The Brecon Reporter and South Wales General Advertiser

THE NEWS BUDGET. The Licensing System in Liverpool.—The Liverpool magistrates have held several meetings with reference to a bill which has been prepared by the lioensed victuallers of the town for next session, and the following resolution has been adopted by the Bench :—" That it is expedient that there should be one uniform charge for licences for the sale of liquors to be consumed ou the premises, and that it should be open to all persons of good character to obtain such licenses for suitable premises." A Borough for Sale.—A considerable portion of the borough of Bridgnorth is to be sold by auction on the day after the meeting of Parliament. The property consists of about ninety freehold houses, in- cluding some of the most desirable residences in .the town, with nine hotels and publichouses, several shops, building premises, wharves, &c., with attrac- tive building sites in the best situations. "It pre- sents," it is said, considerable attractions to an enterprising capitalist, not only for investment, but -tending towards securing a seat in Parliament." T.Je population of Bridgnorth is about 7,900 and the number of electors about 700. It always returns two Conservative members to the House of Commons. Mr. Whitmore, the Tory whipper-in, is one of the present representatives. A Godsend for the Shetlanders.—By a pri. vate letter from Shetland we learn that, since the recent storms many of the voes, or arms of the sea running inland, have swarmed with the small fish known as "sillocks" to a degree unequalled for many years. The natives have been bagging them by the boatload, and building them up on the beach in heaps, literally like peat stacks in size, preparatory to boiling them down for the oil; and at this process some of the people have been making as much as < £ 1 a day. One Train Bisected by Another;—A railway collision, fortunately unattended by any very serious results beyond some of the passengers receiving a few bruises and being severely shaken, occurred at Ard- wick Station, on Saturday afternoon. The Sheffield train, due in Manchester at 4.30 p.m., on arriving at Ardwick ran right through a goods train crossing the main line, overturning one truck completely and smashing others, so that soap, &c., was strewn about the line in abundance. The engine of the passenger train had its buffer broken off and tho tender smashed, so that it would not hold the water necessary for the supply of the engine. The Fire at Edinburgh.—By order of the magistrates of Edinburgh, a communication was made gl" BY the City Clerk to Colonel Darby Griffith, of the Scots Greys, reporting to him the gallant and praise- worthy conduct at the Theatre Royal fire of Private Thomas M'Lauchlan, of that regiment, who happened to be in Edinburgh on furlough at the time. A letter of thanks has been received from Colonel Griffith, stating that the City Clerk's letter would be read to the regiment on a general parade, on the return of M'Lauchlan from furlough. A Naval Heroine.-Ann Perrian, a naval heroine, died at Exmouth last week at a very advanced age. She was with her husband on board the man-of-war Crescent and Orion from 1794 to 1798, and was present in the following engagementsL'Orient, Admiral Lord Bridport, June 23, 1795.; off Cape St. Vincent, Admiral Sir John Jervis, February 14,1797; the Nile, Admiral Lord Nelson, August 1,1798. She also shared in the honour of several minor exploits. In action she was stationed in the magazine with the gunners pre- paring flannel cartridge cases. She had been in ths receipt of a pension of £ 10 a year from Government up to the time of her death. Intimidating Workmen.-A.,L the Shire-hall, Nottingham, four young men, named John Beardeall, Samuel Hind, Thomas Limery, and Josiah Brows, were charged before the sitting magistrates with having used threatening language to Samuel Pepper and John Stapleton, for the purpose of compelling them to leave the employ of Mr. S. Butler, lace manu- facturer. There has been a, strike at Mr. Butler's factory during the last three months, and both Pepper and Stapleton have been subjected to great annoyance because they would not leave work. Crowds assembled at the factory gates morning and night, and both men had to be conducted home by the police. On Tuesday night the crowd assembled as usual, and followed them shouting "Bah!" hooting, rattling tin cans, &c. The prisoners were apprehended as being the ringleaders. The Bensh convicted all four defendants, and sentenced them to one month's hard labour. Notice of appeal was given. Murder -or the High Seas.