The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-06-07 00:00:00

BURGLARY, AND ILL-USAGE OF INMATES

At about one o'clock on the morning of Tuesday last, the
family of the Rev. Mr. Cowban, of Aiston, at the time con-
sisting only of his housekeeper, her niece, and a little girl,
were alarmed by the barking of the house-dog, and by the
noise of people at the back of the house, as if breaking into
it. The niece got to the window of the bed-room in which
they were sleeping, and said she could see a man. Immedi-
ately afterwards, the window of the lower room was smashed
in by means of some heavy instrument, and three men en-
tered and made their way to the bed-room door, and de-
manded to be admitted. The housekeeper, a woman ap-
parently between fifty and sixty years of age, who was,
naturally enough, very much alarmed, said, that if the men
would spare their lives, she would open the door. The men
having induced her to open the door, one of them immedi-
ately, in the most dastardly manner, struck the poor woman
a violent blow on the head with some heavy blunt instru-
ment, as she imagined, by the poker. They then asked her
where the money was, and she said, if they would not injure
her she would show them where it was. She accordingly
went with them into another room in which there was a desk
with some money in it. This they broke open by means of
the poker, and got about £3O in gold and silver.
Whilst two of the ruffians remained with the housekeeper,
one of them returned into the bed-room in search of the
niece, and brought her out and struck her, and asked her
how much money her master had, whether he had a £lOO or
not ? and she said she could not tell. The little girl who was
in the room, upon the first alarm being given got under the
bed, so that she escaped any maltreatment. The niece had
two very serious wounds on her head, and she was otherwise
much hurt about the body.
After having obtained the £3O, the property of the Rev.
Mr. Cowban, the burglars inquired of the housekeeper, whe-
ther there were any watches in the house, and the reply was,
that the master had the only watch there was with him.
They also inquired if she had any money upon her, and re-
plying in the affirmative, they took from a box belonging to
her the further sum of Ss. or 9s.
At this time the candle by some accident or other went
out, and this being Mr. Cowban's sleeping apartment, and
of course having a bed in it, the housekeeper got under it to
secreen herself from further violence. In the meanwhile,
the niece having wrapped a counterpane about her, got
through this room into the chapel adjoining, and with which
this room communicated. Thence she made her escape across
a field to the nearest house, which would be about two or
three hundred yards distant, and raised an alarm. At this
house five masons happened to be stopping, and they imme-
diately set of to arrest the depredators, but, on their arrival,
the thieves were gone. The housekeeper, whilst under the
bed, overheard what they said, which was to the effect that
the women having got away, it would not be safe for them to
stay any longer, and they forthwith decamped, The burglars
are described as having been dressed as mechanics, and as
having been considerably advanced in liquor. Before they
left the premises they broke a number of glasses in the lower
rooms. They were in the house altogether not more than a
quarter of an hour or twenty minutes. Unfortunately, the
Rev. Mr. Cowban happened to be awayfromhomethat
evening, which is very unusual with him ; and what renders
the circumstance of the robbery still more singular, is the
fact that the money stolen had only been receiv:lspidtchir of
the day
before. A party has been taken into custndy on
being concerned in the robbery. He was examined on Wed-
nesday, before Mr. Cunliffe, at Messrs. Pilkington, Walker,
and Co.'s office, in Chapel-walks, and remanded for further
examination.—Preston Chronicle.

The Court of Queen's Bench has recently decided that
' one overseer of they poor cannot bind another without his
:onsent or authority.'

UNIVERSITY AND CLERICAL INTELLIGENCE'
(From the Oxford Herald.)
In a Convocation holden on Thursday last, the Rev. Alex-
ander Thurtell, M.A., of Caius and Gonville College, Cam-
bridge, was admitted ad eundern.
In a Congregation holden at the same time, the following
Degrees were conferred :

