'fir Vronium.

At Stroud, on Tuesday, Mr. Herman enjoyed an unopposed election; Mr. Merewether Turner having withdrawn, and no other candidate coming forward. One of the chief points in Mr. Horaman's speech to the electors was a reluctant conviction in favour of the vote by ballot ; which he would support, if no better protection for voters could be found. Another noticeable passage contains two anecdotes of the present ruler of France.

They would all remember the political crisis which reigned through- out Europe in 1848, when there was not a despot in Europe that was not hunted out of his country by his own subjects, and when in London nearly every man, high and low' was sworn in a special constable, in apprehension of the rising of the Chartists on the me- towable 10th of April. One of the gentlemen WI; tied constable on that occasion was Prince Louis Napo) Ille ,a; parer of France ; and in the rank close to him, Mr. ; men standing together, the one being the son of an gril - himself a Duke, and on whom depended all our vast ColohitiP , giter Wet other one of Barclay and Perkins'a draymen. .The relation which occurred to Louis Napoleon on seeing this conthinatiori was thus expressed—" What a strong and happy country that *must be ! how well-mvatitielsersledd- ministered ! how admirably must they be made, when YOU:liee the Alike-en* the drayman standing side by side in defence of those; lama; !" . [Kkgafire eumstance made on the mind of the despot of France much an impresii the unity of the people of England as he would remember to the end o life. And as to those schemes of invading England which had be io imputed to him, and which they knew were never absent froth- hie/ when in England,—for he had said to a friend, " I respect you art*d!ein but if ever I have supreme power in France I must invade yeti" e MR% St. Helena and Waterloo,"—could they not imagine that when the French Generals pointed to this country and asked him to go and sack London, he would say to them, "Carry your arms to Russia or to Austriai,wherelthe people are divided ; but don't attack the strong, the free, the united, the happy people of England, where the peer and the peasant shed their blood together, which falls into the same pool."

Mr. Mowbray has been elected for Durham. At the close of the poll, on Saturday, the numbers were—for Mowbray, 529; Sir Charles Douglas,. 444. Lord Adolphus Vane took an active share in the nlection on be- half of Mr. Mowbray. Rumours of bribery are freely circulated. Sir Charles Douglas neither canvassed nor employed band; nor held meetings in public-houses. A petition is already hinted at.

Mr. Whalley has again been returned for Peterborough, in opposition to Mr. Thomas Hankey junior. Mr. Whalley polled 236 votes, six more than he polled in the last contest ; Mr. Hankey polled 215, six fewer than Mr. Cornwall Lewis polled.

The first examination for theological degrees at St. David's College, Lampeter, took place on the 21st instant. Twenty-two degrees were- granted.

There is at Wanstead an asylum for orphans, and between two arid three hundred receive there shelter and instruction. On Wednesday the Duke of Argyll presided at the school examination of these children, and distributed the prizes to the successful. At the anomalous meal which followed the examination—luncheon to some of the guests, dinner to

others—the sum of 23471. was subscribed. • At the request of the officers, Miss Wilson Patten, daughter of their Colonel, Mr.Wilson Patten, has presented the colours to the Royal Lan- cashire Militia. This was followed by feasting, rural sports, and foot and horse racing; a type of the jovial pleasures with which the militaiy, duties of the Militiamen in most parts of the kingdom are relieved. The- Lancashire men were subsequently inspected by Colonel Taylor, and were complimented on their martial proficiency.

The Mayor and Magistrates of Cardiff, assembled in Petty-Sessions,- have passed a formal resolution expressing their satisfaction at the beha- viour of the county Militia during their month's training. The number of men assembled was upwards of 900.

Some time since the carpet-weavers of Kidderminster demanded an advance of wages and other boons : after a conference between masters and men, it was arranged that the weavers should be paid weekly, and- should work from six o'clock in the morning to six in the evening.' Since that time, the men at one factory turned out because a man had' been employed at lower wages than usual : that affair was arranged*by the mediation of the Mayor. But now a general strike is threatened; unless an increase of pay of a penny the yard be given by the masters. The manufacturers resist this demand.

Some 260 colliers at Kingswood, near Bristol, have struck, because the coalowners have intimated that the additional pay granted a few months- since will now be taken from the men. Masters and men seem equally- firm in their attitude.

The labourers in the neighbourhood of Wickham Market halm "struck" : they demand the price of a stone of flour as their dairy wages.

The turn-out at Stockport continues in full force. A memorial has been signed by 768 shopkeepers, soliciting the manufacturers to make the advance asked by the men.

William Demeza, partner in a paper-making firm at Manchester, which has a paper-mill at Tamworth, has been committed for trial on no fewer than four forgeries of bills of exchange. The bills had been given to Mr. Smith, a paper-manufacturer of Watford ; one was dishonoured ; Mr. Smith then went to the prisoner, and be admitted that he had palmed off upon bia accuser a number of fictitious bills.

Violent gales at Portsmouth on Sunday and Monday have been attended with disastrous accidents. Two watermen were drowned at Spithead by th.V upsetting of a boat ; and it is supposed that Lieutenant Lambert and Assist- ant-Surgeon Muirhead, of the Edinburgh, were also in the boat, and have thus perished. On Monday evening, the gale was so fierce that the Spit head fleet were ordered to strike lower yards and topmasts ; which was at- tended by a lamentable accident to Captain Patsy, of the Amphion screw frigate. It appears that, while striking lower- yards and topmasts, ara iron- strapped toptackle-block carried away, and fell upon Captain Patsy's head ; the *hook of the block fracturing his skull and knocking him to the deck senseless. He is going on favourably.

The Reverend Mr. Barker, the Rector of Becton, has been so affected in his mind by the murder of his housekeeper, Mrs. Steggall, that it has been deemed necessary to place him in a private asylum. Within a fortnight, a third suicide by a clergyman has been reported the Reverend H. J. Stevenson, Vicar of Hallow, Prebendary of Worcester Cathedral, and examining chaplain to the Bishop of Worcester, out his throat with a razor during the night : his wife witnessed the dreadful act. Mr. Stevenson had suffered for some time from mental depression.

Mr. Loynes, an old gentleman of Birmingham, has died in a hot bath at Droitwich : he turned on the hot-water tap, and seems then to have fainted, and consequently he was scalded to death. A fatal disaster has happened on the South-western Railway, near Holly- bourne, under almost incredible circumstances. Three plate-layers went to a beer-shop, got drunk, and returned to the railway in the afternoon : they actually selected the railway as their couch to Bleep off their drunkenness!. After a time, one man awoke, and staggered from the line in search of more 13943 .11 OA dashed past, and one of the sleepers, Hunt, waS Med Sltint on, unhurt, having rolled a little way from

the raibi before,' tqraiii arrived. The surviving drunkards have been sent to prisonfor fourteen days for being on the line intoxicated.