The Sun. — London, England, 1833-09-19 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS• We extract to-day, from a Scotch paper, a roost interesting and heartrending account of the loss of the Wemyss Leith packet, by one of the passengers, who was on board when it was wrecked, near Braucaster, on Sunday, the .Ist inst. Our readers will instantly perceive the graphic force of the description by its influence upon their feelingq, but its power or its accu racy is not the object for which we have quoted it. We find that eleven persons have lost their lives within sight and reach of British ground, in broad daylight, and with a perfect possibility of being saved by timely precaution. We find that ten of them were women and children ; that three cf them were mothers with their infants under their charge, and two of them were helpless young emales. We find that the cap rain, the mate, the sailors, and all the grown-up male passengers, except cne whose death was occasioned by accident, escaped the fury of the waves. We find that when there Iwas chance of landing the passengers with safety, an objection was made by the captain or the mate to such a prudent proposition. We find that the ladies and their infants were desired to keep in their cabin, where they were ultimately drowned, instead of being taken on deck, where they would have enjoyed the only chance of safety ; and we find that after a severe trial of strength and physical endurance, all the persons on deck were ultimately saved. These are facts now placed beyond the reach of doubt or denial, and how do they affect the commanding officers aboard the Wemyss, and the general conduct of vessels in a similar situa tion ? It is towards the solution of this inquiry that the facts stated respecting the Wemyss owe, in our eyes, their chief importance. We see every reason to believe that, with more nautical skill, with more presence of mind, and more zealous activity in the Captain, these eleven victims of his hesitation, of his timidity, or his indifference, might have been saved. We see every reason to think, that had advantage been taken of the low water about or before six o'clock, no person would have perished. We know that the Captain and the Mate at that very time advised the ladies to continue in their berths, and that they obeyed the advice which caused their destruction. But do we for this insist on trying the Captain for murder, or in dicting the persons on board for a conspiracy against the lives of these helpless women ? By no means. The Captain and his Mate have evidently misconducted themselves, and are in capable of further employment in a similar situa tion ; but the evil lies in the system of their selection, or in the maxims laid down for their conduct. They do not appear to have had a proper value for human life ; they seemed to have shown a greater anxiety to preserve their ship, or to secure their fare, than to.rescue their passengers. The reason why we press this matter is, that during the calamities which were occasioned by the late gales, the officers in com mand of transport vessels seemed, in several in stances, to regard more the interests of their pro prietors than the safety of their passengers. This was manifested in the management of the Amphi trite convict ship, which was wrecked in sight of Boulogne, and in that of the Leith smack, to la hose melancholy fate we have just been ad verting. It is no justification that in the one case the Captain lost his life, and that in the other his safety was endangered : their own lives may be just as much worth as captains of ships think them when they foolishly put them in jeopardy ; but they have no right to trifle with the fate of their fellow men. In every case they ought first to secure the lives of theirpassengers, and then they may try all experiments with their own, if they feel so inclined. The most rigid investigation should take place into the conduct of the Captain and Mate of the Wemyss ; the most severe punishment ought to be inflicted, if anything but mere ignorance or weakness can be established, and the result ought to be an nounced as a warning to all future commanders of stranded vessels. It is with a view to promote so laudable and useful an object, and with that view alone, that we again call public attention to the graphic but unimpassioned statement of the passenger on board the Ifierrvis.— Times. A Hamburgh correspondent has sent its, ac companied with rather an angry comment, a list of the pieces of information to be required by a Swedish authority or inserted in a Swedish passport. No traveller can be allowed to pass through Sweden, according to this set of ques tions, without declaring his age, his birthplace, his religion, of what district he is a subject, his usual place of residence, in what service he is employed, what month or year he left home, whither he is going, whence he came, what was his first place of arrival in Sweden, whether he came by sea or land, to what place he intends to proceed, what is his business in Sweden, how long he intends to remain at Stockholm, how long in the rest of the kingdom, and who are his acquaintances, or what is to be his address.. This, it must be allowed, is a tolerably large body' of queries to be answered, or of infor mation to be supplied, by any poor wight who chooses to visit the ancient Scandinavia. Most of the class of facts, however, enters into every passport of the continent, or is required to be known by every police authority; nay, in most cases, the police draws your per sonal portrait, which you are obliged to carry along with you during the whole of your stay, whether it he skilfully or unskilfully executed. In die case of arriving with a French passport in France, it is needless to ask your age, your birthplace, your residence, the date of your de parture from home, the time of your landing, the nature of your profession, and some of the other questions in the Swedish list, to which our correspondent objects, because the pass port itself declares them. The two or three remaining questions are of very trifling