( 6-4t The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge has submitted

to the Chancellor, Prince Albert, the address of resident members which we last week epitomized, and has added a communication on his ownre- sponsibility ; the spirit of which is exhibited in this extract— "If the proposed plan be persevered in, the Vice-Chancellor can only re- gard with the deepest anxiety and sorrow the future prospect of the Univer- sity. The issuing of a Royal Commission, especially after having been SO earnestly deprecated by so large a number of reaident members of the Senate," will be taken to imply that, in the opinion of her Majesty's Ministers, the governing body of the University are unfit for their position ; and that, ale though possessing the power to adapt the institutions over which they pre- side to the requirements of the age, they want the will or the capacity to do so. Regarded in this point of view, the Vice-Chancellor fears that it will be felt as an affront and an indignity, and as such will be resented. A painful. struggle will in all probability 1114115 which, whatever may be its terming-- lion, will destroy the peace and impair the usefulness of the collegiate bodies, and of the University at large, for many years to come, and will inevitably create, in the _minds of a large body of educated men, a permanent feeling of distrust .in the wisdom and generosity of the Government of the eountry,. and a spirit of resistance to its authority and influence.

" The Vice-Chancellor begs to be forgiven for expressing himself thus. frankly, and for adding his earnest hope, that after all those difficulties and objections have been stated, her Majesty's Ministers may be induced to -re- , consider their determination."

The Protectionists of the Stanhope school held a meeting towards the en& of last week, at Wallingford in Berkshire. Mr, Robert Palmer and Lord, Barrington, two of the County Members, were present; but the SetradarA: which reports the meeting, says only that they adhered to the principles of protection: on the other hand; letters of excuse were read from Mr. Philip: Pusey, and from Mr. Blackstone„ one of the earliest though the least. violent of the few Protectionists who opposed Sir Robert Peers commer- cial reforms. Mr. Paul Foakett, Mr. Ereshfield, and-Mr. Albert Smith, were "invited to be present" ; and the two former were, with Earl- Stanhope, the principal speakers.

The accounts from the iron districts are still cheerless. It is reported that all the workmen in Wales have been obliged to-submit to a reduction of 5 per oent on their wages. As numbers of men in England and Scot- land are "on strike," and many furnaces are "blown out," of course the. present make of iron is greatly reduced:; and this will probably cause an improvement in price and wages after a little time.

Many fires are reported in the provinces,—at Donington, near Stow-in-the Weld; Darlington ; Downbury in Kent ; Finchingfleld in Essex; Enshain; Cropwell Butler, Notts; Winfreth and West Burton in Dorset, three firea; and at the seat of Mr. Holland, Plas Penrhyn, North Wales. All are aa- oribed to incendiaries, and in several eases on more than the, usual vague suspicions. At Downhury, a young man confessed his guilt, and has been sent to prison ; at Enshiun, the culprit was a tramp, and he also admitted his crime. At Plas Penrhyn, combustibles were found about the premises.. The fires in Dorset were at a dairy, a policeman's cottage, and a stack-yard. The Policeman had been very active in endeavouring to discover who fined, . the dairy ; at night, when the officer was in bed, his own house was fired, and he and,his wife had a narrow escape with their lives, the place hay.ing, been entirely consumed. In this case, suspicion fell on Brine and Bownng, two idle characters; and after examination by the. Wareham Magisirates,. they were committed for trial.

John Morgan, a small shopkeeper of Rattiesden in Suffolk, has been com- mitted for trial on a charge of firing a straw-stack in a farm-yard. His own' admissions, as well as the evidence of many witnesses, fixed the crime en him. The man had hitherto been of irreproachable character, and had no- motive for his act ; it would seem to have been perpetrated under some aberration of mind—" it appeared to him he must do something to get out of the country," he said. It seemed as if I was bound to do the deed: r was led straight from my bed to-the place: I had no malice against any per- son."

At the Essex Quarter-Sessions, held at Chelmsford last-week, Joseph Bore-: ham,. a farmer, and Ann his wife, were put on their trial for -assaulting and- floggmg Mira Atkins, a girl taken from the Billericay Workhouse as servant" The pnsouers made the girl strip ; the master beat her with his hand, and

then the woman flogged her with a riding-whip : o wounds were found on the back, from many of which blood had wed. The couple pleaded inflicted by the advioe of their counsel.; who expressed their regret for the violence nflicted in a moment of anger at the girl's misconduct : if judgment were respited, they av-seld make ample reparation to the girl. The Ghardians, however, left the matter to the Magistrates, refining any com-

• The Bench inflicted a fine of 501. ;. expressing a hope that the y would award some of it to the poor girL The money was paid. Thomas Corlett, a man who recently returned to Ballaugh in the Isle of Man, aftera long absence in America, has murdered a youth with a " gorse bask," which the boy had been sent to borrow from Corlett. The assassin seems to be insane : he expresses the greatest longing to be hanged, and says he had no enmity towards his victim.

Mr. Augustus Holman, .and hisson, Mr. Joseph Holman, cloth-manufacturers in Leeds, were arrested on Friday sennight one.harges of forging and uttering two acceptances, one for 390/., the other for 330/. After a brief examination by, the Magistrates, they were remanded. The accused have hitherto been much respected, and the case has excited not a little surprise.

A party of ladies and gentlemen left Manchester to spend the Whitsuntide holydays at Morecombe Bay. On Friday sennight, the whole party, ten in number, with two servants, crossed the bay in a boat, to Grange. Five ladies and two gentlemen returned over the sands; but the other-three gen- tlemen attempted to recross the water late at night. They had to pass some distance over the sand to gain the boat ; the tide rose upon them ; they were soon surrounded by water, and all perished ; their cries, heard by two men at least, having brought no aid. The sufferers were, Mr. North, son of a Itmd-agent, who was of the party, but returned over the sands ; Mr. Alfred Coates, son of a retired cotton-merchant; Mr. Porter ; and the two men- servants.

Scrivener, a blark'smith of Bradfield, near Manningtree, has met his death under very melancholy circumstances. A brother blacksmith was just mar- riodt and Scrivener was preparing to celebrate the event in the usual way by " Snag the anvil,"--explog gunpowder in one of the recesses of the anvil. He had put the powder in the hole, when it suddenly blew up, and drove the handleof a large. hammer which the man had in his hand completely through his body.

A fine young soldier has been killed on Sauthsea Common, while assisting to roll the exercise-ground with a roller heavily mounted with shot : he fell down, the penderons,roller went over his body, and crushed his head com- pletely flat.

A daughter of Mr. Everson, a farmer living near Shoiebam, has been ac- cidentally shot dead by her brother ; a pistol having gone off as he was in the act of laying it clown.

Pritoher, a seaman of the Queen's ship Otter, has been found drowned in the Medway. It is supposed.that he fell into the river during a fit of som- nambulism: Three months ago, his brother lost his life at Ilolyhead under similar circumstances. Both were sleep-walkers.

A woman has died at Aberford, near Leeds, from taking a medicine con- taining prustio acid. The prescription was sent to a druggist's in Leeds ; an apprentine made up the medicine, and he put in too much of the acid. The verdict of the Coroner's Jury was, "Died from having taken an over- dose of prussic acid" ; and the Coroner reprimanded the Apprentice.

A very destructive fire has occurred at the Great Western-Cotton-works at Bristol; the second within a few months. Property worth 5,0001. or 6,000/. was consumed.; and as the mill must atop working for a tame, two thousand people will be threaten out of employment.