MEETING AT NEWARK—The meeting at Newark, called for the purpose

of con- sidering such plans as might seem best adapted for resisting the attempt of the Duke of Newcastle to trench on the freedom of the electors, took place on Monday. The Chief Magistrate having refused the use of the Town-hall, a spa- cious tent was erected for the purpose of the meeting. The Duke, Mr. Sadler, and Mr. Sergeant Wilde, were invited to attend. Mr. Sadler took no notice of the invitation ; Mr. Sergeant Wilde was present ; the Duke sent a letter to ex- cuse his absence, and to explain and defend his conduct. The report of the Committee appointed to investigate the truth of the wholesale ejectments said to be issued by the Duke's orders, and which' was read at the meeting by Mr. Hitchins, editor of the Newark Times, states, that without a single exception, every tenant of the Duke who voted for Mr. Sergeant Wilde had received notice to quit. On this fact the noble Duke thus comments letter as a literary do- cument is curious, and as an historical one may prove valuable:— o If I rightly understand the objects of the requisitionists it is to assert the cause of freedom and independence. No man on earth values both more than I do. But, as I respect the liberty of others, so must I demand that others shall not attempt to inter- fere with that freedom and independence which is my right as well as theirs. Accord. In to my interpretation of the advertisement, you meet to deliberate upon an inter-

ference

between my tenants and me. Ts it presumed, then, I am not to do what I will oh my own ? or that I am to surrender my property, and the inherent rights belonging to it into the hands of those who desire to deprive me of it h This is the simple ques- tion; to which I answer, whilst the laws of England exist and are respected, I shalt vomit no clamour, nor threats, nor even force itself, to deter me from doing as I may 'think fit with my own property. My advice to those who deceive themselves with the notion that they are acting as becomes free-bore Englishmen, is to maintain the well- lulanced scale of even-handed justice, and not blindly to engage in an unjust crusade anainst any man or men (especially when those men themselves are the real friends of g flaine freedom and the constitutional rights of the people), merely because they may be the possessors of title or property. In conclusion I must remind those of the inhabitants of Newark who suffer themselves to be led to suppose that they have cause of complaint against me, that neither I nor my ancestors have ever been oppressive or tyrannical landlords. The very reverse is the well-known fact. Inns the town of Newark has, on oil occasions, found ready and prominent benefactors ; by us the deserving poor and needy have always been regarded with steady kindness and consideration, and nut to suit the mere purposes of the day."

The property whose inherent rights the Duke is determined to vindicate by discharging all tenants who are not of the same political sentiments with himself, is thus described in the report :— " The principal part of the property of the Duke, by which be has been enabled to control the borough, consists of crown lands, held upon lease from his Majesty's Com- missioners of Woods and Forests. His Grace possesses 960A. I a. 13e. crown land, com- mencing with the castle, and passing down both sides the river, through Averharo and Stoke to Markham-bridge, thence diverging into the lordship of Farndon, and continu- ing a circuit round the borders of the township, through the lordship of 13alderton, over the Beacon-hill, till it again reaches the river ; thus forming a girdle completely round the town of the most fertile land, which, with the exception of two considerable portions that are now let to influential families in the town, is divided out into cloyes of tom two to five acres each, and let out into one, two, or three lots to different electors within the borough, according to the extent of their influence and zeal in promoting the political views of the Duke within the borough, a part of which closes are again sub-let, treating a similar influence in favour of the Duke's nominee." " Within the circle or belt of crown land surrounding the town as before mentioned, the Duke of Newcastle possesses property to some extent, consisting of both land and houses. This property is held from year to year without leases, the tenants of which, upon an understanding, which has grown up from communications with the Duke's agents, that they would not be disturbed in their occupations, have considerably im- proved the property."

The report, after narrating in detail the particulars of the various writs of eject- ment already served, goes on to notice that part of the Duke's letter where he claims the gratitude of the town for deeds of beneficence rendered to it. Ott that point, the Committee say,-

" We confidently appeal to the experience of our fellow townsmen for the truth of our assertion, that we are not indebted to his Grace the Duke of Newcastle for any of those acts of beneficence to the poor, or utility and liberality to the town, for which, in his letter, he takes credit. On the contrary, the arbitiary and exclusive principle by which the letting of his property has been governed has impeded the march of improrement, checked the progress of wealth, and confined (for election purposes) within narrow and inconvenient limits a town which, from its local situation, the fertility of the surroundinrf cointill, and its proximity to the best markets, is well calculated to become, and in despite of every impediment is, to a considerable extent, the granary and storehouse of a large portion of the manufacturing districts. The acts of benevolence adverted to in his Grace's letter are, like himself, entirely unknown to the inhabitants. He neither con- tributes to their charities, nor does he promote their trade—he lives in their recollections only from the periodical visitation of his rent collectors; and in the rare case of defal- cation in rent it is exacted with the strictest severity, particularly so it the unfortunate defaulter is suspected of holding sentiments adverse to the Duke's political influence in the borough."

