Papurau Newydd Cymru
Chwiliwch 15 miliwn o erthyglau papurau newydd Cymru
4 erthygl ar y dudalen hon
<S Ironing! — COU-TER-TRItIT-kTIO- Is there any other article we can show you to-day, sir? —Punch. A MISDEAL.—Mr. Thom had just risen up in the pulpit to lead the congregation in prayer, when a gentleman in front of the gallery took out his handkerchief to wipe the dust from HIS brow, forgetting that a pack of cards was wrapped up in TIV PFCK WAS scattered over the breast of the gallerv Mr. ihom could not resist a sarcasm, solemn as the act was in which he was about to engage. Oh, man, man surely your psalm-book has been ill bun (boand) Westmorland Gazette. THE FORTIFICATION OF SanTHriELD.—We understand that tiie Corporation of London has it seriously in contemnlatinn to •urt.fr Smithfldd. Tile artillery for L detoce of 1,° odonferously strong hold will be formed of the most stubborn brass and several thousand pounders, of aldermanic calibre wiH be ready to open the fire on invaders. The gabions will BE constructed with gabies of the densest description. A moat T/vvlucn will afford ingress to animals and drovers bv means of a arawbridge) will be dug round the encampment; anTinto U WDI be turned all the filth from the neighbouring slaughter- houses, which will render it an impassible gulf to the sanitary invauers, the boldest of whom will be afraid to poke his nose into it. The commander-in-chief of the garrison will be Alder- nvan Sidney, and his staff will be composed of Deputv Uppard AND Mr. L aylor, with several of the most influential slaughter- men connected with the livery. —Punch. ° RAILWAY COMFORTS AT HOME AND ABROAD.—They manage these things better abroad. There is a detestable class-feelizig- a contemptable purse-worship, which rigidly separates people according to their pecuniary circumstances—which meets out the smallest privilege or comfort at a price—does not exist to pre- vent the managers of railways from making the journeys of their customers and supporters as pleasant as possible. On the French railroads (setting aside the question that the fares are much lower) the second-class carriages are comfortably cushioned, having pretty blinds to keep out the sun; windows that really are capable of silk. being pulled up and down, besides hooks for hats-a great convenience on a journey. For the blinds, indeed, an enterprising biind-maker in France agreed to furnish them to one railway company, gratis, on condition that they used no other for a cer- tain number of years, and allow him to make them the medium of his advertisements. Talk of advertising vaiis-can they be' compared to the brilliant notion of advertising railways—trains Gi puiis, wafting the genius of inventors faster than the wind > In wiuter, even in an English first-class carriage, there is no protec- t:on against frost and damp but in nearly all the foreign rail- ways, no sooner does the winter set in than thf» firU ^.1 traveller finds the bottom of his carriage provided with a" W tin case full of hot water. In the cold months, masses of woollen ciota and rail way wrappers are seen shaking in the corners of first-class English carriages with shivering, comfortless, human oeiugs inside them, despairing of any sort of warmth whatever. Comfort in railway travelling is, however, brought to the highest perfection in Germany. An esteemed correspondent at Vienna writes to us on this subject in the following terrr.,s :-On the •J! lener-^eiistader Eisenbahn (the Vienna and Neustadt Rail- way), the carriages of the first, second, and third-class may each be said to resemble a spacious room, furnished with seats, wmetmng like a concert-room, and having a broad passage down tne midale. Thus one may get up, walk towards a friend a dozen seats oft; or, if you require more air, or a change of position, you will find the backs of the seats shift so as to enable you to turn round, and sit down the other way without incon- venience to any one. I need not say that on this railway there is no struggle for, that corner place with your back to the engine, winch is a desirable object throughout our three kitigdoms,-for every piace is a corner place, having light and air, and you may sit wmeh way you please. Attached to each carriage, and going the whoie length of the tram, is a broad woodden pfank, aion* which the guards are constantly walking, so that the slightest thing ttmiss could scarcely occur without their perceiving it immedi- aleiy, Just before the arrival of the train at any station, one of these functionaries—for there are several—quietly opens the door, and, instead of calling out 41 say, you sir!' or I Come, nurm, your ticket, I carn't be a waitin' here all day,' as we have heard in England, walks without any harry or bustle down the civtsion from one end to the other, repeating, in a clear and ounnary tone of voice, the name ;0f the station which is being approached, and requiring the tickets of such passengers as are going to alight there. With such an arrangement—giving ample time for the gathering together uf coats, canes, umbrellas reti- cules, and so forth-r-even Martha Struggles herself, might have got through a journey unscathed and 'uiiflustered.' Dickens's household Words. THE DETECTIVE POLICE STAFF.