'!Jr Vrouturro.

The Oxford University election seems likely to rival the old county contests of 'fifty years ago. Notwithstanding the continued upward pro- gress of Mr. Gladstone's majority this week, Mr. Perceval's Committee resolved to keep open the poll for fifteen days, instead of closing it on Wednesday, the day originally named. The alleged reason for this ex- tension is the comparative scantiness of the muster hitherto; among the nnpolled, if we may believe the announcements of Mr. Pen:eves com- mittee, there remained even so late as yesterday, upwards of 200 who sup- ported Dr. Marsham in July. To show the relative progress of the two can- didates, it is sufficient to take the daily majorities and the daily totals : on Saturday, Mr. Gladstone had a majority of 87; on Monday this rose to 111, on Tuesday to 113, on Wednesday to 116, and on Thursday to 125. This last day is remarkable for the mere handful who polled-21 ; of vihom 16 voted for Mr. Gladstone and 5 for Mr. Pereeval. On Friday Mr. Gladstone's majority was 130. The total numbers each day were—

Gladstone. PereevaL Saturday 685 498 Monday 721 610 Tuesday 852 739

Wednesday.

914 798 Thursday 929 804 Friday 947 817 The whole history of the alleged candidateship of the Marquis of Chan- dos is now before the public. It appears that Mr. Charles Lempriere went to Wotton on Sunday the 2d instant, and announced to the Marquis that he would be nominated whether he consented or not. The Marquis would not consent to that course without consulting his friends. But meanwhile, Mr. Charles Lempriere addressed Dr. Wynter, the Presi- dent of St. John's, in these terms- " Lord Cbandos feels as he ought the great honour conferred on him, and the imperative necessity of fighting the battle; but fairly thinks the people of Buckingham, who elected him free of expense, ought to have a voice. He therefore goes early on Monday to ask his friends' consent, and will see me at the Carlton Club at three on that day, to accept the Chiltern Hundreds. In the mean time, he agrees to be put us nomination, and demand a poll. Will you kindly send me up to the Albion Hotel, Cockspur Street, your com- mittee and send round his cards to common-rooms, &c. ' This letter was received by Dr. Wynter at eight o'clock in the morning of Sunday. Mr. Lempriere has written in explanation—" The strong impression left upon my mind was, that the result of that consultation with his friends" would be in favour of his becoming a candidate. "Under this impression it was that I wrote the letter alluded to by Dr. Maelnide "—that is, the letter quoted above—" and although I may have expressed myself therein in too sanguine a manner, i utterly disclaim any intention to mislead either Dr. Wynter or any member of Convo- cation." He further states that Lord Chandos positively forbade" the submitting of his name to Convocation, by letter, on the Monday evening. Mr. Archdeacon Denison's inclination to write letters has not abated much. In one epistle, addressed to the Reverend Canon Trevor, he says —" Whatever the issue of this contest, Gladstone's seat is gone." This is understood by Mr. Trevor to mean, that Oxford shall never escape a contest while Gladstone is a candidate for her confidence" ; an argument which, "as a clergyman with a large family and a narrow income," he fully appreciates. But of all the curiosities which have come to light since the Derby scandals, the following bears away the bell. It was.funt printed in the Globe-- Extract from the Morning Herald of the 11th January-

" Major Beresford has taken no part In the election, beyond the-giving of his vote."

Illustration of the above assertion—

Letter received by a clergyman in the country- " Oxford University Election Committee Boom, Trafalgar Hotel, Spring Gardens, January 1853. My dear Sir—Pray go to Oxford, if possible on Monday, when we make our push; and, if we exert ourselves, we can win. Yours truly, "W. Reanseoan."

Lastly, a letter from Mr. Henry Hoare, described as a "distinguished member of the Metropolitan Church Union," has appeared, stating that "Lord John" has "secured the nomination of the Lord Chancellor and the Episcopal patronage " ; that the writer has known Perceval for many years, and considers him "as eligible a man as any I know." He is a "sound Churchman" ; Mr. Bennett of Frome and Dr. Spry have both voted for him' and "if you feel disposed to support him I do not think you will repent it." "it is rather as au opposition to Isald John Russell that the blow is intended to denote."

• The Reverend Hugh Stowell also rushed in at the dose of last week to rival Mr. Archdeacon Denison with an address to his " brother electors of the University of Oxford."

