The Sun.
London, England, 1837-02-03 00:00:00

LIBkARY COMMITTEE.

_ .
Sir R. INGLIS moved the re-appointment of the Library
Committee.

CRIMINAL LAW.
Mr. M'LEAN said he had to ask the Noble Lord oppo-
site if it was in the contemplation of Government to bring in
any measure for the amelioration or reform of the Criminal
Law. There had been Commissioners appointed to inquire
into the subject who had been in office for two years, and
he now saw by the returns which had been made that
the cost of those Commissioners to the country had been
10,2934 —( Hear, hear, from Colonel Sibthorp.) He there-
fore begged to ask the Noble Lord whether, upon any reports
which they had furnished, it was the intention of Government
to bring in any measure for the reform of the Criminal Laws ?
Lord J. RUSSELL said he would endeavour to answer
both the question and the subsequent remark of the Hon.
Gentleman as to the cost of the Commissioners.—(Hear.)
In respect, then, to the first part of the Hon. Gentleman's
observations—his question as to whether Government intended
to introduce any measure to reform the Criminal Law—he
begged to state that by the report of the last Session the
Commissioners had recommended many alterations.—( Hear.)
Especially—and he would beg the attention of the House to
this, which was of the utmost importance—the Commis-
sioners had recommended that the punishment of death should
be taken away from many offences, and he ( Lord J. Russell)
thought that this was not a subject which ought to be left
long in debate, or dispute—( Hear)—that it should not be
left till the whole law underwent an alteration, according to
the recommendation of the Commissioners ; but that it was a
subject which should have the early attention of Govern-
ment, and if they could frame any measure regarding it,
that it should be introduced to the early attention of the
Legislature.—( Hear, hear.) He had, therefore, on re-
ferring to the reports, brought a measure under the
consideration of the •Commissioners, and requested them to
frame an alteration of the criminal law according to the opinion
they had stated that the punishment of death should be taken
away ; the Commissioners had accordingly met at the end of
October, in order to consider his (Lord J. Russell's) letter.
They had fully considered the subject, to which they had
given a great deal of pains and attention. Since then
he had been in frequent communication with the Lord
Chancellor and Lord Denman, the Lord Chief Justice of the
King's Bench on the subject of the criminal law, and he hoped
soon—indeed in a very few days—to give notice of the Bill he
intended to introduce, and the alterations in the law. Although
they might not go the entire length of the recommendations of
the Commissioners, he trusted would prove beneficial and sa-
tisfactory.—( Hear.) In respect to the other part of the question
of the Hon. Gent. as to the cost of the Commissioners--( Hear)
—when he came into office he found there a report from them.
He also found that his predecessor had awarded a certain sum
for that report. Another report had been made, and taking
it that it was as valuable as the former, to follow the precedent
set by his predecessor, he recommended to the Treasury
the same sum as had before been awarded. Ho had no doubt
but that the Commission, like others, might be found expen-
sive; but he would say that there was no question more impor-
tant for the consideration of the Legislature than the making
of a
good criminal law, and it was certainly much preferable that
the Legislature should take up the subject, having before them
the opinions formed, after long consideration and inquiry by
professional men, than to take up the subject of themselves.
Mr. M'LEAN had merely alluded to the sum which the
Commission would cost, because two years had elapsed without
any report having been received. He did not think that any
sum which could be spent would be thrown away upon such a
subject.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL brought up a Bill for suspending
the Registration of Births and Marriages for four months.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL brought up a Bill for
amending the Municipal Corporation Bill of last year.
Mr. H UME, before the House adjourned, wished to give
notice to the Lord Advocate, that to-morrow he would ask
him a question, relative to the sinecure office of the Ranger-
ship of Ettrick Forest, held by Lord Dundas.
The LORD ADVOCATE was understood to say that it
would be his duty to advise that no future Ranger should be
appointed.
The House then adjourned.

It is now currently reported that Sir R. Wilmot
Horton is about to return to England before very long. It is
said that his Excellency has tendered his resignation as Go.
vernor of Ceylon, to take place in November, 1837 ; and
that Lady and Miss Horton leave Ceylon at the beginning of
the present year.
ST. BRIDGET'S DAY, FEB. I.—St. Bride, other-
wise St. Bridget, confers her name upon the parish of St.
Bride's, for to her its church in Fleet-street is dedicated.
Butler says she was born in Ulster, built herself a cot under a
large oak, thence called " Kill-cara," or " cell of the oak,"
was joined by others of her own sex, formed several nunneries,
and became patroness of Ireland. " But," says Butler, "
full account of her virtues has not been transmitted down to
us, together with the veneration of her name ;" yet he declares
that " her five modern lives mention tittle else but wonderful
miracles." According to the same author, she flourished in
the 12th century, and her head is now kept in the church of
the Jesuits at Lisbon.