—Inspector Wield is a middle- aged man of a portly presence, with a large, moist, knowing eye. a hussy voice, and a habit of emphasising his conversation by Lie aid of a corpulent fore-fingu, which is constantly in juxta-position with his eyes or nose. Inspector Stalker is a snrewd, hard-headed Scotchman—in appearance not at all un- like a very acute, thoroughly-trained schoolmaster from the formal Establishment at Glasgow, Inspector Wield one might have known, perhaps, for what he is-Inspector Stalker, never. ■. Tile ceremonies of reception over, Inspectors Wield and Stalker enserve that they have brought some sergeants with them. The sergeants are presented-five in number, Sergeant Dorn- ton, Sergeant Witchem, Sergeant Mith, Sergeant Fendall, and Sergeant Straw. We have the whole detective force from facotiand-yard, with one exception. They sit down in a semi- circle (the two inspectors at the two ends) at a little distance from the round table, facing the editorial sofa. Every man of them, in a glance, immediately takes an inventory of the fur- niture, and an accurate sketch of the editorial presence The editor feels that any gentleman in company could take him up, if need should be, without the smallest hesitation, twenty years hence. The whole party are in plain clothes. Sergeant Dornton noout fifty years of a age, with a ruddy face, and a high, sunl burnt forehead, has the air of one who has been a sergeant in tne army—he might have sat to Wilkie for the soldier in the Reading of the Will." He is famous for steadily pursuing the inductive process, and from small beginnings working on from clue to clue until he bags his man. Sergeant Witchem, shorter and thicker set, and marked with the small-pox, has something of a reserved and thoughtful air, as if he were en- iu deep aiithmetical calculations. He is renowned for Ins acquaintance with the swell-mob. Sergeant Mith, a smooth- faced man, with a fresh bright complexion, and a strange air of simplicity, is a dab at house-breakers. Sergeant Fendall, a ught-haired, well-spoken, polite person, is a prodigious hand at pursuing private inquiries of a delicate nature. Straw, a littl¡¡¡ wiry sergeant of meek demeanour and strong sense, would knock at a door and ask a series of questions in any mild character you chose to prescribe for him, from a charity coy upwards, and seem as innocent as an infant. They are one and all, respectable-looking men; of perfectly good de- portment and unusual intelligence with nothing lounging or simking m their manners; with an air of keen observation ana quick perception when addressed and generally presenting in their faces, traces more or less marked of habitually leading uves of strong mental excitement. They have all rood eves'• and they all can, and they all do, look full at whomsoever they speak W.-Ibid. J
-_--_--REPOHT OF THE MINING…
REPOHT OF THE MINING DISTRICTS. The report for 1850 of Mr. Seymour Tremenheere, the com- missioner appointed under the provisions of the 5th and 6th Vic., c. 99, to inquire into the operation of that Act, and into the state of tlie population iu the mining districts, is now before us. It contains a review of the physical, moral, and sanitary state of the population tif South and North Stafford- shire, Northumberland and Durham, Monmouth, Brecon, and Gloucestershire. As comment upon such a document would be superfluous (it being a detail of facts which have come under the observation of the commissioner), we proceed at once to the most important points in the report. Commencing with North Staffordshire, the writer says,— "No part of the mining population of England presents a more serious subject for consideration than that of Staffordshire. On the southern of the two coal fields of the county, and chiefly in the small basin between Dudley and Wolverhamp- ton, is congregated, in a series of large villages closely adjoin- ing each other, and occupying a tract of about eight miles square, a mass of nearly 200,000 people, employed principally in collieries and iron-stone mines, in the smelting and roiling of iron, and in the manufacture of a great variety of iron articles of every-day use. The populatian returns of 1851 give the following as the population of the several villages adjoining each other, as above-mentioned, in and near the centre of the clistriet:-West Bromwich, 26,121; Wednesbury, 11,625 Tipton, 18,891; Bilston, 20,181 Darleston, 8,244; Walsall, 39,743 Wolverhampton and its townships, 49,689 = 174,494, The population of the adjoining town of Dudley, and th tt connected with the iron and coal works, on the Wor- cestershire side of the basin, amount to about 50,COO