—At the Liver- pool police-court on Monday, J. C. Bennett, a seaman on board of the British ship Raymond, was charged with stabbing and killing a coloured seaman, named West, on board of the vessel, on the 16th of last Sep- tember. The ship was at the time en route from Liverpool to New York. The prisoner said that he used a marlinspike to strike the deceased, but the unfortunate man, before he died, insisted that the weapon which caused his death was a knife. This was also the opinion of the captains and a surgeon, though they were not present when West was stabbed. The prisoner, who has been remanded several times (the captain of the Raymond being absent from Liver- pool), was committed by Mr, Raffles to the next assizes to be'tried for wilful murder. The Knights of the Garter.-On Saturday Sir 0. G. Young, Garter Principal King of Arms, with his assistants, was occupied for some little time in placing the arms and banner of the Marquis of Lansdowne in the choir of the Chapel Royal of St. George, Windsor Castle. The position occupied by the arms of the newly-created Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter is next the carved stone- work of the Royal closet. The trophy consists of a helmet surmounted by a gilt bee hive, a blue silk scarf embroidered with silver thread, and sword, above the whole of which is the banner richly emblazoned. The number of knights is restricted to twenty five, exclu- sive of the Sovereign, the Princes of blood Royal, and foreign Princes. The Duke of Newcastle's arms and banner, it is understood, have not yet been removed, while Earl Spencer's arms will shortly be placed in the chapeL Gross Neglect by a Fa.ther.John Hyland, 36, a ballast getter, of No. 2, Brook-street, Ratcliff, was charged, before the magistrate at the Thames Police-court, with causing the death of Emily Jane Hyland, his daughter, aged three years, by not providing her with proper food and clothing. A fortnight ago the deceased child and two others were diseovered in a room in Heath-street, Com- mercial-roa<l> in a state of great suffering, starving, and covered with vermin, but the prisoner, who was the father of the children, removed them before any steps were taken by the parish authorities. They had now been again discovered in Brook-street. The daughter Emily had died, and the verdict of the coroner's jury was that her death was caused by disease of the lungs, accelerated by exposure and neelect The child was in a fearful Btate of dirt and starvation, and the same account was given of the other children. There was no excuse for the prisoner's conduct, as he was in receipt of good wages.-The pri- soner was remanded. j t, j A "Fatal Bridge-—The de I Ardeche relates +W last week "faLer named Viouzac went with his tar "t by means of a slight iwieataftp toSnToyer it. tL soa, l.» but at last being persuaded by his ^har, forward. He had only made a few steps when a*- came siddv and fell into the water. A labourer named Bosc plunged in after him, but m his turn was s P away. Another young man, however, saved Bosc, and brought him safely to the bank. Two friends of Bosc desirous of congratulating their comrade, shortly after attempted to cross the bridge by holding hands, but they became giddy and were two victims the more. The bodies of the three were found the next day lower down in the river. Births and Deaths.—In the ten principal cities or boroughs of the United Kingdom 4,071 births and 3 218 deaths were registered in the week that ended ok Saturday, 21st inst In the se*sn Cities or boroughs of England the mortality was at the rate of 29 per 1.000 annually, and the deaths of the week were 2,618. 1 585 deaths were registered m London m the week that ended on January 21. In the corresponding weeks of ten years (1855-64) the average number of deaths is, with a correction for increase of population, 1 637. The deaths in the present return, therefore, are less by 52 than the estimated number. The births of 1 053 boys and 1,069 girls, in all 2,122 children, were registered in London. In the ten correspondmg weeks of the years 1855-64 the average number (corrected) Wfta Death of Lady Willoughby de Bresby.-We are sorry to announce the demise of Lady Willoughby de Eresby, which took place on Thursday, at one o'clock, at the family mansion on the Terrace, Picca- dilly, after a short illness. The deceased, the Hon. Clementina Sarah Drummond, was only surviving child and heir of James, Lord Perth, which title is now extinct, and married in 1807 the Baron Wil- loughby de Eresby, by whom she leaves issue-Lady Aveland, born in 1809; Lady Carington, born in 1815; and the Hon. Alberie Willoughby, born in 1821. By her ladyship's death many families of distinction are placed in mourning. We hear that Lord Willoughby de Eresby still lies in a weak state, and but slight hopes are entertained of his recovery. An Extraordinary Story.