The Sun.
London, England, 1837-03-20 00:00:00

TIIE FUNDS.

Both the City and Stock Exchange, this morning, were
greatly excited by the Extraordinary Express published in the
Morning Papers, stating that General Evans experienced a
total defeat in the attack on Ilernani, with great loss of men,
and being obliged to retreat on St. Sebastian with the re-
mainder of his army. All that we can say on the above im-
portant event is, that great doubts are entertained in the City
on Lhe subject, as it appears to have come from a Carlist3uarter,
and on the 13th instant the same report was published at
Bordeaux of the total defeat of the army of General Evans,
who was obliged to retreat to his old position. This has had
the effect of reducing the Spanish Funds near three per cent.
Left off at 27k, opened this morning at 241 —at present,
231 24+ ; Passive, 6+ 1; Deferred, 10 to 10- ; Portuguese,
48 49 ; Three per Cents, 311.
Consols also opened heavy. Closed at 90 for the Account;
done at 89i 90—at present 90 ; for Money, 891 ; Exche-
quer Bills, 24 26 prem. ; India Bonds, 23 25 prem.
There arc few arrivals this morning, owing to the Easterly
winds.
The account which appears in the Morning Chronicle of
this day of the total defeat of the forces under General Evans,
and their retreat in disorder to San Sebastian, is regarded in
the City as requiring confirmation. In addition to this tele-
graphic dispatch, wanting everything like dates, a curious cir-
cumstance has come to our knowledge, which seems in some
way connected with the extraordinary express in question ;
and this is, that so early as yesterday afternoon a well-known
Carlist authority here was busily engaged in circulating the
very same intelligence. If no confirmation should arrive in
the course of the day the whole may be considered a fabrica-
tion. In the mean time its effects have been felt in the Fo-
reign Market, and Spanish, which closed on Saturday at
274 8, opened at 241 to 25, and are now at 231 24+.
HALF-PAST ONE O'CLOCK.

In the previous part of the morning the express from Paris
in general was not credited ; since which the Morning Post
has published a Second Edition, with the official account, as
contained in the Chronicle, and which appeared in the French
paper (the Charte), published in Paris at half-past 4 o'clock ;
there, therefore, now can be no doubt of the disaster which has
befallen General Evans and the Spanish army.
Spanish Active, which was previous to the publication of the
Post, at 24k +, immediately receded to 23k ; it has again
lowered to 22k.
The news received from Spain has spread consternation
among the speculators in the Spanish Securities, which are ex-
pected will further recede. They have already fallen five per
cent. this morning.
Consols 94 for the Account ; Money, 891 90 ; Exchequer
Bills, 24 26 prem. ; India Bonds, 23 25 prem. ; Portuguese,
46 ; Three per Cents,: 33/ ; Dutch Two-and-a-half per
Cents, 53i.
THREE' 0' CL 0 CK.
Consols for th• Account, 90k.

Mr. Sheridan Knowles has announced his intention
to be present at the ensuing anniversary of Shakspeare's
birth, and also expresses his readiness to accede to the desire
of the Shakspearean Club, that he should deliver an oration
at Stratford, on the writings of Shakspeare. The proceed-
ings, it is expected, will consist of a morning meeting at the
theatre for the delivery of the oration ; and after that a pro-
cession to the tomb of Shakspeare, where the proposed altera-
tions will be pointed out and explained.
On Monday there were five inquests at Hull, on
children who bad, on the two days previous, been burnt to
death I

We trust that another Session will not be permitted
to pass away without an amendment of the present absurd,
cruel, and anomalous law of libel. Our contemporaries in the
provinces have recently suffered severely from the attacks
which have been made on the liberty of the Press.
During Friday night and Saturday morning we had
a heavy fall of snow, which, however, soon disappeared from
the streets and roofs of the houses in the town, but in the country
it is still lying to a considerable depth. We have, throughout
the present week, had, though cold, yet agreeable weather; the
frost has been more severe than we usually have at this ad-
vanced period, and on Tuesday the tanks adjoining the town
were covered with ice. At Ayton, on Tuesday morning, the
thermometer stood as low as 15 degrees, being within one de-
gree of the hardest frost we had during the winter; and at
Jedburgh so intense was the frost on Monday, that the thermo-
meter stood at 9. It has only been known twice to be so low in
forty years.—Bcrwiek .Advertiser.
A person on whose veracity we can depend, informs
us, that happening last week to call at a house in a western
parish of this county, the " good man" informed him that he
"had just signed a petition to keep people from tearing down
the churches." " Tearing down the churches," exclaimed the
visitor in answer, "who is intending to do that ?" " Why,"
said the host, " the parish-clerk, who brought the petition, told
me that a great number of petitions were sent to Parliament to
have the churches torn down, and this petition was to prevent
it from being done ; so I signed it." On having the matter
explained to him, he was much chagrined at having been
duped by so absurd a story, and expressed his regret at having
signed a petition without first correctly understanding its na-
ture.— West Briton.

