tr.Gbe Vrobinces.

The recall of Sir Robert Peel has checked the election movements of Free-traders and Protectionists; the probability of an early dissolution of Parliament being deemed less likely than it was during the interregnum: but there are still some special elections in prospect. We subjoin a note of such particulars as have appeared since last week. West Yorkshire—The Free-traders are actively engaged in promoting the re3 -tarn of Lord Morpeth: a requisition is in course of signature. The Protectionists are keeping their own counsel. liwffor&hire—Mr. Spencer Cowper, a Liberal, declines to contest Hertford- shire on this occasion; but promises to come forward "when another opportunity -occurs." It is likely, therefore, that Mr. Halsey will supply the existing va- cancy. Buckingham Borough—The Marquis of Chandoe is mentioned as the new man for Buckingham, in the room of Sir John Chetwode.

The following are among the rumours for the "general election." Sussex—The retirement of Mr. Darby, one of the Members for the Eastern division of Sussex, is certain. Mr. H. B. Cartels, the present Member for Rye, is mentioned as the Liberal candidate, and Mr. John Villiers Shelley is also spoken of. The Protec- tionists are getting up a requisition to Mr. C. H. Frewen, said to be "a Conserva- tive of the right sort." Birmingham—Mr. Joseph Sturge is to oppose Mr. Spooner. Sunderland—Mr. Hudson will lose his seat "should the Liberals unite." Win- chester—The Free-traders are to adopt Mr. Escott, and endeavour to return hivn; the Conservatives have selected Mr. Portal. Another rumour is that the Free- traders are to bring forward two candidates from their own party. Liverpool—The name of Sir Henry Pottinger is mentioned among the candidates speculated upon. _Bodmin—Mr. Charles Sawle is to renew the contest as a Free-trader. Wakefield s—Mr. Gaskell has declined to stand, although requested by the Liberals. East Suffolk—The retirement of Lord Rendlesham is spoken of; and Mr. William 'Long of Saxuatindhano, "a true Conservative," is named as his probable successor.

The Anti-Corn-law League held a great public meeting in Manchester Town-hall on Tuesday, to back up the resolutions passed at a special Meeting of the League Council on the 13th instant, authorizing the collec- tion of subscriptions for a new fund of 250,0001. Mr. Robert Hyde Greg presided; the leading Free-traders of Manchester attended; and altogether not fewer than 1,500 or 2,000 persons were present.

The first business was the presentation of accounts for the fund of 100,0001. It appeared that -the total sum collected was 122,508/. (includ- eng discount, 8201) Among the expenses, to the 6th instant, the follow- ing items are the most remarkable—Distribution of tracts, &c., 3491.; " Deputation expenses," &c., 462/.; Grants to local Free-trade Committees, 1,0001.; postages, sundry office expenses, &c., 1,528/.; Bazaar expenses, 5,7121.; League newspaper expenses, (deducting the proceeds of casual sale, 1,2271.) 10,161/.; registration expenses, 15,534/. There was a balance in band of 12,033/.

Resolutions were then proposed, and passed unanimously, renewing the solemn protest of Manchester against the Corn and Provision laws, and 'sanctioning the raising of the new fund.

The collection of subscriptions now began, and was continued for more than two hours, amid a scene of much animation ; the sums set down ranging with few exceptions, from 25/. to 1,000/. Some of the subscribers were remarkable-7001. from one fiunily, named Mather, including two ladies; "An Admirer of Sir Robert Peel," 1001.; "Curry-Powder," 100/.; Edwin Moorhouse, "working man, Ashton-under-Lyne," 25/.

