The Sun.
London, England, 1839-10-14 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

FAMILY LIBRARY, No. 69.
►
Tegg, Lfindon, 1839.
The present volume of this popular Miscellany
contains a life of the famous Roman orator and
statesman, Cicero. The work was scarcely wanted
after- the elaborate biography by Dr. Middleton ;
however, it is but just to the author, Mr. Hollings,
to state that he has executed it in a careful and im-
partial spirit.

RE CHAMBERS AND SON.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sir,—Observing in your enlightened paper of
_the Bth instant a letter from Messrs. Mayhew,
Johnston, and Mayhew, as follows :-
26, Carey-street, Lincoln's Inn,
Oct. 3, 1839.
" Sir,—The assignees are desirous of confer-
ring with you on the subject of the appointment of
Colleagues in their trust, in pursuance of the resolu-
tion of the late meeting of the creditors. It is a
matter of serious concern to the creditors that per-
sons should be selected, and measures to secure
a point of such importance ought to be deliberately
considered."

Tiue I The creditors will certainly show their
prudence by paining well before they choose.
Will they appoint the nominees of the two sur-
viving assignees to be their coadjutors, to fill up the
vacancies occasioned by the decease of three of the as-
sig,nees appointed in 1825, to act in preference to those
proposed by the suffering creditors who have waited
fifteen years without receiving one shilling dividend
out of upwards of 200 0001. received ? Was not that
a stupendous exertion ? The letter says—" The
assignees have laboured in these affairs through un-
exampled difficulties and the greatest responsibility,
and they feel they have a fair claim upon the prin-
cipal creditors for their services towards rendering
as little onerous as possible their future duties."
Query, What were their unexampled difficulties ?
Was one the suing the Earl of Glengall upon a
bill, which was not a component part of the estate
¶f Messrs. Chambers and Son, twice in the King's
'tench in England, and afterwards in Ireland pro-
!, ceeding against his Lordship, the result of which
was the assignees being saddled with their costs ?
Were not Messrs. Mayhew and Co. solely benefited
thereby ?
Was a second unexampled difficulty the suing
the Sheriff of Middlesex and Wilton for a trespass,
to obtain a verdict of one shilling damages, in
which they expended many thousands of pounds in
costs, without having any title whatever assigned to
them of the estates under which they claimed ; they
having blundere.d in omitting to procure any con-
veyance from the Commissioners as the Act 6 Geo.
IV. c. 16 directs ? And what directions had the 7
from the creditors to commence the said action
for whose benefit was that ?

Was another " unexampled difficulty" the per-
mitting Mr. Ebers to run in arrear for rent of the
King's Theatre, nearly twenty thousand pounds
which was lost? He became bankrupt.
Was another " unexampled difficulty" the farm-
ing the estate at Chettle, according to their own
account gaining 751. a-year, and refusing 1,100/.
-a-year rent fearing lest they should deteriorate
the property by receiving the tendered sum,
or 1,025/. difference for such a number
of years ? Was the farming the Enfield property
to a heavy loss, independent of. any rent, and the
large live and dead stock left on the farm when
the house in Bond-street failed, an " unexampled
• difficulty?"
'We must readily allow that it is not an easy
matter to make so large an estate as that which the
assignees administered unproductive to the credi-
tors. Does it not require a considerable degree of
.ingenuity to accomplish such a retrograde pro-
eeeding ?
Was not tile payment to Jesse Lake of 25/.
and 19/. 19s. for his false evidence an arduous and
bold measure ? which evidence overthrew them
after so many trials in the King's B2ncli, ill sup-
port of which the assignees, together with _May-
hew, filed a joint affidavit in the Court of
Chancery' to the following effect, viz. ;—" That
they found Jesse Lake's evidence of such vital im-
portance as to induce the assignees to purchase
a debt for 191. 195., which he told them he had due
from the elder Chambers, of 300/., and thereby
enable him to become a valid evidence ;" to which
Mr- Chambers replied, that " he did not owe Jesse
Lake any sum whatever," in confirmation of which
he stated that Jesse Lake had passed through the
Insolvent Debtors' Court without claiming any
debt from Mr. Chambers ; to which the assignees
' replied by affidavit that they were not aware that,
Lake had been liberated by the Insolvent Debtors'
Court."

