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

1111 STAIIIO4III.

SOUTH LANCASHIRE ASSIZES.

Mr. Justice Wightman arrival in Liverpool on Saturday
afternoon, and immediately proceeded to the Court-house,
where he opened the commission in the usual way.
The court was then adjourned until yesterday morning, at
ten o'clock. There are 106 prisoners for trial: 25 are
charged with burglary, 2 are to be brought up for judg-
ment. 24 are charged with felonies, 6 with intent to murder,
2 stabbing, 7 bigamy, 4 forgery, 11 manslaughter, 4 mint
eases, 4 rape, 4 poaching, 3 murder, 1 for horse-stealing,
1 for cutting and wounding, 1 remanded from last assizes,
and 1 for robbery on the high seas. One case of general
interest will be that of Mr. Threlfall, manufacturer, for
alleged forgeries at Leeds and Liverpool. None of the
murder cases are likely to end in a capital conviction.
James Dwerrybouse. for killing a woman, named Leyland,
in 1847, near Knowsley, since which time he has been in
the County Lunatic Asylum, will be brought up, but in
all probability returned again to his present domicile.
Owen Kehoe, charged with murdering his wife, is also a
lunatic; and the third, Mary Ann Ball, is charged with
infanticide at Southport. Seven Custom-house officers,
accused of stealing tobacco, and with conspiracy to de-
fraud the revenue, are amongst the list of prisoners for
trial. On Sunday, Mr. Justice Wightman attended ser-
vice at St. George's Church, and was accompanied by the
Mayor, several members of the Council, and the usual
officers of the Corporation. The sermon was preached
by the Rev. John Royds. chaplain to the High Sheriff,
the text being selected from the book of Ecclesiastes,
9 c., 18 v.. " Wisdom is better than the weapons of war ;
but one sinner destroyeth much good." The church was
very crowded, so much so that many were unable to ob-
tain seats. His lordship remained to partake of the holy
communion.

The real business commenced yesterday, Mr. Justice
WIGHTMAN presiding in the Crown Court and Mr. Jus-
tice CRESSWELL in the Nisi Prins. The Hon. Mr. Justice
Wightman took his seat at ten o'clock ; he was attended
by Clement Royds, Esq., the high sheriff of the county,
and the sheriffs chaplain. The usual formalities were
gone through, when the grand jury were sworn; the fol-
lowing is a list of their names ;
GRAND JURY.

Sir Thomas Bernard Birch. Baronet, Foreman
Thomas Bourne. F.sq.
John Bentley-, Esq.
Edward Buckley, Esq.
ltichard Watson Barton, Esq.
Henry Butterworth, Esq.
William Atherton Crosse, Esq.
John Crossley, Esq.
John Fenton, Esq.
Montgomery Gladstone, Esq.
John Holme, Esq.