In short, with the exception of providing the good people of Newark, from lone to time, with members of Parliament, it does not appear that the Duke has at all interfered in the affairs of the town.

The meeting was addressed chiefly by Mr. Gilson, Mr. Kilk, and a few more of the electors, and at considerable length by Mr. Sergeant Wilde. The speech of the learned gentleman consisted principally of a running comment on the Duke's letter, and partook perhaps too much of the nature of a piece of special pleading. It was, however, on the whole, a well-argued and singularly moderate discourse. The Sergeant, after denying most solemnly that he had used, any species of bribery to influence those persons that voted for him, or that he was in any deeree supported by the Ministry in his canvass, concluded by strenuously recommending a petition to Parliament on the subject of the Duke's conduct.

Two resolutions were passed at the meeting, unanimously,—one approving of

the report of the Committee, and reappointing them ; the other instructing the Committee, so reappointed, to draw up for the signature of the freeholders a petition

to Parliament, praying " that no new lease of the crown lands may be given to

the Duke of Newcastle, or if given, that he may be prevented from using it to the injury of the inhabitants of Newark." The best plan, and that which will be adopted, is to let the whole in separate lots by public auction. If the Duke in that case be disposed to retain his rights of property, he will be compelled to pay adequately for them.

There was a dinner given to Sergeant Wilde in the evening after the meeting, by one hundred and fifty of the electors. The whole affair was conducted with the greatest harmony and good feeling; nor do even the friends of the Duke e'en' to have regarded this rebellion against his !authority with an evil eye, as they did not offer the slightest interruption, nor make use of the slightest ex- pression tending to check its free display.

Mr. Gree,orie, the Magistrate at Queen Square, has been deprived of his um- brella, in the very citadel of justice. A reward' of ten pounds is offered for the apprehension of the most impudent thief who dared to purloin a silk umbrella from a police magistrate in his own office. As a sergeant of the New Police was going along Holborn, about eleven o'clock on Sunday night, he found a decent-looking man lying in the kennel, near the pavement, in a state of intoxication, with a roll of bank-notes firmly grasped in his hand. He was taken to the watchhouse, and care taken of his money, which amounted to 3504 In the morning, when he recovered, finding his notes safe, he insisted that the sergeant should accept of a sovereign, as a gratuity for his good conduct : the sergeant declined it, according to the new regulations, until he raceived the permission of the Commissioners. °He was highly commended, and laid, that though they set their faces against anything like a bribe or reward, there would be no objection to the receiving of a moderate recompense, provided It was the free and spontaneous gift of the party to whom the benefit was rendered. MOs Monday, Bishop, his wife, and Bradbury, were finally examined at Bow- Shecupon a charge of coining. There being no evidence to inculpate Bradbury, he was taken from the bar, and became a witness. He stated that he knew Bishop for three years, and always considered that he gained his living by coining ; hair-

pg called on him on Thursday week, he found him employed in casting moulds : he left him for some time, and then returned, and in a short time after the door

Was burst open, and the officers took Bishop into custody. The prisoner, Mary Dtsitop, who front the first appeared dreadfully agitated, fell into a violent fit at the conclusion of the above statement, and was obliged to be carried from the dock into the open air. The prisoner Bishop, pointing to the witness, said, " Your worship, I wish to inform you that this man is himself a coiner, and has lived by it. His real name is Rose, and not Bradbury." Sir R. Birnie—" Is that the case ?" The witness answered Yes." The Magistrate then said tit t the prisoner should have the benefit of the witness's alias. Sir Richard Birnie discharged Mrs. Bishop, but committed her husband for trial. The unfortunate woman again sunk senseless in the dock, and was carried out of the office in the arms of the gaoler.

