Vruniutinl.
The British Association met at Oxford on Wednesday. The Council met in the Clarendon, the Association in the Sheldonian Theatre. The Prince Consort took the chair as President, and in a brief speech resigned the office to Lord Wrottesley, the President for the current year, chosen at Aberdeen last year. Lord Wrottesley then delivered the inaugural address, which, as usual, embraced the whole field of modern scientific discovery. The Sections began business on Thursday, when many papers were read.
At a meeting held in Birmingham on the 22d of June, the Mayor in the chair, it was resolved to raise a fund to be presented to General Gari- baldi. The meeting expressed the deepest sympathy with the Italian patriots, thanked Lord Palmerston and Lord John Russell for their speeches on Naples, and hoped that they would observe strict neu- trality themselves, and enforce the rule upon the other Powers.
A large meeting was held in Leeds on Monday, to give support to Ga. ribaldi. A memorial to Lord Palmerston was adopted expressing sym- pathy with Garibaldi and approval of Lord Palmerston's course ; and praying "her Majesty's Government to recognize at the earliest possible period the independence of the people of Sicily, and to acknowledge any Government which they may choose to establish in the island, or any union which they may voluntarily effect with any other Italian State."
The Norwich case of attempted abduction has broken down before the magistrate. Young Vansittart, examined again on Monday, admitted that a large portion of the story he had told, especially that about the Italian priest who came to him in disguise and by stealth at Rackheath was false. No Italian priest came. A man in a cloak and pointed hat passed by, who said " Good morning," according to the country fashion. But although the evidence of conspiracy against Canon Dalton and the Behas could not be sustained, sufficient came out to show that the boy had been tampered with, that even Bishop Grant had engaged in clandestine correspondence with him on the subject of his religion. The Mayor said that the Bench consi- dered the conduct of Canon Dalton was exceedingly reprehensible in that, knowing that the boy had clandestinely left a school where he had been placed by a Protestant parent, he did not at once advise him to return, but, on the contrary, did what he could to facilitate his leaving school. At the same time, there were difficulties connected with the case both in regard to law and evidence, and also to the manner in which the evidence had been brought forward,. and the magistrates had therefore determined not to send the matter for trial, but to dismiss it. As the assizes were close at hand, it would be in the power of Mr. Vansittart, if he thought proper, to prefer an indictment against the parties.
The Britannia Mill, at Mosley, the property of Mr. John Mayall, cotton- spinner, was destroyed by fire last week. The property consumed anr7 damaged is said to have been worth 80,0001., about one half of which is in- sured. It is supposed that some sweepings ignited spontaneously.
Previous page
