A most impudent fraud has been practised on the public,

through the medium of the Times newspaper, with regard to the hole-and-corner A most impudent fraud has been practised on the public, through the medium of the Times newspaper, with regard to the hole-and-corner meeting of the Tories held in Leeds on Monday week. This meeting is thus pompously announced in that paper, in the form of a letter from Leeds :— " A meeting of TUE clergy, gentry, merchants, bankers, manufacturers, tradesmen, and other inhabitants of Leeds and its immediate vicinity, was this day held at the Commercial Buildings, Henry Hall, Esq., in the chair, for the purpose of embodying in addresses to the King and the Premier, the senti- xnents of the meeting regarding the factious proceedings of a majority in the House of Commons with regard to his Majesty's Ministers. " The meeting was at once numerous and influential. The best men of Leeds, in eve' y sense, were present, and perfect unanimity prevailed."

And then the Times, in a leading article, says- " A eu Bale meeting has been held at Leeds, and attended by a large body of the most respectable and intelligent persons of that great town and neighbour- hood, by whom addresses to the King and his Prime Minister were unanimously agreed upon."

Now from this it would be supposed (as the writer no doubt in- tended) that the meeting was public ; that it was held in some spa- cious room; that it was numerously attended by all classes : and that it therefore represented the whole of the inhabitants of this great town. The facts are, that the meeting was summoned by private circular, directed only to well-known Tories ; that it was held at the Commer- cial Buildings indeed, but in a mere committee-room, a back upper apart- ment, used as an office for the registration clerk of the Tories ; that the attendance was such as might be accommodated in a good-sized parlour; and that, in short, a meeting more fully entitled on every account to the designation of a hole-and-corner meeting was never held. —Leeds Mercury. As a proof of the real value to be put on the " Peel addresses," and of the source from whence they emanate, we can state, that at the

beginning of this week one of our county Members forwarded no less than four different petitions from London to his tenantry, with injunc- tions that they should be signed and returned forthwith. We have

our information from one of the honourable gentleman's own tenants, who acknowledges to having signed all four of them.—Hampslare Inde- pendent.

Throughout the country, and especially in the counties of York and Lancaster, the Tories are giving to their party as perfect an organiza- tion, in preparation for future elections, as money, zeal, and professional skill can give them. The resolutions of the Wakefield meeting, pub- lished by us last week, and those of other district Conservative clubs which we have seen, show the nature and objects of these associations; and from other sources we know that they are spread throughout the whole county. We call upon the Reformers not to be one whit be- hind the enemies of Reform in combining, and preparing to register all the votes they can, with the view to a future election. It is not im- possible there may be a general election at the close of this year. Hitherto the county registration of voters has been entirely neglected by the Reformers, except in one or two places. Unless a very different system is adopted, and the whole Riding is properly attended to, the Tories will have a great advantage, and they may thus be enabled to gain a footing in the very citadel of Reform. We are happy to say that preparations are making in Leeds and other towns to attend effectually to the register. We hope they will be made in every town and village in the Riding. More than this will be necessary, if the Tory clubs meet monthly, and busy themselves in all political questions, as is evi-

dently their intention. Combination must be met by combination. The Reformers must unite and hold meetings. They cannot fold their bands with impunity.—Leeds Mercury.

The Halifax Tories, in the expectation of an election, have been very busy for the last few days. Whether they calculate upon a general

election, or upon C. Wood, Esq., M. P., vacating his seat, by the ac- ceetance of office in the new Ministry, we know not; but they have been actively employed in canvassing for Christopher Rawson, Esq., and have prepared a requisition to him to offer himself for the borough. Mr. Wood's friends have consequently thought proper to watch their proceedings; and many of them have signed a declaration that, in case he accepts office, they will give him their support, and do their utmost to secure his reelection.—Halifax Express.

The Tories and Liberals are each making the greatest possible ef- forts throughout the Southern division of Devonshire, on the expec- tation of another election. It is reasonably anticipated that Lord john Russell will form part of the new Administration ; and the Tories, determined to avenge themselves for the able generalship displayed by

the noble lord as leader of the late glorious and triumphant opposition, have brought forward Mr. Montague Edmond Parker, of Whiteway, a young and inexperienced man of no discoverable talent, and of little note beyond the narrow circle of the exclusive Tory clique that remains as the fag. end of the old Bastard faction. For this said Montague the Tories are subscribing largely ; Lord Rolle is down for a 10001.; Mr. James Pitman, the ex-magistrate, ssiesse discharge from the Com- mission of the Peace, for his assault on Mary Stamp, his servant- maid, renders him a furious opponent of the Liberals, has subscribed 500/. ; Mr. Newcombe, of Starcross, has subscribed 1000/. it is said; and from the determination the Tories evince to avenge themselves on the author of the Reform Bill, this will be one of the severest elections ever contested in this county. The Liberals have no cause to be alarmed, but they will have their work to do.—Morning Chronicle.

