16 AUGUST 1834, Page 8

ebt Crittittrta.

It is stated the King will visit Staffordshire in the ccurse of a few days; and that he will be guest of the Earl of Lichfield, at Shag- borough.—Lcaniington Courier.

The election for the Eastern division of Gloucestershire terminated on Tuesday, in the return of Mr. Codrington ; the numbers being— for Codrington, 2770, for Tracy Leigh, 2709. This defeat of the Whig candidate is attributed partly to the start in the canvass gained by Mr. Codrington, and partly to the exercise of Tory intimidation on the voters. The defeated party had rather a strong meeting in their Com- mittee-room at Cheltenham after the result was ascertained, and de- claimed loudly in favour of the Ballot. Mr. Hanbury Tracy, father of Mr. Tracy Leigh, and Member for Tewkesbury, was present, and was pressed warmly to promise his vote in favour of Mr. Grote's motion next session ; but he declined giving any pledge on the Subject. The interference of the Magistracy in favour of the Tory candidate excites much indignation. A serious riot rook place at Stroud on Tuesday, the second day of the polling in that very independent district ; and much injury was done to the George Inn, a Blue or Tory house, in the way of break- ing the windows and damage to the doors. It appears, from the reports in circulation, that the Blue party had hired a set of well-known boxers. The presence of those fellows quite infuriated the electors, whose indignation burst forth in a state of wild and angry disorder. A general attack was made with bricks, &c. on the George Inn with a view of getting at the boxers. The attack was resisted, and brickbats were tlying in showers ; one of which unfortunately struck Mr. Marline, a Magistrate of the county, on the face, and knocked out two of his teeth. The voters ultimately put the boxers hors de combat, by making them take to their heels. The cavalry of the town and of some of the neighbouring districts were called out. The Corporation of Bristol have voted the freedom of that city to Lord Granville Somerset, for his exertions in superintending the pas- sing of the Railroad Bill through the House of Commons. The Marquis of Bristol's noble seat at Ickworth, in Suffolk, which will be one of the most superb edifices in the kingdom, is nearly com- pleted. It was projected by the late Earl of Bristol, Bishop of Derry, who at his death bequeathed ample funds to defray the expense of the building. (This was the famous Bishop who lived so many years in Italy, away from his country and his see, amidst the most gross dissi-

pation.]

It is stated that Dr. Raffles is about to leave his charge at Great George Street Chapel, Liverpool ; having accepted an invitation to succeed the late Reverend Rowland Hill, at Surry Chapel, London.— Liverpool Paper. The ease of Mr. J. R. Stephens was brought before the Wesleyan Conference, sitting in London, on Tuesday last ; when the minutes of the Manchester circuit were confirmed. A resolution was subsequently passed, that Mr. Stephens should be appointed to a circuit, on his giving a pledge to abstain from interfering any further in the matter of the separation of tbe Church from the State. In case the answer from Dir. Stephens should not be received during the sitting of the Confer- ence, the President was authorized to receive the same and act accord- ingly. When the account was despatched, Mr. Stephens's reply had not been received.—Hall Advertiser. [The Methodist Conference are said to be at variance with a numerous portion of the Methodist body on the separation of Church and State.]

The accounts from the hop grounds in Kent are very favourable ; and great improvement is everywhere visible, in consequence of the recent firm weather. In grounds a month since thought hardly worth picking, there will be an average quantity ; all the then backward bine is advancing well at present. Except where there bad been blight, the crop will be quite if not more than an average one.

There is this year a great diminution of Irish labourers employed in getting in the English harvest. This, we trust, augurs well for the state of home labour in Ireland, and restores to the English labourer an advantage which he has been for many past years deprived of. — On Monday afternoon, the inhabitants of the villages near and at Melton 3Iowbray were alarmed at hearing an unusual noise, something like the distant discharge of cannon or the blasting of rocks : by some it was supposed to be a slight shock of an earthquake. At Great Dalhy, it shook the' houses as if the tables and chairs up stairs were falling down. At Twyford, some men were reaping, and they perceived the earth shake under them. At Barkby, a meteor or ball of fire was seen; the noise was distinctly heard at Melton, and the sound was as the fall- ing of several houses.—Lincola Paper.

The number of female foresters in the Rochdale district is upwards of 1,300. In the summer season, scarcely a week passes ir which these females do not hold an anniversary at one public-house or another, either at Rochdale or some of the neighbouring villages. They are generally dressed in green.—Licerpool Mercury.

Grouse are this season most abundant in Yorkshire, the northern counties of England, and in Scotland. The manors on which game is strictly preserved, fur in the north, have been let at higher rents this year than on any former occasion.

The Doncaster Gazette mentions that an extraordinary operation was lately performed by a farrier at Thorne, Yorkshire ; who is said to have made an incision into a horse's stomach, and to have taken out the sole and heel of a shoe ! The horse, it is said, is completely re- covered.

The daughter of a blacksmith, of St. Ives, has for the last two months been voiding needles from various parts of her body; and in one in- stance a needle came from her eye. We are surprised at the cause of this girl putting herself to such torture for no purpose that we can dis- cover, as she makes no profit by it. The story, we hear, is curious : a gipsy called at the door of her mother to sell some needles, and not feeling inclined to purchase any, the woman said, "If you do not buy them, it will be worse for your and the believers seem to be impressed with a conviction that the gipsy had the power of inflicting on this girl a torture that no one would suppose she would willingly submit her- self to.—Stanford News.