Apr. 6,] 



THE NEWSPAPER. 



[1844 



,coo acres. 111c uuvciuui iutu iw« » oiu^uiwu. «. »— ~ 



ipts and expenditure of the corporation from its com- 

 icement, which was considered satisfactory. The corn- 



course in this state of affairs no dividend could be declared, 

 and it was only in hopes for a change which will bring 

 about a better condition of things that the shareholders 

 appeared inclined to support the company any longer. 



Canada Company. — The half-yearly meeting of this 

 . corporation was held last week, pursuant to the terms of 

 the charter, the Governor, Mr. Franks, in the chair. The 

 report stated that the sales of land in the Crown reserves 

 during the past year had been 12,838 acres, at an average 

 of 13s. Id. per acre, and in the Huron tract 8705 acrea 

 at an average of 12s. Id. per acre ; making a total of 

 21,543 acres, producing 13,804/. currency, independently 

 of the town lots purchased. There had been leased of 

 Crown reserves during: the year 68,805 acres, producing 

 an annual rental of 2769/., or equal to 10*. bd. per acre ; 

 and in the Huron tract, 63,907 i acres. The leases were 

 granted for twelve years, at a rental, which if regu- 

 larly paid, the land would become the property of 

 the occupier, and consequently alienated from the 

 company. The total quantity of land leased and sold was 

 194,255 acres. The Governor then read a statement of the 



recei 

 mence 



pany had 1,378,189 acres of land paid for, but still unsold. 

 The quantity purchased from the Government was 

 2,484,413 acres. Of this there had been 982,941 acres 

 Bold, and 123,313 acres had yet to be paid for, the com- 

 pany having the option of taking the latter. Since the 

 commencement of the year there had been sold in the 

 Crown reserves 1500 acres, and in the Huron tract 800 

 acres. There had been leased in the former 3800 acres, 

 and in the latter 7290 acres, an increase over the opera- 

 tions of the same period of 1842 of 3753 acres. In the 

 receipts there had been an increase of 2842/. The plan 

 of leasing the land had been most beneficial, and the rents 

 hitherto had been punctually paid. The colonists on the 

 company's lands were improving, as was shown by the 

 remittances made to their poorer relatives in the United 

 Kingdom, which, upon an average, had in the last year 

 been 9/. for each individual, who had sent home money to 

 fathers, mothers, &c. through the company's agency, and 

 which was afforded gratuitously. The total amount so 

 remitted from Canada to the company last year was 2990/., 

 and by the last letters 600/. in addition, similarly destined, 

 were advised. This showed that the settlers upon the 

 company's lands were prospering, and that the position 

 in which the colony was placed was improving. 



New Royal Exchange. — With the punctuality that has 

 attended all the proceedings connected with this edifice, 

 the mass of Bank-buildings, which concealed the princi- 

 pal front, have been removed within a short month, and 

 the portico is now open to Cheapside. This portico is 

 the largest in London, and is only second to the portico 

 of the Pantheon at Rome and the Madeleine at Paris. 

 It consists of eight Corinthian columns, the extreme 

 breadth being 90 feet, and the height to the apex of the 

 pediment 76 feet. At the meeting of the Gresham Com- 

 mittee, which took place on Saturday, further decorations 

 in sculpture were agreed to, at the eipense of the com- 

 mittee ; and it was resolved, that in addition to the 

 sculpture on the pediment, the interior should be deco- 

 rated by a statue of the Queen, and that a new statue of 

 the founder, Sir Thomas Gresham, should be provided 

 and placed in the niche of the tower over the great eastern 

 entrance. Other suggestions for further decorations were 

 referred to a sub-committee for consideration. 



St. Stephen's, Walbrook. — A meeting of the parish- 

 ioners was held on Wednesday, to elect overseers for the 

 year ensuing. Alderman Gibbs and the other members 

 of the select vestry requested the parishioners to with- 

 draw, but they refused, and the select vestry immediately 

 adjourned to the private residence of Alderman Gibbs. 