import tance, and, upon proper explanation, will not be persisted in. How long the traveller intends to remain in Sweden, or what are his acquaint ances in the kingdom, may be easily answered in that vague and general manner which can neither put the traveller to inconvenience nor commu nicate any secret to the police. The system of passports on the Continent of Europe is ex tremely annoying to British or American travel lers, who are unaccustomed to it in their own country, and may be ao employed as to occasion real interruptions to the business of all. Yet every honest man would submit to it in silence, could it be proved that its alleged advantages were sufficient to c ounterbalance its acknow- But though it has con hedged inconvenience . tirued for centuries, and though we see no symp loin of any design to abandon it, we never have yet heard any strong or plausible arguments in its favour, except that it employs, at the expense of foreigners, a number of police clerks, who might otherwise be thrown upon the world, or upon their governments. If a traitor or conspirator is sometimes discovered making the tour of a coun try, it is not generally by his passport that he is detected. If a criminal passes a frontier town, he may have his passport like any other person ; and, unless it be for some atrocious offence, he cannot be delivered up to his own Government. Yet, for the chance of some contingent advan tage 'of this kind, thousands of unsuspected people are tormented with the delay, the trouble, and the expense of a useless and costly formality. We have not heard of any particular inconve nience to which travellers are subjected in Swe den, though, from the recent establishment of the dynasty, and the chance of foreign intrigue, some additional precautions might be justifiable. The fact is, that the present Sovereign of that country is a man of tact and of capacity, and is not likely, either in his domestic or foreign po licy, needlessly to provoke dissatisfaction or to occasion hardships.— Times. One of the pernicious consequences of the governing by corruption, which has long been the disgrace of this country, is the shamelessness with which the middle classes too often abandon themselves to courses which, were there a proper feeling in the public, ought to be held in the utmost reprobation. We are not so chimerical in our expectations as to suppose that individuals will not always seek their own interest in pre ference to that of others. But when the prefer ence of self passes the limits of morality, it ought to be visited by public indignation. Public opinion in this country is far too often mis directed—indulgent where it should be severe, and severe where it should be indulgent. We have been led to these remarks by the very dis graceful attempt lately made to open a door to sinister influence in the General Dispensary, in Aldersgate-street. It is quite clear, that without having jobs in contemplation, no men would have thought of so altering the regulations, as to allow subscribers for the occasion to vote at the election of officers. A correspondent of one of our con temporaries, Mr. William Coulson, well observes on this subject : " It is true, as you, Sir, have stated, that this law existed at the time when the distinguished physicians of this charity (with one exception) were elected ; but it is also true that, at that time (more than 20 years ago), the law was practically inoperative. The opening which was inadvertently made by that law was, perhaps, not perceived, and certainly not taken advantage of. At subsequent elections, the opportunity which the rule gave for the purchase of offices was seen, and ultimately a contest be came avowedly a trial of length of purse. The nuisance to the respectable Governors, and the degrading conse quences to the medical men became so striking, that the law was amended, with the unanimous consent of the Committee and Governors at large. There is, therefore, no inconsistency on the part of the senior officers of the institution, in their opposing themselves to the re-esta blishment of a defect in the law, which was not known or taken advantage of at the time of their election. I need not observe, Sir, to you, on the difference between the ac ceptance of office by men under a dormant rule, and their continuance in office when a rule is sought to be esta blished, the probable evil consequences of which, both to themselves and the character of the profession, they can not be blind to. The importance of the principle for which the medical men have been contending has been recently recognised by Parliament, in the case of the Irish Infirmaries' Act, the first section of which enacts.--' That no donor or donors of any sum or sums of money to any of the said infirmaries or hospitals shall be permitted to rote at any election, upon any vacancy which may here after occur for the office of surgeon or physician to such infirmary or hospital, unless he, she, or they, shall have respectively paid the subset iption by virtue of which be, she, or they claim a right to vote at such election, one year at least before such vacancy shall have occured.'" The middle classes of this country have been taught to consider conduct like the above clever, and a proof of their shrewdness. But we would humbly suggest that nothing can be more dan gerous to society than to look with indulgence on these deviations from the straight course. The tendency of allowing donors, during a va cancy, to vote at the next election, is of course to give the office not to merit, but to money ; and in the language of the lawyers, we must infer the intention from the tendency. Why should we take such pains to demonstrate that there is no such thing as honour, and that every thing is to be bought and sold ? We rejoice that the medical gentlemen of the institution have,with becoming spirit, made head against an innovation fraught with such pernicious consequences,and we only trust that public opinion will visit, as it ought, the majority who rendered it necessary for them to take such a course. A history of jobbing in