—The London corre- spondent of Saunders' News Letter says:—"A most extraordinary story has just got into circulation here. It is so extraordinary that I only vouch for its cur- rency, and am quite bewildered by the apparent reasons which have been furnished to me for believing it to be true. It is asserted that a few days ago two brothers, the younger sons of a nobleman of exalted rank, lately deceased, quarrelled. From words they pro- ceeded to blows,, and from blows to resort to knives, which unfortunately lay handy. In the scuffle one received a dangerous wound, which from the first assumed so serious an aspect that the assailant was counselled at. once to leave the kingdom. He did so, and but just in time, for it is rumoured that the in- jured man died las night. If this terrible tragedy be true, of course it will be speedily confirmed; if it sheuld turn out an idle canard, I can enly assure you that the account of it has come before me in so credi- ble a form, that I could not hesitate in informing you of it." Brutal Assault by a Father.—George Mullens, £ plasterer, residing at 6, Dean-street, Holborn, was charged at Clerkenwell Police-court with being drunk, and violently assaulting Ellen Matthews and Richard Matthews, at Dean-street, Holborn. Ellen Matthews, a girl about fourteen years of age, daughter of the defendant, said that on Friday night, whilst drunk, he kicked her in the side, and knocked her down. Her mother was in the hospital, and her father had been in the habit of getting drunk, and ill-using and starv- ing her. The prisoner said he could not deny that he had assaulted his daughter, but she had annoyed him by stopping on her errands. Richard Matthews, a half-starved looking boy, said on Friday night his father struck him in the eye, and bruised his face. His father when drunk was in the frequent habit of ill-using him and the other children. Other witnesses gave corroborative evidence, and Mr. D'Eyncourt sentenced the defendant to be imprisoned and kept to hard labour in the House of Correction for three calendar months; the magistrate, at the same time, observing that the children had better be removed to the workhouse. Letter from General McClellan. General McClellan was iaviied to assist the Keystone Club, of Philadelphia, to celebrated the anniversary of the battle of New Orleans. In his letter, excusing him- self for non-attendance, he said, I will venture to express my gratification at the gallant manner in which the Keystone Club bore its part in the recent contest. I am confident that its members will ever remain true to the cause of the Union and constitu- tional liberty, that they will ever prove by word and deed their loyalty and devotion to our country, and that, when the due course of time brings on the next great political contest, they will render to whoever may then be honoured with the proud position of the standard bearer of the party the same honourable and zealous support that has filled my heart with pride and gratitude that can never be-effaced." The Blacklaeath Tunnel Collision.-The in- quest on the bodies of the five men who were killed when the collision took place between a passenger; train and a ballast train in the Blaekheath Tunnel, on the 16th December last, was resumed at the Railway Tavern, Lee, on Monday afternoon. The evidence taken was mainly a repetition of what has already been published. The Coroner having summed up, the jury retired for upwards of an hour. On their return into court they gave the following -verdict: We find a verdict of manslaughter against James Jones, the porter, and we consider that-ithe, error of his trans- mitting the wrong signal arose from his not being sufficiently experienced as a, signalman. With regard, to Lancaster, the jury are of opinion that Lancaster,; having gone to the rear of the train omitted his duty by Rot taking the usual precautions to prevent the accident, as laid down by the rules of the company, he >! having had sufficient time to do so. Fhe jury are also j anxious to call attention to the following recommen-da- j tion That it is desirable that the company should enforce the strict carrying out of their own rules in all cases, and that in cases of special trains, not in the time book, such trains should be telegraphed by the speaking instrument, and that any improvement that could be made in the tunnel for ventilation would be most desirable." The Coroner then made out his war- rant for the committal of Janes and 'Lancaster for' manslaughter, and said he would accept bail in the; personal recognisance of XI,00 each, and two sureties of X50 each. 