remained below to take care of tented themselves with cutting the 24. The following article is extracted from the Plymouth Telegraph:-"On the evening of the 20th instant, Margaret Hoxtable, of Dodbrook, near Kingsbridge, a child only nine years old, was sent on an errand by her mother to a neighbouring shoemaker's: but it was to return no more-for enticed, as it is supposed, by two men, with whom she had been seen on the Totnes-road, she was first violated, and then murdered in the most inhuman manner. Her parents made every research and inquiry for their child: but to no purpose, until the following morning, when her shift was discovered about a mile from Dodbrooke, much torn and dyed with blood. On searching further, her mangled corpse was found in the same field, perfectly divested of clothing. Her head, smashed to pieces, apparently with stones, was literally driven into the earth. The perpetrators of this crime have hitherto escaped detection." : 25. On Thursday night week last, in the evening, as Mr. Branigan, of South-lodge, in Tipperary, was going from his house to his stable, three men, who had lain in wait, presented their pieces at him, and desired him to deliver his arms. Mr. B. who had no arms, returned into the house, pursued by one of the ruffians, who commanded him to quench the candle. Mr. B. obeyed, and instantly locked up the villain on the inside. Feeling his danger, the fellow discharged his blunderbuss. The muzzle was so close to Mr. B. that his clothes were set on fire, and his shoulder miserably lacerated but Mr. B. seized the ruffian. Mrs. B. hearing the shot, ran out of the parlour with a candlestick in her hand, and struck the villain three blows on the face; which so stunned him, that she and her husband were able to drag him to the kitchen. The robber was beginning to struggle, when an unexpected auxiliary appeared. A house-dog seeing his master attacked, secured the robber by the arm which held the blunderbuss; and he was so perfectly crippled, that Mr. and Mrs. B. tied him and locked him in the cellar. Mr. B. then hearing the fellows abroad firing shots, loaded the blunderbuss, and guarded the house until morning, when he sent for a magistrate, who came with a military force, and took Michael Wall, the fellow thus secured, and another named Cooney. up Nottingham. The outrages in this town and the counties adjacent are continued with as much activity and malignity as ever, and may be said to have assumed a more decided character than at any period since the commencement of the malpractices. A letter received in town yesterday morning states, that between 30 and 40 frames were broken on Sunday night, and several the following evening. The most turbulent spirit is strongly manifested in all the proceedings of the Luddites, which have been extended to Yorkshire, They have destroyed by fire, a crop-mill at Leeds, merely because, upon a new plan, it was found to do the work of a number of men, consequently was a considerable saving to the proprietors. Catmankey, Basford, New Radford, and Lidley, were scenes of the most daring depredations in the beginning of the week. In 28. The spirit of insurrection which has so long disgraced the county of Nottingham has been rendered doubly alarming, from the secrecy with which it has been conducted, and the dispatch with which the objects it embraces have been carried into execution. most of the villages where so many frames have been broken, parties of the military have been stationed, but their, exertions have been inadequate towards the apprehension of the offenders. Such is the regularity with which their plans are laid, and the dexterity with which they are carried into effect, that it has been found impossible to detect them. They assemble, and disperse when their object has been obtained, in a moment. They are marshalled and disciplined like a regular army, and are commanded by one particular leader, under whose banners they swear to conquer of die! At the moment of my writing C12 this this letter, I hear with extreme regret, that General Hawker is gone off to Bulwell, a manufacturing village, about six miles distant, with a strong party of the Berkshire Militia, and two officers, to quell a most serious disturbance in that quarter. I hear that two other regiments (of infantry) have received orders to march forthwith to Nottingham; the proportion of military now in this town being insufficient for the purpose of procuring the public security through out the country. That a further military force is necessary in the county, there can be but one opinion. Several Bow-street officers have arrived from London, and more are daily expected. 29. It is impossible to convey a proper idea of the state of the public mind in this town during the last four or five days: the constant parading of the military in the night, and their movements in various directions during both night and day, give us the appearance of a state of warfare. May we not have it more in reality! The destruction of more than 20 frames, at Lenton, on Thursday evening last, within a few hundred yards of our barracks, and two being cleanly carried away in a neighbouring hamlet the same night, heightened the state of alarm; and the operations of several subsequent nights have given it an additional increase. On Saturday night the framebreakers crossed the river Trent, and broke fourteen frames at Ruddington, and twenty at Clifton, leaving but two whole in the latter town. An express was sent off to Nottingham for a troop of the Hussars, who went with all possible speed; and as many of the Bunney troop of yeomanry as could be collected, (they being in the neighbourhood of the scene of action) were immediately mounted-one party pursued the depredators, while others seized all the passes over the Trent, for the space of four miles, under a full persuasion that the Luddites could not escape; but, such is the generalship of the latter, that they seized a boat which nobody else had thought of, and repassed the river in two divisions, in perfect safety, and escaped. The same night a frame was broken at Bulwell, while a sergeant and six men, belonging to the Berkshire militia, were employed to watch it-the parties exchanged shots several times, but it is not known that any one was wounded, though one of the Luddites lost a shoe and his hammer. On Sunday night 45 frames were broken at Selson, Bagthorp, and the neighbouring hamlets, about nine miles from this town; and the same evening, about seven o'clock, a circumstance took place at