He tells them that Mr. Femme' is "a sound scion of a sound root" ; that, "unblemished in private character as his competitor, lie at the same time that solidity of judgment and fixedness of principle of which possesses but quixotic rival is so strangely devoid. In truth, Mr. Gladstone

appears to have been all his life on a voyage of discovery for ecclesiastical es well as political opinions; nor can any man say where he will at last find his moorings, unless it be on the banks of the Tiber." Mr. Stowell calls upon the electors to "hasten to the rescue. Do not fail, do net falsify the hopes of the strenuous little band to whom we are so much indebted for not having despaired of our University, or abandoned the effort to find a HMI." "The principles which are at stake cost our martyred forefathers their blood." Ample opportunity is to be given to the "remotest doctor" to vote.

Mr. James Lord, chairman of the Protestant Association, has also vouched for Mr. Perceval.

Mr. Grantley Berkeley's courage seems to have failed him at the de- cisive moment; and Mr. Sidney Herbert has been reillected for South Wiltshire without opposition. The election took place at Salisbury on Tuesday. Mr. Herbert was proposed by Hr. Powell, seconded by Mr. Jacob. A Mr. Beckett Turner faintly protested ' ; but the cries of " Go down !" " You shan't speak !" overwhelmed his feeble efforts. Mr. Sidney Herbert was declared duly elected. Mr. Herbert succeeded in the attempt to obtain a hearing for his adversary ; but in vain, for al- though Mr. Turner came forward to speak, he remained silent Mr. Herbert then addressed the electors.

Ile defended himself from the charge of having joined in an unprincipled coalition. Ho had voted against the motion of Mr. Villiere, and so had helped to maintain the late Government in their places ; but he could not conscientiously vote for the Budget ; and he found himself one of that ma- jority which led to Lord Derby's resignation. There had been no concert, no conspiracy, to unseat Lord Derby. When Lord Aberdeen was commanded to form a Government, Mr. Herbert was asked to take part in it ; and he "placed himself at Lord Aberdeen's disposal." Ile had given an independent support to Lord John Russell for six years, and had served with Lord Aber- deen and he thought it was time to act as well as speak, when it was found that his party could support a Ministry not indeed bound by the same party ties, but actuated by the same principles and cherishing the same view. Such a Ministry had now been constituted ; and it would not appeal to the country for a policy, but would offer a policy for the support of the country. " W e shall continue to act on Free-trade principles, and to extend the blessings of those principles as far as we prudently can. We shall do so not because we cannot help it, but because experience has taught us that they are sound, wise, just, and beneficial. Talk of its not being an united Cabinet ! Why, the addresses of every Minister breathe the same spirit, which I am proud to share, of constitutional liberty tempered with a love of what is the law, an attachment to our institutions combined with a determi- nation to reform abuses. We all agree on Free-trade. Those who stand for counties speak for Free-trade ; those who stand for towns speak for Free.. trade. We have a great advantage in that respect, that we are carrying out principles which we originated, and which we firmly believe to be true. Let me say, with respect to the question of Reform, that we ask from the coun- try time to give it a patient and deliberate consideration. I am not one of those who wish to see this countiar departing from the spirit of its old insti- tutions; but I wish to see those institutions carefully preserved, and in time wisely adapted to the altered times in which we live. I wish to see

tion spread among the people. I believe that a great deal of that whip we have seen lately, the improvement in the oonduct of great masses of the peo- ple eongregateetogether, may be regarded as the result-of two -things,— contentment with the Government of the country because of bold and wise measures, and also the greater diffusion of sound education. The English people are, I believe, a generous people ; and they must be governed ge- nerously, in a liberal spirit. I know that governments have spoken in fear of the people; and when a government speaks in fear of the people it is not unnatural that the people should fear the government ; but the fear of the magistrate is not the proper basis for the relations subsisting between the governed and the Government ; and I trust we shall see, in whatever alterations it may be necessary to make, the reform carried out not only in that spirit which is against all abuses, but in a spirit of reve- rence towards our institutions—in that spirit which has actuated all classes of statesmen, all classes of the community. I said I wished to see education. extended. That, it is assumed, is easy to be done ; but there are great diffi- culties to be encountered, from the great variety, and, I tun glad to say, the great earnestness of religious conviction in this country. There are other countries where education has been carried further—education which is not founded on a religious basis. A country with such an education possesses great power, has great energy, and is dangerous to its neighbours; but it has no stability in itself, is never seen without constant alternatiens of revo- lution, and industry itself is shaken, because the only security to properly' is the permanence of institutions. I cannot but say, therefore, that a coun- try from the education of which religion is excluded has not that sound basis. for its security and its prosperity which is possessed by a country where re- ligion enters largely into the education of the people. It has been said that. I wish to give undue predominancy to the Church of England. I have a de- voted attachment to the Church of England, which is my belief: I wish to see it strong in the affections of the people ; I wish to see all its abuses pared away ; I wish to see its efficiency increased : but, while I declare my uttseh- ment to the Church of England, which is my ehurch and my faith, I wish to see full freedom of action, full religious liberty,given to religious which arc different. I wish to see two things which I believe to be compatible. I am not one of those who believe that religious truth can be promoted by perse- cution, by the infliction of civil disabilities • but I believe it most flourishes where persecution is foreign to the genius of the people."