more. The colliers and miners of North Staffordshire are estimated at about 4,000. They live partly in distinct mining villages, partly mixed up with the population of the potteries, wlujse wants the supply, in the large pottery towns and villages of Newcastle-unUer-Lyme, Stock-upon-Trent, Hanley, Burslem &e." Mr. ircmenheere then shows to what extent improvements have been effected within the last twenty years. The present incumbent of Wednesbury states that, only twenty-two years since, he saw brought to the baiting-place of that village town, seven bulls, three bears, and a badger, besides dogs 11 gs and cocks, for fighting. His own indefatigable exertion's strengthened by the aid of the .law, enabling him, in a few years, nearly to put an end to these practices. A remnant of the spirir, however, still remains. Dogs are bred tor fight- ing, and fights are got up to take place in the night, some miles off, in places known only to the parties concerned. Sen- suality, extravagonce, and drunkenness, still exist to a fright- ful degree, and a wild spirit of insubordination often breaks out. The sanitary arrangements are very defective. There seems to be every motive to recommend the introduction of the Sanitary Act, into these large over-grown village towns, where the enlightened guidance and useful control of a general system is greatly wanted. The large town of Wednesbury, with its population of, probably, 14,000, has taken the lead in this, and has petitioned the Commissioners of the Board of Health for that purpose. The applicants were, unhappily, able to prove a rate of mortality during the last ten years, much above the average required by the Act. They suffered greatly during the recent infliction of the cholera. I visited, with the superintending surgeon, and an inhabitant of the town, several of the narrow and close courts, small squares, and unpaved streets, and the interior of many of the houses in them, where the cholera had chiefly raged. Many of these places were built by speculators having very small means; others, however, and some of the worst, belonged to comparatively wealthy owners; and notwithstanding all that had been done during the prevalence of the epidemic to take off the refuse to make these places a little ness noxious, their aspect was deplor- able, and the amount of human suffering that must have been endured by those affected by the disease, and those attending upon them, can scarcely be understood, except by any one who has seen the localities in which these melancholy scenes occurred. The warning of 1832, when this district was similarly visited, had no permanent influence upon that cupi- dity which seeks its immediate gain without any heed to the natural feelings, wants, or Christian claims of others. The same entire disregard of the ordinary means of drainage, de- cency, or cleanliness, had been perpetuated, and affords a stringent argument for authorative interference. It is plain that where property is much divided, as in this district, and where there is a constant demand for small houses, every sort of neglect, irregularity, and want of system, will prevail in the arrangements for common decency, health and comfort; matters in which the interest of the whole population, and not the inhabitants of those small houses only, are affected. Bil- ston, also, the central and largest village town of the district, and which suffered thisyear, as in 1832, a heavier infliction of the epidemic than, I believe, almost any place in the kingdom, has warmly taken up this question, and is considering the most ready and practicable mode of placing themselves under the operation of the Act. Wolverhampton and its townships t have also been inspected and reported on at the instance of the commissioners. It is satisfactory, therefore, that before lung a i large portion of the district will be under due surveillance and J control in these matters, and it is muah to be desired that the < other large centres of population in the same valley should speedily have the same advantage. The want of a proper sup- ply of good water is also much felt in many parts of the dis- t trict. The ordinary supply from the springs is interfered with i by the mines, and the population is too large to be provided t ior, except tnrougn tne medium ot regular waterworks. It is, t I understand, in contemplation to extend the operations of the companies at Dudley and Wolverhampton, but not so far as to t embrace, as would be desirable, the greater portion of the I valley. A comprehensive plan for the supply of all the pottery ( towns of North Staffordshire with water, has, I believe, been lately very nearly completed." With respect to the truck system, the report says The t difficult question of i I trtick" was urged on my notice by several c of the leading proprietors of the iron-works whose men are < scrupulously paid in money. Such masters naturally feel ex- 1 ceedingly sore that so many of their