There was a great scene on Southsca Common on Monday.

Two brigades of infantry, with a complement of artillery, were paraded to witness the Queen confer the Victoria Cross on nine officers and men. The fleet, under Lord Lyons, lay in the roads. Thousands of people from Portsmouth, Southampton, and the Isle of Wight, assembled to wit- ness the scene. For the Queen a dais was prepared. She came over from her island retreat in the Royal Albert, and was of course received by a noisy salute from the men of war. The Prince Consort and tho Duke of Cambridge accompanied the Queen. First she drove down the front of the line of troops and then took her place upon the dais. The men upon whom she conferred the Cross were Lieutenant-Colonel Bell, 23d Fusiliers, Lieutenant-Colonel Dixon, R.A., Deputy-Inspector Gene- ral of Hospitals, James Mouat, Major T. Esmonde, Colour-Sergeant II. M`Donald, RE., Sergeant Henry Ramage, Scots Greys—these for deeds of gallantry done in the Crimea ; Major Dighton Probyn, 2d l'unjaub Cavalry, Captain Alfred Stowel Jones, 9th Lancers, Lieutenant Robert Blair, Scots Greys, Deputy-Assistant Commissary of Ordnance John Buckley (Bengal Service), and Private Holmes 84th Foot—these for dis- tinguished actions in India. Captain Jones received twenty-two wounds in the battle of Agra—one sabre stroke cut away his left temple, left eye, and part of his left cheek—yet he survived. John Buckley was one of the defenders of the Magazine at Delhi on the fatal 11th May 1857. The Queen fixed the cross on the breasts of these brave men with her own hand. Then they formed line on her left, and the troops marched past. Here the ceremony ended, and the Queen returned to Osborne.

Mr. S. T. Kekewich, selected by the Conservatives of South Devon, issued his address to the electors last week. He says- " It is my duty at once to declare that I shall give an independent sup- port to the present Ministers of the Crown, from the conviction that their administration of public affairs will be directed by a wise economy in the finances of the country, and that by careful and temperate legislation they will endeavour to repair and strengthen those institutions which we all cherish and revere. My earnest desire has ever been to promote unity in the Church, of which I am a member ; but I never will consent to weaken its foundations, nor to sanction any encroachment upon its pure and holy form of worship. I ask for myself, and claim for others, the fullest liberty of conscience in matters of religious belief."

On Tuesday, Mr. Kekewich addressed the electors of Totness, and made some more detailed statements of his views.

He had been called a Puseyite. Be knew what a Puseyite was as well as any man, and could honestly say that he was not a Puseyite' and never had been one. Ile could not prove this to them otherwise than by his own as- sertion. But he could fearlessly declare that he was not a Puseyite in reli- gion—and that, in the true sense of the word Liberal, he was a Liberal in politics. He should not have spoken thus, but for the accusations against him. He might refer to his Parliamentary career. He had been a sup- porter of Sir Robert Peel's Government; yet, on the repeal of the est and Corporation Acts, the greatest boon ever conferred on Dissenters, he had separated himself from his friends, and voted for Lord John Russell; and the consequence was, that when he returned to Exeter even his bitterest opponents shook hands with him. No man had a right to interfere with hie private affairs, but he would tell them what he had lately done. A largo body of his tenantry wanted a Wesleyan chapel on his estate. Did he re- fuse? No; he wished every man to worship God in his own way. A "large measure of reform" .talked of for next session. He sincerely hoped it would be as liberal as possible. He wanted no tinkering ; he wished to see the question settled for ever.

It is anticipated that Mr. Mangles will be a member of the new Indian Council, and, if so, he will have to resign his seat for Guildford. There are already five candidates in the field ; Mr. W. J. Evelyn, Conserva- tive, Mr. Onslow, Mr. Campbell, and Mr. Taylor, Liberals, and Mr. Murrough, Radical.

Mr. Thomas Fairbairu has put an end to conjecture by issuing an ad- dress, in which he announces his intention of contesting the borough of Manchester when avaeaney occurs. He states that his political opinions are "sincerely and truly liberal," but that he is not "a radical." He is opposed to the ballot, and does not desire either universal or household suffrage ; but "would assimilate the franchise in counties and boroughs, lower the present standard, and at once adopt machinery by which many professional and educated men, at present disqualified, should be entitled to vote.

Mr. W. j. Fox paid a visit to his constituents at Oldham pn Wednes- day. The topics of his speech were Cherbourg, and the loinga of the session.

