-indeed, it was remarked, that where the distress was known to be most severe, the number of deaths was even below the average; and that the increase of mortality occurred chiefly in such places as Liverpool, beyond the pressure of the cotton famine. This favourable result is attributed to the general excellence of the food supplied by the Relief Committees, the enforcement of cleanliness, the compulsory abstinence from ardent spirits, and to the greater attention to their children afforded by the mothers in the absence of work.

There were 40,585 marriages in the third quarter of this year; in 1860 there were 40,541; in 1861, 39,892. So that the hopes of future increase are not retarded by the sufferings of the north-eastern portion of the Kingdom. This indication of prosperity is, however, due to the general well-being of all the other parts of England; for in the cotton districts the effects of the stagnation of their industry were manifest. In Lancashire, the marriages, which were 6315 and 6123 in the Summer quarters of 1860 and 1861, fell in this quarter to 5468. In Ashton and other towns, where the population is wholly dependent on the cotton-mills, the decline of the marriage rate exceeded one-third. The excess of births over deaths was 80,012, or 870 daily; but 33,000 emigrants sailed from British ports, of whom about 13,000 were of English origin. The British colonies now feel beneficially the consequences of the insane contest which renders the United States a "nice country to keep out of." The English, Irish, and Scotch, who went to the Australian colonies during

these three months rose from 7000 to 12,000; the number who went to British North America also increased greatly; while to the once eagerly-sought United States, who in the summer of 1860 received 21,104 of the bone and muscle of a State, only 6348 went in the summer of 1861, and 14,170 in that of 1862.

The increase in the number of paupers shows how severely, notwithstanding the enormous sums subscribed, and the general prosperity of the rest of the community, the cotton famine has fallen on the smitten districts. The following will show the comparative number of paupers in the Summer quarter of three years:—

Irish of the metropolis, moved by some secret organization, adopting as their war-cry, "The Pope!" whilst their opponents, calling themselves Protestants, chiefly consisted of the class of English labourers, less evidently organized, but still having the appearance of some preparation, and taking for their war-cry the name of Garibaldi.

These disturbances commenced by an attack of the Roman Catholics (if the name may be used to designate these ruffians) on a meeting of the Working Men's Garibaldian Fund Committee, holden in Hyde-park, to "express sympathy with Garibaldi, and to adopt a protest against the French occupation of Rome." The Garibaldians showed fight, but, having been taken by surprise, were driven off the ground. The Committee announced that they would not hold another meeting; but the ruffianism of London was not to be baulked of its amusement. On Sunday, the 5th October, the rival factions for there rages in the courts and alleys of the metropolis a ceaseless war between two indefinable sections of the lowest class-assembled in the Park, evidently resolved to make it a battle-ground. Their aggregate numbers have been stated as high as 80,000. At first the meeting seemed to be a mere oratorical mass-meeting, and several persons addressed the mob from a mound of rubbish. But later in the afternoon this platform, which had hitherto been occupied by a miscellaneous selection, was atracked and carried by a rush of the Irish. A rough organization of the Garibaldians was quickly made; they attacked the mound, and a frightful contest spread over

the Park. At first it was a mere tussle of strength; but gradually sticks and more formidable weapons came forth, and the battle assumed a dangerous aspect. The Garibaldians, who were led by some soldiers of the Guards, suc-ceeded in regaining possession of the mound, whence they sallied in large bodies, clearing the Park at each rush. The police acted with great courage, and seized any prominent rioter; but they were far too few to repress the riot. The battle raged throughout the afternoon, and resulted in a considerable number of persons being taken to the hospitals, much injured. A great many of the mob received wounds and bruises, and. the destruction of coats and hats was immense. An attempt was made to renew the rioting on the following Sunday; but a large body of police occupied the ground, and, as it happened to be a very wet day, the combatants wisely stayed at home. The mounds and other strongholds in the Park were levelled, and the Chief Commissioner of Police notified that such breaches of the peace would, in future, be put down summarily. Cardinal Wiseman also addressed a "pastoral" to his flock, severely condemning their conduct.

