Zbe glrobinces.

Mr. Charles Villiers having left it to be decided by his old constituents of Wolverhampton, whether he should remain their Member or sit for South Lancashire, the electors met the other day, and decided upon requesting Mr. Villiers to continue to represent Wolverhampton. Thus, there must be a new election for South Lancashire.

As a counterpoise to the North Essex Conservative demonstration last week, the electors of the Southern Division of the County had a grand dis- play at Rumford on Tuesday, to celebrate the triumph of Liberal principles in the return of Sir Edward North Buxton, Sir Edward was not present; but, in place of dining with his friends, he sent a remarkably fine buck for their banquet.

A dinner was given on Friday last, at Bewdley, to Mr. Ireland, to cele brute the triumph of Conservative opinions in the election of that gentle- man as Member of Parliament. Mr. Ireland made a long speech. He declared himself a firm upholder of the connexion between Church and State, and adverse to any further grant to Maynooth College. He would not consent to the endowment of the Roman Catholic Church out of a revenues of this country; but he thought it might be effected by turning over to the Roman Catholic priesthood the Crown lands in Ireland. He would not have supported Mr. Watson's bill had he been then in the House; but he hinted that, as other persuasions have been relieved, he should not now oppose the removal of civil disabilities from the Roman Catholics. Though fearing the effects of free trade, he would now abide the result of the experiment. Mr. Ireland concluded by soundly abusing Sir Robert Peel for political profligacy.

On the occasion of Sir Robert Peel's visit to Sealiam, on Friday last week, the Mayor of Sunderland, accompanied by several members of the Corporation, presented to the late Premier an exceedingly complimentary

address. A similar address was presented to Sir Robert at Wynyard Park, from the authorities of Stockton-upon-Tees.

The ceremony of laying the first atone of the Sheffield Athenteum and Mechanics Institute was performed on Wednesday sennight, by the Earl of .Arundel and Surrey, in the presence of a large assemblage of interested spectators. In the evening there was a soiree in the Music Hall; at which Lord Morpeth made one of his hearty though bookish addresses. The other speakers were Mr. J. Heywood, Colonel Thompson, Mr. George Thompson, and Mr. John Abel Smith.

On the following evening, the Cutler's Company gave their annual ban- quet upon the inauguration of a new Master Cutler. Among the guests were Earl Fitzwilliam, the Earl of Arundel and Surrey, Lord Morpeth, and the two Ministerial Members for the borough. Lord Fitzwilliam, in re- turning thanks, made a speech full of politics; of which Lord Morpeth afterwards remarked, that if the proposer of the Earl's health had made some little breach in the hedge which separated them from politics, Lord Fitzwilliam had made a clean thing of it by driving the old family coach and six right through it. Lord Fitzwilliam had discussed at some length the condition of Ireland, and concluded by asking the Ministers present what the Government meant to do in consequence of the march of the Austrians into the Papal territory; and whether it was necessary to have a British Minister at the Court of Rome? Lord Morpeth awl Mr. H. G. Ward good-humouredly evaded the question; the latter saying that he had come down in the express-train with Lord Palmerston, who no doubt would have been present had he known the nature of the question that would be asked. Colonel Thompson, in proposing the health of Lord Morpeth and Mr. Cobden, announced the firm adherence of his own borough of Bradford to free trade.

The great horse fair at Horneastle was held last week. The number of foreigners was unusually large; and many hunters, carriage-horses, and brood mares, were bought for exportation to the Contine.c. Colonel Bal- mer, Major Pierson, and Major Starkey, purchased for the army two hun- dred horses; and the sales to the home dealers were considerable. The prices of the best hunters and carriage-horses ranged from 1501. to 1801., some selling even so high as 4001. the pair.

Barnet great cattle fair commenced on Saturday. The stock of beasts was very large, and the sales considerable, at good prices. The rates for Hereford, Stafford, and Devon beasts, were from 12/. to 16/. Yorkshire cows with calves were bought by the London cowkeepers for 251. Suffolk polled cows fetched from 161. to 181. a head. Horses were in great de- mand at high prices; cart colts being bought for 35 guineas. Some hun- dreds of Welsh ponies were sold at prices ranging from l21 to 181. each. The fair closed on Tuesday; more stook having been sold than at any previous fair.

The millowners of Morale', and the neighbourhood have announced, that after the 17th September the wages of all persons in their employ will be reduced ten per cent. The people are much dissatisfied, as they prefer to suffer by working short time rather than by working for less money.

One Thompson, Secretary of the Leicester Loan and Discount Society, has absconded with 6,0004 the property of divers loan societies.

Four prisoners escaped from Monmouth Gaol on Wednesday morning. Mayow, the ringleader, had broken a leg from his iron bedstead, and with this had e - atroyed a panel of his door; he got into the corridor and wrenched off the locks of three cells, and the four convicts awaited the arrival of the gaoler who inspected the prisoners in the morning. When the officer had entered a cell, Mayow struck him down senseless; another turnkey was overpowered, and the fellows got off. But they were not free long: when an alarm was raised the people of the town turned out, scoured the country; and in a few hours the prisoners were recaptured.

Mrs. Hassells, a lady of large property residing near Lane End in the Potteries; was killed, last week, by a pony's taking fright and running away with a carriage. The deceased, Miss Wright, and a boy, were all thrown out by a jerk : and Mrs. ILlasells died on the instant, from concussion of the brain; the young lady and the driver escaped with braises.

Gibb, a labourer of East Grinstead, had been drinking for two or three days; late on Saturday night he returned home; he seems to have endeavonn.d to find the gate, which opened into a little court in front of his cottage; by some means his head dropped over the palings, and became fixed between two upright pieces, and from this situation he was unable to extricate himself: he was found early the following morning quite dead.

A fatal explosion occurred at Newark last week. Mr. Hervey, a miller, re- cently had a :deem-engine erected to turn a pair of stones to grind flour. On Thursday week, the makers of the engine and some men were inspecting its action; while two workmen and a boy, nephew of Mr. Hervey, were in the engine-house, the boiler exploded, and the place was filled with steam; unfortunately, the ex- plosion forcibly closed the doors of the building, and some brick-work which gave way made them fast; consequently, by the time the three people were got out, they were so dreadfully scalded that they died in a few hours. It was stated at the inquest, that the cause of the disaster was a defective plate in the boiler; ex- ternally it appeared sound, but the internal structure was bad. Boiler-makers are not in the habit of testing boilers before they send them out. There was not a great pressure of steam at the time of the explosion, nor deficiency of water. The Jury returned a verdict of "Accidental death "; but recommended that the doors of engine-houses should be made to open outwards.

While six miners were ascending the shaft of a colliery in Swansea Vale, last week, the chain of the carriage broke, a defective link having given way: the men fell a depth of ninety fathoms, and were dashed to pieces.