gbt frobfutts. The Council of the Anti-Corn-law League held a

meeting in the Free- trade Hall, at Manchester, on Thursday, to consider the propriety of dis- solving the League. About two hundred leading members attended front important towns throughout the country. Among the strangers were—the Mayor of Bordeaux, Mr. Douglas Jerrold, Mr. Frederick Douglas, lecturer on slavery, and Mr. Elihn Burritt, from the United States. Mr. Wilson, the Chairman of the League, presided. He opened the proceedings with a long review of the League's history and achievements throughout the seven years of its existence. Mr. Cobden was at some pains to bestow, thanks wheresoever due, for the success that has attended the efforts of the League,—namely, to " an overruling Providence "; to " our gracious Sovereign the Queen "; to Sir Robert Peel, who, " if he bad lost office, had gained a country "; to Lord John Russell; to Mr. Deacon Hume, Mr. John Macgregor, Mr. G. R. Porter, of the Board of Trade; and to Colonel Thompson—which last had made more pecuniary sacrifices to the cause than any man living. The Council of the Anti-Corn-law League held a meeting in the Free- trade Hall, at Manchester, on Thursday, to consider the propriety of dis- solving the League. About two hundred leading members attended front important towns throughout the country. Among the strangers were—the Mayor of Bordeaux, Mr. Douglas Jerrold, Mr. Frederick Douglas, lecturer on slavery, and Mr. Elihn Burritt, from the United States. Mr. Wilson, the Chairman of the League, presided. He opened the proceedings with a long review of the League's history and achievements throughout the seven years of its existence. Mr. Cobden was at some pains to bestow, thanks wheresoever due, for the success that has attended the efforts of the League,—namely, to " an overruling Providence "; to " our gracious Sovereign the Queen "; to Sir Robert Peel, who, " if he bad lost office, had gained a country "; to Lord John Russell; to Mr. Deacon Hume, Mr. John Macgregor, Mr. G. R. Porter, of the Board of Trade; and to Colonel Thompson—which last had made more pecuniary sacrifices to the cause than any man living.

As to the course now to be adopted by the League, the Council recom- mended a virtual dissolution, but with power to the Executive Council to call it again into existence should they see cause. Many persons asked if it was safe to abandon their great organization. Mr. Cobden did not think

there was any danger in doing so. There may be a little of mere boasting and vapouring among the less wise of the Protectionist party; and they may well be permitted to console themselves, if they can, by vapouring and boasting; but he held that as well might they attempt to abolish Magna Charta, to do away with trial by jury, to repeal the Emancipation Act, or abrogate the Reform Bill, as to endeavour to reenact the system of Corn-laws. Afterwards he intimated, that the close of the agitation would be most acceptable to himself; adding, however, " But if the same necessity should arise, the same sense of duty which impelled me to take the course I have pursued up to this time will inspire me with tenfold vigour—a vi'oour, I trust, improved by having had a little time to recruit my strength."

The following resolutions were moved by Mr. Cobden and other gentle- men, and were carried unanimously- " That an act of Parliament having been passed providing for the abolition of the Corn-laws in February 1849, it is deemed expedient to suspend the active operations of the Anti-Corn-law League; and the Executive Council in Manchester is hereby requested to take the necessary steps for making up and closing the affairs of the League with as little delay as possible. "That the accounts of the receipts and expenditure of the League, now pre- sented, be passed. " That after payment of the first instalment, the subscribers of the 250,0001. League Fund be released from all further liabilities.

"That in case any serious attempts be made by the Protectionist party to induce the Legislature to retrace its steps, or prevent the final extinction of the Corn-law in February 1849, the gentlemen who have hitherto so ably fulfilled the duties of the Executive Council be hereby authorized to call the League into renewed existence.

" That this meeting views with feelings of unfeigned admiration and gratitude, the long, arduous, and invaluable services rendered to the League by the Chair- man of its Council, George Wilson; and hereby authorizes the Executive Council to present him, and to request his acceptance of, a sum of not less than 10,0001., to be paid out of the funds of the League. [Mr. Wilson vacated the chair while this resolution was under consideration; being called out of the room.] "That the members of the Executive Council of the League are entitled to the warmest gratitude of the League and of the country, for their high-principled, laborious, and most successful exertions during the seven years of our constitu- tional agitationand that a Committee be appointed, consisting of Mr. Joseph Brotherton, M.P., and such gentlemen as he may associate with himself, to de- termine on some suitable testimonial to be presented to those gentlemen out of the funds of the League.

