30 NOVEMBER 1833, Page 6

There has been this week rather a falling off in

the Cloth-halls, and in the sale of finished goods iry the merchants. The present price of !ow and middling qualities checks any inclination to purchase beyond the immediate want, and the same feeling operates with the manufac- turers; consequently, the stock is somewhat limited in goods of this dass. In the superfine qualities the quantity, is considerable, although these goods possess by far the best value relatively—Leeds Meremw.

The manufacturers of Bradford, not being able to obtain remunerat- ing prices, are under the necessity of curtailing their business; and it is to be feared that a reduction in wages will follow.—Ident.

On Saturday week, at Halifax, generally speaking, the sales of stuff goods went off heavily, and the prices realized did not exceed those formerly obtained.—Idem.

The blanket trade of Dewsbury is very flat ; and there seems to he little hopes.of its recovery for some time.—Idcm.

Thirty miles of the line of the London and Birmingham railway, in Farts where the greatest quantity of labour will be required, have been

staked out. About 96,000i. (out of /25,0000 of the second call have been already paid up ; and it is not expected that any material deviation from the line for which the act was obtained will be necessary. The important undertaking is now proceeding with great spirit.—Birming- Amu Journal.

Joint stock banking establishments are on the increase in all parts of the kingdom, and in most instances exhibit decisive proofs of prosperity. The annual meeting of the shareholders of the Knaresborough and Clete Banking Company was held on Wednesday week. After re- serving a considerable surplus, the Directors declared a dividend of 7 per cent. on the subscribed capital for the past year. The shares are mow at 60 prem.—Newcastle Journal.

The Duke of Newcastle very lately received from Scotland several brace of black grouse, which have been turned out at I!afutl. They were brought into Wales by a Highlander; and it is hoped the breed will be allowed to increase, that Cardiganshire may once more be stocked with so fine a description of game.

The report that the Tixall estate has been purchased by Earl Talbot for a sum short of 320,000/. is unfounded. The estate is not sold, nor has any contract ever been entered into at any time with Earl Talbot on the subject of the sale or purchase.—Morning Post.

The fancy sale for the Sussex County Hospital, which terminated at Brighton yesterday week, produced 1,400/. ; exceeding by 1401. the sum taken at the last sale for the same purpose. During the three (days, 2,690 persons paid Is. each for admission ; which alone realized 1341. 10s. On the first day, 7001. was taken. On the third day, the juvenile branches of families were admitted gratis. A large quantity of the unsold work, on which much labour must have been bestowed, will be given to the Dorcas Society."

During the past week, it is said that upwards of eight hundred of the workmen have joined the Trades Union, at Derby, and entered into engagements with each other, under the sanction of an oath, which as imposed on every member ; but. the terms of this compact are kept a pro found secret.—Derbyshire Courier.

A number of labourers at Sutton Courtney, having determined no longer to work for 8s. per week, to which their wages had, two or three.-weeks previously, been reduced, started off together one day last week, and compelled the carters to leave their ploughS, the shepherds their flocks, the taskers the flail, and the breakers of stones or spreaders of gravel their laborious but less profitable avocations, and repair with them to the seat of justice—the Magistrates' meeting at Abingdon. Mere they complained of a breach of faith in the farmers, their em- ployers; who had advanced their wages to 9s. per week in 1830, and bad now reduced them to Ss. The Magistrates very wisely requested them to go home and endeavour to arrange the difference with their masters, they not being there to answer to the charge brought against them ; and that, if it should be necessary, to come again on that day fortnight, the next Magistrates' meeting, and they would send a letter to the overseers of Sutton on the subject. The complainants agreed to this arrangement, and we. are happy to bear that nearly all

them have returned to their work.—Reading Mercury.