BACHELOR AND DOCTOR IN DIVINITY.
Charles Atmore Ogilvie, late Fellow of Balliol College,
Regius Professor of Pastoral Theology, grand compounder.
DOCTOR IN CIVIL LAW.
Rev. Anthony Grant, late Fellow of New College, Bamp-
ton Lecturer for the year 1843.
BACHELOR IN MEDICINE, WITH LICENCE TO PRACTISE.
Thomas King Chambers, Christ Church.
MASTERS OF ARTS.
George S. Harding, Brasenose College, grand compounder.
Richard Eddie, Brasenose College.
Rev. Charles James Quartley, St. Edmund Hall. •
Rev. Anthony Raincock Harrison, Queen's College.
Rev. Charles Walter Bagot, All Souls College.
Rev. George William Hutchins, Magdalene Hall.
Rev. David Jones, Jesus College.
Rev. Henry Western Plumptre, University College.
William Sandys Wright Vaux, Baliol College.
Rev. Edw. Bowles Knottesford-Fortescue, Wadham Coll.
Rev. Harcourt Norris Torriano Busfield, Worcester Coll.
BACHELORS OF ARTS.
Edward B. James, Queen's College.
Richard Roope, Wadham College.
Benjamin Centum Kennicott, Oriel College.
Richard Meredyth Richards, Merton College.
Henry John Sawyer, Merton College.
George Shaw Munn, Trinity College.
Henry Nethercote, Balliol College.
In a Convocation holden in the afternoon, for the purpose
of electing a Perpetual Curate for Holme Cultram, in the
county of Cumberland, the Rev. Joseph Simpson, M.A., of
Queen's College, was unanimously chosen.
In a Congregation holden on the 20th ult., James Morris,
Esq., of Trinity College, Dublin, M.A., was incorporated of
Brasenose College.
CAMBRIDGE PRIZE POEMS.—Mr. Henry James Sumner
M.A., scholar of Pembroke College, has been adjudged both
the Chancellor's and the Camden Medals. The subjects
were " The Birth of His Royal Highness the Prince of
Wales," and " Csar ad Rubiconem constitit."—Cambridge
Chronicle.
On Thursday last, Mr. Edward Boucher James was elected
a Taberdar, and Mr. George Henry Heslop, a Scholar, of
Queen's College.
The Rev. Alfred Hackman, Chaplain of Christ Church,
has been presented by the Dean and Chapter of that Society
to the Perpetual Curacy of Cowley, in this county, void by
the resignation of the Rev. Thomas Chamberlain.
The Rev. Charles J. Collier, Head Master of Henley
Grammar School, has been appointed by the Lord. Bishop of
Oxford a Surrogate for the diocese.
The Rev. Charles Deedes, 8.A., formerly of Merton Col-
lege, Rector of West Camel, Somersetshire, has been pre-
sented to a Prebendal Stall in the Cathedral Church of
Wells.

PROMOTIONS

Rev. John Russell Stock, 8.A., of St. John's College,
Cambridge, has been presented, by the Lord Bishop of Lon-
don, to the Perpetual Curacy of Cornish Hall End, near
Finchingfield, Essex.

Rev. John Osmond Dakeyne, M.A., of Downing College,
Cambridge, Perpetual Curate of St. Benedict, to be Evening
Lecturer of St. Mark, Lincoln.

Rev. John FrederiCk Benwell, of Reading, to the Rectory
of Neenton, near Bridgnorth.
Rev. John Horner, M.A., formerly Fellow of Clare Hall,
Cambridge, Rector of Mells, Somersetshire, to a Prebendal
Stall in the Cathedral Church of Wells.

Rev. Robert Cope Wolfe, to the Vicarage of Braithwell,
Yorkshire, vacant by the resignation of the Rev. A. Steuart.
Rev. William Buswell, 8.A.., formerly of Queen's Col-
lege, Cambridge, Rector of Widford, Essex, to be Chaplain
to Chelmsford Union.

Rev. Horatio Samuel Hildyard, M.A., Fellow and Clas-
sical Lecturer of St. Peter's College, Cambridge, to the
Rectory of Lofthouse, in the North Riding of Yorkshire,
vacant by the death of the Rev. Sir William Murray, Bart.
Rev. David Morgan, M.A., Curate of Amport, to the
Rectory of Weeke, Hants, vacant by the death of the Rev.
E. Nott ; iitron,the Bishop of Winchester.

Rev. Richard Foley, Fellow of Emmanuel College,
Cambridge, to the Rectory of North Cadbury, Somerset-
shire, vacant by the death of the Rev. S. Blackall.

