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There has been some little manceuvering among the Conservative candidates for South Warwickshire. The funeral of Sir John Mordaunt having taken place on Friday, an address from Mr. Bolton King, of Caber- Blade, offering himself, appeared on Saturday. In this address he said- . " Both in public and private life, it has been my constant aim to support those interests [the interests of landowners, farmers, tradesmen, and labourers] by ad- vocating sufficient protection for 'cultural produce, and by opposing every extravagant and unnecessary expenditure of public money, as the only means of

reducing those general and local taxes which press so heavily on the tradesman and occupier of land. To the measures of the present head of the Govern- ment I do not promise uniform support or constant opposition; they have beat too contradictory and uncertain to enable me to form any opinion of what they will be for the future: but I will uphold all measures calculated to promote the public good, and oppose all such as would tend in any respect to injure our laws and constitution, or to lessen our civil and religious liberty."

The friends of Lord Brooke were taken by surprise; but on Saturday night they issued an address announcing that he would stand. It had already been reported that Mr. King had declared that he should retire if Lord Brooke came forward; and on Monday, Mr. King issued a second address, saying that he was unwilling to occasion trouble and expense, and that therefore he should not prolong the canvass.

The London Gazette of Tuesday contained the usual notice from the Speaker that at the end of a fortnight from that date he should issue a writ for the election.

A Convocation was held at Oxford University, on Wednesday, to elect a Vice- Chancellor for the ensuing year. The usual letter from the Chancellor (the Duke of Wellington) was read, nominating for the second time Dr. Symons. An at- tempt was made to make the election more than a form; and the Reverend Charles Page Eden, M.A., Fellow of Oriel College, called out "Non placet, non placet "; but the Vice-Chancellor would not consent to have a scrutiny, and he was again installed with the customary forms.

Mr. Thomas Thornhill, of Woodleys, it is rumoured, will oppose the Duke of Marlborough's interest in the borough of Woodstock at the forth- coming election. Lord Allan Churchill, second son of the Duke of Marl- borough, will, it is understood, be the other candidate.—Morning Chronicle.

After several reports of his convalescence, the death of Mr. John Rams- bottom, the Member for Windsor, was announced in the borough on Thursday morning. Several caudidates are spoken of; and among those mentioned is Mr. Anson, Prince Albert's Private Secretary: but these rumours appear to be of a very loose kind. The only person for whom any formal announcement has yet been made is Sir John de Beauvoir.

Mr. William Williams appeared before his Coventry constituents last week, according to his annual custom; gave an account of his conduct in the past session; and received the usual vote of thanks " for the efficiency and zeal with which he had discharged his duties through the last session of Parliament."

The Liverpool Agricultural Association had their annual cattle-show and dinner last week, in the large room of Lucas's Repository. Lord Stanley presided at the table; which was surrounded by about two hun- dred members. Lord Stanley's speech has been looked to for indications of the Ministerial policy ; but there is nothing in it more significant than this passage— That they should promote agriculture, and endeavour by all their power—by all the applications of science, in which he did not expect the farmers to take the lead, though he did expert the farmers would not shut their eyes when the advan- tages were demonstrated to them—the country had a right to expect it from them; and they must remember that, as year after year passed by, they had an increase of 300,000 mouths to feed beyond the population of the preceding year, and that on their exertions the supply for these 300,000 mouths mainly de- pended. He believed himself, not that the capacities of the soil were infinite, but that the productive capacities of the soil were infinitely larger than most people imagined; and he believed it was not only capable of providing for the existing population t but, with the application of science, of providing for a mueb. larger and increasing population. It was their duty and their advantage to find the means of providing for that population; and he hoped that that and other similar societies would be the means of exciting the landlord and tenant to fresh exertions, and renewed applications of capital science, and skill. It was with such anticipations, such hopes, that he proposed to them—whether maintaining its present position, or united with another body, and thereby extending its advan- tages—" Prosperity to the Liverpool Agricultural Society, with three times three."

