One of those desperate affrays which have so often occurred
on rail- ways between English and Irish labourers, on the subject of wages, took place on Monday week, at Hebden Bridge, near Todmorden, on the line of the Manchester and Leeds Railway. About one hundred of the English labourers commenced an attack upon about the same number of Irishmen, for the purpose of driving the latter from their employ- 4 meat, on the alleged ground that they were working for lower wages. The contest raged fiercely the whole of the day, and many on both sides were very seriously injured. One Englishman was struck on the
top of the nose with a pick, with so much violence that it almost cut off that portion of his face. The authorities of the neighbourhood as- sembled together, and promptly procured the assistance of the military;
and by this means the disturbances were suppressed. On Tuesday morning, however, the belligerent parties recommenced the contest in increased numbers, drawn front different parts of the railway ; but another detachment of military from Todmorden hastened to the spot, and by their timely interference order was again restored. On Wedues• day all was perfectly peaceable.—Manchester Guardian.
On Friday, the editor of the 111-anchester Courier was held to bail by the Borough Magistrates to answer the charge of leaving publicly horsewhipped the editor of the Manchester Guardian. The quarrel arose from the latter having applied (in print) to his cpponent the words "crawling, cowardly liar," in a discussion respecting the recta: melancholy occurrence at Court. "Satisfaction" had bceu demanded and refused.—Standard.
Early on "Wednesday morning, some of the lower parts of Birming- ham, especially in the neighbourhood of Digbetli and the Pershore road, were overwhelmed by a clayey stream of unusual appet:raace. An embankment of the Worcester Canal. near Bournbrook, had broken down, in consequence of the heavy swelling of water which, through the incessant rains, had before inundated the country beyond. The breach was about fifty yards hi length, and time embankment an im- mensely high one. The whole valley of the Rea was inundated, though we are happy to learn that but little corn is injured.—Birmiuyhant On Saturday week, Christopher Todd, one of the Tellers at the Bank of Liverpool, was charged bet': ire the Magistrates with having em- bezzed several large sums of money. The court was crowded with merchants, bankers, and individuals engaged in commercial pursuits. The discovery of the prisoner's delinquency was made on the previous Wednesday ; when he was taken into custody. He bodement an ex- amination before Mr. Rushton on Thursday ; when evidence was heard of the appropriation by the prisoner of large sums belonging to a Mr. Smith. He was remanded till Saturday at three o'clock, in order that further evidence might be obtained. Since then, defaleatims to the amount of 3,000/. have been discovered. Mr. Rushton and the other Magistrates took their seats at half•past three o'clock. The prisoner, a well-dressed young man, twenty-seven years of age, was brought up and placed at the bar. He held down his head till he reached the front of the dock ; when he immediately buried his face in his silk handken chief, and kept it covered from view during the whole examination, except at one juncture, when he raised his head for an instant. An examination of considerable length took place ; in the course of which, several witnesses proved that they paid, in the course of business, sums of money to the prisoner, of the receipt of which he had given no ac- count to the bank. He was committed for trial.
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