ness called was a small landowner, of the name of Baudry. During the night of the 31st of July he heard a noise; he opened his window, and one of his neighbours said there had been cries of "murder" (a l'assassin). His garden joined that of Refray. They took a ladder to look into the courtyard. Immediately afterwards, they heard the report of a musket, followed by stiffed cries. Madame Refray then called to them from the window-" If I go down stairs they'll murder me." The gendarmes thereupon arrived, and broke open the door of the kitchen with a ladder. On going up stairs, they found the elder Refray stretched on the ground and bathed in his blood, and his wife, who had been wounded, was walking in the room. They sought the assassin. On going down stairs the servant rushed, half distracted, out of a closet, in which she said the assassin had taken refuge. He was soon taken and disarmed by the gendarmes.

Prisoner: They did not take my gun from me. I gave it up of my own accord. What I have done I would do again. [Movement of horror.]

A multitude of witnesses were heard, without any further facts being elicited. It was evident that the mind of Refray had been weakened by the effects of his constitutional malady, but there was no ground for treating him as an insane person.

The jury after deliberating three quarters of an hour, declared Refray guilty of having killed his father, but admitted the existence of extenuating circumstances. He was in consequence condemned to hard labour for life. He mani

fested not the slightest emotion on hearing the sentence pronounced.

11. FISCAL FRAUDS. - A discovery has recently been made, that several large houses in the spirit trade have been for some time carrying on a system of smuggling with the connivance and aid of Custom-house officers. The Globe says, that the houses in question "have been in the constant habit of importing the finest brandies and other spirits from the Continent, which have, after gauging, been delivered to them upon the payment of the wine duty of 5s. 6d., instead of the proper spirit duty of 22s. 6d. per gallon. An agent of the party recently received a consignment of six hogsheads of French brandy, which, by the negligence of some of the persons concerned, were landed in the Queen's warehouse on the ground floor of the Customhouse; and through this mistake the whole of the proceedings have been brought to light. On being admitted to entry as wine, one of the hogsheads was seized, having been found to contain brandy, and on closer inspection, a peculiarly constructed tube, of about six inches in diameter, was discovered fixed in the cask, reaching from the bung, and extending the depth of the cask, which tube was filled with wine, the remainder of the cask containing brandy; but the tube, in this instance, having leaked, the wine became mixed with the brandy, this circumstance led to the discovery and seizure by the gauging officer. Many seizures have been made in different parts of the city, and some Custom-house officers have been suspended.

22. DUNCOMBE v. DANIEL.I The Court of Queen's Bench was occupied to-day and yesterday, with the trial of an action brought by Mr. Thomas Duncombe, M.P., against Mr. T. S. Daniel, a barrister, for a libel published by Mr. Daniel at the time of the last Finsbury election. Mr. Daniel, in a communication to the tory newspapers, charged Mr. Duncombe with having fraudulently obtained an injunction from the vice-chancellor, by false affidavits. to prevent a creditor from proceeding against him; and with defrauding another person, by a check which he knew would be dishonoured, having himself withdrawn the funds which he had stated would be at the bankers to meet it. The defendant pleaded the general issue, also a justification that the libel was true. Many witnesses were examined for plaintiff and defendant; Sir John Campbell addressed the jury for Mr. Duncombe, and Mr. Daniel was defended by Sir William Fol. lett. Lord Denman charged the jury, to the effect that the accusation of fabricating affidavits was very rashly made, and that the justification on that point entirely failed. With reference to the dishonoured check, Lord Denman remarked, that although Sir John Campbell had made a long statement calculated to impress the minds of the jury, he had offered no evidence whatever on that point; a practice which Lord Denman condemned as most improper, and, as far as his knowledge extended, without precedent. The plea in justification of the defendant was, that the party to whom the check had been given was still a creditor of Mr. Duncombe; but as no proof of the fact

had been adduced by the defendant, Mr. Duncombe was entitled to a verdict on that point also. Lord Denman left the question of damages to the jury; observing, that because Mr. Daniel was an elector, he was by no means entitled to libel a candidate; and that the circumstance of his being a chancery barrister, and therefore a person whose assertions would carry weight with them, should have rendered him particularly cautious in his statements. The jury deliberated about an hour, and returned a verdict for the plaintiff, with 100l. damages.