At first Mr. Fox thought that Lord Palmerston was the man to bring us through the great struggle with the Russian empire. But he was erectually alienated from his lordship when he found that he did not bring to punish- ment the criminals of the Crimea whose mismanagement had lost is noble an army as ever left the shores of Britain, when he picked an urn vssaary quarrel with China, and when he suffered two British engineers .o linger month after month in Neapolitan dungeons. And at last there •time the ready submission which bowed to the reproaches of French colo els who treated England as a provincial dependency of France. Then those who were returned at the last election to support Lord Palmerston fell away from him, for they were too true-hearted to standby him any longer, and thePrime Minister was hurled from his eminence. He was now a forlorn spectecle in the House, sitting with the poor rump of his own Administration ;,for all independent men kept aloof from him. But, although they put Pal-

merston out, they. did not put Lord Derby in. That was one of those con- ventional jugglenes by which the Premiership was tossed like a ball from one aristocrat to another. Lord Derby was not doing much with it. He had caught it, and would hold it as long as he behaved himself. At present there is want of cohesiveness ; each man seemed to act according to his own will, and the result is that those who are avowedly a minority are nominally the Government of the country. They had talked of a Reform Bill, but what their promises were worth he could not say. There is a very sound text which said "Put not your trust in princes," and he would add, "nor in statesmen, nor in leaders, nor in parties." The people must trust to themselves, and then reform would be won. ("Hear, hear !" and applause.) All the great achievements had been accomplished by the people in opposition to the ruling classes.

"Radical Oldham" could not but be charmed by accents like these from its Radical member, who desires no better epitaph than this-

" Here lies one who while in youth was the Radical weaver boy of Nor- wich, and in age the representative of Radical Oldham, and in 'both the friend of freedom and peace." ("Rear, hear!" and applause.)

The campaign against church-rates is not abandoned. At Winchester two parishes have resolved, instead of providing for the expenses of the church and the maintenance of the fabric by church-rates, to provide for them by a "voluntary rate upon sittings."

At High Harrogate, the 'Vestry of Christchurch, with the assent of the incumbent, have resolved that "under existing circumstances, and in order to preserve peace and goodwill," the expenses of the church shall be defrayed by a voluntary rate. At St. Peter's, Derby, a rate for church repairs has been carried by 33 to 27. At Doncaster, a rate for the maintenance of the fabric has been willingly granted, but all other charges are to be defrayed by pew-rents.

The Brotherton Memorial—a handsome full length statue erected in the Peel Park, Manchester—was inaugurated this week. The Bishop of Manchester was selected as the eulogist of the late Member for Salford.

The Birmingham Chamber of Commerce held a meeting on the 30th July. The chief subject of discussion was the improper use of trade marks ; and it was resolved that the Chamber, anxious, in every way in its power, to discourage the improper use Of trade marks, referred the subject to the Council, with a request that it may receive immediate con- sideration, with a view to such steps being taken as may be deemed advisable.

In April 18-57, Mr. George Hassell Huntley, surgeon, of Howdon, near Newcastle, then fifty-four years old, insured his life for 2000/. in the St. George Insurance Company. He was an active, robust, ruddy-faced, man, fond of strong exercise, and taking a great deal of it, given to dancing and field sports. He was a vegetarian in diet, rarely taking meat, moderate in eating and abstemious in drinking. In June 1857, he died. His widow claimed the 2000/. The Insurance Company disputed the claim. They alleged that Mr. Huntley was not a man of sober habits, and that when he effected the policy of insurance he had Bright's disease and heart disease, and that he fraudulently concealed the fact from the Company. Mrs. Huntley brought an action to enforce payment, and it was tried at the Newcastle Assizes on Monday. The evidence was conflicting. Surgeons, some of local eminence, testified to the soundness of hie health, but others, of equal weight, deposed positively, that as early as 1855 Mr. Huntley had been warned that he had Bright's disease and heart disease. Dr. Davison, the Company's medical referee was not called. The Jury, after a brief con- sultation, found for the plaintiff—damages 2000/. less the amount of the half-yearly premium 631.

At the Guildford Assizes an action for libel was tried against the proprie- tors of the Atheneum Newspaper. Their offence was that of descrilaing certain curiosities called "pilgrims' signs" made of lead, and purporting to have been found in the mud of the river, as fraudulent imitations got up for sale. A Mr. Eastwood held that the article was levelled at him, as he had become possessed of a large number of these articles believing them, as he alleges, to be genuine antiquities. They were acquired in a singular manner. A. Mr. Edwardes bought them of "Bill" and" Charley," two "shore rakers," who had them from excavators. Two Fellows of the So- ciety of Antiquaries declared that in their opinion the curiosities were genuine. Mr. Justice Wines instructed the Jury that the article complained of was not a libel. It had been laid down by one of the sages of the law that what a man said honestly and bond lde in the course of a public dis- cussion on matters concerning the public interest, no matter even if he spoke rashly, and what he said was not true, still any statement made under such circumstances would not be a libel. It had also been equally clearly laid down that before any plaintiff could ask redress for a libel he must show distinctly that the libel complained of applied to him, and to no other person. It would be a new doctrine, indeed, if it were to be held that any person who said that all lawyers were rogues might be sued by every indi- vidual lawyer in the kingdom ; and it appeared to him that the article now complained of seemed to apply to the particular trade of dealing in anti- quities, rather than to the plaintiff personally. It appeared to him, there- fore, that the plaintiff must be nonsuited. The Jury adopted this view, and found for the defendants.

