g Vrouiurti. Throughout the country, Wednesday was observed as a

day of humilia- tion, and divine service was performed inplaces of public worship belong- ing to the different denominations of Christians why dwell in this land. Collections for the benefit of the wives and children of our soldiers en-

gaged in the war were also general. Throughout the day, business both public and private was suspended, and on many railways the trains ran only as on Sundays.

The annual meeting of the subscribers of the Birmingham Industrial Schools,—Sir E. Scott in the chair,—was held on Monday evening, at Dee's Royal Hotel. From the report, read by the Honourable and Re- verend Grantham Yorke, it appears that the institution, originally a Rag- ged school, has expanded into an Industrial school : that it receives three classes of children,—residents lodged, clothed, and instructed in the house; day pupils, fed and instructed; and others who receive instruc- tion only. These children are selected from the very lowest class ; and, in addition to book-teaching, are taught useful occupations. The finan- cial statement showed a balance of 801. against the school. It is hoped that the subscriptions of the current year will more than cover the defi- ciency. On the motion of Mr. Adderley, it was resolved that the success which has attended the Birmingham school recommends its adoption throughout the country.

The notables of Worcestershire, including men of all sides in politics— such as Sir John Pakington, chairman, Lord Ward, Mr. Laslett, Mem- ber for Worcester, and Colonel Rushont—gave a dinner at Worcester, on Saturday, to celebrate the accession of Earl Beauchamp to the Peerage, and to present him with a full-length portrait, subscribed for "by his friends and late constituents of all political opinions, in testimony of their appreciation of his consistent public character and high private worth." It will be remembered that as Colonel and General Lygon, the Earl represented West Worcestershire for six-and-thirty years.

The Church-rate conflict at Liverpool terminated on Tuesday. There were for the rate-1037 persons, having 2468 votes ; against the rate- 1574 persons, having 2880 votes ; majority against-537 persons, and 412 votes. The result was hailed as a great triumph. The Churchwar- dens state, that in consequence of this decision, two clerks, seven sex- tons, two organists, ten singers, and twenty-one bell-ringers, must at once be discharged ; and that no sacramental bread and wine, and no charges for insurance, washing, cleaning, &c., can be allowed in four churches.

A conference of medical and other gentlemen was held at Birmingham last week,—Mr. Scholefield M.P. in the chair,—to consider the best means of preventing the adulteration of articles of food and drugs. A statement was read by Mr. Postgate, Lecturer on Anatomy at Sydenham College, Birmingham, showing how largely bread is adulterated with bean meal and alum, coffee with chicory and roasted corn, vinegar with sul- phuric acid, sweet spirits of nitre and sal volatile with aquafortis, and milk with chalk and turmeric. Cream of tartar is sold as lemonade and ginger beer. Drugs are habitually adulterated, producing most uncertain effects viten administered to patients. After much discussion, the Con- ference came to a resolution to petition Parliament to appoint examiners at the ports, and enable the Magistrates and Town-Councils to appoint public analyzers in towns, and to provide by law that fines be imposed, and that the County Court adjudicate between the manufacturer or whole- sale dealer and the retail tradesman in case of adulterated articles being supplied; such court to have power to allow the retail tradesman com- pensation for his loss, and to inflict a fine not exceeding 501.

The Preston masters state that they have now-about 7000 persons at work —nearly half of those they require to work their mills. In that case, the turn-outs would be in an unenviable state even if they were forthwith to resume work, as they are more than 13,000, and the vacancies to be filled would be only 8000. The strike of 1836 led to the invention of the "self- actor" machine, for diminishing the amount of hand-labour : the present strike has caused a great extension in its employment. While there are speculations as to the speedy termination of the Preston strike from a variety of causes —turn-outs elsewhere, diminution of funds, increase in the supply of willing workers,—the leaders of the operatives ;till maintain the appearance of being very sanguine. At a meeting on Sunday, the chairman exclaimed, "We'll not only beat the masters out of a ten per cent in Preston, but we'll get it for Stockport, and all the localities round Preston !"

More of the Stockport operatives turned out on Friday and Saturday last; and the whole body, with the exception of a few hundreds, are now " at play."

The Stockport turn-outs have already shown a lamentable tendency to violent courses. They assemble in large numbers near the mills where a few "knobsticks " continue to labour, and attempt to intimidate them as they leave the buildings : in some instances actual assaults have been committed, and on Tuesday four'men were arrested by the Police.

Numbers of the Tyne seamen who have been thrown idle by the recent disputes there, intend going to other ports, where their services are eagerly secured to man transports or merchant-ships.

A very marked improvement in the conduct of the operatives of the manufacturing districts was observed this Easter as compared with their behaviour during the festivities of former years—less neglect of work, and more propriety of demeanour.

Superintendent Walker, of the Kent Constabulary, has been committed on a Coroner's warrant for the "manslaughter." of Mrs. Hotness, wife of a labourer at Northgate. When Mrs. Holness was near her confinement, he called her up in the middle of the night, and kept her talking at the house- doofter a long time concerning a robbery in which it was alleged her bro- ther had been engaged; when she was quite unfit to appear at the Canter- bury Sessions as a witness, he terrified her intomaking the effort ; she was confined with a child next day ; shortly after, Walker went again to her cottage to make a search, which greatly excited her; she became delirious, and in a short time died. The Jury deemed all this harsh and unfeeling conduct of the constable tantamount to homicide.

Richard Hill, a Spanish man of colour, has killed Mr. Drinkwater, chief officer of the American ship Moses Taylor. After the veasel had left Havre with emigrants for New Orleans, an altercation occurred between Hill, who is a sailor, and the officer ; a scuffle followed, and Hill drew his knife and stabbed the chief mate in the abdomen : the math died :n ten minutes. The master put into Plymouth, communicated with the American Consul, and gave the assassin into the custody of the Police. An inquest has been com- menced at Saltash. One of the witnesses was a Chinaman : he broke a saucer to attest the truth of his statement, and signed his name in the Chinese characters. At the conclusion of the evidence, Mr. Cleverton, as the legal adviser of the Coroner, called the attention of the Jury to the case

of "the Queen versus Servia and others," where Dr. Adam laid it down be- fore the Judges, that no nation had any jurisdiction over the seas beyond a jurisdiction over its own subjects in its public and private vessels ; and ad- vised an adjournment of the inquest in order to obtain legal advice before coming to a verdict. The probable termination of the case, so fur as this country is concerned, will be the handing over of Hill to the custody of the United States' authorities.

Mr. John Thompson Haselden, a tea-broker of Liverpool, has been com- mitted on a charge of obtaining an advance of 20001. from the Liverpool Borough Bank, by means of a forged order for the delivery of goods. He deposited with the bank as a security for 20001. an order purporting to be signed by Messrs. Fry for the delivery of 200 chests of tea : at the time Messrs. Fry were not even in possession of the tea, and the signature of the order was a forgery.

The Reverend Dr. Claxson, Vicar of Sandhurst, has lost his life by an accident at Gloucester. His servant was driving him through the streets in a gig ; the horse ran away, and the servant was jerked out ; Dr. Claxson was greatly alarmed, and attempted to leave the gig : he was thrown with violence against a kerbstone, and died in a few hours.

Two boys have had a narrow railway escape. At Crigglestone there is a level crossing over the Barnsley branch railway ; the gatekeeper was not at his post as the two boys drove up in a cart drawn by a pony, so they thought no train was approaching ; but as the pony got on to the rails a luggage- train dashed past, and cut of the pony and shafts from the cart, tearing the horse to pieces. The boys remained seated in the cart, and suffered only a shaking.