competitors in trade pro- t cure for themselves what is considered an unfair advantage, < by violating the law against the payment of wages in goods. I In times of depressed trade this advantage, which is estimated i at upwards of 7 per cent., is often sufficient to give the master t paying in truck the command of the market. Several pro- I prietors who refuse to violate the law in this respect informed me that they had been offered by large dealers 7 per cent. c upon the value of all the goods that might be supplied to their s men, if they would adopt the system of truck, and allow them A to open a shop at their works. In addition to this, is the r further considerable advantage, that these dealers offer to accept bills at five months' date in payment of any amount of goods so disposed of. Many of those gentlemen who had hitherto resisted these temptations, and honourably and conscientiously conformed to tiie law, asserted to me that they were apprehensive of being driven in their own defence to follow an example which they cannot condemn. There are many and various ways of evading the law, but one of the best known and most commented on in the district is that adopted at the large iron-works of Messrs..Lloyd and Co., Wednesbury. Mr. Lloyd, who is a member of the Society of Friends, most readily and frankly explained his mode of proceeding to me. His settlements with the men are fortnightly. If in the interval a workman wants goods or money, he comes to the office and writes a cheque (a specimen of which was given to me) on the Birmingham Banking Company, payable to bearer. These cheques are written for every variety of small sums, generally under £1, usually perhaps from 2s. 6.1. to 10s. It is understood that the cheque is never to be presented at the Birmingham Bank, which is ten miles off, but to be taken to the shop in connection with the works. There the workmen may obtain money at the rate of 4s. in £ 1. and the rest he must receive in goods. If, for instance, a man has occasion for 2s. in money in the course of the week, he must go to the office and draw a cheque for 10s. Mr. Lloyd did not think that, on an average, more than 6s. in £ 1 of the entire wages paid by him was taken in goods. He stated that the money balances paid by him had amounted to 1:1,000 per week, and that for the then current fortnight a sum of EI,500 had just been placed on his table. Many families, however, doubtless received in goods a much larger proportion, probably not less than two-thirds of their earnings." The following observations, from a principal mining engineer, will give a good idea of the state of intelligence among the superior working-men. 'I here are at a rough estimate about 60 mine agents in this coal-field (South Staffordshire). They have the supervision of all the coal and ironstone pits; they lay them out for work and ventilation they are expected to understand all the details of the machinery belonging to the pits, both for pumping and drawing, where shafts are to be sunk,&c. It is upon their judgment that outlays are incurred often of many thousand pounds. The greater number of these mine agents have been working men within the last 12 or 14 years. I believe that many of them cannot write—I know, I think, as many as 14 or 15 who are unable to do so, and cer- tainly some of these are unable to read, or were so only a short time ago. I should think that out of the 60 there may be 25 who are educated men; the rest, say about 20, are in a sort of intermediate state as regards intelligence." In considering the state of North Staffordshire, Mr. Tremen. heere states that the district affords two or three very favour?ble examples of good management, and its excellent results upon the moral conduct and happiness of the people but at most of the few other coal or iron-woiks in North Staffordshire, the managers, or proprietors, informed him that they had much reason to complain of the drunken habits, ignorance, and iu- subordination of the men, though they were disposed to believe that they could recognise some improvement in progress. There is, undoubtedly, everywhere throughout the nunin^ districts a strong conviction of the great loss incurred by the capitalist from that state of the labouring population. There is no proprietor placed in that situation who does not admit and complain that, by being limited in his operations by the restrictions the men place on their labour, or by their unsteadi- ness and indiscipline, he is obliged to employ from one-third to one-sixth more fixed capital, to the great detriment of his trade and to the great injury of the public. He is obliged to keep' more pits open—consequently, more machinery for pumpiiv and draining, more horses, more roadways, more houses, and other sources of expenditure. The vast amount of capital'thus needlessly sacrificed in the iron and coal trade of the kingdom may be imagined, when it is considered that the total quantity