, indignantly denied its being so to them. Now, this
first-born of England's premier Duke—the head of "all
the Howards"—is either among those against whom the
Bible is closed, or he has turned to small account the lati-
tude afforded him. Has his lordship ever opened the book
in serious earnest ? If so, he could hardly pass over a
portion of it so intensely fraught with interest as the Book
of Exodus.

CONVICTION FOR MURDER.—At the Hereford Assizes,
on Tuesday last, Maurice Murphy and Patrick Sullivan,
two men of repulsive appearance, were charged with the
wilful murder of Jane Lewis, at St. Wollas, Newport.
The principal evidence against the prisoners was a volun-
tary statement by the prisoner Murphy, who said the
reason why they killed the old woman was that they
thought she had some money. He then said Sullivan hit
her on the head with a hammer—then with a stone.
Sullivan then repeated his blows. They then dragged her
into the wood and searched her pocket and found she had
no money. Sullivan then took her shawl off and cursed
her, and gave her another kick on the head. After they
left her they were afraid they had not killed her quite.
He said be had told the priest all about it. The prisoners
were found guilty, and sentenced to death.
FREE TRADE IN SHAWLS.—In these days of pros-
perity, nearly two thousand weavers are idle in Paisley.
That itself is a curious circumstance, but it is guaranteed
and vouched for by the most extensive shawl manufac-
turer in that town. The next fact is, that the home
market is flooded with French and German shawls. Two
years since the import trade in shawls from Germany to
Glasgow commenced. Since then, and as at that time
anticipated, it has gone forward steadily, until, it is
stated, that while two thousand weavers in Paisley are
idle, the marke is flooded with these goods, which pay
an import tax of ten per cent. and no more; but this tax
is to be remitted on all shawls entered for the great exhi-
bition of 1851, of which the public are expected to pay the
expenses. However our own people fare, rare must be
taken of the shawl weavers of Paris and Vienna. _That is
the practical decision at which the government has
arrived.

INSTANTANEOUS TRANSMISSION OF LETTERS —A
correspondent of the Athenceum has revived an old sug-
gestion for the speedy conveyance of letters. " Intro-
duce," he says, " into a solid metal tube communicating
between the places a metal sphere or canister Ned with
letters, &c., (or a series of them linked together)—
exhaust the tube by means of a stationary engine similar
to that used on atmospheric railways—and in a very short
time it will deliver its burthen at its destination. This
plan, though, of course, not so rapid a mode of commu-
nication as the- electric telegraph, has, amongst advan-
tages over it, theses it cannot meet with interruption
from the state of the atmosphere ; the tube being buried
in the earth is not liable to be injured by interested
persons. which wires are ; the nature of the corres-
pondence need be known by no one unconcerned, and not
only more than one, but any numbet almost of letters
may be sent at the same time."

PRESENT FROM A LADY.—Easton Church, near Win-
chester, is a beautiful Norman Church, and has recently
been restored. Not the least valuable present made to it
was that of a font, executed entirely by the hands of a
lady, resident in the parish. It is of Caen stone, the de-
sign being taken from the well-known old font in New
Shoreham Church. It is two feet and nine inches square,
and has a massive centre pillar and four spiral shafts ; the
sides have each a different pattern, deeply cut; the stop-
per is of bronze, in the form of a laten cross. The
artiste of this valuable gift.was employed somewhat less
than twelve months in its completion ; she determined
that no other hands should share with her own the labour,
and rejected, therefore, all aid, even in the mechanical
part of excavating the basin or preparing the shafts for
the chisel It was begun in June,. 11349 ; was used for the
first time on Sunday, the 23d June, at the baptism of the
infant son of the respected rector.
THUNDERSTORM.—On TI 'slay the " f Y

city o _orn
visited by a terrific thunder storm The Diocesan Train-
ing School was struck by the electric fluid whilst the pupils
were at prayers. The lightning struck the bell-tower ino
doubt attracted by the bell), which it split in two, glanced
off in a tangent, :aid struck a chimney, hurling some
heavy stones from it to a distance. On striking the chim-
ney it at once penetrated the roof, entered the school-
room above mentioned, cut up the gas-pipes, the gas in
which was, of course, immediately lighted, and thus the
roof of the school was instantly set in a blaze. A dread-
ful consternation ensued, but the fire engines were quickly
on the spot, and extinguished the fire. A gentleman was
struck by the fluid and severely injured. The Roman
Catholic Chapel, now being erected in George-street,.
Walnwate. was struck nn thA 4i.,.

