ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume II, Issue 71, 26 March 1867, Page 3

ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

Arrangements are in progress for another gigantic Reform demonstration in London. It is to take place ou the llth of February, the Monday after the assembling of Parliament, aud in connection with it there is to be a visit to the House of Commons for the purpose of presenting petitions. The proposed visit will be rather a peculiar oue. Every reformer who feels so disposed is to sign a petition on his own behalf, praying the House of Commons to adopt a measure of Reform on the principle of residential and registered mauhood suffrage. Every man is to takedown to Parliament his own petition, and, as many thousands of men are said to be likely to adopt the course suggested, lines of route have been laid down so that confusion may be avoided. On the steps of St. Stepheu's Chapel several members of Parliament who are attached to the advance of the Reform movement are to be stationed to receive the petitions as the men bring them up, and to present them to the House of Commons.

The Reform agitation, under the auspices of the National Reform Union, has been continued with energy, and branch meetings have been held at Bury, Great Harwood, Liverpool, Doncaster, Astley, Dukiniicld, and Littleborough. A meeting was recently held in St. MarkWard, .Wolverhampton. Several resolutions in favor of a large extension of the franchise and of vote by ballot were passed with great enthusiasm, and it was stated to be desirable to hold a great Reform demonstration in Wolverhampton, in the month of January. A reform demonstration took place at Torquay, Devonshire, on Jan. 1. About 1000 persons marched in procession, consisting of members of the Reform League and branches of trades unions. The procession paraded the principal streets with large banners and six bands. At a meeting held on Ellacombe-green for the purpose, resolutions in favor of Reform were enthusiastically passed. — Ou the same day another demonstration was held at Blackburn. No fewer than 15,000 persons are said to have taken part in a procession, great numbers having gone to Blackburn from the surrounding towns aud villages. After the procession had made its way through the principal streets of the town, the people gathered about the platforms which had been erected in the marketplace to listen to the various speakers. Resolutions of the usual character were unanimously adopted. — Other meetings are appointed to take place in numerous places.

The Court of Queen's Bench sitting in banco have just given a judgment, in the case of Bryant v. Foot, of great importance to persons contemplating matrimony and who are at the same time of a " frugal mind." The action was ostensibly to recover damages from the Rev. R. G. Foot, rector of Horton, Bucks, for refusing to marry plaintiff; but it was in fact instituted to try the right of t l e rector to charge a fee of 13s. 6d., viz., 10s. for the rector and 3s. for the clerk. The facts were stated as a special case, aud the court were to draw inferences of fact. It appeared that from the year 1808 to the year 1854, the fee actually paid was either 10s. 6d. or 135., with an occasional additional sum, varying from 2s. 6d. to 3s. 6d., for the publication of banns. There was no evidence as to what had been paid before 1808. Upon this state of facts, it was argued, ou the one side, that there was sufficient evidence from which to presume an ancient fee ; and, that, according to the principles laid down in the leading case ou the subject, Jenkins v. Harvey, and the more recent case of Shepherd v. Payne, in a court of error, the court were bound to draw the inference that the fee was ancient, and, therefore, to hold it valid and legal. On the other side, it was insisted that the mere amount of the fee claimed, considering the difference in the value of money in ancient and modern times, showed that it could not be ancient, but, in legal language, "rank." The court decided that although clergymen had a right to charge a fee for performing the marriage cereraoney, it must be a reasonable one, aud that 13s. 6d. in an agricultural parish, where the laborers did hot earn much mote for a week's wage, was an unreasonable amount. "

A question haa been decided at the Marylebona County Court, in an action Emanuel v. _.ob_rt_, Lubbock, and C0.," the bankers of Lombard-street,, as to the Jaw" on post dated cheques. On November 13, a cheque in favor '"of, Mr. Jacobs was

drawn by the plaintiff for £1000, dated November 14, and payment refused, as it was post dated. The same cheque was presented the uext day and still refused. The party was requested to get a fresh cheque. The bankers requested Mr. Emanuel to close his account, and he brought his action, alleging damage to £500, but had reduced the same to £50, to try it in a county court. Resubmitted that a cheque payable to order was legal. Mr. Day called a gentleman named Derbyshire, who proved that the custom in the city was not to pay post dated cheques. The deputy-judge (Mr. Jessel) held that the custom was good, and supported thelaw. He gave a verdict for tbe bankers, aud notice of appeal to the Court of Queen's Bench was given by Mr. Emanuel.

