'ire li3robinces.

The Hebdomadal Board of Oxford University came to a decision, on Friday, on the case of the Reverend William George Ward, M.A., of Balliol College. First, the Board set forth that Mr. Ward " is noto- riously reputed and believed throughout this University" to be the au- thor of a book entitled " The Ideal of a Christian Church Considered," which contains the following passages— P. 45 (note).—" I know no single movement in the Church, except Arian- ism in the fourth century, which seems to me so wholly destitute of all claims on our sympathy and regard as the English Reformation." P. 473.—" For my own part, I think it would not be right to conceal, indeed I am anxious openly to express, my own most firm and undoubting conviction, that were we as a Church to pursue such a line of conduct as has been here sketched, in proportion as we did so, we should be taught from above to discern sad appreciate the plain marks of Divine wisdom and authority in the Roman Church, to repent in sorrow and bitterness of heart our great sin in deserting her communion, and to sue humbly at her feet for pardon and restoration." P. 68.—" That the phrase teaching of the Prayer-Book' conveys a de- finite and important meaning, I do not deny. Considering that it is mainly a selection from the Breviary, it is not surprising that the Prayer-Book should, on the whole, breathe an uniform, most edifying, deeply orthodox spirit—a spirit which corresponds to one particular body of doctrine, and not to its con- tradictory. Again, that the phrase teaching of the Articles' conveys a de- finite meaning, I cannot deny; for (excepting the first five, which belong to the old theology) they also breathe an uniform intelligible spirit. But then, these respective spirits are not different merely, but absolutely contradictory. As well could a student in the Heathen schools have imbibed at once the Stoic and the Epicurean philosophies, as could a humble member of our Church at the present time learn his creed both from Prayer-book and Articles. This I set out at length in two pamphlets, with an appendix, which I published three years ago ; and it cannot therefore be necessary to go again over the same ground; though something must be added, occasionally in notes, and more methodically in a future chapter. The manner in which the dry wording of the Articles can bedivoreed from their natural spirit and accepted by an ortho- dox believer—how their prima facie meaning is evaded, and the artifice of their inventors thrown back in recoil on themselves—this, and the arguments which prove the honesty of this, have now been for some time before the public."

P. 100 (note).—" In my pamphlets, three years since, I distinctly charged the Reformers with fully tolerating the absence from the Articles of any real Anti-Roman determination, so only they were allowed to preserve an apparent one; a charge which I here beg as distinctly to repeat."

P. 479.—" Our 12th Article is as plain as words can make it on the Evan- gelical' side (observe in particular the word necessarily '): of course, I think its natural meaning may be explained away, for I subscribe it myself in a non- natural sense."

P. 565.—" We fled, oh most joyful, moat wonderful, most unexpected sight ! we find the whole cycle of Roman doctrine gradually possessing num- bers of English Churchmen." P. 567.—" Three years have passed since I said plainly, that in subscribing the Articles I renounce no one Roman doctrine." 47"Sai These passages appear to be inconsistent with the Thirty-nine Articles, which Mr. Ward has subscribed ; and therefore, the following propositions will be submitted to a Convocation, to be holden on the 13th of February next ; when the passages cited above will be read- " That the passages now read from the book entitled The Ideal of a Christian Church Considered are utterly inconsistent with the Articles of Religion of the Church of England, and with the declaration in respect of those Articles made and subscribed by William George Ward previously and in order to his being admitted to the degrees of B.A. and M.A. respectively, and with the good faith of him, the said William George Ward, in respect of such declaration and sub- scription.

" Before the question 'Placetne, &c.,' is put, the Vice-Chancellor will give Mr. Ward an opportunity of answering to the charge of having published such passages so inconsistent as aforesaid. " If this proposition is affirmed, the following proposition o ill be submitted to the House—' That the said William George Ward has disentitled himself to the rights and privileges conveyed by the said degrees, and is hereby degraded from the said degrees of B.A. and M.A. respectively.' " Before the question ' Placetne, &c.,' is put, the Vice-Chancellor will give Mr. Ward an opportunity of stating any grounds he may have for showing that he should not be:degraded." At the same Convocation will be proposed an alteration in the statutes requiring the person subscribing the Thirty-nine Articles to make a declaration that he does so in their plain sense.

