i4t Vraniurro.

At the meeting held by the Protectionists of East Retford, on Satur- day, Lord Henry Bentinck, on being called to the chair, withheld his unqualified assent to the assertion, common at Protectionist gatherings, that landlord and tenant have identical interests-- "I regret," said he, " that this movement, which has had its source in the cultivators of the so _il should be attended by the higher classes. I re- gret that the public mind' should be weakened by any mixture of that class to which I belong : for as the movement began so would I have it carried on. I would that that position which it has been your will, not my judg- ment, to place me in this day had been better filled by any one of those able men in which this country is so peculiarly rich—one who, shutting out from his view all consideration of the landowners' interest, could have shown the working of the present policy on the actual industry of the land. I am an unbeliever in the common opinion that the interests of the landlord and the cultivator are the same. Not that I don't believe a landlord would be stark staring mad to attempt to extract from the producer a larger product than he can produce ; not that I demur at all to the homely illustration which represents the landlord, the labourer, and the tenant as one crew in one boat. The illustration is apt enough if correctly applied. I do hold that the, owner of the soil stands towards the cultivator in the precise position that the owner

of the boat does to the merchant whose cargo is embarked in it That boat may be capsized, but though it be capsized it inevitably will be righted again no doubt with great loss and damage to the owner, but righted again it inevitably must be ; while the owner of the cargo sinks to rise no more. With this reasoning, I hold that this disastrous policy strikes more severely and more immediately against the interests of the cultivator than the owner of the soil. For this reason, I cannot concur with the able Member for the West Riding of Yorkshire in characterizing the absence of the landlords from movements like this as a shamefaced policy ; for I think it is a wise absence."

At the meeting of the South Hampshire Protectionists, at Basingstoke,

great indignation was expressed against Mr. Shaw Lefevre, one of the County Members, on account of the Parliamentary excuse he sent for his non-attendance: he "must respectfully decline" to attend, "as it was not consistent with his duty to the House of Commons, that had done him the honour to place him in the chair, to take part in the discussion of a political or party question which must at some time or other be brought under the consideration of the House of Commons." Mr. Pyle of Tufton was much cheered when he abused Sir Robert Peel, and advised " a re- turn to the old-fashioned sliding scale, which would be fair to all 'parties." He did not care for Cobden ; all he cared for was that sophist Peel," whom he believed to be " capable of deceiving the very elect." 'Mr. Stratton informed the meeting that he held a farm of 1,000 acres, -and that "the whole produce of that farm did not pay the labour." Last year he did not get back his rent out of his produce, and "this year there was a loss of 33 per cent besides his whole rental" Considerable interruption of the proceedings by the groans and shouts of a band of Free-traders was raised in reply to the invectives of the Protectionists against the "scoundrel" legislators who had deserted them. Conflict en- sued, and the Free-traders were ejected after a battle of half an hour's length ; after which the proceedings were "unanimous."

At the meeting of the Protectionists of Seven Oaks and its neighbour- hood, on Wednesday, Earl Stanhope presided, and vented a speech more than ordinarily full of personality and gloomy vaticination. " Though I entertain," he said, " the utmost contempt for the character

and conduct of Sir Robert Peel," still the eminent station Sir Robert held renders it necessary to allude to the letter he has addressed to his tenantry. In the beginning of, his letter Sir Robert Peel says, the present low price of wheat is a temporoly and undue depression," consequent on there having been "two years of high prices," which led the farmers to sow " too great a breadth of corn." "We have been told," said Lord Stanhope, " in an old but true saying, that Bart ought to have good memories,' and Sir Robert might have recollected that he presently declares the remedy' to be farm- ing better, and producing forty bushels an acre instead of twenty." From this insinuation of Sir Robert Peel's mendacity, Lord Stanhope proceeded to 'speak contemptuously of Mr. Cobden's "integrity and intellect." That rents must be reduced, no one was more ready to admit than himself ; but this is the symptom, not the remedy of the disease. He believed that this is but one of the effects of free trade. " God in his mercy prevent " that we-ever should see all the consequences of the system ' • for the inevitable re- sult must be revolution ; and that revolution not a change in the person of the reigning sovereign, nor a conversion of an ancient monarchy to a repub- lic, but " a complete social revolution, in its object, in its origin, and in its operation—one in which violence and anarchy will prevail, in which no life will be respected, and no property be secure? To those who have seen'the storm arise—who have sat patiently at home taking no share, have deplored but taken no lead, in a movement that ought to shake the length and breadth of the land, and express itself in "thunder reaching to the walls of Buckingham Palace and to the doors of Parliament,"—to those persons he cried, "Awake ! arise ! or be for ever fallen!"

