Ebe Vrobincts.

A meeting of master cotton-spinners and manufacturers was held at Manchester on Tuesday, to consider the propriety of working short time, in consequence of the depressed state of trade. Representatives were pre- sent from Manchester, Bolton, Staleybridgc, Preston, Blackburn, War- rington, Burnley, Stockport, and Ashton-under-Lyne. Resolutions were passed, declaring the expediency of working short time, and fixing forty- six hours, or four days a week, as the limit.

A meeting, which may be regarded as the first fruits of the recent in- vestigation at Rime, was held on Monday, at the Assize Hall, Dorchester. The object in view was the establishment of a " labourers' friend society for the district, with the view of bettering the condition, morally and phy- sically, of the rural labourers and working mechanics and artisans, by carrying out the field-garden allotment system under judicious regula- tions." The High Sheriff presided; supported by the Bishop of Salisbury, Mr. J. Floyer, M.P., Mr. Richard Brinsley Sheridan, M.P., the Honourable and Reverend W. H. Scott, the Archdeacon of Dorset, and a host of County Magistrates and clergymen, with many ladies. The speeches were chiefly remarkable for the evidence they afforded of newly-awakened zeal for the welfare of the labourer. Resolutions were adopted, declaring the objects of the assemblage, and appointing a committee, with the Earl of Orford, Bishop of the diocese, and Lord Rivers, as patrons, for car- rying them into effect.

The Sherborne Journal reports a strange meeting at Weymouth, on Wednesday week; convened by Mr. Christie, the Member for the borough, to hear an explanation from himself, and a charge which he brought against a Mr. Dodson. The speeches run to an immense length, but the whole case lies in a nutshell. Mr. Dodson was Mr. Christie's friend and agent, and instrumental to his election in 1841. Recently, however, Mr. Dodson tried to keep the Member away from the borough, telling him that his return was safe; but at the same time—such is the charge—trying to in- duce other influential voters to represent the Member's reelection for the next Parliament as hopeless. Meanwhile, Mr. Robert Gordon, a gentleman advanced in life and also a friend to Mr. Christie, was assured by many persons that he ought to be in Parliament; and he was not unwilling to accept the honour, if he could sit as the representative of all political par- ties. Mr. Dodson's influence had been transferred to Mr. Gordon, appa- rently in dudgeon at not being the dispenser of certain " places " which Mr. Christie was to procure through his influence. All these matters were not very much cleared up. Mr. Dodson and Mr. Gordon disclaimed the treachery; and Mr. Gordon absolutely abandoned any pretension of being returned to Parliament. The whole proceedings closed with a resolution, which the meeting adopted unanimously, emphatically approving of Mr. Christie's conduct as Member for Weymouth.

At the Birmingham Borough Sessions, on Friday last, Mr. M. D. Hill, the Recorder, addressed the Grand Jury on the state of crime in the dis Wet. Referring to the lightness of the calendar as compared with former occasions, he attributed the improvement partly to the exertions made of late years in amending prison discipline, and to the operation of a better system of police. At the same time, they must not shut their eyes to the fact that the diminution of the number of persons committed for crimes had been exactly coincident with the returning prosperity of the country—

He had come to the conclusion that the reason why want of employment produced a swelling in the calendar was that it arose from the idleness into which many persons were thrown. Their habits of life were disturbed, their peace of mind destroyed; and the gentlemen he was addressing knew how much of their own free- dom from doing wrong was owing to those habits under which they were now for- tunately placed. Only let them consider the effect of a sudden absence of those duties, the performance of which honestly and fairly occupied a man from the time he rose in the morning until he went to bed, how much the mind was braced up against temptation, and how much temptation multiplied with him when not under that discipline, and they could account for the effects of idleness. The man feels his spirits deiressed; he feels that the world and the world's laws are not his friends; he finds that the pressure upon him, if sustained by other classes of society, is not felt with the severity with which he feels; and the effect of those considerations upon his mind is not wholesome. In Birmingham the operation of diminished trade would be this. The master- manufacturer found employment so long as he could; but a great portion of the manufacture of the place was carried on by smaller masters or out-workers. They must suffer first. But they again are obliged to shift a portion of the ca- lamity upon those whom they employed—namely, upon boys and girls. The consequence was, that the first effect was to throw a great number of boys out of employment, out of discipline, and out of control of any kind. How was proper occupation to be given to this class of boys, or to the class of persons who were thrown out of employment ? Artificial means of furnishing employment, which did not flow naturally through the ordinary channels of commerce, were no doubt laudable, and he would not throw a damp upon them; but he must say, he feared, upon examination, successful results from them were not likely to be very great.