Thomas Hamilton and his wife have been committed for robbing Mr. Barnett, of Hungerford-street, of great quantities of crystal. Hamilton had been in his service for upwards of seven years, and he placed the greatest confidence in him. Fortey, a Thames police surveyor, stopped the female prisoner about a fortnight ago, with twenty pounds weight of crystal, which she said her husband had given her to take to Clerkenwell-green. Fortey immediately went to Mr. Barnett's. On searching the storeroom, they dicovered a deficiency of two or three hundred pounds, among which were two hundred curious specimens. The store- room was always locked, and could only be got at by going out at the top of the house. A workman in Mr. Barnett's employ said the prisoner generally went out of the workshop window to the top of the house, once or twice a day, under pretence of looking at St. Martin's clock ; he staid two or three minutes at a time.

Mary Long, the keeper of a brothel in the Commercial-road, and two daughters, were charged at Lambeth-street, yesterday, with administering drugs to three sailors for the purpose of robbing them, one of theta was discovered in a state of such stupefaction that it was tar seine time feared the consequences would be fatal. They are all committed for trial.

On Thursday morning, an elderly man, named Joseph Stirling, was robbed of a snuff-box and smut money, while asleep in the tap-room of the Black Bear, Piccadilly. Suspicion fell on a young man of respectable appearance, and he was taken into custody. In his pocket was found a letter addressed to Colonel pRooltivcaer.1, from an influential person, soliciting for hint an appointment in the

John Brooks, the driver of a cabriolet, is committed for trial for stealing the body oft Mr. Chester from a burial-ground in St. George's in the East.

Extensive frauds have lately been practised upon Mr. Read, surgical instru- ment maker, by means of fictitious orders in the name of Hall. The same swindler also sent, under the name of Wakefield, to Messrs Othen, Bond-street, for venison. On another occasion, he got bottled ale from a shop in Wimpole-street ; and twice, knives and forks from Messrs. Dean and Ovet. It is supposed that this person, in the different names of Hall, Smith, Evans, Clarke, and Hartwell, has been carrying on these swindling transactions for some months.

An inquest was held yesterday at Lambeth, on the body of Ann Watts, aged sixty, whose death was supposed to have been caused by the ill treatment of her son, a boy of fourteen. It appeared in the course of examination, that they very frequently quarrelled, and alarmed the neighbours by their violence. But as the woman had been long subject to dropsy, and had complained on Sunday of an increase of water, which frequently rose to her mouth, the Jury returned a verdict of—" Died by the visitation of God."

On Saturday last, Elizabeth Leach, a young woman who was in the family of Mr. Brown, of 13arnard's Inn, Holborn,took a quantity of arsenic, front the effects of which, after three days' suffering, she died in St. Bartholomew's Hospital. The deceased was a sister of Mr. Brookes, one of the surgeons of St. Bartholo- mew's Hospital ; and she had been courted for some time by a young man named James Willis, to whom she was engaged to be married at the expiration of twelve mouths. The banns had been asked in church, and the solemnization of the marriage was put off for the above-mentioned period by the advice of her rela- tions. Her attachment to Willis was of the most ardent kind. On Saturday she was told that he was already married : she declared that she would hear the fatal news from his own lips, and if she found hint false she would live no, longer. She ascertained that the intelligence was true, and that he was living with his wife in Fulwood's Rents, Holborn.

Wasey Wilkins, a young man whom the account in the daily papers calls " a professor of botany," hanged himself on Wednesday, at the Hercules public- house, Leadenhall-street.

On Thursday evening, the hamlet of Hammersmith was alarmed by the report that Mr. J. W. Kean, residing at the corner of William-street and Vale-place, had laid violent hands on himself. The report was true—he had cut his throat, and died in half an hour. Mr. Kean was unmarried, and two maiden sisters resided with him. He was a member of the Society of Friends, and possessed consider- able property in the neighbourhood, where he was universally respected. He had been a victim to melancholy since the death of his father, about two years ago.

A convict named William Weight, alias Cooper, a native of Hockley, near Rayleigh, but a prisoner in the Convict Gaol since the last Michaelmas Session (when he was convicted of uttering counterfeit coin, and sentenced to one year's hard labour), made his escape on Wednesday night lash Having watched an opportunity, he took a ladder with which he was lighting the lamps in the prison, and carrying it to the west wall of the gaol, mounted the boundary wall, drew the ladder over the other side, descended, and made off. He was seen and followed, but the exercise of the tread-wheel had rendered his limbs so agile, that lie out- stripped his pursuers, and has not since been heard of. He was dressed in the prison uniform.--Essex Herald.