Improper modes of obtaining evidence arc very generally scouted in this country. A case of the kind, however, was revealed at the Bodmin Assizes. • Francis Rashleigh was indicted for burglary. A house, left in charge of two girls, was robbed while the maidens were at a revel ; suspicion fell on Rash- leigh, and he was arrested. Thomas Martin, a constable, introduced him- self in plain clothes into Rashleigh's cell, and by pretending to be a pri- soner, obtained, according to his statement, a confession from Rashleigh of the mode in which he perpetrated the burglary. Baron Watson told the jury that they must draw their own conclusion from the evidence of a man who placed himself in so degrading a position as to go to a prisoner under false pretences. Bad as the evidence was, it was badly used and badly brought forward, and kept back till the last moment. He should advise the Jury to pause before they gave credit to such a person. The Jury acquitted Rashleigh; and Baron 'Watson commended Mr. Constable Martin to the notice of the Magistrates.

It has become a common and not very creditable practice to put up horses at auctions for sale "without reserve,' and then for the owner to buy them in unless the bids rise to a certain point. The practice has been much com- mented upon, and the question has been raised whether a horse, so adver- tised for sale, cannot be 'claimed by the highest bona fide bidder. Captain Iirarlow attended a sale at Birmingham of horses that were to be sold with- out reserve. He selected one and bid for him. The owner of the horse bid higher and the hammer descended. Captain Warlow, finding that the owner was the purchaser, tendered his bidding, and demanded the horse. As it was not given up he brought an action against the auctioneer. It was tried at the Warwick Assizes, and Lord Chief Justice Cockburn decided against

the defendant, but gave him liberty to move upon all the points of law he had raised. It is time some check should be put to a practice BO &Creditable.

A shocking crime has been perpetrated at the quiet village of Barley, Yorkshire. James Atkinson, the son of a flax-spinner, was the playfellow in childhood of Mary Scaife, the daughter of a farmer. As they grew up, liking became loving, and they were sweethearts when in their teens.

the girl's parents disapproved of their daughter's choice, and Miee mars. seems to have been requested to receive the attentions of another young mei' Gill by name. But the courtship of the authorized lover was speez; broken off, and Atkinson was allowed to renew his wooing. Last week however, Atkinson saw his lady love talking to Gill on a gala day, and he bitterly complained of it to her brothers. On Sunday the young lovers went to chapel together, and were seen afterwards going up " Stump Lane." At.

and that he

kinson returned alone. Early on Monday a labourer found the body of Mare Scaife lying in a ditch. Her throat was cut, and her face and clothes boie the marks of a severe struggle. About the time her body was found Atldn. son confessed that he had murdered the girl, and later in the day he showed a constable where he had hidden the knife he had used to do this deed. lle is in custody, and says he is "very happy," " quite content,"

can go freely to the gallows, forgiving the vilest of the vile.

On Wednesday, Atkinson made a statement before the Knaresborough Magistrates, describing his courtship, its crosses, his jealousy, and the final tragedy. He said—" We walked on until we got to Stump Lane Bottom, and when we got a little way up, she took her arm out of mine. I wanted her to put it in again, and she would not.. I told her I could not be happy until I married her. She thought we could not be happy; she was sure we could not be happy. She told me I should behave badly to her. I said if she would marry me, I would be content with her ; I could not be content without her. She said we had better part a little bit. I told her mane times I could not part from her, unless I did something with her. I tog her I thought there was some one else she wanted, and I could not bide any else to have her. She said we could both do without one another a little bit. Then I took hold of her as she was walking by the side of the road. She was all the while awkward with me, and would not go on quietly, I stopped her where she was, and told her I would murder her if she did not go on quietly with me. She said It's all false, you only want to make me believe so.' Then I took her by the throat and tried to choke her. She cried out when I took her by the throat, and I thought some one would hear. We then got up and walked on a little bit, and I pulled out my knife, and showed it her: She cried out, Let's go home, Jim—let's go home, Jim.' Then I seized her, and cut her throat, and she cried out, 'It's all my mother, Jim—it's all my mother that's caused this disturbance.' She cried out, The Lord help me,' three times, to the best of my recollec- tion, and then she fainted away, and I left her. I went over the wall, shut the knife, and put it in my waistcoat pocket. I went into the fields, and wandered about, perhaps an hour or an hour and a half. I laid me down, and thought I would go and tell her parents, but I could not go. I then thought I would go to her again, and I went back, but when I got a little way up the lane my heart failed sue, and I couldn't go to her. Then I got over the other waif into the field on the other side. I took the knife out of my pocket again and opened it, and I put it in a wall-top, after which I took across the fields home to a little dam of my father's, to wash the blood off my hands and face. I then crossed another field home. When I got home my father and them were up. I did notgo into the house. I went into the shed where the carts were, and sat me down until I thought they had all gone to bed. Then I went into the house. I could not eat any supper, and went to bed. I could not rest all the night. I got up in the morning, and told my brother, as he told you. I have nothing more to say." Atkinson was committed for trial.

The Rochdale Magistrates have sent a small boy, twelve years of age, to prison for one month with hard labour, for the serious offence of stealing eight gooseberries.

Two lay monks of the Franciscan order have been arrested at Liverpool on a charge of begging. Their story is, that their " houses " in Ireland being too poor to maintain them they were begging their way to a "house" in Pennsylvania. They are in custody.