The Sun.
London, England, 1839-04-06 00:00:00

ASPEIALTES AND BITUMENS.

Seyisel (A) 22uo_ ...2264.1 _2200

Letters from Constantinople of the 19th ult. an-
nounce that the Porte is carrying on warlike pre-
parations, evidently destined to be employed against
the Viceroy of EGYPT. The Turkish Rear-Ad-
nirul BEY, having failed to obtain an
interview with AthIEMET ALI, who refused to
meet him at Cairo before September, when he
would have concluded his journey to and from
the Abyssinian frontier, the SULTAN in high
displeasure ordered his recal from Egypt, and
commanded preparations to be set on foot for carrying
fire and sword into the territory of his powerful vas-
sal. In consequence of these commands the bat-
teries on the Dardanelles have been strengthened,
the arsenals are filled with workmen, and nothing is
talked of but the prospect of speedily unfurling the
standard of the Prophet.

`With the exception of Capt4irl WALKER, who is
a great favourite with the Capitan Pasha, none of
the British Naval Officers whose services have been
offered to the Porte have been accepted. They
are waiting at Constantinople the arrival of instruc-
tions from the British Government.

We are sorry to observe that the Turkish com-
mercial treaty is not comprehensible by the Turkish
custom-house officers. Their blunders and per-
vereness are the occasion of much annoyance to
British merchants.

SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS

We this day publish the Revenue Accounts for the quar-
ter. It will be seen that the revenue continues to increase.
On the year elided sth April, 1839, as compared with the
year ended sth April, 1838, there was an increase of
2,132,8661. On the quarter ended sth April, 1839, as com-
pared with the quarter ended sth April, 1838, en increase
of 565,243/. On the Customs, the increase for the year is
1,053,1791., for the quarter 349,899/. On the Excise, the
increase for the year is 334,0241., for the quarter 135,6581.
On the Stamps the increase for the year is 143,101/. On
all the branches there has been an increase for the year,
and a decrease for the quarter of only 7,9411. on the
Stamps, and 26,000/. on tho Crown Lands.—Morning
Chronicle.

The Revenue Tables, which we print in another column,
present a gratifying view of the amount of the public
revenue for the year and quarter which ended yesterday, in
comparison with that of the year and quarter which termi-
nated on the sth of April, 1838. The revenue of the year
yields an increase under every head of taxation, without a
single exception, the whole amount of improvement being
2,132,8661. ; and the increase of the revenue for the last
quarter, being a matter of balance, inasmuch as under some
!leads there is a positive defalcation, bears upon the whole a
fair proportion to the aggregate augmentation of the year.
The quarter's increase is 535,243 L, supplied, as will be seen
on referring to the tables, by the Customs, the Excise, the
Taxes, and the Post-office ; while under the heads of
Stamps and the receipts from Crown Lands there is an
inconsiderable diminution. It is consolatory to contem-
plate these official statements, following as they do imme-
diately after an attempt, in which a majority of the Ca.
binet took part, to persuade the community that our mer-
cantile and pecuniary affairs are on the road to ruin, be-
cause we du not give sufficient encouragement to foreign
agriculture, or sufficient discouragement to that of Great
Br itain. —.Morning Post.

The abstract of- the Quarter's Revenue was published
yesterday. The state of our finances is exceedingly un-
promising ; and not all the arithmetical trickeries which
are so well understeod by official men, can succeed in
producing in regard to this matter a favourable impr. ssion
on the public mind. We are shown, it is true, that there
has been an increase on the year, and an increase on the
present quarter, when compared with the corresponding
quarter last year; but the fact nevertheless remains, that
on the present quarter, when compared with the quarter
immediately preceding, there appears a most alarming de-
crease. As to the increase, again, upon the year, let it
not be forgotten that the financial year which terminated in
April 1838 was the most disastrous that our financial his-
tory presents for more than a quarter of a century. The
national income fell, during that year, nearly four millions
beneath the expenditure. That we have increased upon
the income of that disastrous year by two millions, is,
therefore, a fact little calculated to cheer the country,
more especially when it is borne in mind that our expendi-
te, e Lae • Inc reuolusl wlcbin vl.o %eat %N. cl •
months, to the extent of several millions, and must
yet be augmented by several millions more The de-
cline upon the present quarter, as compared with the quar-
ter immediately preceding it is absolutely frightful. Upon
the customs the decrease is upwards of 400,0001. Upon
the Excise, the decrease is nearly two millions; and the
Excise returns are, it is well known, the great test of the
measure of comfort enjoyed by the mass of the com-
munity. England would appear to be on the brink of
war in two or three quarters of the globe. Her ex.
penditure has been increased two or three millions,
since Parliament met; and within the same period, her
revenue has declined by nearly three millions. These
facts speak as clearly as any vote of the House of
Commons can, as to the degree of "confidence," which
the people of England repose in the honesty, and firmness,
and wisdom of the present administration. flow will Mr.
Spring Rice meet the emergency ? Will he, again, try
his luck with Exchequer Bills? or will he attempt to coax
the owners of these floating claims on Government to sub-
mit to an operation in the funding line ?—Morning Herald.

