The Sun.
London, England, 1839-09-16 00:00:00

LAUNCH OF THE ALECTO.

This fine steam-ship which was launched on Saturday
weekiat Chatham Dock-yard, is of 200 horse power,
and of the following dimensions :

ft, in.
Length on the deck 164 0
Extreme 187 0
Breadth
Moulded 3l 10

Depth in engine-room lB 7
Burthen in tons 801
This fine steanm was built in the short space of
eight weeks quite complete, and fitted up in the most
tasteful style ; too much praise cannot be given for the
exertion manifest in building this vessel, and for .the
professional abilities displayed i❑ conducting the won, •
The master builder was often in attendance giving
directions, and though a number of men was necessarily
employed on her in building, yet the whole was carried
on without the least confusion, and without a single ac-
cident. The day of the launch was very fine, and a
great number of persons were assembled, being the day
after theChatham races,and every one appeared delighted
at the fine style in which she was launched, and for the
attention paid to the visitors, even to the wives and
families of the workmen. She was taken into dock the
same day and coppered the next, and will be sent to
Messrs. Seawa:d's factory to have her engine taken on
board in the course of the week.

THE CHARTISTS AND THE CORN

LAWS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
Sits,—l read in various Chartist newspapers that the
" Corn-law farce" is about to be revived by the middle
classes, and that the Chartists who have hitherto most.
justly opposed it, are now to yield in base submission,
and take a part in it. Nothing can be more unjust ;
it
the middle classes want cheap bread, let them join the
Chartists to procure a just Government who will abo-
lish all bad laws, but let it never he said that we were
glad to join the enemy. If the middle classes do not
know the effects of an infernal Government, or, indeed,
feel the curse of such, we do, and are therelore deter-
mined to endure it no longer ; besides, what benefit -Pould
arise from the repeal of this one Act ? Would it be fol-
lowed by a total abolition of the murderous, " polgoweel
soup," " coarser food," " painkss extitrtion," bastile god
felon Poor-law ; useless standing armies ; base, brutat;.
and blood-thirsty police ? No ; I deny it. Whoiskhee
then, that is so lest to his own and his fellow-country-
men's interests as to demand a repeal of " the accursed
Corn-laws" (as they are justly termed) ere he has a
voice in the Legislature ? Who is he that, after having
received so many base and unmerited reproaches, and
ill-treatment from those infamous upholders, the middle
classes, that would be so base as to bend before such
oppressors, and cry " here we are, use us for your ser-
vice ;" if such a fellow there be, let him be denounced as
a turncoat and traitor, his actions being a sufficient
reason for it. On with the Charter then ! Let the middle
classes repeal the Corn-laws, if they can, but do not
join them ; they boast of being more learned than we
are, and, therefore, they can plead and agitate better,
and the company will be more select ; besides their
meetings are " lawful," and the police do not interfere
with them, and therefore they need no aid that we
could give them, nor, indeed (atter such base conduct as
they have shown to us), should they have it if they did ?
They now begin to feel the disastrous consequences of
not joining the Chartists. Exclusive dealing, in-
creased police rates (owing to the infamous Po-
lice Bills), Bastile rates, rural police, and many
other things, are bringing them down by de-
grees, and they cry for cheap bread be cause they oannot
furnish money for enormous taxation ; let them, how-
ever, console themselves with this reflection, that it was
themselves that put such unprincipled " men" in office,
and to them also we are indebted for the imprisonment
are
of upwards of one hundred Chartists, all of whom
suffering dreadfully at the present moment, for no other
crime than that of speaking against tyrants. Let all
these things be taken into consideration, and where is
the Chartist that would be so base as to assist
in a repeal of the Corn-laws until the Charter becomes,
as it shall be, "the law of the land."

A CHARTIST.

On Friday morning, about one o'clock, a fire
broke out on the premises of Mr. R. Lance, a dyer, is
Silver-street, facing the new Church, Greenwich. The
fire originated in the shop, but by what means is not at
present ascertained. The alarm having spread, a great
number of people shortly congregated, although at that
early hour in the morning, anrendered all the assistance
they could. The only engine which arrived was the one
belonging to the Royal Hospital, which could not be
worked through the want of a supply of water ; fortunateJy,
however, although the main pipes were not servieeable,tke
pump in the Spread Eagle-yard, belonging to Messas
Wheatley, was not deficient, and with the aid of their
men, w.ho exerted themselves to the utmost in supplyinr ,
water by nearly thirty buckets, which were handed from
one to the other, together with the able and effective
assistance of the R division of police, whose
arrange
were of the most admirable and jndicious descriptiom the
ts
destructive element was got under in about an hour. Mrs.
Lance was first disturbed by a suffocating oppression, and,
fortunately awoke her husband in sufficient time to give
the alarm, but in doing so he nearly sacrificed his wife and
two children and his wife's sister, for he proceeded to the
front of the house and let in the air, which cowed the fire
to burn more furiously.
asfrahiscoinksitnricfotorrthaet thefirst S
timeur-
re ZoologicalyOn Friday
Gardens
the
in one piece. He fed immediately after-
since his arrival in this country. It measured 22 felt in
length, and 27 in in circumference, and was thrown off
walemrodsst, and swallowed four rabbits and a small pig for his
ardelansrgce
meal I He had not previously eaten anything for five
months.—(The Total Abstinence Society shculd elect
this fellow an honorary member : his example wcu'd prove
invaluable.)