The letter proceeds—" We therefore trust we
may depend upon your attendance at a meeting of
the principal creditors, which the assigness have in-
structed us to convene, to be held at the house of
Mr. Groom (one of the assignees), No. 3, Hen-
rietta-street, Cavendish-square, at eleven o'clock
precisely." A SNUG HOLE AND CORNER no
doubt I and as a concluding question, I would
ask the creditors, as far as regards the present
assignees and their solicitors, to appoint those
who may be depended on to do their duty rigidly
and honourably.
Is it not rather strange that after Sir Frederick
Pollock, at the meetinl in the Queen's Theatre,
advised the assignees, in the event of three new as-
signees being appointed, to resign, that they should
he calling a private meeting before they had adver-
tised a general, legitimate, and binding one ? Must
not there be some candle-ends and cheese-parings,
such as Mr. Wyndham once spoke of in the House
of Commons, to be secured ? Be cautious, he cir-
cumspect, ye creditors; ye have once been too con-
fiding, be on your guard !

I remain,-Sir, your obedient servant,
A JOINT SUFFERER.

CORN-LAWS.—The effect of the Corn-laws is
to make food dearer than it would be without them ;
but the price of corn is of little or no concern, except
to their benefit, either to landlord or the large farmer—
whether food be dear or cheap, it is the same thing to
them as regards the consumption of themselves and
families. Lord A. for instance, possesses much land.
He raises his own wheat, barley, oats, beef, mutton,
pork, poultry, and game ; and however high food may
be in the public market, it affects his Lordship very
little, if at all. The food for his family and horses
costs him but very little more whether the price of
wheat in the public market be forty pounds a load
or twenty pounds. Many thousands of the most
wealthy families in the kingdom are in this enviable
and invidious position. Whatever they have to sell—
to send to the public market in dear times, they ob-
tain a great price for, whilst the food for their own
Consumption costs no more than in ordinary times.
The burden of high prices falls altogether on that por-
tion—by far the most numerous—who do not possess
land, but have to supply all their wants from the public
market, and must submit to pay whatever the monopo-
lists of the land and corn choose to demand. It follows
that a large, and the most wealthy, portion of the com-
munity escape high prices altogether, because they raise
their own food on their own land, whereas high prices
fall entirely on the most numerous and the most neces-
sitous portion of the public, who have to provide for
their wants from day to day in the public market.—
Brighton Herald.
THE BIRMINGHAM NEW POLICE. Mr.
Burgess, the Commissioner, has during the past week,
been prosecuting his labours in the formation of the
New Police, with great vigour and success. More than
the number of men required (234) have undergone in-
spection, and been declared eligible for the force. In
all probability the New Police will be in full and effi-
cient operation in the course of three weeks or a month.
--Birmingham Advertiser.
PAYMENT OF LETTER-CARRIERS.—A Dub-
lilt paper recently called attention to the inadequate
remuneration given to letter-carriers, and we are glad
to perceive that the same subject has been agitated by
Some of our contemporaries in this city. At present,
the letter-carriers in Edinburgh receive only about 17s.
or 18s. a-week, their pay having been long stationary.
Luis, it must be acknowledged, is too small a sum for
men filling so responsible a situation, and the careful
and honest discharge of whose duties is a matter of so
much importance to the public. Under the changes
about to be introduced in the Post-Office system, when
the prepayment of letters will remove one of the securi-
ties at present existing for their safe delivery, it will be-
rme still more necessary that the letter-carriers should
Placed above temptation, and that the situation
should be rendered such as respectable men in humble
life Would covet, and be anxious to retain. The arduous
nature of their duties, requiring constant attention,
and
exposing them to all weathers, ought also to be
taken into account, and would, we think, apart from
other considerations, justify an increase of sahry. We
trust the subject will receive attention in the F-oper
q Scotsman •
SOCIETY OF
QUeOn D FEMALE AIIISICIANS.—The
Dowager has been graciously pleased to become ,
!t;Patrcsaess of the Society of Female Musicians, and to 1
B,4bSer, ibe ten guineas a year towards the same.