On Saturday, Mr. Ward addressed a letter to the Vice-Chancellor, giving reasons for withholding the avowal of the authorship at the meet- ing of the Board on the 3d instant. The primary reason was, that in the recent case of Dr. Pusey it was held, " that in an academical pro- ceeding against a preacher accused of unsound doctrine, it was not ne- cessary or convenient to follow the ordinary forms of justice ; and parti- cularly that the person accused was not entitled to be heard before his judges in his own defence." He did not know what use might be made of his admission. Now, however, that he knows the course of proceed- ings intended, there is no longer reason for reserve, and he avows him- self the author of the work.

Mr. Ward has also written a letter to the members of Convocation, claiming at their hands, as a matter of the plainest and most imperative justice, not to promise their vote, or form any definitivejudgment, until it shall have had an opportunity of carefully weighing what may be said against the measure. More parishes of Exeter have met and protested against the restora- tions of the Rubric ordered by Bishop Phillpotts,—namely, the parishes of St. Thomas the Apostle, St. Olave's Allhallows, St. Stephen's, St. David's. The united parish of St. Sidwell's and St. James's have taken a further step : by a majority of 120 to 4 a letter has been addressed to the Bishop, signed by the Churchwardens in the name of the parish, re- spectfully but earnestly entreating him not to enforce the directions of his pastoral circular to the clergy. The parish of Tavistock have agreed to some strong controversial resolutions against the Bishop of Exeter's pastoral letter.

Dr. Pusey has published a letter, intimating that he could not sign the Thirty-nine Articles with their new restriction, even should his re- fusal result in his removal from the University. The Articles, he says, are now required to be " a certain and indubitable token of opinion "; which they have never been, as they have included both High and Low Church. The " new test " " restrains that liberty which Laud won for us."

The citizens of Liverpool entertained Sir Henry Pottinger on Tues- day, in magnificent style. He arrived there on Monday, accompanied by Lady Pottinger, Miss Pottinger, and two fine boys, his sons. In the Town-hall, on Tuesday, he met the Mayor of Liverpool and two numerous deputations, one from the East India and China Association, and the other from the United Commercial Association ; both of whom presented congratulatory and encomiastic addresses. The second de- putation represented jointly the East India and China, West India, Shipowners, Brokers, Levant and Mediterranean, African, Mexican and South American, and North American Associations, and the American Chamber of Commerce. A list of subscribers for a testimonial was then presented to Sir Henry, with the intimation that they desired to consult his wishes as to the nature of the testimonial. Sir Henry after- wards visited the Exchange, where he was very cordially received.

On Tuesday evening a sumptuous banquet was served in the ball- room of the Town-hall, for about four hundred guests. The Mayor of Liverpool presided, with Sir Henry Pottinger on his right hand; near him were Viscount Sandon, Lord Stanley, Mr. Wilson Patten, M.P., Mr. Entwistle, Sir George Larpent, Major Pottinger, Mr. Frederick Pottinger, Colonel Malcolm, and Mohan Lal, Sir Alexander Burnes's moonshee. The usual toasts having been duly honoured, the Chair- man, with a suitable introduction, proposed "The health of Sir Henry Pottinger, G.C.B., whose sagacious, enlightened, and successful policy has opened up a new world to British enterprise and capital." The whole assemblage rose and cheered for some minutes. In his reply, Sir Henry Pottinger described the spirit in which he accepted the post of Envoy to China, and in which he was met by the Chinese- " I proceeded there not with any determination of forcing upon the Chinese any terms disagreeable to them, after a great object of the operations had been accomplished by the perfect success of her Majesty's arms; but I went rather with a determination to act after that triumph as an umpire between the two nations: and I have the 'pleasure of stating, that I found those attached to the mission in China who fully concurred in my views. And I had alm the happi- seas to be met with a corresponding feeling by the Chinese High Comma- goner, Ke-Ing; than whom, I believe, there does not exist an individual with more statesmanlike views in any country in the world; a man feelingly con- scious of all the amenities of life, and particularly alive to that feeling which actuated and influenced those negotiations and characterized his conduct throughout. I could, if it were admissible in such a society and on such an occasion, relate to you instances of Ke-Ing's conduct as would astonish you ; and I trust that on some future occasion her Majesty's Government will—if it were only to do him and the Chinese character generally justice— make his despatches and letters public." One great point which had been remarked in the treaty was the throwing open the trade with China to all other nations to the same extent as with us. " The moment that I explained to the High Commissioner Ke-Ing the great advantages which must follow from such a provision in the treaty which I had the honour of conducting— advantages to China and to all other nations affected by it—he immediately concurred in my views and cooperated with my exertions ; and did me the honour of requesting, that in case of any unforeseen difficulty arising in future between China and those other European nations, I might act as the mediator between them, as the representative of England." He had been afraid to propose the bonding system, lest the Chinese should dissent ; but they have since agreed to it, and he was delighted to hear that it was included in the treaty with America.

