The Sun.
London, England, 1839-06-12 00:00:00

BEER-SELLERS.

The following is a copy of the Petition to Parliament
adopted by the Committee of the Beer-sellers of the me-
tropolis and its environs, as well as on behalf of the Beer-
trade generally :
Humbly She weth—That the many experimental at-
tempts at legislation, to which the laws for regulating the
sale of Beer have, Session after Sssi,ion, been subject,
have operated injuriously upon every interest connected
with the Beer Trade, by depreciating the value of the ca-
pital embarked s therein, from the insecurity inseparable
front such an uncertain and vacillating course of procedure.
That the laws for o;_,ening the trade in beer, did not
receive the sanction of the Legislature until ample evi-
dence had been adduced of the abuses which had cor-
rupted the old system, and of the prejudicial operation
of the restrictions which limited the sale of beer and
rendered it a rigorous monopoly, equally injurious to the
agricultural interest, the revenue, and the public. And
that when a FREE TRADE in Bait was thus established, and
many thousand persons induced to embark their property
therein under the faith of an Act of Parliament, the Legis-
lature evidently contemplated a great public good, equally
to benefit the agricultural, the commercial, and the manu-
facturing classes of the community.
Your petitioners respectfully submit that the opening the
trade in beer has fully answered the ends proposed, by the
increased demand for barley consequent upon the addi-
tional malt used, a more ready market has been created,
and higher prices paid for agricultural produce—by the
reduction in price effected by competition, a saving exceed-
ing double the amount of duty remitted, has been realised
to the public ; from the same cause the quality of the
article has been fully maintained, while from the additional
duty paid on the increased quantity of malt and hops, the
revenue has been considerably increased.
Yet while those engaged in the New Beer Trade, were
thus carrying out the intentions of the Legislature, they
themselves have become the objects of jealousy, calumny,
and misrepresentation. Individuals, and interests, whose
patronage has been interfered with, or whose pursuits have
been effected by the operation of the Beer-laws, have ma-
ligned the beer-seller and the beer-house, representing the
one as the outcast of society, and the other as the hot-bed
of crime and immorality, assumptions equally false and in-
vidious, but promulgated with the hope of prejudicing the
Beer-laws in the opinion of your Honourable House, end
of effecting thereby a return to that old system of restric-
tion and abuse, under which favouritism ruled, caprice dic-
tated, and monopoly aggrandized.
From such feelings, and from such sources, your pe-
titioners humbly submit, have originated the many past
and present attempts to repeal or subvert the Beer-
laws. Not content with prior possession of the market
—with holding the best situations, and with enjoying
privileges denied to the Beer-seller, his opponents would
yet sweep him from existence, and blot front the Statute
book the laws which called him into being.
Your petitioners feel that they have the most tangible
ground of complaint against the present Laws—from the
capricious manner in which they are too generally adminis-
tered, the Beer. seller is deprived of a considerable portion
of the protection the Legislature intended to to afford him,
and an invidious and unnecessary distinction created be-
tween the two classes of tradesmen licensed to sell Beer,
alike unjust in principle as injurious in operation ; the Beer-
seller is vexatiously restricted in his hours for sale, while
the Public, house and the Gin-shop are permitted to conti-
nue open without restraint ; for the most venial offence, he
incurs the severest penalties, without mitigation, or the
privilege of appeal : while the tenure of his license is now
rendered precarious, and denied even to his widow in the
event of his death

Your petitioners would notice, that the official records of
crime demonstrate that instead of an increase in the num•
ber of ddinquents, as compared with the increase of popu-
lation, a decrease of convictions, of more than three per
cent. has accrued in the last four years : and as for immo-
rality, it is evident that the house in which beer only is
sold, cannot ba so injurious to the well-being of society, as
that in which ardent and intoxicating liquors are freely re-
tailed. Both require regulation, but the laws for enforc-
ing that regulation should operate equally and impartially :
and if such laws be but fairly carried out, the beer-house
will be found as free from complaint as the hotel or the
tavern.

