the sugar, and it was determined that it should only be
used for puddings. At dinner a fruit pudding was
served up, and the sugar was again used. Immediately
after dinner, the whole of the family was seized with
symptoms of poisoning, and experienced dreadful agony.
Mr. Page died in the course of the night, and the
medical gentleman in attendance has since reported the
death of his son. Hopes are entertained that the other
members of the family and the servants, all of whom are
still very ill, will recover.
Early on the morning of the 20th, Miss Craven, the
daughter of Mr. Craven, solicitor, of Bristol, about
eighteen years of age, went out for a walk on Durdham
Down, just above St. Vincent's Rocks. Unfortunately
she approached too near the edge of the down, and,
being near-sighted, slipped from the Edge of the Cliff, and
fell to the bottom of the chasm below, at least 200 feet.
Two persons happened at the moment to be walking at
the foot of the cliff, and observing her fall, hastened to
the spot, but found only a heap of mangled remains.
The beautiful parish church of St. Anne, Limehouse,
was Totally Destroyed by Fire on the 29th. The fire
originated in the chamber between the ceiling and the
roof, where a heated flue-pipe emerged to the air. The
two attendants who discovered it, about eight in the
morning, alarmed the parishioners by an irregular
tolling of all the bells, and in a short time a large
multitude hastened to the spot. All endeavours to check
the flames were futile, from the great height at which
they raged; so efforts were confined to the saving of
muniments, sacred paraphernalia, and valuable
ornaments. The great central chandelier had scarcely been
removed when the ceiling of the nave fell in. The
conflagration then assumed an aspect of imposing grandeur;
flames rushed in eddying streams from the side-windows,
and chased up the steeple to a vast height in the air,
with a terrific roaring and succession of crackling
reports. The organ stood a long time, apparently
unattacked; at last its pipes were seen to give way, melted
by the furnace heat of the air which rushed through
them; suddenly the framework was enveloped in flame,
and then in a short time the whole was destroyed. As
the belfry was reached and the machinery consumed,
the bells fell with a crash and shock that shook the
earth. Ultimately, the bare walls, the steeple, and the
calcined columns that once gracefully lifted the ceiling,
were alone left standing. So completely is everything
combustible destroyed, that the débris now covers the
floor to a depth of some two or three feet. St. Anne's
Church was one of Hawksmoor's most beautiful works;
the date of its building was 1712, the cost about £35,000.
There is an insurance to the amount of about £5,000.
Mr. Lowndes, Judge of the Liverpool County Court,
was accidentally Drowned on Sunday night, the 31st.
He was awaiting with his son the arrival of the
Seacombe steamer; and, as it neared the landing-stage, he
moved as if to step on board, but missed his footing, and
fell into the rapidly flowing tide. His son rushing
forward, was seized by the skirts, but he tore away instantly
and dived after his father, without success. The son was
rescued a long distance down the stream.
SOCIAL, SANITARY, AND MUNICIPAL
PROGRESS.
The renewed Ten-hours Act Agitation proceeds with
vigour in the manufacturing districts of Lancashire and
the West Riding of Yorkshire.—At Manchester, a
second meeting of delegates from the Lancashire
operatives was held on the 24th, and a meeting of the power-
loom over-lookers of Manchester and Salford was held
on the 26th of February. At the delegate meeting,
which was large and earnest, it was resolved to intrust
the conduct of the proposed bill to Lord Ashley, and to
request Lord John Manners and Mr. George Bankes to
give him their aid and influence. The meeting of over-
lookers resolved, in very determined spirit, to hold no
parley or communication with any man or set of men
who would depart from ten hours' labour on five days
in the week and eight on Saturday.—At Oldham, a
large public meeting, called on the requisition of 745
householders, was held under the chairmanship of Mr.
Alderman Taylor, (the Mayor being ill,) on the 25th.
A show of hands was taken on the question of ten hours
or eleven hours, and the opinion was unanimous in
favour of ten. A letter was read from Mr. W. J. Fox,
M.P. for Oldham, expressing his opinion that the
decision of the Court of Exchequer grossly violates the
spirit of the Ten-hours Act, and he offered his honest
and hearty support to Lord Ashley in the new movement.
Mr. John Mills was delegated to visit London
and canvass the members of both houses in support of
the proposed bill.—At Bradford, a numerous meeting of
operatives was held on the same day. Mr. J. Pollard
presided; Dr. Burnet, Vicar of Bradford, Mr. C.
Harding, Mr. Rand, Mr. W. E. Forster, of Rawdon,
and many other leading manufacturers of the town and
neighbourhood, took part in the proceedings. One of the
speakers who held up his hand against violation of the
law was a leading manufacturer, who had originally
opposed its enactment. The feeling in favour of the law
was perfectly unanimous. It was resolved that
delegates should go to London with a memorial to the
Queen, and petitions to both houses of parliament.
At a meeting of the "new Short-time Committee,"
on the 29th, in Manchester, it appeared that Lord
Ashley's bill is not deemed "sufficiently explicit." A
resolution was moved, to the effect that if Lord Ashley
refuse to embody the terms which the committee
propose, the matter should be placed in the hands of some
other member.
A public meeting has been held at Manchester to
consider the necessity of a General Organisation of
labour amongst all the trades. Mr. Abel Heywood, the
chairman, stated that cooperative societies have been
introduced in several parts of Lancashire, are doing well,
and becoming of great advantage to the parties
interested. This statement was borne out by detailed
accounts from the mouths of working members of such
societies. The success of a cooperative society at Salford
was thus described by Mr. William Stork—Twelve
months ago, a few individuals united with full
confidence in each other; and having raised 7s. 6d. they
bought a little raw material, and gave a day's employment
to a poor man out of work. They gradually
increased their capital and raw material, and continued to
employ poor individuals until they had now a capital of
between £50 and £60. They paid 5d. a hat more for
making than a man would get elsewhere; and though
they sold it for less than a manufacturer would do,
they got a small profit. Before a man was admitted a
member of the society, he was asked to give up lying,
swearing, intemperance, and to be perfectly open with
the others, assisting them in every way he could.—It
was resolved unanimously, "That the system of
competition is not only unjust in its principle, but immoral in
its tendencies, endangering the public and robbing the
working man of a just remuneration for his labour;"
and a system of organisation upon the principles of
co-operation was recommended for the united adoption of
all the trades.
A meeting of the inhabitants of Pentonville was held
on the 27th ult., for the purpose of adopting measures
to obtain the abolition of Intramural Interments; Mr.
Mackinnon, M.P. for Leamington, in the chair. The
Secretary of the London Society for the abolition of
burials in towns explained the origin and objects of the
society, stating that it was their intention to form
auxiliary societies in all the metropolitan districts, in
order to carry out this most important sanitary reform.
In the course of the proceedings many details were
given of the disgusting condition of the grave-yards in
Pentonville and its vicinity, particularly Spitalfields and
St. Giles's Cemetery, Camden-town. Resolutions were
adopted, declaring the practice of burying the dead in
large towns to be productive of incalculable evils, and
calling upon parliament speedily to pass a measure,
founded upon the late report of the Board of Health.
A petition to parliament embodying these resolutions
was also adopted.—A meeting of the medical
practitioners of the West-end took place the same day at
Dr. H. Bennett's residence, 9, Cambridge-square, Hyde
park, to petition parliament for the immediate and
total abolition of intramural burials and especially for
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