Mr. Hill adverted to the French Revolution, and to its effects on the minds of men in rendering them fearful of " the masses," and jealous of any increase of popular power. A kindlier feeling had, however, sprung up; and they must have been passing through the world the last few years with their eyes shut and their ears closed, who did not know that a strong feel- ing of brotherhood had made great progress throughout the whole world, but in this country eminently and emphatically. Hence it was they now listened to every suggestion calculated to carry out this great principle; they gave a patient and attentive hearing to everything likely to benefit

and improve the condition of their fellow man. Sound progress had been made. He attached much importance to the " Home Missionary Society," particularly as a means of obtaining accurate information on the state of the poor. Great discrimination was required in giving relief. He believed the results of their investigations would be, that though pecuniary gifts might be expended usefully, yet they might more effectually bestow their aid through the medium of some institutions, which, while they tended to raise and improve, would do nothing to attack the feeling of independence.

At the Berks Michaelmas Sessions, held last week at Reading, much discussion took place on the reading of the annual report made by the Reverend J. Field, Chaplain of Reading Gaol. In alluding to the recent improvements effected in the gaols, by which they were converted from schools of vice into real houses of correction, the Chaplain spoke with re- gret of the viciousness engendered in the workhouses; which, although destined for the relief of poverty, were in reality hotbeds of crime. He appeared to refer particularly to the Cookham Union-

" Of many evils I mention one, and would respectfully ask, what plan could the most subtle adversary of all purity devise to insure rapid contamination, which should be more suited to effect the cruel purpose, than that of associating with other females those notorious as having debased themselves to the lowest depths of prostituticn, and others whose oft-repeated crimes, if they would for a time avoid the prison, force them to the poor-house because none will employ them, there to pass the time in filthy and defiling conversation, which would otherwise be spent in foul misdeeds, and to talk about and instruct others in the perpe- tration of vices from the practice of which they are themselves for a time re- strained? My observation has convinced me, that depraved and reprobate cha- racters of this description live in a state of constant excitement. • • • The dis- quietude and impurity of their mind must find vent in words if acts be forbidden; if the presentgratification of their vile passions be prevented, they seek pleasure in recounting the past, and in tempting others to indulge the like. To accom- plish this, what opportunity more favourable could be sought for, than that which is so culpably afforded, whilst the Masters and Matrons of our workhouse are compelled to place all the able-bodied paupers, from sixteen years of age and up- wards—the innocent and the most vile, the virtuous and the most depraved—in one common apartment, and in one promiscuous company."

The want of space within the buildings. said Mr. Field, was one main cause of the evil: and it was deplored by many who were, however, compelled to pursue the system: would it be believed that, of the diminished number of criminals committed during the last year, not less than sixty-eight have been sentenced to imprisonment for offences in the workhouse!

Mr. Sawyer, a Magistrate, objected to the adoption of that part of the report which referred to the union houses, and reflected on the Poor-law-

He had had several years' experience both under the old and the new law, and he ought to know something of both systems. So far as that experience was connected with the Cookham Union, he was sure that, instead of immorality being more prevalent, the reverse was the fact. lie would invite gentlemen to examine the school of that union; and if they did not allow that it was con- ducted as well as such an establishment could be, he would admit that he had stated a direct falsehood. He was ready to concede that great abuses had existed in different places; but that was the fault of the persons who had the manage- ment of them, and not of the law itself. The Reverend N. Dodson thought it was going completely out of the Chaplain's proper province; for it was their duty to carry out the laws as they were—

It was an attack on the best part of the New Poor-law; for nothing could be more perfect (!) than the treatment of children in union houses. The beat proof was, that as soon as any child was fit to leave, the Guardians had numerous applica- tions, and could dispose of double the number of children if they had them. He was at a loss to know what experience the Chaplain bad had which could justify him in describing these houses as being scenes of iniquity; and he should there- fore support a motion for striking out that part of his report, not with any offen- sive intention, but as a guide to prevent the recurrence of the subject. Several attempts were made to get rid of the offensive passage, but it was eventually retained, and the report was adopted unanimously.