About the same time, disgraceful riots, similar in character, were taking place at Birkenhead. In this town there is a Parliamentary Debating Society, which meets in the Institute attached to the Holy Trinity Church. This society, which is sufficiently Protestant and Liberal, had placarded the walls with the announcement that, at their next meeting, the subject would be," Sympathy with Garibaldi.' The General seems to be looked upon rather as the imper

sonation of hostility to the Pope, then as an Italian patriot; and the announcement, therefore, gave offence to the Irish, who are gathered in vast numbers in the town. Accordingly, as soon as the gas was lighted in the schoolroom of the Institute, a mob of Irish assembled, and a stone was thrown at one of the windows, smashing a pane of glass. Upon the suggestion of the Inspector of Police, the lights were extinguished and the meeting was adjourned, it being deemed impossible to hold the meeting under such threatening circumstances. The crowd of ruffians outside rapidly increased, until it amounted to 3000 or 4000. The windows of the Institute being broken, the mob adjourned to Price-street, and commenced breaking the windows of the church. The assault continued until two Catholic priests made their appearance, and persuaded the greater portion to disperse, but not before some of the police had been wounded by missiles, and much mischief done.

On the night appointed for the holding of the adjourned meeting, precautions were taken with a view of quelling any disturbance that might occur. The police, with the assistance of upwards of 1000 special constables and a detachment of the 49th Regiment, were held in readiness. The most serious part of the riot did not commence until the conclusion of the meeting. During the evening a number of chimneys were fired at intervals, with the intent of attracting the police into the side streets, or for signals to the rioters. The assaults upon the police were frequent and furious. The mob retreated when the police advanced, and assailed the officers

with stones and missiles; most of the men received severe cuts, and wounds, and being few in number, were compelled to fall back. Notwithstanding the outrages to persons and property, the magistrates refused to read the Riot Act and call out the military, and the special constables were not called upon to act; so that the police, after making three successful attacks upon the rioters, became wearied of their incessant exertions, and, unsupported by any other force, could scarcely be induced to follow their Inspectors. The mob, taking advantage of the retreat of the police, broke into several shops, ransacked them of their contents, and continued these outrages until between 12 and 1 o'clock at night.

Two, at least, of the constables were so severely wounded that their lives were thought to be in danger. Mr. Superintendent Hammond, of the County Constabulary, was brutally assaulted; many of the constables received dreadful gashes and fractures, and not a few spectators received—not altogether without desert-severe injuries from flying missiles. A number of prisoners, three of whom were women, were secured and sent off to Chester for trial. Fifteen were convicted, and received sentences varying from six months' to two years' imprisonment; except one Lennon, who had struck down and nearly killed two policemen with a iron bolt: to this desperado was awarded 15 years' penal servitude.

12. FATAL BOAT ACCIDENT.— FIVE PERSONS DROWNED.-A fatal boat accident occurred at the New Passage, near Bristol. Five men, carpenters, engaged on a railway bridge, had crossed from Bristol

to Chepstow to meet some companions. These had already left; and the men, under the pilotage of a sailor named Price, set sail for the return voyage. All proceeded well until they came to the mouth of Chepstow River, when the wind had increased to a gale. Price, the steersman, reefed sail, and put back into the river, and endeavoured to persuade the men to remain until the gale had abated. They refused, and one of them having insisted on taking the helm from Price, turned the boat's head, at the same time unreefing the sails. They had made the passage about halfway across the Severn, when they were caught in a tremendous squall, between 2 and 3 o'clock in the afternoon: the boat immediately capsized, and five out of the six on board were drowned, the sailor being the only one saved.

13. TERRIBLE ACCIDENT ON THE EDINBURGH AND GLASGOW RAILWAY.-A terrible disaster, by which 15 persons were killed, occurred on the Craighton cutting, near Winchburgh, on the Edin. burgh and Glasgow Railway. The circumstances under which this catastrophe took place were such as to cause surprise that a single traveller escaped with life to tell the tale; for two trains traversing the same line of rails from opposite directions met and came into collision while moving at a great speed.

