The Sun.
London, England, 1852-06-14 00:00:00

(LEFT SITTING.)

HIGHBURY BARN.-A grand musical festival will
take place in the large assembly-rooms, on the evening of
Thursday, the 17th inst., iu aid of the fund now forming t,)
assist Miss Ilinckessmann, who has been incapacitated, by
accident, from following her profession, and thereby de-
prived of her only means of support. A most powerful array
of talent is engaged in the vocal department—Madlle.
Eugene Garcia, Mrs. Alexander Newton, Miss Poole, Miss
Messent, Miss Rebecca Isaacs, Mr. Tedder, Mr. Weiss, Mr.
Frazer, and several popular singers; and theinstrumenta-
lists are composed of such celebreties as Denunck, Harper,
Chatterton, Richardson, &c. Such a powerful attraction
cannot fail to ensure a full attendance. •

FIRE IN BISHOPSGATE-STREl4.—Shortly before one
o'clock this morning the inhabitants of Bishopegats and
Finsbury were aroused by the cry of " Fire." In the
course of a few minutess a body of flame shot forth, and
ascended so high as to be perceived not merely in the City
districts, but also on the Surrey side of the Thames. The
light having been followed by the police, they found that
the outbreak had taken place in one of the ancient buildings
in ;2, Swan-yard, near the church, Bishopsgate•street. The
owner of the property was a Mr. Lenzburg, a wood and
ivory turner, and when the discovery was made the resi-
dents were in their beds. Having been aroused they found
the flames progressing so furiously that they had great diffi-
culty in fighting their way out of the premises. The Royal
Society's fire escape promptly attended, followed in rapid
succession by the brigade engines from Jeffrey-square,
Whitecross-street, Watling-street, and Farringdon-street
stations, and that of the West of England office from the
Waterloo-road station. An excellent supply of water
having been procured the engines were put into operation,
and the firemen, under the direction of Mr. Fogo, the
brigade foreman, worked in an admirable manner, and by
two o'clock they succeeded in getting the fire extinguished,
but not until great damage was done—the roof and upper
floors being' entirely consumed. Fortunately the sufferer
was insured. The fire originated from a very simple
cause—viz., placing a lighted candle too near the window,
the curtain of which was drifted by the current of air against
the candle.
AIR.. O'CoNNoR.—On Friday a gentleman paid
Mr. O'Connor a visit, and ascertained that considerable diffi-
culty bad been experienced in inducing the eccentric patient
to take the pills and the composing draught prescribed for
him. As all remonstrances addressed to his reason bad
failed, the officials were at last compelled to appeal to his
stomach. In his case such an appeal appears to have been
peculiarly effective. During his confinement he has evinced
considerable relish for the.enjoyment of good cheer, atid on
Friday he had ordered a plentiful supply of beef 'steaks and
new potatoes to be provided for breakfast. His orders were
complied with, and Mr. O'Connor had just sat down to enjoy
the tempting fare, when his heartless attendant conveyed the
astounding information " that he must not taste the food
until he had taken the physic I" It was in vain that he pro-
tested against this stern sentence ; the officers were inexorable.
At last the famished Feargus proposed a compromise.
" Well," said he, " I'll take half the composing draught if
you give me half the beefstake, and I'll take half the pills if
you give me half the potatoes." The officials wisely closed
the bargain, and this ingenious system affords every prospect
of satisfactory results.—Sunday Paper.
EMIGRATION OF GOVERNMENT CLERKS.—Several
of the clerks employed in the different departments of So-
merset House, seeing no likelihood of promotion or additional
pay, have formed themselves into a party to memorialise
her Majesty's Treasury for retiring allowances, having all
agreed to proceed the first opportunity to the gold diggings
of South Australia.