At the Quarter-Sessions held at Berwick-on-Tweed, on Monday and Tuesday, Mrs. Thomson was tried for the robbery of the North of England Joint Stock Bank at Berwick, of which her husband had been the manager. The particulars of this extraordinary case have been recently stated in our columns. The evidenee which implicated the accused consisted in occurrences deposed to by her two female servants, and also certain circumstances attending the places where the money was found. The latter, however, might have had no connexion with Mrs. Thom- son; and so the matter turned upon the credibility of the servants. That was greatly shaken by their cross-examination, and by the testimony of another wo- man. Mr. Grainger, the counsel for the prisoner, dwelt upon the improbability of the story told: according to the tale, Mrs. Thomson, a lady in a weak state of health, was absent from her couch at midnight, secreting money in various mit- a-the-way places—under stairs, under tubs, in water-butts—moving bags of coin weighing twelve pounds each; and the servants never made any inquiry as to what she was absent for. He pointed out circumstances which tended to show the falsehood of the servants' statement; and hinted that they had more probably some guilty connexion with the robbery. After consulting for three-quarters of an hour, the Jury returned a verdict of "Not guilty." The Coroner's Jury which sat on the body of Thomas Shirty, the man who was killed by his brother Joseph in a fight at Steeple Claydon, has returned a verdict of " Manslaughter" against Joseph Shirty and the two seconds; all of whom are in custody. The evidence describing the fraternal fight depicted a most revolting scene: a hundred men, women, and boys, assisted, at two o'clock in the morning; and not an individual attempted to appease the animosity of the drunken brothers.

A desperate highway-robbery, accompanied by an attempt to murder was com- mitted on Friday week, in a lonely by-road a few miles from Knuteford. Mr. M`Gill, a respectable travelling teaman, was going his rounds on foot. About noon he was overtaken by John Wright, a man who had formerly been in his employment, and who since his dismissal had been leading a dissolute and dishonest life. They bad some conversation; and then Mr. M‘Gill, who had an appointment at, twelve o'clock, hastened his pace and got a little in advance of Wright. At that moment he fell senseless, having been shot in the back of the head by Wright. When he recovered, he found the assassin was rifling him; and he entreated his assailant to spare his life. The robber, having taken all the money he could find about M`Gi11-821. in notes, gold, and silver—made off. The wounded man managed to walk a short distance, till he met some people, who assisted him to a house; and he was afterwards conveyed home to Manchester. He was considered to be in a dangerous state; there being a perforation in the back it of the head, through which a bullet must have entered the skull, unless it rebounded from the bone.

Wright was arrested at Northwich on the same day. Twenty-seven sovereigns and some silver, but no notes, were found upon him: the notes, however, have since been found concealed in a book which was in the house at Northwich.

Elizabeth Parker, a girl only twelve years old, has murdered an infant at Cod- nor Park, Derbyshire. Being engaged to nurse the child, she procured a penny- worth of laudanum, and administered about half of it; and the infant died not long

after. A Coroner's Jury has returned a verdict of " Wilful murder " against the precocious criminal. A portion of the rail on the Eastern Counties line, between Ely and Cambridge, broke while a train was passing over it on Tuesday. The engine tore up the rail and road for some distance, but eventually got on the line again, and the train was then stopped. The passengers were much shaken, but no one was seriously hurt. An abominable attempt has been made to overturn a train near Ingatestone. A number of chains were placed across the rails; a train came up, but, fortunately, the weight of the engine crushed the fled chain; the line was then examined, and the other obstructions were removed.