Vrattintial.

Mr. Percy Wyndham was, on Monday, elected Member for West Cumberland in the room of the late General Wyndham. The election took place at Cockermouth, and was, of course, merely formal. Mr. Wyndham is a Tory ; advocates non-intervention in foreign policy, op- poses the Americanizing of our institutions at home, is a sincere member of the Church of England, and supports the Volunteer movement. Dur- ing the proceedings the hustings fell, but nobody was seriously hurt.

The Liberals of Essex, always active and public spirited, have been dining together at Maldon. Formerly, in days when it was dangerous to be a Liberal, Malden had a Liberal Independent Club. It flourished forty years, and did good service. Now itahas been revived with great ceremony. At the dinner, Mr. T. B. Western occupied the chair ; Mr. Western, Member for the borough, Mr. Charles Buxton, Mr. Hardcastle, Sir Powell Buxton, Mr. Wingfield Baker, and other members of the ?arty, were present. Speeches of congratulation and exhortation were duly delivered, and a determination expressed to fight hard, but fairly, for some of the seats now held in the county by the Tories.

The provincial Volunteers are setting an example which we are sur- prised the Londoners have not followed ere this ; indeed, it is remarkable that they did not set the example themselves. The 1st Lancashire have passed a month in camp at Crosby, and have well earned the praises ,bestowed upon them by the Liverpool papers. "At the Crosby Camp might have been seen young gentlemen, officers and privates, cooking their own meals, blacking their own boots, making their beds, cleaniag their arms, digging their trenches and wells with an energy and perseveratice that were most remarkable, proving to the friends of Volunteers that their confidence was not misplaced, and that the deterio- rating remarks of uncharitable men had only served to redouble the ardour of these worthy descendants of the Volunteers of old. But, besides all the hardships caused by the inclemency of the weather and the irksome duties attending a life in camp, the men have enjoyed themselves, and the greatest good fellowship and kindliness of feeling have been engendered; anything that could be dolor the comfort of a comrade was carried out with an eagerness to serve and an obligingness of disposition that were delightful to witness, everybody trying to find opportunities of doing sersice to his friends—a feeling which in a business town like this is rarely to be met with. The tents resounded every night with singing and merriment, though the men might be tired and wet, with the rain showering an accom- laniment on the canvas, and the gale,bowling out of tune over the sand- 43411e, but both failing entirely to damp the men's spirits or to blow away 'their good temper, although after a good deal of hard work it contrived to uproot several of the tents, to the great discomfort of the occupants, while a general turn out of the camp would ensue to reinstate the homeless un- fortunates. On one or two occasions an alarm was raised by the sentries, which caused the men in the dead of the night to get under arms, many falling-in in various and peculiar , states and varieties of uniform, to the great amusement of the whole line, who could not check the laughter cruised by the dishabilles ; the men would be then marched off in the neigh- bourhood of the camp to see that the coast was clear, and after perhaps half-an-hour's search allowed to return to their homes and beds.

"The Volunteers in camp were warmly received by the inhabitants of Waterloo, Crosby, and the neighbourhood, receiving numberlesspresents of meat, eggs, fruit, vegetables, and other things conducive to their comfort ; _ and the inhabitants of Crosby, &e., were not alone—Liverpool also doing all it could to render the hardships of their position bearable to the great gratification of the men, who have not always been accustomed to praise, but have generally, heard their endeavours attributed to very unworthy and undeserved motives—such as amusement, vanity, Sm., and their expressions of pleasure and gratitude would have more than recompensed the senders of these welcome presents. Many gentlemen in the neighbourhood welcomed detachments of the battalion in their houses, and showed them all the hos- pitality in their power—kindness which will never be forgotten by the members of the old first. Drill was regularly attended morning and night ; the manual and platoon exercises, and skirmishing practised whenever the weather gave an hour ; and when rain prevented, the men mustered in a large marquee erected as a mess tent ; the first bugle sounded at five a. m., and the fall in' at 6.30, everybody being present, except the guard of the preceding night."

