frobincts.

A correspondent of' the Times, writing from Manchester on the 21st. im- stant, reports on the state of trade in the factory districts. " The state of this district is anything but satisfactory; and although the evils of partial employment and dearness of provisions are at present but slightly felt, yet fears are justly entertained that they will soon be greatly increased with, the rigour and privations of the coming winter. Short time, with sheet.

wages, has already commenced; and it is not improbable that if business continues as at present, a reduction generally in the hours of labour will be adopted. The extensive firm of Messrs. Lees and Son, of Ashton-under- Lyme, who possess 2,000 power-looms, commenced working short time on Monday last. Doubtless, the shortening of the hours of labour just now will surprise many people, when it was expected that with the partial repeal of the Corn-laws would come an abundance of labour for our operatives; but, with the exception of the American grain crop, the scarcity in most of the grain districts of the world will furnish a sufficient reason for the de- pression in the manufacturing districts which induces a reduction in the hours of labour. Bad as it is, it is far better to shorten the hours of em- ployment than to reduce wages and continue full work. That mode, too prevalent in former seasons of depression, would merely damage the opera- tive, and could not benefit trade, as the production would be quite as great, and the depreciation of prices continue as before. The cotton-speculator would also have a better chance of furthering his views than with short hours.

"Speaking summarily of the actual state of our staple trade at this period, comprising all its branches, I should say that it is one of depression; there is a paucity of demand, and profits are greatly reduced. In conse- quence, stocks have considerably accumulated. Perhaps the chief, if not only, exception to this remark is the best class of prints, which have been in good demand and at profitable rates. " In the yarn market there is a fair demand for most descriptions at low prices. If the present price of the raw material be continued, without a corresponding advance in yarns, spinners in many cases will produce to a loss.

"I may add that our home trade generally is good, and the excellence of the English wheat harvest will give an impulse to this branch of our mercantile transactions. The fine weather has done much for the grain crops in the hilly districts in Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Derbyshire; still some of the inferior crops have partially failed. The badness of the potato crop may also prove a drawback on goods for the home market."

The cotton-stocking trade, in all its branches, though extremely de- pressed, is not considered worse. A sort of pause seems to have taken place; not, it is conceived, as a prelude for an amended demand, but merely as a sort of half-cessation of the paralysis which had seized this manu- facture from causes which appear at present very remote, but which are gradually becoming more apparent. The glove-trade, both silk and cotton, especially the former, is in a very stagnant and lamentable state, with but little hope at present of a permanent amendment. The cut system, in al- most every instance, overwhelms the demand, the production being much increased by this method. The truck system in many districts is much upon the increase, and the major part of the workmen, while they loudly complain, fall into it.—Nottingham Review.

The merchants and manufacturers of Blackburn engaged in the India trade met together on Monday, at the invitation of Mr. John Fielden, to consider the effects of the East India Company's salt monopoly on British interests. Mr. D. C. Aylwin, of the house of Aylwin and Co. of Calcutta, (author of a pamphlet on the Indian salt monopoly, which we recently noticed,) and Mr. Stocqueler, honorary secretary of the salt-trade in this country, attended, and made some instructive statements on the subject in hand. Resolutions were passed, condemning the monopoly, and pledging the meeting to efforts for its removal.

The Liverpool Agricultural Society held its annual dinner on Thursday evening, at Lucas's Repository, in Great Charlotte Street. Lord Stanley presided, and his speech is published with some parade by the Morning Post, as a striking event. But it possesses very little intrinsic interest. Lord Stanley criticized he show of stock, mingling praise with blame; and he lec- tured his bearers on turnip-culture, thorough-draining, and clean-fanning. However, he did not withhold all encouragement-

" Gentlemen, when I look round upon the state—not of the show-yard today, but of the state of cultivation of this county—I see, as all of you must see, a a marked and general improvement. I see in every quarter the old and useless, rubbishing fences disappearing; I see straight lines taking the place of crooked lines; I find narrow but effective fences taking the place of broad, extravagant, expensive, and at the same time perfectly useless, fences. Throughout the country, I fled the farmers cutting drains which must carry off very rapidly that flood which is now pouring down." [A torrent of rain was falling on the skylight.] Lord Stanley touched but slightly on more important topics; and where he did so, his language is remarkable rather for a certain ambiguous eva- siveness than for force or novelty. He spoke on the Free-trade measures of the late Ministry, putting his observations iu the form of reasons for not making any observations—

