Oct, 12,] 



TH E NEWSPAPER. 





It seems to me that with a spirit worthy of a younger and in er 

 age, you have resolved to proffer to the author and the man of 

 letters a yward of a simpler and less sordid character than the 

 pay of this newspaper, or the hire of that review. Or with yet 

 more profound and far-sighted intentions you may have resolved 

 to redress the anomalies of a country which is governed by its 

 journals, but where the names of its journalist* are never raen- 

 ttonfd; of a country where, by the most unhappy of conver- 

 sions, it is the inventions which make the fortune, and it is the 

 inventors who starve ; of a country where, if a man of science 

 aspires to its highest honours— the suffrages of his fellow-citi- 

 zens—that man of science will poll by unit-, where the mere 

 politician polls by hundreds. And it seems especially meet 

 that you, the men of Manchester, should correct these 

 evils, because there is an old, an intimate, and natural 

 alliance between literature and commerce. It is in virtue 

 of this alliance that y< u cannot but regard with sympathy the 

 homage which you see done by foreigners to letters. Why, the 

 very ambassadors whom they send to this court are so many re- 

 proaches to our neglect of them. Who is the ambassador from 

 Russia ? A man who has risen by his pen. Who from Sweden I 

 The historian of British India. Who from Prussia? A professor. 

 Who from Belgium ? A man who has riseD by literature. Who 

 from France ? An author and an historian. Who from Ame- 

 rica ? An author and professor. But it requires no extraor- 

 dinary speH of divination to prophesy to the literature which 

 shall derive its impulse from such a meeting as the present— 

 which shall result from such incentives— which shall be fos- 

 tered and encouraged by such sympathy as yours -a destiny yet 

 more lasting and auspiciou-, because, as it will not be patron- 

 ised by monarchs nor fashioned by nobles, nor confined by 

 prejudice, so it will be free, independent, universal, and, above 

 all, tolerant, as your own free, independent, universal, and 

 tolerant commerce. But here, even in this pleasant hour of 

 convivial intercourse, when men of all parties and all shades of 

 opinion are met to interchange the amenities, and courtesies, 

 and fair civilities of life, it is impossible not to remember how 

 manv and how illustrious have necn the victims of these ab- 

 surdities, these barbarities, or, what is wore, these vulgarities 

 of our party warfare. Remember the fate of our last great 

 man. Remember how he was proscribed as an adventurer, 

 because he was born to no hereditary fortune} and then, when 

 the gentle-judging and the generous, when men with large 

 thoughts and fine feelings, when the few rallied round him 

 against the many, he was again branded and proscribed, be 

 cause they were a few, as a caballer and intriguer. Remem- 

 ber how in high life his views were thwarted, his spirit 

 cowed, his heart broken— how he was hasted to his grave, 

 and then you will understand how, through calumny and 

 misconstruction— through such men's envy, and the insults 

 of men yet smaller— he must often have pined for some 

 such neutral ground as this, to which his harassed spirit 

 might have flown away, and been at rest. And how, in the 

 prospect of a happier hour, of advancing toleration, such as 

 this meeting affords— even with such eloquence as we have 

 heard to day — there are few among us, now that fifteen 

 years have passed over his grave, who will hesitate to ex- 

 claim with me, 'Oh, for one hour of George Canning!' 

 But even among those who hear me there may be some who 

 think th 1 1 am stating results too grave and too important to 

 this meeting in thus speaking of advancing toleration ; there 

 maybe some who argue it a mere communication and nothing 

 more. Such I think no thoughtful opinion ; because it is im- 

 possible to study our history for the last half century and not 

 perceive that Manchester has always been foremost in the great 

 work of national advancement. It is not because you did as 

 much, perhaps, as all our subsidies, or all our arms, in ourlonp 

 war with Napoleon— it is not because, since the peace, you 

 have done far more than all our ministers to promote the 

 common weal— but it seems to me that you have carriei your 

 n >nal triumphs to the remotest corners of the earth, and 

 have yet remembered that there was another world to conquer. 