this country might be a very curious and instructive work. In no country in the world, we believe, has there ever been such an organized system of plundering as among ourselves, who choose to call ourselves the most moral and religious people in the world. In the scenes of bribery at Liverpool, gentlemen in carriages, magistrates even, presented themselves for their share of what was going. In almost every parish through out the country there are boards of tradesmen, who job into each other's haude, at the expense of the other inhabitants. If the Aristocrat pur chased the right of plundering the people, he was plundered in turn by a league between tradesmen and his own servants. We really are not surprised that, in this general corrup tion,juriesshould have some qualms of conscience about convicting men merely on account of dif ferences in the mode of appropriating the pro perty of others. In looking into " Defoe's Pa rochial Tyranny," it will be found that the system of parochial jobbing (a genteel word for robbery) was well understood even in his time. " In most villages adjacent to London (he says), where the gentry and tradesmen retire for health and air, they are sure to be rid to death by these parish jockeys, who know no mercy ; and I doubt not, make a good livelihood out of them. It is shameful to think what taxes are paid where there are but few poor, except the churchwardens, Bcc., who grow rich at the parish charge, and fatten themselves with what they extort from the parish. Some times, indeed, the parishioners grumble, and are for law, but they are soon quelled ; the vestry beat them with their own weapons (i. e.) with their own money, and everybody's busi ness becomes nobody's, till at last all pay quietly, and put their necks tamely into the collar. * Why are not their books open to general inspection, that we may see by whom the money is paid, to whom it is paid, and whether any is left to be carried on to another quarter, and lessen the succeeding charge ? This would be but fair dealing, and I think reasonable satisfaction to be given us for our money. But there are too many parish feasts, to admit of such honest administration ; the spit is too often saddled, and the bottle goes too merrily round for the ease of the parishion ers. * * To what end is this outside caution, but to save the money for their own guts, and feast themselves at the parish charge ? But nothin g i s so pro fi ta b le to these gentlemen as . parish rep a i rs ; if t h e church is new beauti fied, painted, or whitewashed,they whip come ; upon you with a c h urc h rate and where two hundred pounds h as b een expended, tw e l ve hun dred shall be collected ; f or t h e C hurchwardei will slave hard but his d aug h ter s h a l l bea thousand pounds the better. Nay, there are some parishes where Churchwardens, though they went on as poor as rats, have come out too rich ever to be poor again." One corruption leads to another. In England the wheels of government have been moved by corruption, the corruption necessarily spread through the com munity. But we would fain hope that it may not be too late to acquire correct notions of moral conduct. However, we must not flatter ourselves. The middle classes of Englishmen, as well as the Aristocracy, have much to un learn.—Morning Chronicle. It would seem that all attempts to induce the Magistracy, the Commissioners of Police, or the parochial authorities, to exert themselves to put an end to those shameless receptacles of iniquity —the London gaming -houses, have as yet been useless, and the efforts of the press, with that view, have hitherto been powerless and inef fectual. But we do not yet despair, nor do we feel at all inclined to partake of the apathy with which our efforts have been received. We know that we have with us the better part of public opinion ; and that, with truth on its side, must ultimately prevail over official sloth and corrup tion ; we say corruption, because it has been openly stated, and not disavowed, that some of those whose duty it is to suppress this nuisance are partakers in the profits of its existence. if such be, indeed, the case, and if silence may be implied as giving assent to its truth, then, in deed, the worst vices of the old French regime are fast growing upon us, and our public functionaries become the panders to their own vice and dishonour, instead of being as they ought to be, the honest and active servants of the State. That this monstrous vice is fast growing upon us, cannot be doubted, when it is known that in one parish—that of St. James —upwards of twenty of these hells are daily or nightly open ; and when at one small house in an obscure court (Pickering-place) at the bottom of St. James's -street, the proprietor is confidently said to have cleared upwards of 10,0001. as his share of the plunder since the commencement of the present year. No one can observe even the countenances of the persons who enter and leave this cul de sac without being struck with their haggard, anxious looks, while the thread bare garments of many of them show that it is the high priest of this temple of iniquity that pockets the plunder, leaving scarcely a subsist ence to the victims of his rapacity. That the majority of the persons who frequent these and other similar establishments, have no means of their own wherewith to indulge in this hateful and extravagant vice, is clear even from their very appearance ; nor are suffi cient proofs wanting, were there courage or inclination in the proper quarters to call for them that great part of the money lost at such places is the produce of previous frauds and robberies, obtained from the very persons who are taxed to pay the very functionaries who so readily wink at these enormities. Once more, then, we call upon these latter to do their duty, and to wipe out this disgrace. It is in vain for them to plead ignorance of that which every man moving in the world of the metropolis knows—at least it shall not be, as it has not been, any fault of ours that the matter does not reach their ears, in which we will never cease to ring it, till these breeding cages of crime are broken up, and the Govern ment itself taught that it is not by quiescently suffering such scenes of iniquity to be perpe trated under its very nose that it can earn for itself the confidence and esteem of the honest part of the community.