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At a Vestry meeting of the parishioners of Leeds, held on Thursday week, the necessities of the Church were provided for, owing to the contracted rate of expenditure, without making a fresh assessment. The pruning-knife was applied with art unsparing hand ; and it is hoped that, before another rate becomes necessary, the English. Church- rate will have experienced the fate of the Irish Vestry Cess.

On the same day, the inhabitants of St. Andrew's parish, in New- castle-upon-Tyne, refused to vote a Church-rate ; on the ground that "it is contrary to the spirit of Chritianity to compel pecuniary pay- ments to support what persons conscientiously disapprove."

A numerous meeting of rate-payers was held at Wakefield on Thursday week, in the parish church. It was summoned for the purpose of levying a rate for the ensuing year. The Vicar presided. The amount required was 6,12/.16s. 6d, ; but a motion for adjournment to that day six months was carried. almost unanimously.

A number of the Middleton Radicals on Sunday went to the parish- church, and took possession of the overseer's pew, from which he in vain attempted to eject them. They contended that all the seats in a parish-church are free.

On Monday last, considerable excitement was produced in Hull, by the attempted sale of some writing-desks and books, the property of Mr. Noble, a bookseller and newsman, which had been seized in payment for Assessed Taxes that Mr. Noble refused to pay. The grounds of this refusal Mr. Noble explained, in a speech to the persons who crowded the auction-room ; he said that they r. ere war-taxes, and were granted under a solemn pledge that when peace was made they should be abolished. He was greeted with loud applause ; and the only bidder who could be found was the parish constable ; he was the purchaser of two lots, but dared not bid for any more.

The North of England Joint Stock Banking Company held their first half-yearly meeting at the Assembly Rooms, Newcastle, on Tues- day week ; when the Directors laid before the shareholders a report of their proceedings since they commenced business in December. The report showed a clear profit of 3 per cent. on the paid-up capital for the half-year; being at the rate of 6 per cent. per annum, after paying all the expenses attending the formation of the establishment, which were very considerable.

The number of electors registered for the Southern division of Staf- fordshire is stated to exceed 7,000 ; being double the number registered last year.—Birmingham Gazette.

Besides about 2,000 passengers and nearly 600 tons of goods, con- veyed by the Liverpool Railway on Monday week, the return list states that there were "56.5 pigs, 1 bear, and 2 badgers."

At a meeting of the Lincoln Temperance Society last week, the question was raised, whether the use of brandy in cookery, particularly in plum-puddings, would be an infringement of the rules. After a long and grave debate, in which much ingenuity was displayed, it was resolved that brandy in puddings is eaten and not drunk, and that there- fore it does not fall within the list of articles prohibited.

The Maidstone Gazette says that Sir William Courtenay, " Knight of Malta," &c. who so bewitched the good people, and especially the ladies of Canterbury, turns out to be a Mr. John Nicholls Tom, a " corn- dealer, wine-merchant, and madman" of Truro in Cornwall; where he married a lady of good fortune and connexions. He bas been recog- nized in person by his old friends ; with whom, however, he persists in denying all acquaintance.

At the Somerset Assizes, held at Bridgewater, on Wednesday week, an action was brought by the Bishop of Bristol against the inhabitants of Bristol, to assess the damages done to his palace during the riots in October 1831. The damages sought to be recovered were 7,369/.; and witnesses were called to prove that the building could not be restored to its former state for less. On the part of the defendants, however, an architect and other witnesses deposed that 4,000/. would be ample compensation for the damages. The Jury, at half past one the next morning, reterned a verdict for the plaintiff, damages 6,0001.

Mr...J.1. al:6,AP attorney, brought an action at the late Hereford Assizes, to recover 401. on a promissory note for 311., and the balance of an account for assisting the defendant to make out a title to an estate. Mr. C. Phillips said the defendant was a poor, illiterate, old man, who had been deluded into a belief that he was entitled to an estate to which he had not the least claim. This delusion, if not created by the plaintiff; had keen kept alive by him long after he had fully ascer- tained that the defendant had no possible chance of success. The • plaintiff had got about 70/. from the old man. Chief Justice Tindal left it to the Jury to say whether the plaintiff had not been satisfied of the inutility of the inquiry into the title, and whether be had not been sufficiently paid by the receipt of the 701. The Jury found a verdict for the defendant.

Mr. John Buckley, the owner of a cotton mill near Manchester, was- fined ten pounds last week, for overworking a boy in his employ.

Israel Asquith, a blanket-weaver, at Heckmondwike, was committed to the House of Correction at Wakefield, on Saturday last, by the: Magistrates at Dewsbury, for cruelty to his daughter, a child fourteen years of age. It appeared that this man had kept the girl at work in his house with her legs manacled by means of two broad hoops of iron:, which were rivetted and kept close together by means of a strong chain. The ancles of the child, when the irons were removed, were found in a dreadful state of laceration. The reason assigned by the unnatural father for his conduct was, that the girl had run away, and had stolen something on Whit-Monday; when the manacles were put on, and had never been taken or till the neighbours interfered last week ! At the late Warnborough revel, a party of men who had been drinking lather freely, induced one of the company to submit to be suspended by the heels in a stable. After banging him up, to increase the joke, his companions left him a few minutes ; on their return, however, they found T..e man had broken a blood-vessel, and was quite dead—Salisbury Guardian.

Lieutenant S. Lynk, of his Majesty's ship Pioneer, shot himself last week in a geld near Sittingbourne, in:Kent. A Coroner's Jury has returned a Verdict of " Temporary derangement."

A duel was fought on Thursday week, near Halifax, between Mr. Gallagher, the ventriloquist, well known in Liverpool, and a Mr. Ivison of Leeds. Four shots were exchanged, in the last of which Mr. G. wounded his adversary in the knee. The meeting arose out of some censures upon the Irish priests, made by Mr. Ivison in the presence of Mr. Gallagher, at an inn in Bradford, a few evenings before. There were about thirty person:. present.—Liverpool Chronicle.

Mr. George Johnstone, collector of Customs at Hull, lost his life in a singular manner on Monday week. He had been at Scarborough for a few days, and intended t(, proceed. in the James Watt steam- packet to Leith. The James Watt hove in sight about noon ; when Mr. Johnstone, with five other passengers, their luggage, and nine dogs, put off in a boat to go on board the steamer. The sea was very rough, and just as the boat came along side of the packet, the latter gave a sudden lurch, came upon the boat, and striking her with the paddle- box, completely upset her. All the persons in the boat were saved ex- cept Mr. Johnstone, who was taken up floating with his face down- wards. An inquest on his body was held, and the Jury returned the following verdict.

tt We foul that the deceased came to his death by the accidental upsetting of the coble. erred by the lurching, of the packet. We wish to express our dissatisfaction at the conduct of the captain of the packet, in not coming nearer shore for the purpose of taking in passengers ; and we lay a deodand of 201. on the packet."

Lord William Lennox, who was on board the steamer, was ex- tremely active in rendering assistance to the sufferers, and went on shore with them. On returning to the packet, he also had a narrow escape ; for in seizing a rope, which was thrown to him in the boat, he was dragged overboard, and was in the water for several minutes before he could get up, and was then much exhausted.