The Potteries Examiner : — 1874-05-23 (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England)

LAKE.—On Fri lay after. noon an inquest was held at the Rudyard Hotel, touching the death of Mary Rushton, aged ferty-aix years, whose body was found in Rudyard Lake, on Tuesday afternoon. The jury viewed the body, upon which there was no injury beyond a slight scistch on the nose. Mr. H. Platt, proprietor of Rudyard Hotels said he had known the deceased for marly four years. He saw her last on Tuesday morning, about 3 quarter past eight. She was walking along the Feeler-Side at a quick pace. He said," Good morning." She respond. ed in a very weak voice. She bad a very peculiar look. Lydia Nixon, wife of William Nixon, mid sister to the deceased, said her sister bad been suffering from bronchitis, heart disease, and nervous debility for some time, and thought she would not get better. She had never threatened to commit suicide, but ha I said it would be a good job if she was oat of her misery, as she thought she was • trouble. The jury returned a verdict of "Snicide whilst in • state of temporary insanity."  .. . SUNDAY OPHNING OP lifuexume.—The following . voted for Mr. P. A. Taylor's motion :—Messrs. T. Burt, A. Macdonald, and Geo. Melly. There voted against—Sir C. Adderley, Messrs. R. Heath, C. Camp• bell, and T. Soft. An analysis of the division list shows , that the majority (271) by which Mr. Taylor's motion was defeated, was made up of 209 English, 40 Scotch, • and 22 Irish members, mid the minority (68) of 40 ' English, 26 Irish, and 2 Scotch. Nine Conservative gave their support to Mr. Taylor. They were Sir Joseph Bailey, the Earl of Beehive, Mr. Joshua Fielder!, Lord F. Hervey, Captain Jolliffe, Sir W. StirlingMaxwell, Mr. Mellor, Mr. Walter Powell, and Sir R. • Wallace. The two Scotch members who went with the minority were Mr. Anderson ( tlaegow), and Sir W. Stirling. Maxwell (Perthshire). Opinion appears to be • divided in the only constitnencies (L..imater and , Hackney) who made the piestion of Sunday opening in ' test of eligibility at the late election, as Mr. 11PArthur, ; the colleague of Mr. Taylor at Leicester, spoke end [ voted against the motion, while Mr. Holies and Mr. Fawcett, the members tor Hackney, wont into oppoeite ; lobbies, the former opposing and the letter mpporting i the motion. Mr. Glad.tone and Mr. Adorn were the t only members of the late Goyernment who took part in , the division, and both voted ag.sinst the motion. FRIZNDLY SOClNTlRel.—yrom the noently.pnblished ' report of the Royal Commission no Frimally Societies i we make the following extract as the opinions of the , Commissioners on one of our local societies —"As; an , excellent instance of the qu.i.county society—acting ' within narrower limits, and remarkable, moreover, as l having its chief membership in the artisan class, in. , stead of the agricultural, which forms the staple of , county societies—we may mention the ' North Staffordshire Provident,' a society combining every element of . good government, a gradual scale of payments prepared , by an actuary, ,minquennial valuations, a considerable . accumulated fund in proportion to the number of members, a fairly low cost of management (8 is•r cent. on . gross receipta on no average of ten years, or 10 or 11 r per cent, on contributions only), and a general interest , in the management on the part of the members. It has six branches in the chief Pottery tow., sending ' delegates to • quarterly meeting of delegates ; but at , the general annual meeting, where the attendance is personal, the members attend from all parts ' of the district, and take great interest in I the society." Illustrations are given of the method of • working the society by graduated system of paymenta p according to ages of entrance, and the report continue • " When it is added the Pottery district in which the , society works is one in which the mortality is above the . average ; that unhealthy trade. are carried on in it; and yet that the society exrludes no oecupstiom whatever ; that full pay is given during the whole of sickness, and yet that in 22 years only one case of imposition has been discovered the really exemplary character of this society may be appreciated." We may add, that !such a special commendation of the • commissioners has only been applied amongst the county societies to the North Staelerdshire Provident and the managers will no doubt feel themselree highly complimented by this reference to their valuable institution.