1829. 
claim on the generosity of the public, to enable 
them to efféct the contemplated improvements in 
their ancient and interesting church. As the dila- 
pidation and ruin of such a magnificent religious 
edifice would be a national disgrace, the affluent, 
the great, and the good are called upon, by the 
strongest motives, to contribute to its restoration. 
Already has the cheerless whitewash been effaced 
from the massive walls and traceried roof,—from 
the Norman circular pillars and rich Gothic cha- 
pels,—and a suitable warm stone«colour, to match 
the original material, been substituted through- 
out ; and the more delicate portions of those splen- 
did specimens of ancient masonry, the tombs and 
shrines, have been renewed. 
DORSETSHIRE.—The poorer inhabitants of 
Bridport are in a truly pitiable condition, in con- 
sequence of the very depressed state of the staple 
trade of the town. About four months ago, the 
manufacturers found difficulty in getting the work 
done, but now there is scarcely a thread of twine 
put out to the braiders from the beginning to the 
end of the week; there seems to be an entire 
stagnation of business, and there is no chance of 
a revival till next winter. The high price of po- 
tatoes is a great increase to their lamentable con- 
i They live principally on rice, which they 
tion. 
ly for 22d. per lb. Two or three cargoes of po- 
tatoes are daily expected, which we sincerely 
hope will be offered at a reasonable rate, which 
will no doubt serve to ameliorate their distress. 
Sironecasrensiini—« handsome and spa- 
‘cious apartment, capable of holding 200 persons, 
was opened, May 12, at the Worcester Literary 
and Scientific Institution, as their lecture-room ; 
and the first lecture, on the advantages resulting 
from associations for the diffusion of useful know- 
ledge, and their important bearing upon society, 
was delivered by Dr. Malden. 
ra a the late Staffordshire 
ssions, the Chairman stated, that, in conse- 
quence of the vast increase in the number of pri- 
soners, nearly £5,000, had been required during 
the quarter for their maintenance, and for prose- 
cutions. Upwards of 300 prisoners had been 
tried at the Lent Assizes, and at the Epiphany 
Sessions. 
. meeting of the mer- 
chants, manufacturers, and other inbabitants of 
Birmingham, was held May 8, for the purpose of 
‘consi g the distressed state of the country, 
and » propriety of petitioning Parliament to 
sh measures as may be necessary for its 
when 31 resolutions were passed for that 
Resolution 16 states, “ that in the opinion 
meeting, the lower classes of the people 
e no longerin a condition to pay taxes, and 
erefore that the taxes upon beer, malt, tea, su- 
, tobacco, soap, and candles, ought to be 
orthwith entirely repealed, and the amount of 
uch taxes ought to be raised by a property tax, 
‘or by some other tax which should be borne by 
the more affluent members of the community.” 
Upwards of 3,000 persons were present. 
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. — There has been 
two falls of rock at Nottingham, to a very great 
extent’; indeed, the latter, it is supposed, weighed 
from 30 to 40 tons. It took place about three 
o'clock inthe morning; and the reiterated howl- 
M.M. New Series«Vou. VII. No. 42. 
Dorsetshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Sc. 
681 
ing of a dog in an adjoining house gave euch 
timely notice as to enable several persons to 
escape, who otherwise would have been er ushed 
to death. 
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE.—The affairs of the 
Northampton Town and Country Bank have been 
brought to a most saiisfactory close, by paying 
twenty shillings in the pound, with interest. Mr. 
Howes and Mr. Osborn, two of the late firm, have 
very handsomely presented to each of the three 
assignees an elegant silver cup, as a tribute of 
gratitude and respect for their indefatigavle exer- 
tions, and most judicious conduct, in bringing the 
whole of the accounts to a final settlement !!! 
NORFOLK.—Lately, at the Common Council 
Chamber of the city of Norwich, the sum of £100. 
was voted to the Norfolk and Suffolk Artists’ So- 
ciety, to assist in enabling them to enlarge their 
premises im Norwich, and to purchase casts and 
models, with a view to the further promotion of 
the Fine Arts in this part of the country. 
At the County Meeting in the Grand Jury Room, 
one of the magistrates could not forbear express- 
ing his regret at being obliged to move for so 
large a sum ; but the proposed county levy for the 
ensuing quarter, he feared,.must be £5,700. It 
was occasioned by the great expense attending 
the prosecution of prisoners, which, since Christ- 
mas, amounted to £2,100.; the greater portion 
of which (£1,370.) was incurred by prosecutions 
at the Lent Assizes, 
LINCOLNSHIRE. — The number of Scotch 
vagrants on the great north road have become 
a severe tax on the payers of county rates, and 
the evil is daily increasing. Atthe last quarter- 
sesions for Stamford, 400 vagrant passes were 
charged in the account for 3 months; and with- 
in the last year the nnmber was 1,400. It has 
become a regular trade with a numerous class 
of the Scotch to go twice a year by water to 
London, and to get passed by land to their pa- 
rishes. The vagrant allowance is such as en- 
sures a comfortable support to the vagrant and 
his family, and even enables them to save some- 
thing handsome out of it. In this pleasant wea» 
ther, the number of vagrants brought to Stamford 
in the pass-carriage reaches from 12 to 20 daily! 
—Stamford Mercury. 
RUTLAND.—By the abstract of the treasurer’s 
account for this county, it appears that the sum 
of £1,123.6s. 4d. was expended, during the last 
year, for county services, most of which were 
“ eat up,” as the Frehch say, “ by the lawyers”’— 
£2, 16s, having been paid for repairing county 
bridges, and nearly all the‘rest used in the’crimi- 
nal jurisprudence and its accessories, 
SOMERSETSHIRE,.—The crape factory at 
Shepton-Mallet is again at work, which has had 
some effect in relieving the parish-rates ; but they 
are still heavy, in consequence of the stoppage of 
the silk and lacé-works—the machinery of the 
latter, which, a few years since, was erected at 
the cost of upwards of £30,000., bas been sold for 
little more than £1,400, 
The new line of road between Chard and Yar- 
combe (made at an expense of upwards of £5,000, 
and by which more than 500 feet of hill is saved), 
was opened by the Devonport mail, on Saturday, 
the 2d instant. The labourers employed in the 