A very interesting festival took place at Oldham on Monday week; when a number of working-spinners and other factory-hands held a tea- party and ball, in the large room of the Town-hall, for the purpose of "returning their sincere and heartfelt thanks for the liberal manner in which the master-spinners and manufacturers had acceded to their request for an advance of wages." Most of the master-spinners and manufacturers gave their people a half-holyday; many gentlemen of the town and neighbourhood attended; and, altogether, about eleven hundred persons of both sexes took part in the entertainment. Mr. Thomas Wilson, a working- spinner, was called to the chair. Tea and other refreshments were disposed of ; then there was some speechmaking, intermingled with glee- singing; and finally dancing. The speakers were the working hosts, some delegates from the working-men of other towns, several of the masters, and a few of the local authorities. The speeches were remarkable for the excellent feeling that universally prevailed. The Chairman observed, that the object of the festival was not only to expraa their gratitude to their employers for the liberal advance they had made in wages, but also to create, to the uttermost, as good a feeling as possible betwixt the employers and employed. Mr. Turner, a delegate from Bolton, could not avoid contrasting the present state of the country with what it was three or four years ago. At that period, the people were in a state bordering upon destitution; and their passions were excited by inflammatory language on the part of those who had afterwards cause to regret the part they had taken in adding to the excitement. Mr. Arrowsmith, a delegate from Manchester, had always acknowledged the existence of rights on the part of the masters as well as the men; but he was certain that in receiving the late advance of wages, the operatives had received no more than their due. It was, nevertheless, of the highest importance that the best feelings should be cultivated between the masters and men; and it was to the credit of the masters at Oldham that they had been foremost in the field in advancing wages. He had always endeavoured to prevent all differences between employers and employed, and he had made use of a conciliatory spirit on all fitting occasions for the purpose of accomplishing his end. He had met with instances where the masters had been right and the men wrong, and in those cases he had endeavoured to convince the operatives of their error; and he bad the satisfaction to state that his exertions had not been in vain. He felt fully persuaded that the prevalence of a good understanding between masters and men would work greater advantages for them than any other course they could take. If there was an employer guilty of any injustice whatever towards his hands, there was no one more ready than himself to resist such oppression; but he trusted the times wherein such conduct was prevalent were passed away, and that they had entered on a new tera, when amity and integrity would be the order of the day amongst all parties. Mr. Jonathan Mellor, a manufacturer, and one of the Head-Constables of the

town, also contrasted the present prosperity with the calamitous state of matters a few years ago: if they glanced for an instant at the highly pleasing scene before them, they would be at an utter loss to discover even the most slight traces of that wretchedness of apparel, or extremely distressed condition, which had been so general at such an extremely recent period. Mr. Mellor believed that this was the first time in the annals of the town that the operative-spinners and then employers had held festive intercourse in the same way as had been gratifyingly realized that evening. With his expressions of satisfaction he mingled some good advice on the necessity of foresight in providing for less prosperous times, and on the erroneous notion that either masters or workmen can determine the amount of wages, which is regulated by the state of the supply and demand. He trusted that this would not be the last time when the employers and the employed would associate together in a commendable spirit of mutual conciliation and personal regard-

Mr. Amos Wilson, a delegate from Preston, had for many years been anxiously

looking forward to the practical accomplishment of a truly social association of masters and men; and he was therefore happy to see his wishes almost fully realized. It had often been erroneously represented that the interests of the em- ployers and employed were conflicting: but this was altogether incorrect, for when the masters were distressed the men were also in the same condition, and when the employers prospered the employed participated in the general prosperity. He hoped that while the operatives were reaping an abundant harvest, they would, as had been recommended by one of their employers, take care of their own limited means; and he trusted that the kind expressions of another of their employers, with respect to the desirableness of extending the taste for the acquisition of use- ful knowledge, would not be without some beneficial effect to the operatives gene- rally. It was pleasant to observe that the disposition for abridging the hours of labour in factories was becoming every day more common. All that was required to maintain a satisfactory standard of wellbeing among the operatives was to act in a determined and consistent manner. When they saw room to demand an ad- vance of wages, he would advise them to ask for it in a respectful tone; and no doubt could he for a moment entertained, that if both parties met each other in a spirit of fair and just concession, the duration of friendly feeling would be equally lasting and beneficial. In times of adversity, they would be obliged to submit to a reduction of wages; but, instead of always teking it badly, as was invariably the case, they should reflect on the subject, and bear in mind that wages would always be regulated on the principle of demand and supply.

Such was the tone of the speeches throughout. They closed with the passing of a resolution to request the Vestry Meeting of rate-payers to re- elect for the ensuing year the retiring Head-Constables, Messrs. Worthington and Mellor, [both of whom were present,] in consideration of the valuable services they had rendered to the town in several respects during the past year.

The quarterly meeting of the ironmasters of South Staffordshire and Shrop- shire was held at Birmingham on Thursday. The attendance was unprece- dentedly large. The price of iron is still advancing: certain leading houses de- clared that they had determined upon an increase of 1/. per ton; thus raising merchant bars, or manufactured iron, from 9/. to 10/. Rails were quoted at 11/. or 12/. per ton. The advance was not attributed solely to the demand for railways, but also to the large call for iron for exportation and the general home-

On Monday last, an advance of threepence per day on the wages of colliers and ironstone-getters in the vicinity of Wolverhampton took place; making their daily wages 3s. 8d. On the same day, an advance was given to the thick-coal men; who now receive at the rate of 4s. 6d. These payments, it should be un- derstood, are for the "stint," or day's work. Expert workmen usually finish the "stint" at between one and two o'clock in the day, and often increase their gains by additional work; the number of days' labour being reckoned by the num- ber of " stints " accomplished.— Wolverhampton Chronicle.

