The Sun.
London, England, 1839-03-11 00:00:00

An amateur performance, under the sanction of
1 the L, rd Chamberlain, is to take place at the Strand
ITheatre this evening, the proceeds to be devoted to the
Printer's Pension Society.
FALL OF A HOUSE.--EXTRAORDINARY
PRESERVATION OF LTFE.—On Sunday morning, about half-
pait five o'clock, a tenement in the Netherbow, Edinburgh,
I eemediately adjoining to the house so well known as having
been the residence of John Knox, fell suddenly to the
ground. The tenement was of considerable age, and
ilike most of the very old houses in Edinburgh, it
1 was built, in a grgat measure of wood. Suspicions as to
! its stßbtlity hid been entertained for some time ; but
we believe that no immediate danger was appre-
hended—indeed, so far was this from being the case, that
"I
we understand repairs were going on in some of the rooms,
with a view to their being tenanted. The ground-floor
in front was occupied by a grocer, a toyman, and a
• fl,sher, in three separate shops; but the other apartments
were unoccupied with the exception of one room, where a
Family consisting of seven persons was residing. The wife
was out_of bed at the time of the accident, being engaged
in kindling the fire; her mother-in-law was also up, and
e'es sitting in a chair at the corner of the room—the ethers
were in bed. They were first alarmed by the cracking of
the timbers, and the rocking of the tenement, and in a
) few minutes after the whole building gave way, fall-
:, C 3-; formed into the street. The family of course fell
•-
1 with the house, except the old woman, who was sitting
I on a wars ee,aee aid Lest give way ; tLe ethers f4li to the.
hound, and were speedily covered with rubbish and dust.
It fortunately happened that the flooring above them was
I made of stronger materials than any other part of the build-
ing, and it became bent by the superincumbent weight of
the ruins into the form of an arch, which formed a shelter
to the unfortunate individuals below against the stones and
rafters that were falling in all directions. Under this shel-
jter they continued until relieved by the active exertions of
the police and others whom the noise of the fall had brought
to the spot; and when taken out, it was found that they
had all escaped with comparatively trifling injuries. Among
,
teem was an infant of about two years old, who escaped
with less hurt than any of the others. The old woman,
; who was left at the top when the others fell, succ ded in
making her way over the ruins to a place of safety: The
articles in the grocer's and toyman's shops were, as might
be expected, totally destroyed. The catastrophe at-
-1 traeted numbers to the spot in the course of yesterday,
i where the appearance of recent habitation—the kettle on
1 the grate, and various domestic utensils hanging by the
well in the recently occupied house, formed a singular
I contrast to the ruins that were spread beneath them.—
: Edinburgh Paper.
The contemplated matrimonial alliance between
the Marquis de Fayal, eldest son of the Duke de Palmella,
and the great Portuguese heiress Madlle. Sampayo, with
a fortune of two millions sterling, will not, it is rumoured,
solemnised for two years. The visit of the Duke to
Lisbon, where he has just arrived, is connected with the
le:ejected alliance. The relict of a late gallant General
and Baronet will, it is reported, ere long be led to the altar
by a foreigner of distinction ; her Ladyship is far advanced
in life, and very infirm. Lady Elizabeth Hay, daughter of
the Marquis of Tweeddale, and granddaughter of the
Duke of Manchester,who is said to be about to form a matri-
monial connexion with the gallant Marquis of Douro, is
the fourth child of a numerous family of ten children, her
Ladyship's eldest sister is married to the eldest pr sent son
of the Earl of Dalhousie.
IRISH AGITATION.—Mr. O'Connell has ad-
dressed a letter to Mr. Ray, in reference to the failure of
the former gentleman's motion for the assimilation and
extension of the Irish franchise. It has in it little novelty
either of form or matter. Increased agitation is urged,
Eegland's want of sympathy is insisted on, and the first
s'ep in the " experiment" has met with a " contemptuous
cpposition " in the House of Commons; more petitions
therefore, more Precursors, and more Irish members, and
no honest Irishman will be left unconvinced of the neces-
sity of hoisting the banner of repeal, to be laid down only
at the threshold of the Commons' House of Parliament in
Colleee-green. "My first impulse," writes Mr. O'Con-
neil, "is to rally for Ireland. We have not Precursors
enough, I asked for two millions. I have not as yet got
tr ore than one-twentieth of that number. I again ask the
people of Ireland for two millions of Precursors."
OLDHAM.—Several of the cotton factories have
this week commenced running, or allowing the hand, to
work in them only four days per week, and some eight
hours per day. The hatting trade is universally brisk ; in-
deed, the hands have not been so busy for the last ten
years past, and within the lest month wages have been ad-
vanced about seven per cent. —Boton Free Press.
SUPPOSED CHILD MURDER.-POST R.
TEM EXAMINATION.—An inquest was held on Wednesday
before Mr. Wakley on the body of an infant found expo.ed
in Bedford-squar& The inquiry was adjourned to ad nit
of a post mortem examination being held. Mr. Wak'ey
stated that for the future he should not follow the cust )m
of his predecessor, of having post mortem examinatiens
after the Jury were summoned ; he should always direct
theta to be performed before the inquest was first held.
This is the first case in which Mr. Wakley has ordered a
post mortem exemination.
In a case heard before the Insolvent Debtors'
Court, a detaining creditor who bad discounted a bill of
exchange for the insolvent, said he was not a regular dis-
counter, and never took more than 30 per cent. !
STEAM LIFE-BOATS FOR PRESERVING
LivEs AND PROTERTL—We regret to learn that, dot-
Ititbstanding the hopes raised by what Mr. Leathom said
nn this subject, so popular in the town, in the Common
Council, it has proved a total disappointment. Sir John
Ross, as Chairman of the Salvage Company's Directors,
e me here on Thursday, with a view of closing the ar-
rengement with our Dock Committee, when he found
theni as cold as ice on the subject, declaring, one and all,
they had no power to apply the funds in that way. It was
I a Pity they bad not, in their wisdom, discovered their want
of Power sooner, and not have raised expectations, to
be followed by disappointment, in the town, nor put Sir
John to the expense and trouble of coming here on a need-
less errand. There seems too much trifling in this. For
the satisfaction of the public, they ought to show, from un-
diLubted authority, the want of power ; or, it is probable,
will be satisfied of its truth. The Company's propo-
sal was to form the_ establishme.nt, and of the real extent
ggested b the
Dock Cotumiee on their paying half
el,a_Tcsea.,o/f it, reserving to theist eamer the benefit of
a, Tiare4l,2a4g.e on saving merchandize.—Liverpool Al-

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