William Henry Hornby, Esq.
David Hodgson, Esq.
James Lawrence, Esq.
John Blaydes Molyneux, Esq.
Thomas Moss. Esq.
Robert Needham Phillips, Esq.
John Potter, Esq.
Theodore Rathbone, Esq.
Thomas Rodick, Esq.
Henry Boyds, Esq.
Albert Hudson Itoyds, Esq.
William Edward Royds, Esq.
This part of the routine business being performed, the
Rinds proceeded to address the Grand Jury as follows:
He said the printed calendar of persons whose cases
would be brought before them at the present assizes con-
tained the names of 109 prisoners, but he had rec .ived
depositions in several other cases which increased the
number to upwards of 115 persons for trial at the present
assizes—a number somewhat greater than usual in the
summer—and a great proportion of whom were charged
with offences of the most serious character. There were
three charges of murder and fourteen of manslaughter,
making a total of seventeen distinct cases of homicide.
There were ale° twelve cases of malicious wounding,
thirteen charged with burglary, five with bigamy,
twenty-one with robbery, two with uttering base coin,
three with malicious shooting, seven with night poaching,
three with rape, seven with conspiracy, and four with
forgery. In two of the cases of murder one was alleged
to have been committed ten years ago, and the other three
years ago. The question upon the trial of those two pri-
soners would, no doubt, be the state of mind in which
the prisoners were at the time the alleged offence was
committed, and whether they were responsible agents.
That, however, was an inquiry upon which they, as grand
jurors, would not enter. If the evidence was sufficient to
warrant the finding of a bill, they ought to do so, what-
ever might be their opinion of the state of mind of the
parties at the time the offence was committed. There
were several cases of manslaughter arising out of the neg-
ligent driving of carriages ; and in these cases, the ques-
tion for the consideration of the grand jury was, whether
the cause of death arose from mere accident, or was the
consequence of the want of proper care and attention on
th pa-t of the accused. There was a charge against a
person named Dickenson, for the manslaughter of James
Joynoon. It appeared from the depositions, that the ac-
cused was superintendent of a warehouse, and the death
of the decased arose from a bale of cotton falling upon
him, owing to alleged deficiency in the tackle, attributed
to the negligence of the prisoner, and contrary to his
duty. This was a charge which appeared to him (the
learned judge) hardly supported by the evidence. It did
not appear to be any part of the duty of the accused to
superintend the hoistine of bales of cotton, or to sea that
the tackle was in proper order, and therefore he could
not see anything to make him responsible for the death of
the deceased. In another case a person of the name of
Wright was charged with having fired a pistol, and
having wounded several parties with intent to commit
murder. It appeared to him that in this case there was
no such necessity for the use of fire-arms as would justify
their use, either in defence of himself or of his property.
The question, therefore, for the consideration of the
grand jury would be whether the prisoner fired the shot,
or whether he was ignorant of its being fired from his
house. Upon this point there was much conflicting evi-
dence, but if the grand jury were of opinion that Wright
either fired the shot, or that it was fired with his know-
ledge and approbation, it would be their duty to find a
true bill against him. There was also a charge of mali-
cious shooting against a person of the name of Fenton,
who it appeared had gone into a brick-field, along with a
number of other persons, and there being a dispute with
the owner several guns were fired. It did not, however,
appear that the prisoner actually used, or that he had any,
firearms in his possession : hut if it was proved to the
grand jury that he was one of the party who went to the
place, and that he had the same object in view as the
others, namely, an illegal one, then he was, in a legal
point of view, the party firing, and ought to be responsi-
ble for the acts of his companions. In another case, a
person of the name •of John Atkin was charged with
shooting at Thomas Sixsmith, with intent to murder him,
Upon that case it was likely that some legal points might
arise, but if there was reasonable evidence to satisfy the
grand jury of the intent, it would be proper for them to
find a true bill, leaving any legal questions which might
arise to be dealt with at the trial. There was, in another
case, a charge of rape preferred against a prisoner. In
this case it would appear that the party making the accu-
sation was pregnant by another man, and that the pri-
soner came to her in the dark, and she thought it was that
person, though it did not appear that the prisoner had
taken any measures to deceive her. It was at one time
doubted whether a man who succeeded in deceiving a
woman into the belief that he was her husband, whether
the fraud would not supply the force, so as to convict
him of the rape; but independ, nt of that consideration,
it appeared to him (the learned judge) that the better
opinion, even in the case of a married woman yielding to
such to representation, was to consider the case not as a
rape, and in the case alluded to he would recommend the
grand jury not to find a bill. There was a third case of
murder, which he had not yet adverted to, and that was
a charge against a female for the murder of her own
child. He thought in this case that the grand jury would
not find enough to warrant them in his (the learned
judge's) judgment in finding a bill for the murder, but
there would be a bill preferred before them for the
concealment of the birth. He had now mentioned,
he believed, most of those cases which appeared
to him to require remark; but he had no doubt there
were others which had escaped his notice in the short
time he had for reading over the depositions. If, there-
fore, the grand jury should meet with any case on which
they required advice, or assistance, he should be very
happy to afford it. Before he concluded, however, he
was anxious to gain the attention of the grand jury. He
had no doubt that in nine cases out of every ten the
primary cause of crime arose from associations, formed in
public-houses or beer-shops. It was a matter of regret
that such places as beer-shops should be allowed to
produce that evil communication of the idle and dissolute,
which too often contaminated the honest and indus-
trious. No one would regret the means taken
for the encouragement of beer-shops, where the beer was
not to be consumed on the premises, but the practice of a
man spending his time and his money in such places,
apart from his family, was to the utmost degree selfish
and demoralizing, and almost always at the expense and
injury of his family. The depositions laid before him at
the present Assizes exhibited some most striking instances
of the fearful consequences of the evils to which he had
alluded. Where parties frequented such places, all do-
mestic feelings were set at naught, quarrels were frequent,
the unhappy children were too often neglected and aban-
doned, wives were ruined, aad frequently kicked and
aLused for no other offence but endeavouring to reform
the husband from habits of drunkenness, leading to dis-
tress, and often to the very lowest state of degradation
and crime. That which he had then stated was no ex-
aggeration ; and he was aware that it was easier to con-
demn than to correct. The habits of a nation were not
changed at once ; but whilst on the one hand they con-
demned the system, on the other he trusted they would
consider it a matter of the highest importance to encom
rage, by every means in their power, domestic habits. It
was no doubt commendable to countenance the recrea-
tions and holidays of the people, but those recreations
were worse than useless if attended with the selfish mode
in which they were usually spent, by habits of drunken-
ness and idleness, instead of that rational mode in which
a man ought to enjoy himself with his family. This was
a subject upon which he (the learned Judge) felt strongly,
and must therefore form his excuse for thus noticing it.
The Grand Jury then retired to their duties.
The following petty jurors not answering to their
names, were respectively fined £5 :—Mr. Thomas Glad-
stone, of West Derby ; Mr. B. Hyam, of Broughton ;
Mr. E. Hardy, of Hulme ; Mr. Richard Barlow; and
Mr. Ralph Lyon. The Grand Jury having retired, soon
returned into court with a true bill against Samuel Great-
head for arson.