So great is the scarcity of agricultural labourers in the Worcester district, that on Saturday last the city-crier was engaged in perambulating the streets, allies, and courts of Worcester, announcing where employment might be had for hop_ pickers, &c. With the drain upon the labour-market consequent upon the rail- ways about to be laid down in. this country, next year labour will be exceedingly valuable, if it be not scarce enough to retard or prevent the gathering in of the fruits of the earth.—Gloncestershre Chronicle.

The Leeds Intelligencer declares that there is an organized system of robbery pursued on the railways in that district; and it instances six cases of the plunder- ing of passengers. The Leeds Police were applied to, and two officers were sent to visit the stations on the Midland Railway: at Rugby they arrested two men, who had at the time a number of carpet bags, a new portmanteau, and a quantity of valuable clothing in their possession.

The mail-train from Darlington to York, on the Great North of England Rail- way, met with a very serious accident on Saturday night. The train consisted of the engine and tender, one luggage-van, on which was the guard, two second-class carriages, two carriage-tracks, three first-class carriages, the mail-van and sort- ing-carriage, a carriage-truck, and a horse-box. About a mile and a half North of the Cowton station, which is the second from Darlington, the attention of the guard was drawn to the breaking of the coupling-bar between the luggage-van and the carriages, which drove in the end of the van. On looking back, he ob- served they had left a portion of the train behind !—he immediately gave a signal to the engine-man to stop; and this was done after proceeding about three hundred yards further, the train having been previously going at the rate of about thirty miles an hour. The engine having been detached from the van, was sent on to Con-ton, to stop the train expected from the South; after which the guard returned along the line, nearly a quarter of a mile; where he found the two second-class carriages standing on the rails, not much injured. About fifty yards farther, the first of the carriage-trucks was standing on its stock upon the rails, the wheels and axles having been completely taken from under it. The second track was about twenty yards further; and about forty yards past that the three first-elass carriages were thrown together in such a manner that it is snr- prising the injury to the passengers was not greater than it has been. The first came_ ge was thrown upon its end, the coupe end uppermost, and the lower end embded in the earth, and in the anterior compartment of the second carriage, which was thrown on its side across the rails. l'he third was also off the line. The mail-van and sorting-carriage were upright; but the wheels were off the rail, and deeply imbedded in the earth. The rails were much bent, and the ground

oughed up for several yards. It was found that only one passenger had been rously hurt, a Mrs. Whitehead, who was travelling in the coupe of the first- Hese carriage with her husband: both her legs were broken, the left leg below the knee, and the right above it. She is going on favourably. The cause of the accident is said to be this. The outer tire of the wheel, to which the flange is attached, broke near the nut by which it was fastened to the inner tire; after breaking across at that point, the ends rose, and the tire broke a second time at the next nut, and then a portion of the tire and flange came corn detel off. The wheel having thus nothing to keep it on the rail,

• ' • he axle round in a direction contrary to that in which the car- ,coming in contact with the carriage, it threw it off the line, .„4 of the carriages with it. The broken wheel having gone *ed the other wheels away, and the carriage was left with- in whkh state it was found after the accident. The break-

ing of the outer tire is attributed to its having been put on too hot, and there not having been sufficient allowance made for its contracting properly, so that when it cooled it became too tight. The metal was in consequence defective, though to all appearance perfectly sound.

The passengers in a train on the Sheffield and Manchester Railway were ex- posed great danger the other night, by a cow having strayed upon the line. The engine ran over the animal, nearly cutting it in two; and the train was forced off the line. Fortunately, except a guard, who was bruised, every one escaped with a fright, and a delay of some hours in the cold and dark.

A labourer has been killed on the Braudling Junction Railway, through his own recklessness: a train had started, and he attempted to jump on to a carriage while it was in motion; he fell, and the wheels passed over both his thighs.

Two labourers on the North-eastern Counties Railway, had a dispute, and they resolved to have a fight for stakes, at Saffron Walden. On the following day they met: one wanted to withdraw from the fight; but the other, John Woodley, persisted in proceeding. After fighting for half an hour, Woodley fell down dead. On a post mortem examination, it was found that the man had a disease of the heart; and a Coroner's Jury returned a verdict of "Natural death, accelerated by excitement in fighting."

The Coroner's bill for inquests held on the bodies of the people who perished at Yarmouth by the fall of the suspension-bridge amounts to 181/. The Town- Council were astonished at its magnitude, the Coroner having charged for an inquest on each separate body of the seventy-nine persons who were killed. The Recorder in Quarter-Sessions will have to decide as to the legality of one portion of the charge, a fee of IL on each inquest; and the Council will be guided by his view of the matter.