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THE GARDENERS’ CHRONICLE. 
[Man. 18, 
i Liverpool.—The loss caused by the late fire at Messrs. 
Fawcett’s foundry has been much underrated. Instead 
of amounting to only 30,000/., it will, itis said, approach 
50,0007. Of this aggregate loss, Messrs. Fawcett’s forms 
an item of not less than 18,000/.—The adjourned meeting 
of the borough magistrates on the state of the workhouse 
was held in the Town-hall on Friday, when a series of re- 
solutions was adopted urging the insufficiency of the build- 
ing for the accommodation of the inmates, the impossibi- 
lity of proper classification, the necessity for an increase 
in the number of paid female officers, and the commence- 
ment of the new building —A shock of an earthquake was 
felt here yesterday at 1 a. m.; it awoke the people 
from their sleep, and extended to both banks of the Mersey. 
Neweastle-on- Tyne. — On Saturday last a meeting, 
consisting of several hundreds of pitmen, was held at 
Scaffold-hill, near Longbenton, The condition of the 
pitmen of the Tyne and the Wear, which is now very 
much depressed, was adyerted to; and one of the 
speakers stated that he had been in communication with 
Lord Ashley, who was ready to support their cause if they 
would only be true to themselves, and had sent him one 
of the Commissioners’ Reports, containing statements and 
pictures that must harrow up the feelings of every man 
of common humanity. Resolutions were passed in favour 
of a national union of coal-miners for the protection of 
their interests ; of the repeal of the export duty on coal, 
and of the retention of Lord Ashley’s Mines and Col- 
lieries Bill unimpaired. Thanks were then voted to the 
noble Lord for his humane and zealous efforts to improve 
the condition of the people. 
Portsmouth.—The Blenheim, 72, and the. Blonde 
frigate, arrived on Saturday from China. The Blonde 
had on board 3,000,000 dollars, on account of the Chi- 
nese indemnity. She came into harbour for the purpose 
of landing her treasure, which was forthwith conveyed by 
railway to the Mint. The Erebus, Terror, and Philomel, 
were at Port Louis, Falkland Islands, on the 1st Decem- 
ber, the two former arrived from Hermit Island, Cape 
Horn, on the 13th November, having completed the va- 
rious observations there, where they had been. employed 
for the three preceding months. The officers left at Port 
Louis, having completed their observations, had broken 
up the mud cottage establishment, and embarked on board 
their respective ships. The ships were to sail about the 
6th for the Antarctic Ocean ; all hands were healthy and 
sanguine of again making additional discoveries of land, 
and filling up the space toward the South Pole, having 
had the pleasure of seeing their “ Victoria Land” already 
published in the map of the world. Capt. Sullivan was 
about to proceed with the survey of the islands.  Lieut.- 
Governor Moody was laying out the lands in sections and 
town settlements ; two or three of the latter had been sold 
to families who had been located there for several years 
previously. He supplied beef at 24 per Ib., very indiffer- 
ent in quality ; no vegetables, milk, or any supplies could 
be . 
Reading.—Another incendiary fire took place in this 
county last week, at Cutbush-farm, Shinfield. When first 
observed, it was found that the stable at one end of the 
farm-buildings was fired, and at the same time flames 
were seen at the eastern extremity of the range of build- 
ings, a distance of ninety feet from the stable; proving 
that an incendiary had set fire to the premises in two 
places. The horses and cattle, and the stock of beans, 
were saved from the flames; there was fortunately no 
other corn on the premises. The fire burnt with such 
fury, that in about an hour’s time the whole of the farm 
buildings were destroyed, all efforts to stop the progress 
of the flames being in vain. The value of the property 
thus destroyed is estimated at about 300/. 
Shrewsbury.—The will of Lord Hill has just been 
proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, The 
effects have been sworn under 30,000/. The following 
curious legacies are bequeathed :—Five guineas per annum 
to the person who has charge of the column in this town; 
ten guineas per annum for the purpose of lighting the 
top of the column at night; and ten guineas per annum 
to the person who has charge of the light. 