Your petitioners respectfully submit that the many
hundred brewers, who under faith of the laws, em-
barked a large amount of capital in the trade, have
a strong claim on your Honourable House that the
property, which so many thousand Beer-sellers were,
in like manner, induced to invest, in taking and
fitting-up houses for public accommodation, has an equal
claim to legislative protection ; while the still greater
number of individuals employed in or dependent on the
beer trade, as at present constituted, afford an additional
reason why your Honourable House should reject any mea-
sure, which, wider pretence of emending, the 13eer-laws,
would subvert them and thereby render valueless capital to
the amount of more than four millions sterling—ruin nearly
fifty thousand Beer-sellers—and deprive of employment, end
turned into the already overstocked labnur-market, two
hundred thousand individuals, now dependent on the New
Beer trade for support.
For these, among other reasons, your petitioners
humbly nod respectfully pray, that your Honourable
House will put an end to the ruinous experimental Legis-
lation to which the interests engaged in the. new Beer
trade have so long been subject, by passing a comprehen-
sive law, which shall equally effect and control all persons
licensed for the sale of beer or spirituous liquors by retail,
agreeably to the recommendation of a Select Committee
of your Honourable House.

And, as in duty bound, your petitioners will ever grate-
fully remember the same.

We regret to state that Sir Benjamin Stevenson
died on Monday evening at half. past six. We stated yes-
terday that he was in a very precarious state. The death
of Sir Benjamin will cause a vacancy in the Woods and
Forests, of which he was one of the Commissioners.

GRAND BANQUET AT GOLDSMITHS' HALL.
—The Prime Warden and Warden of the wealthy Corn.
pang of Goldsmiths issued cards yesterday for a grand en-
tertainment at their hall in Foster-lane, on Wednesday, the
31 of Ju'y. Thz., Dukes of Wellington, Beaufort, Rut-
land, and Dorset ; Ma-quises of Londonderry and Salis-
bury ; Earls Aberdeen and Winchilsc2 ; Lords Marybo-
rough, Mahon, Ellenborough, Stanley, and Sandon • Sirs
Robert Peel, Henry Hardinge, G. Clerk, James Graham,
&c., have been invited.

REPRESENTATION OF GLASGOW.---\\Te are
au!horised to state that Lord William Bcntinck has made
arrangements to resign his seat for the Representation of
Gi4sgow, or account of continued bad tie..lth. We like-
wise understaud that Mr. Oswald has been prevailed upon
by the Liberal party to allow himself to be put in nomi-
nation as Lord William's successor. From Mr. Oswald's
long and well known services in the furtherance of Reform,
he will receive tho unanimous support of the Liberal party
in this city. Indy( d, Mr. Roebuck, who, it was thought
would be brought forward by a portion of the electors, has
written to some of his friends in town, stating, that in the
event of Mr. Oswald standing for the Representation of
Glasgow, he Hill not think of offering any opposition to
him.—Gla.,gcw an:nide.

-EN-ING- EDITION.

REHENSION OF MR. PETER.
CRRAY M'DOUALL, A MEMBER OF THE
NATIONAL CONVENTION.

