28 MARCH 1846, Page 7

etc Vrobinces.

Lord Mount-Edgcumbe has addressed a letter to his tenants on the subject of the Corn-laws, resigning protection with a sigh-

" My friends," his Lordship kindly commences, " at this moment, so interest- ing to the agricultural interest, it would, as your landlord, have given me great

are to meet you; but, as I am prevented from doing so by the state of my health, I cannot refrain from addressing you by letter. It is not to hold out any hopes that protection to agriculture can be longer maintained; it is decided that ih a few years the English farmer will have to compete with the world. Nor can I so entirely get rid of my former opinions as to be able to declare that we have not great ground for alarm. Yet when I see, with very few exceptions, every man who can claim any title to the character of a statesman openly commit himself to directly contrary opinions, and consider that on a question of this kind that of any man of acknowledged talent, who has laboured to ascertain the facts upon which it is formed, is worth the opinion of any number of ordinary men,— particularly when his sincerity is proved by his interests being deeply involved,— II cannot, under such circumstances, myself despair, and hope that you will not, but wait till the result is shown by experience. If, as some say, the change prove beneficial rather than injurious, I shall most sincerely congratulate those who hold leases under me on their good fortune: if the contrary, I then, after obtaining tho best information and advice in my power, shall take that course which according to my judgment and conscience I shall deem to be liberally just. One thing is, however, certain—all agree that to ward off these dangers we must exert ourselves. We are started in a race against all corners, and coo betide the hindmost. In such a race the manufacturers have been signally Victorious, and it is well for farmers to consider by what means they have suc- ceeded? [Ilia Lordship attributes that success to unceasing activity of mind, and the ready adoption of all improvements. Landowners and farmers must now adopt a similar course.] "The power to check the ordained course of events nowhere exists. The agri- culturists are treated as, and now indeed are termed, manufacturers' of corn; and to exist, must, however unpalatable, adopt to a great degree the system and sub- mit to the same fate as their fellow manufacturers. It must be remembered that now no capital produces to its owner so small a return as that invested in land, while in no manufacture have science and ingenuity introduced greater improve- ments than in that of food; and it is not only the interests, but the duty of ten- ants, following the example of all other manufacturers, to use every exertion, first to learn and then to put into practice these improvements without delay. To ten- ants who have succeeded to estates from their ancestors have also frequently des- cended habits which it is hard to cast oft, The attempt, however, now must be made. Landlords are on their part bound to take every means in their power to make their tenants acquainted with all changes in agriculture which from time to time experience may have shown to be improvements; and also to give them. every assistance in their power, by sharing on equitable terms the expense, or by m any other way aiding them to carry them out: but in return, they have a full right to expect the utmost readiness iu tenants to take advantage of the assistance and in- formation offered, and to decline a renewal of connexion with men who refuse to perform their part, in what is no more than their duty, at a time of difficulty and danger to all."

Lord Mount-Edgcumbe vindicates the honour of those Members of Par- liament who, without regarding either their own predilections or hustings speeches and understood pledges at the general election, now support Sir Robert Peel's course as a political necessity: he considers their conduct as perfectly honourable and patriotic.

A " considerable sensation " has been created among the Coroners of De- von by an attack on their sources of income. In cases where inquests have been held and verdicts of " Natural death" or " Died by the visitation of God" have been returned, the Justices in Quarter-Sessions assembled have refused to allow the fees and expenses of the inquests, on the ground that such inquests were unnecessary. The Coroners contend that the Justices are thereby making what amounts to an ex post facto law; because it is not until the inquest has been held that such a decision can be come to; nor is it possible for a Coroner to anticipate what the verdict will be until the facts upon oath come before him; he cannot make a previous inquiry, be- cause of whom is he to inquire?

Messrs. Marshall of Leeds have signified their intention of commencing on the 30th March to work their mills instead of sixty-six, sixty-four hours a week, paying the same wages as before. This makes a reduction of five hours in the week since 1834. To afford the workpeople the means of spending their leisure hours profitably and agreeably, the employers are to establish a mill library with reading and class-rooms for mutual instruction.

