The Sun.
London, England, 1839-12-25 00:00:00

MISCELLANEOUS.

4,818 Edin. and (4las. Un. Canalso/. sh. all pd 10/.
Ditto Allocated 90/. sh. all pd 471.
5,400 5 per cent. Edinb. Joint Steck Water 251. sh. all pd 35/
Carron Iron Company ...250/. sh. all pd 441,
2,0005 h 15 per cent. Shotts Iron Foundery 501. sh 48!. pd 54/
10,000 3 per carat. Edinburgh & Leith Glass 201. sh. 16/. pd 81.
4,500 10 per cent. Edinburgh Coal Gas 251. sh. all pd 50/.
4,450 10 per cant. Glasgow Gas 251. sh. all pd 50/.
750 7i per cant. Leith Coal Gas 20/. sh. all pd 504
1,200 . ..... Edinburgh and Dalkeith Rai'wayso/. sh 37/.
23,000 5 ner cant. vunitable Lnan (1,1 ,Tvin v sh. pd 9. 1, I

POSTAGE (IRELAND).—We have made in-
quiries in order to ascertain what effect the reduction of
Postage has had on the correspondence of the country,
and find the most gratifying results may be expected
from the measure. In the week just ended, nearly
thirty thousand more letters passed through the Dublin
Post-office than in the corresponding week in the month
of November, and on some days of the by-gone week
the number of letters was doubled. The total increase,
from the sth inst., is sixty-five thousand, being about
thirty thousand per week.—Dublin Evening Post.

POWDER-MILL EXPLOSION ANI)

LOSS OF LIFE.

Yesterday a Jury was empanelled before Mr. Wakley,
iCoroner, at the Red Lion Inn, Feltham, Middlesex, to
nvestigate the circumstances connected with the death
of Thomas East, a labourer in the employ of Messrs.
Harvey and Curtis, the proprietors of powder-mills at
Hounslow, who met his death in consequence of the in-
juries he received by the explosion of one of the mills in
which he was employed on Wednesday last.
Mr. Harvey was present during the proceedings.
David Williams deposed that he was a millwr;ght,
and on Wednesday last he was at work near one of the
mills belonging to Messrs. Harvey and Curtis. The
deceased and another man, named John Ja-
cobs, were at work in one of the mills. About
two o'clock he saw this mill suddenly ex-
plode, and immediately afterwards 'he observed the
deceased in the stream at tne side of the mill, and ht•
waded across and commenced tearing his clothes off.
He had seen the deceased and the other men a short
time before the accident happened, and they were both
perfectly sober, and the deceased had borrowed a copper
hammer of him for the purpose of knocking the scales
of powder off the mill, and he heard him hammering,
and he had no doubt that he had by the friction caused
the accident.

The CORONER asked whether it was usual for the
workmen, when engaged in clearing out the mills, to
knock off the scales of the powder in this manner
The witness said it was, but they had orders to wet
the mill and the powder before they commenced ham-
mering.

Examination continued—Witness had no means of
knowing whether the deceased had wetted the powder
before he began to work. He had no doubt that the
explosion was the cause of the deceased's death. The
man Jacobs, who had been working with the deceased,
was also seriously injured, but he was expected to re-
cover.

Lucy East, the widow of the deceased, was then
examined—She deposed that the deceased was twenty•
seven years of age, and he left her in perfect health to
go to his work on the day in question. He was brought
home wounded about two o'clock, and after he was put
to bed he told her he was sure he should not recover.
He then said that he had brought it all upon himself,
and that he ought to have wetted this mill according to
the orders he had received from his employers before
he went to work, and he repeatedly said that no one
was to blame but himself.

After some remarks by the Coroner,
One of the jurymen said that upon former occa-
sions, where four or five men were blown up, there
were a dozen applicants the next day ready to take
their places.
The CORONER then observed, that after the evidence
that had been adduced, there could be no doubt but
that the deceased had met his death lqy accident, and
that no blame was to be attributed to any party.
The Jury expressed themselves perfectly satisfied,
and returned a verdict that the deceased was burnt to
death by the accidental explosion of a powder mill in
which he was at work.

We have learned, upon what we consider good
authority, that the Penny Postage plan is to come into
operation in January. We have not heard the day fixed,
but most probably it will be the fifth, which is the com-
mencement of the financial quarter.--Greenock Advertiser.
No I is a useful word—be not afraid to use it.
Many a man has pined in misery for years, for not hav-
ing courage to pronounce that little monosyllable.
A HOSPITABLE INVITATION.—" Come in
out of the wet," as the shark said to the young nigger,
when he took him into his victualling office.
A depot for spurious coin has lately been dis•
covered at Birmingham, and a large seizure made. Per-
haps at no time was the circulation of counterfeit coin
so general as at present.
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY.—From a return
lately published, it appears that the number of students
at present resident in the University of Cambridge is
1,825, out of which number, in the seventeen Colleges
of the University, 1,217 are living in chamber in the
Colleges, and 608 in apartments in the town.
MISS INNES, OF STOW.—The will of the late
Miss Jane Innes, spinster, of Picardy-place, Edinburgh,
and Stow, in North Britain, has just been proved in the
Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury, in
Doctors' Commons, by George Scott and John Thomp-
son, Esqrs., the executors. The deceased was pos-
sessed of upwards of 800,0001. in the funds, and pro-
perty in different parts of Scotland to the amount of
1.200,0001., making together the enormous sum of two
millions, the whole of which the testatrix has be-
queathed to be equally divided amongst all her rela-
tions who can be found, without respect to the nearest
of kindred. About five years since the testatrix be-
came entitled to 500,000/. upon the death of her
brother, he having died intestate, and she being his on►y
next of kin. Notwithstanding the immense wealth of
the deceased lady, her habits were very penurious, and,
as a proof of it, it may be only necessary to mention
one fact ; one dark evening she had occasion to go up
' stairs, which she did without lighting a candle, and in
consequence of her advanced age (nearly 80), she
slipped down and broke her leg, and which accident
ultimately caused her death.
COUNTRY NEWS.—The most prominent, and
by far the most painful, feature furnished by the various
provincial papers, is theldistressed condition of the popu-
lation. The amount of suffering, in the manufacturing
districts more especially, is lamentable. Hundreds of
honest men, willing and able to work, are dependent on
charity for just so much food as will keep them alive.
We are rejoiced, however, to observe the alacrity with
which the more affluent classes come forward with their

