The prosecution against Sir John Jeffcott, who shot Dr. Hennis,

in a duel, at Exeter, is virtually dropped ; the relations of the deceased

geutleman, after a full and patient investigation, being fully satisfied of the reluctance manifested by Sir John to go out, and of his manly, hu- mane, and honourable conduct during the progress of the negotiation

whith led to the disastrous termination of the affair. Sir John [who has arrived from Sierra Leone] will appear to take his trial at the As- sizes, in March ; when a full explanation of his conduct will be gone into, and his acquittal follow as a matter of course.—North Devon ...Advertiser.

By the vigilance of the Mayor and Magistrates of Exeter, nearly I forty men, said to be members of illegal Combination Societies, were apprehended by the Exeter Polite, at the Sun Inn, in that city, on Wednesday week. Amongst the party taken into custody were two

delegates from London ; and the whole of their materiel was seized, consisting of two wooden axes, two large cutlasses, two masks, and two

white garments or robes, a large figure of Death, with the dart and hour-glass, a Bible and Testament, and the book in which the proceed- ings of the meeting and the oath administered to the initiated are en- tered, with a variety of other documents and correspondence.—Sher- borne Mercury.

A large body of poachers on Tuesday week, near midnight, com- menced their depredations in the immediate vicinity of Ravensworth

Castle, near Newcastle, by firing guns, and proceeding in the work of destruction in the most daring wanner. Ihe Honourable Thomas Liddell and a few servants sallied out; but the depredators not only re- fused to surrender, but commenced a violent and murderous attack upon the party from the Castle. The villains were all armed with guns, and in military training, each man answering to a number. The butler had a very narrow escape from death ; and a farm-servant to Lord

Ravensworth received a dangerous gun-shot wound in the groin, which is likely to terminate his life. The murderous villains favoured by darkness, succeeded in getting off, without affording the watchers an opportunity of identifying any of the party. Mr. Liddell and his party bud no firesarms.—Newcastle Journal.

On Sunday morning, a gamekeeper, employed by Mr. E. B. Clive, M.P., whilst pursuing some poachers in a wood near Hereford, was shot in the throat by one of the men, and died almost instantly in the arias of his companions. A Coroner's inquest was held on the body on Monday ; and a verdict of'" Wilful Murder against some person or

persons unknown" was returned. A man named Evans, who was seen in the wood a short time before the murder, has been apprehended on suspicion.—Hereford Journal.

Margaret Peckett, a young woman, who about two years ago escaped from Northallerton House of Correction, and only a few years ago con- trived to slip from a constable conveying her to York Castle, on a charge of stealing a parcel from a carrier's waggon, escaped from that prison on Thursday week. Mrs. Holgate, the keeper's wife, having entered her cell as usual, Margaret told her she was annoyed by rats in

a part, pointing it out to her ; while she was looking at it the prisoner left the cell and locked her in ; she passed the porter, bidding him

good morning, unsuspected by him, and then had two hours in ad- vance of any pursuit, as no (me heeded Mrs. Holgate's cries. A reward was, however, offered for her apprehension ; and she was re- captured on Friday morning, when entering Hull, and brought back to bee old quarters.

On Sunday evening, the whole of the Communion-plate was stolen from the Argyle Chapel, Buth.

A boy lately disappeared at Llangammareb, in Glamorganshire, in a mysterious manner. It is said the boy's uncle was under obligation to pay him an annuity during life, but that on the death of his nephew he would be entitled to an estate. At length the body was discovered buried under a bed. The discovery was made by a child of the uncle; and the uncle has been committed to prison.—Merthyr Guardian.

A warehouse belonging to the City of Dublin Steam Company was destroyed by fire, at-Liverpool, on Friday se'nnight. The damage is estimated at :20001. The cause of the.fire is not known. The C011,:lr of Thursday contains a letter from Mr. James Ryan, in which it realses to Mr. O'Connell, and claims for himself, the merit of ha,..iag united the Catholic Aristocracy and people in their great efforts for emancipation. He was at work successfully in this . cause, he says, long before Mr. O'Connell had done any thing. He gives Minis*ers some advice, which we suspect they will be slow to act upon, in order to get rid of agitation in Ireland.

"Let a ref am he made, and at once, in the monstrous and over rich Protes- tant Church Establishment. Why should it not at once be cut down to the actual spiritu d wants of the present l'rotestant population? Why not put on half-pay the incumbents who have for years enjoyed a large income without pet:Arming any duty. No scruple exists in sending adrift the officers of the Navy and tin! Army when their services ale not needed. Why should there be an exceptiou in favour of unemployed clergymen ?"

Let a reform be made in time Irish Church ! Why, Mr. Ryan, Mi- nisters think that the work is done already ; and that the Church at present shines forth in the lustre of Apostolical purity.

The notorious Mr. Thomas Steele has written a letter to the " Limerick Chapter of Liberators," resigning the office of President of the order, because he finds it impossible to coopelate with, or act under his old friend O'Connell! whom, however, he still thinks the only man in existence "fit to be the leader of Leland." A circum-

stance, he says, wholly of a private nature, has compelled him to with- draw from all correspondence with him. What this circumstance is, Mr. Steele does not state, and nobody seems to know.

Mr. Barrett has been sentenced to six months' imprisonment in Kilmainham Gaol, to pay a fine of 100/. to the King, and to give secu- rity to keep the peace for seven years, himself in 500/. and two sureties of 250/. each.

In the Court of King's Bench, Dublin. last Saturday, the A ttorner General applied for a conditional order for an attachment against Mr. Sheehan, proprietor of the Evening Mull, for a contempt of Court, in

publishing on the 15th June and tt5th November, remarks respecting time prosecution in the case of the Kirg e. Barrett, the object of which,

in the opinion of time Attorney-General, was to calumniate the Go- vernment and its officers, and to prejliCe the cause of Barrett, by in- flaming the passions and inisleadieg the judgment of those likely to try the case. The Court granted a rule to show cause why an attachment should not issue.

On Tuesday, the Court sentenced the Honourable Thomas French to six months' imprisonment, and to pay afine of 100/. for having used insulting language to Mr. Handeock, late High She, iff of Galway, be- cause that officer bad not put him on the Grand July panel for that county, in 1831