"I cannot speak to you of the measures which it has pleased Parliament to adopt in reference to the supply of food, and that for several reasons: first, be- cause it is a wise and judicious rule of this society to exclude from its discussions everything leading to differences of opinion in political matters; next, because it is yet doubtful, and remains to be proved, whether the change which Parlia- ment has decreed will be sanctioned and approved of by the feeling and sense of the country at large; thirdly, because tbe operation of this measure has not yet come into effect; for I need not tell those I am addressing that for the next two or three years there still remains a duty of 10a. a quarter on the introduction of foreign wheat. Lastly, I will not speak on this topic, because, whatever may be the ultimate operation of this legislative measure, its even partial operation has been ie a great degree counteracted and impeded by other temporary causes, and by the enormous--I will not say the exaggerated—I will not say the dan- gerously large—but I will say the unprecedently large amount of capital which is now being invested in various speculations and works tending naturally to raise the price of labour, and also to increase the demand for provisions; and that at a time when that visitation of Providence to which I have alluded would have greatly raised the price of provisions, independently of any such extraordinary de- mand for labour. So that even if I were not precluded, as I am, by the rules of this association, from dwelling on these topics, I should be precluded by the con- sideration that the effect of those legislative measures must stand the test of time, and that alone. I will say, that having expressed in another place, where it was my bounden duty to express it, my opinion, unhesitatingly, on the policy of those measures, it is not necessary that I should now repeat my opinion respecting them. The wisdom and soundness of those measures remain yet to be tested by time; and no man will rejoice more than I shall, if the apprehensions I entertained shall prove unfounded and exaggerated—nay, more, I will say that there is no manwho will do more in his sphere and position to render those apprehensions *Wounded than I shall do."

In like manner he was eloquent in professing to abstain from the subject of the potatoe failure—

"1 must also abstain from offering any observations on the lamentable, the ge- neral—I may almost say the universal—failure of the potatoe crop. That failure has been universal not only in this country, but in every part of the United Kingdoms. Ia passing ten days ago through the town of Edinburgh I was assur- ed that a potato had not been exhibited for sale for ten days or a fortnight. Gen- tlemen, I will not dilate on this topic, and that for the best of all possible reasons, because I know nothing at all about it. * * * I do trust that, notwithstand- ing this universal prevalence of the potatoe disease, it does not owe its origin to a permanent failure in the root itself, but to some extraordinary atmospheric influence. I am persuaded that it is the will of Providence to afflict us with this dispensation, and I look forward with bumble confidence to the withdrawal, by Divine Providence, of that calamity which no human skill nor foresight can avert. I am the more led to entertain this conclusion, because I find that many practical farmers have found that other crops have been similarly affected, though not to the same extent as the potato crop. In the turnip crops, in this and other districts, an extraordinary disease, similar to that which has infected the potato crop, has manifested itself. The same observation applies to celery. I do not intend to offer any observations on either of these topics, although they are mat- ters of the deepest interest to many of you who are practical farmers. I rather turn to see what advantage we can derive from those misfortunes, and I will ven- ture to say that the uncertainty and general failure of the potato crop will be no small advantage to this part of the country. They will lead the farmer, and es- pecially the small farmer, to rest his trust less on the potato crop, to the each sion of other productions that might be more certain and advantageous. I know to my cost as an Irish landlord that the small farmers of that country have relied too much on that crop—that has been their sole stay, and that failing, their dis- tress has been grievously aggravated."

The ceremony of " turning the first sod " of the North Staffordshire Railway was performed on Wednesday, at Stoke-upon-Trent. The Direc- tors, among whom were Lord Ingestre and Mr. Ricardo, partook of a dejeener. They then went in procession to the field; where, owing to the insufficiency of the arrangements, and the consequent "pressure from without" of a vast crowd of spectators, some difficulty was experienced by Mr. Ricardo in wielding the silver spade. A bard clay lump, however, was ultimately dislodged; and the various parties returned to the enjoy- ment of fire-works and a ball in the evening.

General Pasley having certified that one line of rails of the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway from Kendal to Lancaster was fit for the public use, that portion was opened on Monday, by an excursion of a party of the directors and their friends from Lancaster to Kendal and back. The whole line is expected to be completed shortly.