The Mayor of Bath and other inhabitants of the city of Bath, 'being magistrates, clergymen, bankers, commissioned officers in her Majesty's two services, members of the legal and medical professions, have sent signed a memorial for presentation to the Home Secretary praying him to issue a special commission to,investigate the Road murder. The me- morial is as follows-

" That an extraordinary crime and as far as we know a crime unique and unparalleled in the annals of this country was committed on the 29th of June last at Road, in the adjoining county of Wilts. That as living in the immediate neighbourhood our attention has been specially directed to it. That a miscarriage of justice has occurred through the defective manner in which the coroner's inquest was conducted, that inquest having been closed after one sitting without any attempt to ascertain and name the murderer. That in consequence of this Samuel Saville Kent, his family, and household have never been examined and cross-examined. That the condition of the doors, windows, and fastenings of the house prove that Road House was not forcibly entered from outside during the night. That, therefore, the mur- derer was an inmate of that house, or was secreted there for the purpose, and that his accomplices before and his accessories after the fact are to be sought in that mansion. That Mr. Kent's household are, therefore, collec- tively, responsible for that murder, and that the innocence of no one of them is to be assumed. That, nevertheless, the inmates of that house have never been examined. That we, therefore, humbly pray you to grant a special commission for the investigation of this crime, as the ordinary means have entirely failed. That a special commission is an unusual procedure, hut that the crime is extraordinary and uuraralleled hi its character and circumstances. We therefore pray you to grant such special commission."

The Bridgewater Borough Magistrates have condemned in strong terms the violent measures resorted to by Mr. Price in search of his wife at the Agapemone. The Mayor has declared that if Mr. Price repeats his at- -tack he will issue warrants against any number of offenders.

Birkenhead witneased, on Thursday, the formal inauguration of an undertaking which in this country wears all the aspect of novelty. In of the 1, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and the chief .4118.,r of thexppentneu::: better known in England under the designation of hork. " har■

for some years been established. To the success of ths.

States, street railways—the elemin de fer Americaires hu amalpot on/ th those places in which it has been tried, the testimony of . g. y most eminent American engineers, but of intelligent travellers . `1Pro all parts of the world, has been unhesitatingly borne. The Timmgivvéi lz interesting account of an experiment which it declares to have beetrA crowned with "perfect success." "To Mr. G. F. Train, of Boston' the introduction into England of street railways is mainly to be attributed. But five short months have elapsed since he laid the proposals on the subject before the Commissioners of Birkenhead. Two months later found those proposals accepted. Yesterday saw them carried into practical effect. Nor was the -undertaking inaugu- rated with a success at all inferior to the expedition with which the neces- sary works had, been completed. The line of rails—which ha a been laid down under the superintendence of Mr. Palles, of Philadelphia, and Mr. Samuel, of London, and which reflects no inconsiderable degree of credit on the professional skill which has been exhibited in its construction—extends from the Woodside Ferry, the landing-place at Birkenhead, just opposite the centre of Liverpool, by the Shore Road, through Angle and Conway Streets, and so on to the entrance of Birkenhead Park. The whole distance is little more than a mile and a quarter; it is, however, quite sufficient to enable those who take an interest in the subject to form a good idea of the merits of Mr. Train's experiment. A junotton in.Conway Street enables the carriages to return from the park by Hamilton Street to the point from which they originally started. "Nothing can well be less complicated than the machinery which is em- ployed for the accomplishment of this double journey. The tramivay itself consists simply of two iron plates, each being raised about an inch on the outer side, and running parallel to one another, as in the case of the rails on an ordinary railroad. They are fixed upon longitudinal bearers, which rest upon tranverse sleepers, and are so let into the street as to run com- pletely on a level with its surface. They do not, therefore, interfere in the slightest degree with the ordinary traffic. To ply on these iron plates car- riages capable each of affording abundant accommodation to from fifty to sixty passengers have been built by Mr. Main, of Birkenhead. They are more than double the size of an ordinary omnibus, are somewhat similar in shape, and are provided underneath with wheels like those of a railway car- riage, but somewhat smaller in size. The plan upon which they arc con- structed would appear to be exceedingly well adapted to street traffic. Each carriage is 24 feet long by 7 feet wide ; 7 feet being also the height of the interior from floor to roof. It furnishes sitting room for twenty-four persons inside and for as many more outside, for whose protection a hand- rail runs round the top. A space of two or three feet intervenes between the passengers on each side of the interior, and this it is proposed to turn to ac- count by allowing passengers to stand there in the event of all the seats being occupied ; handrails, with guiding straps attached, being run beneath the roof for their convenience. It is more than questionable, however, whether it is expedient to permit the centrea of the carriages to be thus filled up, and one of the chief advantages—that of ample accommodation— which they are calculated to confer, as a consequence neutralized. A small platform at each end of each carriage, raised about a foot and a half from the ground, and separated from the horses—which may be yoked to either end— by a contrivance somewhat resembling the splashboard of a hansom cab— affords the means of ready ingress and egress to the new conveyances on whose decoration as well as on whose adaptation to the comfort and security of passengers great pains have evidently been bestowed. They are never- theless fitted up in a style more luxurious than tasteful. Gaudy colouring has in their case been somewhat too freely employed. This, however, is a fault which may be easily remedied, and which by no means detracts from their usefulness. It may, in some instances offend the eye, but it can hardly fail to be lost szght of in that pleasant sense of freedom from squeezing and crushing in which our present system of street conveyance will so rarely permit us to indulge. In the construction of the new car- riages the important question of ventilation, it is but right to add, has not been neglected. Each has its sliding windows, with 'louvres' to prevent a draught. Each is provided also with a driver and conductor, both of whom have it in their power to control, by means of a patent break, the machinery by which tha progress of the carriages is stopped or retarded."