The din of electioneering preparation is already to be heard in North Essex. As soon as the news of Mr. Baring's elevation to the Peerage arrived, men were to be seen "running to and fro," and exerting them- selves to stir up a contest for the honour of supplying the vacancy in the representation. It was very evident that the Conservatives would not give up the advantage they gained at the last election, without a desperate effort; and this of course had some effect in deterring gen- tlemen of Liberal principles from entering the field, no one being very anxious to throw away any large portion of current coin in a doubtful struggle. It was, however, at first generally reported that a contest would take place, Mr. Humphrey St. John Mildmay being named as the Conservative, and Mr. H. Tufnell as the Reform candidate. It does appear that both these gentlemen were applied to, but they de- clined. It is stated that the Conservatives then called upon John Jolliffe Tufnell, Esq., of Langleys, but that gentleman declined the honour ; as did also John Round, Esq., of Danbury Park, neither of them wishing at the present moment to engage in an election contest. In consequence of this state of things, a private meeting of the leading Conservatives of the division was held at the White Hart Inn at Bocking, on Tuesday. About seventy gentlemen were present ; who, after discussing the matter, resolved that J. P. Elwes, Esq., of Hedingham, should be requested to offer himself in that interest. Mr. Elwes expressed his readiness to come forward, though he at the same time declared he would not be at any expense in the matter ; in conse. quence cif which, a subscription was entered into, and about 2000/. col- lected, in addition to 1000/. which, it was understood, the party had in band for election purposes. Mr. Elwes immediately took the field, and commenced an active canvas. In the mean time, the Reformers were very busy. Many of the preliminaries of their plan of operations are left for adjustment at the annual dinner, which takes place on Thursday ; when, by the by, it is expected there will be a strong muster, and it is highly probable, if a candidate come forward at all, he will then announce himself. Mr. Elwes was canvassing the farmers at Braintree market on Wednesday: Several of them endeavoured to extort pledges from him on questions connected with agriculture, but he declared he would not give them. The nomination is fixed for Monday the 27th instant.—Chelmsford Chronicle- • The East Kent Reform Association is now in active operation ; and nothing will, as hitherto, be lost to the good cause for want of a due attention to the Liberal interests. In the event of an election, unexpectedly occurring, we trust there will be a simultaneous move- ment in every part of the district, calling on the Honourable Richard Watson to come forward as a candidate without delay. It is time that the farmers should have for their representative " a friend" on whom they, as well as other classes of the people, can rely. Mr. Watson pledges himself to decided Reform principles, without which all " friendship " is an insulting deception upon every portion of the suf- fering, over-taxed community.—Kent Herald.

A very numerous meeting of the Constitutional Pruning Society was held at the White Hart in Brighton on Monday evening. This society is composed of members holding Conservative principles, and none are admitted but those who have votes for the borough. It is also a benefit club ; and it was resolved at the meeting that the first dinner should take place in July. The society took its name from an obser- vation of the Honourable Mr. Fitzroy during the late election, that Conservatives would use the pruning-knife, but Radicals the axe ; which remark has been only too well verified. This society, although advo- cating the same principles, is distinct from the Blue Club.—Brighton Gazette. [The words we have put in Italics probably designate the real nature of this club. The Reformers of Brighton must be vigi- lant, or they may see a system of bribery established in their borough under the pretence of charity, as has been the case at Bristol and else- where.] A correspondent of the Herald says, that one of the persons against whom a Cambridge Jury lately gave a verdict of 500/. for bribery at the late election, has been just appointed to an office of trust by the Cor- poration of that town. Mr. Cartwright, Member for South Northamptonshire, has so far recovered from his late severe indisposition as to be present in the House of Commons on Monday week. But Sir Charles Knightley's progress towards recovery is reported as having suffered a serious check. —Northampton Herald. The Reverend Lord Wriothesley Russell, a son of the Duke of Bedford, has resigned the valuable living of Streatham, in the county of Surry, from conscientious motives, not approving of pluralities. His Lordship retains the living of Cheynies, though comparatively of small value. The Duke, who is patron, has presented the living of Streatham to the Reverend Mr. Blunt, of Chelsea.