Teignmouth.—The religious sect which sprung up a 
few years since in Devonshire, under the name of the 
* Plymouth Brethren,” have established a branch chapel 
in this town. Lord Congleton preached in it on Sunday 
last, and it already numbers a very large congregation, 
Railways.—The returns of traflic for the week on the 
principal lines are as follow :—Northern and Eastern, 
1,159/, ; Greenwich, 684/,; Eastern Counties, 8327, ; 
Croydon, 204/.; Liverpool and Manchester, 3,685/, " 
Brighton, 2,196/.; Grand Junction, 7,007/.; York and 
North Midland, 1,359/.; Blackwall, 463/.; Great North 
of England, 1,103/.; Manchester and Leeds, 4,060/. . 
Midland Counties, 2,076. ; Edinburgh and Glasgow, 
1,682/. ; Birmingham and Gloucester, 1,520. ; Birming- 
ham and Derby, 1,142/,; North Midland, 3,376/.; South 
Western, 4,203/.; Great Western, 10,517/, ; London and 
Birmingham, 12,9697. ; South Eastern and Dover, 
1,2952, 3 Manchester and Birmingham, 2,253/.—The final 
official inspection of the new portion of the Eastern 
Counties Railway, from Brentwood to Colchester, was 
made on the 8th inst. by Major-General Pasley, the 
Tnspector-General of railways, accompanied by the directors 
and engineer of the line, when General Pasley expressed 
his unqualified approbation of the excellence and stability 
of the works, On the following day the first cargo of live 
stock was transmitted from Colchester to Smithfield, and 
it is understood that the whole line will be opened for pas- 
senger traffic on Monday next.—The half-yearly meeting 
of the West London Railway Company was held last week. 
‘he report stated that in order to resuscitate the under- 
taking, certain creditors had agreed to take the amount of 
their claims in shares, and that preferred shares had been 
also offered to the original shareholders and the public ; 
a dividend of 10 per cent. being guaranteed on the amount 
of money paid up. Contracts had been already com- 
menced for carrying on the works from Paddington to 
Kensington, which are expected to be completed by 
Angust next, at a cost of 20,000/., exclusive of stations. 
It was stated, in the course of the meeting, that the in- 
ordinary, that the minority of the presbytery is competent 
to induct Mr. Young, notwithstanding the recusancy of 
the majority to discharge that duty. The petition and 
complaint for breaches of interdict at the instance of the 
Rev. Mr. Edwards, minister of Marnoch, against the 
minority of the presbytery of Strathbogie and others, was 
next taken up ; and, after hearing counsel, the court una- 
nimously found the respondents had been guilty of the 
breaches complained of, and granted warrants for calling 
habitants of Brompton are very fayourable to the line, 
and that it will eventually be carried on to Knightsbridg 
Lord Kensington assured the meeting, that as far as his 
influence as a landowner was concerned, he would do all 
in his power to promote the undertaking, and the chair- 
naan intimated that no opposition had been met with from 
any of the influential landowners.—The accounts laid 
before the shareholders of the Brandling Junction Rail- 
way at their general meeting, stated the amount received 
for the conveyance of passengers during 1842 to have 
been 19,3627.; and the total revenue, 40,7377. The ex- 
penses of working the line during that period had been 
19,4192.; general management, 6,207/.; the total ex- 
penses, 30,537/.; leaving a profit of 10,2007; the 
interest of money raised on debentures, &c., amount- 
ing to 11,1752, left the original shareholders defi- 
cient by 975/. The traffic for 1842, as compared 
with that of 1841, exhibited a falling off of 4,404/, 
of which diminution 2,733/. was from passengers alone,— 
The station. for the general use of the Manchester and 
Liverpool and the Manchester and Leeds Companies, at 
Hunt’s Bank, Manchester, will be one of the most exten- 
sive buildings of its kind in the kingdom, the Derby one 
alone excepted. It will be 700 feet long, and 200 feet 
wide, and covering two statute acres, and the roof will be 
of wrought iron.—A meeting of the Warwick and Lea- 
mington Company, now incorporated with that of the 
London and Birmingham, was held last week at the 
Euston-station, when resolutions were passed, comfirming 
the purchase by the Birmingham Railway of the Warwick 
and Leamington branch, and a bill, now before Parlia- 
ment, was agreed to, for its more effectual transfer— 
The half-yearly meeting of the Croydon Company took 
place on ,Thursday the 9th, when a dividend of 4s. per 
share was declared for the profits of toll and traffic for 
that period. From the discussion which took place on 
this occasion, no further progress in the dispute between 
the Greenwich and Croydon Companies, relative to the 
consolidation of tollage, has been made, although the 
Board of Trade have interfered with the view to a settle- 
ment. It appears from the published correspondence 
that the Board of Trade were of opinion that the details 
of the arrangement would be a fair subject for a reference 
to arbitration, and accordingly recommended the Green- 
wich Company to accede to the offer made by the Croydon 
Company, of adopting that mode of settling the differences 
between them. This recommendation, however, has not 
been acceded to, and as their Lordships had no means 
further of enforcing it, they express their regret that their 
interposition has not proved more successful in effecting 
an arrangement by which the public inconvenience appre- 
hended from the abandonment of the Croydon traffic 
might have been obviated. 