 "The parishioners then constituted a vestry for themselves, 

 the Rev. Dr. Croly in the chair, and Mr. H. Rock and 

 Mr. J. Williams were nominated overseers of the poor, 

 and Mr. Crosby vestry clerk in the room of Mr. Pearce, 

 who had resigned. Mr. Rock said the time had arrived 

 when the parishioners must take a decided step to effect 

 the election of proper officers for the present year. They 

 iad received no accounts for 20 years, nor had any notice 

 of monetary matters been made in the usual vestry 

 books. An account, it was true, had been printed and 

 very generally circulated thoughout the city by Alderman 

 CSibbs, but never presented to the parish or audited by 

 any person regularly appointed. He was now prepared 

 even to impugn that account. Mr. Rock read the fol- 

 lowing receipt, which was handed round for the inspec- 

 tion of the parishioners:— "Received, 31st May, J 839, 

 of the churchwardens of St. Bennett Sherehog, seventy- 

 three pounds two shillings and ninepence ; the propor- 

 tion of expense of that parish for the united parishes of 

 St. Stephen's, Walbrook, and St. Bennett Sherehog, due 

 in Easter, 1837. 73/. 2s. 9d. (Signed) Michael Gibbs, 

 Churchwarden, St. Stephen's, Walbrook." The produc- 

 tion of this document in the handwriting of the alderman 

 •caused a great sensation, as it does not appear in the ac- 

 counts furnished and printed by that gentleman. Mr. 

 Rock said it was not necessary for his present purpose 

 to impute fraud to Alderman Gibbs. It was quite 

 enough for him to say that 73/. had been received and 

 not accounted for. If the parishioners had had yearly 

 accounts and yearly auditors, this inaccuracy would have 

 been detected. It was necessary to provide now for the 

 future. He imagined the meeting agreed with him that 

 Alderman Gibbs and his present colleagues were unfit 

 persons for their officers for the ensuing year ; and it re- 

 mained for them to provide persons more worthy of their 

 confidence. Three quarters' salary were due to the rector, 

 the organist, the parish clerk, and others. Sums were 

 likewise owing to the Poor-law Commissioners amounting 



to 400/., and the dome of their beautiful church was 

 crumbling in for want of repair, while the wind drove 

 through the roof upon the heads of the worshippers, and 

 the rain fell through and rotted the matting provided at 

 the expense, and voluntarily so, of the rector. — Mr. 

 Cunliffe, Mr. Howitt, and Mr. Flight, addressed the 

 meeting, and said that no funds should be wanting to pro- 

 secute the suit which had for its object the obtaining 

 justice from Alderman Gibbs. 



Launch of the Boscawen. — The launch of this line-of- 

 battle ship took place on Wednesday, in the presence of 

 an immense concourse of spectators, who were induced by 

 the novelty of the sight and the fineness of the day to visit 

 Woolwich for the occasion. The river was crowded with 

 steamers and boats of all descriptions, filled with visitors. 

 The vessel was named by the Countess of Haddington, 

 and she glided off the stocks in gallant style without 

 the occurrence of a single accident. The Boscawen is 180 

 feet long on the gun-deck, and 2213 tons old measure, 



and she is pierced for 70 guns. 



Sunday Trading.— The magistrates of Westminster 

 have caused notices to be served on the churchwardens of 

 the different parishes, calling upon them to direct shop- 

 keepers and others to abstain from selling goods on the 

 Sunday. Since these notices were issued, several poor 

 people, who obtain a pittance by vending articles in the 

 street, have had their goods seized by the police, and been 

 brought before the magistrate to answer the charge of 

 violating the 29th of Charles II., which declares that 

 nothing but milk and mackarel should be retailed on the 

 Sabbath. The magistrate said there were six days on 

 which persons were to labour, and they could not be per- 

 mitted to violate the seventh, which was the Sabbath. As 

 this was the first time they had come before him he should 

 discharge them, but if the offence was repeated by them, 

 or persisted in by others, he should inflict the full penalty. 

 In the City, the inhabitants of Dowgate, Queenhithe, and 

 Vintry wards (particularly the butchers), have come to the 

 determination of not opening their shops on the Sabbath. 



General Tom Thumb. — On Monday evening, H Gene- 

 ral Tom Thumb," the celebrated American dwarf, had 

 the honour of appearing for the second time before the 

 Court at Buckingham Palace. In addition to Her Ma- 

 jesty, the Queen of the Belgians, the Prince of Wales, the 

 Princesses, a distinguished party had been invited to wit- 

 ness the performance. His delineation of Napoleon eli- 

 cited great mirth, and this was followed by a representa- 

 tion of the Grecian statues, after which the General 

 danced a hornpipe and sang several of his favourite songs. 