Was he hostile to the land? He wanted to see the farmer put on as good a footing as the miner and manufacturer ; but he also wanted to knew in what respect he is on a worse footing ? Not in respect of local burdens; Mr. Disraeli now says that is all nonseuee. What did those who talked so much of hostility to the land get in return from their friends, who had fed them with promises for these six years ? Ile defended himself from the charge of being ambitious at the expense of the laud. "If I have an am- bition, it is that, having served you faithfully, when age or other reasons may incapacitate me, I may withdraw from the fray of polities, may sheathe my sword and hang my shield upon the wall, and may with a good oesseierice bow my head and say, ' With God's help, I have been able to do some little service to my country.'" (Great cheering.)

A meeting of Norfolk farmers, held on Saturday at 'Norwich, resolved that "it is desirable for farmers to waive all diet 00$1008 of opinion, and exert themselves to obtain the repeal of the ditties on malt and hops." Mr. Edmund Wodehouse, 31.P., rather scandalized his auditors by op-

posing the resolution, on the ground that he wished to continue the "pro- hibition of foreign malt." The farmers were willing to give up the pro- tection in exchange for the abrogation of the excise.

The steam potentates have fraternized at Southampton. A short time ago, the General Screw Steam-ship Company removed from Plymouth as their point of departure, to Southampton ; and to celebrate this accession "the merchants and traders of the port" resolved to give a banquet to the directors of this company, and invited the directors of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam-packet Company, the Australian Royal Mail Packet Company, and the South-western Railway Company, to meet them. This event took place on Wednesday ; the Mayor in the chair ; and the Mem- bers for Southampton, the Sheriffs of London, and Mr. Croskey the Ame- rican Consul at the port, being guests. After the loyal toasts, the Attor- ney-General responded for "Her Majesty's Ministers " ; Captain Austen and Lord George Lennox for "The Navy and Army " ; and Sir E. Buller for "The Lord-Lieutenant and the County Magistracy." The Mayor, Mr. Lankester, then proposed the "General Screw Steam-ship Com- pany," coupling it with the name of Mr. Richard Maxwell Fox, M.P. Mr. Fox said that Southampton had been selected because it marched most with the requirements of the times. An American who visited the Falls of Niagara gave expression to his feelings in these words—" Mighty river, go ahead' : so would he say to Southampton Water. Mr. Richard Andrews proposed the "Peninsular and Oriental Steam Company " ; and styled Southampton the Liverpool of the South. The "Royal Mail Steam Navigation Company" next shared the honours of the evening ; followed by the "Ocean Steam Navigation Company." Mr. Croskey responded to this.

Replying to the hope expressed by the proposer that the closest friendship would ever continue between England and the United States, Mr. Croskey said, that all the American people wanted to know was whether the feeling were true and genuine : if it were, they would respond to it; but while some journalists magnified their little faults into molehills, they could not be satisfied that it was genuine. Let England be to America what the father is to the child, and they would respond with all the affection of a child. "As from the port of Southampton the Mayflower went with the first 01- grime to the New World, so it was to Southampton that the first American steamer came across the Atlantic." He recommended the establishment of cotton-mills at Southampton, to make her independent [and import Ame- rican produce]. "They talked of being the Liverpool of the South, but at present they were nothing but the Blackwell of London." (" Hear, hear!" and laughter.)

