The Sun.
London, England, 1837-12-21 00:00:00

and if a letter contain two enclosures the additional
charge is two hundred per ceHt., even in the eases
of the longest distance, although the inereased expense
of conveyance is so small as to be scarcely measurable.
This latter grievance the Post-office does not propose
to remedy at all. All that has been hinted at in
respect of reduction is a diminution of the postage
upon those distances in respeet of which the present
rate is fourpence. It is surprising that the Duke of
Wellington should call this a right course to take, for
it is a mere trick—an evasion. It is, in fact, no trial
at all of the principle of reduced postage as a means of
relief without injury to the revenue. The whole
amount of fourpenny postage must be a ridiculous
trifle. The post towns lying without the range of the
threepenny post, and within the fivepenny rate, must
be very few. Certainly there is-no considerable town
so circumstanced. There is no ground-work in such a
reduction, for an honest bona fide experiment.
Too much, perhaps, has been said about Mr. Row-
land Hill's plan, which, carried to the extent con-
templated by him, bears upon the face of it the charac-
ter of extravagance ; still, however, his plan should be
fairly dealt by, and it is unquestionably true, as stated
by Lord Radnor, that just so much of his plan has
been taken as will in all probability insure its failure.
Lord Radnor protested, and, we think, with good
reason, against the disingenuous mode in which Mr.
Hill's plan was treated. We are far from saying that
it should be adopted. We do not think the country
ought to risk the loss of revenue which such a plan
as his, however convenient to the public, would proba-
bly occasion, unless, indeed, some means were provided
beforehand of making up the probable deficiency in the
revenue. But it is one thing to use a wise caution
in entering upon a plan of such an extent as to risk an
important portion of the public revenue, and quite
another to get rid of this plan, and even to throw dis-
credit upon it by a disingenuous application of it where
it cannot succeed. We do not think the Post-office
will find it possible, by any device of this kind, to evade
the growing demand for reform in the principles of the
department.—Morning Herald.

Captain Goode was on Saturday removed from the
Westminster new gaol, where he has been confined since his
insanity was legally determined, to Bethelem Hospital, of
which he will, in all probability, be an inmate for the residue
of his days.
POMPEY'S PILLAR.—On the 6th of September
last it blew a heavy gale at Alexandria from the westward,
which raised such dense clouds of sand as to render distant
objects totally invisible. But in the intervals between the
squalls, to the surprise of the officers of the Egyptian squa-
dron and the inhabitants of the town, the colours of England
were observed floating on the summit of Pompey's Pillar,
while a discharge of musketry was heard from the same ele-
vated situation. On inquiry it appeared that a party of offi-
cers, belonging to her Britannic Majesty's steam•vessel Her-
mes had, by means of a huge kite, contrived to get a piece of
twine across the top of the pillar, to which was attached a
small cord, and ultimately a larger one was hauled up, and a
ladder was expeditiously formed. A party of ten then as-
cended the pillar, and seated themselves on the summit, with
the Union Jack planted in the centre. Here they drunk to the
health of her Majesty, Victoria, Queen of England, with
three times three, and fired a royal saute. The prospect of
the surrounding sea and country from this elevation, is de-
scribed by one of the officers who was of the intrepid party as
very fine, but the tremulous motion of the pillar was so great
as to shake out the contents of a wine-glass.—Malta Gazette,
29th ult.