'The requisite bail was, then tendered and accepted, and the proceedings terminated. Alleged Wife Murder in Preston.—On Mon- day, at the Police-court, Preston, an Irishman, named Stephen Burke, was charged with the murder of his wife. The prisoner, who is a tailor, is a man of bad character, has been several times convicted for various oifeneea, and frequently heard to threaten to take the life of his wife. The principal evidence adduced against the accused was that of his own j daughter, Mary Ann Burke, who deposed: I am a little over twelve years of age. My father came home yesterday afternoon about four o'clock. He was in liquor. He created a disturbance in the,house.. My mother went to bed about ten o'clock. I alao went to bed, and so did all the other children. There are five childrea altogether. I slp.pt at the foot of the bed, where my mother was. My father went to bed after. wards. About four o'clock this morning nay father went into another room, and when he came back he had a portion of a bedpost in his hand. He struck my mother twice on the head with it. My mother moaned and complained. I got up and went for a light. My mother was alive then. She was then moaning. Father said something about his coat with alrnife in it."—When the Police arrived t'ne dead body of the poor woman was found on the bed. The pri- soner, who made no answer to the ehacg-e, was re- manded. The High Priee of Coal.- The immensely in- creased demand for coal in London, says the City Press, both for the supply of private cellars, the manufacture of gas, and the thousand industries for which steam is almost a first necessity, almost beggars the capabilities of railways ;and ships combined, and, though the ships decrease because the railways beat them in rates of freightage, the railways themselves cannot keep, pace with the immense consumption. The imminent danger we are always in of a suspen- sion of the coal supply may be illustrated by reference to the journal of any manager of a London gas factory. It will be found that during hard winter weather the stores of coal at gas factories sometimes go so low that they have to send off to the provinces and pur- chase coal that has already been conveyed thither from the London market-a necessity which must greatly augment, or, we might say, aggravate the price of the raw material for gas-making. But unless they did so, London must sometimes be plunged in darkness until there occurred a rise in the barometer and a change of wind. It must be obvious that this they did so, London must sometimes be plunged in darkness until there occurred a rise in the barometer and a change of wind. It must be obvious that this state of things is very unfavourable to consumers of coal in the metropolis., and that as long as it continues coal must continually advance in price; and, as some of the best veins in the north are nearly worked out, it must, at the same time, deteriorate in quality. Robbery of Stores at Chatham. -On Mon- day, at the Chatham Poliee-court, John Field, one of the officials employed at the Ordnance Department, and Wm. Goddard, giving the false address 15, Queen- street, Cambridge-road, London, underwent a length- ened examination before the sitting magistrates, charge^ the former with stealing, and the latter with receiving Colt s revolvers, gun fittings, hand vices, and other articles abstracted from the Gun-wharf stores. The evidence for the prosecution showed that the pri- soner Field held the responsibly office of foreman at the Armoury, and would seem to have had under his care about 50,000 stand of arms, consisting chiefly of rifled muskets, together with an almost equal number of revolvers and other pistols, with the neces- sary fittings. The most unbounded confidence had been placed in him. The discovery of the robberies was effected through the prisoner Goddard entering a shop in Whitechapel and offering for sale four new hand vices, which were found to belong to the Govern- ment, although the usual marks had been erased. On Field being taken into custody a great quantity of Queen's stores was found on his premises ready for being sent away, and from circumstances that subse- quently transpired it would seem that valuable Colt's revolvers were taken from the stores under the pri- soner's, charge, and their places supplied with rusty old pistols, worth only a few pence each. A Colt's revolver was also found pledged by the prisoner in the town. When taxed with the robbery the prisoner stated that he had purchased the things in Petticoat- lane, but afterwards he admitted that they were Go- vernment property. At the close of the examination of the prisoners the magistrates expressed thefr in- tention of committing both of them for trial. The Coal-pit Catastrophe in Belgium.