Feb. 3,] 



THE NEWSPAPER. 



[1844. 



Agriculture and other branches of native industry, 

 and a committee was appointed to carry out the ob- 

 jects of the meeting. 



Roehford A meeting of the Essex Protection Society 



was held in this town on Thursday week, Mr. R. Baker 

 in the chair, at which resolutions similar to those adopted 

 at Romford on the previous day in favour of the existing 

 corn-laws were unanimously carried. The chairman an- 

 nounced that the total subscriptions in Essex up to the 

 morning of tha meeting amounted to nearly .2,100/. 



Salisbury. — The Agriculturists of South Wilts held a 

 meeting in this city on Saturday, Mr. llussey, M.P., in 

 the chair, at which resolutions in favour of Protection, 

 which had been adopted at a preliminary meeting, were 

 submitted and unanimously approved. 



Sheffield.— In the I is district Court of Bankruptcy 

 on Monday last, Mr. Commissioner West gave ju dg ment 

 as to the granting of certificates to Mr. Hugh Porker, 

 Mr. Offley Shore, Mr. John i rewin,and Mr. John Roger*, 

 the partners in the Sheffield Old Bank. The Commis- 

 sioner went through the principal transactions proved 

 under the fiat, and after stating his belief that they lived 

 as eoODOm lly as possible, he dwelt particularly on the 

 fact of Mr. Barker having lodged a sum of 750/. in the 

 bank for the purpose of being transmitted to Liverpool, 

 but whit h the bankrupts retained in their possession, ami 

 a pp r op riated to their own use on the understanding that 

 they would semi it to their London agent. The Com- 

 missioner observed that as Mr. B.irker kept no account 

 with the bank, it was a single transaction, and therefore, 

 there could be no mistake respecting it. " They were 

 bound," l.e said, u to transmit that &0G7. to the house in 

 Liverpool, which they wilfully Deflected to do. X am 

 sorry for it, because it in some measure affects the 

 character of all the partners. The most lenient way in 

 which 1 can view it is, that they intended from time to 

 time to transmit the money to Liverpool. Tbis, however, 

 they did not do, but appropriated it to their own use. 

 Under these circumstances, I think their certificate should 

 be delayed until the 16th cf April, and in delaying it 



until that time I tnke into consideration the period which 

 bas elapsed since the issuing of the fiat."— A meeting was 

 beld in this town last week to hear a deputation from the 

 League, Mr. E. Smith in the chair. Mr. Cobden, who 

 bad just arrived from Sunderland, Mr. Bright, M.P., and 

 Mr. Ward, M.P., addressed the meeting at great length in 

 favour of total Repeal, and a subscription was entered into 

 which the chairman headed with a contribution of 200/. 



Sttyniny. — On Monday a meeting of farmers and ot rs 

 interested in Agriculture was held at Steyning, for the 

 purpose of forming a society to be called the ** Sussex 

 Society for the Protection of Agriculture." Among those 

 present were the Dukes of Richmond and Norfolk, the 



Earls of Egmont, Winter ton, Sheffield, Ahergn venny, and 



March, Lord' \ Sir II. Shiffner, Sir t ML Burr ell, 



Bart., M.P.| Colonel Wvndhato, M.l\ : Hon. R. ( 

 Scarlett. M.P. ; Mr. Goring, M.P.; Mr. Darby, M.P. ; 

 Mr. K. Prime, &c. Mr. J. Lllman of Line, an occupying 

 tenant, was called to the chair and addressed the noting 

 at great length. The first resolution declared the opinion 

 of the meeting that it is the duty of the owners and occu- 

 piers of land to use their best endeavours to counteract 

 the designs of the League. Resolutions in favour of the 

 existing Corn-laws and forming a Protection Society were 

 then carried, the Duke of Richmond being appointed 







now, and all parties wou d have been satisfied, and Corn 

 would have come in regularly, and some perhaps gone out 

 as regularly, and a regular duty would have acted for 

 revenue and for protection ; but unhappily for the country 

 at that time you all, or nearly all, stood by with folded 

 arms, and trusted to those whom you thought friends, and 

 you are now tasting the bitter fruits of your then neglected 

 duties." — An investigation has been made by the magis- 

 trates of Kingston near this town and by one of the 

 county coroners respecting the death of an old man named 

 William Sealey, who died in April, 1842, of what was 

 then supposed to be inllammation of the stomach and 

 >wels, but who, from circumstances which have since 

 transpired, is believed to have been poisoned by his own 

 daughters, by the administration of arsenic in large doses. 