The sailors at the port of Hull have struck for an advance of wages: 3i< 10s. per month is the sum demanded.

We are glad to see preparations making for constructing an electric telegraph from Hull to Derby; thus giving us telegraphic communication to the Metropolis. —Hull Packet.

Large quantities of Indian corn have been released from bond in the course of the past week. Several additional cargoes are expected shortly. The corn mer- chants now treat this description of grain in their transactions as a free article, the prices mentioned being understood to include the shilling duty. Considerable' importations of buck-wheat are expected, and preparations are in progress for grinding it at the riee-mills.--Liverpool Albion.

At Exeter Assizes, on Tuesday, William Reid pleaded guilty to a charge of having feloniously fired at Stephen Took with intent to murder him. The crime was committed in a poaching affray on Lord Morley's estate at Plympton St. Mary, where Took was a keeper. Another keeper, named Tothill, was killed on the same occasion; and Reid was also indicted for the murder of this man; but the case was not pressed, the evidence that could have been offered, it would appear from the Judge's remarks, not having been conclusive. The culprit WAS sentenced to be transported for life.

At Leicester Assizes, on Saturday, William Hubbard was convicted of murder- ing his wife, and condemned to die. The couple frequently quarrelled, and in one of their disputes the convict cut his wife's throat.

William Spicer, the man who murdered his wife at Reading, was hanged there yesterday week. He made a fall confession of his guilt to the chaplain of the gaol It is said that the culprit attended a meeting which was held some time ago for the abolition of capital punishment, and subsequently told a person that he did not agree with what he had heard there, for ho thought that murder ought to be punished with death.

A girl not twelve years old has poisoned a family at Huddersfield, by putting arsenic into porridge, which was eaten at breakfast. The girl was apprenticed to Mr. Beaumont, a manufacturer; and having been corrected by her mistress for a fault, she put some of the poison, which had been intrusted to her to kill vermin, into the food, of which she herself partook. Fortunately, no one was killed. The precocious culprit confessed the act, but said she "did not intend to kill them." Mr. Beaumont merely required of the Magistrates that the girl's indentures should be cancelled; which was done.

An alarming accident happened to the Saturday evening up-train which left Birmingham for London at a quarter before six o'clock. On entering a deep cut- ting about two miles from Tring, the train came in violent collision with three luggage-waggons, which were unaccountably left standing on the rails. Most of the passengers were thrown off their seats; as soon as they recovered from the shock, many of them got out and scrambled up the cutting, as there was great fear of the express train coming up and dashing the other train to pieces. The guards, however, immediately despatched men both up and down the line with signals to stop trains; and in this they fortunately succeeded. It occupied so long to clear the rails that the train was three hours behind time in arriving at London.

A train ran off the line on the Canterbnand Whitstable Railway, on Tuesday, while passing over an embankment at Bog'sq Hole. The engine and tender were pitched down the embankment, and two men were hurt.

Two deaths have been caused by the blasting of parts of the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway, in Westmoreland. Miss Dodd, a dressmaker, while traversing a footpath, 164 yards from the part of the railway where a blast had been fired, was struck on the head by a stone, and killed: the workmen employed had not thought it necessary for safety to retire so far from the blast as the girl was distant from it. Karn, a railway-labourer, has been killed on another part of the line from a similar cause: he had retired about thirty-three yards, but could have removed to ten times the distance had he thought it necessary.

Two lives have been lost at Mr. Tomkinsou's lime-works at Runcorn. A youth fell into a burning kiln; Edwards, the manager, rushed to the kiln, placed a ladder in it, and descended to the rescue of the youth; while attempting to drug him up the ladder, he was overpowered by the heat and fumes, and fell senseless. Two men then perilled their own lives in an attempt to save Edwards and the lad, but in vain: after some time, two scorched, blackened bodies, were got out of the fire by means of drags.

During a gale on Saturday night, the Bee of Goole, a vessel bound from Port- land to Lond.on with stone for the British Museum, foundered off Shoreham har- bour. The master his wife and child, a seaman, and a boy, all perished: the mate was washed Off the bowsprit, but managed to:get into the cross-trees as the ship sunk; two hours after he was taken off by the Menai steamer.