—It has now been ascertained that sixty-one Persolis lost their lives during, or subsequent to, the frightful ex- plosion in the coal-mine at Dours, in Belgium. Lists of subscriptions for the relief of the families of the sufferers appear daily in the Belgian journals, not- withstanding that a large section of the leaders of the Roman Catholic party highly disapprove of the publi- cation of these lists, and of the publicity given to the names of the subscribers and the amounts they bestow. It is recommended that. the charitably disposed should send their alms to the parish priest, who would ac- company the distribution with words of faith, hope, and consolation. "Thus," says the Bien Public (the journal which advocates this view), to material alms will be joined spiritual, and who knows if the coin given in charity will not be the means of intro- ducing the truth into more than one soul." The journal in question, curiously enough, was conspicuous for the zeal with which it advocated New-year's gifts to the Pope, and not only published the lists of donors and the amounts, but also the pious or ridiculous mottoes which the subscribers appended to their names. Noble Giits,-The following special gifts foi the purchase of lifeboats hereafter named were presented last year to the National Lifeboat Institution:- Aln- mouth: Miss Wardell, .£320; Redcar Messrs. John Crossley and Sons, 300; Whitby, No. 2: Dr. H, W. Watson, X-180; Donna Nook: Mr. Robert How and Miss How, £ 350; Theddlethorpe: Mrs. B. Oaslake, X350; Sutton collected in Birmingham, .£250; Skeg- ness Friends of the late Mr. Herbert Ingram, M.P., X205 5s.; Dover: collected in Wiltshire by Captain N. J. Reed, R.N., < £ 435 10s. 9d.; Poole: A Lady, £ 500: Penzance: J. C., < £ 250; Sennen Cove: Mrs. M. A. Davis, = £ 300; Padstow: collected in Bristol, .£570; Newquay (Cardigan): Ancient Order of Foresters, .£255 lis. 3L; Porthduillaen: Lady Cot- ton Sheppard and Friends, .£250; Holyhead: Mr, /Joseph Leather, £ 311 12s.; New Brighton, ditto, £ 351 3s.; Blackpool: Mrs. and Miss Hopkins, < £ 250; Piel: Commercial Travellers' Lifeboat Fund, < £ 250 j Girvan: Mr. Alexander Kay, £400; Londonderry, Mr. J. D. Allcrdffe, < £ 250; Tramore: Cambridge Uni- versity Boat Club, < £ 250; Ardmore: A Friend, = £ 300; Valentia: A Lady, £ 508; Berwick-on-Tweed, Brid- lington, Cardigan, and Carmarthen Bay: collected in j Manchester, by Mr. Robert Whitworth, Rev. E. Hew- lett, and Mr. J. G. Bell, X940 9s. 10d;—total, ) XS,327 lis. rtOd. As each lifeboat station requires £ 50 a year to keep it in a state of efficiency, the insti- tution must necessarily require a large annual income to maintain its 140 lifebeats which are now stationed on various parts of the coasts of the United Kingdom, and which save every year nearly 500 lives from shipwrecks. The Mathematical Honour Tripos at Cam- bridge.—The present year will henceforth be known in the university as "Strutt's" year, as the gentleman whose talents have gained for him the distinguished honour of being Senior Wrangler is the Hon. J. H. Strutt, of Trinity College. Mr. Strutt is the eldest son of John James Strutt, Baron Rayleigh, of Toriiiig- place, Witham, Essex, and Elisabeth La Touche, eldest daughter of the late Captain Yicars, C.E., and was bora 12th November, 1842. He was educated, we believe, by private tuition, and since his resi- dence in the university has been reading with Mr. Routh, of St. Peter's College. Mr. Marshall, the second wrangler, was educated at the Merchant Taylors' School, London, and has been a pupil, while at the university, first of Mr. Parkinson, of St. Jotn's, and latterly of Mr. Routh. It is gratifying to see Cambridge stand so well in the honour list. Mr. Oummmg, who is the seventh wrangler, is a son of Mr. Cumming, who lives on the Madingley-road, and nephew of Dr. Cumming, the celebrated preacher and interpreter of prophecy. He was educated at the Perse School, Cambridge, and has also been reading with Mr. Routh. Mr. Watson, whose friends are con- nected with Cambridge, is the eighth wrangler. He was educated at King's College, London, and while at the university hasbeeprewing with Mr. Routh. The Dowager Countess of Dundonald died last week at Boulogne, at a great age. In The Auto- biography of a Seaman," by Thomas, tenth Earl of Dundonald, the