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The death of Lord Raveusworth having removed his son, Mr. Liddell, to the Upper House, the representation of Liverpool is vacant; and party spirit runs high even in the preliminary stages of the contest. The Con- servative candidate is Sir George Bonham, from Singapore ; the Liberal candidate is Att. Swart, who was unsuccessful at the last election.
At a recent in Gloucester, Mr. Sturge and Mr. Bewley, well- known members of the Peace Society, failed in carrying resolutions urging the Government to make peace. The Gloucester folks seem piqued that there should have been any doubt as to their views, and they called upon the Mayor to Stlinmon a pi lslic meeting. This was held on Tues- day ; and, in spite of the renewed exertions of Mr. Sturge, a strong reso- lution was carried urging the Government " to prosecute the war with the utmost vigour and energy, so as to obtain at the earliest period the great objects for which it was. unclertakep." In a second resolution, the mis- fortunes of the army were attributed to our defective commissariat and medical system ; And the system of promotion by purchase was Con- demned
Maidstone Assizes are reputed to have been the scene of an uncommon event-ethe acquittal of a person accused of murder because a juryman had entered the box, resolved not to convict Some weeks back, Mrs. Bacon, an aged lady, was found murdered at Rochester; and her servant-girl, Eliza- beth Avis Laws, who was found with a gash in her throat, alleged that two duatmen had killed her mistress and attacked herself. But all the circum- stances seemed to point to Elizabeth Laws as the assassin : it was thought probable that she had killed her mistress in the kitchen, washed the bloody corpse, and taken it up-stairs to a bedroom, and then cut her own throat, but ineffectually : there was no doubt that she had stolen property belong- ing to Mee. Bacon. The evidence was entirely circumstantial, but very strong in its indications. Mr. Ribton defended the prisoner. He first urged that the girl's story was true; that two robbers had entered the house and murdered Mrs. Ba- con. Feeling, probably, that this line of defence was very weak, he then suggested to the Jury that they might, if they had doubts, convict the pri- soner of manslaughter only—perhaps, after a quarrel, and blows from Mrs. Bacon, the prisoner, in "sudden excitement," had struck her with a chop- per. g•the Jury thought they could reasonably come to this conclusion, they would be justified in acquitting the prisoner of the murder; and for the minor offence she would still be liable to very severe punishment, although her life would be spared; and the town of Maidstone would not have to sustain the disgrace of a public execution, which was an outrage upon every feeling of humanity and civilization.
Mr. Baron Platt directed the Jury that they were bound to return a ver- dict in accordance with the evidence: the case of that man "who refused to perform his duty to his country and his God in the jury-box," by returning a verdict according to the evidence, " was dreadful indeed." In his com- ments on the evidence, he pointed out the strong presumptive proofs of the prisoner's guilt. The Jury could not give a verdict of manslaughter—the prisoner was guilty of murder, or she was innocent.
After an absence of an hour, the Jury delivered this verdict—" We find the prisoner not guilty upon the evidence." Every one was amazed ; but it soon got bruited abroad that one of the Jury was a member of a local Anti- Death-Punishment Association ; that he went into the box determined not to be accessory to the death of a prisoner; and that his fellow jurymen gave way before his resolve. It was further asserted that there had been manceuvering, by challenges, to get this man upon the Jury.
On the following day, a different Jury was empannelled to try Laws for robbing Mrs. Bacon. Mr. Denman, in his opening address for the prosecu- tioh, referred to the rumours about the cause of the previous acquittal for murder. He hoped that what he had heard rumoured upon the subject was not true; but if it were, he could not refrain from expressing his opinion that the town of Maidstone was more polluted by the presence of auch a man than it possibly could be by any public execution, or by any verdict de- clared according to evidence and upon righteous andjust principles. The prisoner offered no defence, and was quickly found guilty. 11.r. Baron Platt sentenced her to be imprisoned for six menthe.
At Stafford Assizes, William Carpenter, an auctioneer of Stafford, was tried for forging the acceptance of George Vaughan to a bill of exchange: At the last Assizes, Clews, a shoe-manufacturer, pleaded guilty to a charge of forgery, and; was sentenced to be transported. Clews was now brought up to give evidence against Carpenter. From his statement, corroborated in most particulars by other testimony, it appeara that Clews had entered into a system of manufacturing false bills at Carpenter's instigation ; Carpenter made him swear not to divulge his part in the crime ; then, to screen him- self, he had Clews arrested for forgery. Clews respected his oath, till two clergymen told him he was not morally bound by such a compact;: than he informed againsthis villanous "friend." The verdict was "Guilty." Mn Baron Martin sentenced Carpenter to be transported for life; and he intie mated that something might be done for the victim Clews.
At Exeter Assizes, Whiteway, a coal-merchant and shipowner, was. oast in 4001. damages for the seduction of a young lady at Torquay, whom he had promised to marry.
The North York Rifle Regiment of Militia, stationed at Richmond, has exhibited much drunkenness and an outbreak of insubordination. In cons sequence of the Colonel having ordered them to be paid their bounty sixs pence at a time instead of five shillings quarterly, (because they used the quarterly payment as a means for a debauch,) the regiment became mu- tinous, hooted its officers, and drank deeply. Major Mein was sent for he told the men that any grievance they imagined they had should be in- quired into ; but he reproved them for their violence, and hinted that re- gular troops were not very distant. The militiamen returned to their duty.
A disaster attended with a loss of life occurred at Bristol on Tuesday morn- ing. A barge worked by a steam screw-propeller, supposed to have been going at a great rate, the speed caused by the action of the screw having been. much accelerated by a rapid tide, came into contact with the iron framework of Idillsbridge, en arch spanning the new cut of the Avon ; and the whole structure gave way, carrying with it all that happened to be on it —vehicles and foot-passengers. Some men swam to the shore ; but it was reported that others, and women and children, were missing: two horses were drowned. The bridge was of cast.iron, 160 feet span ; the ends resting on stone piers. The master of the barge was arrested. Up to Wednesday, two bodies had been found. There are rumours that the bridge was considered unsafe. A gentleman who was on it has sent an account of the disaster to the Times : he saw the approaching collision, but did not suppose that the structure would give way ; he fell into the water, swam towards the shore, and was pulled out of the way of the barge by a woman, at the risk of her life.
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