When the subscription had advanced to the sum of 50,000/., Mr. Cobden was called upon to favour the company with a speech while the more tardy subscribers were making up their minds. He did so; at no great length, and somewhat more disjointedly than usual, but throwing out some inte- resting observations or statements. He began in these words-

" Two years ago, when we held a meeting in the small room adjoining, and when 14,000/. was subscribed to the great League fund, an influential London paper designated us, in its own graphic mode, 'a great fact.' Now, gentlemen, I be- lieve today our subscription already amounts to upwards of 50,0001.; and that, I suppose, may be designated a still greater fact. (Cheers.) Without the slightest exaggeration, (we are apt in addressing public meetings sometimes to exaggerate a little,) I believe I may say that this meeting, in the middle of the day on a market-day in Manchester, is unprecedented in its numbers and the

fitwntial character of the individuals who compose it. I take it, no one will dis- pute that the amount subscribed in this room today far surpasses any subscription ever entered into in one room for any public object whatever. I am glad to wit- ness altogether the tone of this meeting. There has not been the slightest re- ference made to the changes that have been going on at Government head- Darters almost as rapidly as the entrances and exits of pantomime on the stage. We have not lost our time by speculating on what this or that Administration is going to do for us; we have resorted to a much safer mode of defending ourselves. This meeting will afford to any Administration the best possible support in carry- ing out our principles. If Sir Robert Peel has an intelligible and straightforward course to pursue—if he will promulgate plainly and candidly that he purposes fully to carry out the principles of Free Trade—if he will only avow his determina- tion to practise what he preaches—he will see there is strength enough in the country to support him; and lain sure I should not be speaking the voice of this great meeting did I not say, that if he will take that straightforward and honest course, he will have the support of the League as fully and as cordially as any other Prime Minister her Majesty could appoint."

He stated the plan and object of the new fund- " To call for an instalment of 20 per cent on this subscription at once, and the rest when necessary. You are as well able to judge as I am whether it be likely that the contest will be prolonged beyond another session. For my own part, I think that our opponents (with any sense of prudence or policy-1 mean with regard to their own interests) cannot carry it on beyond the next session. I don't believe they will find men of intellect sufficient to lead them and undertake the departments of the Government to maintain this system. It is quite clear that the Queen has been wanting servants simply because none could be found worthy to serve her Majesty and willing to do the work of the Duke of Richmond. We are governed in this country not by enlightened men, like Lord John Russell, or Sir Robert Peel, or Sir James Graham, fit to take office and serve the Queen and the country—we are governed by the ignorance of the country: we have an inert mass of landlord political power to deal with, impervious to reason, inac- cessible to argument, and unconscious of defeat in argument, or they would not have resisted us so long as they have done. The Monopolist landlords of this country recognize but one power—the power of force. They will yield to nothing but power, and that power you have armed us with by the subscriptions of this day. I have said I think it would be wise in them to yield next session; but let us tell them what we are prepared to do if they do not yield honestly. The county qualification is the leverage by which we can wholly overturn the ignorant authority of these Monopolist landlords—by which one can transfer the power from the Duke of Richmond and the Duke of Norfolk, and their Peers, to the intelligent middle and industrious classes of the towns of this country.. I have

110 hesitation in telling them,—and I think they will now believe what [say,

when backed by such a demonstration as this,—that if they resist the settleneut of this question—if the next session does not bring the question to a just settle- ment, we will plant our registration-agents in every county in the kingdom: and I pledge myself, from a long study of the subject and a wide investigation of it, filet in less than three years from this time, armed with the funds you have placed at our disposal, I can unseat 100 Monopolist County Members, and place in their stead men who will vote in accordance with the interests of the great body of the people, instead of the interests of an ignomnt class." A remark upon the mode of collecting the fund-

" Many of our friends elsewhere may probably expect that Mr. Bright and I might be in a position to pay them a succession of visits, as we did two years ago, and hold public meetings throughout the country, and assist them ill uiaking their subscriptions: but that is, unfortunately, impossible. Mr. Bright and myself can be nowhere so serviceable for the next six months as in the House of Com- mons; and as it is not in our _power to visit our friends elsewhere, I hope, and feel confident, when they see how Manchester, at one meeting, has subscribed a quarter of the whole sum required, they will in other places, by their own spontaneous exer- tions, make up the remainder. I may add, that I have not canvassed a single indivi- dual for one farthing of this subscription: therefore, so far as I sin concerned, gentle- men have come forward in this noble manner without any personal trouble to my- self. I mention this that others may mark the spirit which has prevailed here, and act themselves accordingly."