On Wednesday evening a special General Court of the Ancient Corpora- tion of the Poor of. Bristol was held at St. Peter's Hospital in that city. The business of the day was, to take into consideration a notice from Mr. Whitaker, the Auditor of the Somersetshire and Wiltshire District, an- nouncing his intention to attend at ten o'clock on Thursday morning to audit the accounts of the Corporation. The meeting, however, passed a very decided resolution, declaring war against any attempt to introduce the New Poor-law into Bristol.

The protracted inquest at Dagenham on Policeman Clarke was concluded on Tuesday. Some witnesses were examined. Policeman Dunning told a very sus- picions tale, of having overheard expressions implicating Parsons during a quarrel which the Sergeant had had with his sister since he has been under surveillance: the witness did not even stick to one story. Sergeant Langley stated, that on the 18th of last month he found a handkerchief clotted with blood, in a meadow adjoin- iiig corn-field where the body of Clarke was discovered. The Coroner directed that it should be left at Dagenham station, where it might be identified. ,La summing up, Mr. Lewis remarked that there could be no doubt that the murder. had been committed from revengeful feelings: had it resulted from a sudden quarrel, the man would have been killed without being so horribly mutilated as Clarke was. He commented on the fact that Sergeant Parsons was not on duty during the whole of the night when the crime was committed; and he denounced the shameful perjury of the Police: "there were no words in the English lan- guage strong enough to express the disgust which must be felt by all right minded persons at their conduct." The Jury deliberated for an hour, and then returned a verdict of "Wilful mur- der against some person or persons unknown." On the part. of Sergeant Personal Mr. Rawlings wished to know if he was to remain in the custody, or under the surveillance, of the Police any longer? Superintendent Pearce said he had no authority to answer that question. The Coroner would undertake to say that not only Sergeant Parsons, but the whole of the men who had sworn falsely, would be indicted forthwith for perjury.

Hayter, a gamekeeper to the Reverend W. Radcliffe, of Warleigh, Devonshire, has been committed for trial on a charge of maliciously wounding a girl of six- teen, daughter of one of Mr. Radcliffe's tenants. The girl had entered a planta- tion to pluck blackberries; Hayter ordered her away, and she immediately obeyed him; but as she was going, he fired both barrels of a gun at her; a portion of the second charge hitting her.

Probert, one of the Gloucestershire Police, has killed one Busby by striking him with his staff. There had been a feast at Barrington, and a number of men who had been attending it assembled in a public-house at Windrush: a dispute arose about a broken glass, and the publican called in two of the Police: Probert struck Busby and Clifford, a sheep-dealer, on the head with his staff; Clifford was rendered senseless for a time, while Busby suffered a fatal fracture of the skull. The witnesses at the inquest declared that there was no rioting at the public-house; the men were merely disputing rather loudly. As to Clifford, he deposed that he had nothing to do with the dispute; he did not know Busby; and he was lighting his pipe when unexpectedly knocked down by the Police. He had seen no provocation given to the officers, and certainly had not ioterfered with them himself. A verdict of "Manslaughter" was returned against Probert, and he was committed for trial.

A fatal accident happened at the Farringdon Road station of the Great Western Railway on Monday evening. A train arrived from London: the luggage-van, a light vehicle, was between the tender and the first carriage, which was a second- class one. As the train neared the station' the speed was lessened; but the luggage-van ran off the rails. The impetus of the train drove the first carriage against the van with so much force, that the foremost compartment was crushed to pieces; two passengers were killed on the spot, and others were seriously in- jured. The head of one sufferer was dashed to pieces; while the other was de etroyed by a concussion of the brain. The accounts of the disaster first published rather varied, from the difficulty of obtaining accurate information; but the above seemed to be the most correct version.