noble writer speaks of his marriage as the silver lining to the cloud" which had over- shadowed him so long. His wife was the daughter of Mr. Thomas Barnes, of Romford, and came of a- re- spectable family in -tAo Midland counties. Lord Cochrane met her in 1S12, proposed, and was ac- cepted; but the suitor's uncle, the Hon. Basil Cochrane, interposed, and threatened to deprive him of the great Indian fortune which Mr. Basil Cochrane had destined for the re-establishment of the fortunes of the Earls of Dandoneld, unless the young sailor consented to take that fortune encumbered with a wife in the shape of the heiress of a wealthy Admiralty official, who had made his money by embarking in schemes which Lord Cochrane had over and over again publicly denounced. Lord Cochrane refused, Uncle Basil persisted, and Lord Cochrane fled with Miss Sarnes to Annan, whers they were married in 1812. Lady Cochrane shared her husba.nd's perils by sea, and stood bravely under fire; and she shared that more terrible storm ef obloquy and persecution which beset him afterwards. She cheered him in all his troubles, and saw himrstored to his rank in the navy and in the Bath, and she had the satisfaction of knowing that Westminster Abbey received his honoured remains. The countess leaves issue four sons-the present earl; Captain Hon. Horati" Bar- nardo William Cochrane, R.N.; Captain Hon. Arthur Auckland Leopold Pedro Cochrane, R N., C.B.; and Commander Hon. Ernest Grey Lambton Cochrane, R.N., all of whom are married. A Divorce Case.—In the Divorce Court, the case of Howell v. Howell was tried last week. This was a petition by the wife praying for a dissolution of mar- riage on the grounds of desertion and adultery on the part of the husband. The marriage took place on the 19th of November, 1849, and there was now one child surviving, who is living with the mother. The parties resided for some years an Elba-terrace, Not- ting-hill, the respondent carrying on business as a carpenter and house furnisher. In the year 1860 the conduct of the husband became very disagreeable, and, after a series of petty quarrels, he ceased to cohabit, with the petitioner, broke up his establishment, and compelled her to reside in an unfurnished house in Caldwell-road, without making any permanent pro- vision for her support or that of her child, his contri- butions being only casual, and sometimes not more than 4s. or 5s. at a time, with the exception of a trans- fer which he had made to her of some shares in a building society, which he estimated at X130, but on which no dividend had been paid to the wife, and which. she alleged, would not be available for some years to come. In 1862 he went to America, and re- mained away for thirteen or fourteen months, and on his return to this country in the last year took lodg- ings in the same neighbourhood, and was now living there with a woman named Taylor, who passed as his wife.-Rule nisi. A Russian Tragedy.—The particulars of two fearful crimes, which are announced as haviag oc- curred in Russia, have been published in St. Peters- burg, and there is thus a reasonable warranty for truth, though it is hard to believe in such fearful human depravity as is depicted in the short narrative. In the village of Schapscha, in the government of Kasau, a short time Bince, a hawker of precious stuffs and jewellery stopped for the night at the house of a peasant, who was absent. The peasant's wife, daz- zled by the sight of all the fine things which the hawker had brought with him, killed him with a hatchet as he slept, hid the body in the loft, and the goods under the floor. The peasant's 'child, a little girl of five years old, had, however, seen all, and when her father returned she ran towards him and told him, with all the eagerness of childhood, that they now possessed a quantity of fine things which belongs to the pedlar, whose head her mother had cut off, and whose body was hidden in the loft. The father sternly upbraided the wife, but in a short time the woman's energy had triumphed over the weakness he displayed. Seeing that what was done could not be undone, and that his wife must be saved at all hazards, he resolved to get rid of the poor little girl, and the same night took her into a wood, where he intended to leave her, in the hope that she would perish ef cold; The tears; caresses, and supplications of the child were too much for him, and he returned home with her, his fearful purpose unaccomplished. The mother was pitiless. She heated the oven, and into it she thrust her helpless offspring. The crime was discovered the next day, and the unnatural mother was apprehended. The father