of coals raised annually in this country was, according to th" current estimate given by Mr. II. C. Taylor (Statistics of Coal, p. xviii.), for the year 184.5 and 1846, 31,500,01)0 tons, of the value, at the place of extraction, of £ 9,1 v0,000. As the districts where the largest portion of this captal is employed— Staffordshire, South Wales, and Lanarkshire, producing toge- ther about 1,700,000 out of the 2,000,000 tons of iron, the whole estimated make of the kingdom—are those where this state of things most prevails, it is easy to see that many millions of the national wealth are needlessly locked up in consequence of the erroneous views of their own interest—the indole.ice, or the sensual habits, of a large portion of the mining population anI this source of loss to individual proprietors is the more glaring, from the contrast sometimes afforded by neighbouring works, .1 1 as m the cases above described, where by just, firm, and en- lightened management, the labouring population have become moral, sober, industrious, and intelligent, doing their duty to themselves, their children, and their master; and, while by their honest and steady industry they have surrounded them selves with every comfort that persons in their situation could desire, they have added to their master's means to employ more labour, and, consequently, promoted their own prosperity as well as his, i y NORTHUMBERLAND AND DURHAM.—The state of these dis- tricts is still very unsettled, and several strikes have taken place within the past year at some of the collieries the policy of the delegates has been to get up a strike at one colliery at a time, in the expectation, that the owners, seeim* their trade pass into the hands of their neighbours, would submit to the I b pitmen s demands.—"In this proceeding they have been par- tially successful several of the collieries in Northumberland and Durham having, within the last year, given to their terms rather than enter upon, or prolong a contest which would have entailed a still greater loss, although at most of them at the time, neither the state of the work, nor the rate of earnings nor the price of coal in the market, justified the increase' Others, however, have successfully resisted. I found it also to be the general opinion that the state of the market was such that no long period could elapse before a reduction of wa»es would become necessary throughout the trade, which it was anticipated would not be effected without another general strike. Such is the cycle of events between the coalowners of this, nearly the most important coal district in the kingdom x'S ooa (m.en and b°ys) in theil" employ. The £ 10 000,006 of capital estimated to be engaged in the coal trade of these two counties is tnus subjected every four or five years to an Enormous tax by the ignorance, jealousy, and cupidrty of the great majority of he pitmen. Neither is it a trade which according to all printed statements regarding it, can at all bear such a burthen. The great increase of joint-stock companies formed to work collieries in these counties within the last 20 y "as. together with tne competition of other districts, so ieduced tne price ol coal, that it is a matter, Ib.lieve of general complaint that the collieries in these two counties' do not, on an average, pay five per cent. Nor can it be said that the pitmen have too small a portion of the returns in the shape of wages while the price of coal has gone down in the Lon- don market 12s. per ton in the last twenty years the earnings of the colliers generally are as high as 'they were at the be- ginning of that period. Where they are not, it arises from their own voluntary restrictions on their labour, with the abject of reducing the quantity of coal in the market, and forcing up the price.' The author says, no circumstances can more fully show the unreasonableness, the caprice, and folly of the pitmen than the lollovung: At Lord Durham's collieries this is, however, not the case. Their able manager, Mr. Morton, informs me that at his collieries the men have had ten days' work per fortnight throughout the last year and at all, except one pit, :hey nave been able easily to average 4s. a day by seven hours' woik. f hey restrict themselves to this sum, although they night, itlr. Morton informs me, have earned more. Nothing [ understand, is omitted in the management of these pits that jan contribute to their healthiness and safety; the cottages ne good, and, as usual in the trade, they have them rent-free, .vith gardens and coals in addition yet, during the whole of ;he past year they have been making constant demands for an ncrcased rate of payment, which would enablJ them to earn ,heir 4s. a day in five or six hours, and nearly every pit has )een I off work' for some time during the year, in an endea- rour to force this concession. Mr. Morton favoured me with he following account of the conduct of the men at one of his ^T-3-i one of our