ARSON.—Samuel Greatheadwas called up for judgment
The Judge, addressing him,. said,—Samuel Greathead,
four years ago, you were indicted for arson, for setting
fire to the premises in connexion with the prison in which
you were then confined. At that time your state of mind
was such that no sentence was passed upon you. I am
now informed that you are restored in mind and health,
and rejoice that such is the case. I am also informed that
your family are about to emigrate ; and that there is
reason to hope you will accompany them, which is very
much to be desired. In the meanwhile, I feel that a no.

minal punishment will answer the ends of justice. I
therefore sentence you to one day s imprisonment.
BURGLARY AT LIVERPOOL.—John Croft, 18, was in-
dicted for having burglariously broken and entered the
dwelling-house of Thomas Dixon, and stolen therein a
bottle, a piece of gas piping, and a show glass. Mr.
Raffles prosecuted. There had been a previous convic-
tion, and the prisoner pleaded guilty.
STABBING AT LIVERPOOL.— Wm. Sullivan and Patrick
111`Donough, labourers, were indicted for having on the
B'h April feloniously stabbed, cut, and wounded Patrick
Tracey. Mr. Simon prosecuted ; the prisoner was unde-
fended. The counsel for the prosecution stated the case ;
from which it appeared that the prosecutor and the
prisoners jointly occupied a room in a house in Lace-
street. Prosecutor went home at a late hour on the night
of Monday, the Bth April last ; he found no one in the
room but Sullivan's wife, who demanded money of him
in payment of the common charges of the apartment; in
about five minutes after the prisoner came into the room ;
they found the prosecutor and Mrs. Sullivan, who had
menaced Tracy with a poker. The parties it seems all
came from Dublin a short time prior to the commission
of the outrage. The facts elicited furnished a deplorable
picture of the bloodthirsty dispositions of the uneducated ,
portion of the Irish population. His lordship having
summed up, the jury found both prisoners guilty of the
common assault. His lordship ordered the prisoners to
stand down.
STABBING.—CharIes Roberts, a man of colour, was
indicted for having stabbed Robert Hamilton. Mr.
Rushton. (the son of our stipendiary magistrate,) appeared
for the prisoner. The prisoner was cook on board the
Ivanhoe, an American emigrant vessel. On the 2nd of
of April the vessel was clearing the river with a comple-
ment of passengers, among whom was the prosecutor
Rob rt.. Hamilton. A person went into the galley to lint
his pipe; the cook assaulted and ordered him out, when
Hamilton interfered, and was stabbed by the cook on the
head ; he bled profusely, and was brought on shore by
means of a steamer. The jury returned a verdict of guilty.
COINING.—John Riley, Mary Healey, Ellen Burke,
and Elizabeth Casey, were indicted, the two former for
having in theirpossession certain moulds or making coun-
terfeit sixpences, and the latter with having in their
possession moulds for making counterfeit half-crowns
and shillings. John Riley was further charged with
having in his possession thirty-five counterfeit sixpences.
Burke and Casey were found guilty, and sentenced to one
year's imprisonment and hard labour. Healey and
Riley were then charged with having in their possession
thirty-five base sixpences, and in the house a mould of
corresponding figure. Mr. W. Foulk s, of Shaws'-brow,
the landlord of the house, stated that the house was let
to Healey and her husband, Patrick Healey, about De-
cember; she generally paid the rent; but one week in
April, Riley, the male prisoner, brought the rent, half
of which consisted of bad sixpences. This led to the
parties being suspected and apprehended. The jury
found Riley guilty, and acquitted Healey
MANSLAUGHTER AT LIVERPOOL--Peter Harris, a
labourer, 34, was indicted for having f loniously killed
and slain Elizabeth Harris. Mr. Blackburne appeared
for the prosecution. The prisoner's mother was the only
witness, excepting the surgeon. The case which has
appeared in our columns, is one of a peculiarly cruel cha-
racter, as regards the conduct orthe deceased towards
her husband. She had deserted him twice, and durim:
his absence had cohabited with another man ; her husband
had, however, forgiven and received her into hiS house.
She was in the habit of misapplying the money intrusted
to her to pay the rent. On Monday, the 24th June,
her husband asked her who was going with her to pay the
rent ? she replied nobody, and when lie told her that she
should not go alone, she applied provoking language to
him, and threatened on the morrow to absent herself, and
go where " she had been before." In ang rhe struck
her on the nose ; the blow was slight, but erysipelas set-
ting in death was the consequence. The jury acquitted
the prisoner.