 Nor will your triumphs in the spiritual world be less remark- 

 able. Because, that same creative power which in the world 

 0* action is called invention, and ministers to man, this same 

 creative power in the world of thought is called genius, and 

 governs and provides for man. But in either sphere, whether 

 of thought or action, it is your high and holy mission to benefit 

 mankind. There is nothing small, nothing selfish, nothing 

 partial, nothing exclusive in the temper of British commerce. 

 It was out of a spirit as catholic that the humanities first 

 sprang. It will be out of a temper no less catholic that here, 

 in the metropolis of English enterprise, great things will again 

 be done. Because your ships and vessels are laden not alone 

 with bales of cloths and cottons, but with goods which have 

 neither a declared dot an official value, you carry with you 

 truths from this free ioland which tend to elevate the cha- 

 racter oi man* You carry with you principles which tend to 

 unjteall nations in one fair confraternity of reciprocal assistance. 

 And when out of a spirit thus catholic, out of a power thus 

 universal, that old world shall have received another of those 

 moral shocks which, like printing and stearrt, threw it onwards 

 on its career j when it shall be one" 6tage nearer its goaf; when 

 •civilisation shall be one hour from its meridian, it will be remem- 

 bered that this meeting had its share in the work of progress." 



Several gentleman addressed the assembly, after which 

 dancing was commenced, and carried on until a late hour. 

 Merstltam. — On Monday evening an extensive fire 



read. Upon the " assent" of the masters being demanded 

 to the nomination, the cry of t( placet" was answered by 

 that of "non placet," and a scrutiny was demanded. 

 The voting, owing to the immense numbers present, 

 occupied a considerable time, and at the end it appeared 

 that the numbers stood thus — placets 882 ; non-placets, 

 183— majority, 699. The Vice Chancellor and his suc- 

 cessor then addressed the Convocation, and the latter 

 appointed Dr. Wynter, late Vice Chancellor ; Dr. Haw- 

 kins, Provost of Oriel ; Dr. Plumptre, Master of Uni- 

 versity ; and Dr. Radford, Rector of Lincoln, as Pro.] 

 Vice Chancellors. Among those who voted on this 

 occasion were the Bishops of Chichester and LlandafT, 

 Lord Sandcm, Lord Ashley, Lord Eldon, Lord Stavor- 

 dale, Sir T. D. Acland, Mr. Henley, M.P., &c. 



Sunderland. — The local papers state that measures 

 are in progress for relieving, a3 far as public sympathy 

 can relieve the sufferings of the widows and orphans who 

 have been left helpless and unprovided for by the late 

 calamity at Haswell colliery, and there is no doubt that 

 in a few days these proceedings will assume a more formal 

 and general character, and that the public bounty will be 

 exercised on a scale of benevolence worthy of the occa- 

 sion. Mr. Burdon, the chairman of the quarter sessions, 

 and some ladies and gentlemen in the neighbourhood of 

 Castle Eden, have opened the subscription by handsome 

 contributions ; and Mr. Bright, the member for Durham, 

 has, without solicitation, generously contributed the 

 sum of 50/. — Letters have been received from the 

 Home-office, expressive of the regret of Sir. J. Graham 

 at the outrages committed against the person and pro- 

 perty of Belaney since his return to North Sunderland* 

 Government has joined in offering a reward of 100/. for 

 the apprehension and conviction of the offenders who set 

 fire to his dwelling-house on the 18th ult., and Her 

 Majesty's pardon to any accomplice informant. An in- 

 spector of police has been sent down to inquire into the 

 nature 8nd particulars of the recent outrage. He has 

 been actively engaged for the last few days, and on the 

 7th inst. laid informations against Mr. Bell, late clerk of 

 the firm of Robson and Skelly, and three other persons 

 of the names of Steavenson, Brown, and Galligar, as 

 principals at the incendiary fire of the 18th. The 

 magistrate for the district, after hearing the evidence 

 collected by the inspector, granted warrants for the ap- 

 prehension of the parties, who were to be brought before 

 a special petty sessions to be held for the purpose on 

 Wednesday, at Belford. A warrant was also granted to 

 search the dwelling-house of Mr. Bell for property be- 

 longing to Belaney, which he is charged with having 

 improperly taken away. 