HYDE, MONDAY, JUNE 10.
This morning this little town was in a state of great
Mr.
excitment, in consequence of the apprehension of i
I Peter M'Douall, Member for Ashton-under-Lyne n
the National Convention, upon a warrant charging him
with having uttered seditious language at a public
meeting held in this town on the evening of the 22d of
eepri . \ .1 This warrant was directed to Mr. J. Stanley
s Barrett, high constable of the Stockport division of the
county of Chester.
The warrant was placed in the hands of a constable
a few days after it was granted. The constable went
to Ashton, where Mr. M'Douall was Then, on
a sisit, and searched for him, but he contrived
to get out of the way. It does not appear that
from that time until Saturday last any attempt was
made to execute the warrant. On Saturday last, how-
ever,"Mr. J. S. Barrett went over to Ramsbottorn,
near Bury, where Mr. M'Douall resides, and appre-
hended him without the slightest difficulty. He was
immediately taken to Stockport, the offence with which
he stood charged having been committed in the county
of Chester, where he was placed in prison. A person
named John Bradley, of Hyde, clogger, who had oia•
dated as Chairman at the meeting in question, was
also apprehended, and placed in the Stockport gaol.
The time appointed by Captain Clarke, R.N., and
John Turner, Esq. (the Magistrates who had signed
the warrant), for the examination of the prisoners, was
eleven, at the Commercial Inn, on the road from Hyde
to Godley, and at the appointed time there was a large
concourse of people assembled. To their great sur-
prise on the high ground on the right hand side of the
house were posted about forty or fifty of the 10th regi-
ment of foot, in a situation so as to command all the
approaches to the house.
The Magistrates were punctual in their attendance,
but the prisoners did not arrive for a considerable time
after the hour fixed by the Magistrates. At about
twelve o'clock the prisoners arrived in an omnibus from
Stockport, escorted by a troop of the 6th regiment of
Dragoon Guards (Carabineers), and a party of the 86th
Foot. When they arrived the mob greeted them with
three cheers.
Mr. Richard Cobhett, solicitor, of Manchester, ap-
peared on behalf of the prisoners.
Mr. Hibbert, one of the clerks to the Magistrates,
said this was an information against the prisoners, Peter
d'Douall and John Bradley, charging them with having
attended an unlawful meeting, which was held on the
night of the 22d April.
Mr. Hibbert, after alluding to the evidence which he
should laybelore the Court, called John Gatley, de-
puty-constable of Hyde, and was about to read over
the deposition of Gatley with reference to the case, when
Mr. Cobbett objected to this course, contending that
the- evidence ought to be then given viva voce by the.
witnesses, and taken down in the presence of the priso-
ners. After the point had been discussed at some
length, the Court overruled Mr. Cobbett's objection.
Mr. Hibbert then called Gatley, and read his depo-
sition, which was to the following effect :
John Gatley, deputy-constable of Hyde, said, about
half-past seven o'clock on Monday night, the 22d day
of April, a large number of persons- calling them-
selves Chartists, met at the Working Men's Institution,
in Hyde, and formed themselves in procession. They
proceeded towards the Cotton Tree, in Newton, with
a band of music and banners, having inscribed on them
" Equal laws and equal rights," " NO property qualifi-
.eation," " Universal suffrage," and other inscriptions
which I could not distinctly read. The precession re-
turaed to Hyde, with Peter M'Douall, a little after
. nine o'clock, and the numbers bad then greatly increased,
and would amount, I should think, to between three
and four thousand. They had then two bands of music
with them, and held a meeting by the side of the Work-
ing Men's Institution, and Mr. M'Douall addressed
the meeting from the outside of one of the windows of
the Institetior. The first expressions I heard him use
were in allusion to Government, whomhe condemned for
posecuting Stephens, and he called them a blood-thirsty
set of Whigs. He said, I advise the men, women, and
children of Hyde to do as they are doing all over the
kingdom, to get arms and be ready for the great
struggle. He said he had been to all parts of the
country to enlighten, the people, the same as he had
done in this part of the country. He said the Chartists
could easily take possession of the Tower of London
with its 200,000 stand of arms, and there were plenty
of gun-smiths' shops where;they,could get many thousand
arms by a person going and kicking his foot through the
doors. He said fifty determined men could arm all
London, and that London Chartists would be ready to
meet the people of this part of the country on three
days notice ; the people shouted, " We are ready," and
some one fired off a pistol. Mr. M'Douall further
said, if the People's Charter was refused, he hoped
to be with them at the great day of struggle
and, after a short pause, he said, " But I will be with
you, and stand and fight with you to the last." He
said if the soldiers came down he would advise them
not to go a few together, for the soldiers would fire on
them if they did, but the people should all go in a body,
with swords, pistols, and pikes, and face the soldiers
face to face, and then the soldiers would not fire on
them. M'Douall said they dare f not try Stephens,
and again advised the people all to be ready, and said it
was no crime to cuter a gun=smith's shop any more than
it was to enter' a 6otton-factory. He said those who
cannot get arms should get lucifer matches, and have
them on their finger ends, for lucifer matches were
very cheap. He said lie had been to London, Chatham,
Sheerness, and other parts of the kingdom, and that
five out of seven of the officers, both in • the Army
and Navy were in the people's favour ; and that the
soldiers were getting petitions in favour of the Charter
signed amongst themselves, so that there was nothing
to fear from the soldiers. M'Douall said he understood
that Colonel Sibthorp wanted to know what the pikes
were for? He said he would soon let him know what
they were for, if they refused granting the People's
Charter. He said about thirty good stout-hearted 1
farmers' sons, with bill-hooks, would do a deal of exe-
cution
in a good cause like this. I-le said one stout
man with a bill-hook, in a good cause, would do more
good than a stamping fellow in a red jacket,
hired for ten-pence a-day with either gull, sword,
or pistol. He spoke much about rock: es, mor-
far claps, and other combustibles, and said they
would be very useful. The meeting was addressed by
two other individuals whom I did not know, who spoke
much in the same strain as Mr. M'Douall, but as
several pistols were then discharged, and much noise
prevailed, I could not catch the whole of any sentence
those speakers uttered. John Bradley, of Hyde
Ciogger, took the chair. The meeting broke up near
eleven o'clock.

