Dec. 14,1 



THE NEWSPAPER. 







driving the well-thinking portion of the congregattou to 

 other places of worship than those to which they have 

 been for many years accustomed. " The united parishes 

 of St. John, and St. George, have since unanimously 

 adopted resolutions to the same effect, and a public 

 meeting of the inhabitants will shortly be convened. 



Hertford.— An inquiry has taken place before <he 

 magistrates in this town respecting an incendiary fire at 



5r a n doll J ,S f 2 rm ' Watton » belonging to Mr. Abel Smith, 

 M.P. The fire broke out in the straw shed, and de- 

 stroyed farm buildings to the value of 1500Z., and crops 

 to the value of 1200/. A man, called Wade, a labourer 

 in the employ of Mr. Kimpton, the occupier of the farm 

 was apprehended on suspicion, and on Friday was com- 

 mitted to take his trial at the next assizes.— On Monday 

 night, a fire breke out on the Parsonage farm at King's 

 Walden, near Stevenage, occupied by Mr. G. Roberts, 

 an eminent agriculturist, and a member of the com- 

 mittee of the Herts Agricultural Society. The damage 

 done is estimated at 2000/., but the property is insured. 

 Incendiary fires have also occurred this week at Mr. 

 Betto'sfarm at LillygHoo, and at a farm on the Bedford- 

 road, about a mile from Hitchin. 



Hurst.- On ^ Friday a meeting of the householders of 

 this parish took place at the Church-house. The meet- 

 ing was convened by Mr. Leveson Gower, in conse- 

 quence of having received a communication from the 

 perpetual curate, the Rev. Mr. Cameron, announcing the 

 course it was his intention to pursue in future, in refer- 

 ence to the changes he had lately introduced into the 

 Church service, which have created a universal feeling of 

 dissatisfaction among the parishioners. This meeting 

 took place in consequence of the matter in dispute havin- 

 been referred to the Bishop, whose decision it was un- 

 derstood would be final in the case. Mr. Gower was 

 called to the chair, and read a long letter from Mr. 

 Cameron, giving the substance of his communication to 

 the Bishop of Oxford, in which he proposed to abandon 

 the weekly offertory for the present, but to retain the 

 practice of reading the prayer for the Church Militant, 

 and concluding the service at the altar with a prayer after 

 the sermon Mr. Cameron also proposed to erect alms- 

 boxes at the entrance to the church, in order to afford 

 those persons who supported the offertory an oppor- 

 tunity of contributing their alms without offending the 

 rest of the congregation. The Bishop's letter was also 

 read, m which his Lordship "fully coincides" in Mr 

 Cameron's views, " under the present state of things." 

 A series of resolutions were then proposed by Mr. Walter 

 proprietor of the Times, three of which were carried, re- 

 jecting the compromise contained in the Bishop's letter, 

 stating that Mr. Cameron had disingenuously represented 

 the case, and calling upon the Bishop to interfere and 

 settle the disputes now pending in the parish. Another 

 resolution was afterwards proposed, requesting the chair- 

 man to write to the Bishop, to appoint some person to 

 inquire into the feeling of the parish upon the subject, in 

 order that he might thereby be enabled to judge of the 

 true nature of the matter in dispute. This latter resolu- 

 tion seems to have been adopted from the circumstance 

 that Mr. Cameron did not represent the opinions of the 

 churchwardens in his letter to the Bishop, as he might 

 have done. 



Leicester.— A man named John Wall, of Oadby, 

 framework-knitter, has been apprehended on the charge 

 of attempting to kill his mother, father, and brother, by 

 administering arsenic to them, in order, it is supposed, 

 to obtain possession of 300/., to which himself, his bro- 

 ther, and sister were entitled on the death of their 

 mother. Rumours were afloat in the meantime that he 

 had been concerned in another attempt of the same cha- 

 racter, by which, he sought to rid himself of the expense 

 of maintaining an illegitimate child of his wife's, by the 

 same means, and it was ascertained on inquiry that a 

 few weeks prior to the attempt on the life of his father, 

 mother, and brother, the child had been taken suddenly 

 ill, under suspicious circumstances. An examination 

 has taken place before the magistrates, but the evidence 

 being incomplete on both charges, the prisoner has been 

 remanded for further inquiry. 