most desirable and easily-wrought pits ilugh Grange, near Durham) the pitmen wrought very quietly ind with great regularity all the summer, averaging rather liOie than 4s. a day in about seven hours. I had been holding Item up as an example to all our other men, when they sud- lenly made a demand for an advance of price, which I was )bligecl most decidedly to refuse. They struck, and I had a ong interview with a deputation on the subject. I endeavoured o reason quietly with them I praised their former good eon- luct, and said how much regret I should feel if I were com- piled to eject them from their houses. I could make no mpression upon them. Just as they left me, one of the leaders olu me in a most determined manner that the men would not ;o to work until they had obtained the advance. I gave them lotice to deliver up their houses they refused, and I had every >ne ejected, iliey remained out a whole month, We put orne strangers and above-ground men into the pits, some of vllom made 5s. a day, but of course they were placed in the nost favourable situations in the pit, and could not have gone on at tnai rate. When the old men had been off work a month, five or six came, and shortly afterwards the whole body offered themselves again at the precise terms they had left off at. We took back the great majority, rejecting some whom we suspected as the getters-up of the revolt, which I ascribe to some half-a-dozen, headed by one of the itinerant delegates, to whom the pitmen pay about 30s. a week for managing' the Union fund. There cannot be in the two couuties any collieries managed with greater liberality or a sounder judg- ment than those under the able gentleman above-mentioned; yet the conduct of the pitmen, of whom there are perhaps nearly 2 000 in their united employ, has been as I have above described, The other strikes which have occurred within the same time have, as I am informed, been so similar in character to the above, that it would be not much more than a repetition of the same circumstances to detail them, one only excepted, that at the Consett Iron-Works, to which I shall presently advert. The feature that is somewhat peculiar to the whole is, that they have occurred principally either at the collieries that have only existed a few years, or in localities which, until very recently, have not had the benefit of any adequate mea- sures for the enlightenment and guidance of the population." At the Consett Iron-works (than which there is no other large work in the kingdom where such a strict and conscientious re- gard has been shown by their employers to the 15,000 people under them) a strike was little expected, but the report says nf-s tlloreforc> last autumn, of all the colliers emp y a t lese works, was a circumstance calculated to excite no little surprise throughout these two counties. At that time, the delegates of the "Union" had succeeded in their policy of causing strikes at individual collieries and, em- boldened by their success in several instances, they avowed their intention of endeavouring to "win" at the Consett Works also. Accordingly, one of their principal men came and ob- tained employment at these works, and drew the colliers by degrees into his plans. These were, to set up several small grievances and, under cover of those to reduce the quantity of work, lower the earnings, and make that a pretext for a demand of a higher rate of wages. The decision and firmness of the manager (Mr. William Cargill) baffled this policy and several offenders were sent off to Durham Gaol for deserting their work aud for violent assaults—in one of which a police- man received very serious injuries. Nevertheless, a general strike of.the colliers ensued. The pretexts which they put forward were personally and minutely examined into at the time by the editor of a local paper, well disposed to the interest, of the colliers-the Durham Chronicle-and pronounced by him to be altogether unfounded. The "coal measures" which they complained ol, were ascertained to be the ordinary
STANZAS.
STANZAS. That was not a barren time, When the new World calmly lay, Bare unto the frosty rime, Open to the burning day. Though her yeung limbs wee not clad With the colours of the spring, Yet she was all inward glad, Knowing- all she bore within, Undeveloped, blossoming. There was Beauty, such as feeds Poets in their secret hours; Music mute; and all the seeds And the signs of all the flowers. ) There was wealth, beyond the gojd Hid in oriental caves; There was-all we now behold 'Tween our cradles and our graves. Judge not, then, the Poet's dreams Barren all and void of good: There are in them azure gleams, Wisdom not all understood. Fables, with a heart of truth; Mysteries, that unfold in light; Morals, beautiful for youth Starry lessons for the night. Unto Ma n, in peace and strife, True and false, and weak and strong, I Unto a I1, in death and life, Speaks the poet in his song. BAURY CORNWALL.
