about six miles from Birmingham. He had left Birmingham in a gig, accompanied by a friend, with the intention of making purchases at Warwick Fair. On arriving at the reservoir, about six miles from Birmingham, the gig was surrounded by six ruffians. Two laid hold of the horse's head, while the others dragged Mr. Fern from the vehicle. His companion was suffered to remain in his seat, but the fellows having succeeded in capturing Mr. Fern, the reins were cut, and the horse and gig, with its remaining inmate, were started at a furious rate in the direction of Solihull. For a short time Mr. Fern maintained a resolute contest with his assailants, but ultimately he was laid insensible on the ground, and the thieves carried off upwards of 1237. in cash. Mr. Fern was dreadfully beaten about the head.

PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS.An election of M.P. for the county of Limerick, in the room of Samuel Dickson, esq., was held on the 12th instant. The candidates were Capt. Dickson, a Protectionist, Mr. Wyndham Goold, a Whig, and Mr. Ryan, on the interest of the Tenant league, the new prædial agitation of Ireland. The advocate of the new agrarian law was decisively defeated, polling no more than 128 votes out of a large constituency. Mr. Goold polled 239, and Captain Dickson 199.

The election for St. Albans to fill the seat of Mr. Raphael, deceased, took place on the 24th instant. The candidates were Mr. Bell, an eminent chemist, and Mr. Sheriff Carden. The successful solicitor of the suffrages of this pure constituency was Mr. Bell, who polled 276 votes to his opponent's 147.

The election for Aylesbury, to supply the place of Lord Nugent, deceased, took place on the 27th. Mr. F. Calvert, a supporter of the Government, defeated Mr. Houghton, an extreme liberal, by a considerable majority. The election was petitioned against and declared void on the ground of treating.

THE CHOLERA IN JAMAICA.Accounts have been received of the outbreak of the cholera in Jamaica, where it is stated to have committed ravages of the most fearful character. The south side of the island was the first stricken, and with appalling severity. At Kingston the deaths amounted to 200 a day, and between 5000 and 6000 persons perished; at Port Royal a fourth of the population was destroyed; at St. Catherine's, 70 bodies were lying exposed at one time, with no one to inter them. The ablest and most energetic physicians were among the first to fall victims, and several members of the legislature died. From the towns on the coast the pestilence spread over all the island, the lofty plains and most elevated stations suffering equally. utmost consternation prevailed among the ignorant negroes, whose squalid mode of life is peculiarly calculated to aggravate the conditions to which the cholera owes its origin and virulence. On the receipt of this disastrous information, and the request of the local government for medical aid, the Home Government consulted the Board of Health, who hastened to point out that the medical experience of Europe had failed to supply any successful treatment of the disease in its advanced stages, and that the only hopes of success rested in the prompt adoption of preventive measures. Under their

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advice the Government dispatched three physicians of experience, with directions to investigate the sanitary conditions of the island, and to advise the local legislature in carrying out preventive sanitary measures. Others of the West India Islands have been severely scourged by the pestilence, but no sufficient accounts have yet been received.

Barbadoes is said to have enjoyed immunity from the plague.

THE PARISH OF MANCHESTER. -An Act which passed the Legislature during the last Session has effected a just and salutary reform in the ecclesiastical position of Manchester. The present town of Manchester was originally no more than the hamlet of an extensive rural parish, grouped around the church, the rectory being endowed with the usual ecclesiastical rights, and with houses and lands, the gift of pious benefactors. From a ham let it became a flourishing trading town, the value of the rectory increasing with the improvement of the parish. In 1419 Thomas de la Warre, the then rector, having succeeded to large patrimonial estates, and to the advowson of the rectory, considering the importance of the town, proposed to the parishioners to erect and endow a college, to build at his own expense a collegiate church in lieu of the parish church, and to erect all suitable buildings, provided the parishioners on their part would consent to the transference to the new college of the parochial endow ments. All this was duly accomplished, and the present beautiful church was built at a vast expense. The college has varied at different times, but consisted of a Warden, Fellows, Chaplains, and others. The foundation survived the

changes which destroyed so many establishments of the same nature, and, in 1830, consisted of a Warden, four Fellows, two Chaplains, a clerk in orders, and a lay clerk. The Warden and Fellows derived from the collegiate property (which was leased out in the improvident manner customary to these bodies) about 5500l. per annum net, but they repudiated all cure of souls in the parish (near 400,000) or any clerical duties without the church itself; alleging that when the rectory was transferred to the college it became an "appropriated rectory." The spiritual care of the parishioners was therefore left to their own voluntary provisions. In one sense the evil was largely compensated, for the parishioners were so zealous that they had erected about 53 churches, and provided some small endowments for the ministers. The clergymen of these churches undertook the cure of souls in their several districts, and were allowed to perform the services of the church, provided they paid the regular fees over to the chaplain and clerks of the collegiate church: the latter also performed these services for the inhabitants of the whole parish, and from these united sources they derived considerable incomes; but the system, besides its inherent impropriety, led to unseemly confusion and irregularities. By the 3 & 4 Vic. c. 113, the Wardens, Fellows, and Chaplains became Dean, Canons, and Minor Canons, at fixed stipends; the income of the capitular properties being received by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, who, after paying the stipends of the members of the chapter, were directed to pay the surplus to the Common Fund for ecclesiastical purposes in the whole kingdom. By the 10 & 11

Vic. c. 108, Manchester became the see of a Bishop. This made the spiritual position of Manchester too glaring to be tolerated a bishop presiding over a Chapter which derived a large income from the parish which gave name to the see, and contained nearly half a million of souls, and yet which, so far as the recognised provision of the Church went, was without any pastoral superintendence. The inhabitants resolved that at any cost the abuse should be remedied. Of course, so time-honoured and so wealthy an anomaly was not to be rectified without a contest; but after an arduous and persevering struggle, and the expenditure of near 4000l., the parishioners succeeded in obtaining an Act to authorize the Division of the Parish of Manchester into several Parishes, and for the Application of the Revenues of the Collegiate and Parish Church" (13 & 14 Vic. c. 41). By this Act the parish will be divided by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners into districts, and each district and the church therein will be a several parish and parish church, becoming a rectory with cure of souls. The remainder of the parish will be the parish of Manchester, having the cathedral church for its parish church. The Dean will have the cure of souls within the motherparish, with the Minor Canons for assistants or curates. Four of the new rectories will be assigned to

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the Canons. The revenues of the Chapter, received by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, are to be applied in the first instance to pay the stipends of the Dean, Canon, and Minor Canons; the residue is to be applied exclusively in providing for the cure of souls in the original parish of Manchester: viz., the endowments of all the rectories are to be raised first to 150l. each at the lowest, and then, when the funds will admit, to 2501. each. Such are the principal provisions of this judicious act of church reform.

EXPLOSION OF A PORTUGUESE FRIGATE.-By the overland mail intelligence was received of a fearful and melancholy occurrence which took place at Macao on the 29th of September. It was the anniversary of the birth of the consort of the Queen of Portugal. The Portuguese frigate the Donna Maria fired the usual salute at noon. The captain and all the officers but two were on board, and some officers from the United States ship Marion, all of whom were to have dined at 3 o'clock on board the Portuguese frigate. About half past 2 o'clock the latter vessel blew up, and the officers and men, about 200 in number, perished, with the exception of one officer and 15 men, picked out of the water by the boats of the Marion.