had hanged himself, and was found suspended by the police. Malvern College. The Malvern Proprietary College was opened last week for the reception of &fca- dents. The first stone of the building was laid on the 22nd of June, 1863, by the Bishop of Worcester, who has presented to the college an exhibition of £30 a year to the student who shall pass the best examina- tion for it in the classical department. The exhibition is to be tenable for three years, while the student keeps term at Cambridge. The Hon. F. Lygon, M P., has also given £ 30 a year for ten years, to be applied in prizes or in a scholarship, or an exhibition for the University of Oxford. The college is a very handsome building, erected at the foot of the Malvern-hills. and commanding extensive views of the Vale of the Severn. Letters for the Ionian Islands.—A notice has been issued by the Postmaster-General, stating, that in consequence of the annexation of the Ionian Islands to Greece, an alteration, attended with an increase of postage, has become necessary in the arrangements for the transmission of correspondence between this country and those islands. On the 1st February, and thenceforward, the rates of postage—British and foreign combined—chargeable on letters and news- papers addressed to the Ionian Islands, if sent via Itdy, will be as follow :-Letters not exceeding i-oz., 8d.; not exceeding loz., Is. 4d.; not exceeding :oz., 2s.; not exceeding loz., 2s. 8d.; above loz., and not exceeding Iloz., 3s. 4d. For each newspaper the charge will be Not exceeding 4oz. in weight, 4d.; not exceeding |lb., 8d. For books and printed papers Not exceeding 4oz. in weight, 6d.; tlb., Is.; lib., 2s. llb., 3s.; 21b., 4s.; for every additional lb., Is. The ? 2 postage on books and papers must be prepaid, but that on letters may either be paid in advance or left to be charged on delivery. Strike of Engineers.—On Saturday between 200 and 300 engineers, employed at Mr. George England's, Hatcham Ironworks, New-cross, Deptford, were out on strike," not for any increase of pay, but in conse- quence of what are considered very stringent rules regulating the working of the establishment. Prior to the "strike" taking place meetings of th; men were held, at which a deputation, consisting of even of their number, was appointed to wait up Mr. England with a request that the rule which HK, es a workman liable to be discharged for losing one hour and a half time should be altered; that the ground for dismissal should be the losing of a day's time without giving a reasonable excuse; that the person discharged should receive the full amount of wages due; that the week's work being ended at half-past four o'clock on Saturday, payment of wages should commence at that time, and not half an hour later; that nstead of losing the hour and half's pay for being absent from work any half-hour during the week they should lose four hours in the first five days of the week, or any time before breakfast on Saturday; and that being now greatly inconvenienced by only having half an hour for dinner, they should work in accordance with the original rule of the establishment from six a.m. to six p.m. the first five days of the week, and from six a.m. until half-past twelve on Saturdays. The deputation having had an interview with Mr. England, and the alterations named above not being acceded to, the men have taken their discharge. The Singular Pauper Will Case.—The directors of the poor of St. Pancras held an adjourned investiga- tion on Monday respecting the proceedings which had taken place in their workhouse, in which an aged pauper, named Joseph Smart, the alleged possessor of great wealth, had made a will constituting the master residuary legatee. A committee was appointed by the last meeting to inquire into the circumstances, but they now reported that their labours had been ren- dered fruitless, as Smart had suddenly disappeared. The master professed to be unable to give any ex- planation of the reason which induced Smart to quit the place on Friday which was a most inclement day. Some of the guardians thought that this absence of the old man was a very suspicious circumstance, and that he was got out of the way for a purpose. A letter, which had been received from Mr. Bishop, the lawyer who drew up the will, ridiculed the Board as having discovered a mare's nest, and stated that the property was worth £5,000 instead of £ 150,000. In consequence of the publicity which was given to the previous proceedings before the Board several rela- tives "have turned up, and letters from some of them were re&d before the guardians. The committee was requested to continue the investigation, and the meet- ing adjourned. Wife Desertion.