int Pulliam

Mr. Cardwell the Member and Mr. Joseph C. Ewart addressed a nu- merous meeting of the Liberals and Free-traders of Liverpool, on Satur- day last, as candidates for election to the next Parliament. Mr. Card- well's speech was very long, and the greater part of it was taken up by a vindication of himself from a charge of having betrayed the constituency on the question of Free-trade : he quite successfully showed that this was not so, but that he had so plainly reserved his judgment on the question as to have encountered oppositionon that very ground. He also defended his vote for Maynooth ; and in doing so he showed that Mr. Forbes Mac- kenzie, a "Protestant Protectionist" candidate for Liverpool, was more impressively pledged to the principle of that institution by his acts than even Sir Robert Peel, or those who proposed the endowment; for Mr. Mackenzie lied always opposed the vote when it was small and annual, but he voted for it when it was made large and perpetual, on the express ground that it was so enlarged and perpetuated. But the point of Mr. Cardwell's speech of greatest popular intereetwas an adaptation of Lord Palmerston's famous statement that Protection would not be reimposed while the Exe flowed downward to the sea.

"A great Minister was dining with his constituents, and he used this ex- pression : he said—' The Lie will sooner flow back from the sea to the walls of Tiverton than anybody will be able to reverse Free-trade.' Well, gentle- men, that lowly river flows in its usual course, and still goes down to the sea. Now, let me ask you what the Severn does? The Severn has risen in indignation and washed away Protection from the city of Bristol [By discarding Mr. Miles.] Gentlemen, what will the Thames do ? I don't think the present Government will be able to turn it. What will the Clyde do ? Do you think they will return Protectionists for Glasgow ? (Cries of " Never ! ') No, gentlemen. (A voice, " Yes !" and reiterated cries of " No ! ") But there is a river that Government believe will reverse the order of nature, and flow back to its source ; and there is a population whom the Government believe to be so insensible to the blessings of free trade, that they can be cajoled, or persuaded, or by some other cry hoodwinked, until they give their consent to reverse it. That river is the Mersey—(Cries of "Never !" and immense cheering)—and that population are the people -who used to return Canning, who used to return Huskisson, who used to re- turn Lord Ilarrowby, and whom the individual who now stands here has had the honour of representing as the humble advocate of Free-trade."

In our Postscript last week we stated that Mr. Crawshay Bailey, the great Protectionist ironroaster, had been chosen Member for the Aron- month Boroughs, in preference to Mr. Lindsay, the great Free-trade shipowner, by a considerable majority. The numbers were—for Bailey, 764; for Lindsay, 529; majority for the Protectionist, 235.

In the Times of Monday, Mr. Lindsay published a letter describing the means by which he bad been beaten, and the "unheard of scenes" which he witnessed at the election. He had heard of the corruptness of the borough, but having received a requisition to stand, he resolved to try it on honest principles, though he was told he would not poll fifty votes on that basis. He made these among other conditions—that he should not retain any solicitors or hired agents, open any beer-houses, or pay one person, "directly or indirectly," for a vote. A diligent canvass produced these results-

" Clear and distinct promises in my favour 649 Doubtful and of a most suspicious nature 461 Promised my opponent 435 Not seen, absent, struck from the registry, or dead 131 Total registered voters 1676."

Mr. Blewitt resigned on the 25th March, and Mr. Lindsay went down from London to Newport.

"I found the committee most united, quite prepared to work without fee or reward, and determined to carry the election by honourable means alone. Public meeting after peblic meeting was held. The people were most at- tentive, and all was enthusiasm in favour of the Liberal cause. Night and day we were at work ; truth and moral influence alone being our weapons. "But against us was an opponent of great local influence, employing 5000 men in the mining district, supported by all the power and influence of the houses of Beaufort and 'fredegar ; who did not spare intimidation, with every solicitor retained in his behalf in the towns and country round, except the faithful few who formed part of our committee.