Re.v. John Fletcher, M. A., late of the Grammar School,
Stonehouse, Plymouth, has been appointed by the Council,
Master of the King's College School at Nassau, New Pro-
vidence, Bahamas.

Rev. John Vignolles Brabazon, to the Curacy of Auchna-
cloy, Ireland.

ft'ev. John Bridge, M.A., to the Curacy of Castlecomer
Colliery, Ireland.

Rev. Robert Jones, Curate of Barmouth, to the perpetual
Curacy of All Saints, Deptford Lower-rood; patron, the
Rector of Rotherhithe.

The Hon. and Rev. Philip Yorke Savile, M.A., of Trinity
College, Cambridge, bas been appointed by his father, the
Earl of Mexborough, P.G.M. for the province of the West
Riding of Yorkshire, one of the Provincial Grand Chaplains
of the Order of Freemasons, vice the Rev. Brother Clapham.

THE DIVISION ON THI
THE PROPER

For the third reading.
ENGLAND.
Counties
Boroughs lOB
Universities
—202

Counties
Boroughs

WALES

THIRD READING OF
CY TAX BILL.

Against the third reading,

ENGLAND.

Counties.
Boroughs

Counties.
Boroughs

SCOTLAND.
Counties
Boroughs

WALES

SCOTLAND

Counties.
Boroughs

IRELAND

IRELAND

Counties
Boroughs

Counties.
Boroughs

12
11
- 23

Total for the third ,
reading • ' —255

Total against the
third reading....

Alajority

OPERATION OF THE POOR LAW IN LAN-

CASHIRE

(From the Preston Chronicle.)

The Poor Law Amendment Act has been in operation for
nearly eight years, and what do we find the state of the case
now to be ? Pauperism in no wise abated ; our workhouses
so full that new and more enlarged ones are obliged to be
built—in our own union a fifth workhouse is about to be
added to the four already in use ; the rates increasing ; wages
so low that, in some departments of employment, as in the
case of the hand-loom weaver, a hard week's work will not
procure a man more than a wage of 4s. or ss. ; our power.
loom weavers and spinners turning out because of threatened
reductions in their wages ; and such a mass of poverty exist-
ing in their country, as to have occasioned that ill-suited
remedy to be resorted to, the issuing of a Queen's letter,
for the relief of the destitute.

We have before 1s a—zec-e;:t parliamentary return, showing
the average annual expenditure for relief to the poor, in the
parishes in this county, among others, in the three years
prior to the formation of the Poor-law unions in which they
are now placed ; and the expenditure of the same under the
new poor law for the year ending March 25th, 1840. And
what do we find the result to be ? That, in nine unions out
of eighteen, there is a positive increase in the latter period
over the former ; and that, in most of the others where there
is a decrease, it is one of a most insignificant character, and
produced by a system of coercion horrible to think of. Thus,
in Blackburn, the decrease is £9OO out of £8,000; in the
Fylde, £7OO out of £4,000; in Prescot, £5OO out of £6,000;
whilst we find, on the other hand, that in Barnley the in-
crease is as from £8,694 to £9,319 ; Clitheroe, from £5,119
to £5,699; Salford, from £7,056 to £7,860; Wigan, from
£8,486 to £9,486 ; in our own union the increase has been
from £11,347 to £12,379 ; whilst in Bolton it has been
upwards of seven thousand pounds sterling, or from £9,363
to £16,502. At present the increase will be found to be
much greater in every case. That, however, it may be said,
must arise from the greater depression of trade. But that
cause did not exist in the year 1840, to anything like the
amount which it does now. Indeed, from the year 1835-6 to
the year 1839-40, trade was good—particularly so in the
former period—so that the amended law has had everything
in its favour ; and yet what a miserable result do we witness!
Surely a law never was passed, which, inflicting so much
private injury with the avowed object of promoting the pub-
lic good, so lamentably and signally failed to do other than
incalculable mischief. Even when the screw has been pressed
the most tightly, it has not realised the extravagant expec-
tations proposed ; and it has not just because it could not
produce the effects predicated of it. And yet this law is to
be re-enacted, under the guise of an amended law ; and this
once gay, and blithe, and happy land, is to be cursed with
this system for another five years,—nay, in perpetuo. Alas !
alas ! for " Old England ;" when shall she be " Old Eng-
land," in this respect, again? Echo, answers—when?