An inquest was begun, at Farringdon, on Tuesday. Several passengers descri- bed the accident as it appeared to them. The cause seems to have been this— the luggage-van got off the rail and broke down in front; the train ran upon it, and the shock forced the van up, so that it mounted on to the top of the first carriage; smashing in the forepart, and driving the roof backward:* the deceased were crushed in the first compartment. The engine broke away by the shock. The train was entering the station at a proper speed. One witness said that he heard an unusual noise a considerable time before the disaster occurred. The train was a heavy one. The driver of the engine made this statement. "We

were coming into the station at the usual speed, and my engine was running through the bridge, when I felt a shock which threw use backwards. I then jumped forwards to my engine, supposing it had broken away. I looked back after the train and saw that it bad left me; I immediately put on the steam in order to leave the line clear for the train." He felt no unusual motion previously. The inquiry terminated on Thursday. The jury viewed the injured carriage and luggage-van. The carriage presented almost a complete wreck. The end that was nearest the van, with its buffers and iron-work, was shivered to pieces. The

e-van was scarcely injured; one corner of the roof was slightly knocked away by coming in contact with the crown of the arch near the station. Mr. Stevenson, superintendent of the Farringdon Road station, said, "The luggage- van run upon four wheels. I believe it is constructed of iron with the exception of the partitions, which are wood. It was very heavy. It contained a quantity of bullion, about fifteen or sixteen hundredweight, and a large amount of passen- gers' luggage." Mr. Fuller, the station-clerk, examined the luggage-van. He found the fore off-wheel spring broken. " That would tend to throw the binder part upwards in such a manner as it fell upon the carnage. The iron-work was much torn away. It had only four wheels, and if the spring of the fore ones broke, it would naturally raise the hind ones in such a way as I saw them at the bridge." Mr. Bushe, a Bristol engineer, gave an opinion on the cause of the disaster. " As far as I am able to judge, believe that in the first place the engine broke away by the connecting-rod between the luggage and the tender breaking. Probably, at the time when the steam was first let off. The engine and tender then being loose, and in advance of the train, from some sudden check at the bridge, the train of carriages, with the luggage-van in front, by their own weight and impetus ran into the tender; and this threw up the luggage-van in the air against the bridge, ceasing a great concussion and crash. The other carriages are connected with the side-chains, including rods." Coroner—"Can you account for the screw-rod's breaking ? " " No, I cannot. It might have been broken in a variety of ways. It might be that the train, not going near enough to the station, the engine-driver might suddenly put the steam on to fetch, and the sudden strain might cause Pattison, the engine-driver, stated that he had not turned the steam on again. Mr. Barker, a surgeon, described the condition in which he found the bodies of the sufferers. The corpse of Mr. Sergeant was standing erect in the broken carriage, and was retained by a hand which clenched the shattered timber of the roof. The fore part of the body was to the back of the carriage. The head was severed from the body, and was lying on the out- side of the roof a few feet off. It had been divided by a force acting backwards and forwards. The blow had taken effect immediaeely under the chin, and, pass- ing through the neck, perfectly separated it. The Jury returned a verdict of "Accidental death."

It appears that three other persons were hart, but they are in a fair way of recovery.

A serious collision occurred at the Rugby station on Saturday night. "As the nbiep. in. train was leaving the station for Leicester, an engine belonging to the London and North-western Railway Company was standing below the points at which the Midland line diverges from the former; no sooner had the engine and tender passed the points, than the engine-driver of the London and North-western Company turned on his steam, and the result was that the engine ran into the train before it had cleared the line, broke four of the carriages, throwing them off the rails, and tearing up the latter for some distance; whilst several of the pas- sengers were seriously shaken and bruised." A guard was so much hurt that it was necessary to leave him behind. Mr. Hudson was in the train, but was not injured.

A luggage-train on the Birmingham Railway, when near Wolverton station, last Saturday, was set on fire by a piece of coke which fell on the tarpauling of a truck. The valuable contents of three trucks were almost entirely consumed.

A boy of fourteen has been killed at the Preston station of the East Lanca- shire Railway by attempting to jump on to a carriage before the train had stop- ped: he fell across the rails, and two carriages passed over him. The lad was employed at the station, and was to receive some tickets from the guards of the train.

An extensive fire has occurred at the back of the Broadmead, Bristol. It broke out at a cabinet-maker's, and extended to a bedstead-manufactory and an auctioneer's: all were consumed. The loss is heavy.

A fire occurred last week in the size-house of a factory at Preston. A Mr- Pickles, who owned contiguous property, was early on the spot giving directions. While in an upper story, the flagged floor of a passage cracked with the heat, and the unfortunate gentleman fell through; his body descending two stories, till it reached one which was floored with iron, where it was almost entirely consumed.

In the last few weeks many fires have occurred in Essex, which there is too much reason to regard as wilful. Three lads have been committed to prison, by the Brentwood Magistrates, for setting fire to some stacks at Great Warley. Two boys are also in custody for firing property at Booking.