Zbt Wrobinces. The Marquis of Blandford has resigned his seat
in the House of Commons for Woodstock. In an address to the electors, he observes that a crisis has arisen in Parliament which was not foreseen when he was elected—the question of May- Booth College; that he should have supported the measure through all its stages, contented to render to his constituents the fullest account of his votes; but that from private considerations he is obliged to resign his trust into their hands. The Morning Chronicle believes the circumstances of the case to be these. "The Marquis of Blandford has an allowance from his father, the Duke a Marl- borough; a communication was made to him, that if he exercised his right, as Representative of Woodstock, to support the Governmentbill, his allowance should be withdrawn. He may support the Government with which he 'cordially and conscientiously agrees if he likes, but the stipend which he enjoys from the li- berality of his father will no longer be paid to him. It is honourable to the Marquis of Blandford that he has resigned his seat rather than hold it upon this ignominious tenure."
The only candidate in the field for Leominster, a seat for which is vacant by the retirement of Mr. Greenaway, is Mr. H. Barkly, an eminent West India proprietor and merchant, of Liberal Conservative politics. The nomination takes place today. Mr. Greenaway is understood to retire on account of private cir- cumstances.
Great exertions were made by persons acquainted with the family of Crowley, the man condemned to death for shooting a labourer at Spernal on Christmas- day 1842, to obtain a commutation of his punishment, on the ground of insanity; but in vain. He was hanged, at Warwick, on Friday last week. He behaved with great firmness and decorum; and declared he had no intention of shooting the man when he went to his father's house. The conduct of the large mob assembled to witness the dying struggles of the culprit is described as brutal and unfeeling. "But perhaps the most disgusting part of the ceremony," says the Birmingham Journal, "was the presence of nearly a dozen women, who were stationed about the gate waiting the execution of the unfortunate man, in order that they might be permitted to rub their diseased necks with the hand of the corpse," for the cure of wens. "There was one child, about seven or eight years of age, whom we noticed subjected to this revolting treatment."
Sarah Freeman, the Shapwick poisoner, was hanged, at Taunton, on Tuesday. Eliie died protesting her innocence.
A very disastrous accident occurred at Ashton-under-Lyne, on Saturday after- noon, involving the destruction of at least fourteen lives, the serious injury of two men, and a considerable pecuniary loss. A branch railway has been partly con structed between Ashton and Staleybridge. It passes over a portion of the town of Ashton, and crosses the river Tame and a canal by a stone viaduct of many, arches. The arches had been recently erected, but appeared firm. On Satur- day, a considerable number of men were engaged on the top of the viaduct by the river Tame, levelling the line; when, about three o'clock, the arch over the river gave way, and immediately after eight others fell in, burying the workmen in the ruins. A distressing scene of grief and consternation ensued. The crowd col- lected was so great that the military were called in to aid the police in keeping the ground clear. A number of labourers were at once set to remove the masses of rubbish. Three men were taken out alive, of whom two were dreadfully in- jured, and one has since died; and fifteen bodies have been dug out. The cause of the disaster is not very apparent. One surmise is, that the ground sank in consequence of some mine extending beneath it; for the locality is much under- mined,. and extensive sinkings of the surface are frequent.
An inquest was commenced on Monday. The evidence did little more than describe the accident The last of the arches was finished three weeks pre- viously. A crack was observed in one of them a few minutes before they fell, but the workmen laughed at it. The inquiry was adjourned till next Wednesday, that other bodies supposed to be in the rains might be got out.
The Coroner's Jury on the bodies of two men who were killed by the'fall of an arch over a stream at Derby has returned a verdict of" Accidental Death"; and expressed an opinion that if the Corporation Committee, who had the control of the work, had appointed a competent engineer to superintend Sims, the brick- layer, the accident would not have occurred; the disaster being ascribed to want of strength in the work, and to premature removal of the wooden supports of the arch.
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