"That the Council of the League, whilst discontinuing its own operations, cannot be insensible to the intimations given by the leading Protectionists in both Souses of Parliament, of a determination to contest the ensuing general election, with a view to obtain the repeal of the Corp Importation Bill ; and, under these circumstances, the Council offer their earnest recommendation to the Free-traders in the Parliamentary constituencies to continue their vigilant attention to the registration, so as to be able to return a decided Free-trade majority to the next House of Commons."

The Chairman declared the League to be " conditionally dissolved," The meeting broke up, with cheers for the League, and more for the Queen. Subsequently, a public meeting was held in the same hall to adopt mea- sures for a national testimonial to Mr. Cobden. This meeting was called in compliance with a requisition addressed to the Mayor, signed by men of all pursuits and parties; and tho Mayor presided. Mr. Greg passed a high eulogium on Mr. Cobden, and moved a resolution to this effect- " That the meeting, impressed with a deep sense of the exertions, self-sacrifice, wisdom, and prudence of Richard Cobden, during the seven years struggle to re- lease industry from the bonds which an interested and impolitic Legislature had imposed upon it, desire to present some fitting tribute of honour to the man to whom the nation is indebted for the successful issue of that struggle; and in- vite persons in every part of the kingdom to cooperate with them in presenting to him a national tribute commensurate with his deserts and worthy of the British people."

Mr. Greg did not choose to enter upon matters of a strictly private na- ture; but he could state on undoubted authority that the amount of Mr. Cobden's pecuniary loss during the last seven years had not been leas than 20,0001. Mr. Brown, in seconding the resolution, said he agreed with those who thought that Mr. Cobden had been given to his country by the Al- mighty for wise purposes: it was to be hoped that, after having made great sacrifices of his time for a period of seven years, and achieved one of the greatest victories that ever was achieved, the country would not act with °oldness towards him in the matter of the testimonial. Letters commend- ing the object of the meeting were read, from Mr. Villiers, Mr. C. Paget, Lord Radnor, Mr. John Brooks, Lord Ducie, Sir Joshua Walmsley, and Mr. Ricardo. Mr. Paget requested his name to be put down for 1001., and Mr. Brooks for 500/. Lord Ducie suggested that a meeting should be held at Covent Garden Theatre in furtherance of the scheme. A Committee was appointed to arrange and manage the details of the subscription.

The following address to Sir Robert Peel was placed on 'Change at Manchester fbr signature on Saturday morning; and in the course of a few hours it received 3,060 signatures, comprising those of the Mayor, the Pre- sident of the Chamber of Commerce, the President of the Commercial Association, and almost all the principal bankers, merchants, and manufac- turers in the town-

" We, the undersigned, bankers, merchants, and manufacturers of Manchester, impressed with the extraordinary and most valuable services which, as Premier of her Majesty's Government, you have rendered to manufactures and commerce, as well as the varied interests of this country, be most respectfully to tender to you our thanks and gratitude for the measures that you have proposed for the promotion of industry and the freedom of trade. We duly apprebate the vast talent, the enduring patience, the personal sacrifices, and the unfailing skill which have distinguished the discharge of your late most onerous duties; and we desire to place on record our high sense of your patriotic and devoted services—services which; we believe, have maintained peace and order, preserved the integrity of our institutions, and, we trust, have laid the foundation of lasting prosperity to all the interests of our country. We beg to assure you that, in our opinion, it is of vital importance at thisjuncture that you should continue to direct the national coun- cils; and we trust that you will be solicited and induced to remain in the high office which you have held with such advantage to the country, and such eminent credit to yourself."

From Bradford Sir Robert has received an address, in some respects, pro- bably, even more gratifying to his feelings- "Sir—We, the undersigned, merchants, banke s, and professional gentlemen, worsted spinners, manufacturers, woolstaplers, and other tradesmen of the town of Bradford, in the West Riding of the county of York, beg to express to you our deep regret, that, in passing through Parliament your great measures of commer- cial reform, you should have been assailed in the most virulent manner, even to the disregard of the decencies of life; and beg especially to mark our strong dis- approbation of the wanton, malicious, and slanderous attack made upon your cha- racter with respect to the late Mr. Canning, but which you so ably repelled, to the satisfaction of every thinking man in the country.