He gave some advice respecting the intercourse with China-

" We should remember that the Chinese have been, as we are led to under- stand, for a period of three or four thousand years totally secluded within themselves; that they may not, consequently, be able so soon to understand ns ; and we should also recollect that a mere treaty is not of itself sufficient to cause them all at once to change their habits or relinquish their usages. I am satisfied of this, however, from all I saw amongst them whilst in China, that if treated with kindness oy England and other European nations that may re- sort to China, they will in due time, with God's blessing, enter into all our social feelings as perfectly as other nations, and participate as fully in that friendly intercourse which is so desirable between man and man." He urged his hearers to impress upon those who go to China the necessity of studying kindness and conciliation, especially towards the lower classes of that empire. " One of the first great objects we ought to have in view, and which should be impressed upon those who repair to China in charge of your ships and mer- chandise, is the conciliation of the lower classes of the Chinese : and the im- portance of this point will be best understood by the opinion of one of the Chinese themselves. To revert to the High Commissioner Ke-log, I shall give you his enlightened opinion as to the necessity of this conciliatory conduct towards the lower classes in China. In one of his beautiful letters, to which I have before alluded, be says—' The lower class of our people are prone to ill- treat those who are dissolute in their conduct and inclined to excesses ; and your sailors, particularly the Black sailors, (in our Indian vessels.) are inclined to get drunk. Pray have this put a atop to; lest again getting drunk, they go ashore, and are ill-treated, and lest we should thus acquire a bad name.' Now, gentle- men, when I tell you that these are the expressions and the feelings of the highest person in China I had any communication with—for Ke-Ing is a blood relation of the Emperor, and one of the first-class Mandarins—I am sure you will not think that I am going out of the way when I call upon you, be- fore your ships leave the shores of England, to impress on those proceeding on board how necessary it is to be kind and conciliatory to the people whom we want by degrees to induce into more familiar intercourse." He did not think that the prejudice in China against intercourse with foreign nations arose from any religious feeling. " I think that prejudice is of another description alto- gether, and that it arises from a fear in the minds of the Chinese that we might abuse any intercourse with them for political purposes : and when that feeling is once removed, as I trust it soon will, then I have no doubt that -China will be found coming forward, as she ought to do, one of the first nations of the earth. The extent of trade and consumption in China is so very ex- tensive, that if I were to state it some persons would deem it incredible ; and in cotton especially, and manufactures of cotton, the demand will be unlimited. The only question will be as to the returns—as to how the Chinese are to pay for these articles. This is a subject which will necessarily depend very much for its explanation, and a perfect understanding of its bearing, upon time alone ; but in the meanwhile, new demands will be created, and the Chinese people will be taught, I trust, by our conciliation and kindness, to have those new de- mands. These are some of the results which will be produced by the treaty."

The Chairman having proposed " The health of Lord Stanley and her Majesty's Ministers," Lord Stanley paid his tribute to Sir Henry Pottinger, and to the previous Ministry by whom he had been appointed. He strongly backed Sir Henry's caution respecting the intercourse with China, as necessary to work out the whole good derivable from the treaty ; and he made a further statement respecting a point to which Sir Henry Pottinger had alluded-

" He did so with peculiar modesty, abstaining from stating the full share which he had in the transaction, although the merit of it belongs to himself alone. I allude to that decision to which be came : and it is due to him, as I have stated, to say that he acted upon his own responsibility, and without in- structions—not only not to demand exclusive privileges for this country, for that he was instructed upon, but to make it a stipulation in the treaty, that whatever advantages were gained by it in our intercourse should be freely ex- tended to other nations.",

This was a point in the treaty to which all the other speakers alluded in the highest terms of commendation.

