Vrnuturtg.
Two of the Provincial elections have taken place.
At Windsor, Mr. Ilatchell went through a formal reelection, on his promotion from the office of Solicitor-General to that of Attorney-General for Ireland.
In Pontefract, the Honourable Beilby R. Lawley was expected till Monday evening to have a walk over ; but an opposition was started at the last moment, "to spite the Whigs" ; and Lord Pollington was put for- ward without the consent of himself or his family, to receive such votes as those who proposed him could bring to the poll on Thursday. The numbers were 429 to 115 in favour of Mr. Lawley.
In South Nottinghamshire, the struggle promises to be very sharp. The nomination took place on Tuesday. Lord Newark put himself forward -with modesty, but with confidence of success ; and Mr. Barrow delivered a speech in the practical tone of an experienced chairman of quarter-ses- sions, shaded with political tact to gather all the votes of the independent yeoman and tenant interest, of whatever party. Both candidates are Protectionists ; and Mr. Barrow professes the retrenchment policy of Mr. Henley, M.P. for Oxfordshire. The nomination was in favour of Mr. Barrow, and the polling began yesterday.
A vacancy for North Staffordshire will immediately occur by the re- signation of Lord Brackley, from declining health. A Conservative meet- ing has put forward Mr. Smith Child, of Rownall.
The movement amonpt the seamen has spread from the Tyne and Wear, and appeared at I armouth and in Liverpool ; and it assumes more than at first the character of an agitation against the clauses which relate to discipline among seamen in Mr. Labouchere's Mercantile Marine Act. Two thousand of the seamen of Liverpool paraded the town on Monday, -with an effigy of Mr. Labouchere, which they took into a suburban dis- trict and burned. A committee has since been organized at Liverpool to carry out the agitation against the Mercantile Marine Act. Similar pro- ceedings have taken place at Yarmouth. The men of the Tyne and Wear continue their strike, and their endeavours to prevent seamen from enter- ing ships with the register-tickets required by the act. The war-steamers Trident and Hecate are in the two Northern rivers, ready to assist the authorities in maintaining order.
The male paupers in Barham Workhouse have revolted. On Sunday, tu- multuously complaining of insufficient provisions, they drove the officers out of the place, and rioted in plenty. A troop of horse soldiers was brought from Ipswich, but was not to be employed against the rioters, who kept in the house. At length some armed Policemen regained possession of the house, captured thirty-seven prisoners, and reinstated the officers.
Several murders are reported this week. At Warrington, the body of a young woman, much hacked, has been found in the coal-hole of a lodging- house ; and the landlord, Lyons, has absconded ; but his wife has been seized. The body was that of Margaret Fahy, a pedlar : Lyons had killed her in the presence of his wife. At Thurgoland, near Barnsley, one Firth has been shot by "some person or persons unknown " ; but his younger brother has been arrested on suspicion. At Worksop, Jeffries, a labouring man, has shot Jonathan Brett, who had excited his jealousy. At Nenipnett, near Bristol, an aged couple, who kept the general shop of the village, were murderously assaulted by Wiles and Smith, two trampers, who made off with some cash and things stolen from the shop : Wilkins, the husband, died of his wounds ; and the wife is not expected to recover. The two men were pursued, and arrested ; and Smith "confesses" that Smith did it all.
The papers have been full of a "murder at Todmorden " ; but the charge proves to have been unfounded. Mr. John Cooper was a schoolmaster in that town—a youngish man, about four years married. Soon after giving birth to a second child, his wife died, on the 2d of January last ; and a num- ber of small circumstances were raked together as indicating that the cause of death was a powder which he had given her : the worst fact was his sud- denly taking a journey to York. The Police became very active ; pursued Cooper, and arrested him. They also seized a number of letters which had passed between him and a Miss Eckersley ; and the nature of these letters was generally made known. A Coroner's inquest was held, and a post suer- tern examination of the body traced the death to puerperal fever. Cooper therefore was discharged from custody. Two of the letters are going the round of the press : the one by the lady exhibits a very creditable feeling on her part; and the attachment avowed by the writer, even while repelling
her admirer, reflects some credit on the object of it. Cooper's is without date, but that is proximately indicated by the reply.
" My dear, dear, dearest Annie-1 cannot tell how it is, but I feel so much in re- ference to you that I cannot pursue my business for thinking about you. I am strongly impressed that you mean to break me off. I don't know why I should have this impression, but I have it, and I cannot shake it off. I cannot think you would be so cruel, yet this has come over me, and I don't know how. I shall not be happy until I have seen you, and have had some conversation with you. To all appearance the time is not far distant when I shall be left alone, save my dear little child. But if you give me up, then I am undone. Should it be so, I would rather die than live_
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It s only for you I desire to live: as I am quite sure I cannot be long blessed with my present partner, and you are the person of her choice. You are mine, too, and to be forbidden you would be the greatest punishment that could be inflicted upon me. Do see me as soon as you can. Come and spend as much time as you can here. If you don't, then I must conclude that it is as I have supposed. "Yours most affectionately, J. C." "Afford, November 11, 1850. "Mr. Cooper. Dear Sir—I write these few lines to inform you that I cannot feel happy, nor have any peace of mind, so long as I have any engagements with a mar- ried man. I am sure that the blessing of God can never rest upon us. Mrs. Cooper is an injured woman. How should I like to be in her place ? I consider myself per- fectly at liberty, whatever may be the consequences. I don't say that I am going to engage myself. I have no thoughts of it. No, not at all. You will never prosper, nor myself either, under any engagements now. I have now done my duty ; at all events, with God. I know that if it were true that Mrs. Cooper would die to mor- row, I have no business to be engaged to you today. I will not. You must see the propriety of this. I be you will make this matter your prayer, to be set right. Do. attend to your duty and seek the blessing of God. Let us keep His commandments holy, and then we shall have His blessing. Let the Lord take Mrs. Cooper at His ap- pointed time ; I beg you will attend to her. How could we expect to prosper, not keeping God's commandments You have never prospered since we first made the engagement. Remember, that if you destroy yourself, you will kill me.
" I remain, yours affectionately, ANNIE ECKERSLET."
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