An inquest was held on Friday, before Richard
Palmer, Esq., at the Royal Oak Inn, in Hoghton, on thebody
of George Knowles, who died in consequence of a wound re-
ceived from his brother William Knowles. The prisoneris a
man of very infamous character, and, possessing remarkable
strength, has been the terror of the neighbourhood for a great
while, molesting every person with whom he happened to be
in company, and ill-treating every one
who declined submis-
sion to his wishes. It appeared the prisoner, who is about 28
years of age, lived at Riley Green, and had come home in a
state of intoxication on the night of Tuesday, declaring he
would eat all that was in the house. He remained up till
morning, and when his sister came down beat her savagely.
The brother (Robert) hearing her cries, leaped up and
hastened to her assistance, but had scarcely entered the
kitchen when the prisoner seized up the fire-poker and felled
him to the ground, inflicting such a severe blow upon the
temple that he expired two days afterwards. The deceased,
who was about twenty years of age, was a modest quiet lad,
and partook in no way of the ferocious disposition of his bro-
ther. The jury brought in a verdict of manslaughter, and
the prisoner was forthwith conveyed to Lancaster Castle.
Like all bullies, the wretch turned coward when in sight of
the jail, and trembled violently, expressing himself much
grieved at the action he had committed.—Blachburn Paper.
CHURCH-RATES.-011 Friday, Mr. Smith, of Bur-
naston, was summoned before the Magistrates at the County
Hall, Derby, by the Churchwardens of Mickleover, for pay-
ment of a church-rate, amounting to one shilling and two-pence.
Mr. Dunnicliff, solicitor, on behalf of Mr. Smith, made seve-
ral objections to the form of the summons, which the Magis-
trates seemed inclined to overrule, when, eventually Mr. Dun-
nicliff gave the Magistrates notice that he disputed the
validity of the rate for various reasons stated, the effect
of which was to prevent the Magistrates from making
any decision on the subject. After leaving the County
Hall, as we understand, Mr. Dunnicliff, (although there
were valid objections to the rate,) advised Mr. Smith to pay
it, as it was so small a sum, but it would cost the church-
wardens about four shillings to procure payment of the one and
two-pence, being the expenses attending the summons, con-
stables' attendance, &c., besides the churchwardens' loss of
time. We are informed that a party summoned before the
Magistrates for payment of a Church-rate may appeal to the
Sessions, and then if he thinks proper may dispute the validity
of the rate—this will prevent the Sessions making any order on
the subject, and if the party does not choose to run the risk of get-
ting into the Ecclesiastical Court he may afterwards pay the
rate without any expenses which have been incurred by the
Churchwardens before the Magistrates in the first instance, or
in the appeal in the second, which will fall on the Church-
wardens themselves, and consequently the expense of the
Churchwardens before obtaining payment of the rate will be
in most cases six times as much as the amount of the rate
itself. It appears from this affair that the demand of Church-
rates may be met by its opponents in such a way as to make
them nugatory ; as, although some expense may be incurred
by the opposing parties, the expense of recovery by the
Churchwardens will, in many cases, be much beyond the
amount of the rates —North Derbyshire Chronicle.
According to a late census) Vienna contains a
population of 334,000 ; 280,001) persons live in the suburbs.
The males amount to 161,000, and the females to 173,000.
In 1834 the females were 20,000 more than the males; now
they only exceed them by 12,000.—Netta Zeitung.
On Friday week George Dyson, of Holyland near
Barnsley, put an end to his existence by ripping up his bowels
with a razor. The unfortunate man has been in a state of
mind bordering on insanity for some time, and certainly ought
to have been taken better care of.—Northern Star.
DEATH CAUSED B Y ALARM.-On Saturday
morning, the 2d instant; about seven o'clock, Mr. Alexander
Murray, publican Pit-street, and his wife were in bed together,
when they were awakened by the screams of the servant girl.
On opening the bed-room door Mr, Murray saw the servant
standing on the landing, envtioped in flames. She was in
the act of coming intt4 the bed-room, and had proceeded so
near the bed ae to cause the curtains to take tire) when Mr
Murray pushed her back and extinguished the Lines. In the
moantime Mrs. Murray, in her !fight, rushed to the bed-room
Window. which she pulled up, and from thence sprang into the
street, followed by the servant. Margaret Brett, a woman
who lives in an adjoining cellar, seeing the flames in Mr. Mur-
ray's Window, and Mrs. Murray and the servant jump out, ran
to the spot, and assisted the former to her cellar, She after-
wards sent for Dr. Marshall, by,cthote order Mrs. Murray
was conveyed to her own hotises On examination it appeared
that she had sustained k toinpound fracture of both bones of
the right leg, The ease being a serious one, Dr. Marshall
sent for the assistance of Mr. Rogerson, and both gentlemen
attended her till Friday last, when she expired.—Liverpool
Chronicle,
erne following anecdote I have just heard in an
fauthentic quarter :--When the present Royal Household was
ormed, lists were made out of the various departments, among
others that of the medical officers. The names of Sir H.
H---, Sir M. T---, &c. &c. were duly inserted. " Sir
is my physician," quietly observed an illustrious per-
lonage. "Oh certainly, your M—y ; his name shall be
inserted ;" and, with the addition, the list was again read.
" There is a mistake," exclaimed the illustrious personage,
My physician must come first, afterwards you may insert
whatever names you please, but my physician must come first."
On the official list appearing the " College" were in great
confusion, more especially as it was discovered that the fa-
voured Baronet was not a member of the London College.
A diploma was instantly made out and forwarded to him for
acceptance, but it was haughtily end contemptuously refused.
—Cheltenham Looker-on.

THE OURA::G TANG.—At the last scientific
meeting of the Zoological Society, on Tuesday, Mr. Owen
made some observations upon the female our3ng outang now
injthe Society's menagerie in the Regent's-park. He re.
marked that the animal nearly corresponds in size and age to
the Chimpanzee whose premature death was so much regretted
about two years since. It is remarkable for the same mildness
and docility of manner, and for the same reflective and steady
gaze so different from the restless glance of the lower monkeys.
It shows the same affection for its keeper, and the same child-
ish impatience when thwarted of its favourite object, or left
alone in its apartment; but its anger or grief, instead of being
displayed by loud cries or a succession of short quick sounds
resembling a bark, as was the case with the Chimpanzee, is
expressed by an almost continuous whine. The inferiority of
the ourang, as regards the function of the organ of voice, is
remarkable, and appears to have been one of the differences
which have most struck the attention of the keepers. The
hair on the head is all directed forwards, while in the Chim-
panzee the hair radiated from a centre. Upon examining the
teeth they were found to be those of the first or deciduous se-
ries, indicating that the animal is a young one.