Mr. Atkins gave a statement of the produce of his farm for seven

years, showing a difference against him of 5371. yearly at present prices, as compared with prices at which he could live ; and he answered the suggestions of his Free-trade friends to reduce his expenses, by showing that if he were to save 1301. in wages, to be allowed 20 per cent of his rent, tithes, poor-rates, highway-rates, and church-rates, and could reduce the bills of his wheeler, blacksmith, and harness-maker, by the same per- centage he should after all lessen his loss of 5371. by only 2891. Mr. J. Bell declared that Cobden is the jackall of the great moneyed interest— who alone have benefited by the low prices of the last thirty-five years. Ile echoed Earl Stanhope's forebodings of a " social revolution, such as the world has never witnessed before." Though not an alarmist, he de- clared, if the present system should be persisted in, he would not give two years' purchase for the rent of England or the dividends upon the k'unds.

At the Warwickshire meeting, Mr. Newdegate characterized Sir Robert 'Peel's letter to his tenants as a measure intended to raise a comparison between his own conduct and that of his neighbour proprietors ; and he -made this assumption the pretext for an attack—

When Sir Robert Peel threw out an offer of 20 r cent, to be reinvested in the improvement of his own estate, as a great n to his tenants, it was right to ask " upon what rental is that 20 per cent offered ?" (Cheers, and a Yoke called out, " Fifty shillings an acre.") So far as he could ascertain

from the best information he had been able to collect, it was upon a rental of fully 10 per oent higher than that of the adjoining proprietors. ("Hear, :bear!") When, therefore, Sir Robert Peel proposed to reinvest 20 per cent in the improvement of his own property upon a high rental, it was fair to say

doing no more than the pressure of the measures which he had car-

ried rendered absolutely necessary, and that which many improving land- lords of large properties had been in the habit of doing for years and years. He would not enter upon the question of how far the arrangements would suit Sir Robert Peels tenants, because that was a private matter between "them and their landlord, with which the public had nothing to do ; but he must say that Sir Robert's letter was calculated to encourage upon the part of landlords a stern disregard of the position of their tenants, oppressed by recent legislation, and that it was an attempt to gain credit for consideration, which the terms and circumstances did not justify.

The Earl of Yarborough, in a letter addressed to Mr. A. Boucherett of

Market Rasen, gives his reasons for declining to sign a requisition for a county meeting to consider the " depressed state of the agricultural and other branches of native industry." He expresses his belief, that the " good state of trade in our manufacturing districts, and consequent general employment of British artisans, directly contradict such a state- ment." He is "not prepared to attribute the present depression en- tirely to the effect of legislation "; but advises that the experiment of free trade should have " a further trial " under ordinary seasons, and " in the absence of those dreadful revolutions which have obliged foreigners to send corn to this country to be sold at a loss to the importer." He would reconsider his tenants' engagements. He thinks the attempt to reimpose a duty for protection can only end in failure, after convulsing the coun-

try with agitation, and sowing the seeds of bitter animosity between the various industrial classes of the kingdom. [Lord Yarborough was him- self a stout Protectionist before the repeal of the Corn-law.]