 Her Majesty was pleased to present the General with her 

 own hand a souvenir of mother of pearl, mounted with 

 gold and precious stones. On one are the Crown and 

 Royal initials V. R., and on the reverse bouquets of 

 flowers in enamel and rubies. In addition to this Her 

 Majesty subsequently presented the General with a gold 

 pencil-case, with the initials of Tom Thumb, and his coat 

 of arms engraved on the emerald surmounting the case, 

 accompanying it with the expression of Her Majesty's 

 high gratification at his versatile talents. The dwarf had 

 scarcely made his appearance in the afternoon at the 

 Egyptian Hall, when the Duke of Wellington honoured 

 the General with a visit. At the moment .the Duke en- 

 tered the room, the General was in the act of giving an 

 imitation of Napoleon musing at St. Helena, and on the 

 Duke inquiring what he was meditating on, he happily re- 

 plied, " Upon the loss of the Battle of Waterloo." His 

 Grace then took the dwarf into his arms, and asked him 

 several questions, with the answers to which the Duke 

 appeared much pleased, and on his departure the Duke 

 gave the General a handsome present. 



Fires. — On Thursday night, a fire broke out at the 

 Crown and Cushion Spirit Vaults, 287, Oxford-street, at 

 the corner of Gilbert-street. The house was four stories 

 high, and, from the combustible nature of the stock, the 

 entire building was soon a mass of flames. The rapidity 

 of the fire was, unfortunately, attended with fatal conse- 

 quences ; and four bodies, supposed to be those of Mrs. 

 Williams, the landlord's wife, and the servants, have 

 been already found among the ruins. It is believed that 

 two other persons perished in the flames. 



Murder. — On Saturday evening a dreadful murder 

 was committed by a man named William Crouch upon 

 the person of Frances Crouch, his wife, in Little Maryle- 

 bone-street. The murdered woman, was about 26 

 years of age, and had a child about nine months old. 

 Since their marriage the husband has led an idle life, act- 

 ing as a horse-keeper occasionally, but never being in 

 constant employ, while his wife was a prudent and indus- 

 trious woman, maintaining him for a part of the time by 

 her labour, and the assistance she received from her 

 mother, who is living in the situation of a lady's maid in 

 the neighbourhood of Wilton-place. For some time his 

 conduct towards his wife was very bad, and her mother 

 declined any longer to assist her unless she consented to 

 part from her husband, which step she adopted a fortnight 

 since, when she removed to Maryleb one-lane. The hus- 

 band on Saturday called upon her there, and cut her 

 throat with a razor, almost severing the head from the 

 body. The evidence of the fact was too clear to admit of 

 a doubt ; and both at the inquest and before the magis- 

 trate the prisoner was fully committed for trial on the 

 capital charge. 



Inquest — An adjourned inquest was held on Thurs- 

 day, on the body of Charlotte Griffin, housekeeper in the 

 family of Mr. G. Scratchley, surgeon, of 168, Fleet-street. 

 It appeared that she had formerly lived with the brother 

 of this gentleman, the Rev. C. J. Scratchley, curate of St. 

 George the Martyr, Bloomsbury ; but he had broken off 

 his connexion with her when he entered the church. 

 She had latterly fallen into bad habits, stealing her mas- 



ter's property, and mixing with low associates SU 

 always desponding when the rev. gentleman visited k* 

 master's house, and on Saturday last, while he was th 

 she destroyed herself by taking laudanum. The iurv 

 turned the following verdict :— -•• We find that the J 8 " 

 ceased, Charlotte Griffin, committed suicide while 

 state of temporary insanity, induced by the crn*i "*_} 



heartless conduct of Mr. Charles James Scratchier rT 

 and we are compelled to express our strong disap Dr i^ 

 tion of the flippant and unfeeling manner in which th 

 gentleman's evidence was given on the night of MondJ! 



IclSt. " 



Mortality of the Metropolis.— The following i s the 

 number of Deaths registered in the week ending March 

 23— West Districts, 171 ; Northern,'- 197 ; Central 176 

 Eastern, 202; Southern, 235; Total, 981. Weekly 

 average for the last five years, 946. * 



Agricultural Meetings. — A meeting in favour of pro. 

 tection was held last week at Garstang, Townley Parker 

 Esq., in the chair, supported by P. Dawson, Esq., of 

 Hornby Castle ; C. Bourne, Esq., of Stalmire ; W. Gar- 

 nett, Esq., of Quernmoor Park ; James Main, Esq. ; A. R. 