MONEY MARKET and CITY NEWS

TIMES.—Sales of stock continue to be made for the
account of the Bank of England, and no doubt whatever
now exists that the operation is intended to draw in the cir-
culation of notes. With the knowledge sad opportunities
possessed by the Directors, it is thought in the city that
they have been somewhat tardy in taking this course, and
that they might have borrowed a hint from the Scotch
banks, who seem to have had a suspicion near three months
ago of what was coming on, and disposed then of the
greater part of their investments in Government securities.
The Bank Directors, whether justly or not, evidently ap-
prehend some crisis to be near at hand, and it is expected
that after the payment of the dividends, they will increasa
their efforts for the contraction of the currency. Not-
withstanding the enormous amount of bullion lately sent out
of the country, no perceptible influence is produced on the
exchanges, and the large importations of corn are so far
from having relieved the market, that the price is again
rising, and the expectation is that there must be in this
teason, on the whole, one of the largest importations of
grain this country has ever known. This disquiet res-
pecting the circulation is very injurious to the Spring trade
of the country, which is far from having its usual spirit and
enterprise, for the cautious merchants abstain from large
transactions until they can sec the issue of this, and our
manufacturers, as a necessary consequence, also suffer.

P 0 ST.—We regret to have to make known to
our readers a breach of its pecuniary engagements on the
part of one of the American cities, the liabilities of which
are held, and we should fear, rather extensively held, by
the eapitalists of this country. The city of Mobile bor-
rowed a sum of money on bonds dated Ist February, 1836,
to bear interest at the rate of S per cent. per annum, for
ten years, pursuant to an Act of the Legislature of the
St,ite of Alabama. The interest on these securities was
made payable half-yearly, but we learn on good authority,
that the last August dividends have been discharged in
part only, and that the February dividend remain; un-
paid, a circumstance which, whatever arrangement
may hereafter be made by the city authorities of
Mobile, in order to extricate themselves from their
difficulties, cannot fail to be attended with much
present inconvenience to the holders of the bonds. It is
apprehended, we are sorry to add, that but little exertion
was made to provide for the payment of the obligations in
question at maturity, for although the financial embarrass-
ments of the Union have been, perhaps but partially over-
come, yet there are few of the leading banks that had not
resumed payment in specie prior to February last; and it
has not escaped observation that, in the early part of that
month, the stock of cotton in the port of Mobile amounted to
little short of 00,000 bales. The omission of any im-
portant city or of any State of the republic to pre-
pare for the punctual discharge of its dividends is most un-
usual. It is indeed, an occurrence which we do not re-
member to have taken place at any former period of its
history, and, with an abundance of produce at hand, or in
connection with which advances might have been procured,
had the city of Mobile only been really solicitous to pre-
serve its credit, it must be considered a great reproach to
the inhabitants to have allowed so wealthy and flourishing
a place to be less circumspect in this particular, than the
various other cities of the Union which have likewise con-
tracted loans for the purpose of effecting local improve-
ments. It seems, however, that Mobile owes considera-
bly more money than what was raised by the issue of the
above bonds in 1836, and it is taken for granted that the
interest upon this is equally in arrcar. If lapses of the
nature of those here complained of aro not for the future
very carefully guarded against by the people of America,
it is easy to forsee that their securities in Europe will be
held in by no means the high estimation, and command the
high prices, tnat they do at present.

MURDER AT STUBBINGTON,
NEAR GOSPORT.

An Inquest was held o❑ Wednesday last, at the village
of Stubbington, near Gosport, before C. B. Longcroft,
Esq., one of the Coroners for the County of South-
ampton, on the body of James Muckett. The following
erid?nce was given at the inquest :
Esau Ketly.—l am shepherd to Mr. Green, of Court
Bain, in the parish of Titchfield. I knew the deceased,
and I know William Handy who keeps a beer-shop at
Stubbington. On Monday evening last, the Ist of April,
I went into Handy's beer-house. After I had been there
some little time, the deceased, with James Gates came
into the house, and had some beer. In about an hour
Muckett began quarrelling with Handy, but no blows
passed. There were other persons there during the

