Ebe 10 to bin rts.

The Saffron Walden Agricultural Society celebrated their tenth anniversary on Wednesday last week. After the distribution of the prizes, about a hundred and fifty gentlemen sat down to dinner in the Saffron Walden Institution. Lord Barybrooke was in the chair ; and among the chief guests were the Marquis of Downshire, Sir John Tyrrell, M.P., Mr. R. J. Eaton, M.P., the Earl of Carnarvon, Lord Rayleigh, and Professor Henslow. The language held at this meeting, like that lately held elsewhere, respecting the prospects of agriculture, was of a cheerful kind. Lord Bray brooke incited his hearers to seek for improvements— The, must all have noticed the great improvement that had lately taken place in the growth of wheat in. their district. Some short time back, wheat and mildew had been with them synonymous terms; but this year they had an abundant show of good wheat. A good deal, however, still remained to be done to improve the wheat-crop, both by attention to the soil and seed.With reference to this subject, it had been well remarked by Mr. Pusey, that if every farmer only grew one more bushel of wheat per annum, a present would be made to the country of 1,200,000/. a year. They had all heard of the cele- brated chevalier barley, and this had sprung from a single ear : a gentleman met with it as he was inspecting his crops, which he took home, and on being sown, it proved the prolific parent of that now celebrated variety. He had also beard that a respected member of their Society had met with a similar ear of wheat, from which he was now raising an improved kind. These were good precedents; and lie would advise any of them who might be fortunate enough to meet with one of these Patagonian ears, to carry it home and take scrupu- lous care of it.

He spoke slightingly of the importations under the new Tariff— lie was not one of those croakers who preached that the sun of British agri- culture had set; or, as he had heard it remarked, that they had reason, like i.o- tatoes which were nipped with the frost, to bang their heads as if ashamed of themselves. He would not touch upon the Tariff or Sliding-scale, because he was sure that if he were to do so, one hundred voices would immediately mare him that it was a slippery subject ; but he would say, the total number of cattle imported to the 15th of October was only 1,151 oxen, 550 cows, 50 calves, 467 sheep, and 10 swine—a total of 1,228 head—not sufficient, he thought, to make an impression in Essex alone. But their enemies had got hold and made a handle of them, and driven them through the country ; and now, in- stead of the fashionable arrivals in the Morning Post, they would frequently find such as this—" Six oxen in Cambridgeshire from the Peninsula." He de- nounced these reports as coming from men in buckram to whom he would say as to Falstaff's ragged regiment, " I will not march buckram, Saffron Walden with you and that's flat."

He advised his hearers to hold out work to the industrious labourer

There was no farm that was not capable of improvement. In 1830, he had himself, from the scarcity of work, been tempted to employ a number of hands in making a plantation ; and this, which he could safely say was now one of the most promising in the county, be never entered without congratulating himself on its origin. In order to make that plantation, trenches had been dug, and in those trenches there had been grown such a crop of potatoes as was seldom seen ; and in addition to this, he had derived from the employment of those labourers a large quantity of building-stone, which had enabled him to fence on both sides of the road. Thus they would see that this species of charity was sure to reap a rich reward : and, in order to incite a feeling of charity in their breasts, he could not do better than cation them in the words of the poet- " Think! oh grateful, think 1 How much the God of Harvest does for you; Who pours abundance o'er your How'ring fields, Whilst the unhappy partners of your kind Wide hover round you like the fowls ofheaven, And ask their humble dole."

The Marquis of Downshire stated, that there was a growing disposi- tion in Ireland to look to England as the source of improvement.

Sir John Tyrrell solaced the meeting with disparaging accounts of the American cured meats— He had all along felt the importance of the fear of that competition being removed; and he hoped he was not passing the boundary laid down by the rules of the Society when he said, that in the boiling of the American pork a dimi- nution of one-half took place. Be had been intimate with persons who had lately come from America; and as in distress it was always pleasant to hear of alleviating circumstances, he could tell them, that, except in a very few in- stances, the American sheep were worth nothing except for the fleece and the skin. Mr. Everett bad also stated, that in America it was impossible to grow either turnips or mangel wurzel, in consequence of the great drought. He would give them another reason why the pork was unpalatable, and that was, because the pigs preyed on the sheep. Be was not aware of this previously, but he could assure them it was a positive fact.

