The Sun.
London, England, 1855-11-20 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY RIPENING, NOVEMBER 20, 1855;

' It will be remembered that M. Brentana was on a special
mission to Berlin, in order to fix the values of Austrian
and Prussian money, in connection with the states of
the Zollverein. That eminent financier has brought
his mission to a close, and reports that the fixed value of
the thalers and florins of the Convention aro as follow :
One florin, 30 kreutzers, Austrian money ; and one
florin, 45 kr. of the Zollverein, are equal in intrinsic
value to a Prussian thaler.
The weekly reviews from the Amsterdam and Rot-
terdam produce-markets state that business had been
active at a general improvement in prices. The prin-
cipal operations had been in sugar and rice, but tea,
coffee, and indigo had also been favourably influenced
by purchases.
RPRESENTATION of TAUNTON.—A vacancy in the re-
presentation of Taunton will take place in consequence
of the appointment of Mr. Labouchere to the office of
Colonial Secretory. At the last election the right bon.
gentleman came in at the head of the poll, having ob-
tained 430 votes, Mr. Arthur Mills, 361, and Sir Thos.
Colebrooke, 358. On Mr. Mills being unseated on pe-
tition, two candidates presented themselves, Sir J. W,
Ramsden being returned by 372 votes against Mr.
Henry Badcock, who received 367.
FRAUD ON A RAILWAY COMPANY.—Mary Morris, of
3, Steine-street, Brighton, was charged at the Borough
Bench on Saturday, before A. Bigge, Esq. (stipendiary),
T. Warner and F. A. Argles, Esqs., and Lieut.-Colonel
Fawcett, with a breach of
the railway company's bye-
laws, in attempting to ride in a third-class carriage with-
out having first paid the fare. A practice is known to
prevail in Brighton of purchasing the tickets of London
excursionists on their arrival in Brighton and re-selling
them to other parties, and the defendant was proved to
have possessed herself of a ticket in this way, and seated
herself in the return excursion train, whence she was re-
moved. Mr. Runnacles, on her behalf, urged that inas-
much as the bye-laws were printed on paper and then
stack on board, the requirements of the act, that they
must be " painted on boards,'' had not been complied
with, and therefore that the information must be dis-
missed. Mr. Faithfull, on behalf of the company, con-
tended that the act did not intend to specify the mate-
rial of the publication—whether water paint or oil-paint,
but simply that the bye-laws should be made known by
some colours which delineated the words. But, setting
this aside altogether, he pointed out a clause in the act
which specified that in support of an information for an
infringement of the bye-laws it should be sufficient evi-
derce of the due making publication if a copy under the
seal of the company, purporting to be a copy of the bye-
laws, should be produced; and this had been done. The
magistrates concurred, and fined the defendant 21. and
costs, or a week's imprisonment.
A NOVEL OBJECTION.—John Jenkins, a sturdy Welsh-
man, was summoned before the magistrates at Chelten-
ham last week for non-payment of the burial-board rate,
and, on being asked why he did not pay the rate, replied
that he thought it extremely hard that he should pay for
burial ground whilst he was alive. (Roars of laughter.)
He thought it was quite time to pay when he was dead.
(Continued laughter.) It was intimated to defendant
that it was only payment "in advance," and he was
ordered to pay with costs.
EXTENSIVE FIRE.—A. little past eight o'clock on Sa-
turday morning, fire broke out in the extensive soap and
oil works of Messrs. George Hutchison and Co., Port-
Dundas. The premises are about 300 feet in length, by
35 in breadth. With the exception of the soap-boiling
house, the whole range, within an hour from the com-
mencement, was destroyed. The loss, property and
stock included, is little short of 15,0001. Through the
exertions of the workmen in the employment of Mr. T.
D. Doddrell, that gentleman's fine mansion-house, which
is situated on Craighall-road opposite the premises de-
stroyed, was saved. The great heat burnt the windows,
and the fire having communicated with the blinds and
muslin curtains, part of the furniture was destroyed. The
fire originated in the soap pressing-room—cause un-
known.—North British Daily Mail.
THE STRIKE AT MANCHESTER.—From 300 to 400 of
the operatives on strike at Manchester assembled yester-
day and walked in procession through the streets. They
were orderly and peaceable throughout. Their numbers
have been increased by the strike cf about 75 persons at
Fotbergill's mill, and the number out of employment at
Messrs. Birley and Co.'s has been increased from 300,
which was the number on Saturday, to about 800.
About 330 operatives additional to the number pre-
viously announced have been thrown out of work at the
other mills where strikes occurred last week.

SIR R. PEEL.—On Monday evening, Sir R. Peel,
Bart., delivered a lecture at the Public Hall, Leaming-
ton. The lecture was entitled, "An Evening with the
Poets ; with recitals of beautiful and powerful passages;
or a Trip through Europe to the Seat of War ; with a
pocket edition of Shakspere and the Poets." In the
course of his address, when describing a continental
journey undertaken by the poet Moore, the hon. baronet
said that Moore, like most younc, people, was determined
to see as much as he could, and travelled with a nom-

