43robintts.

The annual meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science commenced on Wednesday, at Swansea. Notwithstanding the un- fortunate state of the weather, a very large assembly of distinguished scientific and aristocratic personages have gathered. The Bishop of St. David's was unanimously elected a Vice-President, in place of the late Marquis of Bute. The annual report read by Colonel Sabine stated that, on the joint recommendation of the Association and the Royal Society, three important favours to science had been conferred by Government and the East India Company: the Admiralty have promised to give a suitable ship for an investigation of tide phasnoreena; and the East India Company have ordered a regular and continued investigation of tide obser- vations on the coasts of Western India and Scinde, and also have intrusted the standard bar and scales of the Indian meridian arc to Professor Struve, to be taken to Russia and compared with the similar instruments used in measuring the Russian meridian arc. The financial report was favourable.

Sir Robert Inglis made a speech on resigning the post of annual Presi- dent to the Marquis of Northampton. The Marquis delivered a length- ened address on taking the chair.

The proceedings of the sections on Thursday were not of general interest.

Mr. Francis Baring, brother of the late Member for Thetford, now Lord Ashburton, was again returned for Thetford, on Thursday last.

The iron trade in South Staffordshire has undergone a decided improve- ment within the last few weeks. It is said that some of the principal masters are considering the practicability of an arrangement with their men by which the rate of wages shall be ruled by the fluctuations in the prices of produce.

A rich and extensive coal-field has been discovered on the property of the Honourable Mr. Mostyn, on the Cheshire side of the river Dee. From the proximity of Liverpool and Birkenhead to this vein of coal, it pro- mises to be worked with great profit to the owner and advantage to those towns.

The town of Doncaster has for more than a week past been the some of dis- turbances between the navigators on the Great Northern and South Yorkshire Railways, and the Irish reapers passing to and fro for work in the harvest. On Sunday an attack was made by navigators on a reaper, which was repelled by the latter with blows of a sickle: The arm of one of the labourers was gashed with an immense wound, and his skull cat open. The sickle breaking in the contest, the Irishman fled. Ifis opponent pursued him for some distance, but fell down from loss of blood, and was taken to a hospital. The Irishman was arrested. On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, the navigators went in large bodies to the houses of several of the principal farmers in the neighbourhood, armed with sticks and bludgeons, and drove away all the Irish whom they found employed; beating all who ventured forward in defence. The agricultural labourers joined their countrymen, andgave such a serious turn to the movement that the Magistrates sent for a troop of soldiers, and ordered out the yeomanry.

At Ipswich Assizes, last week, Hannah Bowyer, aged twenty-two, was tried for the murder of her child, Beatrice Bowyer, by administering hemlock to it. The Infant was illegitimate, and the woman had always expressed hatred for it: she last year took up her abode with a man named 'Glasscock; and she found the child a still greater trouble than before, especially when the man got into a dis- tressed state. She frequently threatened to kill it; and at length it died, in a sudden and auspicious way. She had gathered hemlock in the fields, and a de- coction of that plant might have caused death with the symptoms the child had exhibited; but there was no proof of the cause of death. The strongest evidence was the woman's own confession; and the admission of that was opposed, but eventually permitted by the Judge. She said Glasscock persuaded her to poison the child, and directed her how to effect it. The Jury acquitted the prisoner; stating that they entertained a doubt, and gave her the benefit of it.

At Warwick Assizes, on Monday, George Wheatcroft, and Ann, a woman who passed for his wife, were tried for the manslaughter of German, one of the chil- dren of the male prisoner. The deceased boy was ten years old; the WOO= treated him with great cruelty and neglect, and had such an influence over the man that he was prevented from interfering in her presence to protect his child. The father was acquitted; but the verdict against the woman was " Guilty," and she was sentenced to be transported for fifteen years.