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-=-=- ::=:='==:=-==:=-=.=-======-=-=--==:==:=:== townl Mtm- « SUBMARINE TELEGRAPH.—It is said the experiment of con- veying messages by a submarine telegraph from Dover to Calais will take place in the course of ten days or a fortnight. MR. E. B. THOMPSON, a compositor in the office of the New Icork Courier, is said to have in his possession a cambric handkerchief used by Charles the First on the scaffold. FALL OF A MILL AT STOCKPORT.—DREADFUL Loss OF LIFE.- On Tuesday week, between one and two o'clock, a very serious and alarming accident occurred at a mill belonging to Mr. Cephas Howard, and rented by Mr. Joseph Heywood as a doubling mill, while the hands were at dinner. One of the main supports of the building gave way, and a great portion of it fell, burying fifteen or twenty of the hands who remained inside. Five people were conveyed to the infirmary, of whom one has died, and others are expected not to live. At present, none of those who were completely buried have been recovered, so that the names are not accurately known but we under- stand that, in addition to a number of girls who were dining at the mill, there were some machinists and workmen who were employed there temporarily. It is fine large fireproof mill, lour storeys high and it will have to be almost entirely rebuilt. A great portion of the machinery was all new, and has been entirely destroyed. CHESTER.—DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.-About a quarter before twelve o'clock on Saturday night week, the extensive steam saw mills belonging to Messrs. Dickin and Beardsworth, situate near the Shrewsbury and Chester Canal offices, at the Canal-wharf, in this city, were discovered to be on fire. About one o'clock the Sanies had attained their greatest height: the roof fell in with a terrific crash, and the fiery elements illu- minated the city and surrounding district. In consequence of the wind blowing very strong at the time from the north-west the pieces of burning wood were carried up in the air and fell on the houses of the residents in King-street, North irate-street, &c., to the great alarm of the inhabitants. There was a large quantity of timber in the yard adjoining the mill, but this was fortunately preserved by the ram falling heavily at the time, and the large quantity of water thrown on it by the engines. In a very short time after the fire was discovered, the fire brigade, under the direction of Mr. Hill, were on the spot. As they had abundance of water close at hand from the canal, they completely succeeded, in extinguishing the burning embers of the wood. A BUFFALO HUNT IN LONDON.—On Monday morning week, about nine o clock, two young buffaloes were being driven from the terminus of the Great Western Railway, at Paddin"- toii when in the Edgware-road some sweeps shaking a soot bag alarmed them, and they started at a terrific pace in the direction of Lisson-grove. Their career was so rapid that several persons, unable to get out of the way, were knocked down and seriously injured, and a Mrs. Le Blane, of Alpha Cottages, had her ribs fractured, and sustained other injuries. All efforts to stop them were fruitless; they dashed through Regent's-park into Primrose-hill-park, with increased impe- tuosity, leaping fences with the greatest ease. The beasts were not secured, before seven persons had been seriously injured, till ten o'clock at night. MR. FILLMORE, late Vice-President, but now President of the United States, is a Whig of the Clay school, and is under- stood to entertain the highest veneration for this illustrious statesman, whose friendship has always been conceded to him, and to whose counsels it is supposed he will now, as ever, lend an attentive ear. He is comparatively a young man, being only fifty years of age. He commenced life as a schoolmaster, then attained distinction at the bar, has since been Controller of the Treasury of New York, and has represented the State in both Houses of Congress. His views on financial matters are said to be peculiarly clear, and, when called upon last year to explain himself on the great question now at issue in the country, the opinions which he set forth were anything but ultra for, though candidly avowing that he looked on slavery as an evil, he has openly declared, that he considered its pre- sent existence as not a smbject for the legislation of the General Government.—Correspondent of the Times. THE GTORHAM CASE, In the Mofussilite, (India paper) of the 12th instant, appeared the following paragraph in the leading columns The Gorham case, d the Gorham case" (!) In the paper of the 18th, the editor begs the pardon of his readers for the paragraph, (the editor himself is away sick at Simla), and mentions that it was inserted by a reverend contributor, who has for ever hereafter forfeited his confidence THE FREEHOLDERS' MEDAL.