4 FEBRUARY 1854, Page 9

tt Vrnuiurts.

The Convocation of York formally assembled on Wednesday. No writ having been received from the Crown to proceed to business, Convo- cation was instantly prorogued by the Archbishop's Commissioner, the Reverend Vernon Harcourt.

There is no lack of candidates for the vacant seats. Sir Stafford North- cote is in the field for South Devon, on Conservative principles ; "neither an adherent of the present Government nor prepared to offer undiscri- minating opposition to it." Mr. Henry Wyndham, of Petworth, Con- servative, comes forward for West Sussex. Mr. Robert Clive, Member for Ludlow, has consented to stand for South Shropshire; and Colonel Percy Herbert consents to be the successor of Mr. Clive.

Mr. Richard Prime, Member for West Sussex, has announced to his constituents his intention of accepting the Chiltern Hundreds. The House's late hours, the general fatigues of Parliamentary life, and his increasing years, are the reasons.

At a meeting at Carlisle, on Monday, the Mayor in the chair, resolu- tions were passed declaring that the incomes of the working clergy of that city are insufficient ; that the four Canonries in the Chapter of the Cathedral Church of Carlisle are "useless sinecures," and may be ad- vantageously suppressed ; and that the income of one such canonry be applied in augmentation of the four incumbencies in the city. A petition founded on these resolutions was ordered to be forwarded to Mr. Fer- guson, one of the Borough Members, for presentation in the House of Commons.

For the last five years there has been an establishment called the "Philanthropic School" at Redhill near Reigate, for the reform of juve- nile delinquents. On Saturday last, a public meeting in the Town-hall of Reigate passed resolutions declaring the necessity for Reformation Schools, actively supported by Government and legislation, and affirming the expediency of making the parent liable for the training of his chil- dren. The meeting was attended by Lord Lovaine, Mr. Freshfield, Mr. Thomas Alcock, Mr. T. S. Cocks, M.P. for Reigate, and a number of county notables.

A petition from 8572 inhabitants of Hull has been transmitted to Lord Palmerston, praying for the establishment of Reformatory Schools and Homes for destitute criminal children.

On the summons of the crier, to the effect that all the good people of Harwich who desired to avoid impressment should meet Captain Fisher in the Town-hall, a goodly number assembled. Captain Fisher told them that the country is on the eve of a war ; and a hot impressment is im- minent, which, however, the seamen could avoid by enrolling themselves in the Coast Guard Volunteers. Captain Fisher held similar language at Yarmouth, Lowestoft, and other places on the East coast.

Captain Sheringham, the Volunteer Coast Guard Commissioner of the Western district, visited most of the outports, last week, from the Isle of Wight to Land's End, and was everywhere well received. He told the sailors at Barnstaple, that he was proud to say he had experienced the utmost alacrity in all classes of seamen to defend their hearths and homes.

The martello towers and fort at Eastbourne have been occupied by de- tachments of artillery ; and the coast defences from Eastbourne to Gos- port are to be strengthened.

The construction of new batteries for the defence of Devonport is pushed forward so briskly that labourers work during the night.

The First Derbyshire Regiment of Militia is complete, and many young men who were anxious to volunteer have been disappointed. [The Line wants recruits.] The Grantham Town-Council have entertained a proposition to vote 1001. in aid of the Newton memorial; but the proposition encountered considerable hostility.

It has been finally agreed to hold the next Mus■cal Festival at Norwich in the autumn. The Committee are now engaged in completing the necessary arrangements, In performing his promise of lecturing at six places in aid of the funds of the Midlalld Counties Association of Mechanics' institutions, Sir Robert Peel lectured last week at Wolverhampton.

Renewed attempts are made to establish the long-contemplated museum at Colchester. A gentleman named Vint, lately deceased, left by his will a valuable collection of bronzes and other antiquities, if a suitable place can be provided for their reception within three years.

Exertions are made to establish an Agricultural College in Leices- tershire. The system of instruction_ pursued is to be as far as possible of a practical character.

A balance yet remains of 715/. out of monies subscribed for the Holm- firth sufferers, and the Central Committee have resolved that pieces oh plate shall be presented to six gentlemen who have performed the greatest labours in collecting and managing the fund.

The report of the London and North-Western Railway Literary Asso- ciation states that the number of members is 280; the number of volumes in the library 1090; the balance in hand 80/. The number of books in the library has nearly doubled within the year.

A new shipbuilding concern on a large scale is to be opened at Glouces- ter. The Forest of Dean offers a supply of the finest oak for ships.

"A Wanderer" states that his former letter to the Times, has relieved High Wycombe from the disgusting scenes in its overcrowded church- yard : Lord Palmerston, in consequence of the letter, sent an inspector to Wycombe, and has since ordered the churchyard to be closed. A Vestry meeting has resolved to place the town under the Extramural Interment Act.