A public meeting of merchants, manufacturers, and cotton-spinners, convened by the Mayor, was held at Manchester on Tuesday, to pro- mote the repeal of the duty on cotton-wool. The requisition to call the meeting was signed by 130 firms, and many leading men of Man- chester were present. The Mayor presided. In moving the first reso- lution, declaring the expediency of abolishing the tax, Mr. Robert Hyde Greg adduced several reasons in support of the measure, and dwelt particularly on the increasing competition which the English manufac- turers encounter from the Americans, who have not to pay the duty : the total amount of cotton manufactures exported from the United States in 1823, was 1,763 packages ; in 1834, it was valued at 2,085,000 dol- lars; in 1842, 4,500,000 dollars; and in the circular of Messrs. Jones, Gibson, and Ord, the value for 1843 was estimated at six or seven mil- lion of dollars. The meeting adopted the resolution unanimously, as well as a memorial to the Lords of the Treasury praying for the repeal of the duty; and a deputation was appointed to present and support the memorial.

At a public meeting in Cheltenham Town-hall, on Monday, convened by the Magistrates, and attended by several clergymen, Dissenting ministers, and others, a public subscription was opened to provide em- ployment for the poor.

The Globe reports a mission of labourers in search of work-

" A few days since, a body of labourers in the parish of Boarshall, Bucks, .went to Oving House, the residence of Sir Thomas Digby Aubrey, Bart., he being the owner of a large portion of that parish, to date to him their distress from inability to obtain employment, and their unwillingness to become, with their wives and families, inmates of the poor-house. The men walked about a dozen miles to tell the owner of the soil their distress. It appeared that there were fourteen in want of work. Sir Thomas expressed himself in favour of their having labour found them, and wrote to his steward at Boarshell to that effect. On an inquiry being made as to the labour employed on the land, it appeared that there were nine hundred acres of land in the place, which have but three labourers employed on them."

The case of Mr. Robert Lightfoot, the station-master at Nottingham for the Midland Counties Railway, who was charged with " Man- slaughter " under two verdicts, came before the Nottingham Assize Court on Saturday and Monday. It was prominently alluded to by Mr. Justice Patteson, in his charge to the Grand Jury for the town, on Satur- day, in reference to the verdict of the Coroner's Jury on Mr. Bole- stridge. He said that he had not seen the evidence in the case, but he supposed that it would be the same as that in the case of Dean. Now, much of the evidence admitted by the Coroner was not legal evi- dence at all, and especially against that particular person. It was per- fectly clear that no man was to be indicted or charged with a crime for an error in judgment, if be acted to the best of his ability—he could not be held criminally responsible for a mere mistake. The Judge went over the evidence, and declared that Mr. Lightfoot, who had risked his own person with the rest, would not be guilty of manslaughter merely because he had improperly taken up the notion that a train would come up on the right line. As to Raven, who never left the station, the verdict against him was preposterous. He advised the Grand Jury, if they thought that Mr. Lightfoot acted cautiously and conscientiously, not to find a bill, should one be laid before them. The Grand Jury took that advice, and ignored the bill.

On Monday, Robert Lightfoot and Jonathan Raven, the station-master at Beeston, were arraigned before the Court, for causing the death of James Bolestridge ; and Mr. Lightfoot was also arraigned, for causing the death of John Dean. Mr. Wildman, who held the brief for the prosecution, admitted that there was no case, and declined to produce evidence : on which the Jury, by direction of the Judge, acquitted both the prisoners. The Judge addressed Mr. Lightfoot-

" 1 am quite sure the termination of this prosecution is that which law and justice fully require. I cannot pretend to say there was not an error of judg- ment on your part ; but it is clear every thing that was done by you was done to prevent the mischief taking place which did occur, owing probably to a mis- understanding between you and another person. It seems to me, that every person on a railway, and in almost every other situation in life, would do well not to step out of the strict line of their duties : if you had not done so, this accident might not have occurred. As I understand, it was no part of your duty to have left the Nottingham station at all. That was an error in the first instance; and the second error, if there was any, seems to be this, that although feeling persuaded, and as far as I can judge with very good reason, that the train coming from Nottingham would come on its proper line, and that that line would be free, still you did not wait to make it quite certain at the Bust= station. It would have been better to have waited, as it appears the train com- ing from Nottingham, whichever line it came on, was overdue at Beestonestaw tion; therefore it would have been better had you waited a few minutes: but to say, because a man certainly erred in judgment in a situation of great difficulty, that be is guilty of manslaughter when death occurs, is not correct. I am very glad to hear the account of your good conduct in general that the learned counsel gave of you. I have no doubt it was through an error in judgment this unfortunate mischief took place. You left the station with the best of all possible intentions; certainlythere was no wish on your part to do any harm— on the contrary, your intention was to do as much good as possible ; unfortu- nately, however, the event turned out otherwise."