—A medal has "been struck at Birmingham to cammemorate the establishment, of Freehold Land Societies. The obverse contains a spirited likeness of the original founder of these societies, enclosed in a handsome chased border, and surrounded with the inscription, James. Taylor, junior, founder of Freehold Land Societies, J 817." The reverse presents a view of a freehold house, the freeholder being busily occupied in the garden, the perspective of which is admirably managed. A scroll, encircling the upper part of the medal bears the iiiscriptioi-i-" Social Improvement, Po- litical Independence J" On the lower side is a bee-hive en- circled with a wreath of flowers, and surmounted with the words, "Freehold Franchise. 1 The medal 'is in design and execution highly creditable to the artist, and deserves the patronage of the public. BALLOON ASCENT ON HORSEBACK.—It is a very long time since Vauxhall-gardens were attended by so large a concourse of people as were assembled last evening, and the great object pf attraction was the extraordinary novelty in aerostation" which had been announced to take place on the occasion, being no less than that the" veteran Green," as he is called, would make an ascent on horseback. At half-past seven o'clock, the time announced for the ascent to take place, the open space devoted to the purpose was thronged with spectators, and their number was far exceeded by those who assembled on Vauxhall-bridge and in the avenues lead- ing to the gardens. Where is the horse ?" was of course the general cry, and every person pushed eagerly forward to the spot where the preparations were in progress. At length a particularly small pony, not larger than an ordinary-sized Newfoundland dog, and weighing no more than 2001bs., was introduced to their view, and several men were soon employed in the operation of strapping him down to the slender frame- work, which had been fixed under the hoop of the balloon. This work was superintended by Mr. Green himself, who evidently did not much relish the experiment in which lie nau embarked. The feet of the little animal were inserted into sockets cut expressly for the purpose, and fixed therein by leathern straps attached to his fetlocks. A handkerchief was then tied over his eyes, whilst his head was rendered motionless by a nape on either side, fastened to the cords which held the balloon. Whilst this process was going on the spectators took an opportunity of expressing their opinions upon the exhibition, and the general impression ap- peared to be, that the act, if not absolutely cruel was supremely ridiculous. Everything being arranged, and the pony being, as was supposed, well secured, the veteran mounted his charger—a feat which he performed by be- striding the animal like a Colossus—and, placing his feet upon the bags of ballast on either side, the balloon rose and immediately afterwards the pony gave a plunge, which ren- dered the position of the aeronaut more perilous than he had anticipated. Mr. Green, however, patted his back, and thus restored him to better humour and in a few moments the man, pony, and balloon were lost to view.-Daily News Aug. 1. REGISTRATION IN AUGUST.—The list of voters for boroughs and counties are now made up, and will be fixed on church and < hapel doors on the first two Sundays of this month. Every person being a £ 10 householder, and having the right to a vote for a city or borough, should examine the list for the parish in which his qualification is situate, in order to see that his own name is properly oa the list. In case of omission, or improper descrip- tion, he should on or before the 25th of August, send in a claim to the overseers, requiring his name to be inserted in the register. It is of scarcely less importance also closely to scrutinise both borough and county lists, with the view to objecting to the names of such persons as may have been inserted who have not the requisite qualification, or who have not given such a description of their name and place of abode, and qualifying property, as the law requires for their easy and proper identification. We shall never advise the making of frivolous or groundless objections but as the law excludes large masses of the people from the exercise of the franchise, we hold that the bona fide honest voter, is justified in protecting himself from those who, for party purposes, fraudently attempt to thrust themselves upon the Hegister, and whose votes at an election may more than neutra- lise his own. Notices of objection, as well as of claim, may be posted, and should be sent, so as to reach the parties for whom they are intended, on or before they 25th of August. The same remarks apply to the list of scot-and-lot voters, freemen, livery- men, and burgesses, only that in the three latter cases the notices have to be sent to the town-clerk of the city or borough instead of the overseer,—Freeholder.