Vrouintrz.

Mr. Bright addressed another meeting—a thin one—of his electioneer- ing committee, in the Town-hall of Manchester, on Monday. His argu-

ment was, that Lord John Russell was in favour of bringing more per- sons within the electoral line, but that somebody in the Cabinet coerced him. But not on that account was the majority of the nation to be muz- zled. Mr. Bright repeated his previously urged objections to the bill. In the midst of his speech, he announced the receipt of this telegraphic message from Mr. Cobden in the House of Commons—" Income-tax doubled for the half-year from April to October : no remission of taxes." "April to October !" exclaimed Mr. Bright; that is said that the peel*, may not be startled and shocked. By doubling the Income-tax, every firm in the country admits the Turks as partners with a dividend of 6 per cent an- nually in the profits. In point of fact, every man takes a Turk upon his shoulders ; but will the Government give to the over-represented sleepy counties, to every man in them, two Turks ? Every man in Lancashire will have his Turk just as surely as the Income-tax Commissioners And him out ; and having to carry his Turk, he should have his vote for a Member of the House of Commons.

The Derby bribery case, like a restless ghost, is with difficulty laid to sleep. The meeting at Derby, some time since, has drawn forth a letter from Mr. Coppock, setting forth the true reasons why the prosecution against " W. B." and others was abandoned. Mr. Coppock explains, that he found great legal difficulties in the way of the prosecution. Assurances were given, and proof was offered, says Mr. Coppock, that Mr. Beresford did not furnish any money for Derby ; the money found upon Morgan Was supplied in Derby. "Major Bereaford's complicity began and ended with the writing of the letter to Mr. Frail." When he was convinced of this, Mr. Coppock, "in common fairness," felt bound to withdraw the indict- ment. A jury might have held "that most indiscreet of letters" to be evidence of guilty knowledge of conspiracy, still if Mr. Beresford had done no more than write that letter, "his own self-reproaches had punished

him enough." But Cox and the other defendants were ostensibly guilty, and from them Mr. Coppock took an acknowledgement of the fact, and 10001. to pay costs out of pocket, in consideration that the prosecution should be abandoned. [This does not much mend the aspect of the case as it left the Court of Queen's Bench.] Cholera has made its first attack this year upon Leeds. It has broken out among the workpeople of Messrs. John Wilkinson and Company, flax- spinners,—at a mill which has always ranked among the best for salubrity and cleanliness. There were up to Tuesday fourteen cases and six deaths. Dr. Gavins from the Board of Health arrived in the borough on that day. The invasion is the more inexplicable as the general health of the town is excellent. It is said that the flax used is Riga flax, and that it emits a most offensive odour ; but this a mere guess at the

cause.

Birmingham is much agitated at the proposed establishment of a Go- vernment gun-factory. At all events it has had the effect of stimulating the energies of the gun-manufacturers. Four of the largest have, since the discussion in the House of Commons, tendered to supply and deliver complete, according to pattern, 50,000 rifled muskets within the first year; 100,000 in the second, and a larger quantity in the third. No mention is made of the price. In five years, ending 1849, Birmingham produced 1,374,329 stand of arms.

Affairs at Preston have taken a new turn. The millowners have ob- tained some supplies of hands, chiefly Irish in the most destitute condi- tion. As the detachments of workers arrived by railway, they were met by the Police and Fire Brigade, and escorted to lodgings hired for them. Of course this proceeding occasioned much excitement, and the apprehen- sions of the Magistrates were so great that public meetings were prohi- bited last Saturday ; and although there was no disturbance, the Mayor thought fit to read the Riot Act, and to telegraph to Lord Palmerston for a hundred of the Metropolitan Police. At Lord Palmerston's suggestion, however, the municipal authorities swore in a body of special constables.

The weavers announced that their usual Saturday's meeting would be held on a plot of ground without the borough. This announcement was made by one of the weavers, who acted as crier; the services of the re- gular bellman being refused to the weavers. But when they assembled at the place of meeting, they found large placards stating that all tres- passers would be prosecuted. Foiled so far, they found an ally in a farmer hard by ; who allowed them the use of a field, and furnished a cart for a platform. Here a peaceable meeting was held. The speakers condemned the prohibition of their meetings as unconstitutional and op- pressive; but they enjoined a strict observance of "peace, law, and order." The multitude gave three cheers for the ten per cent, and dispersed. There was a decrease of 196 in the number of hands receiving relief. The dis- bursements amounted to 3,2671.

The people-of Norwich are signing a petition to the Home Secretary praying for the appointment of a Stipendiary Magistrate in that city.

Sir John Pakington, finding that his Parliamentary duties interfere with the performance of his duties as Chairman of Quarter-Sessions, has announced, in a letter to Lord Lyttelton, that he will preside at the ensuing Easter Sessions for the last time.

