The Sun.
London, England, 1852-11-22 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sna,—l believe that most persons have regretted the
publication in the newspapers of certain letters that were,
on a late occasion, found in the pocket of Miss Diana
Campbell, having no reference to her case ; and although
I am for obvious reasons unwilling further to allude to
Miss Campbell, it seems only just to the persons uncon-
nected with the present accusations against her, who are
referred to in those letters, that some explanation should
be given respecting them.
Three of the letters bear the signature of Miss Char-
lotte C. White, who is now, I am told, a Carmelite nun,
and no doubt ignorant of the use made of them, and al-
together precluded from taking part in what is going on
in the world. These letters refer to a Miss Clara Powell,
who is represented to have become a Roman Catholic,
and afterwards to have been compelled by her mother to
return to the Home in London ; thence to have been
sent to the Home in Devonport, where " she has been
and probably is under discipline ;" and the most painful
mystery is said to hang over the whole matter.
So far as my daughter and her associates at Devon-
port are concerned, they would bear these calumnies, as
they have many others equally unjust, rather than come
forward to contradict them, and While they rested only
on a vague rumour I should not have noticed them my-
self. But to be.silent under the distinct statements con-
tained in these letters, and the inferences drawn from
them in the public papers, would seem to be admitting
the truth of assertions of which, after careful inquiry, I
am able to prove the entire falsehood.
I therefore consider it due to those who have been
thus traduced to make the following statement.
I. Instead of Miss Clara Powell being a convert to
the Romish Church, she was watched for days and weeks
together, and was at length waylaid and taken by Miss
White to the Roman Catholic Oratory in King William-
street, where, after several hours' vehement and urgent
persuasion, she was (to use her own words) "terrified "
into submission to what is called conditional baptism ;
after which she was taken by Mice White to a house at
Kensington, whence she was released with considerable
difficulty on the following morning by her own mother,
who took her back to the Home near the Regent's-park,
where she had been previously residing.
2. Her movements were, however, still watched, and
on her going to Christ's Church, St- Pancras, to receive
Holy Communion, she was assailed at the door of the
church with cries from persons who reproached her as an
apostate.
3. Finding that she was subject to such annoyances,
she was glad to accept an invitation from my daughter
to visit her at Devonport.
4, She went there with the
approval of her mother,
who begs me to say there has been, no
" painful mystery"
respecting her going there or het. residence there. She
has remained at her own express desire, and was, and is
free to leave at any moment.
5. Her mother and her sister have been, and are, in
the habit of visiting her constantly.
She never was re-
fused seeing any one, nor wished to see any one, without
doing so ; and Mrs. Powell desires me to "express her
entire satitsfaotion with the treatment her daughter has
received from Mks Sellon."
6. Miss Clara Powell's deep Patitude for the peaceful
and happy home afforded her is best shown in her own
unaffected and simple letters to nte, from which I quote
her own words :
"It is grievous to be forced to
write about things
which are of such deep pain and sorrow but one would
do anything to assure the world of the falsity and ab-
surdity of reports of cruelty to one who so loves the place
she is in, and approves of all the gentle way she has
been treated.
" The Mother (Miss Sellon) received me
as a
person
would a child of their own, whom they dearly loved, and
who had done very wrong. She spoke solemnly to me.
Great, indeed, have been my °u"Rations to her, and to
all with whom I have had relation here. Their kind.
ness has been very great—groat as He whom they serve
desires it to be. May He bless theta for it I"
She further adds :
" I am a faithful member of the Church of England,
and have no wish or intention to Leave her communion."
I make this statement distinctl
Y and positively. I
have endeavoured, as far as I could, to avoid all unne-
cessary use of other persons' names and to deal only
with facts, for the truth of which f have the authority
'of the parties themselves.—l am, Sir, yours faithfully,
W. It. B. SELLON, Commander R.N.
Elm Lodge, Kilburn, 20th Nov.

FALL OF A HOUSE AT PLYMOUTII.--.0, saturay after-
noon a house, which was in course of erection near the
terminus of the South Devon Railway in Plymouth, sud-
denly gave way, and carried with it three men who were
at the time at work on the scaffoldiv. Two of them
were so seriously injured that it is feared they may not
recoVer. It is believed that the earth having been
loosened by the heavy floods of rain led to the accident.
- •

" WELLINGTON CLUB."—It is proposed to establish a
new club, under this title, in the immediate neighbour-
hood of Portland-place, or in some other eligible situation,
" thus giving club accommodation to residents in the
Regent's-park, and in the numerous squares in the
north-west part of London."
THE LATE ACCIDENTS AT CHELSEA HOSPITAL.—
Information was forwarded on Saturday last to Mr.
Wakley, the coroner for Middlesex, to the effect that a
man, named Charles Barton, 48 years of age, a tin
japanner, residing at No. 8, Tower-street, Seven Dials,
expired on Monday, the 15th inst., from injuries re-
ceived on the previous Saturday, by being crushed in the•
immense crowd which had assembled to view the lying
in state at Chelsea hospital,