The annual meeting of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce was held on Monday : Mr. Thomas Baxley, President, in the chair. In his open- ing address, Mr. Bazley commented on the checkered character of the past year, which had begun prosperously, but in its progress showed the approach of "commercial embarrassment, if not of panic." The adop- tion of Free-trade, however, had prevented any serious disturbance to the prosperity that had in the main prevailed. To show the advantage of the change, Mr. Turner referred to our imports and exports for the seven years preceding and the seven years subsequent to 1846.

In the seven years ending with 1845, the imports of grain of all kinds were 22,000,000 quarters ; while in the seven years beginning with 1847 and ending with 18.53 the imports were 65,000,000 quarters. The import of eattle in the same period, to which Sir Robert Peel's act of 1842 gave an im- pulse, was insignificant, being 47,000 only ; but in the last seven years the number had increased to 1,766,531. The amount of sugar introduced in the former period was 34,000,000 hundredweight ; while in the latter it had in- creased to 49,000,000 hundredweight In tea the import had increased in the same period from 288,500,000 pounds to 404,000,000 pounds. So that here we had not only a positive proof that the comforts of the people had been greatly increased, but that the trade and commerce of the country had largely increased also. In our exports the same evidence of prosperity was afforded; the total value of them from 1839 to 1845 being 374,500,0001., whereas from 1847 to 1853 they were 492,000,0004

Mr. Henry Ashworth tools occasion to refer to the strikes ; and de- scribed the operatives as a class who would "garotte and destroy the capi- tal upon which they depended" ; and as persona who insisted that they and not the owners of property were the people who should deal with the rights and interests of that property. But what they aimed at was an impossibility : wages must be regulated by supply and demand ; and the influx of population from the large tract of agricultural country behind Preston must have the effect of keeping down wages. Mr. Bright also touched on this topic ; dwelling on the peaceful character of the present strikes, compared with those of former times ; admitting the right of both masters and men to combine ; and recommending cordial and free com- munication between the operative and the employer. But he expressed no opinion on the Preston strike either way.

Some of the silk-manufacturers of Manchester and the vicinity have voluntarily advanced the wages of their workpeople. A meeting of operatives has been held, a vote of thanks passed to those masters who have raised wages, and a deputation appointed to ask the others to follow the example.

No change of importance has occurred at Preston. At Wigan matters are in an uneasy state : it is expected that there will be fresh strikes, the masters to be taken in detail, if they will submit to such tactics.

Some gentlemen of Bradford are considering a difficult local question— What is to be done with the wool-combers ? They are superabundant; they get miserable pay ; machinery is daily superseding them; they are ignorant and unfitted for most other kinds of employment. Two remedies have been suggested : to put them to other sorts of labour, or to aid them lo emigrate. But who will employ a wool-comber ? and the Emigra- tion Commissioners would not assist such people to leave the country. i'erhaps a committee of landsmen might obtain them employment. The ratepayers would probably not object to a rate to remove a large number of families to the Colonies, only they fear that a new race of combers would quickly fill the vacuum.

Government is increasing the pay of the workmen in the Dockyards. At Portsmouth, the two classes of riggers have received an advance of 38. a week. At Woolwich, the labourers are to receive an addition of 28. weekly ; the blacksmiths are put on piecework, and the shipwrights and others on task and job work, without limit to the amount of their earnings.

The shipwrights of the Tyne and Wear have demanded 368. a week in place of 30s. There is a movement among the seamen for a general ad- Vance of wages; and the shipmasters, who have not hitherto shared in the increased pay, are now seeking to obtain a larger remuneration for their services. The steam-tug men of the Tyne ask for an advance. At North Shields the building operatives have been on strike for some weeks : they allege that the masters wanted to reduce their wages 10 per cent, and to allow them only half an hour for dinner.

." Rebecca" has appeared again in Wales. On the 17th January, ¬ice, threatening punishment, "according to her law," was posted in the town of Blab, to all who conspired to raise the price of eatables, or who held back corn from market.

John Timpson, a young man lately a clerk at Glyn and Co.'s, has attempted to pass a forged check for 1500/. on the Bank of Liverpool. It purported to be drawn by Glyn and Co. ; and Timpson stated that he had been sent to the North on a sudden emergency, that did not permit the forwarding to Liverpool of a regular advice. When arrested, he admitted tliat be bad forged the cheek. A number of agricultural labourers around Dorchester hen' been etrildng " and behaving riotously. Dissatisfied with their wages of 8s. 6d. d week, they struck for an advance to 128. Those who began the movement forced others to join, marching in bodies to the different farms. The ferment begun with the refusal of some farmers to supply their men with corn under the market price. Special constables were sworn in, and the Police force was put on its mettle. The Dorchester Police arrested five labourers who were destroying property on Mr. Harding's homestead, and they have been com- mitted for rioting. There is a complete dearth of coals at Southampton. The few obtainable are selling at three guineas a ton ; but numbers of persons can only obtain coke or wood. The scrapings of coal-yards and cellars are sold at 28. M. a hundredweight.