The prisoners were released, and Mr. Lightfoot left the Court.

Richard Leach, a man belonging to a sawyers' union, has been con- victed at Liverpool of setting fire to a timber-yard at Little Bolton. He had previously attempted to intimidate some sawyers who were at work in the yard, in order to make them leave their employment. He was sentenced to be transported for fifteen years.

At Liverpool, last week, George Evans was found guilty of the mur- der of Mrs. Millen, at Manchester, in August last. The particulars of the murder and the robbery which accompanied it were stated at the time. The evidence against the prisoner was circumstantial, bat as conclusive as such evidence can be. He was condemned to death.

On Monday, Thomas Shaw was tried for the murder of Alice Nolan, at Manchester. They were courting, and had some words while walk- ing one Sunday night in an unfrequented part of the town, she appa- rently refusing to be married to him for six months longer ; and the girl was found immediately after with her throat cut. Shaw returned to her lodgings, and before entering, wounded himself in the throat with a razor, with which it is supposed he killed the woman. A plea of insa- nity was set up for the prisoner. The Jury found him guilty. While the Judge was passing judgment on him, the unhappy man sank back, as if partially insensible, in the arms of the turnkeys. At the close of the sentence, he seemed to wake as it were from a dream, and clinging to the front of the dock, endeavoured to address the Court: but a few hoarse, unintelligible whispers, were all that could be heard; his, tongue refused its office; and he was led half fainting from the dock.

Two young men have been convicted, at Stafford, of the murder of William Cooper, the son of Sir Thomas Boughey's gamekeeper, at Audley, in August last. The culprits were exasperated against the elder Cooper for certain game prosecutions which he had instituted against them. A material part of the evidence against them was a piece of paper which had been used as wadding for the gun, and which corresponded with another piece found at the house of one of the pri- soners.

On Thursday, Jane Railton, John Sheriff, a surgeon's assistant, and James Hildreth, Miss Railton's brother-in-law, a printer, were tried for the murder of a child to which the lady had secretly given birth; but the evidence being inconclusive, all were acquitted. It came out that great hinderance had been offered to their procuring legal aid be- fore committal for trial. Mr. Sheriff had still to be tried on a charge of feloniously procuring premature birth.

Two brothers named Howell, and another man, Israel Shipley, have been tried at Bury St. Edmunds for the murder of M'Fadden, a police- man, at Gisleham, in July last. The policeman surprised the prisonere, while robbing a barn ; they fired, and wounded him so badly that he died some days after. The trial extended over three days, and at its con- clusion the men were found guilty, and condemned to be banged. Brown, a pitman, has been convicted, at Durham, of firing into the house of another pitman, and wounding him ; and has been sentenced to be transported for fifteen years. The outrage originated in the late strike ; the wounded man having refused to cease working at the dicta- tion of other colliers.

Joseph Steadman Maddison, who was convicted at York last week, of embezzlement, has been sentenced to eighteen months' imprisonment with hard labour. Mr. Justice Coleridge said he should have trans- ported him had not the Association which he robbed exhibited con- siderable carelessness in their money-matters.

Mary Gallop, who was convicted at Chester of poisoning her father, has confessed her guilt.

James Crowley, a man of respectable family at Parnell, near Tring, has been arrested at Chester, for a murder committed on Christmas Day in 1842. James, it appears, was so violent in his conduct that his father was obliged to dismiss him from his house; but he gave him a cottage to live in, and allowed him a weekly sum. Still fearing that some desperate deed would be done by his son, Mr. Crowley had one of his labourers sworn in as a special constable for his protection. On Christmas Day, when a large family-party were about to sit down to dine, James Crowley was observed coming towards his father's house with a gun. Tilsley, the labourer-constable, went out to expostulate with him ; when Crowley shot him dead, and made off. He eluded the police, and went to the United States ; in March last he returned ; and he has now been betrayed by a woman in a fit of jealousy. He has made this declaration before the Magistrates at Chester—" I have to say I am guilty of what I should do again tomorrow. I did shoot the man, in open day. I think I did my duty."