Through the columns of the Carlisle Journal, Mr. Herrman has ad- dressed a letter to his constituents of Cockermouth, recounting the his- tory of his movements in favour of Ecclesiastical Reform, especially for the last two years. It is an exposure very damaging to Ministers ; who are convicted of tergiversation, evasive procrastination, and even worse. One incident mentioned in their treatment of the Ecclesiastical Commis- sion Bill can scarcely be passed over without explanation. Amendments had been proposed by Mr. Horsman and his Mends : Lord John Russell stated in the House, that the amendments had been adopted, that the House would go into Committee pro forma, and that the bill would be put in such a shape as to secure its passing without difficulty ; and the Reform- ers relied on this Ministerial assurance : ten days afterwards, late at night, the House did go into Committee pro fermi; Sir George Grey handed in amendments; they were gabbled over in the usual manner on such oc- casions, and the bill was reprinted : it did not contain a single line of the amendments which had been professedly adopted ! The general effect of the letter is summed up in a single passage— "As for any legislative remedy for these proved abuses, we stand pre- cisely where we were before the question was ever stirred. Motions have been made, discussed, and supported on all sides, with an earnestness and unanimity which did great credit to the Christian feeling of the House. The Minister, commencing by opposing, ended by acquiescing in our pro- pnooesaal1ss and, compelled to bow before the opinion of the House, and to save hiinaelf from defeat, he promised everything, and has done nothing."

Two more savings-bank defalcations have been discovered, at St. Helen's, near Liverpool, and at Scarborough.

The St. Helen's Bank was established about the year 1818; the manage- ment was vested in six trustees and fifty managers, who agreed to attend in rotation and affix their initials to the depositors' pass-books. Mr. John Johnson was appointed actuary, with a commission amounting to about 501. acayeiar ; and about 1833 he introduced his brother William as his deputy, ling him the sub-actuary. Mr. John Johnson was then, and is still, the managing partner in an extensive colliery firm. Recent events in connexion with savings-banks made the trustees and managers vigilant; and as the ac- counts tendered them showed that the amount of deposits had decreased of late years, though the n?ighbourhood was increasing in prosperousness, they resolved to examine the pass-books. On learning this resolve, Mr. Johnson admitted that he had also received a Government notice ordering the same step. This precipitated a disclosure. William Johnson informed the trus- tees that money had been misappropriated by his brother, and that he had falsified accounts by his brother's direction; but he declared that this had been done during the past year only and to the amount of but 1,5001. As the examination of the books proceeded, it was found that these declarations were untrue. The malversations have amounted to about 10,0001., and have been carried on for about seventeen years. The accounts tampered with were principally those of friendly societies. A person who was a depositor before the alteration of the law restricted the amount of deposits, had paid in 8001.: Johnson appropriated the whole. The original trustees and mana- gers having mostly died, it was only within the last few years that their places were supplied ; the attendance to check the books became a mere irregular form • unlimited confidence was placed in the popular Mr. John- son; and "at fast the bank degenerated into an institution managed by Mr. Johnson for his own purposes.' Hence the imponity for his frauds. Mr, John Johnson lived in a most expensive style, was very hospitable, and spent much money upon his conservatories. Fortunately, both the brothers have property ; and they have made it over to the trustees of the bank : it is ex- pected that it will be sufficient to meet the deficiency.

Mr. Smurwaite, a Wine-merchant; has been arrested for embezzling the funds of the Scarborough Bank, of which he was the actuary and secretary. He carried on a good business in the town. The amount of his frauds is not yet ascertained : report varies the total from 1,0001. to upwards of 2,0001. It has been found from an examination of the accounts in the ledgers and the pass-books of the Aylesbury Bank, that they are correct ; so that any one who has been defrauded must have paid money to Stratton, the fugitive clerk, out of office-hours ; which would be at the payer's own risk and re- sponsibility. There are two charges of forgery against Stratton, and it is expected that he will be pursued to the United States.

A farmer named Bird, of Rockland in Devons took a girl from the

workhouse as servant ; on Saturday sennight the girldied, under circum- stances that demanded a Coroner's inquest. It appeared that she died from the effects of ill-treatment from Bird and his wife. The surgeon's evidence was horrible : he found the body covered with wails and wounds, and ab- scesses caused by blows. The verdict was "Wilful murder" against the farmer and his wife • who were with difficultly saved from the summary ven- geance of the infuriated people.

