The Staffordshire and Potteries Examiner. — 1881-01-29 (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England)

WILLIAMS.—On the 17th inst.' at Orme-street, Burslem, Mary Williams, late of Woore, aged 92 years and 4 months. Grandmother to eighteen and to twenty-six. a =ill  As claylignc can De seen througn vt;ry bll.ait niaCti, SO little things will illustrate a person's character. Look on slanderers as direct enemies to civil society ; as persons without honour, honesty, or humanity. To protect one's self against the storms of life, marriage with a good woman is a harbour in tie' tempest; but witb. a 44 voman it pro7es a teinpeet in the harbour  The Dutch Ministry have introduced into the Second Chamber a bill providing for the construction of a new canal between Amsterdam and Gorinchent, to improve tEe communication with the Rhine. The cost of the scheme is estimated at twelve million guilders, and its falfilmet is expected to occupy about four years.  An incident absolutely without precedent in the annals of universal suffrage occurred in the Depart;milt of the Ando, in France, during the municipal leetions. The parish of Thezan, in the; arrondissemalt of Narbonne, has a population of 500 souls, but not a single elector presento himself at the poll on Sunday, January 9.  Three ..:onvicts employed at the Chatham dockyard have met with a fearful accident, from the effects of which two of them are not expected to recover. They were at work in the sawmills, when they were caught by a steam windlass which was at work, and before it could be stopped they were nearly crushed to death. At the Durham Assizes, _Richard Davison, tailor, a cripple, was indicted for the wilful murder of Thomas Lancaster, at Gateshead, on New Year's Day. In a lodging-house quarrel prisoner stabbed Lancaster to the heart. The jury found prisoner guilty of manslaughter, and he was sentenced to fifteen years' penal servitude. The bill introduced into the House of Commons for appointing a Commission for the alteration of the areas of Local Government in certain cases, and for the rearrangement of boundaries, is backed by Lord Fitzmaurice (who has charge of the measure) and Mr. James Howard (Liberals), and Mr. Pell and Mr. Reginald Yorke (Conservative.  The Protos, whiCh left Australia more than GO days ago with a large quantity of fresh meat on board has arrived in the London Docks. She had on board the carcases of 1,800 sheep, a few sides of beef, and 80 tons of butter. The whole cargo, which has been preserved by Giffard's process,_is said to be as dry and fresh as when put on board.  Mr. Blennerhasset again introduces a bill into Parliament for extending the hours during which marriages may be solemnised. His proposal is that the time should be between eight in the morning and six in the afternoon. But no clergyman of the Church of England would be under any obligation to solemnise a marriage after midnight.  After a careful investigation by the Inspector of Explosives respecting the recent explosion at Messrs. Hall and Sons' gunpowder works at FaverAam, the conclusion has been arrived at that the explosion, which caused I considerable loss of property, was maliciously caused by some person. The firm offer a re.ward of £5OO for the detection of the offender. A herbalist, named Joseph Hamilton, has been committed for trial, on a coroner's warrant, for the manslaughter of the illegitimate child of a domestic servant, whom he had adopted Upon being paid £lO by the mother. Evidence was given to show that , the child wAs nearly four years of age only weighed ISlb., and that death Was accelerated• by want of proper foci and neglect.  - •