Sbe Vrobincts.

The nomination for Walsall takes place on Monday the 1st February, and the polling on Tuesday the 2d. The contest is expected to run very close. The Tory party charges that of the Corn-law Repealers with violence and intimidation. This is not the language of expected victory. Mr. Smith's friends wanted to defer the election a few days, but the Mayor determined to bring it to a close as soon as possible.

The Canterbury contest also commences with the nomination on Monday, and ends on Tuesday. The supporters of Mr. Smythe, the Tory candidate, calculate on a majority of 30. The Tories charge 'their opponents with bribery, and hint that a supply has been received from the Treasury. " There is no doubt," says the correspondent of the Morning Post, " that their money is flying freely ; that their pro- mises are of the largest description ; and that the most unblushing attempts are made to bribe the poorer voters from their allegiance to the Conservative cause."

The election for East Surry is fixed to commence on Monday the 8th February ; the polling-days will be Wednesday and Thursday.

A candidate, in the " Liberal " interest, has now appeared, in the person of Mr. Aleoek, a Corn-law Repealer, an advocate for the Ballot, for extended suffrage, (though to what precise point he does not spe- cify,) and for a modification of the system of Church-rates and the powers of Ecclesiastical Courts. His Corn-law creed is by no means one-sided; for he expects that free-trade will bring higher prices than the restrictive system, on an average of years : surely this will please the agriculturists. Mr. Antrobus, and his friends, hold out confident promises of victory on the Conservative side ; and neglect no means by which it may be secured. One of these was haranguing the farmers at the weekly market at Croydon, and joining them at their "usual plain dinner" in the Greyhound. Here his father, Sir E. Antrobus, was toasted, as en- titled to thanks for being " not only master of the Surry fox-hounds, but the father of their future Member."

The Reform Association of Leeds had a dinner in the Music-Hall of that town on Friday, and there was more speech-making. Mr. O'Connell, who was absent from the great meeting on Thursday, had arrived in the mean time, and he delivered a long address at the dinner. He suggested, that a Central Society, similar to the new society at Leeds, should be established in London, having for one of its objects the collection and diffusion of statistical facts respecting the state of the representation.

Mr. Roebuck proposed as a toast, "Justice to Ireland"; at which the meeting rose almost to a man, and cheered vehemently. Mr. Roebuck said he hoped Mr. O'Connell would take that cheer as one testimony, at least, that the people of England do not desire injustice to Ireland. Not to the people of England should the evils of Ireland be ascribed, but to the aristocracy, which was equally inimical to the rights of the people in this country. Most of the ills of Ireland were amply partici- pated by the English. Religious and civil liberty had been extended as far in Ireland as in England; and as to the inequality of representa- titui,e.he.same defect existed in the town of Leeds, which, with its ten thousand voters, sent only the same number of representatives to Par- liament as Harwich with its seventy-five. Mr. O'Connell denied that he had ever charged the English people with being hostile to Ireland: the majority of the English people, being Tories, were hostile ; and the Government and many Whigs were ini- mical to Ireland; but many good Radicals were as friendly.to her as himself. He denied that the case of Leeds was parallel to that of Ire- land, especially if Lord Stanley's Bill were to pass. If such a bill were to pass against Yorkshiremen, they would not talk about it, but they would turn out by the mountain-side, and not let any one approach them who had so dared to trample on their privileges. The Irish, how- ever, had been accustomed to oppression, and would not go that length. He, indeed, had breathed too mach English air, had taken tip too much of Saxon principle, to endure it ; and he was determined to find a remedy.

A public meeting was held at Leicester on Saturday last, in the Theatre, to petition Parliament for the abolition of Church-rates, and for the immediate release of Mr. William Baines, who has taken John

Thos rigiod"s place as a martyr in the cause. The Mayor of Leicester presided; and Mr. Easthope and Mr. Wynn Ellis, the Members for the

town, Me- O'Connell, Mr. Hume, and Mr. Hutt were present ; after having pseid Mr. Baines a visit in the county-prison. The first speaker was the Reverend Mr. Myatt. Expectations, he said, created by Dr.

Lushington's expressed opinion that the Ecclesiastical Court could only proceed against a defendant in contempt by personal imprisonment, and by the consequent discussion of the subject in the courts of law, had been disappointed. There was no cause for despair, however: hope still remained in the Dissenting community. There was a rumour, that London was preparing to move ; Liverpool, " vitalized by the energy of a Voluntary Church Society," and Manchester, Leeds, Bradford, and Nottingham, might be expected to act. " The Metropolis had only to give the signal, and soon the beacon-fires of religious liberty would blaze in every province." It was darkly rumoured that Lord John Russell intended to add insult to cruelty, and to give to Churchwardens the power of levying church-rates, to be enforced by distraint on a warrant from the Magistrates in Quarter-sessions. But the patience of the Dissenters was not inexhaustible-

" Unless Lord John was surfeited with the sweets of office, and meant to wean Dissenters from the fond and foolish confidence with which they had re- garded him—unless he intended to try the experiment, to what lengths Dis- senting patience and forbearance might be trifled with—they warned him to

beware lest he worry the sleeping lion to his own official destruction. They bad not forgotten his taunts—they would not put up with his blows. Mean- spirited, cringing., fawning parasites, as he deems them, they were not sunk so

low as that. The body upmt whose shoulders his Lordship had been borne into power still had the fate of the Whig Cabinet in their bands. Already it had too long forborne—their tenderness for Ministers had already assumed the aspect of treachery to the cause committed to their keeping; but there was, nevertheless, some blood in them, sluggish though it might be ; and if the Colonial Secretary was desirous of quickening its circulation and raising its

temperature to boiling-point, he had only to propose this confirmation of their bondage. What, then, were they willing to accept as compensation for their imprisonment ? I answer, nothing but the total abolition of Church-rates."