 One of these women Mary Sealey was recently committed 

 for trial for the wilful murder of her great aunt Betty 

 Sealey, perpetrated under circumstances of singular atro- 

 city. Circumstances which have come to light in conse- 

 quence of her committal have led to the suspicion that her 

 father also died by her hand. He was a day-labourer, and 

 about 50 years of ago at the time of his death. He lived 

 with his daughters, Mary and Faith, and two of his sons, 

 at a hamlet called Pickney, about a mile or two from 

 Taunton. He had often been heard to have quarrels with 

 his daughters, but no suspicion arose at the time that his 

 death was caused by violent means. The body has now, 

 however, been exhumed and analysed by Mr. lierapath of 

 Bristol At the close of the evidence the jury returned a 

 verdict of Wilful Murder against both the (laughters. 



Wakefield. — On Wednesday a public dinner in favour 

 of Free Trade and the abolition of the Corn-laws took 

 place in this town, and was attended by upwards of 600 

 persons from all parts of the West Riding. Mr. J. G. 

 Marshall presided. The event of the meeting was the 

 speech of Lord Morpeth in favour of free trade, in which 

 his Lordship expressed his conviction that a change in the 

 present corn-laws is inevitable, and that the progress of 

 tree-trade principles can no longer be delayed. u I know 

 not," he said, " what new forms of tactics the enemy may 

 assume. Farmers may secede from useful agricultural 

 societies; the Anti- League may be rallying up to scatter 

 the light chaff of your arguments with the heavy flail of 

 their logic ; you may be accused of setting fire to ricks, 

 or, resorting to another element, they may threaten you 

 with submersion in rivers ; but you will look upon all 

 these ebullitions of hostility as evidences and omens that 

 you are gaining ground, that you are making way, that 

 you are in. -iking yourselves felt." The meeting was after- 

 wards addressed by Mr. Hamer Stansfield, Mr. Cobden, 

 Mr. Bright, Col. Thompson, and other gentlemen. 



Whitburn — The landowners and farmers of this 

 neighbourhood held a meeting on Monday, when a peti- 

 tion was agreed upon to be presented to both Houses of 

 Parliament, praying " that adequate protection should be 

 continued to the British cultivator, and thatin any changes 

 the Legislature might think fit to adopt in the existing 

 Corn Laws the protection now enjoyed by them should 

 not be diminished." 



Worcester. — A meeting of the Worcestershire Agricul- 

 tural Protection Society was held in this city on Saturday, 

 P.V. Onslow, Esq., in the chair, supported by Sir A. Lech- 

 mere, Bart., Mr.'Pakington, M.P., Mr. G. C.Vernon, Gen. 



Lygon, and numerous other landowners and agriculturists. 



. _ . . Resolutions against the League and in favour of protection 



President, aud the Earl of Egmont, Lord Gage, the Karl were unanimously adopted, and a committee appointed to 



of Sheffield, Sir C.Burrell, and Colonel Wyndham, Vice- > open a communication with the Protection Society of 



Presidents. The Duke of Richmond then addressed the 

 meeting at great length, and said he had felt it his duty 

 as a landlord to attend the meeting, and to co-operate 

 with them to the utmost of his power in the promotion 

 of every object beneficial toagrin. re. A subscription 

 was afterwards opened, when upwards of 1000/. was at 

 once subscribed; the Duke of Richmond, the Duke of 

 Norfolk, the Karl of Egmont, Sir C. Burrell, the county 



members and other gentlemen putting down their names 

 for 100/. each. 



Stockport. — The colliers employed st Lord Vernon's 

 collieries at Poynton, Worth, and Norbury, near this 

 town, turned out for an advance of wages on Saturday 

 week. For some weeks past a spirit of dissatisfaction 

 had been exhibited among them, and considerably less 

 coal than usual bad been got, so that the * 4 banks ' were 

 empty. In consequence of this proceeding several cotton- 

 mills in Stockport were obliged to stop for coals last week. 

 — A meeting in favour of the League was held in this town 

 on Tuesday which was attended by nearly 3,000 persons. 

 Mr. Cobden and Mr. Moore addressed the meeting as a 

 deputation from the League, and the sura of 1,013/. was 

 subscribed exclusive of 300/. at Manchester. 



Tamurorth. — On Monday a meeting of the members of 

 the Tamworth Agricultural Association was held b tins 

 town, when measures ot resistance to the movements of 

 the League were adopted. Mr. U. J. Vye f a )*i. landed 

 proprietor, and formerly High Sheriff for Stafford, occu- 

 pied the cnair, and amongst the gentlemen pre it were 

 Mr. Woolfersten, of Stotlord Hall ; Mr. Tongue, of ( ■ n 

 berford Hall; Major Bamford, Mr. Bourne of Pisnerwick, 

 and other influential agriculturists. 