"We beg to assure you, that the measures you have brought forward for the relief of trade, and the comfort of the industrial classes, are considered by men of all parties here as among the greatest and most beneficial ever proposed by any Minister of the Crown, and tending to increase the stability of the empire and the happiness of the people. "We present you with our heartfelt thanks for the manifold sacrifices, both pri- vate and public, which you have made, in carrying through Parliament, with un- wearied zeal and in spite of the most formidable opposition, the great schemes of commercial policy which you conscientiously believed would be for the general benefit of our country and the welfare of the many.

" It is our fervent hope that your valuable life will long, in health and hap- piness, be spared to carry out other great objects for the amelioration of the con- dition of your grateful countrymen, and advancing the prosperity and wellbeing of the great empire over whose destinies you have so ably presided as First Minister of the Crown."

Some election movements are announced. Mr. George Granville Fran- cis Egerton, the eldest son of Lord Francis Egerton, (now Earl Elles. mere,) and nephew of the Duke of Sutherland, has announced himself as a candidate for the representation of Newcastle-under-Lyne in the event of a dissolution of Parliament.

Mr. William Brown of Liverpool is the Free-trade candidate for the vacancy in the representation of South Lancashire, occasioned by the ele- vation of Lord Francis Egerton to the Peerage. A deputation, consisting of Mr. C. L S. Walker, Mr. T. Simpson, and Mr. W. Evans, from Man- chester, and twelve gentlemen residing in Liverpool, waited upon Mr. Brown on Tuesday, and presented numerously-signed requisitions requesting him to come forward. His compliance has been followed by the establishment of election committees at Liverpool and Manchester.

It is said that the Chairman of the South-eastern Railway Company, J. Macgregor, Esq., late manager of the Commercial Bank in Liverpool, is to go into Parliament for a Kentish borough.—Liverpool Albion.

Mr. Francis Raiford of Belbroughton is the Conservative candidate for Worcester, in the room of Mr. Bailey, who stands for Breconshire. The Honourable Captain Rushout, a Conservative, offers himself for East Wor- cestershire, in the place of Mr. Barneby, retiring from ill health.

The Mayor of Manchester transmitted recently an invitation to Prince Albert to visit that town in conjunction with his visit to Liverpool. The Prince could not accept the invitation consistently with his other arrange- ments, but promised to visit Manchester on some future occasion.

A Tractarian College, as a feeder to Mr. Hope's Missionary College at Canterbury, is contemplated at Harrow Weald. The scheme is supported by the Reverend Dr. Pusey, and Messrs. Keble, Gladstone, and others.— Church and State Gazette.

A scheme is on foot for the erection of public baths at Chester. As yet no public meeting has been held; but private applications have already obtained subscriptions to the amount of 2601.

The building strike is drawing still nearer to a close. A number of men have gone in during the present week, and most of the employers have

now their full complement of hands. During the week several " shop- meetings " have been held, at which it has been agreed that the National Association should be given up; and the masters have consented to receive back their hands on the men signing a resolution to that effect, drawn up by their respective chairmen.—Manchester Examiner.

The Worcester Journal states that it is intended at the next quarterly meeting of the iron-masters to propose an advance of twenty shillings per ton. From the state of the market, the Birmingham Journal doubts the correctness of the assertion.

We have heard of one instance of the influence which the passing of Sir Robert Peel's Corn Importation Bill has had on wages, which we com- mend to the consideration of monopolists throughout the kingdom. A large manufacturer, who employs from a thousand to twelve hundred hand- loom weavers, in the neighbourhood of Preston, Chorley, &c., went among them on Monday last, and announced that, in consequence of the passing of this measure, he had come to the determination to advance their wages. The week's work commencing the following day, the manufacturer in question has not lost a single day in making the announcement and the advance.—Manchester Guardian.

The hops have greatly improved in the past week; the late storms having cleared them of a great quantity of vermin. The duty is consequently in advance. It is now laid from 130,0001 and upwards.—Kentish Observer.