At Hereford Assizes, last week, Homes, a bandman of the Eighty-seventh Regiment, and Smith, a drummer, were tried for the manslaughter of Morria Bridgman, a sergeant in the same regiment A pay-sergeant was to be tried at Monmouth on a charge of forgery; the regiment was at NOttingham, and the offi- cers sent Homes, Smith, Bridgman, and another soldier, to speak to the pay-ser- geant's character. On the road, near Ross, a dispute arose among the party, who had been drinking; blows were exchanged; and eventually Bridgman fell down in the road, and was soon dead. A wound was found near the heart; this, and a cut in the jacket, fitted a sword worn by Smith, while Homes's weapon was lar- ger. No blood was found on either swords, and they were in the scabbards when the first witness to the man's death came up. The case was full of doubt; and though the Judge summed up unfavourably to Smith, the Jury acquitted both prisoners.

At Monmouth Assizes, on Tuesday, Matthias Kelly, a soldier in the Fourteenth Foot, was tried for the murder of Agnes Hill, at the barracks in Newport, in May last. The woman was a servant in the canteen, and the mistress of the accused- she roused his feelings of jealousy by threats of getting money from other men if he did not give her more; he loaded his musket, went into the barrack-yard, and shot her. The case was clear. For the defence it was urged, that the man was frenzied at the moment. The Jury found him guilty, but earnestly recommended him to mercy. Mr. Baron Rolfe said he could not attend to the recommendation —the man must die: and he pas-ed the fatal sentence.

At Guildford Assizes, on Tuesday, Peter Lewis was tried for stealing a coat and watch, the property of Policeman Wild. The theft was cleverly manmed. Lewis promised to put the constable on the track of some burglars who intended to commit a robbery one night; Wild gave the fellow a supper, and then was led about from one public-house to another in search of the burglars; and at last Lewis left him on some pretext, hastened to the policeman's house, and told his wife he had been sent for Wild's coat and watch, both of which she gave to him. The man was convicted; and, as this was not his first offence, he was sentenced to fifteen years' transportation.

Martin and Leary, two men recently sentenced to death for a murder at Swan- sea, have received the mercy of the Crown; their sentences being commuted to transportation for life.

A married woman named Grout has murdered two of her children, at West Thurrock, in Essex. She bad exhibited signs of derangement, and made at- tempts to destroy herself; yet no constraint was placed on her actions. On Tuesday, she struck two of her children with a bill-hook; a third escaped by running out of the house. The woman avowed that she meant to kill all three, and herself.

John Parker, a young man living at Corby, near Grantham, has been com- mitted for trial on a charge of murdering his father. The man was shot dead in his cottage at a time when his son was with him, while the father's wife was up stairs. Parker's account of the matter was, that the loaded barrel of a gun fell through a hole in his pocket, exploded, and the charge lodged in his father's body. But the prisoner was not consistent in his statements.

Four gentlemen and two fishermen went in a flat-bottomed boat on the river Severn, to a weir at Holt, near Worcester, with the intention of shooting summer snipe. The stream was much swollen, and below the weir the water was very rough. One person had landed on an island, when the boat began to toss about; one of the party was pitched into the water, and eventually the boat upset. Mr. Thomas Parker, a solicitor of Worcester, and Mr. Smith, an innkeeper of Holt Fleet, perished in the agitated water, nothing having been seen of their bodies. The other persons were saved.

Brighton was visited by a remarkable whirlwind and water-spout on Thursday last week. About ten o'clock, after heavy rain, the sea was very tranquil: sud- denly it became agitated, clouds formed near to it and flew about, and the water rose to the skies, in a pipe which whirled rapidly and moved towards the shore, twisting like a huge snake with its head in the clouds. Coming to the shore, it got among the bathing-machines, and made them spin " like peas blown about on a slate." It advanced to the race-course, and went through the midst of the booths. In an instant everything was carried high into the air; the canvass tents being scattered like flakes of snow. A waggon was overturned, and its horses thrown about so that the leader's traces were broken; and a donkey-cart was turned over and over many times. A young woman was caught up and carried to a considerable distance, but was tenderly set down without damage: other persons were seriously hurt. Property worth some hundreds of pounds was de- stroyed.