PENRITH HERALD and EAST CUMBERLAND and WESTMORLAND NEWS. NO. 438-Sixth Week in Quarter Registered for Transmission Abroad. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1874. PRICE 1D. ANN MUSCROFT, wife of a cutler, living in Lambert-street, Sheffield, is in custody on a serious charge. Some boys were playing near her house, when she rushed out, seized one of them named JOHN REARDON, and beat him on the head until he was rendered unconscious. The boy's life has remained in jeopardy since. ___________________________________________________________________ PROTESTANT MEETINGS IN LONDON. - On Tuesday afternoon the long announced public meeting to express sympathy with the EMPEROR OF GERMANY in his quarrel with the POPE was held at St. James's Hall. The chair was taken by SIR JOHN MURRAY, of Philiphaugh, who was supported by the DEAN OF CANTERBURY, SIR ROBERT PEEL, MR. C. N. NEWDEGATE, MR. A. KINNAIRD, SIR T. CHAMBERS, LORD A. CHURCHILL, &c. The chairman delivered a message from EARL RUSSELL, who was to have presided, expressing regret at his absence in consequence of the state of his health, and his entire sympathy with the object of the meeting; his lordship adding that the letter of the EMPEROR OF GERMANY of September last had sounded a note of timely warning to the British nation. A resolution, speaking with admiration of the EMPEROR's letter, was carried with acclamation; and the chairman was requested to communicate to his MAJESTY that resolution, and another of a similar character. An evening meeting of the same kind took place at Exeter Hall. ___________________________________________________________________ IN SATURDAY's SITTING of the French National Assembly at Versailles, M. LOCKROY was twice called to order - once for calling the conservatives the "spoliatory classes." ____________________________________________________________________ CANDIDATES MOBBED. The Conservative electors in Worcester took their revenge for the disturbance created in their meeting on the previous night. MESSRS. SHERRIFF and HILL, the Radical candidates, were announced to speak in the Guildhall. At the appointed time the hall was crammed to suffocation with an excited crowd, some of whom were evidently bent on mischief. Men scaled the walls, swarmed the windows, and filled the platform. The candidates failed to get a hearing, as every time a speaker stood up the groaning and hooting became deafening. Men exhibited placards bearing the Conservative candidates' names, and these were the signals of fierce struggles to follow. After waiting for a long time, during which the noise increased, and finding it impossible to get a hearing, the Liberal candidates left the Guildhall, and spoke from the windows of their committee room. The streets were filled by excited crowds, who pounced upon MR. AIREY, the working man's candidate (who had previously retired from the contest), and mobbed him to such an extent that he was glad to take refuge in a passing cab; but finding that the vehicle afforded him no adequate protection from the violence of the crowds that surrounded it, he managed with difficulty to find sanctuary in the railway station, the doors of which were then shut. ___________________________________________________________________ THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT will require, it is estimated, 240,000 tons of rice to provide for the subsistence of 2,500,000 persons, being 10 per cent. of the population, for seven months. The secured quantity is 342,000 tons, which supply has been obtained at a cost of £3,000,000. The reserve stores, it will be seen, exceed 100,000 tons. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++