 Ford, Esq., of Ellellaw, ;J. Cunliffe, Esq., of Myer'scough 

 House ; Rev. R. Moore ; T. Y. P. Michaelson, Esq., of 

 Barrow Isle, and a numerous body of the tenant-farmers 

 and landowners of North Lancashire. — A meeting was 

 held at Brecon last week, Mr. J. Stephens, of Sheephouie, 

 a tenant-farmer, in the chair, supported by about 1000 

 landowners and farmers connected with the county.— Oa 

 Monday, a meeting was held at Selby, John Foster, Esq., 

 in the chair, supported by G. P. Dawson, Esq., of Osgodby 

 Hall ; Rev. R. Paver, of Brayton ; W. Burton, Esq.,and 

 a large number of agriculturists. — On Friday a meeting 

 was held at Lanark, Sir N. M. Lockhart in the chair, sup- 

 ported by several hundred proprietors and farmers of the 

 county. 



Brighton. — On Monday the magistrates were engaged 

 in investigating a charge brought against a man named 

 Eli Markwick, of committing another murderous attack 

 on a policeman named Huggett. It appeared in evidence 

 that on Saturday night the policeman found the prisoner 

 making a great disturbance at the door of a public-house, 

 and endeavoured to get him home quietly. The prisoner 

 went away ; but the landlord, knowing that his customer 

 was likely to return, asked the policeman to remain for a 

 short time. The policeman accordingly remained for a 

 few minutes, when the prisoner returned, and the police- 

 man having gone a few steps to meet him, he drew a 

 broomstick from behind him, and beat him over the head 

 and body in a ferocious manner, till the landlord went to 

 his release. The prisoner was found shortly afterwards 

 couched near the spot with the stick under his arm, and 

 was conveyed to the Town-hall. On his way there he 

 expressed a hope that the man would die, and said that 

 several of the police ought to be served in the same 

 manner as Solomon. He has been remanded by the 

 magistrates, to see whether the constable will recover. 



Bristol. — Some curious particulars have just transpired 



on the subject of the large steamer Great Britain, the pro- 

 perty of the Great Western Steam-ship Company. This 

 immense steamer has been in the dock at Bristol from 

 the time of the launch, which took place in the presence 

 of Prince Albert several months since. The completion 

 of the vessel has now been effected, and the Great Britain 

 has been actually advertised to depart on July the 13th for 

 New York. But in attempting to bring her out of the 

 dock it has been discovered that her breadth is too great 

 to admit of her passing the gates, and thus is the Leviathan 

 steamer embayed and imprisoned without a prospect ot 

 release, as the only mode of extrication appears to be to 

 widen the gates of the dock. Application has been 

 made for this purpose to the Bristol authorities, but tne 

 corporation refuse to alter their property as a rem .® y . 

 the errors of the builders of a single ship, and the dltt ^J> 

 is therefore proposed to be overcome by the extraor i y 

 expedient of bringing a Bill into Parliament to j 1 ^ "* 

 the compulsory enlargement of the gates of the doc. 

 The success of this appeal is considered doubtful, an 

 what may eventually be the fate of the Great b " tam ; 

 people of Bristol cannot very clearly foresee. An0t ° de 

 circumstance of considerable interest has been m 

 known with regard to the arrangements of the u 

 Western steam-ship. It is stated that the sale ; oi 

 celebrated Great Western to the Oriental Steam JNafig ^ 

 tion Company has been concluded within the last tew ■ 

 The navigation of the Atlantic by steam will «^ rfllu * * 

 now be confined to the line of Mr. Cunard, so tar as 

 Canadas and the United States are concerned. 



Cambridge.— A meeting of the resident graduates oi 

 University was held last week in the W 0< ?^l h 

 Museum, to consider the propriety of inviting the d 

 Association to hold its meeting for 1845 at Camor * 

 The Dean of Ely presided. Professor Whewell op 

 the invitation, on the ground that the Association u i^ 

 to visit Hull, Leeds, or Norwich before it came & a « * fce 

 to Cambridge. Professor Sedgwick considered tna ^ 

 inhabitants of the towns mentioned had already s ioa 

 Association at York, and strongly supported the ,n ely 

 as a duty which they owed to science. It .was u • ^ 

 resolved to adopt the invitation, and a deputauo 

 appointed to communicate it to the Association.— 

 accident happened at Cambridge on Thursday, m t 

 quence of which Mr. Edward Jones Fox, an unu . b 

 duate of St. John's College, lost his life. Mr. *° 

 three of his friends were going towards Trump^ ^ 

 phaeton and pair, when one of the reins broke, j B JeS 

 Fox leapt out of the vehicle, sustaining in his iai j 

 of which he died the same night. He was the sou 

 Fox, of Berkeley- square, Bristol. 



