The Sun.
London, England, 1852-01-01 00:00:00

The National Public School Association have re-
ceived a letter, stating that the Premier will receive a de-
putation on Tuesday, the 6th instant, instead of on the 31st.
The deputation named includes Mr. Henry, M.P. ; Mr.
Milner Gibson, /51. P.; and most of the leading members of
the Association.
BermEns' PRIZE ESSAY.—The prize of 1001. offered
in January last by James William Gilbert, Esq., F.R.S., of
the London and Westminster Bank, for the best essay upon
the Great Exhibition, in connexion with " Practical Bank-
ing," has heen awarded to Mr. Granville Sharpe, accountant
in the East of England Bank at Norwich.
FIRE AND LON OF LlFE.—.Last night at o'clock, one of the inmates of No. 10, Great St. An eight
street, Seven Dials, perceived smoke issuing from adrew's-
back
room in the house, and immediately raised an alarm, when
Mr. Armtield, the landlord, on going up stairs, found Mary
Manton, aged 50, dressmaker, lying on the ground nearly
burnt to a cinder. The engines from Messrs. Combe and
Delafield were promptly on the spot, followed by the
London brigade, and a plentiful supply of water being
obtained the fire was extinguished, when the unfortunate
woman was removed in a shell to the workhouse. The
house surgeon was promptly in attendance, but all human
aid was in vain. It is supposed that the deceased woman
accidentally set fire to herself, as the candlestick was lying by
her side.

On Tuesday last the tradesmen who supplied Mr.
Thomas Masters, the confectioner, of Oxford-street and the
Great Exhibition, presented him with an elegant piece
plate as a mark of their esteem and appreciation of his Jibe of
- ral and honourable conduct towards them. The plate was
manufactured expressly by the eminent firm of Howell and
James, of Regent-street.
STAGE-COACH TALK.—The other day, by the way,
I was told an anecdote, which I think I must repeat, as it is
said to be an every-day occurrence in America. The scene
was a stage-coach, but I know not where. A sharp-nosed
man got into the coach at a small village, and immediately
began to question his fellow-passengers, obtaining no answer
whatever, for it seems they were all very sleepy. Present'y,
however, a woman dressed in deep mourning entered the
dilligence, and was handed to a seat beside our friend. He
immediately attacked her. " Where may you be from ?"
" State of Maine." " Lost a friend."—" Yes, two." " Was
they near friends ?" " Yes." " What was
they?"--" Hus-
band and brother." " Was they long sick ?"—" Not
very."
"Did they leave you their chists (chests)?"—" Yes, they
did." " Was they 'opefully pious ?"—" pe and trust they
were." "Then if they left you their chic so ts (of money) and
was 'opefbilly Pious, you houiht to be very thankful—so you
bought! "—A Young Traveller's Journal of a Tour in North
and South America.