The depositions of George Nicholls and Isaac Brad-
shaw, con tables of Hyde, were then read. These
tvitnesses corroborated Gatley in almost every par-
ticular.

Mr. Cobbett dc:•clined sa) ing anything.
Tie Magistrates, after consulting together for a few
moments, Laid Mr. M'Douall must find sureti:'s, him-
self in 5001. and two sureties in 250/. each, to answer
the charge at the next Chester Assizes. If the bail
were satisfactory it would be taken at once, but other-
wise notice must be given.
Bradley was ordered to find two sureties in f3O/., to
answer the charge at the Assizes. This be did, and
was immediately discharged.
Bail not being ready for Mr. M'Douall he was com-
mitted to Chester Castle, but the Magistrates said
they would attend at the Stockport Court-house to-
morrow and receive bail if the parties tendering them-
selves were unexceptionable.
Mr. 'AP/Doc:ail was escorted under guard of the mi-
litary to Stockport.

ITAYMA KET TII EA T RE.—Mr. Charles Kean
appeared on Monday night in the character of Richard Ike
Third for the first time at this theatre. The crooked-backed
t)rant having been the most popular and unexceptionable
of the cider Kean's performances, more than one theatrical
generation must pass away before the remembrance of his
peculiar excellence will be effaced by any other represen-
tative of the character. These recollections, while they
predispose the spectator to applaud the efforts of the son,
incline the critic to ascribe much of the fervour with which
he is welcomed to his likeness to his father ; but his exer-
tions last night did not need any favourable prepossession
to entitle him to the enthusiastic applause which he received
from a crowded audience. The whole play was carefully
and creditably presented.