cven;r,, but Muckett d I unt",
o'clock in the morning of yesterday, the 2d when
Muckett, Handy, and myself came out of the house.
Muckett and Handy were then quarrelling, and I got
between them to prevent their striking each other, and
in doing so, Handy threw me down, but no blows passed
between Muckett and Handy. Handy then said, " Damn
ye, I'll shoot ye both," and immediately went back into his
house and shut the door after him, leaving Muckett and
myself in the side of the road at the front of the house.
Handy's wife then threw my smock frock out of the window
( I having left it in the house). In a few minutes I saw
the muzzle of a gun out of the chamber window, and a
person standing behind the gun. 1 did not see the person
distinctly enough to know who it was. I heard the gun
snap, but the gun did not go off. I then went away, and
left Muckett leaning against the pales at the side front of
the house. In less than a quarter of an hour, and when I
was about a quarter of a mile from Handy's house, I heard
the report of a gun in a direction from Handy's house. I
did not go back, but went on home. I then saw Muckett's
brother, and told him I had heard the report of a gun from
Handy's house, and that I was afraid Handy had shot
Muckett, as he had threatened. I had been drinking all
the evening, but I have a perfect recollection of what
passed when I left the house. I do not know what
Muckett and Handy were quarrelling about, but Muckett
seemed to begin first.

Thomas Knight—Yesterday morning about half-past
three o'clock I was called up by W. Handy. My house is
about a quarter of a mile from Handy's. I opened the
window and saw Handy. He came under the window, and
said to me, " Master Knight there is a very sad accident
happened at our house to-night"--I said, " What's the
matter," Handy said, ,‘ Our Tom's dead ;" I said " Who
was there," Handy said, " they were all gone." I then
asked him how it happened, Handy said, " We had a few
words and wrath rote, and I have shot him," The de-
ceased is Handy's brother-in-law. My son and I then
went up to Handy's house. I went into the room, and
there saw the body of Thomas Muckett lying dead on the
floor. There was a great deal of blood about his face.
Handy came into the room but did not stay. He said,
" there he lays poor fellow." Handy said, " that he did
not know he had had the gun in his hands for two months,
that he did not know she was loaded, he did it to frighten
them," he said, " that she snapped twice but went off the
third time."

James Newlyn, a constable, deposed to having taken the
prisoner into custody.
Daniel Bartholomew—Yesterday morning, soon after
six o'clock, hearing what had happened, I went down to
Handy's house, and saw Handy there, I also saw the body
of the deceased there. He said, "he did not know the gun
was loaded." When Handy told me the gun had snapped
twice before it went off, I said to him, " dear me Handy
was not that sufficient time for your anger to have
cooled," he said, " yes it was, but the gun went off upon the
old cap."

Charles Crumble and Richard Jessey, a constable, were
also examined, but their evidence added nothing to the
facts previously deposed.
Edward Andrews—l am a surgeon, and reside at Tact:-
field. I have this day examined the body and head ^ the
deceased. I found the whole of the antertr part of the
head and the face covered with shot r:Junds. On remov-
ing the scalp I found that from 2to 18 of the shots had
penetrated the skull, and lodged in the brain. There
was great extravasin, which was the cause of the instant
death of the deceased--a portion of the skull was carried
into the brain, From the direction the shots had taken the
gun must have been fired from above.
The Jury without any hesitation found a verdict of
" Wilful Murder" against the prisoner William Handy,
who was present during the whole of the inquisition, and
did not betray the slightest symptoms of fear, and seemed
perfectly unaware of the awful situation in which he was
placed. _

The CORONER issued his warrant against the prisoner as
fully committed to Winchester to take his trial at the next
sessions, held in July.

TODMORI)EN RIOTERS.

By a communication just received from Manchester,
we learn that James Lord, and George Turner, who
were indicted for a riot at Todmorden, on the 21st of
November last, were tried yesterday. After a long
investigation, and the jury taking three hours to deli-
berate, Turner was found guilty, and Lord acquitted.
The jury recommended Turner to mercy. The sen-
tence was deferred.

FABRICATED MURDER AT

PORTSMOUTH.

We stated yesterday that we were not without hopes
of being able to trace out the individual who wrote a
letter from Portsmouth, containing an account of a
dreadful murder which never happened, and we now
rejoice to state that our hopes are nearly realised. We
have it from good authority that the scandalous letter in
question was concocted by two officers of the garrison.
We know these officers, and would advise them in place
of practising such disgraceful frolics to attend to the
duties of their corps, which we also know is not in the
most respectable order. If the peace of the town is
preserved, it is owing more to the exemplary conduct of
the solders, than either to the personal conduct or dis-
cipline of the officers. Compassion for the present pre-
vents us from publishing the names of the two individuals.