—Morning Herald. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. MANSION-HO USE. A case came on before the Lord Mayor, which proves that we have still amongst the venerable guardians of the night as " fit and senseless men" as sat in the chair of constables in the days of Shakespeare. A working man named Bonsor, was charged by an old watchman, of the old ward of Candlewick, and a Mr. Swinborne was included in the charge. The watchman, who appeared to be about seventy years of age, stated that Bonsor attacked him vio. lently in Cannon -street, as he was crying the hour, knocked him down and otherwise maltreated him, on which account he obtained assistance to lug the man to a place of security. While, however, he was doing his duty in that way, up came Mr. Swinborne, and obstructed him in such a manner, that it was necessary to lock up that gentleman as well as the working man. Mr. Swinborne was very obstreperous in the watch-house, but the con stable of the night was so indulgent as to let him go home upon his promise to appear. Mr. Swinborne described the matter in so differ ent a manner, and disclosed the secrets of the watch. house in such a style, that the Lord Mayor consi dered it necessary to summon the constable of the night before him, and to request the attendance of the ward authorities at the investigation. Subsequently Weeks, the aforesaid constable at. tended ; and Mr. Saunders and others of the Com mon Council of the Ward being present, the Lord MAToR proceeded to the inquiry. Mr. Swinborne's statement was to the following effect :—" As he was passing along the street, h e saw a number of watchmen, amongst whom was Brown, the complainant, dragging Bonsor along, and beating him as they dragged him. Bonsor w as evidently in a helpless state of drunkenness ; and witness, apprehensive that some of his limbs would be broken, called out to the watchmen for mercy' s sake not to ill-treat him. His remonstrance was altogether unheeded; the watchmen continued to give him desperate blows, and thought proper to lock up the witness as well as the drunken man, for exercising that modicum of humanity. In the con stable's seat sat Weeks, in all the dignity of office, and filled with gin; witness expressed his concern at seeing an unfortunate drunken man belaboured so cruelly ; but the constable began to exercise his " brief authority" in a very short time. " Why," said he, " the drunken man must be your brother— I'm sure he is."—(Laughter.) Witness laughed at this extraordinary scene. " What do you mock me for," said the constable, " don't you laugh at me, or I'm blessed if I don't lock you up.—(Great laughter.) I'll go and look if he arn't your brother though,'' and he went into the next room where Bonsor was lying, with a candle in his hand; on his return he looked wise and dignified, and said, " No, he an't g y q oou totr e brother, tahbesucr butodm to oif Compter.' e re. expostulate N u t vu lidon'tattnee W i tness , with ht finding u r o e p h e a r t ) hya,toff it l yu v o as character, t m h s e a ca t ' ot s ,r n t ae o nind p p l tw a u c ao e l uk f se o l dy r s a t ba te so l u t ht ls pt you."---- sat down by the fi re . " Come out of that, " said the eyeing y t l a ee b ifr l ti e g , t h ‘ he ' and s\tVabit fro. In some time th e f umes of theahcleieqdclowntro, which had been operating upon the constable, began to dissipate. " Now," said h e , "if you give me your word that you will appear to-morrow at the Mansion-house, let you go." 'Witness pro mised. " But," said the constable, " will you give me your oath, as a gentleman, that y ou w ill ap pear ?" Witness replied in the ne gat i ve. " Then, " said the constable, with an oath, " the Compter shall be your portion."—(Laughter.) Things were then arranged for a removal to the C ompter, b u t the worthy constab l e d etermined that the witness should have enough of the drunken man, shoved the whole weight of the unfortunate fellow upon him. — (Loud laughter.) It was, however, as sobriety ad vanced with the hours, supposed to be the best way to let the witness depart, which he did, and, no doubt, it was never expected that he would again show himself in the Justice-room. _.. ......____ A gentleman deposed that Mr. Swinborne's ac- count was accurate. Witness saw the commence ment of the row. The little old watchman, if he fell at all, fell not from a blow from the drunken man, but from the feebleness of old age. As the man was drunk, a large collection of the watch gathered round him.—(A laugh.) Weeks declared that the charge against him was false. Brown (the little watchman) had been a British seaman, and demanded justice. Bonsor, he de clared, knocked him head over heels, and therefore could not have been drunk, and Mr. Swinborne followed in the rear, inciting of him for to insault the watch.—(Laughter.) The LORD Mitvoß should fine Bonsor for drunk enness. The authorities of the Ward should do with the constable and old watchman as they pleased. Mr. Saunders (the Common Councilman) and his colleagues saw quite enough to direct them in the course they should pursue, viz.—the removal of the constable and the ancient " Comprehendor of all vagrom men." He could account for the want of judgment in the latter for some time. The fact was, the old man had formerly a dog, which was ac quainted with his angry temper, and used, when his master would get into a passion, to drag him back by his coat, or the calf of his leg, from the object of his vengeance.—(Great laughter.) Unfortunately the dog had been stolen. The LORD MAYOR—Why the dog was the better watchman.—(A laugh.) The Little Watchman—Not a bit. He knowed nobody in a row. He'd as soon bite me as any other gentleman.—(Laughter.) _ MARLBOROUGH-STREET. THE LAW OF AFFILIATION.