MURDER AT LIVERPOOL.—Owen Kehoe, labourer,
thirty-six. was indicted for having wilfully murdered Ann
Kehoe. Mr. Blair appeared for the prosecution. The act,
by which the unfortunate woman (his wife) was killed
occurred ten years ago. He was then a ship scraper, and
since the period of the murder has been confined in a
lunatic asylum. On two occasions, just before the per-
petration of the deed, the prisoner had been observed
using cruelty towards his wife, but his conduct on those
occasions was such as to lead to the opinion that he was
insane. The prisoner and his wife lodged in the house of
a person named Fillmore. On the 23d September, 1840,
Mrs. Fillmore heard a cry of " Murder," and imme-
diately after deceased came down stairs bleeding from the
head. Shortly after this the prisoner came down stairs
with two or three scrapers in his hand. One of them had
blood upon it, which the prisoner wiped off with his
sleeve, observing that he had struck his wife with it, and
that it he had not killed her then he would do so. Mrs.
Fillmore went out to apprise deceased's son of what had
occurred. The prisoner was taken up, and deceased was
conveyed to the hospital. Here she stated to a witness
that she was clearing out the ashes from the grate when
her husband raised the sharp scraper to her head and
struck her; she placed her hand to her head, and three of
her fingers were cut through, and a de p wound inflicted
on her head. The evidence of Mr. Edward Toy Wood-
ward, a surgeon at the hospital at the time of the occur-
ence, was read from the coroner's depositions (Mr.
Woodward being now dead.) From this it appeared that
death was caused by abscess of the brain. The skull was
fractured in more than one place, and there were several
minor wounds about the head. Mr. Chalmers, jun.,
surgeon at Kirkdale prison, considered the man was in-
sane when the deed was committed. He was acquitted
on the ground of insanity.
At this period the Grand Jury came into Court with
true bills against William Threlfall, for felony ; Robert
Reid, for felony ; and John Hurter, for felony. Throe or
four indictments are laid against Threlfall. Reid is the
man charged with the manslaughter of his wife on Thursday
night last. Mr. Blair applied to his Lordship to appoint
a day for the trial of Threlfall, as many of the witnesses
required to attend were merchants, whose time was very
valuable. His Lordship declined to name a day, as he
had invariably found when he had complied with such re-
quest, the day had been a " lost day." He would take
the case on Wednesday week, if nothing intervened to
prevent; but he would !A specially name Wednesday
as the day. In the course of the day a true bill was
found against Charles Pemberton.
ASSAULT.--Thomas Conville was indicted for having
feloniously cut and wounded Bryan Shields. Mr. Preston
prosecuted. There were three counts in the indictment.
The case will be fresh in the memories of our readers ;
the prisoner occupied a house in Princes'-court, Porter-
street, and the prosecutor and his wife and child were
lodgers. The twofamilieshad quarrelled, and Shields went
to the Police-office and complained against Mr. Conville;
this was on the evening of the 16th of July, and when he
returned home as lie entered his room up stairs, the pri-
soner struck him on the head with a hammer; he was
prostrated by the blow, and then the prisoner dealt him
another blow ; the man was taken to the hospital, and lie
remained there three weeks; at first the injury was con-
sidered to be of a dangerous character, but a cure had been
made, and the prosecutor is now in a convalescent state.
The hammer, which was produced, is a most deadly in-
strument. The prisoner was undefended, nor had he any
witnesses in his favour, owing as he said to their not being
apprised that his trial would occur that day. Guilty on
the third count. Sentence deferred.
BlGAMY.—Margaret Austin was indicted for bigamy.
This case also was recently detailed in our columns. The
prisoner was married seven years ago to Frederick Austin,
a seaman, who, soon after the marriage, abandoned her.
According to her defence she had heard that he was dead,
and, acting on this information, married again in the
March of last year one Henry Matthews, who, upon
finding that the first husband was still living, gave the
woman into custody. She was found guilty, but recom-
mended to mercy on account of extenuating circum-
stances. One month's imprisonment.
STABBING.—John Hunter was indicted for stabbing
Robert Wilson. The particulars were given a few weeks
since in our columns. Mr. Fletcher prosecuted. The
occurrence took place on Sunday evening, the 31st July,
in Scotland-roid. Guilty of the common assault. Sentence