THE CONDITION OP THE WEST INDIA COLONIES,—
At a meeting of West India proprietors, held on Friday, at
the offices ot Messrs Shackleton, Wright, and Hunter, Liver-
pool, resolutions were passed attributing the present de-
pressed condition of those colonies to the unequal competi-
tion of their limited free labourers with the continued slave
labour of Cuba and Brazils; and urging the importance of
the British colonies being encouraged and assisted by the
introduction, on liberal terms, of additional free labourers,
and by the application of sound social laws in regulating
their employment. It was contended, too, that it was not
less important for the accomplishment of the necessary
arrangements that the unequal competition should not be in-
erased by the continued reduction of the differential duty.
Copies of the resolution have been
,transmitted to their re-
spective candidates.

MELANCHOLY DEATH..---MT. George Thompson,
the extensive iron and coal master, met his death on Friday
wider most .melancholy circumstances upon his estate at
Miners, near Wrexham. , The unfortunate gentleman, who
was in his 83d year, was ridin4 across the Minera branch of
the Shrewebury and Chester Railway, when a train came up,
and the buffers of the engine struck the pony, which, with
his rider, was thrown to a considerable distance. Deceased
was so seriously injured that he never recovered conscious-
ness, but died in about six hours. He was much beloved by
his workmen, and his loss is deeply lamented.
JENNY LIND IN LIVESPOOL.—Since their arrival
by the Atlantic, M. Otto Goldschmidt and Madame Geld-
schmidt have, while in Liierpool, been the guests of Mr.
Ball, the Swedish and Norwegian Consul. - "The Nightin-
gale" speedilyrecovered from the effects of her voyage, and-
is now in remarkably good health and spirits. On Friday
she and her husband visited Manchester, for the purpose of
seeing some of her friends.. They will remain the guests of
Mr. Bald a few days longer, when they will proceed to Lon-
don, with the view of making an early journey to the conti-
nent. Her *mice in Liverpool no sooner became known
than she was overwhelmed by offers,of engagements, to all
of which she returned a decided refusal, stating that she is
anxious for repose from her professional toil. Among those
who have shown themselves most' deiirons of securing
Madame Goldschmidt's unrivalled services are the Liverpool
Philharmonic Society, the committee of the Sailors' Home,
the Birmingham Festival committee, the Marquis of Clanri-
carde, and a number of noblemen aud gentlemen interested in
the prosperity of Her Majesty's Theatre, London, besides
numerous other persons. Before Jenny Lind met with Otto
Goldschmtdt, he had been established some years as. a
pianist and composer of considerable rerutation in New
York.
A EsTIMATES.—On Saturday was
tark document a report from the
Commons appointed t
Select Comm' he House of o
the Militia s
printed in a
.tlt'eaerlioafrnEt
prepare timates for the year ending the Slit
The estimate of the charge of the disetn.
'reat Britain and Ireland from the Ist
' f March, 1853, both days in-
of April, 1852, to the 31st '3
715/ 365,515/. for Great Britain, and
a
elusive, is sum provided in 1851-52 was
obl°foidMiteeaddrentittBi3o.f (.3r
21,2001. for Irel training 50,000 men for
103,700/. The cost of raising and
year is thus made up :
England and Wales in the current
on enrolment
' arges payable
aud. The
non-commis-
sioned officers, and privates, assembled commissioned
and exercise, 74,2004 • clothing for non- training
officers and men, c
, beer money, marchult,
for raising
for,
and other contingent expen.ses 31,465/. ; Making,
and training the militia, 269,4151., There is a motley,
39,7901. of disembodied allowance of permanent stacifil,a7r,goeoolf
for disembodied allowances of subalterns,
as retired allowances and outpensioners of militia; making
365,5151. as the charge fcr England and Wales in the year
ending the 31st of !)larch next. The new estimates will be
moved on Monday night. , and other sums

ViQcount and Viscountess Palmerston entertained
at dinner on Saturday the Co:intess of Shaftesbury, Vis-
count and Viscountess Jocelyn, Lord and Lady Norreys,
Hon. WW. Ashley, Rev,
H. Sulivan, Mr.
Lord
anElpliancsdtounnaeid,
and Mr.. Swinton.