runintial.
The Reformers of Huddersfield held a meeting on Wednesday, and passed resolutions, calling for an extended suffrage, the ballot, electoral districts, and triennial Parliaments. A meeting for a similar purpose was held at Norwich, at the close of last week. Other meetings of a like kind have been held here and there up and down the country.
At the thirteenth annual meeting of the Manchester Commercial As- sociation, the President, Mr. Turner, one of the city Members, entered into the question of the cotton supply. fie pointed out that the effects of the predicted scarcity of cotton had been obviated by a decrease in the quantity consumed and by the import of 200,000 bales from India. Even now, if the American crop of this year should only be 3,100,000 bales, and if trade should again become active, the scarcity would be felt. He blamed the Government of India for having done so little to promote cotton growth in India; the culture languishing for the same reason that has hampered the British in the contest with the mutineers—the want of internal communication. He urged the Cotton Supply Association to continue its labours and insisted on the necessity of pressing the Indian Government, whether the " double Government" or not, no longer to neglect the construction of internal communications,
The Commercial Association has probably met for the last time, as the arrangements for its amalgamation with the Chamber of Commerce have been nearly completed.
The Bradford Chamber of Commerce met on Monday, and considered questions raised during the late financial crisis. Mr. W. E. Forster urged that to press an amendment of the Bankruptcy law involved pro- bably everything that the community could do to prevent a renewal of disgrace. Mr. Alderman Whitworth, of Halifax, in dealing with the ac- commodation-bill system used plain words. He looked upon it as being neither more nor leas than a system of forgery, for there was no more forgery in writing the name of another man than there was in writ- ing upon a document value received' when no value had been re- ceived.' He also expressed a hope "that steps would be taken to give publicity to all parties who had been the means of circulating paper of such a character." It was apparently admitted that the pressure of the Bank Charter Act had merely served as a cry raised by the delinquents for shelter; and Mr. William Douglas, in attributing the crisis solely to over-trading, extended credit, and the "rotten bill system," trusted the Chamber would insist that any party who gave an accommodation-bill should be tried for felony. Other speakers pointed to the facilities given to gambling by indefinite credits ; and Mr. W. R. Haigh adverted to another traffic which has extensively thriven in every department of trade, owing to the tolerant spirit of modern commerce—namely, flip practice of adulteration. "The staple of the trade of the town had been tampered with in a way which was moat:unjustifiable." Altogether, the discussion was remarkable, and was as wholesome as disagreeable.
Bethel Parkinson, a farmer and jobber of Wadsworth in Yorkshire, hat been found murdered in a field, the head crushed by a heavy stone, and wounda from a cutlass on the body. Suspicion has fallen upon Joseph Shep- heard, a young man who induced Parkinson to leave home on pretence of taking him to a sale of stock : he has been arrested. If plunder was the mo- tive for the murder, the assassin was disappointed, for 'Parkinson took only 31. or 41. with him.
The inquest at Darwen on the body of Robert Kershaw terminated with a verdict of "Wilful murder" against the son Thomas, the wife not appear- ing to be implicated in the crime. From the evidence it would seem that Mrs. Kershaw is deranged; and the conduct of Thomas has been decidedly "strange."
John Sager, Master of Keighley Workhouse, has been committed by the Magistrates on a charge of murdering his wife, by means of arsenic. Sager had been criminally intimate with another woman.
In firing a salute on Saturday at Dover, on the arrival of the Duchess of Saxe-Coburg, two artillerymen were seriously hurt : their arms were blown off, and they were hurled into a deep fosse. One man died on the following day. A charge had unexpectedly exploded. 1.'heCoroner's Jury recommended more care in future.
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