Mr. Duncombe has placed the 100l. in the hands of his committee, to be distributed among the charities of the borough of Finsbury.

26. A serious riot has taken place in the neighbourhood of Sheepshead and Loughborough, in Leicestershire. About four hundred men collected at the Sheepshead workhouse on Tuesday week, while Mr. Earp, the relieving-officer was distributing their allowance of bread to the inmates. They attacked the lad who brought the bread from the person who supplied it by contract. He drove off to Belton; the mob followed, and he took refuge in the yard of one of the guardians. They broke his cart in pieces, and threw the loaves into the street. Then they returned to Sheepshead; and their numbers being increased to about thousand, they smashed the windows, and demolished the furniture of the workhouse. constables, who interfered, were beaten off with stones. Mr. Dawson, a magistrate, and the persons who aided him in rescuing the relieving-officer, were severely

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pelted. The military were sent for from Nottingham, but the rioters dispersed before their arrival. There is at present great distress among the workers in lace and hosiery in Leicestershire: according to the Loughborough paper, a very trying time has been selected for the introduction of the new poor-law into that district.

27. Heavy rain fell in the north of England during the early and middle part of last week. The roads, and many towns and villages were inundated; and some lives were lost, and much property was destroyed. Near Cheadle, three gentlemen belonging to Manchester had the narrowest possible escape for their lives, as a coach which they had hired to carry them home was caught in the great flood of Wednesday. The narrative of the hair-breadth escapes of these persons by "flood and field," appears miraculous. They were overtaken on the road by the heavy rains, and driven into a field, where the water immediately filled the coach. They requested of the driver to loose the horses, and ride to the nearest house for assistance. With the greatest difficulty he succeeded in doing so; but the persons sent to their rescue, although armed with ropes, dared not approach sufficiently near for fear of being themselves carried away. With great difficulty the gentlemen gained a large tree, where they were found some hours after by the driver, who had given them up for lost. The mail, after leaving Preston for Liverpool, was unable to proceed for a considerable time, as the horses could not oppose the violence of the storm. The inside

of the coach was filled with water, and the passengers were obliged to get out to avoid drowning. A dog, which had been put into the boot for safety, was drowned. In Yorkshire the rains were equally heavy and alarming. At Bradford, the water in the Beck rose rapidly, and soon overspread the neighbouring banks. The consequence was, that in a short time the cellars, kitchens, and parlours of the houses in the lower part of the town were completely full. There was a large quantity of goods in the various shops destroyed or seriously injured. Several horses were drowned, and many persons narrowly escaped with their lives. In one instance three persons were drowned.

Bradford seems to have suffered more than any other place; but at Leeds the devastation was considerable; and at Manchester and Salford much damage was done to property, but no lives were lost.

28. The most destructive fire which has occurred for some time in the metropolis, broke out about half-past six on Thursday morning, in the premises called Davis's Wharf, on the Thames, nearly opposite the Tower. The flames were not got under until ten o'clock, notwithstanding the copious supply of water, and the exertions of about 1,000 firemen with their engines. Among the property destroyed were three vessels which were fixed in the mud, near the wharf, and could not be got off. The conflagration was caused by the bursting of a cask of oil, which had been set on fire by the candles of the men at work. The extent of the damage has been variously estimated at from 120,000l. to 150,000l.

29. About 800 persons, of both sexes, from the northern and western parishes of the metropolis, drank tea together in the two great public rooms of the Crown and Anchor tavern, in commemoration of the establishment of the West London Auxiliary Branch of the new British and Foreign Temperance Society. There was a good band of music in the gallery,

and alternate festoons of banners and laurels ornamented the rooms. Each "teetotal" district was represented by a table, surrounded with brethren from that locality. The tickets, sold for 1s. 6d. each, entitled the purchaser to tea and coffee, and bread and butter ; and those refreshments were given to every one ad libitum.