Two men with blackened faces entered the shop of Miss Gace, at Moor- gate, adjoining'East Retford, in the evening, and asked for two half-ounces of tobacco ; one of them next requested a drink of water ; and when Miss Gace went into the kitchen to obtain it, he followed her and clapped a plaster over her mouth. Then they tied her in an arm-chair; took her money and some of her goods ; pressed the plaster more closely over her face ; set fire to a pile of paper and cloth ' • and escaped by the back-door. With great presence of mind, Miss Gace threw herself and chair upon the floor, thereby making a noise which attracted a neighbour's attention. Her life was saved by the removal of the plaster ; though her neck was dreadfully swollen from the difficulty of respiration.

Five ruffians imprisoned in Appleby Gaol grew riotous, threatened the Go- vernor, and armed themselves with a fire-shovel and broom-sticks. The Governor collected a number of constables, and a rush was made into the room where the prisoners were assembled ; a desperate conflict ensued ; and eventually the convicts were so beaten that they were obliged to call to the gaoler to obtain mercy for them. They were put into heavy irons.

There has been a fierce engagement between three keepers and four poachers on the grounds of Mr. Pudsey Dawson, of Homby Castle in West- moreland. The keepers were worsted, and left on the ground senseless ; two were very badly hurt, and at first it was feared that they could not re- cover.

It is suspected that three men lately missed from Lynn have been mur- dered. One was absent from the 12th October, the second from the 13th No- vember, and the third within the last few days. In the first two cases, a Go- vernment reward of 2201. has been offered, for the apprehension of the sup. posed murderers.

The practice of exhibiting in the dens of wild beasts has led to a frightful catastrophe at Chatham. Ellen Bright, a girl of seventeen, known as the " Lion Queen," attached to the menagerie of her uncle Mr. George Womb- well, was killed on Friday last week by a tiger. An inquest was held on

Saturday. Stephen King, a keeper, stated that the deceased had been in the habit of entering the dens several times daily for the last twelve months. On Friday evening, she entered a den in which were a lion and a tiger. " She had only been in two or three minutes, but had gone through the main part of the performance, excepting that of making the lion sit down in a particular part of the cage, when the tiger being in her way, the deceased struck it slightly with a small whip which she carried in her hand. The beast growled as if in anger, and, crouching close to the bottom of the den, stretched out its paw as if at her leg or dress, causing the deceased to fall sideways against the cage ; the animal at the same moment sprang at her, and, seizing her ferociously by the neck, inserted the teeth of the upper jaw in her chin, and in closing his mouth inflicted frightful injury in the throat with his fangs. He then appeared to change his position, making a second gripe across the throat of his victim. A keeper who was standing on the step of the den, armed with a whip, immediately rushed to her assistance; but the animal did not loose its hold until struck over the nose violently with an iron bar; and whilst Xing held the animas, the unfortunate female was removed from the cage, bleeding profusely, and life all but extinct. She was taken into one of the caravans, where she was immediately attended by two medical gentlemen who happened to be present at the time of the occur- rence." The tiger bad never exhibited animosity before. The beasts were fond of lien Bright. Witness heard Mr. Wombwell say he wished there were no "Lion Queen." The deceased would enter the dens when no company was present, for practice and pastime : she had entered the cages on Mondays when the animals bad not been fed on the preceding day. Mr. Richard Cooper Todd, surgeon to the Royal Artillery, witnessed the attack by the tiger, and he described it. The tiger did not appear friendly with the girl. She died in a few minutes after she was taken from the den, from the wounds and from the shock to the system. The Jury returned a verdict to the effect that deceased was killed by a male tiger whilst exhibiting in its den ; and expressed a strong opinion nainst the practice of allowing persons to perform in a den with such anima.U.

Smith, a gamekeeper to Messrs. Dent, of Sudeley Castle in Gloucester- shire, has accidently shot himself. His body was found in a ditch ; a charge had passed through his heart. No doubt, he was attempting to get over a fence, when his gun went off.

William Thorpe, gamekeeper to the Reverend F. Sharpe, of Tibshelf near Mansfield, has been found dead in a field. He had been shot above the knee, and had bled to death from a wounded artery. Six poachers had been seen is the vicinity shortly before they were speedily arrested, and there are erirninating circumstances against one of them named Alsop.

West Derby Church, near Liverpool, has been on fire, through the over- heating of flues which communicated with a staircase. The 'fire was op- portunely discovered by two passengers soon after midnight; and the build- ing was saved from destruction.