Tynemouth. — The committee of the subscribers to the 

 monument proposed to be erected to the memory of the 

 late Lord Collingwood, have resolved upon completing 

 the undertaking forthwith, in reliance on the public for 

 the amount of money yet deficient. It appears that up- 

 wards of 2000/. have been already placed at the disposal 

 of the committee, and it is calculated that another thou- 

 sand will be sufficient to finish the work. The architec- 

 tural design for the monument, by Mr. Dobson, of New- 

 castle, has been selected by the committee, and the 

 execution of the colossal figure has been intrusted to Mr. 

 Lough, the sculptor of the bust of Her Majesty to be 

 placed in the New Royal Exchange. It was at onetime 

 contemplated to place the monument in the Castle-yard 

 at Tynemouth, but a more eligible site has since been 

 fixed upon, near the entrance of the river, the ground 

 having been given by the Duke of Northumberland, in 

 addition to his donation of 500/. It will form a striking 

 object to mariners navigating the coast, and the land sur- 

 rounding it will be laid out with public walks. 



Warwick. — In the spring of the present year a young 

 lady, named Jane Page, was abducted from the boarding- 

 school of Miss Kimberley, in this city, and subsequently 

 recovered at an hotel in the Isle of Man. The young 

 lady, who is the daughter of a respectable farmer, at 

 Stretton, was only 13 years of age ; while George 

 Gardener, the young man with whom she decamped, 



[1S44 



the returns for the 

 Gloucester, 3020/. ; 

 Eastern Counties. 



Selby, 3G0-1/. ; Yarmouth 

 Irish Great Western and 

 have decided upon the ex- 



arm and other parts of his body. He was afterwardi 

 found and conveyed home, where he lingered in great 

 agony until Monday, whe"h he expired. An inquest was 

 held on the body on Wednesday and Thursday, when se- 

 veral witnesses were examined, whose testimony ap- 

 peared to implicate a man named Kendrew, of Aid- 

 borough. After the sitting of Thursday, the coroner 

 adjourned the meeting for a week, in order to procure 

 further evidence. 



Railways. — The following are 

 past week : — Birmingham and 

 Bristol and Gloucester, 1309/. ; 



4429/. ; Edinburgh and Glasgow, 2585/. ; Great Western, 

 17,890/.; Grand Junction, 8496/.; Glasgow, Paisley' 

 and Ayr, 1G5G/. ; Great North of England, 2169/. ; 

 London and Birmingham, 19,756/. ; South Western. 

 7015/.; Blackwall, 1035/.; Greenwich, 805/.; Brighton, 

 5933/. ; Croydon, 534/. ; Liverpool and Manchester, 

 5100/. ; Manchester, Leeds, and Hull, associated, 8259/. ; 

 Midland, 1 1,958/. ; Manchester anotBirmingham, 3903/. ; 

 Newcastle and Carlisle, 1747/.; Newcastle and Dar- 

 lington, 1214/.; South-Eastern and Dover, 7136/.; 

 Sheffield and Manchester, 792/. ; York and North 

 Midland, with Leeds and 

 and Norwich, 380/. —The 

 Southern Railway Company 



tension of the line to Cork and Limerick, with the view 

 of carrying out and connecting the contiguous undertak- 

 ings, so that they may fully participate in the traffic de- 

 rivable from all points. It is estimated that the railway 

 will run through and be available to places containing in 

 the aggregate a population of upwards of 3,000,000. 