deferred.

COMMERCIAL AND MONETARY REPORT.

Monday Night.

The space occupied by our Assize Intelligence compels
us to condense our remarks under this heading. The
following comprises the only news of importance with
respect to our leading markets :
The activity manifested in the Share Market at the
opening of the week continued until Wednesday evening.
Since that day, however, this market has been singularly
quiet, notwithstanding good traffics and some very
favourable reports. The Great Western pays four per
cent.. with £25,000 surplus on the half-year, and the
London and North-western five per cent., with £145,000
surplus (sufficient to pa, nearly seven.) In the present
plethora of money, there can be little doubt but that, after
reports like these, the attention of capitalists will be
attracted to railways. The quotations in our market to-
day are—Lancashire and Yorkshire, 38 ; Ditto Fifths,
9 8 9 I d. ; London Stock, 1114 to 1124 ; Ditto Quar-
ters, 18/9 4 p. ; Sheffield and Manchester, 154 ; Midland
Stock, 331; Ditto Halves, 10 4 8/9 11/3; Dover No. 4,
44 13/9 ; Ditto Scrip, 5 ; Gas Shares A, 195 ; Leeds
Canal, 350 to 360. •

_
Since Fridly's circular the improved demand for Colo-
nial Produce has continued, particularly for Sugar, of
which 500 hogsheads, chiefly Barbadoes, and 2000 bags
of Benares, have been sold at an advance of 6d. per cwt.
The inquiry for the middling descriptions of Tea conti-
nues. In Rice there has been a speculative business,
owing to the bad accounts of the potatoes from Ireland,
and on Saturday 12,000 bags changed hands at rather
better prices. The demand for Cotton has also improved.
On Saturday the sales reached 10,000, and to-day 8000
hales, at very firm rates. The steamer is hourly looked
for.

