Zbe Vrobinces.

The Liverpool Times from personal observation gives a gloomy account of the state of the potato crop, over a tract of country extending for fifty miles along the vallies of the Mersey and the Irwell. This includes some of the finest districts in Lancashire and Cheshire. It is stated that in some fields the tops are entirely withered, as after severe frost, and everywhere they are blackened. The smell of decaying vegetable matter may be perceived in passing every field. Of other descriptions of crop the report is exceedingly favourable.

A public dinner was given to Mr. Bright, MT., at Durham, on Tuesday; the Mayor, Mr. J. Bramwell, presiding. Mr. Bright, in returning thanks, intimated that he would not stand for the representation of the borough again, not wishing to be a party to either the further corruption or further purity of election in Durham.

• At the Gloucester Assizes. on Thursday last week, a long trial was entered upon before Mr. Justice Manic, relative to the claim of John Wood, residing at Brierly Hill, Staffordshire, to inherit, as heir-at-law the real estates of the late James Wood, or Jemmy Wood as he is familiarly called, the Gloucester banker. These estates are of the value of about 100,0001. The personal property of the -deceased had already been appropriated by the decision of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council to the persons named in the will; but the question of right to the real property had been kept open. The plaintiff in the present case at- tempted to make out that he was the lineal descendant of the eldest son of Thomas Wood, the great grandfather of the banker. The case broke down; the Jury, without hearing Mr. Sergeant Talfourd's reply to the case for the defence, declaring that their minds had been long made up that the pedigree was not

ed. It came out daring the trial that a person of the name of Bowen had employed by the plaintiff to get up documentary proof in support of his claim, and that Bowen, in furtherance of the object, bad commenced an extensive system of fraud and forgery in connexion with parish-registers and otherwise. He was detected in the act of tearing out a leaf from the parish-register of Groome D'Abitot, and was transported for the offence. It was discovered from the papers in his possession, that the plaintiff had undertaken to pay Bowen 25,0001. in the event of his succeeding to the property.

I II

The woman and the two men detained in custody on suspicion of havin bee concerned in the murder of Policeman Clarke, at Dagenham, were liberated the Ilford Magistrates on Saturday; the evidence then adduced having tom y exonerated them. The accusation was trumped up by a runaway ship's-appren- tice, apparently that he might obtain food and lodging from the Police.

In consequence of Policeman Butfoy's having communicated to the Commission- ers of Police that the evidence given at the inquest on Clarke by, the Policemen was false, he, three constables, and Sergeant Parsons, were taken into custody CO Monday.

The adjourned inquest was resumed at Dagenham on Thursday. The evidence was of a most extraordinary kind, proving the grossest perjury on the part of the

Police. Four constables, Bntfoy, Farms, Kimpton, and Hickton, all declared that

they had sworn falsely on former occasions with respect to the times when they had seen Sergeant Parsons on duty during the night of the murder. Parsons had directed them to swear that they had seen him at three distinct hours of the night, though they had not: he wrote it down for them: a regular plan of evidence was framed for their guidance; as, said one Policeman, the Sergeant declared " We

are all in a mess, and must stick to the tale." Parsons denied these statements: they were all totally false. He was on duty during the whole night. A sister of the Sergeant said she saw him at the stationhouse writing out a report at midnight. Henry Clements, a hawker of Romford, said he overheard Parsons. say, while reading a paper in a public-house, "Poor fellow ! I wish I hadn't done it, now." Parsons denied having made any such observation. Clements had been suspected of having had something to do with the murder.

The inquiry was again adjourned for three weeks. Parsons and the tour Policemen are under surveillance at Dagenham; their place being supplied by a draft from the H and K divisions.

Thomas Green, a mariner of Hall, having left home one evening, on his return found his wife, an habitual drunkard, lying intoxicated on the stairs. She was-

unable to tell what had become of some money her husband had left with her and in a fit of rage the man beat her, threw her down stairs, and went to bed: on rising in the morning, he found his wife dead. The murderer is in custody.

Sarah Chesman, a married woman living at Mannden, near Newport in Essex, has been committed for trial on a charge of attempting to poison an infant to which she pretended to have taken a great liking, the mother of it being a perfect stranger to her. Two of her own children having died in a very sudden and mysterious manner, the cause of their death is to be investigated.

A man has been killed at Sherborne by drinking cyder which had been boiled in a brass copper, in the process of fining; an acetate of copper having been form- ed during that operation.

A boat, containing three men and a boy, went out to Begbnry Bay, Kingsbridge, in order to meet the Sshing-boats which were employed in the pilchard-fishery, to save time and to strike a good bargain with the fishermen for their fish. The boat was struck by a very heavy sea and dashed to pieces, and the men and boy were all drowned..