—A gentlemanly looking young man of the name of Barford, was brought before Mr. CHAMBERS by the parish-officers of St. Giles, for not paying the sum of 171. 10s., due to the parish for the maintenance of an ille gitimate child, which had become chargeable to the parish. Proof having been put in by the parish autho rities of the sum due, a solicitor, who attended on the part of the defendant, said his client had been confined in the Marshalsea for debt, had come out under the Insolvent Act, and had returned the claim made by the parish in his schedule. Mr. CIIAMBERS—The Insolvent Act will not clear a person for moneys due to a parish for an illegiti mate child. Solicitor--There was no objection made to the debt when before the Court. Mr. CHAMBERS—The Insolvent Court has no power to purge a man for a debt of this description, Solicitor—Besides, my client has paid a sum of money to Mr. Cochran, as a compensatiop for all future slaims on him. Cole, the messenger—He may have done so, but we have no proof, as Cochran decamped to America with a good deal of the parish moneys. Mr. CHAMBERS—If that is the case, he has some document by him to rupport his statement. Solicitor—He has not, for all his papers were destroyed when his house was burned down. Mr: CHAMBERS—He must pay the claim or go to prison. Defendant—l compromised for the child with the parish for 25/. Mr. CHAMBERS—The payment of any sum of money will not discharge an order made by the Ma gistrates; it can only be taken as a prospective pay ment, and when the child has eat that money up, the parish can come on the father for more. Mr. FrraPATßict —I recollect the case came here some time ago, and the defendant then said he had paid a sum of money, and it was then dismissed. Cole—He has no proof of having paid the money. Mr. CHAMBERS —What money you have paid must be reckoned for at 3s. a week, and unless you pay the balance, I shall send you to gaol for three months, and then you will get rid of the order. Solicitor—My client has been twelve months in gaol ; perhaps you would allow him to be bailed. Mr. CHAMBERS—If the money is not paid, he rands committed. After some conversation between Cole and the defendant, it was agreed that the books belonging to the parish should be searched, to see what money had been paid, and if any account of the compro mise could be discovered. MA IIY LEB ONE. A DRUNKEN SEXTON.—Thonzas Elseu, assistant sexton of Paddington, was charged with having been drunk. Insp€ctor Feltham stated that the prisoner fol lowed him about last night, hallooing and shouting, and refused to go home. Mr. RAWLINSON—WeII, Mr. Sexton, how came you to get drunk ? Prisoner (bawling)—Why, I was only talking loud, and I usually talk very strong. Mr. RAWLINSON-Oh ! it would be much better if you did not take so much " strong" drink. Pri soner—Why, a little gets into my head, as I have a silver plate in it. Mr. RAWLINSON—Then I wish you wouldn't in dulge the silver plate with so much liquor; you'll be tumbling some day into the graves you prepare for others. After receiving a caution, the sexton was dis charged. Q UEEN- S QUARE. EXTRAORDINARY BEGGING CASE.—A female, ap parently about forty years of age, of elegant man ners, and most fashionably dressed in black silk crape, was charged with begging from door to door at Knightsbridge. Mr. GREOORIE asked the defendant her name, which she at first refused to give; but, on being told that it would make no difference whether she did or not, as the evidence would be taken against her, she requested to have pen, ink, and paper, and she would write her name. She then wrote on a piece of paper, which was handed to the Ma gistrate, and on it was the name Mrs. Amelia Goa:ley. . The constable observed the defendant at Knights bridge, calling at almost every door. He watched her for some time, and at last ahe went into the shop of Mr. Dutton. He followed her in, when she begged for a penny, which was given to her. She represented that she was collecting a subscription for a friend, who had been seized upon for the as sessed taxes. He took her into custody, and, on searching her, he found Is. Bd. in copper in her pocket, a silver pencil case, and a begging letter. There were the names of a number of the Nobility attached to the letter; among the rest were the Bishop of London, Lord Lichfield, Lady Cavendish, and several others, with sums to their names from 11. to 201. Mrs. Goatley in reply, was collecting the money for a distressed friend who had been seized upon fur taxes and rent. The constable when he took the defendant into custody, asked her who the person was, and where she lived, when she gave the address of Mrs. Wi!- son, of Duke's-place, St. James's. He went to the house, which he found was most splendidly fur nished, and the servants were about taking up the dinner. Mrs. Goatley said, that the real fact was, that Mrs. Wilson was her sister; she had been seized upon, and she was collecting something to assist her. The inspector on duty said that previous to Mrs. Goatley being brought into the office a person dressed in a superior style of fashion was talking to her outside, and appeared to be intimately ac quainted with her. Mr. GREGORIE said that the law made no dis tinction between the rich and the poor; it was clearly proved before him that she was committing an act of vagrancy by begging, and it was his duty to commit her for fourteen days as a vagrant, and to be kept to hard labour. She was then removed to the lock-up cell. HATTON-GARDEN. Yesterday, Hierum Holmes, charged with inter marrying with Miss Elizabeth Abbott Slee, of No. 6, Clarence-place, Gravesend, hi s fi rst wife being now living, was placed at the bar for further exa mination, and remanded, in consequence of the ab sence of a material witness. Considerable merriment was excited by the ap- pearance of a foppish elderly man, who, having seen an account in the newspapers of the examination of the prisoner, in which Miss Slee was described as a beautiful and highly accomplished young lady, came to the office in hopes of meeting with her, and offer ing his hand in marriage, in case the accused was