. .
IMPRISONMENT OF MR. BAINES.—The fol-
lowing fact is furnished by a third edition of the Leicester.
shire Mercury. " Saturday, Nine o'clock.—We stop the
press to announce that the caption writ to immure our
friend Mr. NV. Baines in a dungeon, for refusing to violate
his conscience, was received in Leicester yesterday; but
Mr. B. is in London, and returns this evening (Saturday).
Men of Leicester, be on the look-out. Show him you
- sympathise with him by accompanying him, and by an un.
equivocal expression of your disgust of these Christian
tyrants and persecutors.
THE SOI-DISANT DAUGHTER OF GEORGE
IV. AND MRS. FITZFIERBERT.-111rs. Guelph Sims, who
applied to the Lord Mayor, according to the statement in
our Paper of yesterday, for advice as to the course which
it was most advisable to pursue to obtain what she had been
assured by her late eurc'e she was entitled to as the child
of King -George the Fourth and Mrs. Fitzherbert, has
forwarded to his Lordship severs letters ; some of them
Purport to have been written by the Countess of Jersey,
) and there is one from the Duke of Wellington, which no
doubt his Grace did write. In it the Duke says, " I have
not any reason to believe there is any foundation for the
statement that Sophia Elizabeth Guelph (Mrs. Sims) is
the daughter of Mrs. Fitzherbert and George the Fourth."
A meeting of the Chamber of Commerce was
bald on Thursday last at Newcastle, to consider the pre-
"ntatlln of a petition to Parliament relative to the trade.
with Ci,reassia. It was well attended, and led to a discus-
s)" full of minute and valuable details respecting the
opening this afferdet! for the extension of our commerce in
that country,
Proving incontestably how keenly alive the
merchants of that a Port its ad vantageer I the petition agreed toare is,to "
For the -ados .ptionThe p
of prayer /
f the petition agr to is, " For the adoption of such 1
measures for asserting. theright of Great Britain to free-'
don't of.commerce with Circassia as will enable the British
merchants to trade with security to the coast."—Times.

LAUNCH OF THE LORD MAYOR'S

BARGE.

Yesterday th© Lord Mayor and the Lady Mayor-
ei-a went by water from Southwark-bridge, attended
by the Water-Bailiff, the Aisistant Water-Bailiff, and
other of the officers attached to the Conservancy, to the
premises of Mr. Searle, the City Bargemaster, to witness
the launch of the state barge, which has been for some
time, by order of the Court of Aldermen, undergoing
repair and modern decoration. In the front of the
house, which is raised in the boat, are four Corinthian
columns, close to each of which is a very ski Tully
carved griffin. The gilding all round, and particularly
at the head of the vessel, which is also finely carved,
has been supplied with a most liberal ham!, and the
effect is grand in the extreme. It was admitted by
those who had seen the barge launched, immediately
after sbe was built, that her appearance yesterday was
far more attractive.

When the Lord Mayor's boat approached the barge
house, Mr. Searle fired a salute of thirteen guns, amidst
the cheers of multitudes who crowded the shores and
wharves of the Surrey side of the water to witness the
launch. The props were then struck away, and the
barge slowly and majestically descended into the water.
His Lordship immediately afterwards entered the barge
and examined the intericr, and after a delay of about
half an hour took his departure amidst cheers and an-
other salute from the premises of the Bargemaster.
The Lord Mayor's boat passed down the river, pre-
ceded by the Water Bailiff and other Conservancy
Officers, and soon got into the romantic neighbourhood
of the north country colliers, in which there appeared
to be a complete stagnation of trade. Here and there
were to be seen four or five gentle coal-heavers leaning
over the side of a vessel, and spitting into the water,
lnd a growl occasionally issued from a gang who were
enjoying their " otium cum dignitate" ssitb the pipes in
their mouths. His Lordship was evidently an object of
terror as well as curiosity below bridge ; and the steam-
vessels, as if by magic, slackened their speed when he
entered the pool. He observed with satisfaction that
the orders he had given to the harbour-masters, rela-
tive to the placing of the colliers, and other arrange-
ments for keeping an expansive passage through the
River, were scrupulously obeyed, and he was assured
by Sir Chapman Marshall, who accompanied his Lord-
ship, and is to succeed him in the Mayoralty, that the
admirable system introduced for the government of the
Thames shall not be departed from,
At foui• o'clock the Lord Mayor returned from the
Pool to London-bridge, where he and the Lady Mayor-
ass, and a few of the members of the family, who con-
stituted the party, disembarked, and got into their
carriages.

The barge is to convey his Lordship and a large party,
on the next Conservancy excursion, to Kent and Essex.