Taunton.— Sir Thomas Lethbridge has addressed a 

 letter to the landowners. &r. of West Somerset, calling 

 upon them to get a county meeting, to express their senti- 

 ments on the Corn-laws and the proceedings of the League, 

 He says, " My opinions have been long known ; they are 

 aliii the same — that the present Corn-law is bail, and 

 ought to be replaced by open ports with fixed duties; and 

 this was the measure the last Government intended to give 

 us when they were turned out, and the sliding-scale soon 

 after was established. If the open-port system had been 

 then carried, there would have betii no League at work 



of 

 Essex, as the county which first set the example of this 



detensivt movement, with a view of suggesting a combined 

 operation of the Protection Societies of England. 



York. — A meeting to receive a deputation from the 

 League was held in this city on Thursday, Mr. E. Smith 

 of Sheffield in the chair. About 1300 persons were 

 present, and the chairman, Mr. Cobden, Mr. Bright, and 

 Col. Thompson addressed the meeting. At ti close of 

 the proceedings subscriptions to the amount of 115/. were 

 announced. 



Railways.— The following are the returns for the past 

 week : — Birmingham and Derby, 1270/.] Birmingham 

 and Gloucester, 1573/. ; 1 tern Counties, 3522/.; Edin- 

 burgh and G gow, 1,796/.; Great Western, 11,690/.; 

 Grand Junction, (M38/. ; Glasgow, Paisley, and Ayr, 

 1122/. | Great North of England, 1378/.; London and 

 Birmingham. 13,680/.; South Western, 4569/. ; Black- 

 wall, 5! ; Greenwich, 718/.; Brighton, 04/.; Croydon, 

 2o;il.; Liverpool and Manchester, 4122/. ; Manchester 

 Leeds, and Hull, associated, 5251/. ; Midland Counties, 

 399/.; Manchester and Birmingham, 2511/.; North 

 Midland, 3791/.; Newcastle and Carlisle, 1272/.; South- 

 Eastern and Dover, 2186/. ; Sheffield and Manchester, 

 467*. ; York aud North Midland, 1394/.— The half-yearly 

 meeting of the Liverpool and Manchester Company was 

 held last week in Liverpool. It appeared from the report 

 that the receipts for the half-year had amounted to 

 121*08)/. 4*. C(/., the disbursements to 67,642/. 10*. 2</., 

 having a net profit of 63,388/. 14*. 4</.. out of which the 

 Directors recommended a dividend of 5/. per 100/. per 

 share, which on 12,090 shares would amount to 60,450/., 

 and leave a balance of 2938/. 14*. Ad. to be carried to the 

 next account. The Directors were then authorised to 

 carry into effect a proposed arrangement with the Man- 

 chester, Bolton, and Bury Company. The dividend of 

 live per cent, was ordered to be made. — The half-yearly 

 meeting of the Greenwich Company was held on Tuesday. 

 The report stated that the Directors in accordance with 

 the resolution of the 31st August last had notified to the 

 Croydon and Dover Companies, that the Directors 

 would be ready to charge reduced rates of tolls, viz.: — 

 id., ?>d., and 2d., for first, second, and third class passen- 

 gers, to commence whenever those companies would bring 





all classes of passengers at moderate fares to Loo4qb 

 bridge, and that the offer was declined by both Company. 

 The report referred to the proceedings of the Co 

 with reference to an exchange of stations, &c. and «, r 

 that the Directors had been enabled to open on the lfek 

 inst. the south side of the approach to the terminus fro* 

 London-bridge. In August last a scale of reduced fire, 

 to Greenwich was adopted, which showed an increase of 

 151,943 passengers, but a decrease of 966/. 4*. 8«f. i n tW 

 receipts. From the statement of accounts for the bait 

 year it appeared that after paying all expenses, together 

 with interest on morttrage-debt and on the preference 

 •hares, as well as appropriating 1000/. as before towards 

 the expense of relaying the line, there remained on tae 

 profit and loss account a balance of 416/. 18*. 6$<f. It 

 having been moved and seconded that the report be received 

 and adopted, a long and angry discussion ensued with refc. 

 rence to some former minutes which however were finafir 

 confirmed. It was next resolved that legal opinion shoaU 

 be taken respecting the preference shares, on the point 

 whether the Directors are warranted in paying dividends 

 to the preference shareholders before all the expenses of 

 working and repairing the line are discharged, and whe. 

 ther the preference shareholders are entitled to any arrears 

 of dividend which are existing beyond the past half-year. 

