ht Vrauiurto.
Mr. John Simeon, M.P. for the Isle of Wight, has announced his con- -version to the Roman Catholic faith, and his intention to retire im- mediately from Parliament. The address in which he communicates -these facts to his constituents is exceedingly creditable to him as a man of honour and good feeling.
" TO THE =mons OF THE ISLE OF vrisarr.
"Gentlemen—It is my painful duty to announce to you my intention of immediately retiring from the representation of the Isle of Wight, and that under circumstances which will probably expose me to no small amount of obloguy and misunderstanding. I trust, however, that counterbalancing considerations may not be altogether wanting to modify these feelings in the minds of those whom I shall never cease to look upon with gratitude and regard.
"I need not remind you that I have always, up to the present time, pro- fessed myself a member of the Church of England. Those who know me best will best know with what sincerity that profession was made, and with what fidelity I have endeavoured to carry out the principles and the course of action which, in my opinion, it entailed. The events of the past year, which have in a variety of ways, into which it is unnecessary for me to enter, so strongly complicated the position of the Established Church, forced upon my consideration an inquiry into the grounds upon which the Church claims the allegiance of her members. The result of the inquiry, honestly, and, I trust, dispassionately conducted, has been the conviction that it is my duty to seek admission into the body of the one Catholic Church, from which England was severed at the Reformation.
"A change of views so entire and decided entails upon me, as an honour- able necessity, the duty of returning into your hands a trust which I am conscious that I should never have received. had I been a Catholic at the time of receiving your suffrages.
"A moment's reflection, only, will be needed to carry to every candid mind amongst you the conviction that the motives for a step involving so much that is painful to my feelings must be strong, well-considered, deeply- rooted, and founded upon principles which of necessity exclude any selfish or temporary consideration. I would fain venture to hope that, however much you may think me to err, some thoughts of this kind may suggest themselves to your minds; and may allay the first feelings which an am- nouncement of this description will naturally occasion to those who have not been led to consider these all-important questions in the same light. "It now only remains for me to resign into your hands the important trust which you confided to me; and I do so with warm and cordial thanks for the confidence which you reposed in me when you placed me in the honourable position of your representative, and for the courteous and liberal spirit in which you have been always pleased to accept my poor attempts to serve you. Of the inefficiency of those attempts no one can be so painfully conscious as myself. For that inefficiency, my only excuse, to Myself and to you, is the honest confidence with which I venture to allude to any fulfil- ment of the only pledge which I gave at my election, that of complete political independence.
"I have the honour to be, gentlemen, your very faithful servant,
"4 Eaton Place West, April 22, 1851. Jos SDIE011."
A frightful railway slaughter has occurred on the Lancashire and Cheshire Junction line, apparently from the grossest mismanagement. On Wednes- day there were races at Chester. In the evening, three long and heavily- laden trains left the city for Manchester, with no great interval of time be- tween each departure. Either the power of the first engine was insufficient to draw the load, or there had been neglect in the people driving—it is said the water was deficient ; in consequence, the train came to a stand in the tunnel between Frodsham and Sutton, which is a mile and a half long. While the passengers were waiting in the darkness for no lights had been provided for the carriages generally, the second train came up and ran into the stationary one ; but as the speed was not great, though carriages were broken and persons hurt, the shock was not-very severe. In a few minutes after, the third train dashed into the others : It eame up at a great speed, and ihe crash was terrific. Carriages were crushed, several persons killed, and numbers maimed, cut, or bruised. The disorder and terror in the dark- ness were dreadful. Lights were at length obtained from a farm-house. It is said that there were no fewer than 1500 people in the three trains. Early accounts announce that eight were killed or had died from wounds, while thirty-five or forty had suffered fractures of limbs. Three bodies were identified, as those of Mrs. Ridgway of Bolton, her livery-servant, and Mr. Davidson of Manchester. Mrs. Ridgway was seated with her sister in her private carriage, the servant on the outside : the truck supporting the car- riage was dashed to atoms. A temporary hospital has been fitted up at the end of the tunnel. The guard of the third train declares that the tail-lamps of the second one could not be seen through the steam which filled the tu nel. The third locomotive is supposed to have actually run over an open truck filled with people, which was near the end of the second train.
Patrick Lyons, the murderer of Margaret Fahey, was hanged at Liverpool on Saturday. He had recently expressed great contrition. At his last in- terview with his wife he told her he would declare her innocence from the scaffold. At the closing hour he behaved with great composure, except that he oftener than once complained impatiently of whathe thought the un- necessary delay in carrying out the sentence. Immediately on mounting the scaftbld, he turned quickly round, and looked up at the beam from which the small chain to which the noose is attached was suspended. He eyed it for a few seconds, and again facing the concourse of people, bowed twice or thrice. As Calcraft was about to draw the cap over his eyes, he intimated that he wished to address the people. He spoke distinctly, sometimes pausing, as it were to recollect what he had intended to say. His address ran as follows- " My dear brethren. Pm sorry for what I have done; and I confess to the Almighty God, and all here today, I firmly believe I am guilty of this murder; and I firmly believe my poor wife is innocent, as innocent as a child. Lord have mercy upon her! Here is the hand that has done the murder; here is the body that has committed the sin. (A pause.) Thank God that I am willing to suffer; brainy suffering is nothing. I am willing to nail my hand to the tree; I am willing to drag me between four -horses; I am willing to put me in the fire and bum to ashes for the sake of my soul— because I knew I was doing wrong; I knewthat I had committed a sin. And, my dear brethren, what must be the cause of this I I neglected ray mass ; I neglected God ; I neglected my prayers morning and evening; and, only foci did this, I would not be suffering here today for such a guilty crime. My dear Christians, let this be a warning for ye, and learn to be wise in this world. I hope in my Saviour Jesus Christ for salvation, and the Blessed 'Virgin to pray for me, and all good Christians. (Another pause.) I expect you will pray for me today; and I trust in God he will listen to me, and the holy Virgin Mary, and the angels in heaven. Pray for me this day. My dear Christians, learn to be wise in this world. We are here today and gone tomorrow. (He again paused.) The gentlemen of this place were very kind to me, especially the Governor. I am very much obliged to him, and thank him for his kindness. My poor wife lies in here, and grieves very much about this. May the Lord deliver her from gaol!"
Here the doomed man seemed to intimate to Caleraft that he had finished what he had to say; and in another moment the sentence was executed. The unhappy wife remained in prayer in her cell during the morning.
The men accused of the robbery at the Royal Gunpowder Works at Wal- tham Abbey were finally examined on Tuesday. Rowe, Cornish, and Griffitks, were fully committed for trial; Eve was merely ordered to put in his own recognizances to appear to answer any charge that might be preferred against him.
A burglar has died in Stafford Gaol, from a wound received in a condi& with the Police. Smith and Key were found by the officers in a house at Walsall ; Key was seised, but Smith rushed into a garden; a constable who followed was struck on the head with a bludgeon; in self-defence he drew his cutlass and aimed a blow ; the sword struck the robber's head, fractured the skull, and in the end caused his death. A verdict of "Justifiable homi- cide" has been given by a Coroner's Jury.
The Coroner's inquest into the death of the woman who was poisoned tvith essential oil of almonds at Newcastle has ended in an open verdict. Jenkins and the woman Wilde have been set at liberty by the Magistrates.
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