 — The Chester and Holyhead Railway have finally 

 negotiated their bargain with Government for the 

 mail service on the line. The company are to convey 

 two up and two down mails daily, for five years, for a 

 payment of 30,000/. per annum ; and for a further 

 term of seven years at 30,000/. per annum as a 

 maximum, but which maximum shall be subject to re- 

 duction to any sum not less than Is. '2-fod. per single 

 mile (equal to about 7270/. per annum), fluctuating 

 between these two amounts according to the sum 

 required to allow a return of 5 per cent, on the capital 

 subscribed. But in no case, whatever the return to the 

 company may be, is the payment by Government during 

 the said seven years to exceed 30,000/. per annum, nor 

 be less than the sum of Is. 2^d. per single mile.— 

 On Thursday week the foundation-stone of the monster 

 bridge for the Lancaster and Carlisle railway, of seven 

 arches of 60 feet span each, and upwards of 104 feet high, 

 which is intended to cross the river Lowther at a romantic 

 spot called Yew's Crag, near Brougham Hall and the 

 village of Clifton, was laid in the presence of several of 

 the directors and a large concourse of people from 

 Penrith and the surrounding districts— On Saturday 

 morning, shortly after midnight, a monster train, divided 

 into two parts for the convenience of conveying passengers 

 to the Bricklayers' Arms and the London terminus, left 

 Croydon with about 700 persons. The London pas- 

 sengers took their places first, and the train started on, 

 followed in a few minutes by those for the Bricklayers 

 Arms. The train for London reached the An nerly station 

 about 20 minutes before 1, where, unfortunately, the 

 lamp at the tail of the train went out for want oi oil. 

 This circumstance not being observed by the conductor, 

 the train went on, followed immediately by the second 

 one, when in less than a minute a collision took place. 

 The greater part of the passengers were asleep * 

 both trains, having been spending the : day at Croy- 

 don Fair, and were returning at a late hour 

 fatigued. They awoke out of their slumbers 

 greatest consternation. On stopping the trains lamps 

 were procured, when it was discovered that pne of the 

 Ses had been forced off the line and much damaged. 

 A first-class carriage in the London ram was 



much 

 in the 



occurred near the village of Merstham, Surrey, at a farm 



the property of Sir W. Jolliffe. All the produce of the 1 was some years' above 20, and also "respectably" con- 



farm was destroyed, and 10 horses, notwithstanding the 

 exertions of the labourers to save them, were burned to 

 death. The parish church was saved with difficulty. 

 The origin of the fire is believed to be accidental. 



Korlhjleet. — A disastrous fire broke out on Wednes- 

 day night in this village, about two miles on the London 

 side of Gr;»vesend, on the premises belonging to Mr. 

 Mace, and known as Percy-street Farm. It originated 

 upon the homestead, and when f.rst perceived had ob- 

 tained complete possession of a bean rick contiguous to 

 other similar erections, in the middle of which stood a 

 large brick barn, upwards of 100 feet long, 30 feet wide, 

 and near 50 feet high, filled with grain. The barn was 

 •completely gutted, and the contents consumed. The 

 cart, waggon, and agricultural implement lodges, pig- 

 geries, and cow-houses, were consumed ; and three ricks 

 of peas, two ricks of clover, one bean-stack, two wheat- 

 ricks, and one straw-stack totally destroyed. The total 

 loss is estimated at between 2000/. and 3000/., but the 

 proprietor was insured in the Kent Fire-office. There 

 is little doubt that the fire was caused by an incendiary. 



Oxford.— The election of Vice-Chancellor for the 

 ensuing 3 ear took place on Tuesday, and the unpre- 

 cedented influx of Members of Convocation fully justi- 

 fied the anticipations which had been formed of its im- 

 portance. On no occasion since the defeat of Sir R. 

