The Sun.
London, England, 1839-07-11 00:00:00

ROYAL GARDENS, VAUXIIALL.—These at-
tractive gardens opened on Monday for the season, with an
abundant provision of novel and delightful entertainments.
During the recess the gardens have undergone under the
judicious superinteudance of experienced hands, extensive
alterations, and, we may with safety add, embellishments.
Day and night entertainments have been so blended as to
suit the convenience and afford gratification to all classes
of the pleasure-loving public. The principal day attrac-
tion was the ascent of the Nassau balloon, filled with ama-
teur aeronauts well known to the fashionable world. The
adventurous occupants of the balloon were Sir C. Kent,
Duff, Fielding, Cerrie, Wellesley, and W. Hughes,
Esqs., and the intrepid Mr. Green. At twenty minutes
past six the ascent took place, the wind blowing smartly
from the S. W. The travellers mere soon lost to the gaze
of the spectators. The other amusements consisted of a
moving panorama of the Rhine ; fireworks by Mr. D'Ernst
of an entirely new and surprising character ; with vocal and
instrumental displays in the Rotunda, certainly equal in
merit to any of the seasons preceding. The Gardens, upon
the whole, were well and respectably attended, and it will
not be anticipating too favourably if we predict a brilliant
season for the spirited proprietors.
" Knowledge" is an accumulation of facts
Shortly it may be defined
But
known. All that is not
fact is not knowledge. counterfeit facts are often
forged, and passed off as knowledge, facts which we
cannot verify, and whose reception must therefore weaken,
mislead, and distort our minds. We have now a standard
or test by which to try their truth. We now see, that in
proportion as we bring our mental faculties through the
medium of our senses, to bear on any occurrence or exist-
ence, in so far do we gather knowledge; but that facts at-
tested by others to us, can but constitute belief. And that
belief can never to us assume the certainty of knowledge.
What we have not seen, heard, or handed, that can we not
know. But in proportion to the extent of the circle of our
observation, and to the accuracy of our investiga-
tion of all within that circle, is the extent of our know-
ledge. For lack of this simple test, how grievous are the
errors that in all ages have fastened on the human being,
and chained his mind and body in the iron chains of cre-
dulity and superstition ? What mines of money has he
not squandered to gain an insight into things he can never
know l What flames have been kindled, what noble blood
has been spilt, what a hell has our fair world been turned
into, merely because the distinction between belief and
knowledge was unknown. The end, the nature, and the
basis on which all sound opinion must rest being unknown,
the dreamy visions that constitute belief, have hitherto
been thrust forward, not only as having equal autho.
rity with knowledge, but as invested with superior
claims to man's acceptance and reverence I This confu-
sion of two things essentially different has been an undying
scourge to the human race. It has bi en a flaming sword
brandishing its terrors over the children of men. It has
sent among humanity, "not peace, but a sword." It has
set father against son, and armed kindred against kindred,
and nation against nation. It has been the parent of all
the jarring sects, and jingling creeds, and pelf-seeking
priests that have blasted our unfortunate planet, and that still
mar its happiness and constrain it to weep blood. It has
substituted cathedral pomp and chapel cant for the blessings
of harmony and happiness, and well nigh hath it extin-
guished the beamy light of love fend genuine knowledge.
The clouds of dust by the spirit of priestcraft, raised around
the intellect, has well nigh quenched that central light
Lecture delivered at Campsall, from the Sheffield Iris.
CHARGE AGAINST COLONEL SOMBRE.—
An inquest was held on Monday before Mr. Wakley, upon
the body of Janet Caldwell, some account of whose
death appeared in The Sun of that day. Colonel
Sombre, with two of his friends, attended the investiga-
tion. It was proved to the satisfaction of the Jury that
violent spasms were the cause of death, and they returned
a verdict accordingly. The other young woman who bad
been in company of the deceased on the night when it
was alleged that Colonel Sombre had indecently exposed
his person, gave a different account of the matter to that
which she gave at the police-office. The friends of Col.
Sombre spoke in the highest terms of his character, and
after the inquiry he reiterated before the Coroner his in-
BO W- S TREE T. nocence of the charge against him.