Basford of the most daring description; for, while three soldiers were in the house of one Wm. Barns, to protect three frames, a party of Luddites entered the house, and immediately confined the soldiers; and while two of the party stood sentry at the door with the soldiers' muskets, others demolished the frames; and, when the mischief was done, the muskets were discharged and the soldiers liberated; the depredators wishing them a good night. On Monday evening three more frames were broken in the same village, village, one of which was taken and fixed on the top of the roundhouse, or village prison, and there left as a public spectacle, which was seen by many. These things are done almost in the face of eight officers from Bow-street, and immense local police, and three regiments of soldiers. The last mentioned night 26 frames were demolished at Cotgrave, a village six miles south of the Trent; and the depredators again escaped across the water without detection; and, notwithstanding the number of men who have been taken up, it is the general opinion, that not one real frame-breaker has been taken; nor, from the best information that can be obtained, has any thing like correct evidence been drawn from any of the prisoners. Four prisoners were yesterday brought in, with great parade, by three several parties of military and civil officers; two of whom are persons who have had frames broken in their own houses, and another is a well-known maniac of the name of Waplington, who is at the present time a pauper of St. Mary's parish, in this town, and who has for years been in the habit of wandering about. It excited much laughter to see a Bowstreet officer, with this poor creature confined in a cart by his side, driving furiously along the streets, and guarded by about half a score of Hussars. It is supposed the maniac has been caught in one of his wandering excursions; and, as usual, refused to give an account of himself. 27. On Saturday week the shock of an earthquake was felt in many places in Oxfordshire. In Tetsworth, Islip, Blechingdon, Radley, and Wolvercott, the windows were much shaken. It was accompanied by a deep rumbling noise, similar to the sound of a distant discharge of heavy ordnance. On Monday last, that ancient edifice, the tower of Christ Church, Oxford, which contains Great Tom, was in imminent danger of being destroyed by fire. A room adjoining this venerable structure, the hearth-stone of which was laid on a large oak beam, it is conjectured, had taken fire, and been secretly burning for two or three days before it was discovered. Alarm was given, and assistance procured in time to prevent the consequences that must otherwise have ensued. Considerable discussion took place at Lincoln, on Thursday, at a meeting for the adoption of the system of national education, on an amendment moved by Sir R. Heron, "That the plan of education adopted by the meeting, "should be such as not to exclude "the children of christian dissent ers from the advantage of the "education proposed; and that "those children should be per"mitted to attend divine service "at the respective places of their "religious worship." A debate arose on the principle, that it militated against the fundamental odject of the society. The speakers. were, in support of Sir Robert Heron's motion, Mr. Langton, Mr, Mawer, and Mr. Draper. In support of the original proposition, the Lord Lieutenant, the Dean of Lincoln, Sir J, W. Gordon, the Rev. S. Turner, Col. Ellison, the Rev. Mr. Hett, Mr. Turner, Mr. Dalton, Mr. Cholmeley, Mr. Hare, Mr. F. Chaplin, Chaplin, and Mr. Massingberd. did not, in the case cited, think The amendment was negatived, and the original resolutions carried. Leeds Sessions. The Tolera tion Act. Mr. Robert Wood, a preacher in the methodist connection, presented himself before the magistrates, and requested that the oaths might be administered to him, that he might make the declaration required by the Toleration Act, to qualify him to officiate as a dissenting teacher. The Bench inquired, if he was appointed a teacher to any specific congregation? The Rev. Mr. Wood, sen. who is also a travelling preacher in the same connection, replied, that his son was to preach at Bramley. Recorder." Suffer the young man to answer the question himself." Mr. Robert Wood." It is intended that I should preach at Bramley, Armley, and other villages in the vicinity." The Recorder, after some conversation with the bench and the counsel near him, resumed :→→→ "From a report of a case just pub"lished, it appears, that the Court "of King's Bench have decided, "that a protestant dissenter, who "states himself as one who preaches "to several congregations, without "shewing that he has a separate congregation attached to him, is not entitled to take the oaths "and make the declaration required by the Toleration Act. "It will, therefore, be necessary "for you to prove your appoint"ment to preach to a separate congregation, before you can be "entitled to take the oaths." Mr. Maude here observed, that though the Court of King's Bench proper to issue a mandamus to compel the magistrates to administer the oaths, it did not follow that the oaths might not be administered as heretofore, without requiring those new conditions which were never before heard of. Mr. Hainsworth, in reply, said the Magistrates could only administer the oaths agreeably to the provisions of the Toleration Act; and if that act required certain previous conditions, it was not in the power of that bench, or any other, to dispense with them; for if the magistrates, in the case alluded to, had required any thing to be done which the law had not made necessary, the Court of King's Bench would have issued a mandamus to compel them to administer the oaths. In these observations the court coincided, and refused to adminis ter the oaths. Before the court adjourned, Mr. Holtby, a student under the tuition of the Rev. Mr. Steadman, a dissenting minister at Bradford, preseated himself for the same purpose, and his application was rejected on the same grounds; but it appeared that this gentleman had made application to an improper sessions, the court having no jurisdiction out of this borough; and he was advised to make application to the sessions for the riding. On this the applicant expressed some surprise at the new provisions which, after the lapse of a century, had been discovered in the Toleration Act, and that magistrates had been uniformly in the practice of administering the oaths, without any reference to those conditions |