The Middlesbrough Gazette and General Advertiser. — 1869-07-30 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

FRIDAY, JULY 30, 1869.  THE Irish Church Bill received the Royal assent on Monday last.  WE would invite special attention to the fifth election of aged seamen to the privileges of the Royal Alfred Institution. Only twelve candidates can be elected out of 263—a deplorable fact considering the pressing needs of most of those who ask for admission. There is at present £3,000 of debt, and a resolute effort is now to be made to wipe it off: If all the friends of the institution are in earnest, this should not be a very difficult matter. Not long ago, in the limited district of Cleveland, a debt nearly equal in amount on the North Riding Infirmary was cleared off by means of a bazaar. Surely an institution which appeals to the whole nation will not be allowed to languish under this trivial yet cramping incubus. Were every sea-port to do something the debt would soon be removed and the committee enabled to relieve the sufferings of a helpless and most deserving class.  THE annual volunteer review for the County of Durham took place in Lambton Park, on Monday, aml passed of with considerable eclat.  THUNDERSTORMS of unusual severity passed over Cleveland and South Durham on the aftenmons of Monday and Wednesday. With the exception of a few crops being laid, no great damage is reported. At Middlesbrough, the road under Albert Bridge was impassable for about two hours, and Linthorpe was alike deluged. Advantage was taken of tlie opportunity by juvenile Middlesbrough to have the luxury of a bathe in the water under the bridge, and several practical jokes were played therein, such as the lads carrying each other through and depositing their burdens in the middle of the water. A horse with a cab took it into his head to lie down, and caused some consternation among the bystanders by refusing to get up again, when entreated by his driver. Had he not been speedily rescued we might have had to make the astounding announcement—a horse drowned in the streets of Middlesbrough ! Truly we need a new drainage scheme.  Two cases illustrating the glorious uncertainty of . the law were beard at Stockton Town Hall last week. An Irislnnan was placed before the Borough Bench for assaulting his wife. The woman's cheek was swelled up, her eye nearly closed up and bloodshot, and her face bore marks which elicited from the Mayor that the defendant seemed to think he could half murder the woman he had sworn to protect. It appeared that the parties had been living a cat and dog life for years, so the Bench sentenced the man to fourteen days' imprisonment! Half-anhour afterwards another Irishman was placed before the county justices, in the same room, for assaulting a man at Port Clarence, on Monday. In this case the defendant was reported as a terror to the neighbourhood and having been convicted of felony and other offences, but the man alleged to have been assaulted bore but very faint marks of his ill treatment, and it was admitted the assault had followed as the result of a row on the previous Saturday night. He was sentenced to two month's imprisonment. From this it would seem a man may half murder his wife with comparative immunity in the borough, but that a row in the county can be terminated with two months' imprisonment.