found guilty of, the offence imputed to him. The unfortunate lover did not arrive until the case had been disposed of, and the prosecutrix having left the office with her solicitor, Mr. Flower, he habtened to the chambers of that gentleman, and had the morti fication of ascertaining that the object of his sudden attachment was on her road home. lie immediately mounted his steed and rode off at a furious rate, having previously expressed a determination to see the lady, and make known to her the object of his visit. , John Brooknzan, a labourer, residing at No. 4, Shepperton-street, Islington, was charged under the following circumstances:— Mr. John Fox, a gentleman living in Cross-street, Islington, deposed that on Tuesday evening, he, with other members of his family, assembled in Islington chapel, for the purpose of hearing divine worship, which was conducted with the usual so lemnity until the Minister commenced the sermon, when the defendant, who had just entered the cha pel, walked slowly up the aisle, and h tying placed himself under the chandelier, he jumped up and pulled it to the ground, at the same time exclaim ing, " What the h—l are you about ? You know nothing of preaching—you know nothing of Jesus Christ." The screams of the affrighted congrega tion were very alarming, as considerable danger was to be apprehended from the rushing that was made to the doors. The prisoner was seized by witness, who led him to the outside of the chapel, and then assisted in taking him to the station-house. The pew-opener proved that it would take 30s. to repair the chandelier. Mi. LAING asked defendant wha he had to say ? —He mnde answer, that he had read the Scriptures, and that the word of God was not preached in Islington chapel, which he could prove if an oppor tunity was allowed-him. Mr. LAING committed him to prison for one month, in default of payment for the damage, and ordered him to find two sureties of 50/. each, for his appearance to answer the charge at the Sessions. BIRMINGHAM POLICE. CASE OF FORTUNE-TELLING...—A man named David Pop/oval was brought up, charged with be ing a fortune-teller, and with having, in that caps city, imposed upon Mrs. Sarah Hardcastle. Mrs. Hardcastle deposed that her husband was in the habit of staying out late at nights, in conse ' quence of which she had some suspicions of his fide lay, and being resolved on knowing the truth of the case, she went on the 10th of May to the priso ner, to see if he could tell her whether or not her husband kept any lasses in the town. When she went into his house she asked him if he took the figures, that being the phrase to be made use of in such applications, instead of asking him to tell her fortune. Prisoner said he did not like to do it, but that he could take a figure as well as any other person. He could nor, however, do anything that day, as he would have to make his calculations, and directed her to call the next day. She did so, and the prisoner showed her a circle, and having gone through all the evolutions of the planets, he told her that her husband had committed adultery ever since they were married. Having obtained so much, she was desirous of knowing some particulars, and asked him to say who the parties were that had robbed her of his affections. Prisoner then told her that the person was tall and slender; from this she could not know who the lady was, and again asked him to tell her a little more. He did so, and pro ceeded to describe her as being fair, tall, wicked, witty, and rather pale. Witness on hearing this description was frightened, and told prisoner she was sure that if she told Hardcastle what he had said that he would kill him. Prisoner said Mr. Hardcastle could not deny it, for it was all true. Her curiosity, however, was not yet satisfied, and she asked him to let her see the face of the girl in a glass, as she had been told he had glasses in which he could show the face. This he declined doing, saying that he had not then any consecrated glasses in the house, but that he should consecrate some, as glasses that were not consecrated by him would not answer. After some further conversation, he gave her a glass which was not consecrated.—(Mrs. Hardcastle handed in the glass.) She did not give him any money for his information, but she gave him a waistcoat of her husband's. Two witnesses for the prisoner proved that, on a day after the 10th of May, they were called into the prisoner's house, when Mrs. Hardcastle was there, and that thty heard her say positively that the prisoner never told her fortune, and also that she never gave him money or any thing else for that purpose. Tne prisoner was ordered to the House of Cor rection, as a rogue and vagabond, for one month.— Birnzinghani Journal. LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES.—The other day one of the engines on the Garnkirk and Glasgow Rail way, hauled a train of seventy loaded waggons from Galt gill colliery to Glasgow, a distance of eight miles, in one hour and five minutes. The train extended over a dis tance of 270 yards. The gross weight of the waggons w,s 287 k tons, and of the engine and tender 11 tons 7 cwt., making a total weight of 301 tons 17 cwt. This was a wonderful exhibition of steam power in drawing heavy bodies.—Seotsmon. DIFFUSION OF LIGHT.