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We have to record three contested elections this week, to supply the vacancies occasioned at Abingdon, Durham, and Oldham, by the death of Major-General Caulfield, Mr. Thomas Granger, and Mr. Duneuft. The candidates at Abingdon were Lord Norreys, Conservative Free- trader; and Mr. Burr, an enthusiastic partisan of Lord Derby, who boasted in his address at the nomination on Wednesday, that he had voted and taken part for the Derbyites in Salisbnry, Herefordshire, Berkshire, and Gloucestershire. Lord Norreys obtained the show of hands. At Durham, Lord Adolphus Vane, Conservative Free-trader, disputes the seat with Mr. Roger Fenwiek, Liberal and Free-trader. The norai- nation also took place on Wednesday ; and the show of hands was in fa- vour of Mr. Fanwick. Strenuous exertions were made to secure the Marquis of Londonderry in the possession of the "family borough" ; do- minion over which, it is alleged, is disputed between the Marquis and Mr. Henderson, styled the "King of Durham." Lord Adolphus taunted Mr. Fenvick with being the nominee of Mr. Henderson ; Mr. Fenwick retorted, that he was no man's nominee, but he would rather be the no- minee of Mr. Henderson than of Lord Londonderry. Distoseeful cordtiete between the supporters of Ur, Redd and Mr. Fox, the competing candidates at Oldham, formed a kind of roaring ac- companiment to the proceedings at the nomination on Wednesday. By a series of charges and manoeuvres, encouraged by the gentlemen on the platform, Mr. Fox's supporters were forced from the front of the hus- tings ; and the Mayor' Mr. Lees, gave great offence by laughing at their repeated defeats. As Mr. Fox was too unwell to attend personally, Sir Joshua Walmsley appeared on his behalf. There was little continuous spealdng, owing to the noise of the rioters. The show of hands was in favour of Mr. Heald.

The polling in these boroughs took place on Thursday. According to the statements received yesterday, Lord Norreys was elected by 153 votes against 129 given to Mr. Burr ; Lord Adolphus Vane carried his return by 545 to 496 given to Mr. Fen.wick. Mr. Fox has defeated Mr. Heald by a majority of 112.

At Abingdon, there was some fighting and uproar. At Oldham, the mob were so outrageous that the Riot Act was read ; but that proving ineffectual, a troop of the First Dragoon Guards was brought from Lee; and subsequently a company of the Fourth Regiment of the Line from Ashton. The attack of the mob upon Mr. Fox's voters was continued all day, and the special constables were quite useless to repel it. Indeed, one report states that the " specials " joined in oyerturniug several cabs con- veying Poxites to the poll.

Elections have also been proceeding at Bury St. Edmunds, to fill up the seat vacated by Vice-Chancellor Stuart; and at Peterborough, to choose a successor to Mr. Watson. The former borough is contested by Mr. Rardeastle, late Member for Colchester, and Mr. Oakes, a Derbyite. The friends of Mr. Oakes having taken up position on horseback before the hustings, driving the other side away, he won the show of hands on Thurs- day. At Peterborough, the candidates are Mr. Comewall Lewis and Mr. Whalley. The politics of the latter seem to be shifty. He has stated, also, that some one offered him a handsome sum of money to withdraw. Mr. Lewis has put forth a counter-statement, denying that either himself or any one-on his behalf, directly or indirectly, ever made any such offer to Mr. Whalley. The nomination was fixed for yesterday, and the poll- ing for today. It appears that the writ, in consequence of the floods, only reached Peterborough on Monday instead of Saturday, and that this necessarily delayed the election.

Mr. Same; ,barrister-at-law, has issued an address to the electors of Merthyr, as a Liberal candidate.

The Militia is now in training in some counties, while in others the men have completed their three-weeks exercise. The local journals con- tinue to give a favourable account of their behaviour, and of their pro- gress in drilling. At Newark, the committee of the Mechanics' Institu- tion offered the men the gratuitous use of the library and news-room during the evening ; many availed themselves of the advantage, and be- haved with great decorum.