Mr. John 'Carr, the Earl of Durham's coal-agent at Sunderland, and Ids groom, together with Mr. John P. Kidson, Lord Durham's solicitor, apd two other gentlemen of Sunderland, were held to bail on Monday week, to appear at the Sessions and take their trials on charges of as. sank upon the proprietor of the Newcastle Journal and his assistant. The particulars of this assault were copied into the Spectator last week, from a Durham paper.. At the Town-hall, Sheffield, the other day, a man was charged with stealing a fine barn-door fowl. His house had been searched, and the

fowl was discovered dressed. 'the owner was satisfied it was his pre- perty, but could not swear to it. On being asked on what the fowl had been fsd on the previous day, he replied, white wheat.. The con- stable was then directed to open the craw ; when half a pint of white wheat was sound ; and the accused was committed without scruple. The execution of John Stallan, convicted at the last Assizes of setting fire to premises at Great Shelford, and respited till the 7th of December next, will take place that day.—Cambridge Paper.

Captain Fenton, the Member for Huddersfield, died on Wednesday morning, at his house, near that town. " The circumstances attending this melancholy event," says the Huddersfield Express, " may, per- haps, be cleared upon an investigation before the Coroner for the dis- trict, but at present they are involved in considerable mystery. As far as we have been able to gather them, they are as follows. About half- past eight in the morning, Captain Fenton quitted his chamber, and went into his usual dressing-room, on the higher story. Nothing un- usual was observed in his manner. In about five minutes after he had gone up stairs, a female servant, who had just crossed the area into the kitchen, heard something full heavily behind her ; and turning round, beheld the almost lifeless body of her master, who had fallen from the window of his dressing-room. Every possible assistance was imme- diately rendered ; but as the unfortunate gentleman had fallen on his head, ever' symptom of consciousness was gone. Life, however, con-

tinued to linger till about eleven o'clock, when it fled for ever. Cap- tain Fenton has left a widow and two daughters, in a state of suffering better imagined than expressed. Nor are these the only persons who will acutely feel his premature decease : ten orphan children, five belonging to a deceased brother, and five left by a brother of Mrs. Fenton, looked up to him as their protector. Captain Fenton was of most amiable disposition, and greatly beloved by his tenantry and neighbours. His melancholy decease has cast a deep gloom over the town which he represented. A vacancy in the representation of Hud- dersfield arising out of this lamentable event, some of the electors are already on the alert. We are told—we hope it is not true—that, be- fore the corpse of Captain Fenton was cold, a deputation was sent to Captain Wood, of Sandal, to -request him to come forward. The Tories are talking of Mr. Sadler and the Honourable J. Stuart Wort- ley - but the general opinion appears to be that John Blackburne, Esq. of tire Middle Temple, a barrister on this circuit, and a native of Hud- dersfield, will be put in nomination, and be the successful candidate. Mr. Blackburne is of Liberal politics, and highly esteemed at the bar."

A daring attack was made on the keepers of Mr. J. E. A. Starkey, of Spye Park, on the night of Wednesday week. The keeper being on the look-out for poachers, soon discovered a man, whom he was about to take into custody, when he was immediately surrounded by about twenty others, all armed with swords, bayonets, bludgeons, &c. They rescued their companion, and then took the keeper's ride from

him, which one of them had the hardihood to snap at him, but fortu- nately it missed fire. They then proceeded to tie his hands behind him ; and after having bound him to a tree, left him all night in that deplorable condition. Mr. Starkey has offered rewards of fifty guineas on the conviction of the man who seized on the.rifle ; fifty on the con- viction of him wile; snapped it at the keeper ; and tell guineas fur each conviction of any of the other parties present.—Salisbury Herald.