Liverpool- A splendid new steam-ship, called the 

 Cambria, arrived at this port from the Clyde on Thurs- 

 day, and will take her place in the British and North 



into a complete state of repair to provide against anv 

 emergency. It is said that Sir Hercules has from time 

 to time reported to the Duke of Wellington the state of 

 decay into which the fortifications of this important for- 

 tress have been suffered to fall, and it is consequent upon 



[1844. 



ing confident that it can te worked cheaper than any 

 oth -r, is shorter, has better gradients, and will be con- 

 nected with the best London terminus. The lines from 

 \N eybndge to Windsor the directors have been obliged to 

 postpone for the present year. This project is designed 



, ... , -— s**"* aa " l WiU i me sione ana earth- 

 work will be strengthened, the moats and drawbridges 

 rendered serviceable, the forts on either side the harbour 

 and approaches repaired and strengthened, and the towns 

 of Portsmouth, Portsea, and Gosport, put into a state of 

 efficient defence. The rouud tower on the right, and 

 Blockhouse fort on the left side of the entrance to the 

 harbour, the Sallyport and other gates of entrance will 

 also be properly fortified, and Southsea Castle will once 

 more assume its impregnable appearance. 



Plymouth.— The experimental brig squadron, com- 

 prising the Firebrand, steam-frigate, 8, Captain Corry 

 commanding the squadron ; Daring, 12, Commander 

 Matson; Osprey, 12, Commander Patten; Mutine, 12 

 Commander Crawford; Espiegie, 12, Commander 

 Thompson; Flying Fish, 12, Commander Harris; 

 Waterwitch, 8, Commander T. Francis Birch ; Cruiser 

 16, Commander Fanshawe; and Pantaloon, 8, Com- 

 mander Wilson, arrived in the Sound on Friday, and in 

 the order above written. The sailing qualities of the 

 vessels forming this squadron is one of deep interest, 

 especially to professional men; but until the official 

 details are published, the exact result of the late experi- 

 ments cannot be known. It is said, however, that the 

 Daring, constructed by the celebrated yacht builder, at 

 Cowes, Mr. White, with the wind before the beam, had 

 a decided superiority over all the others, and that even 

 the Flying Fish, the production of the Surveyor of the 

 Navy, has been outdone. With the wind abaft the 

 beam, the Daring has not any particular advantage, 

 being frequently inferior to the Espit-gle, constructed by 

 the Naval School, the Mutine, constructed by Mr. 

 Fincham, and the Surveyor's Flying Fish. It is also 

 said that the contention for the next place, with the 

 wind before the beam, was between the Espic^le, Water- 

 witch, and Flying Fish. 



Windsor.— One hundred and eighty pairs of blankets, 

 the gift of the Queen, will be distributed among that 

 number of poor families of Windsor, at Christmas. A 

 liberal supply of meat, bread, and plum-pudding will 

 also be given away to the poor of the town, at the same 

 time, by command of Her Majesty and Prince Albert. 



Railways — The following are the returns for the 

 past week :— Birmingham and Gloucester. 2055/. ; Bris- 

 tol and Gloucester, 100G/. ; Eastern Counties, 3634/.; 



ro d o n n b 1 U , rgh and GIa8 g° w » 2 °63f. ; Great Western, 

 1.5,281/. ; Grand Junction, '69G3/. ; Glasgow, Paisley 

 and Ayr, 1472Z. ; Great North of England, 1557//; Lon- 

 don and Birmingham, 13,093/.; South Western, 5021/ • 

 Blackwall, 708/.; Greenwich, 819/.; Brighton, 3896/.;' 

 Croydon, 366/.; [Liverpool and Manchester, 43167.' 

 Manchester, Leeds, and Hull associated, 638.5/. ; Mid- 

 land, 8640/. ; Manchester and Birmingham, 2975/ • 

 Newcastle and Carlisle, 1668/.; Newcastle and Dar- 

 lington, 1031/. ; Preston and Wyre, 307/. ; South-East- 

 ern and Dover, 4035/. ; Sheffield and Manchester, 678/ • 

 Yarmouth and Norwich, 175; York and North Midland' 

