27 JANUARY 1849, Page 3

ilirobinces.

Lord Lewisham is a candidate for the representation of South Staffordi shire. He has issued an address avowing himself to be against Roman Catholic endowment in Ireland; opposed to extravagant national expendi- ture; inclined to the removal of such taxes as can with safety to the pub- lic be repealed; and solicitously vigilant for the interests of agriculture during the experiment of free trade.

Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton has retired from the representative contest at Leominster.

"I learn," he says in a farewell address, "that out of a constituency little ex- ceeding four hundred, more than one hundred voters are still as dubious and irre- solute as when the question of a substitute for Mr. Barkly was first obtruded on their consideration; nay, that it is their own belief, that only at the day of polling will the light be suddenly revealed to them. . . . I know of nothing within my power to prevent the votes separating themselves from the inclinations, and flying off at the last hour in an utterly opposite direction."

Upon this retirement, Mr. Phillimore has again presented himself to the electors, with an animated Radical address.

It is said that a petition is to be presented, on the meeting of Parliament, against the return of Mr. Grenville Berkeley.

The Sheffield friends of international arbitration assembled on Wednes- day evening in the Quaker meeting-house, and heard speeches delivered by Mr. Joseph Sturge and Mr. Henry Vincent. Resolutions cordially recom- mending immediate efforts between different nations to refer all Mine na- tional differences to arbitration, and a petition in favour of Mr. Cobden's intended motion in the House of Commons on that subject, were unani- mously adopted.

The Lancashire Public School Association held an annual meeting at Manchester on Wednesday week. Mr. Alexander Henry, M.P., President of the Association, took the chair; Mr. Samuel Lucas, Mr. Peter Rylands, Dr. Hodgson, Dr. Samuel Davidson, and Dr. Mainzer, took part in the pro- ceedings. Letters of sympathy were read from Miss Harriet Martineau, Mr. Brotherton, M.P., Mr. Hume, MP., Mr. W. J. Fox, M.P., Dr. Bowring, and Mr. Ewart, M.P. The report stated that some 40,000 papers had been distributed in the effort to promulge the society's principles. Influential men of all parties in Lancashire had joined the society, and the working classes were moving and organizing in league with it. A neighbouring county was joining in the race. The provincial press was almost unani- mous in its favour, and many of the most influential of the Metropolitan journals had approved of it and given assistance. A series of lectures will be given in the chief county towns, on the subject of education, and the supe- riority to all others of the plan of secular education advocated by the society.

As trade appears to be on the revival in Leeds, the mill-hands are begin- ning to move in all directions for an advance- of wages. The hands em- ployed in several establishments in the town have turned out for an advance

of wages during the week, but up to the present time without any practical result whatever.—Leeds Intelligencer.

The people of Wrexham have been astounded and greatly distressed by the un- expected failure of two old banks in that town. Mr. Kendrick's first failed, for 22,0001.; but a composition was made with the creditors, who are to receive the respectable dividend of fourteen shillings in the pound. Soon afterwards, the second banker, Mr. Lloyd, stopped payment. This is a worse case: the liabilities are upwards of 48,0001., and only half-a-crown in the pound is expected.

The people of Bath have been " excited " by the very unexpected apprehen- sion of two of its wealthy citizens, Messrs. Warren and Fuller, gold and silver smiths, on charges of forging the hall-mark of the Goldsmiths Company. They were examined at the Guildhall on Monday. Mr. Hough, a weigher in the assay- office of the Goldsmiths Company, deposed that he had purchased many articles of silver from the prisoners, which bore no stamp or mark of any kind. From what he then observed at the shop, he afterwards went with a search-warrant, and seized 120 ounces of plate which was unmarked ; also a silver soup-ladle and gilt serving-spoon, the two latter having hallmarks which had been transferred from other plate and soldered in. An assay proved that some portions of the silver in these articles was above the standard and some below it. The duty on them would have been IL 7s. 9d. Two working silversmiths gave evidence tend- ing to show that the mark on the serving-spoon had been transferred. Two others, Mitchell and Cecinas, gave still stronger testimony that there had been wrongdoing. Mr. Warren had been to both since the inquiry instituted by the Goldsmiths Company, and had desired them to destroy. any patterns they had by them, and to conceal account-books regarding transactions with Warren and Fat- her. This was done: the patterns were melted, and the books were either burnt or handed to Mr. Warren that he might conceal them. Cousens had converted a stamped silver skewer into a handle for a large ladle. After hearing a solicitor for the defence, who contended that no felony within the meaning of the statute had been made out, the Magistrates resolved to commit both:prisoners, and refused to take bail which was offered to the amount of 10,0001. It is said that payment of 20,0001. was offered, as a fine to the Government, if the charge of felony could be withdrawn.

The Exeter Magistrates were engaged two days last week in investigating a charge of robbery and murder against Landick and Mills, made by an accomplice, one "Cockney Harry." Some time ago, the house of Mrs. Holman, at Ted burn St. Mary, was entered by robbers ; who, after seizing some plunder, murdered Mrs. Holman. According to the approver's statement, he and the two other prisoners were engaged in the outrage: Landiek climbed into the house by means of a pole, and opened a door to admit his accomplices ; they then blackened their faces, and went up stairs to Mrs. Holman's bedroom. When she awoke, Mills covered her head with the clothes; and as the fellows were coming away, Lan- dick killed the poor woman by throwing a box of clothes upon her—it would "stop her from hallooing." In asking Cockney Harry questions, Mills made ad- missions that he was in the house during the robbery. Some corroborative evi- dence was adduced. The men were committed for trial.

Henry Evans, a carpenter of Bristol, has been arrested on a charge of attempt- ing to murder his wife by means of poison. The poor woman suffered from the symptoms of poisoning some six weeks ago, two days after her confinement ; since that time, she has been repeatedly attacked in the same way. At length a little girl saw Evans sprinkle a powder on some meat intended for his wife; the woman merely tasted it, and was sick in consequence; and when the substance spread over the meat MOS analyzed, it was found to be white precipitate, a salt of mercury.

Thomas Williams, the man who is understood to have murdered a fellow la- bourer near Brecon, has been discovered in Ipswich Gaol, undergoing imprison- ment for stealing a cake. When his term is out, he will be tried for the murder. No fewer than twenty-five persons, in all parts of England, have been in custody at divers times on suspicion.

There was an explosion of fire-damp at the Darley Main Colliery, near Barns- ley, on Wednesday morning, which it is feared will prove to have been very fatal. There were seventy or eighty persons in the pit at the time; and at half-past five in the afternoon only twenty-one had been got out, five dead, and others much burnt.