--The clouds ob scure a great part of the sun's light, but they are never so dense as to obstruct it altogether. The light of the sun, when it strikes upon the particles of moisture forming the clouds, is diffused through their whole mass ; therefore the light we receive on cloudy days, instead of coming in parallel rays directly from the sun, is diffused among the vapours in the air, which thus become a great reservoir of light, and transmit it to the earth in various directions. Even on the clearest day a great portion of the light from the sun is diffused by the vapours of the at mosphere. It is this diffusion of the light that produces the bright appearance of the sky. Were the air to be perfectly transparent, the sky would appear almost black; because, as the rays of light are in visible, excepting when they strike directly upon the eye, if there were nothing above us that could reflect them, no light could be perceived, and the sun himself would ap pear like a brilliant orb surrounded by the darkness of night. In a fine dry climate the sky is of a much deeper blue than we ever behold it in this country ; and at the tops of high mountains, above the misty exhalations of the earth, the sky appears of a still deeper colour. It is to the diffusion of light, by the vapours of the atmosphere, that we are indebted for the twilight that ushers in the day, and cheers its departure. In a perfectly transparent atmosphere we should be left in darkness the instant the sun was set, but the clouds and vapours reflect the sun's diffused light long after he is below the horizon, and during the summer months spread a genial twilight throughout the night.—Philosophicul Conversations. INSENSIBILITY TO PAIN.—A strong ro bust man, in driving an errand-cart from Guildford, last week, fell asleep, and dropped off, when the wheel grazed his head. Notwithstanding the injury he had sustained, he came on to St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London, a distance of twelve miles. On entering the ward, he said that he had met with the above-mentioned accident, but he did not complain of any pain. His head being enveloped in a handkerchief, and from the circumstance of the man appearing to suffer but little from his wound, no notice was taken of him, until the surgeon had attended to all his other patients, but on removing the wrappers from the head, he was astonished to find a horrible injury ; the scalp covering the posterior p rt of the right parietal bone, and the superior portion of the occipital, hung down in a flip, whilst that which formed the covering to the ante rior half of the parietal bone and right temple, extending from the external canthus of the eye to the loose portio❑ of scalp already mentioned, was entirely torn away. The temporal muscle was also implicated in the laceration, and so torn that the injured surface was obliged to be removed by the knife. To show the dogged resolution of the man, he made very light of this extensive injury, and even ex pressed a wish to walk home after the wound had been dressed. More than this, however. It was discovered that the patient had fractured the olecranon process of the ulna on the right side, and the fracture implicated the condyles of the humerus, and led into the joint. Lancet. MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS CO* AIISSION. In the Guildhall of th e Ci t y o f LOorl °l ! si Francis Palgrave sits d a ily, somet i me s occuP . ' f r o, examining the clerks of th e diff eren t COP;p l ie and sometimes in looking over the charter, a ° ,i t i cient records. It is - said that the great 6,""P s ti ;till have reason to apprehend that many quest°, en' be asked relative to the number and cost of U s, s od tertainments which took place at their lle i r ' s ' au rti the expenditure arising from the visits of the ' u - n trff of Assistants to the estates through the e v i , the and much conversation is going forward ell the probable interference of the Government O . : a . the affairs of the kitchen, which has been so 1 " 0 0/' means of checking the stream of charity, bY, t - boo lowing up, through the instrumentality '',„ 8 0 4 " fat and greasy citizens," the legitimate sn', l pik of the poor. We may truly say that the 0 1 00 lie are delighted with the prospect of reform o eo now presents itself. The Companies Pioe amongst them, according to the computation ri c, e atit of the most activ e p u bli c men i n L on don, " t bel. 350,0001. a-year, and not one farthing he l lo, o r contributed to civic i m p rovements , or cheri t t tle` , education, er police. An idea may be for N eP, the mode of disposing of the vast profits of rates of the Companies from the fact thet e r them (the Drapers) dined together nearly a To dred times in the small compass of one yea r ' talk of the Corp ora ti on di nners i s r idi cu lous comparison. The m em b ers o f t h e C omm i t tees ' o Pt Corporation sit down t o a com f orta bl e dinner, toot sure, but not until the labours of tile day' those labours are often extremely o neree"4o concluded; but the Comp an i es meet d a y idi ff );t i and confine the labours of the day to the to " blowing ou t," a f ter h av i ng assem bl e d 01 , 11 11 three tim es i n t h e ear l y part o f i t to diviuette emoluments to which their exertions entitle tp Never, certainly, were their stronger proofs der brutalising consequences of an unrestrained Lion to the table than have been exhibited 'J ai ) ? few worthies w h o monopo li se t h ose ello fr i lo i masses of wealth in th e i r con d uct to t h e ir fr id ' pi citizens. When the city purse runs low, an d jt are needed to carry into effect some striking i t provement, the Corporation must go iH re ol market like an i n di v id ua l, an d, t h roug h t he il D n tl of Messrs. Gurney and Overead, or some a tj extensive brokers, obtain the money at the e l i tl mart' per tentage. It is in vain that they 11.? applied to the rich Companies. Not one fa rt will they lend to the Corporation, of %Owego vency they are so well assured, and who are making such extensive sacrifices for the bee" t ' the citizens. But if, in making improvemenst Corporation find i t necessary to interfere vi't"of premises which happen to be the propel ( t Company, th e l ast f art hi ng i s screwe d o ut ° :v Chamber as a recompense. These abuses cry 06f for reform, an d t h e present C omm i ss i on is up to with great hope. It is in vain that the Liverymen demand - c i s licit a participation or an explanation; it 15 that the claims of the poor are pleaded. Th e panies assert their independence, and deds r- t lit, they have no poor, and so completely ha ve rpei made the wh o l e p ro p erty to w hi c h we h a ve re" 0 their own, the strenuous efforts of Mr. Fisher' i< father of the corporation, and one of the 11109 , t ie 11 4 spectable m en connecte d w i t h it, has, for 4 0 td ineffectually end eavoure d to o b ta i n a seat ro of Court of Assistants of the Company we have 11 0 t0 in this arti c l e , w hil e some o f t h e most influ'id men amongst the companies happen to be P e t i who have, with the assistance of the Gazette,,4i; trived to satisfy just demands upon them, sotneji 2s. 6d., and others with 6d. in the pound, el l FC supported in luxury by virtue of this rarir i 0 °' alone. The citizens call a l ou d u p o n the CT' t' sioners to rake this fatal abuse. The compaP' e ,V terrified at the very thought of being asked Ille r ;f " How often do you dine together in the y e and " What do yo u p a y p er h ea d f or your gutt'll THE MARKETS. COAL MAR: Per Tot, s. d. Adair's 15 0 Hebliurn Main H , lyw(ll 16 3 Ord's Illdhugh 14 3 I West Hartley 18 0 Wylam www••••••••••••• 15 9 Walls End 15 9 Ditto (unscreened):-..