 with Leeds and Selby, 2259/.— Such have been the 

 exertions made during the recess of Parliament to extend 

 the system of railways in the United Kingdom, that no 

 less a number than 220 notices and plans of new rail- 

 ways were, on the 30th ult. r deposited at the offices of 

 the Board of Trade. The preparations necessary were 



most direct communication with the southern coast, 

 either by the present mail line to Southampton and the 

 west, or by the projected line from Guildford through 

 \A inchester to Portsmouth, the Isle of Wight, Brighton, 

 &c. The directors some weeks ago purchased the Guild- 

 ford branch, granted hst session, the confirmation of 

 which they now asked. After alluding to the various 

 "direct Portsmouth" lines now before the public, 

 the directors went on to state that they had 

 joined in the promotion of a line commencing at 

 Woking, adopting the Guildford branch, and pass- 

 ing through Godalming, and near M ,urst and 

 Petworth to Chichester, from which city to Portsmouth 

 and Farehara the line will be the same as already 

 sanctioned by the company. A company has been 

 formed for the execution of this work, and the capital 

 has been subscribed under the guarantee of the South 

 Western to work and lease the line in perpetuity, at such 

 a rent as will give the shareholders 4 per cent, on their 

 subscriptions, and an equal interest in the surplus pro- 

 fits. By the proposed Hook Pit branch, on the main 

 line between Andover-road station and Winchester, to 

 join the Salisbury branch at Mottisfont, the distance 

 between London and Salisbury will be shortened nearly 

 eight miles. They further reported that they had caused 

 surveys to be made of a line from the Salisbury branch 

 to Dorchester, Weymouth, and Poole ; and on the neces- 

 sary capital for the line they propose to guarantee in per- 

 petuity a return of 4 per cent., aud a moiety of the sur- 

 plus earnings. From Salisbury, also, they have caused 

 a line to be surveyed to Sherborne and Yeovil, which 

 will provide for all the northern parts of Dorsetshire, 

 considerable portions of South Wilts and East Somerset, 

 and give all these districts their shortest road to Lon- 

 don and the east, including the readiest communication 

 with the ports of Southampton and Portsmouth. With 

 respect to the lines from Basingstoke to Newbury and 

 the Great Western, the directors had failed in an at- 

 tempt to bring about an arrangement with the Great 

 Western Company, and they, therefore, felt that tbey 

 had no alternative but to undertake the schemes them- 

 selves, recommending that the capital should be pro- 

 vided by the Company. The report was received, and 

 resolutions empowering the directors to raise the neces- 

 sary capital were adopted. A resolution was also carried 

 to the effect that the Cornwall and Devon Central scheme 

 would be of material advantage to the South Western 

 Company, and that the directors should be authorised to 

 give such support to it as they should deem expedient. — 

 On Monday the line connecting Coventry, Kenil worth, 

 Leamington, and Warwick, by the London and Birming- 

 ham Railway, with London, was opened to the public. 

 The line is about 9 miles long, and 120 miles from the 

 metropolis. It has been constructed under the super- 

 intendence of Mr. Robert Stephenson, and is a single 

 line, has cost about 170,000/., and has taken about 18 

 months to construct. The directors of the London and 

 Birmingham made an experimental trip over it on Mon- 

 day week, accompanied by General Pasley, the Govern- 

 ment inspector, who expressed his satisfaction with the 

 works. On Tuesday the line was opened for traffic, at 

 moderate fares, and the event celebrated by a public 

 dinner at Leamington.— Another of the sufferers by the 



c« «.,.„„ * *.i „». *u • i- • J «'uuci at ijcamingion. — ivnoiuer or tne sunerers bv the 



„™' * a l ' he e "S>"««. ■oheitori ; surveyors, litho- recent collision oil the Midland line of rail™ expired 



graphers, and engravers connected with these schemes 

 have been for the last fortnight wholly employed in 

 getting ready and furnishing the proper forms to comply 



on Tuesday morning. His name is Bolesbridge, and he 

 was the landlord of the Three Horse-shoes inn, Notting- 

 ham. The injuries he received at the moment of the 



sr^rrr^ 



American mail line, running: 



9 between Liverpool and 

 Boston, on the 4th January next. The Cambria is 

 built on the same model as the Hibernia, the swiftest 

 vessel of the line — The local papers state that Mr. 

 Wooley, the Bristol merchant who figured so ridiculously 

 at Union Hall some time since, after having been hoaxed 

 into a marriage with Mary Ann Morgan, by the contri- 

 vances of a Miss Bryers, is now living at Liverpool with 

 the latter personage. They state that they arrived in 

 this town about six months since, purchased the good- 

 will of a public-house, and that Mr. Wooley, from being 

 a Bristol merchant, has become a publican. 



Manchester — The local papers mention that Sir H. 

 de la Beche and Mr. Thomas Cubitt, the engineer, have 

 been appointed, under a royal commission, to conduct a 

 scientific inquiry into the causes of the late disastrous 

 fall of a mill at Oldham, and also into those of the fall of 

 a gaol near Oxford ; and to ascertain and make generally 

 known facts and laws with respect to materials used in 

 building, especially cast-iron beams and cast-iron pillars. 