It is necessary, says Mr. Cobden, to have a distinct understanding as to the precise objects of the League: and this is his last manifesto-

" Our object in associating together was to procure the abolition of the Corn and Provision laws; and of this we believe there is but one fair and candid inter- pretation—we meant corn, e-c meant beef, butter, cheese; in short, we meant the primary elements of human subsistence grown on our own soil. We said, We don't want a league to put down the sugar or coffee monopoly,'—feeling assured that the landowners themselves, stimulated by sense of their own interests, would do all that for us, when once we deprived them of their own monopole. The total abrogation of the Corn and Provision laws would at once diss,Clve this League, and altogether exonerate every gentleman from any further claim to con- tribute to its funds. I think it may be useful to seine of our most candid opponents that they should know that now. It has been reported that this is a body seeking anarchical objects; that we want to do away with primogeniture; that we want to root up the Church; that we are opposed to all law and constituted authority in the country. But I defy our op- ponents te find in the House of Lords itself a body of men so interested in public order, so identified with the maintenance of our institutions, as the body of capi- talists I see before me in this room. We have no suds objects. Our object is bond fide: we arc united for one object; we are a rope of sand on any other ques- tion. Mr. Bright, Mr. Wilson, and myself, differing on a dozen tidier questions, are united for this one only; and therefore I tell the Monopolist landlords, who are afraid of what we are doing in the counties, if they think this may go on to more than corn—if they think the qualifications we are now procuring may be good for other questions as well as corn, they may now stop and dissolve us by the abolition of the Corn-laws. But if they want to keep alive this association— if they want to give some of those gentlemen among us who have ulterior objects, (and I don't know but there may be some who have)—if they want to give them the power of keeping our bond of union intact, then they must keep up souse wretched rag of their system of monopoly. If Sir Robert Peal wants to root out his friends in the counties more than they are, let him come down to the House of Commons with some new ' dodge ' at the opening of the session. We say dis- tinctly, we will have no conditions. If they ask us to pay for the abolition of the Corn-laws by a grant of money, by transferring their taxes to our shoulders, if they can find any they pay exclusively, we say, You have been challenged to show your peculiar burdens, and uniformly ran away: we ask you to show us one tax you pay which we do not, and we in return will undertake to show five taxes we pay from which, you have exempted yourselves.' They have abol- ished the duty on your yarn. By far the largest industry of all your manufac- turing processes is the spinning of cotton yarn. The 10 per cent duty on that article was abolished last year: as if Sir Robert Peel wanted to furnish a strong argument against the Cons-laws, he did away with the 10 per cent which some might have considered a protection to you, in order that we might say we shall not allow the agriculturists to have protection at our expense. We say then, we will have no conditions, no qualifications. Let this matter be settled fairly and justly, without terms or compromise, and the League is abolished."

The proceedings were also diversified by speeches from Mr. Bright, Mr. James Heywood, Mr. Wiley, (of the United States,) and Mr. Joseph Brotherton. Eventually, the collection amounted to 59,1651.; and the Chairman stated that no doubt the sum would be raised during the day to 60,000/. [It did actually reach 61,894/1 Free-trade meetings have been held at Devonport, Portsmouth, Wigan, Taunton, and Bradford. The quality of earnestness is developed as strongly as at previous meetings; but there is nothing new or remarkable in the details.

Meetings in support of "agricultural protection" became numeroue when the breaking-up of the Peel Government was known ; and they continue to be held although Sir Robert Peel has been recalled. Special meetings have been held of the Protection Societies for Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Barnstable, North Devon, Rutland, and Spalding.