auu bile cross
which surmounted it was partly thrown down, and pre-
cipitated through the roof. A number of workmen were
engaged in the building at the time, some of whom were
thrown to the ground; one had his side slightly touched;
and another his hand grazed by the fluid.
PRESENT APPEARANCE OF THE FENS.—Those who
have not travelled over the fen country of late years (say
from Deeping to Spalding, Spalding to Wisbech, thence
to Cambridge) would be astonished at its appearance.
Never did this surface bear such an abundance of
sustenance for man as at this time. The wheats are for
the most part beyond all precedent. It is clear that the
husbandman, during the past year, has worked with
energy and hope, for scarcely an ill-managed farm can be
observed, or a slovenly nook. An evident improvement
has taken place also in the breed of stock, which the land
feeds to enormous weights. In the cottages, farm houses,
and buildings, a decided improvement has taken place.
As is well known, the wide expanse of fen encircled by the
high countries, at some remote period was a bay of the
sea:. there are numerous marine deposits, and from the
sooty soil gigantic oak trees are turned up, which speak
of ancient forests the growth of centuries. The bones of
animals now extinct are frequently found; also vessels
and weapons of an ancient race of men. There are
likewise the remains of old monasteries, and abbeys, and
in present beauty are many village spires, with their mani-
fold traditions.—Stamford Mercury.
DEATH OF FOUR PERSONS FROM EATING POISONOUS
MUSHROOMS.—On Monday an inquest was held at Wis-
bech Fen, upon the bodies of Patrick Hunt, an Irish-
man, 18-years of age, and Winifred Garvey, 28 years old,
wife of Garvay, also an Irishman, who had died after
eating some mushrooms. The quantity cooked does not
appear to have been more than a small tin child's sauce-
pan, of less than a pint in capacity, would hold. This
was in the afternoon of Friday. The persons did not ex-
perience any serious effects that day, and went to bed as
usual. About day-light on Saturday morning, Hunt
was attacked by violent sickness and purging, accompanied
by great pain in the stomach and bowels : soon after that
Mrs. Garvay was seized with the same symptoms, and
then the child also. Neither the sufferers nor their
friends appear to have thought any danger was to be ap-
prehended ; however, the disordered state of the bowels
continued all day ; and on Sunday evening Hunt became
suddenly worse, and died about 8 o'clock. On Sunday
morning Mrs. Garvay died ; the child lingered until Mon-
day morning, when she died also. The fourth death was
that of Thomas Dowd, an Irish child in another family ;
and it seems he also partook of mushrooms, but not a
portion of those eaten by the three first attacked, nor
gathered at the same time.

A FEMALE AERONAUTT—Mrs. Graham, with three of
her daughters and her son, ascended from Bayswater, on
Monday week, in a new balloon, called the Victoria and
Albert. The party descended safely in Richmond-park.
Mrs. Graham has written as follows to cne of the papers
" I cannot omit noticing the extraordinary admiration of
my daughter Alice, who accompanied me on Friday night
from Vauxhall-gardens, at the astonishing view of Lon-
don, at midnight, being the first and only attempt made
by females to conduct the management of a balloon at
night, and so much pleased am I with the nerve ex-
hibited by those of my daughters who have hitherto ac-
companied me, (four in number,) that if, on trial, I find
the others of equal spirit, which I doubt not, I feel dis-
posed (God willing) to ascend with my seven daughters at
the Great National Exhibition of 1851." On Wednesday
evening, Mrs. Graham ascended in a balloon from Cre-
morne Gardens, London, during a violent wind. After
a perilous voyage, she descended in a field near the
South Eastern Railway at Edmonton. Whilst Mrs.
Graham was in the act of walking round the machine to
see that the valve was properly open, some person ap-
proached too nearwith a light, which ignited the escaping
gas, and in an instant the balloon was in one mass of
flame, Mrs. Graham and every one present having to run
for their lives ; she escapeed, but not before she was much
scorched about the face and her bonnet and shawl burnt.
A GIPSY FORTUNE TELLER.--At the Warwick assizes
on Monday, Matilda Cooper, William Hill, and Thomas
Madden were charged with stealing at Leamington, a
quantity of wearing apparel and jewellery, the property
of Dr. Jeaffreson, of that town. Another count in the
indictment charged the prisoners with receiving. The
principal witness against the prisoners. who are gipsies,
was a girl named Strange, the servant of the prosecutor,
who had, in an unhappy hour, consented to have " her
planet ruled" by the female prisoner. For this perfor-
mance she paid the prisoner a shilling, but afterwards on
being shown a paper covered with stars, she was induced
to part with eight other good coins of the like value. This
last payment, however was not sufficiently. large for the
services to be performed, and the foolish girl was threat-
ened and cajoled into delivering to the woman dresses,
shawls, linen, some valuable jewellery, &c., belonging. to
her mistress. The female prisoner had succeeded in ob-
taining as many as seven dresses, five petticoats, three
iabrdacckaswhh,e&nct.l3,
ethe "planetwhole
o f brooches,wh ich were,a ri ring, lcoocukrestes:4 come in
l
was ruled." The prisoner soon afterwards disappeared.
The police, however, not honouring the celestial know..
ledge of the female prisoner, apprehended her ;. and suffi-
cient evidence was adduced to prove the concert of the
to
other two prisoners in the robbery. It should be stated
that the witness Strange was at one time in custody, but
discharged,
as her master and mistress stated that they
did not consider that she had acted; with intentional dis-
honesty, although guilty of such gross folly.—The jury
fonnd a verdict of guilty ; and his lordship sentenced the
gipsy trio to two pears' impristwunent,. with hard labour.