 Peel in 1829, has such excitement prevailed among the 

 electoral body of Alma Mater. The proceedings in the 

 theatre commenced about half-past one o'clock, when the 

 usual forms were gone through, and the Chancellor's 

 letter, nominating I)r. Symons as Vice-Chancellor, was 



uch 



broken and the panels smashed. The last carriage was 

 broken Into splinters. The injured persons between 

 thUty five and forty in number, were speedily relea ed 

 from their painful situation, and proceeded to the 

 Inner y Arms public house, where they remained up- 

 wa dfofan hour, during which the trams were _pu >n 

 o?der Many of the sufferers, both male and female, 

 °p e ented se/ere contusions of the head, ««.. .and O>o^y, 



, OJOUII 'train ha"! just arrived, and was about to 

 off the points, when the engine of the latter ca 

 ntact wUh the Dover train, and smashed he lower 



nected. Gardener was tried for the felony at the War- 

 wick spring assizes, but in consequence of the intimacy 

 between the families, and from other causes, a compro- 

 mise was effected, Gardener pleaded " Guilty," and the 

 Judge passed upon him a mere nominal punishment. 

 He was ordered to enter into his own recognizance in 

 the sum of 500/. towards Mr. Page and his family. 

 Nothing more was heard of him by the public until last 

 week, when it transpired that he had poisoned himself in 

 the house of Mr. Page, during that gentleman's absence. 

 It appears that he had returned from America, where he 

 id been unsuccessful in procuring employment, and 

 early on Wednesday morning he contrived to effect an 

 entrance into the bedroom of Miss Page and her sister 

 by^ means of a hurdle, and almost immediately took 

 poison. Mrs. Page on being informed of the circum- 

 stance sent for a nurse in the village, but would not call 

 in a surgeon because her husband was from home. The 

 medical witness stated his belief that deceased died from 

 opium. The Jury found a verdict of felo-de-se ; and at 

 the same time declared their unanimous opinion, that the 

 conduct of Mrs. Page towards deceased during the time 

 he was in a dying state was most unfeeling and un- 

 christian, and desired the coroner to convey to her the 

 strongest censure on her conduct. 



York.— On Saturday week, about half past six, P.M., 

 Mr. W. Inchbold, farmer, of Low Dunsforth, and well 

 known in this city, was twice shot at by a man who had 

 concealed himself behind a manure-heap. The contents 



of the first charge were lodged in the back of Mr. Inch- *--»--•■ f f nrnr 



bold, and those of the second dreadfully shattered his left the amalgamation into one court or pro* 



eve, and put under the care of a surgeon. 

 f£on tol place on the same line on Monday nighty It 

 appears that shortly before nine o clock, : " ™ ^ 

 mail train was leaving the terminus at London brio, 



the Croydon 

 turn 



in contact with the mj»™ »-•», — — - ruttine ff all 

 parts of the carriages toViec^,httrA\\fC^^ 

 he steps on that side. One of the ticket collectors n 

 a very narrow escape of having his legi .cut off by the c 

 lision. He was standing on the steps of one 01 

 carries at the time, and had the presence of mind to 

 pS^tehi«.elf into the carriage to t^-ton»h-ng 

 of the passengers, who were much alarmed tor 

 safety The overland mail was being conveyed by m 

 Dover train, and owing to the above accident an iM 

 pages on the line for pilot engines to assis -them ^p 



1 - ■ the train did not vrme int ate aeB JJJ 



inclined planes 

 tion 



untilTarf - hour beyond its time The conseq-- 

 was that the steamer had started, and a vessel was 

 cially engaged to convey the mail across the Channel, * 

 Se^e'of which will fall heavily on the «»»£$£ 

 they may be compelled to convey the mail to Mars 

 -On Tuesday an important meeting of the ff*"* t0 

 way Company, which has lately been so stj -Ud, °w ^ 

 .v/™.i™«iri™ intn nn« court of proprietors c 