Sir W. Molesworth paired off with Lord F. Eger-
ton, and Mr. H. L. Butner with Mr. Price of Radnor, on
Mr. Clay's motion fur a repeal of the Corn Laws.
DRAKE, THE SW I NHL E R.—This person, who
recently attempted to put into circulation a forged bill for
11,0001., for which he has since been committed for trial, has
occasionally resided in Chester. About two years ago, it will
be recollected a venerable personage, named Argent, who oc-
cupied lodgings in Eceleston-lane, swindled Mr. Pritchard,
draper; Mr. Smith, and others, out of linen, suits of clothes,
and other articles, and then suddenly decamped from his
lodgings at a late hour of the night. The occupier of the
house was disturbed by the noise %%hien the fugitive made in
his descent from the window, and immediately alarmed another
lodger—a Rev. Mr. Roberts, and begged him to aid in his
capture. The Reverend Gentleman accordingly bustled down
stairs with apparent earnestness, but the door was so difficult
to unbolt and unlock, that the Reverend Gentleman failed to
gain an egress until Mr. Argent had had sufficient time to
get safe away. The next day the Rev. Mr. Roberts left home
and did not return until after the lapse of three weeks. He
has since occasionally visited Chester, remaining here only
three or four months at a time, but is not now likely to revisit
his former seclusion, as he turns out to be the identical Mr.
Francis Drake, alias Jovett, for whose apprehension so many
rewards have been offered by bankers who have suffered by his
forgeries. To aid his deception, he was provided with cano-
nicals, and, we hear, did duty for a neighbouring clergyman a
short distance from Whitchurch, and made calls not only upon
clergymen in Chester, but also at the Palace of the Bishop
himself. He also engaged several boys in Handbridge, and
on one of his American voyages took them over with him to
be employed on his estate there, which was, doubtless, the ac-
cumulation of his frequent crimes.—Chester Chronicle.
The state of the libel law permits a man who fan-
cies himself injured to choose his own tribunal, however far
away from where he is either known, or cared for; and not
only that, but if he has entered into a controversy, he may
pick and cull just what he assumed to be the cause of grie-
vance, leaving the real and full merits of the case totally out
of the question. What an anomaly is it in the administration
of that law which requires a witness to tell not only the truth,
but the whole truth, to permit a prosecutor to take the opinion
of a jury upon only so much as suits the purpose—not of cha-
racter but of triumph !—Carnarvon Herald.

- -
A pig, preserved in a glass-case, having four cars,
eight legs, and two tails, all perfectly formed, was presented
this week to the Museum. It was farrowed alive by a sow in
Oct. 1802.—Bristol Gazette.
O❑ Thursday a woman, elegantly attired, with her
fingers adorned with rings, called at the house of a highly-
respectable lady in Camberwell, and inquired if there were
apartments to let. On being answered in the affirmative, she
said she should like to view them, and, on seeing them, she
said they would suit her if she could have the use of plate
and linen. The mistress of the house said she would accom-
modate her. On being asked for a reference, she said that
there was no one nearer than Hammersmith to whom she
could refer, and only having arrived in town from Brighton
the previous night, it was desirable that she should take pos-
session that night ; tut if any doubt existed as to her respec-
tability the lady had better decline taking her. The mistress
of the house, after consulting with a neighbour who happened
to call, agreed to receive her as her lodger, and consequently
she took possession the same night. On the following
morning the mistress of the house went to inquire of the
reference, and during her absence the lady lodger decamped
with six tea-spoons and six table-spoons, together with a hand-
some gold vfateh that was left on the chimney-piece in the
parlour.