Next a group of companies—the Australasian, the Pacific, the Austra- lian, and the African Steam Navigation Companies—were proposed. Mr. W. Hawes, speaking on behalf of the Australian, advised them to make their port freer, and to provide accommodation for a larger class of steam- ships; not be content with docks for ships of 2000 tons, but for ahips of 6000 tons. The "London and South-western Railway," the "South- ampton Dock Company," the "City of London and Commerce," were other toasts of the night. Mr. W. S. Lindsay stated the remarkable fact, that the rate of freights outwards had increased more than 100 per eent during the last twelve months.

The characteristics of the Manchester banquet given to Mr. Ingersoll last week do not differ much from the previous banquet at Liverpool The personnel, however, was widely different. Instead of the Earl of Derby and the Earl of Sefton, Manchester rejoiced in the countenance of the Bishop of the diocese and Mr. John Bright. Besides the Mayor of Manchester, there were present the Mayors of Wigan, Warrington, and Ashton-under-Lyne ; Mr. Thomas Bazley, President of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce and Mr. J. A. Turner, the President of the Man- chester Commercial Association. Over one entrance to the Town-hall were displayed the arms and banners of Great Britain, and over the other those of the United States. This did not escape the notice of Mr. Ingersoll ; who hoped that "those two flags would long continue united together in peace and amity." Mr. Ingersoll was instructive on the sub- ject of education. He told how two years ago there were 4,000,000 of persons going through a course of education in the public schools of the Union ; and how in Philadelphia there are "50,000 poor individuals at this moment who are educated in those public schools without any cost to the parents." He also instanced the Gerard College for poor orphans, in the same city ; and the houses of refuge, where juvenile criminals are taught useful trades. He enlarged on the advantages of peace ; and hoped that his country and ours would continue—in everything com- patible with the nature of their different institutions and laws, having a common literature and language, and their love of liberty equally strong in both nations—to remain, subject to those circumstances of difference, one and indivisible.

The Bishop of Manchester, in replying to the toast of "the Bishop," took leave to extend the terms of the toast to its widest and most catholic limits. Alluding to the recent remonstrance against slavery, he prayed Mr. Ingersoll to tell his countrymen and countrywomen, that if it seemed to breathe a spirit of rebuke, we are deeply sensible that "if there is a build- ing raised in America which ii devoted to unhallowed uses, the foundation of that building, we know, as raised by British hands." In the treat- ment of our criminals, and the organization of factory education, he hoped that we should take a lesson from America; and that she would imitate us in the adoption of Free-trade.

Mr. Bright made a cordial and animated speech, dealing with the topics of irritation existing between the two countries in the most conciliatory tone, especially with reference to reciprocal newspaper criticism. Be was for viewing the institutions and the course of America with a vigilant but friendly eye ; and he was averse from uttering any comment which -would irritate the people of that country. He objected to the interference of over-zealous people here or there. Provoked by the parallel instituted by Lord Derby between the House of Lords and the Senate of the United States, he protested against it, and said he should not have noticed it had not Lord Derby "endeavoured to persuade the people of England, that in their House of Lords they have an assembly of equal wisdom, equal character, equal patriotism, and equal durability with the august Senate of the United States of America." He referred to the fact that in one State the widest suffrage, vote by ballot, and public education, had existed for 220 years and that in Baltimore there had always existed the freest religious liberty.

Birmingham proposes to follow in the wake of Liverpool and Manches- tur in feting Mr. Ingersoll. The merchants and manufacturers have re-

solved to invite the American Minister to a public dinner during his short stay next week with Lord Calthorpe, at Perry Hall.

At a meeting of deputations from Boards of Guardians, held at Manchester on Monday last, the following resolution was agreed to- " That the several districts and unions represented at this meeting, as well as the country generally, be requested to petition Parliament immediately to withdraw from the Poor-law Board the unconstitutional power now ex- ercised by it of making laws ; which power only belongs to Parliament itself, and this power Parliament has no right to delegate." Sir John Trollope amended his prohibitory order of the '25th August ; but as this is not held to be satisfactory, a deputation will wait on Mr. Baines to urge the total repeal of the order.

Resolutions approving of Ocean PennyPostage-were passed at a meet- ing at Birmingham on Monday. The principal speaker was Mr, Elihu Burritt.

The subjoined account of the new works for town-drainage and water- supply at Castle Barnard, in Durham county, under the Public Health Act, furnishes an instructive and encouraging instance of success at- tained by a small body of men in carrying out that which has commonly been assumed to require great professional skill and large capital.