The Queen has directed that the decoration of the Victoria Cross may be conferred on persons serviug in the local forces of the colony of New Zealand, or who may hereafter be employed in the local forces raised, or which may be raised, in the colonies aud their dependencies generally.

The failure of Mr. James Stephens to keep his promise with regard to creating a rebellion iu Ireland before the close of last year has naturally had a depressing effect upon the hopes of his followers and partisans. Seizures of arms and captures of suspected persons are matters of much less frequent occurrence, but there is no disguisiug the fact that the excitement raised by the Fenian conspiracy has considerably subsided, and that the loyal population of the island rest secure in the ability of tlie Government to maintain peace and order.

Ou the 9th January, James Freeliug Wilkinson was indicted under the 24th and 25th Vic, c. 90, sec. 81, for fraudulently applying to his owu use cheques for £4000 and £860, the property of the Joint-Stock Discount Company (Limited), of which he was managing director. It may be recollected that the prisoner had speculated on his owu account, and thereby became indebted to Messrs. Capper, Escomb and Lawson, of the Stock Exchange, who applied to him for the amount so dup. On this he gave to them two cheques for the sum 5 ! above named. It was stated that he had done so with the consent of the directors of the company, but even so that would not justify the proceeding, inasmuch as the abovementioned Act of Parliament was passed for the protection of the shareholders. Soon afterwards, iu August, 1866, the said joint-stock bank stopped payment, and the official liquidator having discovered the facts, the p-esent proceedings, were instituted. He was sentenced to 5 years peuol servitude.

The pecuniary loss arising froM the cattle plajiue is estimated at £3,5D0,000.

An official statement just issued shows that 351 lives were lost by the colliery explosion near Barnsley, and it is thought probable that there are one or two volunteers whose names have not yet been ascertained. Of the 75 brought out of the pit only five are now alive. There are, therefore, 276 bodies now in the pit, and a considerable time must elapse before any attempt can be made to explore the workings.

The directors of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company have issued • their report prior to their meeting on the 4th February. The accounts show net profits to the amount of £6225 for the year. The directors propose that a dividend at the rate of" 6 per cent, per annum be now declared, which will make. with the interim dividend paid in July of 4 per cent, per aunum, at the rate of 10 percent, for the past year, or £5025, the remaining £1200 to be carried forward to a new account.

At the half-yearly meeting of the Union Bauk of Australia a dividend of £2 2s. 6d. a share was declared for the half-year ending June last, accompanied by the assurance of the directors that every doubtful dependency had also been provided for, that the effects of the lute fiuancial crisis had been less severely felt in the Australian colonies than was at one time anticipated, and that the position of the bank was most satisfactory.

At Stavely, a few days ago, a man named Adams, while clearing the suow from the church roof, slipped, and fell to the ground. He was, of course, dashed to pieces, and in his fall he knocked off one of the pinnacles ofthe church.

Five hitherto unpublished letters from Lord .Chesterfield have been discovered. They are to be published in the columns of a Londen paper.

Holloway's Pills. — Indigestion. — How much thought has been bestowed, and what ponderous volumes have been written upon this plague of every household, which is with certainty and safety dispelled, without fear of relapse, by a course of this purifying, soothing, and tonic medicine ! It acts directly on the stomach, liver, and bowels, — more indirectly, though less effectively, on the brain, nerves, vessels, and glands, and commands such order throughout the entire system, that harmony dwells between each organ and its functions. Dyspepsia can now no longer be the bugbear of the public, since Hollo way's Pills are fully competent to subdue the most chronic and distressing cases of impaired digestion, and to restore the miserable sufferer to health, strength, and. cheerfulness. " • 2101