The spirit of passive resistance was spreading far and wide: what the Legislature would not abolish, the Dissenters would abolish for them- selves. The Dissenters knew, but were prepared to encounter, the odds against them.

Mr. Hume, who went over the history of the Church-rate question, urged the Dissenters to greater unity and energy in their demands, in order to improve the feeling in the public mind which must be awakened by the imprisonment of 'Mr. Baines fallowing so soon upon that of John Thorogood. Mr. Easthope spoke to something of the same effect ; but deprecated unmeasured blame for members of the Established Church, until Dissenters had done justice to their own cause. Mr. O'Connell then made a speech, is which he talked of the sympathy which was felt for the Church-rate martyrs—of the Irish Catholics—of Hampden and ship-money, and so forth. He made his hearers cheer and laugh, and then hinted the expediency of keeping out the Tories—of choosing between " the bad and the worse." Bat he exhorted them to " agitate, agitate, agitate." The Reverend Mr. Murseil gave a practical bearing to that advice-

" The Dissenters never would vote for any man who did not support the equality of civil rights, without religious distinction. It had, he heard, been

said that such a resolution would embarrass the Ministry ; but he might reply, that which was good for the goose was good for the gander, and that the Minis- try hail too long embarrassed the Dissenters."

A Repeal dinner to Mr. John O'Connell was given in Liverpool on Saturday, in the Theatre. About four hundred sat down to dinner; at which Mr. Sherlock, Chairman of the Repeal Committee of Liverpool, presided.

A correspondeat of the Standard describes a meeting which took place in the Townhale at Manchester, on Thursday, " to consider what further measures shall be adopted to obtain the privilege of bonding goods in Manchester." There was a numerous and highly respectable attendance, including Mr. Mark Philips and Mr. R. H. Greg, the Members for Manchester, and a great many influential merchants and traders. Mr. W. Neild, the Mayor, presided. A great number of speakers addressed the meeting in moving and seconding the various resolutions ; all concurring as to the advantages which would accrue to Manchester from its being made a bonding port. The resolutions were unanimously adopted, and petitions to both Houses of Parliament were agreed to.

The half-yearly meeting of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway Company was held on Wednesday, at Liverpool. The average traffic for the last six months has been less by 4,000/. in the merchandise than the previous half-year, yet the net profits have increased 7,6001. The total receipts for the last half-year amount to 139,323/. ; and, after deducting all disbursements, there is a net profit to the shareholders of 70,629/. This affords a dividend of Si. per share, being to the full extent of 10 per cent. per annum, as allowed by act of Parliament, and 2L per share on the half-year by way of bonus. After payment of the dividends, there will remain 8,772/. balance of profit to be carried to the next account. During the last twelve months, 1,052,000 persons have been conveyed on this line, and with but one accident ; attributed en- tirely to the recklessness of the individual, who brought it on himself by jumping out of a second-class carriage when at full speed. It is understood to be finally arranged by the Post-office authorities, that the transit of the London and Northern and Western mails to Worcester, by the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway, shall com- mence on the 5th of the ensuing month. A new steam-frigate, called the Styx, was launched at Sheerness on Tuesday.

The Hoo Board of Guardians have come to a determination not to prosecute Mr. Miles, the Master of the Workhouse who has been removed from his office by the Poor-law Commissioners. A meeting of the County Magistrates is about to be held to consider the whole subject.

On Friday, four sawyers charged with being concerned in the murder of Benjamin Cooper at Ashton, were brought up at the Court-house in that town for final examination. Two of the prisoners, John Williams and John Hulme, were charged with murder, and two attempts at murder ; and the others, Henry and Samuel Hardwick, were charged

with being accessories before the fact. The principal witness was Edward Davies, one of the prisoners liberated ..om Kirkdale on bail, but afterwards recommitted. His appearance as a witness produced a great sensation in court. He related what occurred at various meet- ings of the parties. The Magistrates determined on committing Williams for trial for the murder and two attempts at murder, and re- manded the other prisoners to a future day.

A man named George Raney is in custody at Sheffield, charged with having murdered a fellow-workman whom he caught in the house with his wife. Raney, on returning home late at night, heard his wife talk- ing to a man, and telling him to go, as her husband would soon return : Raney rushed in, seized the man by the throat, and strangled him in the dark, not knowing who he was.

An inquest was held on Saturday, at Stratford, on the body of Richard Gibbons, who was drowned in the Stratford marshes during the late floods. Verdict, " Accidental Death."

A man named Quinten, a mason, was drowned near Frome, in attempting to wade through the waters across a bridge to get home.

Two trading-vessels the Hunter of Sunderland, and the Robert of Goole, struck against each other on Sunday night, off Bridlington ; and both went to the bottom. The crews had just time to get into their boats, and were picked up at sea. The total loss is reported to be 12,000/.

An attempt is making to revive the almost extinct "sport" of prize- fighting. A match between two prize-fighters, named Hannan and Broome, was fought at Bicester, on Tuesday, for 500/. a side. The fight lasted an hour and twenty minutes; and ended in the defeat of Hannan, who had been backed by the London amateurs to a large amount.