Hollinshead, who was committed to St. Neot's gaol to take his trial for robbing the Bank, affected his escape last week, with several others, by scaling the walls with some ladders which had been left inside while the workmen went to dinner. Their flight was soon discovered, and they were all taken from amongst furze bushes where they had hid themselves. Hollinshead lay closer than any of the rest, and there was a general cry of "Fetch him out with a fork." A fork was used, and he was actually poked out, and lugged off with the rest to his old quarters. The Governor immediately put hint in double irons, and it is believed he will be kept in them until the day of his trial.

Last week, Johnstone and Edmondson escaped from Carlisle gaol. Edmondson returned to his brother's at Carlisle on Sunday, at the persuasion of some friends who accompanied hint to gaol, where he surrendered himself. Johnston has not been heard of since.

One evening last week, when Mr. Hoskins was the sitting Magistrate, at the Marylebone-office, Patrick M'Mahon, an Irishman, surrendered himself, and de- sired that he might be sent to Limerick for trial. He said he some time ago set fire to a barn belonging to the Chief Baron O'Grady, and fled his country to avoid justice, but now he wanted to make his conscience easy by giving himself up to the law. He was detained, and a letter was written to Baron O'Grady respect- ing it ; in an answer to which, received yesterday, the Baron says the man has told a true story, but he does not wish to prosecute him. He was set at liberty.

Mrs. Jones of Brixton lost her life on Wednesday, through the negligence of the nurse who was attending her, and who gave her, by mistake, a strong embro- cation intended for outward use, instead of a weak aperient draught.

A youth named Richardson, aged seventeen, has been charged at the Mansion- house with an atrocious attempt on the person of a little girl, his cousin. The whole family appeared to prevent the Lord Mayor from sending him to trial. The Magistrate greatly doubted the propriety of foregoing a prosecution. • Five persons in custody have been identified as being concerned in the murder of the sawyer Hanlon in Dublin.

A poor woman living in Maidenhead-court, Soho-square. 1.aving to go outearly on Saturday morning, directed her eldest child, a boy about eight years old, to light the fire and get his father's breakfast ready. Her youngest child got out of bed during the temporary absence of its brother, and began playing with the candle : its bedgown took fire, and the consequence was the death of the child next morning.

A little girl, at Ramsgate, has been burnt to death by an attempt to light a fire, while her father and mother were absent.

A little boy, four years old, was amusing himself with another child, two years old, at the back window of a house in Tyler's-court, Regent-street, when they both suddenly fell out, and the eldest was so dreadfully hurt that it only survived half an hour. The younger child escaped almost miraculously, with little injury.

A child about four years of age, in the vicinity of Bryanstone-square has been killed by drinking some bug-water.

On Friday morning a fire broke out at Stevenage, in an outhouse of the White Hart publichouse. Mr. Rudd, the landlord, and his family, as well as the neigh- bours on each side, to whose dwellings the fire had also communicated, escaped from their homes almost naked, and were hospitably received by the inhabitants on the opposite side of the street. The fire almost immediately communicated to the adjoining premises, and nine houses, together with•the outbuildings, pre- sented one grand mass of flame. The whole of the houses, with a great por- tion of their furniture, &c. were totally consumed, as well as four valuable horses, carts, pigs, poultry, &c.

On Tuesday night, the premises of Mr. Aldred of Wissett, Suffolk, were set on fire, it is supposed, by an i:uceudia.ry. The only damage, however, was the par- tial destruction of a stack of hay. As a stage-waggon belonging to Messrs. Pickersgill, laden with some metal wheels and a large quantity of wool, was going towards Darlington, flames were suddenly observed proceeding from the top of the waggon, and in a few minutes the wool was entirely burnt. Last week, Mr. Stalker, rope maker, Scarborough, was discovered suspended in a loft over his shop. He has left a wife and six children. On Monday, Mr. Israel, a hatter in Radcliffe highway, was found suspended to the bed post. The cause assigned—pecuniary embarrassment.

On Thursday, a man was seen floating in the canal at St. Helen's. He was immediately taken out ; and it was found that his hands were tied together. For a while he stood shivering on the shore, mute, and in all the majesty of grief ; but at length exclaimed, with great pathos," Ali, why did ye pull me out ? Och, -why didn't ye let me be drowned ?" It appeared that a young woman had re- fused to marry him; but after this undoubted proof of an attachment stronger than death, she has kindly consented.