The October meeting of the Herefordshire Agricultural Society was held on the same day, and reported in the Herefordshire Times of Satur- day. About two hundred gentlemen sat down to dinner in the music- room of the Shire-hall ; Earl Somers presiding. After dinner, the Chairman toasted "the health of the Chairman of our County Quarter- Sessions, John Bameby, Esq., M.P." In acknowledging the compli- ment, Mr. Barneby defended the "great measures" of Ministers, "the beginning of a great experiment "— " Whether those measures will succeed or whether they will fail, it is im- possible for us to say ; but let us exert ourselves to support these measures to the best of our ability, so that we may do our best to keep our station, in order that we may not become poorer and deal harshly with others who may benefit by them. That the prices of our stock have been materially reduced, has been fully felt today ; but I believe the reduction of prices has not amounted to the great reduction that was experienced some ten or twelve years ago: and the depression may be partly attributable to those misfortunes which have taken place in other counties, the late disturbances in the manufacturing districts." He also exhorted the agriculturists to improvement- " I think that, in these times, we should turn our thoughts to the improve- ment of land in general, and that we should make every attempt to improve the soil, whether it be arable or pasture : and there are some improvements which I have witnessed which have caused great benefit to landlord and tenant. I allude particularly to draining. I think great benefit would follow if carried out in the following manner,—namely, that the landlord should pay for the draining upon his different estates, but that the tenant should pay five per cent on the outlay. By this, I think, the landlord's property would be much im- proved, and he would get five per cent interest upon his outlay ; while the in- terests of the tenant would be promoted."

The annual ploughing-match of the East Sussex Agricultural Asso- ciation took place at Lewes on Friday, followed by the usual dinner. Mr. Darby, who presided, gave the farmers and country gentlemen some advice on the Tariff; which he had opposed in the House of Com- mons, but he now cautioned them against too great an alarm— The fact was, that an attempt was made to get up a panic in the country, to enable dealers to buy cheap; and the attempt had succeeded. If they looked at the newspaper-reports, they should take care not to be cheated by them. Let them look at the actual quantity of meat that was imported, and see how long it would last for London consumption. Let them also look to the differ- ence in the prices, and then look to the consumption of the country. Look to the sales at Smithfield per week, and compare them with the true quantity of meat imported ; and ask themselves what effect the importation could have. "Don't," said Mr. Darby, " be cheated out of your beasts." Be believed the price of Sonthdowns at the last market was 4s. 8d.; but the prices here would bear no comparison with that. He believed that at this moment the consump- tion was going on very fast, and that beasts went out ten stone lighter than last year. The number of beasts imported was 4,800, and that could not affect the prices to the extent of the fall. He did not want meat up so high as last year, because whenever that took place a reaction was sure to follow. Mr. Ellman pointed to the tricks which had been played with the Smithfield returns of imported cattle— Those who made out the returns at Smithfield, and gave an account of the price of cattle, were absolutely afraid to quote, as common sense would say they ought to do, the number imported during the week. They did not trust themselves to the number per week, but every week gave the number from the commencement ; so that many persons imagined that the number given was the importation of the week. The greatest number imported in one week was about 80; and when he remembered this, and also considered that a greater number of English beasts bad gone into the market than he ever before remem- bered, it was astonishing to him that the price was not lower. But why had they so large a number of beasts in the market ? It was owing to the panic among the farmers, who for every 50 of imported beasts had sent 500 head of English stock to market. And was it not much more reasonable to suppose that the fall in price was occasioned by the 500 English beasts, than that it was pro- duced by the 50 imported.