The Berkshire Protection Society met at Reading on Saturday. Lord Barrington and Mr. Palmer, two of the County Members, were present; but the third, Mr. Pusey, was kept away by ill health. Mr. Moment was in the chair; and the attendance is represented as unusually large. The language held was throughout of a calm but decided character, exhibiting one peculiar feature—the affectation of delicacy with which the speakers referred to Sir Robert Peel, coupled with doubts as to whether the Corn question was the one upon which his Ministry had been broken up. Mr. Beauchamp, who moved the first resolution, thought that "the Corm. Jaws had nothing whatever to do with the matter "; and he oould not allow himself to think that Sir Robert would be guilty of destroying his own off- spring. Mr. Palmer would not believe that Sir Robert Peel could so far have forgotten his professions and speeches as to have agreed at a moment's notice to come down and propose the repeal of the Corn-laws. Lord Barrington complimented the meeting on their moderation—" This meeting had done itself most infinite credit by not taking the course pursued by some other meetings of a similar description, in condemning a man nn heard." How far this conciliatory policy is attributable to the meeting's having been aware that Lord John Russell had failed to form a Ministty, and that Sir Robert Peel as a matter of necessity would be intrusted once more with their iuterests, may be left to conjecture. Lord John's failure was reported at the opening of the proceedings, Lord Barrington being the authority; and his authority again being "one of those noblemen who would have been a member of the new Administration had it been formed." Another point was a general assertion of the opinion, as held by the farm-

ers, that if there were to be a free trade in corn, there must of necessity be a free trade in everything. This, however, said Mr. Allnatt, was not contemplated by the League; and why, he asked, should the farmers be made the first victims to the Moloch of Free Trade? e

If farmers were to be experimented upon, would they not demand that all other classes should be put into the same crucible, that they might undergo the same process? Why should the fanner be prevented from growing tobacco, which he could do as well as the people of Virginia? He should like to know what Go- vernment, after repealing the Corn-laws, could effectually prevent the British Farmer from growing tobacco, or making sugar from beet-root. The white beet- root contained a saccharine as good as any West India sugar.

The resolutions denounced the League, as dangerous and arrogant; as- serted that the cry of scarcity was altogether unsupported by facts; and pledged the meeting to prepare for the next election.

At the meeting of the Buckingham Protection Society, the Duke of Buckingham and his son the Marquis of Chandos took part in the pro- ceedings; but the speeches are unreported. The resolutions expressed the "surprise and indignation of the meeting that Ministers should have for- feited the principle they have so recently advocated," and advised the presentation of petitions to both Houses, "praying for equal and sufficient protection to every branch of British industry."

A political explosion occurred at the dinner of the South Devon Agri- cultural Association, last week, at Kingsbridge; the occasion being some doubt as to the stanchness of the County Members on behalf of Protec- tion. Mr. Stanley Carey, of Follaton, was in the chair; and the Members for the County, Lord Courtenay and Sir John Yarde Buller, were present. The malecontents allowed matters to go on quietly till Mr. Locock was called upon by the Chairman to return thanks for " The Committee"; but then, before he could utter a word, vociferous calls were made for "Mr. Kivell "; and a person who sat behind that gentleman advised him to "propose the County Members, and we'll back you up." Thus encou- raged, Mr. Kivell rose and commenced speaking; Mr. Locock, who directly faced him, spoke also, with great energy; the one voice drowned the other, and both were absorbed in the roars of laughter which burst from all parts of the room. The Chairman in utter despair of restoring order, aban- doned the chair, remarking that it was time to "prevent a squall." The County Members, and the gentlemen at the upper end of the table, in- stantly started from their seats, and followed the Chairman: their passage to the door was greeted by a storm of hisses from those who remained, and the ears of Sir John, who brought up the rear, were assailed with cries of" Three groans for the County Members." A new Chairman was then installed; and the wrangle was renewed as to whether it was com- petent to the company to enter upon political subjects. Several farmers insisted that the crisis was too important to be fettered by rules, and that it was right they should know the opinions of their Members on the sub- - ject of Lord John Russell's letter. Mr. Kivell declared, that if a distinct explanation were not given he should not again vote for them. At length the Chairman was directed to request the attendance of both Members at a public meeting, the object being "to ascertain their opinion on the state of agriculture and the present crisis."

At the dinner after the Farnham cattle-show, on Thursday week, at- tended chiefly by farmers, several speakers gave utterance to language which illustrates the state of doubt in the "agricultural mind." We ex- tract some of these passages.