The Lewes and Hastings Railway was opened for traffic on Saturday. No particular festivity seems to have taken place on the occasion; but the trains are said to have traversed the line with great regularity, on the open- ing-day and since. At present the railway terminates at Bulverhythe, about half a mile from St. Leonard's; but in a few weeks it will be com- pleted to that place.

There has been some serious rioting by a number of soldiers at Chat- ham Barracks. Detachments of men were collected ready to embark for India; some of the soldiers were in prison for misconduct; and a party of the Ninety-eighth Regiment resolved to liberate them. They made an attack on the guard; forced them away, overturning the sentry-boxes; and, breaking open the black-bole, they set the prisoners free. A detachment now arrived, with loaded muskets, to quell the riot: fortunately, it was not necessary to fire, and the ringleaders were taken into custody. On Mon- day morning, the detachments were marched to Gravesend to be shipped.

At the Surrey Quarter-sessions, held at the Court-house, Guildford, on Tuesday, it was agreed to enlarge the County Lunatic Asylum, so as to afford accommodation to four hundred additional patients. The estimated cost is about 35,0001. A motion for the appointment of a committee to consider the propriety of erecting one or more new prisons on an improved principle, to be substituted for the present defective prisons, was rejected; the chief objection being the expense.

There is not a single prisoner for trial at the Cambridgeshire Sessions. So remarkable a circumstance never before occurred.—Bury Post.

A lamentable accident occurred on the Brighton Railway on Monday afternoon, at the Balcombe station, which is about a mile and a half on the Brighton side of the Balcombe tunnel. "The station," says one account, "is of the worst con- struction, and offers but trifling security, or even accommodation, to the public.

It is what is termed a good second-class station; but all it COMplillOS is a kind of sentry-box on the left of the up-line, just sufficient to shelter the station-clerk, his desk, &c. It is approached by a deep flight of steps from the main road, which passes over the railway; there is no platform or railing to prevent persons wandering on the line; while the pathway is so exceedingly narrow that it is dif- ficult to keep a steady footing on the passing of trains. Passengers travelling by the up-trains are compelled to walk across both lines of rails to the opposite side; and to this dangerous system may the accident in some measure be attributed." A little after three o'clock, Mr. Arthur Murphy, a Storekeeper in the Ordnance Department of the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich, accompanied by his wife, arrived at the station, and took places for the London train which leaves Brighton at half-

st two. The Balcombe policeman had in the morning got leave to go to Brighton on business; and the only person to perform all the duties of the station was Mr. Shaw, the station-clerk. The two o'clock express down-train passes Balcombe a few seconds before the half-past two o'clock Brighton train comes up; hence there is great liability to danger in crossing over the rails, which passengers must do to enter the up-train when it stops. The express-train does not stop at Balcombe. "After taking the tickets, Mrs. Murphy proceeded to cross the rails in the direction of the shed on the up-line; and at the same moment the down express was heard by Shaw approaching at its usual velocity. He looked out of his doorway, and saw that the lady had apparently slipped or fallen on the down- line of the rails. Seeing her imminent danger, he heroically rushed out, caught hold of her, and made a desperate effort to throw the unfortunate lady off the Imo; when at the same instant the engine struck them both to the ground, and the whole of the train passed over them, killing them instantaneously. A more ap- palling sight was scarcely ever witnessed. The wheels had passed completely over the head of Shaw, rendering the least recognition of his features impossible. The head of Mrs. Murphy was nearly cut in half. The sufferings of Mr. Mur- phy, on discovering the dreadful fate of his wife, may be conceived: he was the first to raise the mangled bodies off the line, and they were afterwards conveyed to a neighbouring public-house. Not the least fault can be attributed to the en- gine-dnver of the train. He saw the dangerous position of the deceased, and used every means in his power to stop the engine by shutting off the steam and apply- ing vigorously the breaks; but the rate of the train entirely prevented him effect- Mrs. his purpose." Mrs. Murphy, who was far advanced in pregnancy, had been staying at Cack field for the benefit of her health; and her husband had gone on Sunday to bring her home.

