Cbe Country.

The election for North Lancashire will take place on the 12th in- stant. There has been some talk of Mr. Hunt, and:a. Mr. Raphael of London, opposing Mr. Stanley ; but no serious opposition is expected.

Captain Barrington, the son;in-law of Earl Greys has resigned his seat in Parliament-for Sunderland, under very unpleasant circum- stances. The Durham Chronicle says, that he ilea been bullied into giving in his resignation, by "base, unrelenting, and savage persect- tiom" from the Thompsonian Cabal." It seems that a handbill, signed " Junius," written in disparagement of Captain. Barrington, has been circulated in. Sunderland, and a copy of it forwarded to Lady Caroline Barrington. Earl Grey also appears to have been called upori to pro- cure the resignation of his son-in-law; and has addressed the following

letter to a Mr. Lotherington on that subject.

" Downing Street, March 23, 1833.. "Sot--I cannot say that I was surprised at the receipt of theletter signed by your- self and others, which reached me a few days ago ; having been previously apprised that such a step was in contemplation. The motives which have produced it are best known to yourselves; but I must be permitted to remark, that I cannot see in it any proof either of sympathy for -the affliction which Captain Barrington's severe but accidental illness has brought upon his. family, or of gratitude for my exertions in assisting the aecomplishmeut of a reform to which Sunderland owes the advantage of being represented in Parliament. However this may be. the course which you have thought proper tuUke leaves me without-a choice; and thoughlhe step to Which I sin thus compelled, maid be painful to Captain Harringtou's family and may not, perhaps, be unattended with danger to the progress of his recovery, l fast the necessity of pas venting the greater and more certain evil of his being harassed and annoyed by attackr steam have been lately directed againit Mai ; my sense of WM& I cannot aUow myself to express. I shall therefore advise his resignation of a seat, of which, it seems, there are persons impatient to deprive him, without any regard tolhosa feelings which have usually been thought entitled to some rainsideration under similar circumstances. " I am, Sir, your obedient servant; "Mr. Lotherington." - • (Signid) 'GUT." We have seen no copy of the handbill above alltAtel to, but it is stated to have shocked Lady Caroline excessively, and to have brought on her confinement prematurely. Her infant died, and she is herself very ill. It certainly would have been more discreet in Captain Bar- rington to have resigned spontaneously, when he found himself unable to attend to his Parliamentary duties. But the conduct of his oppo- nents in Sunderland seems to have' een most unmanly and unjustifiable. It should be observed, however, that the Durham Chronicle, from which we take our account of this affair, is evidently a strongly preju- diced paper.

Alderman Thompson has been returned for Sunderland, in the room of Captain Barrington, by a majority of eighteen votes over Mr. Bars clay. The numbers at the final close of the poll were—Thompson, 574; Barclay, 556. .

On Tuesday evening last, news having arrived at Ware of the deci- lieu of the Hertford Election Committee unseating Lords Ingestrie and Mahon, and declaring the election void, the inhabitants showed the

interest they felt, and their pleasure that Mr. Duncombe, who is very popular there, had succeeded in ousting the Lords, by ringing of bells and •firirg of cannon. One of the cannon being overloaded, burst ; and someof the fragments striking a man named Bangs on the leg, frac- tured it in a shocking manner. A boy, the son of Page, a baker in the town, was struck on the back of his thigh, which was broken, and the flesh muds lacerated.

Mr. Hope, the unsuccessful candidate for Marylebone, and likewise for Gloucester at the last election, again comes forward to oppose Captain Berkeley at the latter place. The election will commence on Monday next.

A numerous and highly-respectable meeting of nearly two hundred -gentlemen of Birmingham and its vicinity, was held last week, at Dee's Royal Hotel, Birmingham, to celebrate by a public dinner the hun- dredth anniversary of the birth of Dr. Priestley. The Reverend John Corrie, President of the Birmingham Philosophical Society, was in the Chair. Several excellent speeches were made by the Chairman, and the other Dissenting ministers of Birmingham and the neighbour- ing towns. The great change in the feelings of the people since the time of the Church and King riots which droVe Priestley across the Atlantic, was especially pOinted out ; and the late meeting in London, held for the purpose of doing honour to his scientific acquirements and discoveries, and which was attended by so many eminent men of science, was adduced as a gratifying proof of the increasing liberality of the age. The memory. of Priestley was drunk in silence; and Mr. Joseph Parkes, in returning. thanks, paid a just and warm tribute to his virtues as a public and private man. He said that The purity of Dr. Priestley's personal character and his private virtues were never even questioned by a virulent press, or the tongue of slander. He was indebted to his own single exertions, unaided by factitious circumstances of birth and fortune, for his distinguished literary eminence and scientific reputation. To use the language of the Roman, Dr. Priestley was " born of himself," and could boast no Aristocratic lineage— be was essentially a self-educated- man, who had derived no advantages froni academical education. His own zealous love of troth and science raised him to celebrity. Mr. Corrie, hod the recent meeting of the first men of science in London, had done ample. justice to his promotion of science and philosophy. Mr, Parkes would not involve the unanimity of the meeting by any ill-timed or illiberal allusion to Dr. Priestley's parti- cular political or religions opinions; but it was due to that illustrious man to say, that truth was the greet and single object of an his intellectual exertions—that the freedom of discussion and opinion which he claimed for himself be desired to extend to all man- kind—and that he boldly maintained civil and religious liberty, in the most unrestricted souse. to be the right of men in all countries. The war of opinion which burst out on the first French Revolution involved the characters of many great public men in temporary prejudice and persecution, but, the political opinions of Dr. Priestley were now the practical views of the present generation ; and to him was especially due the merit of exciting public attention to the injustice of the civil disabilities of the Protes- tant Dissenters, now so happily erased from the Statute-book of England.