"The public works of drainage and water-supply for this town having been completed, were inspected on Tuesday last by two of the Commissioners of the General Board of Health, namely, Edwin Chadwick, Esq., and Dr. Southwood Smith. The Commissioners, accompanied by the Chairman, members, and officers of the Local Board of Health, visited the outfall of the sewage, and inspected the works in various localities of the town, but parti- cularly in the former seats of cholera, fever, and other epidemic diseases ; questioning the inhabitants as to their present state of health, and compara- tive comfort ; who were unanimous in their appreciation of the blessings of the change which they have experienced. From the report of the Local Board presented to the Commissioners it appears' that, in accordance with the recommendations of the General Board, they have rejected the water of the Tees which flows at the foot of the town' and have sought a supply of purer and softer water six miles off; wherethey have found an unfailing source of water, not exceeding three degrees of hardness, clear, sparkling, cool, grateful to the taste, and in all respects admirably fitted for domestic and manufacturing purposes. This water is conveyed from its source by an eduction pipe of earthenware of nine inches in diame- ter, through a large tract of country, to an eminence about a mile from the town ; where it is discharged into a covered reservoir, and from thence brought to the town in iron pipes of seven inches internal diameter ; so that the water is never for a moment exposed to the light from the time it bubbles up from the spring in which it rises, until it issues from the supply- tap in the house of the consumer. The mains and sub-mains of the sewer- age works are of tubular impermeable earthenware, of diameters varying from six to fifteen inches, jointed with cement and embedded in,puddle. The total cost for a cottage tenement for the whole of the works of water service, drainage, and water-closet, in substitution of the privy and cesspool, is nd. per week ; but the rates have been so arranged, that of this 2id. per week only about lid. will be paid by the tenant. The cost of draining the town with brick sewers upon the old system would not have been less than 4000/. upon the very lowest estimate. The -cost of the application of the ack—that is, of obtaining the necessary legal powers for the execution of the works, including a second inquiry for altering the boundaries of the district, which relieved the house-property from a large por- tion of the burden of the outlying highways, and the land from contribution to the general district rate,—was 1161.; whereas the cost of an act of Parliament would not have been less than 2000/. Already the inhabitants have availed themselves of the water-supply almost universally over the whole town.; but the Local Board have still to complete the connexion of the house-drams with the public sewers in many of the houses • to abolish numerous privies and cesspools ; to provide con- venient and safe receptacles for house-refuse ; and to devise and carry into effect the means of its periodical and quick removal, as well as for its profit- able application to agricultural purposes. The Local Board, however, justly con- sider that they have now laid the foundation for a thorough improvement of the town, and for placing it in a condition, as far as sanitary means avail, for securing the health and happiness of its inhabitants. The experience of this town affords another proof that the Public Health Act is capable of accom- plishing its object at a cost which, taking all existing charges together, is absolutely in diminution of such charges; and the example is the more valuable as it shows that there is no insuperable obstacle in the way of ameliorating the sanitary condition of our villages and smaller towns, (the population of Barnard Castle being little more than five thousand souls,) but that even these small communities may by their own exertions secure to themselves the most complete and efficient sanitary arrangements."

The inquest on the persons killed by the collision between two trains near Oxford was resumed on Tuesday. A good deal of the evidence was contra- dictory, more especially with regard to the conduct of Kinch, the guard. In answer to a question, Captain Bruveres said it was not necessary to employ. a pilot-engine in working a single "line only; if the telegraph was in opera- tion on the railway. Lee, driver of a coal-engine, said the train was twenty minutes late in starting from Bletchley. After the collision, Kinch said to him—" We were deceived ; we thought that when the ballast-train arrived it was the coal-train, and I said, 'All right, Jack, let us go.' " A policeman on the Great Western Railway, stationed close to the North-western line, said that there was no lamp on the first coal-engine : if there had been, he would have seen it in time to signal the passenger-train to stop. But other witnesses positively contradicted this statement: there was a green light on the buffer of the engine. Joseph Kinch, guard of the passenger-train, gave this account of the cause of the collision— Mr. Blott, the station-master, came to me on the station, and told me the coal-train had left Islipmearly half an hour. He said we could not go till the coal-train arrived. He then went into his office, without saying anything more. I did not see Mr. Blott again before the train started. Mr. Blott did not., to the beat of my recollection, say that if the coal-train was sighted I might go on. In the course of two or three minutes after I saw Mr. Blott, I went to the driver, Tarry, and told him that Mr. Blott had in- formed me the coal-train had left Islip nearly half an hour, and that we could not go till it came in. I had hold of the hand-rails of the engine and stood on the step of the platform at the time I was talking to Tarry. I did not get on the engine at all. This was after Hayes had looked at the tickets. I then walked down the platform towards the break. I was not speaking to Tarry more than a minute. I looked back towards the swing-bridge signal as I went aft to my break. I looked to see if the signal was turned off. The red signal was on at the bridge. It is my duty not to start a train while that red signal is shown. I again went to Tarry at the engine, but did not get on it, and asked him for his tickets, which I am in the habit of making out for him, as he is no scholar. The tickets are of arrival and departure, and he said he would give 'them to me in the morning ; and as I got off the steps I said, All right.' He quite understood me, that when I paid 'All right,' I referred to the tickets. The red signal was then on. I walked towards my