 From the small amount of the balance no dividend w* 

 declared. — A meeting was held at Truro on Friday at wWea 

 most of the large and influential capitalists and landed* 

 proprietors attended, to receive a report from a com- 

 mittee of gentlemen appointed at a former county meetinf 

 on the subject of a railway through Cornwall. The Earl 

 of Falmouth presided on the occasion, and Sir Charles 

 Lemon, Bart., Mr. Pendarves, M.l\, Mr. Turner, M.P., 

 Mr. Gregor and Mr. Treffry, with some others of the 

 provisional committee, addressed the meeting. The report 

 was received and the propriety of encouraging the railway 

 was unanimously admitted. — A private opening of the 

 South-Eastern Line took place on Saturday. The Direc- 

 tors and Engineers passed over the line four times at the 

 rate of about 20 miles an hour and expressed themselves 

 satisfied with the experimental trip. — A meeting of the 

 shareholders of the West London Railway took pla« 

 last week for the purpose of considering the expedi- 

 ency of extending the line to the Thames, with the 

 view of affording similar facilities to the Great Western 

 and Birmingham Railways as those enjoyed by the 

 South Western. The estimated cost of the eitenaion 

 as laid down by Mr. Stephenson, including the land 

 as valued by the company's surveyor, is 60,<;00/., and 

 it is proposed to raise a new capital of G4.000/., divided 

 into 3200 shares of 20/. each, to be denominated " exten- 

 sion shares," with the following advantages and priority 

 of dividend. The deposit is to be 21. per share, with sub- 

 sequent calls not exceeding 3/. per share every tbree 

 months, interest at 5/. per cent, per annum to be payable 

 half-yearly on the deposit and calls until the completion 

 of the railway. From the time of completion it is pro- 

 posed that, as the capital to be subscribed will on its 

 application in the manner proposed add considerably to 

 the revenue of the company, and as it is intended that the 

 shares be issued at par, the holder is to be entitled to a 

 fixed annual dividend of 10*. per share, payable half-yearly 

 in priority to all other dividends, and also to participate 

 equally in every respect, both in preference aud contin- 

 gency, with the holders of the present first-class P r f fere J^* 

 shares created by the resolutions of October, 1842. Tbe 

 present shareholders are of course to have the privilege oj 

 taking a certain proportion of the new issue, and from the 

 feeling of the meeting there is very litt)e doubt that they 

 will subscribe liberally. The resolutions authorising U* 

 directors to carry the views they express in their report 

 into effect were carried all but unanimously, the only 

 opponent being a shareholder who desired an adjournment 

 to allow the proprietors an opportunity for reflection on 

 the matter. It appears that although the. directors pro- 

 pose to carry out the extension to the Thames as speedily 

 as possible, they have not forgotten the advantages 

 promised by carrying on the railway to Knightsbridge. 

 From all that could be gathered during the proceeding* 

 the company expect to receive every assistance at U* 

 hands of the Great Western and Birmingham rail**)* 

 —On Friday morning the Dinting viaduct now in course 

 of erection across Dinting Vale, a short distance from «* 

 Glossop station on the Sheffield and Manchester line, tea 

 in. The viaduct is of great height, vieing with that 

 Broadbottom, and comprises three stone arches raise** 

 from massive abutments or pillars. Two men wer * 

 work on tbe centres, one was killed on the spot and 

 other seriously injured. On Monday night on the «*»* 

 line a man who was walking on the line contrary to 

 orders of the Company was killed by the train, wniw 

 passed over one of his legs and completely amputated^ 

 The occurrence was entirely accidental and the eD 8 1D 

 of the train could not have prevented it.— On - un ' 

 morning as one of the luggage trains of the w s 

 Counties Railway was proceeding from Colchester 

 London, on arriving at Springfield by some accident , 

 train got o IT the rails, and afier running about lo ) . 

 some of the carriages with the engine were overtur • 

 A number of labourers had been employed at tne ffj 

 where the a< lent occurred in getting ballast for the 

 pair of the line, and at the spot where the train "PP-^ 

 to have run off there has been a sort of temporary ra» ^ 

 down and which was used by the workmen to carr ^ or fc 

 gravel out of the cutting, and the labourers were at 

 at the time. The mail train had passed over tbe l 

 about an hour before but fortunately no accident occu 

 The engine and tender were both thrown on their - 

 and William Scott the stoker fell under the former ^ 

 was killed upon the spot, and the engiue-driver a 





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