The memory of the Reverend Robert Hall was drank in the course of the evening ; and the Reverend Mr. Berry, who spoke to the toast, as a friend of Mr. Hall, related the following anecdote of that eminent man.

"Travelling-with the venerable anti learned Andrew Fuller. In a coach from Bristol to London, the conversation turuml on political topics. Mr. Hall was told that there was a probability of speedily obtaining a Reformed Parliament: on whirls he said, 'Sir, I should think nothing of walking a thonsand miles barefoot, to be beheaded at the end of my journey, if so desirable an end could be accomplished.' (cheers.) To which Mr. Fuller humorously replied, I think, brother Hall, you would walk mighty slow."' (Laughterutd cheers.) . The meeting, which terminated at a late hours is represented by the Birmingham Journal to.have been unusually interesting.and agreeable. Mr. Lieffman, of the respectable firm of Lieffman and Schwabe, calico-printers in Manchester, killed 'himself on Friday week, by swal- lowing a quantity of laudanum. He .was a fine young man, about thirty-two years of age, and was related to Mr. Rothschild.- No rea- son has been discovered for the act; but it has been conjectured that a -recent quarrel and turn-out of his workmen had disordered his intellects.

A lad about seventeen years of age, son of Mr. Hayward, a shop- keeper, of Moretonhampstead, has laboured . for some time past tinder .a disease of the eyes, to relieve which an issue had been made in his neck. A girl, about fifteen years of age, had been accustomed to dress :it; and was doing:so on Sunday week, in the . kitchen of the house. When she had finished the operation, she observed to the lad Hayward, "What wry faces you make up while I am dressing your issue ;",at the same time imitating him. To this be replied, in a surly tone, " If you mock me again, I am d—d if I don't shoot you:" The girl repeated

mimickry; when he instantly took a loaded pistol from his pocket, and shot her. The ball entered the poor girl's head at the corner of. the eye, and lodged in the back part of the skull; she lay ingreat agony: for some hours, when death put a period to her- sufferings. sne: seoundrelsivis.permitted to. beat large on- the. Sunday and Monday; not • having been taken-np 'until Tuesday; when a Coroner's Inquest was Ieldson the body Of the tinfOitunate girl, liy Gillffile, of Ash-. .burton ; and'the sJury, after ran investigation of four hours; returned a verdict of " Manslaughter." He was accordingly committed to Devon County Gaol on Wednesday; whence he has since been liberated under -a bail of 1,0001., in two sureties of 5001. each.— Western Lwninary. the circumstances are correctly given in this account, there never was a clearer case of murder. The young ruffian certainly ought not to be suffered to co at large.], Silvester Wilkins was executed at Dorchester,. on Saturday last, pur- suant to his sentence, for setting fire to a conshiag-shop at Bridport.

A man named Thomas Bennett, and a woman named Elizabeth Trotman, have hem apprehended, on the charge of having robbed Lord De Roos's house at Brighton of plate and jewellery to a large amount on the 1:..V1 March. They are also suspected of being concerted in two other robberies.at Brighton, one in the. house of Mrs. Smith, Ro_yal Creseent, on the 19th of November last : and another in Mr. Wil- liam Vernon's house, 4, Portland Terrace, on the 19th March. They were examined at Brighton on Saturday, and remanded.

Five men, named fireenhalsh, Lawton, Parkinson, Garnett, end Morbey, were tried at the late Lancaster Assizes, for a riot at Clitheroe, upon the occasion of Mr. Trising's electionering entrance into that town on the 31st of July last. The Magistrates of Clitheroe were . the prosecutors. Sergeant Jones was leading counsel for the

prosecution, and Mr. Pollock for the defence. 'flue trial coe-; cupied two days. A great many witnesses were called, who gave an account of the rioting of the populace, and the entrance of the military.

All the defendants were acquitted. Baron Gurney, the Judge, said, that " he trusted the verdict would be properly received, and not be

productive of any excesses : he hoped it would have a good effect." The people were highly gratified by this result, but behaved in a very orderly manner.

Lord Henry Beauclerk of the 87th, and Mr. Charles Miles of the 80th Regiment, were fined at Plymouth, on Wednesday, the first 101. and the second .5/. for assaulting two persons named Palmer and Phil- lips, on Tuesday night. These two gallant officers. were in company with four others when the assault complained of was committed. It appears to have been what is called a lark. The brave defenders of their country all ran away upon the approach of a Mr. Rundle, a townsman of Plymouth.

A, convict named James Harding escaped from Brecon jail on Sun- day last. He broke through several walls between his cell and the court-yard ; and having previously cut his blanket into slips and formed them into a line of sufficient length, lie threw it over the boundary wall by which he ascended, and, assisted by some accomplices outside, got safely away.

A man named Gibletts, a confidential clerk in the bank of Reeves and Company, of Wells, in Sornersetshire, has been detected in rob- bing his employers to a considerable extent. Ile is also accused of forging indorsements, mid has been committed to take his trial on both charges.