break, and had not been there more than a minute or a minute and a half when he opened his whistle and started. I was then on the platform, and I imme- diately got into my van. I had notgiven any directions for starting. I did not put on my break till I found he was going ahead ; for I did not know whether he was or not drawing ahead to attach something to the train." As soon as he discovered that it was the ballast-train that had come in he did all he could to attract the attention of his driver, and screwed down his break. He saw the coal-train a mile ahead. He did not recollect distinctly what he said to any one after the collision. He swore that he did not tell Tarry to go on, and that he never started a train without whistling as a signal. [Last week, a witness gave evidence contrary to this last asseveration.]

Ellister, a policeman, Carrier, an engine-driver and Watts, breaksman, all orrobomt!ed what had been stated before, that 'Kinch, after the accident, admitted that he did start the train. Ellister deposed—" Mr. Blott asked him 'How he came to start, and what orders he had received ?' He said-to Mr. Blott, You told me that the coal-train had started twenty-five minutes or half an hour, and that when she came in sight I could start' ; and %inch added, I saw an engine coming in, and I said to Jack, "She's in—put on the whistle—she's all right—go on " - and I saw the green light from the signal. Shortly after I saw the ballast-engine Fairy, and I immediately put on the break, and held it till the collision took place.'" These three wit- nesses all "thought" that 'Cinch knew what be PM about when he made these admissions, though he was " flurried " and low-spirited.

Many witnesses were called on behalf of Kinch, to prove that he was in such a state after the accident that he did not know what he was about. They stated positively that he was unconscious of the meaning of what be said; he was in a " delirium" ; he talked "quite incoherently "; he was "very confused"; he had "gone off his head " ; he spoke quite in a childish way,"—these and similar terms were employed by the witnesses to express the man's condition. The investigation was adjourned till Monday.

A powerful locomotive engine has been ;blown to pieces by the explosion of the boiler' shortly after leaving Bristol for Birmingham with a heavy goods-train. The tram was unable to ascend an incline, from the greasy state of the rails ; the driver and stoker got down from the engine to apply pieces of timber as breaks to the wheels of the tender ; and their prompt at- tention to this duty saved their lives, as they could hardly have escaped destruction had they been on the locomotive. The cause of the explosion is a mystery.

The inquest on the ten miners who perished by the explosion in Elseear colliery terminated with a verdict of "Accidental death" ; and the Jury recommended that certain suggestions by the Government Inspector as to the discipline and general management of the pit be forthwith carried out. The evidence showed that the first account of the cause of the disaster was correct—it arose from the neglect and misconduct of some of the workers : one left a trap-door open, the ventilation was disturbed, and fire-damp accu- mulated; when the door was closed again, the gas was driven through the galleries. The pit was worked with safety-lamps alone, as it is a " fiery " one; if the men had kept their lamps properly, there would doubtless have been no explosion ; but one at least had rashly removed the top of his lamp, and the gas took fire at the flame.

Mr. Eden, a young gentleman of eighteen, eldest son of Colonel Eden, Governor of Bermuda, has been accidentally killed by a friend, Mr. Waltham, son of Sir John Walsham, while shooting at Rattlesden. Mr. Walsham's gun went off as he was endeavouring to uncock it, and the contents shot away a portion of the calf of Mr. Eden's leg ; there was an immense hiemorrhage ; and the youth died at night, before there had been a favourable reaction to enable the surgeons to amputate the limb.