"Newport was in a state of great excitement, and all business was sus- mded for three days. But everything seemed in our favour till the night before the election, when our committee had made their last rounds. Many voters who had promised could not then be found.. They were either out of town or stowed away in some mysterious places. The morning came. The colour of the Conservatives was blue the Liberals red. Polling commenced at eight o'clock. A whole street of small voters, who had distinctly pro- mised to vote for the Liberal cause, had before ten a.m, polled for the -Blue ,• and various others, who declared that they would stick to their colours and vote in accordance with their consciences (after two p.m.) unless they got upwards of 201. per head, polled for the Blue by thirty minutet after nine a.m.! Votes appeared to be dear in the morning ; but, contrarfeb the usual custom, and when it was found the Red party would not buy, their market- value fell in the afternoon ; for at one p.m. an express arrived offering. me the votes of 100 'free and independent electors for Mr. a head ! At half-past two four Inca very respectfully offered themselves for 28. 6d. each ; and when this was declined they were willing to support Free-trade for the small amount of 3d. each—the value of a pint of beer ! "While all this was going on the scene in the town was perfectly inde- scribable. Windows were smashed, houses gutted, carriages overturneil, Reds trampled on by Blues, and Blues in their turn trampled on by Reds. Noses were bleeding, eyes blackened, heads cut, and limbs and ribs broken. Barrels of beer were rolled into the houses of the Blues, and Red and Blue vagabonds were rolling and lighting over them. Yells of Bailey for ever !" Lindsay for ever !' rent the air, leading to the most desperate fights. Many lives would, no doubt, have been lost, but for the admirable management of a body of the Glamorgan County Police, who were often obliged to clear the way with drawn sabres. "The town was full of athletic men from the Hills, of determined cha- racter; and for what purpose they were sent there you may imagine. One important fact reached me, and to his shame be it said, that a County Ma- gistrate, nephew of my opponent, brought down by special train from 500 to 700 miners from his works, armed with sticks, bludgeons, and life-pre- servers, and lodged them at eight a.m. in a large inn named the Parrot. These men, as the peaceable Liberals came to the poll, assaulted them and drove them away. This naturally so exasperated the townspeople, who were chiefly Liberals, that they in consequence attacked the inn drbve these men en masse from it, tore down the doors, forced out the windows, and so dis- mantled the house, that when I passed it this morning there was nothing visible but the bare walls and a tattered blue flag ! This was the commence- ment of the many disgraceful scenes which folio ' ed, and which prevented a great number of our stanch but peaceable supporters, who Amid not be 'bought, from recording their votes ; so that there were 362 who did not poll. Can this be called an election ?" "I have visited the four quarters of the world, and I give you my word that I never, during the most exciting events saw in any country anything nearly equal to what I saw yesterday in Newport, under the direction of Conservatives belonging to the higher classes. I am prepared to prove, by abundance of the most convincing evidence, that these mmers, in the service of my opponent and his supportera were brought to town with his knowledge and at his expense ; that a whole street of voters, who had promised in favour of the Red, most mysteriously voted for the Blue ; that electors who had re- solved not to vote for the Blues under 20/. each did vote for them ; that 100 votes were offered to me at 1/. per head ; that about half-past two o'clock four voters offered themselves at 2s. 6d. each ; that ten voters, who had de- manded 101. each, were kept at the head-quarters of the Conservatives till it was found they were notivanted, and then let free, too late to vote with the Liberals ; that people in the service of the Blues were intimidated ; that others were packed in houses all night and sentin a state of beastly intoxica. tires to the poll ; and that very many peaceable Reformers feared to leave their homes. All these are facts beyond dispute, with many others which I shall be prepared to prove at the proper time."

Mr. Lindsay asks, are such scenes to be repeated at the next general election.? " Let the Legislature look to it."

But Mr. Lindsay's letter was the statement of a defeated and vexed candidate. He has brought out in the columns of the Times a crowd of contradictors; among them Mr. Henry John Davis, the Mayor of New- port and Returning-officer of the borough. The Mayor meets the asser- tion that the Liberal electors were driven from the polling-booths, by stating that "there was no disturbance whatever at either of the booths, and all parties were enabled to record their votes in perfect peace" and says that the violence in other parts of the town was begun by Mr. Lind- say's eupporters • and that a County Magistrate who supported Mr. Lindsay, as well as the Conservative Couny Magistrate referred to by him, brought into the town men- from the Hills: but Mr. Davis imme- diately had both bodies taken back again out of the town. He says also that a superintendent and twelve constables were enough to restore order near the Parrot Inn; but he lets out that the soldiers in the barracks were kept under arms awaiting his orders. Mr. Davis is evidently a stanch Blue.

The gwamakers of Birmingham have settled their differences with the workmen' and the Government contract for 23,000 Minie rifles will be th

forthwi put in hand. The masters made a much larger concession than the men.: the wages they will give will be nearly three shillings per gun more than they offered, and about sixpence per gun less than the men de- manded.

The first suspension-tube of iron or the Chepstow bridge, designed by Mr. Brunel to carry the railway over the Wye, was succecafully placed on the piers.on Thursday, and is being hoisted to its permanent position in the sky. It is a cylinder 309 feet long and 9 feet in diameter.