An attempt has been made to excite Birmingham to emulate Man- chester in supporting the contempt sled Anti-Corn-law agitation. A meeting was held last week, at the Public Office, to receive a depute-

don from the League. Mr. Scholefield, the senior Member for the borough, in introducing Mr. Poulton to the meeting, said he blushed when be considered how little Birmingham had yet done towards aiding the men of Manchester in their struggle against the worst species of monopoly that ever existed. He spoke from experience, he said, when he asserted that if the American tariff continued—that tariff which was the direct result of our Corn-laws—Birmingham would have to witness sorrow that it had never yet known. Mr. Poulton explained the pur- pose of the League in raising the new fund of 50,0001., and stated that the ladies of Manchester had pledged themselves to raise 20,0001. of that sum. A resolution was moved and carried, approving of the con- duct of the League, and expressing a determination to cooperate with them ; in accordance with the League plan, ward committees were ap- pointed to canvass the inhabitants of each ward ; and the meeting ad- journed till Tuesday next.

Me. William Williams delivered his annual account to his Coventry electors on Tuesday, at a meeting in front of the Half-moon Tavern ; from the balcony of which he spoke. He had before circulated a list of his votes in the House of Commons. His speech chiefly consisted of a very general retrospect, in which he distinguished the late and pre- stilt Ministry (between which he recognized little difference) by the character of those who severally support them ; and he severely criti- cised the measures of last session, as inadequate to the juncture, or po- sitively mischievous. At the close of his speech Mr. Williams received the thanks of the meeting.

The rate-payers of Southampton have refused a church-rate, by a majority at the poll of 218 to 203.

Mr. W. Clark, of Chorlton-upon-Medlock, has written a kind of re- ply to Sir Charles Shaw. Mr. Clark says that the Act 2d and 3d Viet. c. 87, s. 5, authorizes the Crown to appoint the Chief Commissioner of Police to be a Justice of the Peace for the borough of Manchester and the county of Lancaster, and therefore Sir Charles could have acted in that capacity himself. He made a "bustling" and a show of seeking a Magistrate to direct the resistance to the mob that entered Manchester on the 9th of August ; and Mr. Clark infers that his motive was a de- sire to avoid the responsibility of acting himself, and to throw the re- sponsibility on Mr. Maude, the Stipendiary Magistrate.

We are led to understand that it is the intention of the Government to place all able-bodied pensioners, who are willing to assist the civil authorities, under drill at stated intervals ; and that arms and accoutre- ments for two hundred of these aged veterans are shortly expected at the barracks in Birmingham. A force like this upon the spot is worth a ten times greater one at the distance of forty miles.—Birmingham Advertiser.

The following is published as a summary of the results of the Staf- ford Special Commission-

" Of the whole number of prisoners tried, no fewer than 54 have been transported. Out of these, 11 have been transported for life, 13 for twenty- one years, (among them William Ellis, one of the most dangerous men in the Potteries,) 9 for fifteen years, 18 for ten years, and 3 for the term of seven years. A very large proportion of the remainder have been sentenced to im- prisonment and hard labour. There are in all 146 prisoners who will have to undergo this kind of punishment : 9 of them are sentenced to imprisonment and hard labour for the term of two years, 1 for twenty calendar months, 9 for eighteen calendar months' 6 for fifteen calendar months, 33 for one year, 3 for nine calendar months, 7 for eight calendar months, 33 for six calendar months, 8 for four calendar months, 14 for three calendar months, 15 for two calendar months, 1 for one calendar month, 6 for fourteen days, and 1 for ten days. Eight have been sentenced to various terms of imprisonment without hard labour; and among these are Linney and Capper, the Chartist agitators, the former of whom will have to remain in prison two years and three months, and the latter two years. Fifty-five prisoners were acquitted, two were discharged on entering into recognizances, six were discharged by proclamation, and three have traversed till the next Assizes—these three being O'Neill, Cooper, and Richards. The whole number of prisoners for trial was 274."