Repeated incendiary fires have lately broken out at Olney, near Newport Pagnell. On Christmas-eve a barley-stack was destroyed. On New-Year's- eve, a large barn in the centre of the place was burnt down : nine fat bul- locks, and a number of sheep and pigs, were consumed in the flames. Next night, attempts were made to burn houses by thrusting lighted matches and paper under the thatch : fortunately, the villany was quickly discovered. But on the following day, many houses, cottages, and other buildings, were burnt down. Two men were found dead in the ruins, a wall having fallen upon them. As yet the incendiary has escaped detection.

Alfred Waddington, a young man of twenty, has been hanged at York for the murder of his illegitimate infant at Sheffield. He first cut the child's head off with a knife, and afterwards attempted to destroy the mother. At- tempts had been made to obtain a commutation of the sentence, on the ground that Waddington, having hint his head when a child, was not al- ways master of his actions; but the Judge who tried him saw no reason to spare his life.

Barbour, who was convicted of killing Robison, was to have been hanged last Saturday ; but he was respited for a week, in order that he might, if pos- sible, substantiate statements which he had made about the crime, in which he pretended that his friend M'Cormack was the real murderer. The Home Secretary directed the Sheffield Magistrates to investigate the case. The careful and lengthy examination of M'Cormack and many other wit- nesses by the Magistrates of Sheffield has clearly proved the falsehood of Barboues " confession " : the result is considered to have made the man's own guilt only more clear. For instance, he said M'Cormack had hidden the pistol which " cooked Robison's goose," in a certain wall : it was found there : but Barbour was seen near the place on the Sunday morning, alone. In his confession he pretends that he accompanied M'Cormack.

At the Hull Sessions, Alfred Thomas Wood, a man of colour, has been con- victed of fraudulently obtaining money. He pretended that be, as minister of a chapel in Monrovia, the capital of Liberia, had been sent to England to collect funds ; and he exhibited papers to prove his statement. Ile got sub- scriptions. The tale and the papers were false. Wood, however, had been i a minter of religion at Monrovia. He told one of his dupes that George Harris and his wife, and Cassy—characters in Uncle Tom's Cabin—had safely arrived in Liberia! He was sentenced to eighteen months' imprisonment.

Edward Gray, an Irishman extorted one pound from the servant of the Reverend Mr. Clark on the false pretence that he was agent to the Newcastle Deaf and Dumb Asylum. He wrote what he wanted with a piece of chalk- " he was deaf and dumb." The prisoner kept up his sham of being deaf and dumb while in the custody of the constable and during h ex-

amination before the Magistrates ; but after ' his

was committed to gaol for trial, his imposture was ingeniously detected. He is a man about five feet three inches, and a hot bath about seven feet in depth was prepared for him : it was made sufficiently warm, and he was ordered to strip and go in. Little thinking it was so deep, he plunged in souse overhead ; and, on coming to the Surfa,c.e roared for assistance, in a fine mellow voice, tipped with the true Irish brogue, 'very much to the amusement of the gaolers, and to the Court when it was related in evidence at the Quarter-Sessions. The impostor vies found guilty, and sentenced to seven years' transportation.

A publican of Twickenham appeared before the Brentford Magistrates at the summons of an Inspector of Weights and Measures, charged with sell- ing beer in "pint" and " quart " bottles which were not of the "imperial measure." The Magistrates decided, that as hundreds of people with their eyes wide open are in the habit of purchasing these bottles, well knowing that they do not contain the full measure, they would not convict the de-

fendant : the agents of the brewers who supply the publicans are the par- ties in fault, if any. They dismissed the information.

Mr. Robert Hicks, a medical practitioner of Toddington in Bedfordahire, was called in to attend William Ward, a child four years old, for a pain in the knee. Mr. Hicks said he had broken a bone, and he bandaged the leg very tightly ; a gathering resulted, and the child died. At the Coroner's inquest, two surgeons of Luton stated that a post-mortem examination proved that no bone was fractured. On making an incision through the part downwards, a quantity of matter escaped from under the knee, a few inches from the joint. That matter had filtered down through the muscles of the leg. There was no fracture of any bone in the leg. The joint was perfectly free from disease. Judging from appearances, death was caused by the continued pain produced by the bandages, producing pressure and con- gestion of the brain ; and from the evidence they thought the treatment of Mr. Hicks was not judicious. He was committed for trial on a charge of manslaughter.