At Taunton Assizes, on Monday, Thomas Crosby, a solicitor of Bristol, and Elizabeth Lewis, a young woman of respectable connexions, were tried for the murder of their infant child, at Bath. The particulars of the case were mentioned some time since. The prisoners went to Bath as " Mr. and Mrs. Slater," and took lodgings at Mr. Searle's, a druggist.; a few weeks after the child was born, it was left at nurse with Mrs. Searle • on several occasions after the mother or both parents had visited the infant it became ill, and, until the last fatal illness, it always recovered while they were absent,—the symptoms were those of poisoning ; and at length suspicion was excited, and the prisoners were arrested. The testi:merry-of Mr. Hen:math, the analytical chemist, and of the medical man who attended the infant, proved that it had died of poisoning by arsenic. But there was no evidence tracing the possession of arsenic home to the prisoners. An attempt was made to elicit, by cross-examination, that Mr. Searle was very careless with the arsenic he had in his shop,—of course with the intention to imply that some might by mischance have got into the food or medicine of the infant : but the attempt was not successful. For the defence, the general insufficiency of the evi- dence to make out the case was urged; and the strong affection for the in- fant shown by the female prisoner. It was shown that the prisoner had also alive a second illegitimate child. The Jury acquitted both prisoners.

At the same Assizes, on Tuesday and Wednesday, William Sparrow, William M.aggs, and Robert Hurd, were tried for the murder of Sarah Watts, on the 24th of September. Sarah Watts was the daughter' about fourteen years old, of.TolnoWatta and Leah Watts, who occupy a small fan at a place about two miles from Frome. The particulars of the crime have beentelated by us. The poor girl seems to have been stunned, and-then violated and murdered; and the house was robbed. The evidence against the prisoners consisted of a re- markable declaration made by one of themselves, audits confirmation by ano- ther of them, and some circumstantial proofs of a strong nature. Sparrow, on the Monday after the crime, bad spoken of laving seen the body on "the day after the murder" : he described its position on the floor on that day— but the body had been removed on the day of the murder. He had stated some additional facts as to the mode in which the murder was done which were not then known to the Police, but which after- wards proved true. There was also on his hand a wound such as would have made a similar stain to one found on the wall near where the murder was done ; and a handkerchief left by the murderers is believed to have been his. The prisoner Mugge declared that Sparrow did the murder, because he found the girl knew him. But Mr. Justice Erie summed up for acquittals, and the Jury found verdicts of "Not guilty." When the ver- dicts were given, the prisoners made these utterances. Hurd said, "My Lord, we are all innocent : Providence has done this." Maggs said, "I declare to God we are innocent." Sparrow said "We were not within a mile of the spot : God has done it." Hurd again said, "My Lord, it will all be found out within a month: let me speak to Mr. Smith (the detective officer.)" They all then said, "Let us see Mr. Smith."

Two more of the nine wretches who so shamefully abused a poor Irish- woman in Dean Forest have been brought to justice. Five were convicted last year, and transported for life ; and at the present Gloucester Assizes the woman identified other two : they were convicted, and sentenced to be transported for life. After conviction, the elder prisoner said, "My Lord, I am sorry to say I run guilty, and that I deserve to suffer for it ; but as for this lad here, he is entirely innocent."

William Baldry, who was convicted at the Bury St. Edmund's Assizes, of administering arsenic to his wife with intent to murder her, has been res- pited to the 8th of May,—a step to commutation of the capital sentence to one of transportation. This is the result of an appeal to the Royal mercy by the forgiving wife. In her memorial she said that she was expressly in- formed that the law did not visit the offence with death, or nothing should have induced her to-prosecute' that she has long been in infirm health, has been greatly agitated by the recent proceedings, and feels morally certain that if her husband be hanged on her account it will cause her own speedy death. She besought the Queen that time be given to the culprit for re- pentance and amendment by reducing his punishment to transportation or Imprisonment.

Briggs., an aged shepherd, has hanged himself in York Castle, whither he had been sent on a charge of feloniously assaulting a little girl. The Carlisle Patriot relates a frightful accident at Ravenstonedale corn- mill. Young Mr. Anthony Dawson, a noted wrestler, was left alone in the mill by his father at half-past three o'clock in the morning. While "in the act of placing the belt upon one of the wheels to set more machinery to work, he was caught by the axle, and wound up by his clothes, and crushed in the most shocking manner. Some idea may be formed of the sufferings of the unfortunate man, and the awful pressure upon him, when we state that his body, thus entangled, stopped all the power and machinery of the mill, and that he was held in that painful position upwards of four hours." The accident was not discovered till eight o'clock ; when the sufferer was released. Two surgeons were immediately in attendance, but could render him no assistance, and he only lingered until one o'clock. He was quite sensible all the time, and gave a full account of the accident.

Shrivenham House in Wilts, the property of Viscount Barrington, has been completely destroyed by a fire, which appears to have originated in the kitchen-chimney. The building burst into flames when the doors were opened in the morning. The house was occupied by Mr. Pole : part of the contents was saved.