panion whose reputation had since risen to an amazing
height—whose travels had not always been as fortunate
as when he accompanied Tom Moore—he referred to
Lord J. Russell. Lord John had, as they knew, subse-
quently risen to great eminence, and had recently made
a most unfortunate journey to Vienna to discuss four
points. The first, second, and fourth points were con-
ceded, and the first half of the third but he upset the
last half of the third, and then came back and upset him-
self.—Birminglozns Journal.
iNIGIIT EATING-HOUSE FOR PRINTERS.—At the City
Council proceedings on Monday, a petition was pre•
sented and referred to the Public Works Committee,
from Mr. Charles Jones, and about three hundred prin-
ters, praying for permission to keep open a restaurant
at night for the use of those whose occupation obliges
them to continue hard at work for many hours after
their neighbours are in bed. Such an establishment
would be a great boon to compositors, readers, and re-
porters, who are often compelled, in order tbat the
"latest intelligence " may be placed upon the table of
the public, to be about long after midnight.—Melbouene
Age.
ALARMING FIRE.—CARDIFF,Nov.I9.—Between eight
and nine o'clock on Sunday night, when the officers of
the Royal Glamorgan Light Infantry were in the mess•
room, an alarm of fire was given by the mess waiter.
The officers immediately proceeded to examine the pre-
mises, and discovered the fire to have originated in the
kitchen, the walls of which had been so excessively hot,
owing to three large fires kept constantly burning for
cooking purposes, that the joisting in the walls became
ignited, and but for the timely alarm and prompt exer-
tions of the officers and men the entire establishment
must have fallen a prey to the devouring element. As
it is the fire was confined to one room immediately over
the kitchen, occupied by the house and kitchen maids,
whose dresses, &c., were destroyed. On the alarm
being given the bugles sounded the "turn-out." In a
few minutes the entire regiment was on the spot, and
rendered every assistance, conveying water in buckets
from the canal to the fire-engine with great rapidity, and
kept up the supply while necessary. In the meantime
a pump in the back kitchen afforded an ample eupply,
and by a continual pouring of buckets of water on the
floor and wall the fire was kept under until the engine
began to play. Fortunately the damage and loss has
been inconsiderable, and confined to the servants. Se-
veral of the inhabitants exerted themselves to the ut-
incat. The officers present were the General, Major
Goldfinch, Captains Tyler and Abbott, Lieut. Kenneth
\falser, Ensign Shortis, and Messrs. O'Grady and
Thomas.
BREAD MEETINGS ON SUNDAY.—Three open-air meet-
ings were held on Sunday in South Staffordshire and
the neighbourhood of Birmingham upon the subject of
the high price of bread. Two of these meetings were in
the morning ; one at Spon-lane, Staffordshire, and the
other at Deritend pool, near Birmingham. At the
former 10,000 people were present, and it was resolved
to send a deputation to the Queen to represent the a'-
legod grievances of the people in the matter of dear
bread. At Deritend-pool about 1,000 persons were
present, and several speeches were made by operatives.
The afternoon meeting took place at Hookley Pool, near
Birmingham, and was attended by 1,200 persons. Here
the proceedings were mixed up with the People's Charter
and the writings of Mr. Urquhart. A Mr. G. White
read a memorial to the Queen which had been agreed to
in the morning at the Spon-lane meeting. It was to
the effect that the people of South Staffordshire were
suffering great privations in consequence of the high
price of food ; and it prayed her Majesty to issue an
order prohibiting the exportation of grain, and to esta-
blish public granaries, and check undue speculation in
corn. Mr. White stated that he had written to her
Majesty's private secretary, asking when it would be
convenient to receive the deputation, and that he had
received an answer to the effect that memorials to the
Queen should be presented through the Secretary of
State for the Home Department. The speaker pro-
ceeded to say that the memorial had been the result o!
a solemn vote from a respectable meeting at Spon-lane,
and that if the Queen would not accept it from the
people, they would depute two members of Parliament
to present it, and that it should not be sent to Sir
George Grey to burn in the fire. He then asked if the
meeting wished the memorial to be presented to the
Rueen and net to Sir G. Grey, and nearly all the per-
sons present held up both hands. In conclusion, the
speaker proposed a resolution which he said had been
adopted at the Spon-lane meeting, declaring that "a
full and free representation of the people was the only
remedy for their grievances." This proposition, how-
ever, was not seconded. It was announced that another
similar meeting is to be held next Sunday. A Mr.
Hawkins said ho had that morning addressed a meeting
which was held at Kiddarminster, and was attended by
5,000 persons. The inhabitants of that town were now
wide-awake and intended next week to hold a torchlight
meeting. Ho recommended the imitation of their ex-
ample. The meeting then quietly dispersed.
" ALICE GEEY."—From the time of her committal to
the county gaol at Stafford until Saturday this extraor-
dinary woman has been attended by one or two female
turnke)s ; but on that day it was considered, as well by
the surgeon as the visiting justices, that she was in a fit
state of mind to be left alone, and towards evening she
was accordingly locked up in her cell alone. She was
occasionally watched, and for some time appeared quite
composed, and began to undress for bed. In a few mi-
nutes, however, a noise was hoard against her cell door.
When it was opened it was found that she had fallen
against it, apparently in a partial state of suffocation,
produced by the smoke of straw which was burning in
the cell. It was then found that the prisoner had un-
sewed the pillow-case and taken out the straw, which
she had set fire to by means of the gaslight in the cell.
On being questioned as to her intention, she stated that
she meant to place the hod upon the burning straw, and,
lying upon the bed, to burn herself to death. Whether
she was partially stupified with smoke, and fell against
the door, or whether, being alarmed at the position in
which she hail placed herself, she endeavoured to obtain
assistance by making a noise, it is difficult to determine.
Upon that point a difference of opinion exists at the
[reel, as well as with regard also to the woman's sanity.
Happily for her she sustained no injury from this very
rash act, which might well hays coot her her life.