On Sunday a very fine boy, aged five years, the
son of a lady in Norwich, in the absence of the servant, went
into the store-room, and took from the spice-box a phial, con-
taining twopenny worth of the oil or essence of almonds,
drank a part of it, and almost instantly fell into a state of
paralysis. The poor little fellow died in about half an hour.
An inquest was held before Mr. W. Wilde, coroner; and in
answer to questions put by the coroner, the servant said that
she had been sent by her mistress to purchase the essence for
the purpose of putting it into cakes to give them an almond
flavour, and that she had never heard that it was poisonous o r
hur Out... Suffolk Herald.

SPORTIN G INTELLIGENCE.

TATTERSALL' S-- YESTERDAY.
TIIE DERBY.
_

Mahometan was the lion of the afternoon, which, without him,
would have been a dull one. He was backed in one quarter to win
a large sum, commencing with 42 to 1 in fifties, and proceeding in
hundreds at 40 to 1, until all the layers were choked off; no one,
we believe, will now bet more than 30 to 1. Lord Jersey's lot
was backed for a pony at 6 to I, the Phantasima colt for a hundred
and fifty at 14 to 1, Clifton for a small sum at 28 to 1 (the taker
offering to go on), and Sambo first at 33 and afterwards at .30 to I.
As we have stated above, the betting was brisk only as far as it re-
lated to the new favourite,
8 to 1 agst Colonel Anson's Jereed—offered
9 to 1 agst Lord Jersey's Bro. to Bay Middleton—offered
14 to I agst Captain Gardner's Phantasima colt—taken
22 to 1 agst Lord Jersey's Flare-up—offered
28 to I agst Colonel Peel's Clifton—taken
30 to 1 agst Lord Chesterfield's Sambo—taken
35 to 1 agst Lord Exeter's Troilus—take 40
16 to 1 agst Glider and Troilus—t.aken
3000 to 30 agst Mr. Theobald's Tredville colt—taken
16,100 to 400 agst Mr. Osbaldeston's Mahornetan—taken
2500 even on Caravan agst Mahometan—taken
2500 even on Caravan agst Pocket Hercules—taken

COURSING.
ASHDOWN MEETING.—FiasT DAY.
The Cup and Sovereigns.
Mr. Squire's Salute beat Mr. Morant's Mouse.
Mr. 11. Fleetwood's Firefly beat Colonel Newport's NoWonder.
Mr. Etwall's Eisler beat Mr. Cripps's Chapeau d'Espagne.
Mr. Pettat's Preserve beat Mr. E. Cripps's Eagle.
Mr. Goodlake's Gala beat Lord Moreton's Mingo.
Mr. E. Cripps's Emsdorif beat Mr. Goodlake's Garland.
Colonel Newport's Nicol Jarvie beat Mr. Etwall's Elfwitch.
Mr. Pettat's Paine beat Mr. Cripps's Consul.
Claret Stakes of 5 sovs. each.
Colonel Newport's Wat Trick ran a bye.
Mr. Goodlake's Glee beat Mr. Cripps's Cressida.
Mr. Pettat's Philomel beat Mr. Etwall's Nymph.
Mr. Squire's La Sylphine beat Mr. E. Cripps's "Etna.

NEWMARKET NEW MEETING.—WEDNESDAY.
Allington-hill Stakes, for Bitch Puppies. •
Mr. Dunn's Bellona beat Captain Daintree's Kathleen.
Mr. Saberton's Silkworm beat Mr. Vipan's Viola.
Mr. Dobede's Dirce beat Mr. Dunn's Belle.
Mr. Baildon's Lovely beat Mr. Fyson's Fay.
Mr. Gillett's Gaiety beat Mr. Vipan's Violet.
Mr. Edwards's Ann Page beat Mr. Dobede's Delia.
Mr. Baildon's Lisko beat Mr. Finch's Gem.
The Cup.
Mr. Fyson's Francis beat Mr. Finch's Grenoble.
Mr. Vipan's Verity beat Mr. Baildon's Lily.
Mr. Saberton's Sophy beat Captain Daintree's Kidnapper.
Mr. King's Royalist beat Mr. Inskipp's lon.
Mr. Dobede's Daisy beat Captain Daintree's Kindle. •
Mr. Dobede's Diamond beat Mr. Baildon's. Lunardi.
Mr. Dunn's Baronet beat Mr. Saberton's Sovereign.
Mr. Edwards's Assassin beat Mr. Gillett's Gavotte.
Chippenham. Stakes, for Dog Puppies.
Mr. King's Rupert beat Mr. Saberton's sulky.
Mr. Dunn's Blucher beat Mr. Vipan's Vulcan.
Mr. Inskipp's Idris beat Mr. Gillett's Go-cart.
Mr. Bryant's Election beat Mr. Dobede's Dolphin.
Mr. Baildon's Levite beat Mr. Finch's Geder.
Mr. Edwards's Adam Brock beat Mr. Saberton's Swap.
Mr. Dobede's Dillamore ran a bye.

