Denton and Haughton Examiner, etc. — 1883-01-27 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

ALP. Mr. Francis Hicks resigned the chairmanship upon his removal to London, and Mr. Barnard, the ea-Mayor, was elected in his place. The advisability of finding a second Liberar candidate was discussed, and the opinion was expensed that he should be a thorough-going Radical. Mr. Macliver remarked that he did not think they would find many candidates who would go further than himself. _  „ IN his latest report Mr. C. S. Scott, British Secretary of Legation in Sase-Cobourg, continues his interesting review of the history of the legislative reforms which, towards the middle of the present century, freed the soil in that part of Europe from its feudal burdens, and extended greater facilities to the sale and sr mat, r of land. When the legal restrictions on sub-division were removed he Matte that a great change took place; the farmers began to split up their farms, and distribute them among the members of their families,and,consequently, the number of hired labourers diminished, these having to seek other occupation.. It is observed that "one result anticipated by Mr. Mill and other advocates of peasant proprietorship on a small scale has evidently not been obtained hero—the system has not served as a check on the rapid multiplication of the i opulat'on.” The increase, however, seems in this ease to have been justified by the material prosperity of the people. "In conclusion (says Mr. Scott) I may state that persons who have carefully watched the progreai and result of the land reforms in this duchy which I have been endeavouring to describe. inform me that they have been able to mark a very decided improvement both in the moral and material condition of the people since their introductim." Sin Jonw FIUMPIIIIEYB has held an inquest St the Duke of Edinburgh tavern, Grundy-street, Poplar, London, on the body of James Shepherd, aged 82, a labourer, who died from the effects of poison. Sarah Ann Lawson, Walker-street, Bromley-by-Bow, stated that the deceased was he father, and lived with her. For some time past the deceased had been ailing, and a short time ago she sent for some medicine for him, which was of a whitish colour. The witness placed it on a shelf among seine other !make, one of which contained carbolic acid, which was used for disinfecting purposes. The night before his death the witnms sat up with the deceased, and during that time gave him, as she thought, some medicine out of shuttle, which Inc swallowed. Finding that he was afterwards in dreadful pain, she looked and found that she had given him a dose of carbolic acid ' In mistake. She gave the deceased about a table-spoonful of the acid its an egg-cop, and what she did was purely by misadventure. The deceased died early the following morning. The jury returned a verdict of "Death by misadventure." _  ...... A Yot/Nri MAN named Henry llarvey has been charged at Winchester with attempting to murder Edith Hutchins, a servant girl at West Cowes. Mr. Simonds pro.secuted and Mr. Mathews defended. The case for the prosecution was that on the night of last Christmas eve the prisoner and the young woman were out walking on the parade, and having quarrelled, Harvey pushed the girl into the water, which was seven or eight feet deep. In her struggles she caught hold of a rope hanging from the pier, with the aid of which she sustained herself till her screams brought assistance. For the defence an alibi was set up, and it was suggmted that the woman being Oat without leave, in order to account for the state of her clothes, which were saturated with rain, threw herself into the water. Prisorkr was acquitted.  GREAT FIRE IN THE crrY OF