"Some of us have got lots of money in our pockets, and a good many of us have got lots of wheat in our granaries. We must keep our money burning in our pockets; and as to the wheat, the rats are running away with it because we do not know what to do with it. It is possible a change may be effected, and it is proper that we should be prepared to meet it. A time may arrive when a great deal of our light soils in this neighbourhood may be thrown out of cultivation, -as far as wheat is concerned; and we therefore ought to ask ourselves this im- portant question= Is there anything we can substitute for wheat in our succes- -mon 2' If that question can be satisfactorily answered, I say, in that case, let -free trade come whenever it will, we are prepared for it. (A few marks of dis- approbation) There was a great outcry about the alteration of the Tariff, and everybody said that the measure would rum all the producers of meat in England: but look at the markets, and tell me whether the present prices are not satisfac- tory in the highest degree to the producers. Then there was a panic about the introduction of Canadian flour: that panic proved as groundless as the panic con- cerning the Tariff; and I trust that the present panic about free trade may prove equally without foundation. (Cries of "No, no! ") We have however, not got free trade as yet, and perhaps we never may have it." (Interruption, and cries of" We hope not.")—.3Ir. S. Nicholson, of Waverley Abbey, Chairman. Every session of Parliament produced some act or other calculated to annoy the farmer. The cry, of the millers was, "We are full, we can't buy"; and what were the farmers to do? Christmas was approaching, and with it came a large number of heavy calls upon the farmer all at once. How could he act What was to be done to relieve him ? In the absence of other means, they must all endeavour to pull together; they must unite as others did; and they must have those to represent them who would really take care of their interests.—Mr. James Elston.

Mr. G. T. Nicholson had censured those who are content to cultivate their farms as their fathers did before them; who can perceive no necessity for science in their art, and who refuse to believe that any improvements have been made. The farmers should listen to truths, however un*lateable, and not lose their temper when they hear them propounded,—should remember that theirs was really a state of progression, and that it was their duty to assist in that progres- sion; taking care, however, that it be real, and built upon sure principles. A Etrong feeling was abroad respecting the proposed changes in the Corn-laws: he thought the farmers might be totally independent of all such changes, if they would attend seriously to the improvement of agriculture. They had the power -within themselves, if they chose to exert it, and might defy the whole world.— Mr. G. T. Nicholson.

"No later than the night before last, a gentleman at a diuner in this neighbour- -hood said that they must have a repeal of the Corn-laws; the whole country was .crying out for repeal. I said, It is useless my cultivating the land any longer.' He replied, 'Oh, quite, quite, as far as wheat is concerned.' I said, What are we to do?' He answered, that we should endeavour to find a substitute, such as tobacco, or something of that kind. I can say this that if we have a repeal of the Corn-laws, we might as well plough the land fourteen inches deep, then dibble in sovereigns, and expect a crop of five-pound notes, as expect a remunerating price for corn or a profit on the land."—Mr. Davison, Vice-Chairman. 'If a dissolution of Parliament take place, the farmers must unite their efforts and show their power. They must pledge their candidate to two things,—first, to resist anything like Corn-law repeal; but if, after he has used his best en- deavours to do so, the repeal is carried by the overwhelming name of the iron- masters, spinning-jennies, and others of that class, then he must pledge himself, in the second place, to bring forward some measure to lighten our burdens. We will demand the total repeal of the Malt-tax, and in fact, the duty upon all arti- cles of consumption; and that the poor be maintained out of the Income-tax in- stead of the parish-rates. Then we will demand that the other great burden of the farmer, the tithes, be partially taken away, and put upon the shoulders of the iron-masters, the spinning-jennies, and people of that sort. When the dissolution of Parliarafat.t takes place, we must either hold our own, or lie down quietly and

suffer o to be ridden over rough-shod by our enemies; for I can WI them nothing e Idem.

- pert? er evidence— .1 heard from several quarters where information of the kind was most

attainable, that the farmers who usually visit Canterbury market did not, on Se,. turclay last, express any other feeling on the Ministerial changes in progress than a wish that some permanent decision should be immediately arrived at; and see- ing that repeal of the Corn-laws must sooner or later take place, they would pre- fer the accomplishment of such a measure at once to a state of continual uncer- tainty and alarm."—Kent Herald, Dec. 18.