The inquest was held at Balcombe on Tuesday. Witnesses described the deaths of the two persons as narrated above. The whistle of the engine, said one wit-

ness, was sounded just before the accident, but there was not time for the de- ceased to get out of the way. James Stoner saw the train approaching before Mrs. Murphy attempted to cross the line; it was coming very fast; there was no policeman at the station. Balcombe tunnel is a mile and a half from the station: it is impossible to see a train emerge from it where the accident occurred; a curve in the line prevented the view: could not see a train approach beyond four hun- dred yards. The train was close to the station when Mrs. Murphy endeavoured

to pass over the line. George Armstrong, the driver of the train, was examined. He had been an engine-driver several years. Balcombe tunnel was situate be- tween two curves; could not see it more than a quarter of a mile each way. The train that met with the accident was a quick one: they were travelling at the -usual rate, from twenty to thirty miles an hour. After they had come in sight of

Balcombe station, within two hundred yards of it, he saw four females on the same line as the train. They had crossed it, when he noticed another female come out of the station and attempt to follow them. He blew his whistle. Mrs. Murphy instantly turned round towards the train, and, seeing it close upon her, appeared to lose her presence of mind, for she immediately dropped on her knees

and held up her hands. The train was then close to the station, not, fifteen

yards off; when the station-clerk, Shaw, ran out and caught hold of the female, and tried to pull her off the rails. The next moment the' engine struck them both. He was poeitive, had the deceased not lost her self-pos- session, she could have got clear off the" line before the: train came up. It was impossible for him to have brought up the train before he did. He put down the breaks; and the guards, hearing the signal, did the same. They were not

going beyond their usual rate. They were in good time on passing the station. His train and the one Mrs. Murphy was going by were due at the station almost

at the same time. The Foreman of the Jury here alluded to the insecure state of the station. Any of the passengers slipping at the entrance would inevitably fall across the rails; and in the event of a train passing at the same moment, loss of life would certainly follow. The Coroner asked the engine-driver, if it was the practice on that line to sound the whistle on the approach of trains to stations. he witness replied, that it was not. The practice on the Brighton line was only to sound the whistle on entering and emerging from a tunnel. On the Hull and Selby Railway, on which he had been employed as engine-driver, it had been the custom to sound the whistle on nearing every station; but it was discontinued be- cause it alarmed the passengers. A Juror remarked, that he had been at the sta- tion at the time of trains passing; and, owing to the peculiar character of the line at that part, he never heard them approach until they were close to him. The Coroner observed, that no board had been placed at the station to caution the public in crossing the line: he thought it very necessary that some such pre- caution should be adopted. Mr. Clark, the manager of the line, submitted that the regulations of the Company would better answer the security of the passen- gersi for a policeman was kept at that station for the express purpose of con-

ducting them safe over the rails. That party, however, on the morning of the accident, had been granted leave by Shaw, without the sanction of the Company,

to go to Brighton on business they were both interested in; consequently the de- ceased had to perform the double duties of station-clerk and policeman—a dere- liction of duty that had terminated in his death. Kennedy, the policeman, was then called to prove the fact. The deceased clerk, Shaw, gave him leave to be absent from the station. In summing up, the Coroner said, if any one had been guilty of neglect, it was Shaw; and he was removed by death from the notice of the Jury. A verdict of "Accidental death" was returned.

The people in an express-train on the Bristol and Birmingham Railway, bad a wonderful escape on Saturday night. The train was proceeding at its usual rapid rate from Bristol to Birmingham • and just after it had passed the Wickwar station, one of the large wheels of'the engine broke, flew off, and dashed into an embankment, where it was embedded in the earth thirty or forty inches deep. The engine, tender, and carriages were thrown off the rail, the engine bounding a distance of forty or fifty feet. The first of the second-class carriages was very much broken, and some of the others were also injured, but to a less extent. The passengers were violently dashed against each other, and the engine-driver and stoker thrown off and bruised, and one of them somewhat cut.

Two brothers, middle-aged men, have hanged themselves, side by side, in a shed in a ropemaker's yard at Nottingham. The deceased, with their father,

were in pecuniary difficulties; and all three would appear to have resolved on suicidei for, after the discovery of the bodies of the sons, the old man was found wandering ;bout the fields, asking if his sons were dead, and intimating that he had been to a canal two or three times to throw himself in, but his heart had Lulea.