The Great Eastern arrived at Milford Haven on the-26th. She sailed from New York on the 16th, proceeded to Halifax,. and thence steamed direct to Milford Haven. The voyage from New York to St. Anne's Head, the entrance to Milford Haven, 2980 miles, was thus completed in less than eleven days, the average rate of speed being nearly fourteen knots an hour. Just before the voyage ended, the -Great Eastern fell in with the Channel fleet.

"We wore informed by the Queen's pilot and Mr. Bereton, the company's engineer, who boarded us from the steamer, that the Channel fleet (or a part of it) was lying at Milford. We anticipated, therefore, a very agreeable sight ; but not the magnificent spectacle that was presented to us. As we rounded the fortified rocks at the entrance of the bay, tbe noble ships were discovered moored in a double line, with several attendant gun-boats and steam-tenders surrounding them. With our smart-sailing little consort close on our starboard quarter, dressed in the gayest bunting from deck to truck, we glided up the harbour at the rate of 12 knots an hour, and were soon close astern of a fine frigate, the Diadem. As we neared her, the crew sprang into the rigging, and were soon clustering on each yard, mast, and spar, to get a good sight of the great ship that was now dwarfing their own magnificent craft to the proportions of a cockboat. Topsail, topgallant- sail, and royal 'yards were quickly crowded with fine active fellows, who seemed to feel as much at home standing on those giddy elevations as we on the broad deck beneath us. Even this was not entrogh. Three of the smarter toprnen shinned up the slender-looking royal-masts and gained the trucks; where they sat very coolly watching the exciting scene below them. The ham- moek-nettings, the forecastle, the bowsprit, jibboom, and flying-jibboom were hidden by the donee crowd of blue-jackets, .which was rehevedrin the safe parts of the ship, by the sprinkling of red-coated marines. The quarter-deck was crowded by the officers, who with glasses in hand, were watching the ship's approach. As our grace.fabows glided past-the frigate's quarter, by one impulse everyman of her crew joined in a cheer that had something elec- trical in its effect on our own crew and passengers. As the noble volume of sound swept over us, like the first rush of a hurricane, it seemed to stir the blood of every Englishman like the blast of a trumpet; .breasts swelled with pardonable pride that we could claim the brave men before us for brethren. The same Beene was repeated a; we pessed each vesseL On board, the enthuairam excited among us b,eaame contagious. -N,he.,firettsto ships we passed—the Diadem and the Mars—our .worthy captain and the grave old pilot, on the paddle-bc1. together, maintained their coolness pretty well. The third, the noble- Steam-frigate rdersey, evidently shook their resolution ; and the fourth, the Algiers, two-decker,-nwept it away entirely. Off came their ceps and they contributed a cmota to the 'Hip-hip-hip-hur- rah,' worth that of any other six men there. A somewhat similar effect

was produced on our Amerioantrethren. In passing the first ship or two, though they enjoyed thesight immensely, they did not seem to think re- plying much business of theirs; but by the time they had passed two more they began to think, like their gallant countryman in China, that 'blood is thinker than water,' and their voices swelled the faint return that we were able to make. ,Cheering till we were hoarse, and waving caps till our arms ached, we swept past the Trafalgar, the Edgar, the Conqueror, the Centu- rion, the Aboukir,. the Royal Albert, and the Donegal. In each and all men crowded every mast and spar, and hid the deck from view. On every truck a man walieather iiittinrat his ease, or apparently with no less ease standing bolt upright. Running up abreast of Pembroke Doclrfard we saw that the hill at the back of it Was covered with soldiers and citizens, all crowding together to the highest point to see our entrance to the hest ad- vantage. We felt grateful that we were not within earshot of them, or the consequences to some of our lungs might have been serious." •

It is assumed that under favourable circumstances the big ship would make the run from New York to Liverpool or Southampton "inside of eight days." She Was only forty-six hours in passing from Sandy Hook to Halifax, and the period of her transit from Halifax to St. Ann's Head, would have been less had she not been detained in one place to squad, and in another to repair a slight accident to the machinery.