The inquest on the body of Chirles Beale, lately a prisoner in the Northleach House of Correction, was continued at the Cheltenham Union Workhouse on Friday. The Coroner, before beginning the busi- ness, stated that it was a mistake to suppose that he had adjourned the inquest to consult the authorities : he did so to afford the parties implicated an opportunity of attending. More evidence was given, by John Newton, one of Beale's fellow-prisoners, of the ill effects of the hard labour and hard fare upon him ; and also by Beale's parents : his mother said-

" On the Thursday before he died, be despaired for the first time of his re- covery. On the following evening, (Friday,) after Mr. Hollis called, my son asked me if I knew where that gentleman lived ; I told him I did not. He said he was fearful that Mr. Hollis had misunderstood him as to the number of hours he was in the potato-cellar, which was very shortly after the first time I went to see him. He said it was wrong what he told Mr. Hollis ; he was not down in the potato-cellar fourteen hours in one day; he wished to correct this, as he wished to put all straight before he died. His head wandered at times. On the Saturday before he died, when he was quite sensible, he said= Mother, when I was in the potato-cellar, I found my blood run cold ; my hair stood on end on my head ; I pulled off my cap and kneeled upon it; I think that caused me my death. The starvation of the prison that I suffered, mother, no tongue can tell.' I did not hear my son say in the presence of the Governor and Turnkey that he was perfectly satisfied ; he said, Don't make yourself "easy, mother; the Turnkey has been very kind to me.' His satisfaction was confined to Curtis. [He had complained of the brutality of the Under. Turnkey.] He was always of a delicate constitution, until he was grown a man, wheu he became strong and healthy."

The evidence on Monday was generally of the same tenour as Oat Previously given. James Charm, a gardener, imprisoned four months for trespass, was Beale's companion in the potato-cellar. Under cross- examination by Mr. Curtis, the Turnkey, he said-

" The potatoes were turned several times, as they were enntinually making shoots and beginning to grow, it was so damp. The other days that I saw Beale coining from that direction, his hands were dirty, as if he had been among the potatoes. He had not been on the wheel, as he was taking medi- cine. When I was there the first day with Beale, no one else was in the potato-bury except us. No food was brought to us there. We went out to dinner. We both ate some some of the raw potatoes : I dare say I ate half a peck. 1 bad a good bellyful that day, and I don't think I had another all the time I was there. I am sure Beale ate a quartern. The wet used to ran down the walls. The place was damp altogether. I recollect deceased taking his cap off his head to kneel upon, on account of the dampness of the floor. I gave him a board I was kneeling upon and did without it myself. I knelt upon my cap. Beale put his cap on the board to kneel upon. When he told me his blood was struck quite cold, and he bad no feeling in him, I said,

• Then take the board.' I did it out of good-will. He had the janudice then, and it struck in, I suppose. I never heard him complain to any one but me." Mr. Curtis opposed the statements of the other witnesses, sometimes by positive contradiction, sometimes by qualification : for instance-

" Beale went into the potato-bury:at his own request. Be asked me to em- ploy him at any thing I had to du. I said I wanted the potatoes turned. He said, Very well, Sir, I will go.' That was the time Ile was in with Churm, and the only time he was there. I don't recollect whether Churm went by his own request. Beak was always a very well-behaved man, and 1 gave him what in- dulgence I could. If he had not asked, I should have sent some one else to do it I can state positively that deceased was not in that bury a second time picking potatoes. He was in the other bury several times. What Churm has stated about their going there together on a subsequent day is not correct. Deceased has been several times in the room under the Committee-room along with me. Potatoes are kept there also. I never saw him eat any raw pota- toes. I did not hear from Beale or Churm when they had been out of the po- tato-bury that they had been eating any there. Ile never complained to me of hunger during the whole term of his imprisonment. Deceased had half-a- pound of mutton allowed him from the 31st of May to the 30th of June, when it was discontinued, and again from the 15th of August until the time he left the prison. He always ate it I took it to him. I cooked it any way he preferred. 1 always asked Lim in the morning how he would have it done. He sometimes liked it boiled, sometimes fried, and sometimes made into broth. Whichever way he wished it was done. I have seen him eat it at times. I never saw any left on the trencher, or in the can when it was broth."