There has been very little passing in the corn trade
since Friday last, notwithstanding the more unfavourable
accounts of the potatoes in this country as well as in Ire-
land, and advices from nearly all quarters of the wheat
crop being likely to prove of inferior quality, and very
deficient in the yield. Such accounts as these in ordi-
nary years would have produced a material effect on
prices ; owing, however, to free trade, the general feeling
is that whatever deficiency there may be in the yield of
the crops of this country will be made up by impor-
tations from abroad, and, therefore, does away with all
apprehensions as to the future. We do not particularize
any article, as there is no change to note. The arrivals
were, up to Friday and Saturday, as follows : —6.260 qrs.
wheat, 131 qrs. barley, 611 qrs. malt, 1,048 qrs. oats,
2.633 qrs. Indian corn, 27 brls LC. Meal, 68 loads.oat-
meal, 5,700 sacks flour, 5,490 hrls. flour. Exports :-
197 qrs. wheat, 2.551 qrs. Indian corn. 40 brls. I.C. meal,
336 sacks flour, 190 brls. flour. Messrs. Makin, in their
circular of Friday, say, " most of our present advices lead
to the conclusion that the harvest will not give a quantity
much more than the half of last year's production.
Scotland, however, appears to be an exception, the
weather there having been throughout much more
seasonable." Such a statement as this from a house of
the respectability and long standing of Messrs. Makin is
well calculated to excite gloomy apprehensions as to the
prospect of our agricultural friends. But we presume they
will he left to weather the storm as they best may.
The following remarks from the Birmingham Gazette
of this morning, on the iron trade are not very cheering.
In this trade like many others a period is approaching
when the operatives must submit to a reduction in their
wages or cease to be employed :
" We have delayed our usua) notice of this trade with the
hope that we might have had the pleasure to report some de-
cid d improvement: but the progress towards such a desirable
position is not very satisfactory—indeed, it 'appears to be
heavily retarded by some unusual drawback, and so fluctuating,
that it is almost a matter of doubt whether any ground has yet
been gained Light orders for manufactured iron are more
plentiful, hut yet by no means sniliciently abundant to afford
employment for full time, even to those portions of our works
which have been partially in operation ; while in prices no
alteration has taken place. We still find that bars and rods
are to he bought under £5 10A., and hoops and Aims are being
delivered in Liverpool at £6 ss. per ton; though some iodi-
nation has latterly been manifested to refuse orders for future
I delivery at these rates. In pig-iron a slight advance has been
made, more furnaces have been put o' to blast, and it is now
considered that the consumption is quite equal to, if not in
excess of, the make. There has also within the last fortnight
been a considerably better demand for this article, and makers
hare become much more firm in tneirquotations. Sales arebeing
made from 50s. to 70s. per ton, according to quality—prices
which it is asserted, in most instances are far below the actual
cost of production. Some months since we ad occasion to re-
mark that if the present low range of prices should become
permanent, as an unavoidable consequence of free-trade
policy. either a great reduction in the scale of wages here
most he submitted to. or the iron trade of South Stafford-
shire will become mere matter of history. The experience
of every day more clearly demonstrates the soundness of this
position. It is acknowledged on all hands that both manufac-
tured and pig iron are now being sold at prices altogether
unremunerative to the Staffordshire makers, and yet they
can be obtained, the produce of other districts, at much
lower rates. The facilities of transit in all directions are
increased, and the iron elsewhere made is improving in
quality, while our own is becoming gradually mor• uncertain;
so that Staffordshire is fast losing that peculiar market which,
by. the properties of its metal, it has hitherto exclusively
enjoyed."

That portion of the Cheshire Junction Railway, be-
tween Chester and Warrington, will be opened on the
first of October.

On Saturday a child, named Mary Ann Johnson, died
of a scald, which she had sustained ten days previously,
from having pulled over her body a cup of hot tea stand-
ing on the table.

Messrs. Armstrong, of Newcastle, and Messrs. Burli-
son, of Sunderland, have obtained the premiums of one
hundred guineas each for the best scheme of delivering
coals from barges into ships.
After an exceedingly short run of 141 days, from port
to port, the Boston packet-ship Parliament reached
Liverpool on Saturday morning. This splendid ship is
remarkable for the swiftness of her voyages across the
Atlantic.

THE NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.—Mr. Copway will
again deliver a lecture to-morrow evening, when we trust
a committee will be formed for the purpose of effectually
carrying out his humane project for ameliorating the
condition of his persecuted and expatriated countrymen.
THE NAVIGATION LAWS.— It is a fact worth noticing,
that at present the Leith Docks are crowded with ship-
ping, and that almost every vessel is foreign. The opera-
tion of the repeal of the Navigation Laws is therefore evi-
dently to supplant British-built ships by those of other
countries.

