23 JUNE 1849, Page 7

Zbe Vrobiatts.

A large county meeting assembled at Leicester last week, and adopted e congratulatory address to the Duke of Rutland on his attaining to the fiftieth year of his Lieutenancy of the county. After an address in terms of affectionate respect had been agreed to, the meeting was constituted to resolve on the mode of expending in a memorial the sum of 1,4001. which had been collected in small sums from residents in the county. A bronze statue was fixed on, to be erected in the market-place of the town, " as et memorial to the good Duke of Rutland, for his sterling worth as a man, great ability in his official capacity, and his earnest desire to benefit all classes, especially the poor stockiugmaker."

Last week, the silk small ware weavers of an extensive firm at Middle- ton waited upon their employers for an advance of wages, and on Friday the masters advanced their rate of payment upwards of ten per cent. We understand that three other firms in Manchester, in the same branch, have also advanced their weavers' wages a similar amount.—Manchester Courier.

The first of the four great iron tubes for the Britannia Bridge over the Menai Straits has been floated to its place. A correspondent supplies us with the following as a strictly accurate account of this interesting ope- ration.

" The operation of floating the first tube of the Britannia Bridge, from the place in which it was constructed to the foot of the towers by which it is at last to be supported, came off on the evening of Wednesday. The preceding evening was the one originally fixed on; bat, a capstan breaking after hauling out a few feet, it was necessary to put off doing more till the following day. The tube was built at a distance from the bridge of about 2,000 feet, and in a position along the shore at right angles to the line of railway. It had therefore, after being borne down by the tide to very near the towers, to be slued round across the stream, and finally adjusted into its place on the projecting shelf of stone at the foot of the piers. These evolutions were accomplished by ropes from capstans and crabs on the two shores and on the Britannia Rock; the men in charge of which were signalled to from the top of the tube. The final adjustment was a very delicate piece of work, as the width of the recess into which the end of the huge mass had to be inserted is only an inch greater than that of the tube itself: however, it was managed with complete success.

" The whole operation occupied exactly one hour and three-quarters; the order to haul out being given at 7.36, and the Anglesey end entering its recess at 9.22. " On the tube with Mr. Stephenson were his two assistants, and Messrs. Brunel and Locke, who acted as his honorary assistants, Captain Claxton, and Sir Francis Head. There was a general gathering of engineers, and a vast con- course of spectators, who lined the shores and platform on both sides of the Straits.

" The raising of the tube through the 100 feet between its present and its ultimate position wilt probably take place in the course of a few days. Its length is 472 feet, height at the centre tower 30, and its weight between 1,700 and 1,800 tons."

Mr. Plumptre, M.P. for East Kent, with his wife, and Mr. and Mrs. Moseley have escaped from a great danger. On the evening of Sunday week, as they were returning from Southborough Church, the fly in which they rode ran against an omnibus, and the driver of the fly was pitched off; Mr. Moseley's servant tumped down to restrain the horse, but fell; and the horse, a blind one, started forward, and plunged down a precipice thirty-three feet below the road. The carriage was broken, and rolled over, but none of the inmates was seriously hurt.

It appeared at the inquest on the man killed by the elephant at Coventry, that the story was not correctly told at first. Two elephants in one compartment be- gan tofight; the deceased went into the den, and pricked one of them with a knife; then the incensed elephant dashed a tusk into the man's body.

The extensive silk-manufactory of Messrs. Williams and Gardom, at Manches- ter, was utterly destroyed by fire on Saturday evening. The loss will be very heavy: there was a large stock of silk on the premises. By this calamity am hundred people have been thrown out of work.