MR. BANNERMAN, M.P.—Our City Member
having occasion to be in Edinburgh in the early part of the
week, took the opportunity of visiting Aberdeen on some
private business. This simple circumstance has given rise
to a great deal of idle gossip ; and, if a Contemporary
may be depended on, has put Mr. Horatio Ross to the
trouble of a needless journey. It was first asserted that
Mr. Bannerman had accepted an Excise Commissioner-
ship—the slight fact that there is not one vacant being en-
tirely overlooked. Next, it was discovered that he had
succeeded to the Chairmanship of the Poor-law Board,
vacated by Mr. Shaw Lefevre, on his elevation to the
Speakership—a thing which could hardly take place,
seeing that Mr. Shaw Lefevre neither occupied that nor
any other official situation. It is not difficult to trace
these rumours to their true origin. The Tories are con-
vinced that Mr. Bannerman, from the influential position
he has taken up in Parliament, might easily obtain a place,
and judging from what their own feelings in such circum-
stances would be, they give him credit fbr a disposition to
seize the first that offers.—Aberdeen Herald.
TORY EVIDENCE OF TRANQUILLITY.—Again
we (the Dublin Evening Past) publish the requisition for
a meeting of the Queen's County to address her Majesty
on the recent exercise of the Royal prerogative. This
county, even from the name it bears, is peculiarly called
upon to make a tender of its loyalty and attachment to
the Sovereign at this juncture. We haze seldom seen a
requisition more respectably signed, or bearing upon it the
names of a larger number of men of property and station
than that addressed to the High Sheriff, Mr. A. Weldon.
Nevertheless, this Tory functionary, this officer of the
Queen, has refused to convene his bailiwick, because he
" diseents from the views of the requisitionists,"and because
he is unwilling to disturb the county in its present quiet
and tranquil state ! The Sheriff wanted an argument to
justify his loyalty, and, having no better at hand, he pro-
claims the perfect tranquillity of the county, which the
Orange Journals describe as almost insurrectionary. The
evidence of the Tory Sheriff of the Queen's County must
be peculiarly gratifying to Lord Roden, who would have
the people of England believe that this country is inundated
with Ribbonmen. The requisitionists have convened the
meeting for Tuesday next.
REMARKABLE CIRCUMSTANCE.—On Sunday
morning week, a young lady residing at Pusty-hill, near
Wiseton Hall, was surprised by the appearance of three
bee hives floating on the surface of the river which
flows at the foot of the hill, and was still fvrther asto-
nished to find that they contained a quantity of living
bees. Having called two men who were near, they made
an attempt to extricate the bees from their perilous situa-
tion, but were, after some time, obliged to relinquish
the undertaking. The young lady, however, judging
that they were the property of some poor person in the
neighbourhood, determined on saving them at all risks.
After pursuing various schemes, she succeeded in landing
the bees and their hives, having by this means placed
herself in very great danger; she then called her father
to her assistance, and they contrived to place the bees
in their own garden, fortunately without either of them
having received any injury. It chanced at the time to
be the village feast; and the worthy old gentleman,
while entertaining a number of guests in the good old.
fashioned style in the afternoon, narrated the events of
the morning, and frequently expressed his wish that the
owner might come and claim his lost property. In a
short time he did come, and proved to be a poor and
honest labourer residing at Tiln, near Retford, and who
having been lately employed to watch game, imagined that
some malicious person bad thrown the hives and bees into
the river. It is not known how long they had been on the
water; but it is known that the distance from the place
where they were lost, to that where they were rescued by
the determined spirit and exertions of the young lady, is
at least seven miles. The bees have suffered no injury
whatever.—Doncaster Gazette.
NATIONAL EDUCATION.—On Monday night
a numerous and highly respectable public meeting of the
inhabitants of Clerkenwell was held at eight o'clock, at
the Seckforde Arms, Seckforde-street, Clerkenwell-
green, " to petition both H: uses of Parliament in favour
of a measure of national education, without reference to
sect or party." Resolutions and petitions to this effect
were agreed to, with one dissentient, and it was further
resolved that Lord Brougham be requested to present it to
the House of Lords, Mr. \\retail' to the Commons, and
that Mr. Duncombe do support the same. Thanks were
voted to the Chairman, and the meeting separated at a
late hour.
ST. CLEMENT DANES' STEEPLE.—The seal-
foldies, for repairing the steeple of St. Clement Danes'
Church being complete, the full extent of the diiapida-
tions can be seen. It appears that the first chamber, or
belfry, is perfectly secure, as is also the one above, in which
is the saints' or prayer bell; but the upper portion is very
insecure, the cement between the blocks of stone having
fallen cut. This may be attributed not only to the vibra-
tion of the bells chiming the 104th psalm every four hours,
but because the clock strikes first on the saints' bell, and
then on the large bell, thus making it appear as though
there were two clocks.
SENSIBLE TO THE LAST.—!I gossip, who
had lost her husband, was expatiating on his many virtues
to a brandy-faced band of comforters, whose syn.pathies
she was awakening with gin-tea. " The greatest conso-
lation I have," said the almost disconsolate rib, " is, that
he was sensible to the very last." On being asked whet
evidence of that he had given--." Oa ay, he was that,"
answered she, " for just before he died, I wa,, blaming him
fcr geing me lash, an' the like, and he got up on his elbevr
and said I was an ill tempered jade.' "—AyrAdverliser.
On Tuesday morning a distressing occurrence
took place in Gallowgate. A middle aged female, who,
fur some days previous had exhibited unequivocal symptoms
of insanity, threw herself from a window three stories high,
and was so dreadfully injured that she died a few hours
afterwards in the Infirmary. Some of her neighbours,
who were paying attention to her during her illness, were
in the house when the circumstance occurred, and two
females got hold of her gown sleeve after she was outside
the window. They held her for a second or two, but the
sleeve unfortunately gave way before they could get a hold
of her person.—Scots Times.