Mr. William Wreford, a wealthy gentleman of Clannaborough, near Ore- sliton, has been drowned in a canal-basin at Exeter. He was seen walking by, the canal in the evening, accompanied by a young woman ; presently she raised cries that her "uncle" was in the water ; the body was got out by means of drags, but life as extinct. The wormui appeared distracted, hung over the body, and then was out of sight. 'Subsequently, at the inquest, she denied that she had called him her "uncle," or that she had cried over the body or touched it. Mr. Wreford's money and watch had been taken. There were no marks of violence on the body ; but the absence of the money and watch, and the woman's deceit, raised a suspicion of murder. She was arrested; but the missing property was not found upon her. She is servant at an inn ; and had been sent by her mother to meet the old gentleman— Mr. Wreford was upwards of seventy. The evidence at the inquest exhi- bited a shocking case of immorality ; but it did not enable the jury to pro- nounce how the deceased got into the water. Verdict, "Found drowned." It was said that the young woman would be charged with stealing 801. from Mr. Wreford's pocket.

The Mercantile Medea Act has been put in operation against a master mariner by the Shields Local Marine Board. Mr. Nicholson, owner and master of the Elizabeth Nicholson, recently Charged his mate and others, before a London Magistrate, with mutiny on the homeward voyage; but the misconduct turned out to be all on his side : he was repeatedly drunk, and the crew were obliged to make him a prisoner. The Shields Board have can- celled his master's certificate.

There was a fatal collision on the Great Western Oxford and Birmingham line on Friday week. At the Heyford station, at night, an up passenger- train was crossing the down line to get to some vehicles in a siding, when the down express-train approached ; every effort was made to clear the line, but part of a vehicle still remained on it when the express arrived ; the speed of the latter had been much reduced, but still the shock was Severe, and a number of persons were much bruised. Just before the collision, George Thompson, the driver of the express, leaped from the engine : he fell on the lever of a switch, fractured his right leg and sustained a concussion of the brain • he was taken up dead. The stoker, who remained on the locomotive, holding the break, escaped unhurt

An inquest was begun on Saturday. The people employed at Reyford declared that the danger-signals were exhibited in time to stop the express had a good look-out been kept. But the stoker of the express stated posi- tively that the white lights were exhibited till the train had approached near to the station ; the red lights were than shown ; Thompson immediately re- versed the engine, and reduced the speed from forty-five miles an hour to fifteen, but not in time to avoid all collision.

In consequence of the late rains, a portion of the embankment on the North-western Railway, near Huyton slipped as a train seas passing on Thursday evening; the engine rolled' over-; the driver and fireman were killed, but the passengers escaped.

Mr. James Lengehaw, of Pendleton, has been killed at the station there. Re was standing on the rails makingniquiries of the station-master, whet]. an express-train approached, and a man she two, "Look out !" Mr. Longshavr, thinking that a stationary train near him was about to be moved, stepped on to the line upon which the exprese was approaching; he was struck down, and the train went over him.

At an inquest held at Brighton, it appeared that Mrs. Mary Cloves did not die from the fracture of the leg caused by the collision at Redhill : she 'wig afflicted with disease of the heart, atul the medical men who gave evidence ascribed her death to thils, though the shock of the accident might hare ac- celerated it. The verdict was, "Died by fatty degeneration of the heart, of long standing."

The continually recurring and heavy rains spread feather devastation in many parts of the country. At Oxford, no fewer than six lives have been lost. In one case, as an el- derly and infirm woman was crossing a meadow, a sudden rush of water swept her away.

Nottingham was flooded on Sunday for the third time within a fortnight. Here, as in other places, the farmers are great sufferers : produce and lire stock have been carried away, seed in the ground destroyed, and large quan- ties of hay damaged.

Two factories have been destroyed by fire in the West Riding. The cloth- factory of Messrs. Norton, at Clayton West, near Huddersfield, was con- sumed by a fire which broke out soon after the people had left work in the evening. The property destroyed is estimated at 90001.: insurance 60001. A large worsted-mill at Legrams, near Bradford, is said to have been acci- dentally fired by a boy who was lighting the gas in the morning for the workmen. The mill belonged to Messrs. Bentley ; the heavy loss will fall on insurance-offices.

A coal-pit belonging to the Earl of Crawford and Balcarres, near Wigan, having taken fire, a number of men attempted to approach it from a neigh- bouring pit ; a quantity of roof fell in, and two men were crushed to death.

The barge Thomas, of Rochester, has been sunk off Sheerness; a heavy sea made a breach over her, she became waterlogged, and immediately after went down. A man escaped by getting into a boat; but the master, his wife, and the mate, were drowned.