The strike maintained so persistently by the riband weavers of Coventry has now practically oome to an end ; and as is so often the•case, the men have gained nothing by their prolonged abstinence from productive labour. The town has suffered severely; everybody has lost; the strikers most of all.

The Reverend Mr. Widdrington has intervened with effect in the matter of the strike. Calling a .meeting, he advised the operatives to end the strike entirely, and submitted a plan, somewhat on the council of conciliation system, for the adjustment of wages in future. He pro- posed these resolutions-

" 1. That this body of weavers form themselves into an Association for the Protection of Labour.

"2. That such Association appoint a body of arbitration, if the consent of the manufacturers can be obtained to form part of such body, or that other- wise a body of standing consultees be appointed, whose office shall be to collect the best information, and every month to advise the operatives 'whether any, and what, changes have taken place in the value of labour, and on what terms they advise the operatives to offer their labour. "3. That, in the event of any special circumstances, or in all offers made of special work, varying from the list of prices, the weavers shall fall back on the board of arbitration, or on their consultees, for advice. "4. That., in accordance with the above resolution, each weaver is re- quested to enter his name in a district book to be kept for this purpose, pledging himself to abide by the list of prices agreed on by the arbitration proposed, or by the eonsultees. "6. That, subject to the above resolutions, the strike is this night de- clared to be at an end."

These resolutions were carried. Execution was stayed for three days. The time expired, and the strike ended.

At Colne, in Lancashire, a " strike " has now been pending for nearly three months. Into the merits of the question we purposely avoid entering. It does net concern us to inquire whether the men or the masters have the better cause. We design simply to show the agency by which the " strike " is conducted, and the means employed for raising the funds by which it is supported. Before ua.lie two copies of a report periodically circulated, and professing to give an account of the finances of the "strike" for the weeks ending on the 6th and 13th instant. Such documents we never in the course of a pretty considerable experience inspected before. The report de- scends to the minutest details of collection, and enumerates to a. 'fraction the pence gathered from particular mills, phops, cellars, rooms, and sheds. It contains also a general abstract of receipts and expen- diture, and appears, indeed for that matter, to be faithfully framed. The astounding feature of the document is the terrorism it discloses—a terrorism directed against the most helpless creatures, exerted in the most shocking form, and avowed without the smallest attempt at disguise or apology. The statements of the sums collected from the several establish- inenta laid under contribution are followed by remarks on their sufficiency or insufficiency, and by gross threats of slander, insult, or persecution, wherever any room or individual is thought below the mark. All this, however, bad as it is, we pass over to something far more infamous. The special and favourite objects of attack are women and young girls, who are designated not only by the establishriaents and departments in which they work, not only by numbers easily intelligible, but by their. proper names, Printed at full length, while the charges suspended over thew heads are of the most abominable description. The agency at work is impersonated under the name of Punch, and Punch informs these poor girls that if they do not pay, or pay more, or pay more regularly, he will hold their reputations up to shame, these threats being accompanied with the vilest and most disgusting allusions to peculiarities of 'person, face, or manner. "If E. P. does not pay next'week, Punch will attach something to her name which she will not relish." "If M. A. G. wont pay, Punch will say something about her." What this "something" means—and the reader must understand that the names we have given in initials arc at full length in the original—will ap- pear from the specimens following—" If that old maid on No. 182 does not pay next week, 'Punch will say something about her walking out with a mar- ried man." "If No. 90, that young woman who makes a practice of going into the back streets with men, does not pay, Punch will set somebody to watch her." '473, look here ! a young woman going with another chap in the dark." We need not go beyond these examples, but what a state of things does such a publication disclose ! It must be understood that this is no case of a petty local squabble raging in a corner. The funds collected by this agency are coming in at the rate of 6001. a week, or 30,000/. a year, and the balance-sheet or report which is made the vehicle of these atrocious scandals has a circulation of 18,500 copies weekly, each of which is pro- bably perused by scorea of readers. The sheet itself is as large as a railway time-bill, and contains not the least attempt to dolour, disguise, or excuse the terrorism it expresses.—Times.

- An accident has occurred on the Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway—an "accident" of the true type. The line is a single one, and worked by the telesraph. A passenger train from Shrewsbury was to have waited at one station for the passing of a coming goods' train. "By some misconstruc- tion," it was understood that the goods' train would wait at another station. Thus it happened that the two trains set out on the same lire, and of course met each other. The result was a collision, mitigated in its effects, but serious, since many passengers were dangerously wounded.