PRESENTATION.— On Friday, the members of the
Finance Committee presented, at their usual weekly meet-
ing, to their excellent chairman, Hugh Hornby, Esq., a
magnificent gold snuff-box, as a token of their esteem for
the courtesy and ability displayed by him on all occasions
during the period he has presided over their important
deliberations.

DEATH FROM LAUDANUM.—Yesterday morning R
seven months old, named Margaret Currie, died at No. 1,
North-street, from an overdose of laudanum administered
incautiously by its mother. by the advice of a party whom
she had met with in a beerhouse, for the purpose of stop-
ping purging of its bowels. A surgeon was called in, but
every effort made to save the child failed.
ACCIDENTS ON SHIP BOARD.—On Saturday a man
named Lawrence M`Guinese, one of the crew of the
schooner Midas, when near the Bell Buoy, homeward
bound, fell off the main crosstrees upon a barrel of tar,
which was upon deck, and died at noon from the injury
sustained.—On sunday morning a seaman named Wm.
Cooper, one of the crew of the Astrologer, screw stea-
mer, in Trafalgar Dock, fell from the funnel to the deck
of the vessel. lie was taken to the Northern Hospital
and died five minutes after his arrival.

Yesterday, when the grand jury took their seats in the
Crown Court, prior to being sworn, it happened that the
mayor of Manchester occupied the next place to our own
worthy chief nsagistrate. The two gentlemen cordially
exchanged compliments, and appeared from the contrast
each presented to the other, to attract some attention.
The mayor of Liverpool might, probably, challenge the
kingdom to furnish a more venerable municipal president
than himself; and Mr. John Potter might, perhaps, with
as much safety, give a challenge of the opposite character.
MNzmoNtcs.—We are extremely glad to find that the
system of mnemonics, introdced into this town by Mons.
Zaba, has been carried out with great success at the Col-
legiate Institution. It is extremely simple, and enables
a person to retain in his memory, through the medium of
his eye, all the leading facts in history, without the
smallest mental effort. The facility with which the
learner is able, in a very short time, to remember dates,
facts, and localities, is most surprising; and no doubt
Mons. Zaba's successor will meet with the support to
which he is well entitled. The system will no doubt be
adopted at all our educational establishments. Of course
we have ourselves been initiated into the mysteries of the
plan, to enable us thus confidently to speak of its merits.
ACTION FOR RAILWAY CALI3.—At Chester assizes, on
Friday, an action was tried before a special jury, in which
Mr. Webster, the barrister, was sued by the Cheshire
Junction Railway Company, for £2,000. being a call of
£lO per share upon 200 shares held by the defendant at
the time the call was made ; and also the sum of £4,000,
for interest and money paid by the company on account
of the defendant. The defendant pleaded, first, never
indebted, and that the company had abandoned the origi-
nal undertaking for which the capital was to be subscribed ;
that they had not purchased the land for the purpose, and
had now lost their powers to do so, and, consequently,
were unable to make the railway. The amounts specified
were due for calls made by instalments—the first payable
on the 16th March, and the second on the 16th April,
1849. The action was commenced nearly twelve months
after the call was made. His lordship (Mr, Baron Parke)
said he could not understand why the directors split their
calls in that way. Mr. Crompton said, one object was to
tie gentlemen to their shares, for none could be transferred
until the calls were all paid. Mr. Gibson, secretary of the
company, stated, in cross examination, tl at their original
intention was to form a communication between
Birkenhead Dock, on the Cheshire shore of the Mersey,
and the manufacturing districts, by making the line from
Hooton to Altrincham, and thence to-Manchester, whereas
the company were at present making the branch only
between Chester and Warrington. He also stated that at
the time the call was made the company only owed to
Mr. Brassey for work done the sum of £3,500 for survey-
ing, and £lO,OOO for other work, and that they had
£40,000 in the bank. He also admitted that the chair-
man of the directors had stated at a meeting of the share-
holders that the object of making the call was to keep
respectable parties on the register. Mr.Cromptonap-
prehended that a call by instalments bad. His lord-
ship
direct a verdict for half the sum claimed. After some
consideration his lordship said the better course was for
the
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e to
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in case the court should be of the same opinion as him-
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wholeing the
him-
self. Upon the second plea there would be a verdict for
the plaintiff. Two other cases, in which a party named
Barclay was defendant, and another named Lawrence,
vorany
shared the same fate. . .