A young man of respectable appearance, named George STATE OF THE CROPS.—As we have al-
Lean, proprietor of an academy at Whetstone, ready stated the.
n present co.ndition of the crops, is full of
was brought before Mr. MINSHVLL and Lord MONTFORD,
promise. We have at present betoreaus agricultural re-
nearßarnet,
by Fletcher, the officer, charged with having altered and
portsfrom all parts of the United Kingdom, the whole of
w
changed the superscription upon a certain letter which had which, with scarcely any exception, are highly favourable.
been franked by the Earl of Winchilsea, with intent to Throughout Ireland the crops are flourishing, excepting,
avoid the payment of the postage.
perhaps, in Waterford. In all the other counties the most flat-
Mr. Peacock, solicitor to the. Post-office, conducted the tering descriptions are given of the wheat, oats, barley, and
prosecution. potatoes. Of the latter valuable root the breadth planted is
Mr. Samuel Harmer, one of the inspectors of franks in unusually wide, and there existed up to the end of June,
the General Post-office, proved that the letter produced the fairest prospect of an abundant return of the poor man's
bad been an original frank of the Earl of Winehelsea, and greatest bread crop. The rains which fell so opportunely
it appeared to have been posted at Shrapstone, in had been of immense service, and improvement the most
Northampton, on the sth of May last, which seemed to marked had taken place in consequence. The oats have
have been the date writien by his Lordship. The letter arrived at puberty, and the wheats and barleys at some.
arrived on the 6th of May, and it bore the free stamp thing like the manhood of vegetation.
of the General Post-office. Witness bad no doubt that EXTENSIVE FRAUD ON THE REVENUE.—
the letter was addressed either to London or to a place- William Napier, who held a situation in her Majesty's
passing through London, but the original address bad been Customs, and who has been in custody for some weeks
erased, and the present one, "To the Secretary of the past, on a charge of being concerned with others in de-
Bishop of Peterborough," appeared to have been written frauding the revenue to an enormous amount by means of
upon the erasure. The letters MY, which formed part forged documents, was on Thursday brought before Mr.
part of the London post mark, denoting the mouth of Hardwick, at Lambeth-street, for final examination. Mr.
.t'ay, appeared also to have been erased, and the date, as Thackery, the assistant solicitor to the Customs, with Mr.
oeiginally written by his Lordship, to be altered from the Adolphus, the barrister, appeared for the prosecution, and
sth of May to the 6th of June of the present year. It also Mr. Penwell, a solicitor, and Mr. Clarkson, the barrister,
appeared to have been reported at Whetstone in the month attended on behalf of the prisoner. Frederick Ross, a
of June, as it bore the stamp of that office, and it arrived clerk in the Customs, deposed that be knew the prisoner,
at the General Post-office on the night of the Bth of June, and had freouently seen him write, The duplicate war-
bearing a 2d. pnst stamp of that day. A letter posted rants then produced he believed to be in the handwriting
there, and addressed to Peterborough, would, in the
regu- of the prisoner, with the exception of the signature "W.
lar course, have passed through London. The letter pro- W. Willmott," and the latter he would not wish positively
duced, on its way to Peterborough, was charged 6s. 2d. to swear to have been written by him. It was, however,
as postage in the Ireland Office, and that tax was put very like the style of his writing, and his (witness's) belief
upon it in consequence of something irregular being dis- was that he had written it, the signature as well as the
covered upon it. Witness was certain that the figures, body of the document. After the examination of other
39," the word " Shrapstone," and the name of witnesses Mr. Willmott, the receiver of duties, deposed to
" Winchelsca" written in the corner, were in his Lord- the signatures to the warrants produced, and purporting to
ship's hand writing, but the other words were not. The be his, to be forgeries. Mr. Adolphus, upon this evidence,
letter was dated Albion House, near Whetstone, 7th of applied for the committal of the prisoner to take his trial
June, 1839, and signed George Lean, the object of which upon a charge of forgery at common law. Mr. Clarkson
was to get it paste I free of postage through the Post-office. said he had no objection to such a course. A discussion
Fletcher, the officer, proved that he went to Whetstone then arose as to the admission of the prisoner to bail, and
on Tuesday morning to Albion House, accompanied by it was ultimately decided by Mr. Hardwick that, under the
Mr. Peacock, jun., of the Poet-office, and having seen the clauses of the 11th of Geo. IV., arid Ist William IV.,
prisoner the letter was produced to him, when be acknow-
upon
which he was committed, he was entitled to bail, ard
ledged to have sent it. He was then cautioned by Mr. he should, therefore, take bail for his appearance at the
Peacock as to what he might say, but he admitted that the Central Criminal Court, to take his trial for the offence.
enclosure was in his hand writing, and it had been sent The prisoner procured the required bail, and was liberated.