 These gen f lemen visited Manchester last week, and after 

 making various inquiries, proceeded to Birmingham. 

 Portsmouth. — Orders have been received from the 



the South-Western Company was held on Saturday, to 

 receive a report, detailing the various projects contem- 

 plated by the directors. These projects are as follow : 

 — 1. A branch from the Nine Elms terminus to the 

 vicinity of Hungerford and Waterloo bridges and the 

 Thames, and from Wimbledon to Epsom. 2. From Wey- 

 bridge to Staines and Windsor. 3. From Woking- 

 common, by Guildford, Godalming, and Chichester, to 

 Portsmouth and Fareham, including the purchase of the 

 Guildford Junction Railway. 4. From Hook Pit Farrr, 



last hopes were entertained of his complete restoration. 

 On that day, however, unfavourable symptoms became 

 apparent, and he died, after lingering in great agony 

 about 30 hours. The borough coroner has issued sum- 

 monses for an inquisition on the body. The imminent 

 danger of another sufferer by the collision, Mr. Roberts* 

 of Leicester, a commercial traveller, may be judged of by 

 the fact, that a quart of brandy has been administered 

 to him every day since the accident, to prevent death from 

 exhaustion. It will be recollected that this sufferer 



nn tu. M • r * m ...- I- , — -«--»*»*««i Miwwuuu. it wui ue reconeciea mac tuis sunerer 



on the mam line to Mottisfont on tne Salisbury branch, underwent an amputation of the leg and other severe 



ann from Nnliehnrv tr\ n harhnmn nn ,i v„,._:i .._ r\_. .• m. 



and from Salisbury to Sherborne, and Yeovil to Dor- 

 chester and Weymouth. 5. From Basingstoke to the 

 Great Western Railway at Didcot and Swindon : and 

 also to amend and enlarge certain powers of the com- 

 pany under their existing Acts of Parliament. The 

 report stated, that the necessary surveys, notices, and 

 deposits have been made and given according to the 

 standing orders of Parliament with respect to all these 

 lines, except that from Wey bridge to Windsor. With 

 respect to the Hungerford and Waterloo Bridge Exten- 

 sion, the report stated that the directors had made ar- 

 rangements with the parties who originally contemplated 

 the continuation of this line in connection with a rail- 

 way to Richmond, the effect of which is that the South 

 Western Company will construct the line from Nine 

 Elms to Waterloo and Hungerford Bridges, and the 

 branch to Richmond will be undertaken by a separate 

 company, and join the South Western at Wandsworth. 

 The directors had resigned their contemplated junction 

 of the London and Brighton line at Croydon with their 



Commander-in-Chief, addressed to the Lieutenant- **■ •*•*' •*"««■ *» uu u"8 uiuu ***« «^ v-iojuuu wivn mcir 



Governor of this garrison, Sir H. Pakenham, to inspect own railway at Wandsworth, in favour of the Brighton 



the defences of this garrison, and of the entire coast, and Company. The directors again intend to renew their _,_ „». .„„*.„„ v . .~ s ^^ 



to report to Government the expense of putting them application to Parliament for a branch to Epsom, feel- J have been most disastrous. 



operations. The other sufferers are progressing favour- 

 ably. The trial of Mr. Lightfoot, for manslaughter, 

 is expected to commence this day (Saturday), before 

 Mr. Justice Pattesoo.— About 1 o'clock on Wednesday 

 morning, a serious iccident occurred on the South East- 

 ern Railway. The part which leads from the Bricklayers' 

 Arms to the main railway from London-bridge to New- 

 cross is constructed on wooden piers, of the nature of a 

 viaduct. A heavy luggage train was passing over this 

 part of the road, when an explosion took place, and the 

 engine was thrown completely down from the road, by 

 i which the engineer was killed, and the stoker so severely 

 injured that the injuries will probably be fatal. The 

 extent of the mischief, however, and its cause, owing to 

 the darkness of the night, could not be correctly ascer- 

 tained, but in the course of the day it was found by 

 Gen. Pasley and others that the boiler had burst, owing 

 to some defect in the copper, and that the violence of 

 the explosion had forced it and the tender over the via- 

 duct. The destruction of property was considerable, and 

 had the train been one devoted to the transit of pas- 

 s ngers instead of luggage, the result would probably 