A dastardly attempt was made between one and two o'clock on the morning of Tuesday the 19th instant, to assassinate Mr. G. E. IL Cress- . well, of Sherston, Wilts, in revenge for that gentleman's efforts in the suppression of poaching. The poachers, a most daring and organized band, have in former seasons levied a species of English black-mail, or forbearance-money, on the gentry in the various immediate districts of Gloucester and Wilts. Mr. Cresswell has lately been active in his i endeavours to suppress this gang ; and received an intimation to expect a consequent revenge ; which was first attempted by the ruffians making a noise under his bedroom-window, with a view to draw him to the spot; but failing in this, they discharged a volley of guns, laden with shot and balls, through the three front bedroom-windows, in one of which rooms were Mr. and Mrs. Cresswell and an infant chile,. -for- tunately without the intended victims sustaining any injury. The Magistrates of Urchfont have been engaged in examining evi- dence relative to four men in custody on suspicion of setting fire to the ricks of Mr. Compton. But such is the lawless state of Urchfont, that on Saturday night they set fire to another barley rick, the produce of about twelve acres, the property of Mr. Butler ; and whilst the flames were raging, gave evident symptoms of the delight they took in the scene ; and early on Sunday morning actually danced in triumph around the expiring embers ! About a load of the barley had, by great exertions, been preserved, and was placed a short distance from where it formerly stood ; and it is a fact, that while the better portion of the parish were engaged in their devotions on Sunday afternoon, an at- tempt was again made to consign this remaining part of the rick to the flames. Perceiving, however, they were observed, they went off with- out accomplishing their purpose. A great number of the labourers of this parish appear to be in the last stage of demoralization, and some of the women would disgrace either St. Giles's or .Billingsgate ; their threats and imprecations, on the apprehension of the men now in custody, were truly horrid. The pay.masters although very severely burdened, are in general kind and attentive to the sick and necessitous ; ands high rate of wages is given to the labourer ; but—and this is one way of ac- counting for the state of the parish—nearly the whole of the wages is spent at the alehouse !—Devizes Gazette.

One evening last week, a young man of respectable appearance, slept at an inn on the Newport road, and departed in the morning. In a short time afterwards, the landlord's daughter, who was the only person in the house at the time, discovered that be had purloined a silver chalice cup, belonging to the parish-church, which was kept there, in a box in her room, for better security. When she had alarmed the family, who were ploughing in an adjoining field, she immediately took horse, parshed the thief, and after a warm chase of six milessovertook him at Caersvent, when he was secured, and taken back to be dealt with by the Magistrates of the Christ • Church district, "as the law then and.there provides."—Hereford Times. A Coroner's inquest was held 'on Monday week at the Guildhall* Macclesfield, to inquire into the death of Sarah Stubbs, a girl, eleven years of age. She worked for Mr. S. Thorpe, silk-throwster, of Huddersfield ; and on the Friday afternoon previous, her ends being down, James Walker, an elderly man, who dresses as a Quaker, and is a steward there, called out to her to mind her work. She took no notice of him ; upon which he went up to her, and struck her four blows on the head with a strap of considerable strength and weight. She went borne shortly afterwards, very ill ; and lingered in a state of insensibility until Sunday afternoon, when she expired. The testi-. moray of the house-surgeon to the Dispensary, who had examined the head of the deceased, was, that she died from inflammation of the brain, caused by the concussion from the beating. A verdict of Manslaughter was returned, and the man was committed to Chester Castle to take his trial at the next Assizes.—Manchester Times.

On Sunday the :17th instant, while Miss B—s and her mother were instructing the children of the Sunday School of the parish- church of Tudeley, near Tonbridge, a person named H—e rushed in, and having seized Miss B., who is about eighteen years of age, as- sisted by his brother, forcibly placed her in a chaise, and proceeded with all speed to London. As soon as the circumstance was made known, some of the family went in pursuit of them to London, and from thence to France, without success. It is reported that the parties became acquainted at the island of St. Helena ; where the father of the lady was chaplain, and Mr. H. organist. The lady is said to have been taken away without her consent ; but the gentleman pretends that she was contracted to him at St. Helena ; she was then about twelve years of age.—Kentish Gazette.

A fire broke out at midnight on Sunday; in the town of Hertford, which occasioned considerable alarm, from its being known that the house contained a quantity of oil and other combustibles. The damage was, however, fortunately confined to the destruction of the inner part of the house and the furniture. Two of the inmates, a youth about seventeen, and a lodger who was a cripple, were in the most imminent peril, having made their escape to the parapet ; and upon a ladder being raised, it was found to be too short for these individuals to reach ; whereupon an athletic bystander added to the length, by having, the bottom round placed upon his chest, and thus standing under it, sup- ported by others, the cripple and his partner in jeopardy managed to plfice themselves upon the ladder, and were thus safely brought to the ground, amid the acclamations of the surrounding multitude.