On Thursday the 24th ultimo, the village of Langham, in
Rutland. shire, was the scene of a strange and violent tumult, proceeding from the attempt of the Vicar (the Reverend Heneage Finch) to enforce the impost of tithes by distraint. The property seized for sale con sisted of bay. For the two lots first offered by the auctioneer not any
bidding could be obtained, although a crowd of several hundred persons had assembled : for the third lot a bidding was made by Mr. John Stimson, a butcher, of Oaltham ; and instantly a scene commenced
which beggars description, and can be likened to nothing but a row at an Irish wake. The bidding was scarcely out of the butcher's mouth,:when a horrible babel of exclamations was vented ; and the unfortunate knight of the cleaver was hustled, at first by a nurnber of women, and then by a host of men, who beat his hat over his eyes, and literally tore his clothes from his back, trampling upon their victim and beating him most severely ; and it was only through the energetic interference of Mr. Baker of Cottesmore, who happened to be at Lang. ham, that the poor fellow escaped with his life. Any further attempt to proceed with the auction would have been in the highest degree inexpedient. Mr. Samson having:as he believed, identified six men and six or eight women as the more active persons in the aesault upon him, applied for summonses against them ; and they impeored at a Magistrates' meeting at Oakham on Monday last ; on Nyhich occasion the castle was crowded with auditors. There was a good deal of altercation between the :attorney for the Churchwardens, who were the prosecutors, and the attorney for the defendants, respecting the right owner of the tithes. It appeared that Mr. Finch and his parishioners had not been able to agree as to the amount of composition under the new act. Finally one of the rioters was held to bail.
A verdict of 100/. was last week awarded by a Sheriff 's Jury at Stockbridge against a miller named Holloway, for forcibly ejecting a labourer and his family from one of his cottages near Andover.
A scene occurred at the Court of Requests at Tattershall on the 24th ult. which, for the credit of humanity, it is hoped will not have many equals. An apothecary of that place was summoned hy a female, who had borne himii child, for 2/. 6s., the balance of an account due to her on a contract for the child's maintenance. This the defendant met by producing a bill of 21. Is. 6d. for attending her in her confinement, and for medicines furnished to her during the first three months of her pregnancy. The Commissioners did not approve of the doctor's making work for himself and then charging for it, and ordered that he should pay the full sum with costs ; and they likewise fined him 5s. for swearing in court. —Lincan Mercury.
On Saturday, William Lock, the landlord of the Ship Tavern, Pipe Lane, Bristol, was charged with having refused to provide proper diet for two of her Majesty's Coldstream Guards. Mr. Lock pleaded that liewa, not aware that he was bound to do so. Viscount Alexander, the Lieutenant of the regiment, stated that he told the defendant what the ::et ot. Parliament required Lim to do, and that be himself told him he was bound to do so. The del endant said, that if 1.m.] Alexander ba liehavcd like a gentleman, lie should have done it ; but the first words !:e heard from him were, " 1)— seize you, Ili make you find it," lie made use of such gross language, that it gent] i man who was present at the time said he ote,dit to have been kicked out of the house. Lord Alexander said he believed he did say it was a d— shame, but • certainly nothing beyond that. The Magistrates said they had no alternative-they must convict the defendant ; but they would do so in the loweq penalty the law allowed, namely 10s. The defendant paid the money and left the office.—Bristol Paper. [Is not this Viscount Alexander the new Member for Tyrone, whom the Mornipy Chronicle is so desirous of numbering in the Liberal ranks ?; On Wednesday week, two children, one twelve, the other eight years of age, were brought to Wakefield, handcuffed, for the high crime and misdemeanour of picking mushrooms on the grounds of Mr. Waterton. It is charitably hoped that Mr. Waterton inot cognizant of the brutish conduct of the fellow who thus could treat two innocents like these.-Liverpool Chronicle.
During the violent storm on Sunday week, a very curious circumstance took place at Mayfield : a tornado of wind visited that neighbourhood, and in its course took up the whole of the hay on a six acre field, belonging to Mr. James Marriot, and conveyed it to distances from one to three miles from the spot, and so scattered it that its collection is rendered impossible.—Derky Mercury.
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