The "up" line of rails of this railway, from Pardovan to Priest Inch-a distance of 2 miles had been closed for repairs, and the whole traffic (which from circumstances is very considerable on this part of the line) had, in consequence been thrown upon the VOL. CIV.

"down" line. To guard against the danger likely to arise on a single line from this circumstance, the precaution had been taken of placing a "pilot-engine on the line, whose duty it was to run backwards and forwards, and to conduct each train along the rails; by which means, if all other care had been taken, no train could have entered upon that part of the line while any other train was upon it. As part of this arrangement, all trains, whether "upor "down" were ordered to stop at the sidings at either end, and not to proceed until permission had been formally given. The 6 P.M. passenger train, from Edinburgh to the North, passed the Winchburgh station at its proper time— between 6.15 and 6.35 P.M. It consisted of a tank-engine, four carriages, a guard's van, and a horse-box, and carried 44 passengers. It was detained about three minutes at the spot where it should enter upon the single line, awaiting the pilot engine. As soon as the pilot returned from the west and had passed out of its way, the Edinburgh train, having received the requisite direction from the pointsman, proceeded on its journey along the single line. The driver had every reason to believe that the line was clear; but he had not proceeded more than a mile when he suddenly perceived a train in front of him and coming at speed to meet him! This was the train from Glasgow to Edinburgh, consisting of engine, tender, and seven carriages, and conveying about 112 passengers. As the Glasgow train was travelling at the rate of about 20 miles an hour, and the Scottish Central at probably the same rate, the momentum with which two such bo

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dies would come into collision may be imagined. The engine and trains did not, as has happened under similar circumstances, "mount"-for the tank-engine being the narrower ran into and penetrated the Glasgow, and both of them were destroyed, and the third-class carriage immediately behind was broken to pieces. The tender and leading van of the Glasgow train, and two thirdclass carriages following them were jammed together, and the carriages destroyed-the other carriages came together with fearful shock, but, strange to say, both trains remained on the line. The consequences of the collision to human life were most disastrous. The engine-driver and fireman of the Scottish Central train and the fireman of the Glasgow train were all killed; the engine-driver and leading guard of the latter were fearfully injured, as was the guard of the former. When assistance arrived and the unfortunate passengers were extricated from the ruins, the results of the collision were found to have been terrible. Eleven persons were dragged out quite dead-their corpses shattered, burnt, and scalded; others who escaped with life had their limbs fractured, or were dreadfully crushed and bruised. Many of the

most serious cases arose from the dreadful scalds of the steam. Four of these injured persons died in the infirmaries of Linlithgow and Edinburgh. Thirty-three persons are officially returned as more or less severely injured; but there was not one person probably in either train who did not feel some bad effects from the shock.

As the collision plainly arose from the unexpected appearance of the Glasgow train on the line,

inquiries were directed as to its cause; but as the fireman was killed and the engine-driver and guard dangerously injured, the exact cause of the misapprehension was difficult of discovery. It appeared, however, that when the Glasgow train approached its end of the single line, the driver found a train there which passed on in the opposite direction; and as he approached the distant signal-post, he saw an engine. Immediately thereon a green light was turned on from the distant-signal, and a white light from the pointsman's hut, which were the signals to authorize him to proceed upon the single line. He had scarcely got his train into speed when he perceived the lights of the Scottish Central train coming towards him. He instantly reversed his engine and jumped off. It appeared that the engine which, by a combination of appearances, had been mistaken for the pilot-engine, was in fact an engine employed as a ballast engine, and which at this time was running up and down the line conveying the workmen and materials for repairing the "up" line. The proper pilotengine was a small one, and could have been readily distinguished from any other; but this was out of repair, and an ordinary engine was doing its duty. In like manner a ballast-engine is a small and rude machine not at all resembling a traffic engine; but on this occasion an ordinary engine was employed. There was, therefore, nothing which would force on an inexperienced observer the distinction between the two. And, unhappily, the pointsman at the Pardovan end was not experienced in his duties. He had been for some years employed as a work