The telegraph between Liverpool and Holyhead, has, during the last week, been used for a purpose of which its projectors bad certainly no idea,namely, for that of instructing horticulturists as to the best time for preparing their gardens and getting ready the seeds for their plants. It may perhaps be remembered that both the wind and weather changed on Tuesday last week, the wind from east to south, and the weather from drought to rain. On the afternoon of Monday, when the dust was flying about in clouds, and there was every prospect of continued dry weather, a gentlemen went into the shop of a seedsman in Liverpool, and, after buying a quantity of seeds, desired that they might be sent home directly, as he intended to sow them the next day. The seedsman, thinking that they were not very likely to vegetate in such cold and dry weather, asked him if it would not be well to put off the sowing until the weather changed. The purchaser replied, that the reason why he ordered them to be sent immediately was, that the weather was sure to change next day, as he had just seen the telegraph news, which stated that it was blowing south and raining at Holyhead, and the change was sure to reach Liverpool in twenty-four hours. The result showed that the purchaser was right in his observation ; for the wind veered about early next morning, and before noon the ground was watered by a refreshing shower, which continued all the day, and has since changed the whole face of nature. Mr. Henry Clinton, of Caius College, Cambridge, with eight or nine other persons, went down the River on Tuesday morning, and re- turned to Chesterton about twelve o'clock at night : refreshments were had on board, and some of the parties played at cards. Between seven and eight o'clock in the evening, Mr. Clinton was observed sitting with his back against the boat-side ; but appearing to be asleep, he was not disturbed; and he remained in that position until the party reached Chesterton, when, on attempting to awake him, his band was quite cold—he was dead. The deceased had kept himself very still all the day, and the party was an exceedingly quiet and orderly one. It appeared from evidence given at an inquest on the body, that Mr. Clinton died of apoplexy. On Thursday and Friday week, the parishes of Meifod and Lion- saintffraid, in Montgomeryshire, and Llunblodwell and Oswestry, in Shropshire, were partially visited with one of the most dreadful thun- der-storms ever witnessed by any of the oldest inhabitants. The flashes of lightning coming in quick succession were extraordinarily vivid, the thunder extremely loud, and the rain so unusually heavy, pouring down the banks in such mighty torrents, that fields, roads, and houses, were inundated. The floods became so violent, driving gravel, stones, are. down the rivulets, as to obstruct the roads with rubbish, forcibly and suddenly driven before the torrents.

The tide flowed to such an unusual height on Wednesday night at Boston, that many of the houses were completely flooded ; and for two hours one of the streets was impassable, being up to the knees in water.

On Monday night, a man who went to the York Theatre to witness the performance, either from fatigue, or from having made copious li- bations to Bacchus, became drowsy, and feel asleep in one of the boxes. Ile was overlooked by the doorkeepers when the lights were extin- guished, and was locked tip in the building. On coming to himself in the middle of the night, he of course felt greatly alarmed at his situa- tion, and called lustily for assistance, lie was overheard, and was at lust liberated.— York Chronicle.

On Monday last, in consequence of the carelessness of the plumbers who were at work repairing the lead of Knaresborough Church, and who left a fire burning on the leads, a fire broke out in the roof, Aout one o'clock, which communicated to the rafters, commencing on the north side of the church. Prompt assistance was obtained, and the fire was nearly extinguished before the arrival of the engines, which were soon on the spot. The damage done was not great.— York Chro- nicle.

At the Bristol Assizes, on Monday, Mary Ann Burdock, a married woman, was sentenced to be hanged, for the murder of Mrs. Clara Ann Smith, who lodged in her house. Mrs. Smith was possessed of con- siderable property; of which the prisoner plundered her, after having caused her death by mixing arsenic in her gruel. There appears to have been a good deal of excitement against the prisoner among the Bristol populace ; but the particulars of the trial are not generally in- teresting, though the Recorder, Sir Charles Wetherell, occupied nine hours in his charge to the Jury.

On Sunday last a clergyman preached in St. Paul's Church, Chester, a most violent sermon of a political nature, in which he designated the Opposition to the late Ministry as Infidels, Socinians, and perjured Papists ; in consequence of which many respectable individuals walked out of their seats, and the night following he had many of his windows broken.