At a civic dinner in Devizes, on Thursday, the subject of the day was anxiously alluded to. Mr. Sotheron, M.P. for North Wiltshire, was the chairman ; the two Members for the Borough, Mr. Heneage and Mr. Bruges, and Mr. Neeld, the Member for Chippenham, were among the guests. These gentlemen delivered speeches remarkable for their subdued and dubious if not desponding tone. Mr. Sotheron thought, that now was the time for constituencies to show confidence in their Representatives, "by leaving them unshackled to do what they thought to be for the best." Mr. Heneage spoke of " troublous" times, and assured the company that the situation of Conservative Members in the ensuing session would be "one of great doubt and difficulty." "Protection" would be a prominent question; and one word as to it—

He always thought, that to attempt to bring one interest alone under theprin- ciple of free trade, was unfair and unjust; and it was on account of its unfairness and injustice that every attempt to bring it about had hitherto failed, and would, he believed, continue to be defeated by the good sense of the country. Should, however, the time arrive when a Minister should be bold enough to say to the country—" I intend to repeal the Corn-laws; but I intend at the same time to make your silks, your sugar, your timber, and other necessaries cheaper, and to alter the system of taxation so that the change shall not be felt; if a irlinister should be found sagacious enough to say, when I do this I will provide for the great deficiency which will be produced in the revenue without any increase of taxation on the industry of the country"—then would be the grand time for the agricultural interests, for all interests, to consider what plan would be most advantageous to adopt.

The following agricultural report has been sent to us from West Surrey, by our usual correspondent.

The latter end of December is generally a very dull period in the home mar- kets, but this season it has been more than usually fiat and gloomy. Until this last week, sales could hardly be effected at any sacrifice; but, to the as- tonishment of many, without any cause, excepting the changes in the political atmosphere, agricultural produce has taken a rise in price with a prospect of still higher prices; and farmers have begun to congratulate themselves on a prospect of obtaining remunerating prices for their generally scanty crops of rather indif- ferent corn. The farmers in this district have little or no political or party bias, and have been quiet during the late crisis: the great majority, however, have a strong feeling in favour of a protective duty on corn, and any measure tending to interfere with the existing protection would no doubt meet in the South of Eng- land with most powerful and determined opposition. It may amuse and gratify some of your readers to learn, that, if farmers generally are so very stupid and illiterate as some of the London journalists make them, yet the following apt quo- tations, bandied between two jolly farmers at a market-table in this county, last

Wednesday, shows at least that some of them have wit. .

First Former—" What news at the court ?"

Second Farmer—" My fox Is out of his hole, and ere he shall reenter, I'll make him languish in his borrow'd ease, Except he come to composition with me." First Farmer—. Yet you that are so traded l' th' world,

. . . . the tine Lord, John Russell, That have such mortal emblems on your name, Should have sung your shame, and dropp'd your cheese, To let the fox laugh at your emptiness."

"The weather continues fine and open for all agricultural purposes, particu- larly for the late-sown wheat. The crop never looked more healthy for the sea- son; and many who have been sowing very late (after turnips) will have to con- gratulate themselves on their good luck."

We understand that the applications to the Commissioners under the Commons Enclosure Act of last session for their fiat to enclose wastes in all parts of the kingdom, are very numerous, extending in the whole to many thousand acres, notwithstanding the movement against the existing Corn-laws. One instance is furnished by a recent meeting of the principal holders of land on the extensive manor of Banstead; in which is comprised a tract of waste land covering several miles of surface, and well known as Banstead Downs, Borough Heath, and Walton Downs. It was determined by the owners of much the greatest portion of the soil, that it was expedient to enclose the waste lands of the manor. The necessary forms were signed by the landowners then present, and forwarded to the Corn missioners for their investigation and report. This does not look like "throwing poor land out of cultivation."

A public meeting was held at Yarmouth, last week, to stimulate liberal- ity in behalf of the funds of the Norfolk Society for saving lives from shipwreck. The Bishop of Norwich was called to the chair. The com- pany comprised many persons of influence; and the hardy beachmen, with their wives and families' constituted a large portion of the audience. The Bishop enforced the claims of the society with a homely eloquence, well suited to the occasion ; and his allusions to the readiness with which the henchmen risked their own lives to save the lives of others met with ap- proving responses from the meeting. The Reverend H. Mackenzie and some others delivered addresses; and life-belts were presented. to every beachman, by Miss Stanley, the Bishop's daughter.