Mr. Curtis said that dry shirts were provided for the men at the tread-wheel who were overheated : Beale used not to ask for one, nor did he seem to need it. His health did not appear to be good when he entered the prison.

On Wednesday morning, the Jury returned the following verdict-

" That Charles Beale died of disease of the lungs, brought on and aggravated by the punishment and mode of treatment he received whilst a prisoner in North- leach House of Correction : and the Jury express their unanimous disapproba- tion of the conduct of the Governor, Townsend, the Surgeon, Bedwell, and the Under-Turnkey, Harding."

A memorial to the Secretary of State was signed by all the Jurors, praying him to order an investigation into the treatment of the prison- ers at the Northleach House of Correction, and into the discipline of that prison.

The following succinct narrative is put forth as a more correct ac- count of the Middlesborough explosion than has yet appeared : it will be seen that the first account was, as usual, exaggerated- " About nine o'clock, (on Tuesday the 20th,) the fireman, observing one of the boilers leaking, instantly ran to acquaint the engine-man with the circum- stance; but before the latter had time to reach the spot, a distance of about twelve yards, the boiler exploded, carrying away the roof of the building, and tearing to pieces every thing in its way. About forty men were working near it at the time. Two, Michael WEwan and Phillip Kelly, were killed on the spot : the latter having been blown under the fire, was literally roasted before he could be extricated. Two others, Daniel Martin and James Thompson, both boys, have since died from the injury they sustained. One is still in a precarious state. - There were twenty-one others much scalded ; but all are now doing well. An inquest was held over the four bodies, and a long and strict investigation took place ; but no evidence was given to prove that more than ordinary pressure had been used, or that there had been any inattention on tie part of either masters or workmen. The Jury returned a verdict of "Accidental Death," with a deodand of 10s. on the boiler."

An alarmittg but harmless accident occurred on the Brandling Junc- tion Railway, on Monday evening. A horse had stray ed on the line, and a passenger-train, which knocked him down and killed him, was thrown off the line : the engine remained upright, one carriage wag crushed, and the others were overturned ; but the passengers, although screaming with terror, were unhurt.

A bad explosion happened on Wednesday afternoon, at West Col- lingwood, in the house of Pinner, a firework maker. The house con- sisted of two stories, in the upper of which the bbsiness was carried on. Pinner, an old man, and a lad, were at work on squibs for the 5th of November ; they were all killed on the spot, and frightfully mutilated. An old woman on the ground-floor escaped unhurt. The whole of the upper story was blown away, and the windows of the neighbouring houses were broken.

The late stormy weather has proved disastrous on the coast ; but Goodwin Sands were on Sunday the scene of the most memorable dis- aster. The barque Hope, bound for London from Quebec with timber, whose crew had previously saved that of another ship, struck on the outside of the Sands, and was completely destroyed. The crews were saved by a third ship. The barque Nancy struck close to the iron caisson, by means of which Mr. Bush, the civil engineer, has attempted to construct the foundation for a lighthouse: the barque went to pieces, the crew were washed away, and the caisson was destroyed. Some Deal boatmen went to give assistance, and three of them were washed overboard and perished. The Belgian war-ship Comete, bound on a voyage of discovery round the world, was seized by the storm off the North Foreland and driven back upon the Sands ; but after cutting away the foremast, the ship was brought to an anchor in Deal roads.

On Friday the 21st of October, the anniversary of the victory of Tra- falgar in 1805, the Victory, which lies in Portsmouth harbour as the ordinary guard-ship, was, as usual, the scene of an annual festival. A grand dinner was given on board, at which the Admiral presided. All the men who survive of those who stood the brunt of the battle dine on board. Two of the Victory's own crew remain—William Booth, one of the boys in Nelson's ward-room, and now boatswain's mate, and Philip Barrow, who stood by one of the guns. Others have been appointed from the Royal Sovereign to the Victory ; among them, Mr. Hughes, the gunner, and Mr. Cator, the additional acting master.