—A lady-like looking woman, who gave her address, 17, Pentonville-road, applied to the sitting magistrate at Clerkenwell for an order to protect her earnings and property against her hus- band and his creditors. The applicant stated that her husband had deserted her more than two years since in Hertfordshire, and, as she understood, had co- habited with another woman since, although she had not seen him, nor been able to find out his where- abouts. When she was deserted she was not aware that he was going away, as he had never mentioned such a thing to her. Two of her husband's creditors had threatened to take proceedings against her, and she had been advised to apply for an order. Previous to her marriage her friends made a settlement on her of the interest of X2,000, and on that she was now living. She was afraid to go into business or to have furniture of her own. Mr. D'Eyncourt said that as the amount of money the applicant had was large, and as there was a question as to whether the act applied in such a case, the applicant Had better go to the Divorce Court and make her application. She could do so with the same facility there as she had done here, and the cost would be comparatively nothing. Attempted Murder by a Housebreaker.—^ An outrage-amounting to an attempt to murder a married couple who were peacefully sleeping in their bed-was perpetrated on Sunday morning at Walsall. The name of the offender is William Bridges, a brass- dresser, living at the back of too Dog and Partridge Inn, Sandwell-etreet, and his victims are Mr. and Mrs. Jackson, landlord and landlady of that house. About seven o'clock Bridges entered their bed-room, and—as they slept-struck at them repeatedly and rapidly with a heavy weapon, which subsequently turned out to be ian iron crowbar, about a yard in length. Several blows fell on Mr..Jackson's face and head, causing very severe injuries, and knocking out three of his teeth. Mr. Jackson jumped out of bed and closed with his assailant, and being a powerful man, suc- ceeded ia mastering him. Mrs. Jackson, by her screams, brought some persons to the assistance of herself and her husband. Police-constable Dobbins was then fetched, and Bridges was removed to the police-station. An examination of the premises showed that the prisoner had gained access to the house by forcing the beer-house window. Before pro- ceeding up-stairs he had stolen parts of two boxes of cigars from the bar. These were subsequently found at his lodgings, and his landlord and landlady, John and Eliza Turner, were taken into custody on a charge of receiving them with a guilty knowledge. It was ascertained that the crowbar had b"en taken away from the premises of Mr. Harvey, Windmill-street, the prisoner's employer. Total Loss of an East Indiaman.—On Satur- day Admiral Fitzroy telegraphed to Liverpool a signal to the effect that a heavy gale might be expected from all quarters. The day, however, passed over without any symptoms of the coming storm, but early on Sunday morning the wind sprung up from the south, and gradually veered round till S.S.E., when it blew very strong, and at midnight a tremendous gale swept oyer the port. On Monday evening another Fitzroy signal indicating a fresh storm, with the wind from all quarters, was posted in the Exchange newsroom. The following disasters have been reported. The Liver- pool pilot-boat No. 9. while cruising outside, fell in with the schooner Newland, of Carlisle, in a very dis- abled condition, took her in tow, and eventually suc- ceeded in taking her into Almwch in safety. When picked up the vessel was drifting about in the neigh- bourhood of Point Lynas. Shortly after taking the Newland in tow, the pilot-boat was fortunate enough to fall in with the brig Margaret, of Conway, which was sinking very fast. The Margaret's boats had been washed away, and the crew would no doubt have perished had No. 9 not fallen in with her, and taken them off. Shortly after this gallant conduct the pilot-boat picked up a gig, with three men in it, who said they had been drifting about all night, their vessel having gone down. The splendid new ship Assaye was totally wrecked on the south-west coast of Ireland, in Ross Bay, between Cape Clear and the Old Head of Kin sale; the commander being drowned in attempting to reach the shore. The Assaye was only launched last sttnmier in the Mersey, and when lost was on her first return voyage from Bombay, which port she'left' on the Hth Oct., under the command of Captain Thumas, with a cargo of 6,255 bales of cotton, and other East India produce.