METROPOLITAN IMPROYEMENTS.— Last evening a
public meeting of the inhabitants of St. Andrew's, Holborn,
was held at the Inquest-room, St. Andrew's-court, Holborn-
hill, for the purpose of taking into consideration the contem-
. plated improvements in Farringdon-street, and its vicinity,
as proposed by Mr. Charles Pearson ; S. F. Langhars, Esq.,
churchwarden, in the chair. Several gentlemen connected
with the parish spoke•warmly in favour ot the scheme, which
it was considered would relieve the now overcharged
thoroughfares, shorten routes, remove nuisances, and greatly
facilitate business, besides being a great ornament to the me-
tropolis. Resolutions in support of Mr. Pearson's plan were
then carried unanimously, and a committee was appointed
extra week's holidays should be
to draw up a petion to Parliament on the subject.
WESTMINSTER Scfroar..—rince Albert has sig.
_ans,at
f he,satisfaction he derived
gnrifianedtehdi,sascoufmaanrdksothtat
from his
visit to the Westminster ruin on
Monday, the 22d ult. •
any seurioltu-
u. LONDON A NIN NT
ACCIDENT ON T- . ---,, A.l ORTII. WESTERN
half-past aeset seven,q
RAILWAY. —Yesterday morning, about ,
a._
accident, fortunately
anattended by
ceasn, occurred on the Buckinghamshire branch of this line, near the
Winslow station, by a train of coal trucks
coming in contact
with the goods train from London • The engine of the goods
much injured by the I, •
train was
on but so far as we can
ascertain, no other injury occurred to ''ll '
ett er train. The fire-
men and stokers escaped unhurt.
THE INHABITED ROUSE DUTY.—Tuesday next is
appointed for BIT E$
at the Sh • '
eriff s-office, Red
Lum„quare, for the liolb
orn district, which extends to a
considerable distance, including Camden t ti by the
Com-
missioners of Asses
se axes, to hear objections to the new
house duty. The assessments are made on the rent or anneal e premises; on rive pte houses 91, and on shops
6d. in the pound. According to a note on the duty-paper,
the assessments are payable by instalments half-yearly;
Viz., the 20th of September and 20th of March, or within
ten days;
proceedings, and if they remove from the parish without dis-
charging the taxes due, or leaving sufficien
t goods whereon a
distress can be made, they will be liable to a penalty of 2 1.
It has been the custom at Windsor Castle Since
her Majesty's accession to the throne to celebrate the advent
of the new year by an evening par ty and a musical treat of
a novel character. We find, by the rehearsal that took
place at Buckingham Palace yesterday morning, her
Majesty's excellent judgment and taste has directed her
choice on this occasion to the (Edipus of Mendelssohn, the
late highly-gifted composer of Elijah, Antigone, Athalie, and
other much-admired compositions. The performance will
take place at eight o'clock, in the Waterloo Gallery, before
the Court, and her Majesty's illustrious guests. The illus-
trative verses are to be recited by Mr. Bartley. The or-
chestra will consist of her Majesty's private band, of the elite
of the Sacred Harmonic Society, comprising Messrs. Bowley,
Brewer, Peacock, Mitchell, &c., with other gentlemen se-
lected from the musical establishment of the Italian Opera by
Mr. Grice.

DEATH OF A CLERGYMAN'S DAUGHTER IN MILL.
BANE PRISON.—On Tuesday, Mr. Bedford held an inquest in
Millbank Prison, on the body of Elizabeth Ann Chambers.,
aged sixty-four, the daughter of a deceased clergyman, and
a prisoner therein, under sentence of transportation forire-
The deceased, described as single, and whom the witnesses
,
styled a lady by birth, was highly respectably
and formerly kept her carriage. On the 27th of June,gn 1850,
connected,
she was received into the above prison from Newgate, under
sentence of transportation for life, for forging.
and uttering,
ed as and for a previous conviction. She was
dm_l some ladies
.
forty-
five years of age, but she subsequently stateda
who visited the prison that she was sixty. to
tour By her
own desire she was kept apart from other. prisoners, and
She made, no
ealweeth.grhemoved into the in-
firmary, not see any relatives or acquaintaunp
to the 15th of
complaint, but enjoyed good health
etite and great debility,
August last, when, being ill, shefo
I- On the 28th of
tilletdhieeda.fter..n.non of Sunday last
firmary, where she remained a '
October, suffering from loss of
.2nPP ar .
h.
fain y, in Nv ich she re-
she was re-admitted into the 1
mained gradually sinking
about five o'clock, when
she the M Helps, assistant-
surgeon of the prison, said thatevy.,.deceased. while in the in-
firmary was supplied with ev LEung she fancied, including
she never, however rallied, and
wine, beer, and brandy.
death Was att k '
two days before her
event. ~. ac ed with diarrhcea,
which hastened that Ihe deceased was very re-
the little conversation witness had had with
served, but from
her he considered her to have been ex highly educated. On
•
making a
post mortem emulation of the body he found the
cause of death to be extensive disease of the l Th . .
s.
__
ungs. e jury
returned a verdict of Natural Death."
CuEISTMAS Warrs.—Red Republicans actively
Waiting—to prove the " perfect tranquillity" of France.
Cape colonists. passivel.,
.) Waiting—to see the last of the
Kafire (and Sir Harry Smith). Distressed Agriculturists
delusively Waiting... the revival of their favourite old farce
of " Protetion." Louis Napoleon anxiously Waiting—the
denouement of his not very successful tragedy, " Le coup
d'etat." The St. Alban's electors naturally Waiting—the
loss of their franchise. The public confidently Waiting—
for a fare adjustment of the Cab Duty.—Punch.
NORTH of FRANCE AND BOULOGNE, AND AMIENS
RAlLwAys.—The authorities of these two companies an-
nounce that, as the administrative formalities for their amal-
gamation are not yet complete, the exchange of Boulogne
and Amiens shares for North of France bonds cannot take
place until early in this year. The dividend now payable
on the Boulogne and Amiens shares is at the rats of 7fr. ON
per share.