—... 14 0 Walls End Hilda 16 6 Walls End Newinarch......., 16 6 Walls End ltitidell's 17 9 Ships arrived since ET.—Sept. .1"or Ton. Walls End Walker Walls End Braddyll's , "' la Walls End Hetton 1, , Walls End Lyons Walls End Lanthton W E. Russell's Hettoll' 1 Walls End Stewart's , '" ' 1 1 Walls End Urpeth Walls End Adelaide 0•••• • W. E South Durhain'ol , Killingworth Trader , last market-day, 14. CoUNTRY CORN MARKETS DURING 1 lig: ,se , Wheat. 1 Bailey. 1 oats. ' , _ 1 ----- 0/ 0 , Per Quarter. s. to s. s. to s. I. to 8. 5 0 /, Abingd0n........... 62 81 31 43 22 30 ... !, And0ver..........--. 50 61 24 28 -- .... f Birmingham— 56 58 30 40 16 .", , Bridport ................ 56 74 32 36 26 30 .... Cirencester ..,,,,.M„..,,,,.M„ 46 56 21 21 16 ~ ~",, _. Paringdon--..... 54 86 36 40 26 34 ...- Guildford ............... 48 74 23 32 26 2 5 ..... Henley 54 83 30 35 20 .' ~H ereford ........... 64 68 32 34 22 28 ... , A Highworth --..... 62 80 32 42 28 „•''' 30 ~; Maidenhead ....... 56 68 34 44 22 ',, Monmouth.---,.... 64 68 32 36 24 28 oa Reading ....-....,..... 40 66 22 36 14 ‘,..",, 06 Salisbury..--......... 48 58 26 30 20 „',-; .... ~ S ,uthampton ....... 54 58 33 40 28 `, ...., ,;„ Stroud Tewkesbury ....... 6 64 5 74 78 30 37 4 38 2 :Til ~-,-.- ... i', Uxbridge ..........-.. 48 74 26 34 20 ,'" :3 4 , i ',J, Wantage.--......... 58 80 27 43 17 "''' 34 Warminster ...—... 48 58 26 2S 20 ‘ , 0 23 .., 0 Windsor--.......... 59 21 ~7 , ... Woreester.--..... 50 57 30 32 22 .' 0 ............/ LEWES MARKET.—Sept. 17. r 3 0 0 White Wheat (per quarter).......X2 16 0 to - a l-' 6 Red ditto - 28 0 j 6 0 Barley. , _ 12 0 019 0 Oats, New ----..... 0 18 6 1 1'4.1 Pease. Oil Cr, il3 6 th , 12 0 0 l_f_ r _.' ..... tOt ; CHELTENHAM MA RKET.—Sept. 1" ; Per Bushel. s. d. to s. d. Per lb. Wheat Barley Oats 6 n Beans ['ease 455 56 0000 0 7646 8 0036 0 PL lk a e e, r e niatk f ilt . so . ... ......................................... .." 04 1 , Hay 3/. 10s. to 3/. 15s. Od. per tOli. 9 'J O o lt , ' 0 . 1 9 0 '' DUMFRIES MARKETS.—Sept. 12. s. d. s.d. Wheat, Imp. Bush 6 3 to 7 6 Butter,l6oss. ......... Barley Oats Flour, 141 b. Oatmeal 1 6 1 9 Veal ................... Potatoes, cwt. MEETINGS OF CREDITotE AT THE COURT, BASING HALL-' ... . (From the London Gazette.) R ° 1 1 1 R. Norton, cabinet-maker, c s a ta b t i i n o e n t e_ m r, ak L e ' o r n , do ß n e - i w st a r l od L. e . TO-MORROW, Sept. '2O. i lly ."''. 0 I' G. Bridger, hotel keeper, Jermyn street, Piceau i ' ''''' T. Birks, sen., candle-maker, Chelsea. ''''''''''''''''''' vs 0" DIVIDEND.... '''' " '' ,gr) " ..-te ' r t ' square .............. . . A. Havisidc, linen. ..manufacturer, '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' .:......... Buckersbury. .i. 1 4r. ft, BIRTHS. r (P i° On the 17th inst., in Gower.street, Bedio raj tiO 'e. 0 ,14 G. Pitman, of a son. ,-r r afall; ,Oi On the 17th inst., at St. Martin's-place, .- l e the wife of Mr. It. Blackmore, solicitor, of a 'Orli,. the On the Ist ult., in the Danish island of St. Cr ° ' -' , b e R. J. Grant, Esq., of a son. 0, 0 MARRIED. on aseliffor On the 18th inst., at St. Mary Magdalen, 1 3 e r T fig h ' tr Rev. J. E. Gibson, rector, Mr. T. Mason, of Lou' e v, eldest son of Mr. T. Mason, of Finchley, t ° t , o f daughter of Mr N. Slee, of Church-street. k ,e h ti cr On the 17th inst., at Chalfont St. Peter's, 13uc- 's.l. l . t e t -etreet, ''''''''''''' :::11'...'1,- II W. M. Blencowe, M.A., It. Du Pre Alexander,got ‘l , O, 0, Sir R. Alexander, Bart., to Eliza Nembhard, rufn Jassy lk of of the late B. B. Nembhari, Esq., of the island 0 Ile' bte On the 18th inst., at St. Luke's Chelsea, by tir 0 08 e, Iluet, A.M., G. F. Shipster, Esq., to Emma, eldes t a Il e ' the late H. H. Maddock, Esq., barrister -at-law. kit pit y ,je3 , On the 11th inst., at theparish church, She te fil;' e r O r 11. J. llare, of Dorking hall, Norfolk, H. Har e'.,oo' lenburgli-square, to Hannah Elizabeth, eldest . e' 50 0. Newbauld, Esq., Sharran's-head. P" of Castle -street, -l a a r g n E ed e D , 53 P . y e . ckhan: 1" Ati ° ' an c O o d r i : 7 1 1 5 7 t t h h aatftle.ar Farley-hill, e f y e . w h i d n a , B s e i pir• p f : O A ; e.000 : 0 the aged 74. o On the Bth inst., at Allertori, Lancashire, Eliz 3b ,. e ., - ; 6 4 ' f Newt", Esq., of Croxteth.hall, Cambridgesr“;;-o,lol‘c, On n the 18th inst., J. Andree,lll.D., of Hatton-gx iydon,,uviitollo PRINTED IN 12: N h D i F tlS u t ß . l :: E U D C:ey; ii E 7 K : 6 o_fl_i y ____ 3 NUS Stm Orrics, 114 STSANT" GREA BETIV Capital, under the ,fr,oNnoisr c( l e n Bettingtol le a rt ,e , L 'ee Henry i7rt Fred. G , ,ersdale W. Hopkiw Wheler, Shaw 'rge NV iM n , A.SAUI J Office, N o N . OiltErts ' L letTons. sL pplication !on fin. an ISLurveys Cali 4 r a tion • t f t u shti Pr i, ittey and i of tbl(eir a . so fit' to make tl " T he Direct, .r,ldertalsing b. heat Proper "b e° usly corn, he remot e w, ,Ilwhdat the t R ' 4 participa a Pid and chea , tri ute to 1 pang. A eir ,reapect 4 11. PPileation f 140 440 0 or ] s 6 .,..t s 'Rra r. LN ERA L th e STEI P o , L'uttona H. nE F Mgu R FA R and S, lERE P pt o t t ue day an AorlA, L A is For Lo e P rrSve Fo r ItUAr b ke arr , p a, sz AM SGA' Ev e ea rn Pa , "Y infor i`to. 1, 4 t4t O" for oft Bright u here t ki tr4l Steam T L L P,NDO Att C(