470 NOTES OF THE MONTH. 



The Durham Advertiser is a very correct and pains-taking paper 

 in general, but in these reports surely there must be some mistake. 

 In the first case, the prisoner under the excitation and agony of 

 having his broken leg "twisted about, by a brute who tells him that 

 he is " making too much to do about it and that it is not broken/' 

 snatches up a poker and inflicts on his ruthless, insulting, and 

 cowardly tormentor a blow. For this, which be it remarked does 

 not prove mortal he narrowly escapes with his life, " to spend the 

 remainder of his days in a distant part of the world, in a very mise- 

 rable condition 1" In other words he is transported for life. 



The second case, as reported, arises out of a common public-house 

 row, " none of the parties appeared to be drunk." " There were a 

 number of persons scuffling together." The Italian knocks down a 

 man, named Trainer. Another person (Ross) interferes, a struggle 

 ensues between him and the Italian, who jumps back, draws a mortal 

 weapon, with which he not only stabs Ross, but with murderous 

 malignity " gives the instrument three shoves backwards and for- 

 wards ; after which he gives it a skrew round and pulls it out !" 

 Ross dies, and for this unprovoked, cool, deliberate, and most atro- 

 cious murder we beg pardon, the jury call it manslaughter, although 

 his lordship said the crime differed from murder by very minute de- 

 grees the miscreant is sentenced by the same judge who tried the 

 first case to be transported only for seven years ! because he hap- 

 pens to be a foreigner ! 



ARISTOCRATICAL NOTIONS OF CHARITY. Mr. Cobbett may be 

 justly called the representative of the poorer classes. He certainly 

 neglects no opportunity of advancing their interest, and is even 

 jealous of the terms by which they are recognized. He will on no 

 account suffer them to be called the " lower classes /' he says, " the 

 parson tells us that in the eyes of God all men are alike/' and must 

 be equally respected. Mr. Cobbett is right, but sometimes his charges 

 against the rich for their want of feeling as regards the poor, 

 excites the ire of his more aristocratic compeers in parliament. 

 Sir C. Burrell objected in strong terms to the course which Mr. 

 Cobbett pursued, of exciting the poor against the rich. He affirmed 

 that the rich had the most tender regard for the poor, and he adduced 

 an example in proof : "It was only the other day/' said the hon. 

 baronet, " that a clergyman, a friend of mine, sent a son out into the 

 world, and at the same time sent U. to Alderman Atkins for the 

 poor /' and further the hon. baronet begged to say, that on the 

 recurrence of a similar event, his clerical friend always did the same ! 

 Mr. Cobbett was of course completely annihilated with Sir C. 

 BurrelFs splendid illustration of aristocratical generosity he had not 

 a word to reply. 



Such examples as these ought to be quoted as often as they occur 

 to be sure, we can expect them but seldom, for they would serve to 

 combat the false notions prevalent amongst persons of a certain 

 class regarding the feeling of the rich towards the poor. Here is a 

 poor clergyman, the friend of an hon. baronet and M.P. perhaps the 

 livings of the pious gentleman do not amount to more than 1,800/. 