At the same Assizes, Moses Hatt* was tried for the murder of Mary Ann Sturgeon, at Burnham, in November last. The case excited the greatest in- terest on account of the atrocity and mystery attending the crime. The evidence given was in substance the same as that already before the public, with very few exceptions; and the witnesses were the same. Mr. Goodwin, the tenant of the farm, deposed to the finding of marks of blood and a tooth; then, that the house was on fire ; finally, the body lying face downwards, burnt from the ankles to the waist. The farm-servants showed that Hatto, the fellow-servant of Mary Ann Sturgeon, had previously called up Bunco, the bailiff, saying he thought there was somebody about the place ; that they found a• colt out ; that Hatto "messed" himself in a pool of manure-water in the yard, and said he had fallen into it. The medical testimony showed that there must have been a struggle and blows, for the bead was fractured; and Mr. Baldwin, a neighbour, discovered the poker under the grate, newly broken, with blood and hair on its handle. It was also shown that a person lying in Hatto's bedroom could distinctly hear cries for help shouted from the kitchen below, up the stairs, and in the bedroom. The murder was unaccompanied by any con- siderable robbery, only a few things disappearing a day or- two afterwards. For the defence, the deposition given by Hatto at the inquest was put in ; in substance, a declaration of innocenee. He said that the deceased gave him his supper, and he went to bed; about a quarter to eleven he heard a rumbling noise against a door • he then lay down ; but the dogs barking shortly afterwards, he had called up Bunco. When Mr. Goodwin came home, he helped to put the fire out in the maid-servant's room. Mr. Parry addressed the Jury for Matto ; attempting to throw doubts on the strength of the evidence. Lord Campbell summed up; and the Jury, after deli- berating for upwards of two hours and a half, found a verdict of " Guilty." Lord Campbell said he fully concurred in the verdict ; and then passed sen- tence of death upon Hatto, holding out no hope of mercy. Hatto bowed, and thanked the upon for his closing exhortation.

Hatto, it is announced, has subsequently made a full confession of his guilt. It is in writing, and will be published.

Several cases of aggravated and criminal assaults upon women have been heard at the Assizes. In nearly all the cases, the details are much the same —varied only by the degree of brutality. One case, tried at Chelmsford, is very remarkable. On Sunday the 22d of January, Joseph Cant and his sweetheart, Harriet Worth, went to evening service; but they staid out late, partly at the house of a relation, and partly in a public-hoUse. they the par- lour of the latter were three men : these men, Carter, Walker, and Frost, none

of them above twenty years of age, waylaid lovers ; twice knocked down Cant, who then ran off for assistance ; seized the helpless girl, and two of them, the third assisting, committed the crime. Cant soon returned with some neighbours, and conveyed the poor girl, half dead, to her father's cot- tage. There was no doubt of the guilt of the prisoners; and they were sen- tenced Carter to be transported for life, Frost and Walker for fifteen years.

At the Hertford Assizes, on Saturday, Miguel Yzquierdo, a Spaniard, was brought up for trial, charged with the murder of George Seale* at North Mimms. Scales was out shooting small birds, when the Spaniard killed him with a stick. He alleged before the Magistrate, that Scales had pointed the gun at him, and he had struck him in his own defence. On Saturday, however, he appeared not to understand anything, and did not plead. Mr. Ballantine said that he appeared for the prisoner, at the instance of the SPanish Ambassador, but could not obtain any information whatever from him. Baron Alderson directed a Jury to be empanneled to try whether he ' was mute by the visitation of God or by malice. The evidence taken in- duced the Jury to find a verdict that the prisoner was mute by the visita- tion of God ; and the trial was postponed until next Assizes.

The atrocious and unusual crime of attempting murder by starvation is alleged against a father at Southampton. George Chisman Elmes, on the death of his wife, took lodgings with Mary Ann Wake, a widow, and his child lived with them. She was kept on dry bread, in a room without a fire, for three months in the depth of the winter. When she cried, she was beaten by her father or Mrs. Wake. When the father took his meals, his daughter was compelled to stand with her hands tied together. The poor girl fainted during the examination before the Magistrates. The crowd were so enraged at the conduct of Elmes, that it required a strong force of police to protect him.

Mr. James Haywood, teacher of chemistry at the Wesleyan College, Sheffield, was accidentally killed on Wednesday, while preparing for a lec- ture. Incautiously he lifted a bottle of sulphuric acid ; the bottle broke in his hand ; the acid ran among his clothes ; he let the bottle fall immediately, but instead of running for aid, fell himself among the poisonous fluid. At length aid came, and he was carried home ; but he died next morning. A pupil, assisting him, was also somewhat burnt.

The Coroner's inquiry into the accident at the Arley Mine, Wigan, ter- minated on Thursday, with the following verdict by the Jury-

- We find that the deaths of the eighty-nine persons under consideration were occasioned by an explosion of fire-damp occurring within the workings of the Arley Mine, at the Ince-hall Colliery, on Saturday the lath ult. We find that the explosion occurred in or close to Pilkingtou's Drift, and was ignited, as we conceive, from Pilkingtou's shaft. The cause of-the gas exploding was, we believe, a sudden and accidental outburst from some point not far from the scat of the explosion; and we would point to the fall in Woodcock's Place as the only likely source shown for the emanation of such an outburst. We give it as our opinion, also, that the general management and ventilation of the mine in question, from the time of the former lamentable explosion to the present, have been satisfactory, and the system of work- ing, under the peculiar circumstances of the pit, uncensurable. tinder the circum- stances of these awful explosions, we would strongly recommend to the managers, that, as far as possible, the use of gunpowder in the working-places within the mine be wholly discontinued."

There has been another " accident " on the Lancashire and Yorkshire railway. An engine belonging to the Ince Hall Coal Company was crossing the main line towards Manchester, close to the notorious Arley Mine, when a passenger-train from Liverpool came up, dashed against the engine, and threw it half-way down the embankment, leaving the tender across the rails. Several persons were severely bruised, the limbs of some were frac- tured, and the nose of one man was torn off. The accident is ascribed to the fog, which concealed the signals.

A young woman in York last week died from tight lacing. The cause of death was apoplexy, brought on by the pressure of the stays.