Joicey, a man residing at Cockle Park, near Morpeth, in Northumberland, died under suspicions circumstances; • and it was surmised that his son, William, had poisoned him. Hearing of this, he confessed to the steward of his employer that he had murdered his father, and then fled. He was pursued and captured: he repeated his confession; stating that he had sent arsenic to his father on pretence that it was physic, and that he had bought it at Morpeth. A paper was found on him containing similar statements, and an intimation that he had hidden

of the arsenic in abash: search was made there, and the mineral was found.

picion now attached to the mother and daughter of the deceased, and they were arrested. An inquest was commenced last week. William Joicey was proved to have purchased arsenic two months ago. Dr. Hedley, who attended the deceased, described his last illness: the man appeared to be dying from the effects of poison: a post mortem examination made by him and another surgeon confirmed that view of the case—death had been caused by arsenic, or some other metallic poison. Dr. Medley described a family quarrel which he witnessed among the Joiceys two months since. The inquiry was adjourned. On Monday it was resumed. Evidence was given with respect to the quarrel. It was bitter. In the heat of it, the daughter threatened her father • and, afterwards, talking to an acquaintance' threatened to poison the old man. One of two powders sent by the son was burnt after the other had been administered. The Jury re- turned a verdict of "Wilful Murder" against the son, but were of opinion that there was no evidence to criminate the woman.

A fatal accident occurred on the Norwich Railway at mid-day on Wednesday

Ben Jonson. A train, consisting of an engine and tender, two luggage-waggons, and seven carriages, left Norwich for London at half-past eleven o'clock. About an hour after, when near Thetford, the engine plunged off the rails, broke away from the tender, and rolled down an embankment. The engine-driver was killed instan- taneously; the stoker leaped out of the tender, and the carriages ran over him, inflicting such injuries that he died in a few hours. When the engine broke away, the tender was forced across the rails, stopping the progress of the carriages, of course with a fearful shock, the luggage-waggons being dashed to pieces: had the coupling-chain of the engine not snapped, the loss of life might have been very great, for the carriages would have been drawn over the embankment: as it was, none of the passengers were injured. One account ascribes the disaster to the great speed at which the train was proceeding—it had ran a mile in fifty- seven seconds.

A railway accident occurred near Wigan on Monday night. A number of empty coal-waggons had been allowed to remain for several days unfastened, on a branch-line leading from the North 'Union trunk-line to some neighbouring col- lieries; and on Monday evening, the wind having blown with much violence, three of the waggons were impelled downwards, halting on the main line. A passenger-train left Wigan about half-past six o'clock; and just as full speed was attained, the engine came in contact with the waggons. The concussion was ter- rific: three of the luggage-waggons were shattered to pieces, and some of the car- riages thrown off the line. None of the passengers, however, sustained material injury; and, after an hour's delay, the train went on.

A portion of the Newcastle and Darlington Railway, which runs over riforden Carr, a peat-moss, about eight miles North of Darlington, sank into the bog last week. -Between fifty and sixty yards of the line was rendered impassable for the trains. A temporary rail has been laid down, forming a circuitous connex- ion between the sound parts of the line, it having been deemed necessary to reform the portion which has given way on piling. /dorden Care lies very low, and after nun is always under water. A well-sinker has been suffocated at Market Weston, by incautiously descending a well without having first tested the state of the air by means of a candle. In the course of the previous hour, a stratum of carbonic acid gas had funned for a depth of thirty feet; and as soon as he went down, the man fell senseless; many hours elapsed before the body could be got out, and of course life was extinct.

Two "unfortunate" women of Liverpool having quarrelled the other night, one in her passion plunged a sailor's clasp-knife into the other's neck, and she died almost immediately. The murderess ran away; and though pursued by a number of persons, she got clear off. A very destructive fire occurred in Liverpool on Wednesday morning, at Messrs. Smith and Willey's iron-foundry. A large building was completely gutted, and the damage is estimated at nearly 20,0001. There was a deficiency of water at the first outbreak.