his Majesty's Stag Hounds hunt in the Aylesbury country on
Wednesday and Friday next.

A person shooting last winter on Mount Lebanon, when
near the summit, on the side of a deep declivity, put up a. bare,
which took a downward course, and which he immediately
shot ; but the impetus of running caused her to roll over seve-
ral times. The snow stuck to the skin, and formed a ball,
which increased every turn. Dragged down by its own weight,
which kept augmenting, it rolled to the foot of One mountain,
and was so large and so hard that the chasseur was obliged to
call some peasants to " cut it open with their alcvs and spades"
to get puss out of her shroud.—Sporting Chropicle.

Heberle, the celebrated danseuse,, leas arrived in
Paris.

Wedne day an investigation took, place before Messrs.
Commissioners Phillimore, WhitmarF;a, and Winslow, at the
Cadogan Arms Hotel, Sloane-street, Chelsea, for the pur-
pose of ascertaining whether or not Robert Rice Lynn, Esq.,
late of Chelsea Hospital, and of: Dorking, Surrey, was of
unsound mind. The commission, was promoted at the in-
stance of Miss Lynn,_ and the proceedings excited consider-
able interest. Mr. Hardy appeared as counsel in support of
the commission, and addressed, the jury at considerable length.
In the course of his speech he detailed numerous instances of
the insanity of the unfortunate object of the inquiry, and these
were so fully and palpably borne out by the evidence, as well
as from the answers of the lunatic himself, and his general de-
meanour, as to leave no possible doubt of the correctness of the
conclusion which the jury arrived at. Verdict---" That Mr.
Robert Rice Lynn was of unsound mind, and had been so
since the 3d of Decelnber last, and was incapable of managing
his own affairs."

The mild and moist weather of the last few days has
brought with it a return of the most violent attacks of the in-
fluenza, which now more generally assumes the typhoid form
at an early stage of the disorder, proving more rapidly fatal,
death often supervening within twenty.four hours of the at-
tack. As its effects aro very quickly developed upon those
who are convalescent from a former attack, all such should par-
ticularly avoid exposure to the moist atmosphere of the last
few days, and particularly at night time.
Our accounts from Ceylon state that at Colombo
arid its vicinity considerable sickness prevailed. A severe
epidemic cold, attended with high fever, had been prevalent,
attacking persons of all ages, but proving fatal only to chil-
dren, a very considerable number of whom had died. Latterly
however, a still more formidable disorder had made its appear-
ance, i, e., the small pox, which had spread with its usual ve..
locity,'an attended with all the horrors of that awful pestilence:.
Notwithstanding the fatality, the great majority of the natives
refused to allow their children to be vaccinated.

Two shocks of an earthquake were felt at Geneve,
on the night of the 23d ult., which were sufficiently violent
to awaken most of the inhabitants. The last was peculiarly
severe.

The quantity of raw silk worked up into manufac-
tures at Lyons during the period of ten years, extev ding from
PM to 1831, is said, in some official returns recently pub-
lished, to amount to 14,000,0001 b., and in vain'', unmanufac-
tured about 60,000,000 f., or 2,400,000/. Of Late years the
Chinese silks have driven those of Lyons airc of the North
American States; and so great is said to be. the abundance of
Oriental silk in the American stores, as to, tompel the mer-
chants to export them at a loss.
The following of the 7th inst., from Rome, is
from the Augsburg Gazette. Several. foreign families havo
left Rome, as there is to be no Carnival. The inhabitants
complain loudly of this determination, and intend to petition
the Government to revoke the prohibition, and with the greater
hope of success, as several prelates b•ave declared themselves in
favour of a Carnival I !!
The cannon-ball foundries at the Toulon arsenal are
in full operation, casting fifty kilos a day, preparatory to tho
embarkment of the materiel of the Constantine expedition.