NATIONAL -REFORM ASSOCIATION.
The following circular is to be issued this day by the
National Reform Association. It relates to the con-
Ferenc() which that association is about to convene:—
" Reform Conference.—National Parliamentary and
Financial Reform Association.—Offices, 41, Charing-
cross, Jan. 1, lBs2.—Dear Sir,--The council of the
National Parliamentary and Financial Reform Associa-
tion have decith d upon convening a conference in Lon-
don, to which they invite the earnest friends of the cause
from every part of the United Kingdom. The necessity
and urgency of such a course will be apparent to all. It
is desirable that the introduction of a Ministerial mea-
sure of Parliamentary reform should be a matter of cer-
tainty—that there should be such a manifestation of public
opinion as shall cause that measure to be radical and
complete. That means should be taken to secure its
success and to obviate the necessity for further agitation.
Such are the objects sought in convening the conference,
and it is felt that at this important crisis every sincere
reformer will estimate the value of immediate and united
Efforts in behalf of these objects. Your acknowledg-
ment, with the circumstances of your locality in re-
ference to the reform cause, and the names of the per-
sons likely to attend the conference, will be esteemed.
In the appointment of deputations care should be taken
that the opinions of all classes are represented. It is
thought the meeting of Parliament will be the most suit-
able time for the conference. bnt with the precise period
you will be made acquainted.—(Signed) J. WALmsLEr."

.I.HE CONVICT MUTINY. SEIZURE OF THE RlNG-
LEAnnns.—The mutiny among the convicts at Woolwich
became quite intolerable betwixt 12 and one o'clock on Tues-
day, when they returned from their work in the dockyard to
take their dinner on board the Warrior convict-ship. They
no sooner entered the ship than they rushed down and took
possession of two of the decks, defying the guards or any of
the military to come near them, at the same time singing,
cheering, and swearing, and some who had got hold of pipes
and tobacco commenced smoking. The guards were threa-
tened in such a manner that they represented to Mr. Master-
mann that it would be dangerous to go out with the convicts
in the afternoon, if examples were not made of some of them.
Capt. the Hon. Montagu Stopford, acting superintendent, was
immediately communicated with, and the aid of the guards of
the Royal Artillery and Royal Marines called on board, and
the guards in charge of the convicts, with drawn cutlasses,
went below and brought up and heavily ironed thirty-eight of
the most outrageous, and disarmed them of the knives, torks,
and sharpened files, of which they had by some means become
possessed. Twenty of the convicts were, in the course of the
afternoon, conveyed to London in the police vans sent down
to Woolwich for the purpose, and safely secured in Millbank
Penitentiary. The other eighteen were also heavily ironed
and taken on board the Wyr in the river.
BeanaDoxs RAILWAY.—The Master in Chancery
Blunt has called for the pipers and evidence taken in this
matter connected with the charge of the official manager
against the trustees of the company's funds, with the view
of giving a decision on the subject in the beginning of the
present term.
There will be five Sundays in February next. A
similar event will occur after 28 years, viz., in 1880. After-
wards there will be no similar occurrence for forty years,
viz , 1920 ;t because the year 1900 will not be leaear,
owing to he dropping of a day on the completion o p each
each
century
ELECTRIC TELEGRATH IN PRUSSIA.—The direc.
tors of the Royal Prussian Telegraph have just directed ten-
ders to be taken in the English market for a considerable
supply of wire for their telegraphs. It may not be generally
known that the Prussian system of telegraphs has been what
may be called " subhumous," or underground. This system,
owing to the want of the wires, as in this country, being
properly protected by pipes or gutta percha, has been found
not to answer, and the directors of the Royal Prussian Tele-
graph now propose, in order to place the wires beyond the
reach of the rats and mice that have hitherto destroyed
them, to fix them, as in this country, upon posts on the
route.