PUBLIC PETITIONS.-The total number of
petitions presented to the House of Commons, from the
6tb of February to the 4th of June, in favour of a penny
postage, is 1,146, with 129,082 signatures ; for the better
observance of the Sabbath, 20 petitions, with 1,455 signa-
tures ; against a Sunday delivery of letters, one petition,
with 84 signatures; and in support of the Government of
Ireland, 7U9 petitions, with 549,170 signatures.
SINGULAR BEING. —At a place commonly
called the World's End, near Keighley, Yorkshire, resides
a man named William Sharpe, who will attain the age of
62 years in January next, who has kept his bed for a
period of about 30 years, though neither lame nor sick.
The cause of his first taking to bed is said to be from his
father having at two different times taken from him three
guineas which he had saved (gold being at that time very
valuable), and on the second three guineas being taken
from him, he declared he would never work any more, and
took to his bed, which he has never since left He has his
meals regularly four times a day, seldom refusing what is
brought; never speaks, but generally lies rolled up in bed
like a hedgehog, from which he is removed onc,.! a month,
in order that clean sheets may he laid on the bed, &c. His
beard is gristly, his hair silvery white, and most enormous
teeth project from his lips. It is said that at his father's death
he wes entitled to consideraLle property, but is prevented
from enjoying it by his determined perseverance in this
moat singular resolution.
DARYANTHUS EXCELSA.—This most magni-
ficent and gigantic plant is now in full bloom in one of the
hot-houses at Dunkeld Gardens. It is a native of New
South Wales, and to be met with in this country in very
few collections, this being the third plant of the kind that
has flowered in Great Britain. It is one of the four plants
which were sent from New Holland to the Duchess of
Athol!, twelve years ago, end the only one that has sur-
vived the voyage. The seapus or stem is upwards of
twelve feet in height, from the top of which diverge seven
stalks, each bearing nine large flowers of a deep crimson
and pink colour. The formation of the stalks and outer
petals of the flower remind one of the Crinunt Amabile,
but much larger.—Edinburgh Paper.