IRELAND. 
Dublin.—The papers give long accounts of the passive 
resistance shown to the Poor-law in different parts of 
Ireland. In the county of Waterford it has been neces- 
sary for the guardians to obtain the assistance of the 
Government and the police; but, on their first circuit, 
they were’ followed by thousands of persons, and the 
cattle were carried off by the farmers as soon as they saw 
the police approaching.—The subscription for the Mathew 
testimonial advances favourably. Lord Lansdowne has 
remitted 25/. to the fund, Lord Shannon 10/,, and Lord 
Desart 57, A brother of Mr. Mathew is to be superin- 
tending agent of the new Roman Catholic emigration 
colony in North America. 
Clonmel.—The three men charged at the late assizes in 
this city with the murder of Mr. Scully’s herdsman have, 
for the present, escaped the punishment of the law. 
The evidence for the prosecution was conclusive against 
the prisoners ; their counsel subsequently admitted that 
his cross-examination of the witnesses had totally failed 
to shake their direct testimony ; the Judge charged di- 
rectly for a conviction; and yet the Jury, after being 
Jocked up the whole night, could not agree to a verdict, 
and were consequently discharged. ‘The counsel for the 
Crown stated that he did not wish to attribute intimida- 
tion or improper motives, but he had seen so much dis- 
inclination in Clonmel with challenged juries to agree to 
their verdict, that he saw no prospect of any good from 
their protracted confinement. The prisoners are kept in 
custody. 
Newry.—A Presbyterian clergyman, who had been de- 
prived of his congregation by the Rathfriland Presbytery, 
has been arrested on supicion of being implicated in the 
attempt upon the life of the Rev. Mr. Dickie, noticed in 
our last. 
SCOTLAND. 
Edinburgh.—The first division of the Court of Session 
on Friday, affirmed, by the judgment of a majority of the 
judges, the interlocutor of the lord ordinary, sustaining 
the competency of this court to suspend and reduce the 
sentence of deposition against the Strathbogie ministers, 
and to give decree ‘to that effect, with expenses. This 
was the judgment of the Lord President, Lords M‘Kenzie, 
Meadowbank, Medwyn, Murray, Cunninghame, and 
Wood. The minority consisted of Lords Fullerton, Jef- 
frey, Monerief, Cockburn, and Iyory. In the Auchter- 
arder case, the same majority, with the addition of the 
Lord Justice Clerk, have affirmed the opinion of the lord 
all the pond: to the bar of the court, in the first 
sederunt day in May next. The complaint of the presby- 
tery of Strathbogie, against certain members of the pres- 
bytery, was postponed; and the note of suspension and 
interdict, at the instance of Dr. Bryce, against the pres- 
bytery of Edinburgh and Commission of Assembly, was 
passed, and the interdict granted.—The Wesleyan minis- 
ters of London have presented a petition to the House 
of Commons on behalf of the Church of Scotland, in which 
they state that while they fully and entirely recognise and 
maintain the duty incumbent on Christians, both collect- 
ively and individually, to render a cheerful and conscien- 
tious obedience to the requirements of the civil power in 
all matters whatsoever which are purely civil and tem- 
poral; they are, however, equally convinced of the duty 
and importance of a meek but firm and unwavering 
adherence to another great principle—namely,“that it is 
the right of every Christian church to claim, in matters 
which are plainly, and in their very nature, ecclesiastical 
and spiritual, and especially in reference to its sacred 
functions, an unfettered freedom to act according to those 
deliberate convictions which it may have been led to form 
and to embody in its standing rules and discipline, as to 
what is required in such cases by the laws of Christ, con- 
tained in the Holy Scriptures; they therefore entreat the 
House forthwith to take the case of the church of Scot- 
land into their serious consideration, and adopt such 
legislative measures as will relieve it from its present 
embarrassments, 
THEATRICALS. 