" subscriptions" and " seasonable benefactions." As to
politics, almost all the Tory Papers spsak of being
authorized to announce the dissolution of Parliament.

" The Ministers (so say the Conservative scribblers)
have submitted to their fate, and, not daring to attempt
carrying on the business of Parliament with a majority
of between two and five, have determined to play the
Court cards in their hand, and in the next deal cut for
partners." Newport was again, last Friday, thrown
into a state of alarm, supposing that the Chartists were
coming down from the hills ; but there was little other
ground for the alarm than that which the firing off of
sou e small cannon at a gentleman's seat, for amuse-
ment, furnished. Teetotalism pervades the country,
and it would seem that the Irish are not to enjoy a
,4monopoly of "the great moral revolution." Large vege-
..tables of all kinds, prodigious potatoes, and gigantic
'turnips, cabbages, &c., &c., figure in the country papers.
The mildness of the season is another subject insisted
on. And merry Christmas, with its host of pleasurable
associations, is welcomed as heartily into the country as
we in town now hail its advent.

DISTRESS OF THE WORKING CLASSES TN
ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE PARISH.—(From a Correspon-
dent.)—At the last pay-day of the overseers of Ashton,
the applications were so numerous, that the officers
were compelled to stay till one o'clock in the morning,
in order to get through the business ; whilst on previous
occasions, for many years past, the business of relieving
was over at three or four o'clock in the afternoon. Nor
is it the parish of Ashton alone that is thus suffering
the inhabitants of the ‘, djoining parish of Saddleworth
(who are mostly employed in the woollen trade) are
almost destitute of employment, and the poor's-rates
are scarcely collectable ; nor is the township of Oldham
much better situated as respects employment and desti
tution. Surely every town and village will now move,
in order to second the noble example of Manchester.
It only wants a united people, masters as well as men,
to step forward, boldly but yet respectfully demanding
a change in the Corn-laws. —Manchester Guardian.

THE LAW OF I 0 U.—ln the Palace Court
last Friday, judgment was given the case of Holt and
another v. Hart. The action was brought to recover
the sum of 1.5/. on an I 0 U, alleged to have been
given by the defendant in satisfaction of a debt con
tracted at Boulogne, where, as well as in London; the
plaintiffs kept a lodging•house, and the defendant and
his family had resided with them. The I 0 U bore no
date or place. On the trial it was contended that the
document had not been proved to have been given within
the jurisdiction of the Court. The Learned Judge,
however, left the Jury to decide that question, and they
found a verdict for the plaintiff. The Court was then
moved to enter a nonsuit, on the ground that under the
plea of general issue, which the defendant had pleaded,
the onus was on the plaintiff to make out his case that
the promise to pay was made within the jurisdiction.
For the plaintiff it was urged that the defendant ought
to have pleaded in abatement that the Court had no
jurisdiction. The Learned Judge, in giving judgment,
said he had carefully considered the case quoted from
the superior Courts, and although it was breaking
through the practice of this Court for thirty years, yet
he must give way to the authorities before him, and say
that the I 0 U ought not to have been received as evi_
&rice, without its being shown that it was given within the
jurisdiction. He, however, thought
bt, a had thebe case
hard on
n improperly
e
the plaintiff, and as the question
left to the Jury, there ought to .new trial. mr.
Gazelee, for the defendant, stood his right to have
the rule for a nonsuit made onl
absolute. The rule absolute
MEETING.--In the vi lei
was granted.
appears what ANDprofeTsils:s :Vo I
THE "LONDON
last
there
bAneNa-
CIIESTE Et AN TI.CORN..I, AW
report of what pagraat
of Saturday
the great ateeting in the Town
Hall, on Thursday ast, It is just
inch .
ja production as
ho supposed to have
may , beau concocted by some ' '
te person, whoa Llohr.
tera g unable to attend the m 4•
himself, gat some one else ee 4,ing
attempt to tell him what happened, and what; Was said.
__Manchester Guardian.
UNFOUNDED REPORT.--Aaragraph has been
running the round
of the
the firm ofnewspapers to the effect that
Messrs. Samuel Greg and Co., of this town,
had purchased the
ley, belonging to xir.extensiveho spinning concern at Ring-
mas Crompton. We are
authorised to state that T
this
report is not only untrue,
but that there is not the slightest foundation of it.
Manchester Guardian.

EVEINING