On Sunday morning, the house of Mr. Hay, Park-terrace, was robbed of plate and jewellery to the amount of 1501. The dairy of George Byng, Esq. M.P. at Wrotham Park, was on Tuesday night robbed of butter, soap, and various articles of wearing apparel belonging to the dairy-maids. A reward of 501. is offered. The rectory at Albury, near Guildford, was entered, on the night of the 29th of September, it is supposed by several persons, and a great quantity of linen, wearing apparel, &c. stulen. A considerable part of the property was recovered on the 3rd instant, it having been left in two bundles, booked for London, at a waggon-office in Guildford ; and on the same day, a man of the name of James • Bate was apprehended and taken before the Petty Sessions, at Guildford. John O'Dare, a discharged seaman, is committed for trial at Lewes, for shoot- ing at Lieutenant Rosenberg ; who, he supposed, was the cause of his having been discharged from the Coast Blockade service with disgrace, whereby he lost a pension. Two lads took a boat at Dockhead. After rowing some time, the boat came in contact with the cable of one of the vessels, and was upset : one of the lads was saved, but the other was carried down by the tide under the shipping, and was drowned.

A coal porter, while pushing away a barge from a boat in which he was, on Saturday last, was jammed between that and another which came in contact with it. He died on the way as he was carried home.

On Saturday night last, as Mr. White, gardener, was returning from Boston- market in his cart, he met the Monarch coach within ten yards of the toll-gate at Spalding, when the two vehicles coming in contact, his leg was literally crushed to atoms, and although amputation of the limb was promptly effected, he (lied on Sunday night ; being a very old man, we believe in his 75th year. An inquest was held over the body on Monday afternoon, before Samuel Edwards, Gent. coroner. Verdict, " Accidental death."—Cambridge Chronicle.

On Tuesday night, the Ariadne steam-packet, while proceeding in the dark down the West Channel, on her way to the islands, accidentally ran foul of a small fishing-hoy, belonging to Itchen, which hail imprudently attempted to cross her bows, and immediately sunk her. The men on board were saved.

Mrs. Mary Levy, a Jewess, was taken ill in Tavistock-square : she knocked at a door, and requested permission to sit down ; a surgeon was sent for, but before he arrived she was dead. She weighed twenty stone, and was little less than six feet in height. On Thursday as a poor man was repairing the roof of a house in Blackfriars- road, the ladder he was on broke, he was precipitated to the ground, and in the fall one of the spikes of the area rails entered his body. He was removed on a shutter, without any signs of life. A female, respectably dressed, was killed on Thursday, in the Borough-road, as she attempted to cross while one of the Clapham stages was passing : she was knocked down by the horses, and although the coachman pulled up immediately, one of the wheels had passed over her neck. A nailmaker of Leige was occupied at his forge, when his younger brother, to whom he was the object of hatred, came in, armed with a pointed iron rod, red hot, which he thrust into his body near the heart :_it pierced through a very thick leathern apron, and a strong linen shirt. Although the wound was six inches deep, he lived for some time.

A THIEF TRAN—A soldier in a public-house, at Manchester, last week, having remarked a strange noise, the servant said it was "only mice." The noise in- . creasing, he went to the landlady, who answered him, it was" only rats." The

soldier, however, being of a different opinion, went into the brewhouse, where he

discovered a hole in the roof, and that a man who had attempted, upon the sol- dier's entrance, to make his escape through a funnel used for the discharge of steam, was stuck fast, the funnel being too narrow for the passage of his body, The Burking system has been carried on in a cellar in Thomas-street, Dublin; and six of the inmates are in custody, on a charge of poisoning and robbing. On Monday, an infuriated bullock, which had been hunted about thestreets by a mob, attacked a poor old man in Chelsea, and gored hint so dreadfully that his intestines were torn out.

The barbarous amusement of bullock-hunting, notwithstanding the numerous ,examples which had been made of its followers, is again, after a lengthened dis- continuance,beginning to be revived in the neighbourhood of Bethnal-green. pi, Monday evening, a gang of ruffians forced a beast out of a drove near the Dog.

row, - and chased it through Twigfolly and Bethnal-green, followed by n crowd of miscreants, who took advantage of the confusion created among the ,inhabitants, and committed several depredations.