4 Irat1an Oprra.—Her Majesty’s Theatre opened for 
the season on Saturday evening. The great stars of the 
opera do not generally appear till Easter ; but this season 
we already have Madame Persiani in the opera, and 
Fanny Elssler in the ballet; in other respects, too, the 
company, in both departments, is stronger than usual at 
the beginning of the season. The new opera of ‘ Adelia,’”’ 
by Donizetti, was chosen for the opening of the campaign. 
The performance was chiefly remarkable for the appear- 
ance of the new tenor, Signor Conti, who was summoned 
before the curtain, with Madame Persiani, at the close of 
the opera, to receive the applauses of a house unusually 
crowded for the first night of the season. In the ballet of 
“L’ Aurore,” which followed, an accident happened to 
M. Perrot; in the midst of one of his most difficult move- 
ments, a sharp noise like the cracking of a whip was 
heard, and M, Perrot, evidently in great suffering, rushed 
to the side scenes, holding one of his legs with both 
hands, and was carried off the stage by the Chorus. It 
was at first feared that he had broken the tendon Achillis, 
but it appears from the surgical certificate that some 
fibres of a minor muscle gave way, and thus caused the 
sudden incapacity of supporting himself. It is hoped, 
however, that he will be able to appear again in a few 
days. ‘This accident was unfortunate in many respects, 
more especially as a new dancer, Mile. Dumilatre, made 
her first appearance in the ballet. She was most favour- 
ably received, and justified the admiration bestowed on 
her by a remarkable combination of physical strength with 
singular elegance of action. On Tuesday night she was 
loudly called for at the conclusion, and received those 
honours of which the mishaps on the night of her débué 
had deprived her. 
Covent GArpen.—Mr. Bunn’s benefit, which took 
place on Monday night, and which was honoured by the 
presence of her Majesty, was attended by the most 
crowded audience of the season. The pit, boxes, and 
gallery were completely thronged before the curtain rose, 
and at half-price there was scarcely a vacant place in the 
slips. The revival of ‘* Oberon” had perhaps scmething 
to do with this satisfactory state of the theatre, but a far 
more important cause was to be found in the appear- 
ance of Fanny Elssler, for that night only, in the ‘t Maid 
of Cashmere.” ‘Lhe reception she met with far surpassed 
what has been recorded of her triumphs at New Orleans 
and the Havannah. During the pas-de-deuw in the 
second act, the audience were in complete raptures, and 
there was one continued clamour from its commencement 
to its close. On few occasions has such a scene of enthu- 
Siasm been witnessed within the walls of this theatre. 
SMiscellancous. 
The Earthquake at Antigua.—In addition to the news- 
paper accounts of this catastrophe, published in our last, 
the following extracts from a despatch, addressed to Lord 
Stanley, by Sir C. Fitz Roy, the Governor of Antigua, 
may be interesting to our readers. After stating that the 
earthquake is ‘ the most:awful convulsion ever recorded in 
the history of this portion of the West Indies,’’ his Excel- 
lency proceeds as follows :—‘ On the-8th inst., without 
the slightest atmospheric or other indication of the ap- 
proaching calamity, as nearly-as possible at 20 minutes 
before eleven o’clock in the forenoon, an earthquake of 
the most terrific kind shook the island to its centre, and in 
the short space of a few moments converted its fair and 
pleasing aspect of security and prosperity into one entire 
Scene of destruction and desolation. At least one fourth 
of the houses in the city of St, John‘are levelled with the 
ground, and the majority.of the remainder are irretrieva= 
