The Sun.
London, England, 1839-06-12 00:00:00

EXTENSIVE FORGERIES

THE MINISTRY AND REFORM.

Great pains were taken in- all parts of the country,
to assure us that Ministers had seen the impropriety of
their former course, and were now determined to go
forward—that they had agreed to various reforms,
which would be highly satisfactory_and that they were
ready to pursue a course likely to re-unite Reformers.
Mr. Denison, in Surrey, Sir Lytton Bulwcr, in Lincoln
—and all the papers in the confidence of the party,
sung to the same tune.

Those who expected to see this miracle, must now
be &idly disappointed. The speech of Lord Melbourne
on Friday night, satisfied us that such hopes were
vain and illusory. Still there were some who hoped
in spite of hope. The Morning Chronicle, for instance,
was at great pains to soften down the effect of his
Lordship's declarations : " he was cautious about com-
mitting himself in a hostile assembly,"—he "preferred
leaving the explanations to the leader of the House at
Commons"—and other equally convincing and striking
reasons were given for the vague and unmeaning decla-
rations of the Premier in answer to Lord Winchilsea's
question as to his future policy. We were told to wait
for Lord John Russell's explanations, and then we
should see—what we should see.

Well ; Lord John has spoken, and his speech has
opened the eyes of even the wiifully blind—a race to
whom it is proverbially difficult to restore the faculty of
sight. He has made a declaration of " finality". that
leaves not a loop-hole for retreat. He has made it
clear to the " meanest capacity" that the present Ca-
binet is resolved to stand still—to continue in the do-
nothing course which it has pursued for some time—to
resist all demands for extension of the suffrage—for
protection to the voter—or for securing short reckon•
ings between the representative and the represented.
To a better system of registering voters, or even to a
relaxation of the rate-paying clauses of the Briorm
Bill, Lord John is willing to consent ; but beyond this
he assures his followers, " the Cabinet," is not prepared
to go.—Carlisle .Journal.

THE CHILDREN'S FRIEND
SOCIETY.

We willingly insert the following letter, because we
believe this Society, formed for the best purposes, and
with the most humane intentions, is anxious to answer
all that ignorance, prejudice, and also humanity, though
• misguided, can urge aga:nst their acts. What does the
writcr mean by asserting that the Society intends to
send children to any part of the world ivberevet they
can find a market for them ? Is this " Guardian of
Infant Poor" so simple as to believe, on the.authority of
boys of depraved habits, one of whom, the other day,
was committed by Mr. Rawlinson for robbing his em-
ployer and robbing his comrade, that the unfortunate
children whom they take under their protection are sold
as slaves? At the anniversary dinner which takes place
to-day we have no doubt the writer, and those who raised
the outcry against Captain Brenton, who fell a sacrifice
to their wicked calumny, will get an answer.

TO THE EDITOR OF TUE SUN.
Sir,—As the Committee of the Children's Friend So-
ciety appear just now to be in a good humourto infcrm the
public all they know respecting the Society—and some of
them a great deal more than they do know—(God
knows there are many of them know but very little on
the subject)—as they are about to celebrate their
anniversary dinner in a few days, probably they
will on that occasion inform the public how the
thirty children were disposed cf, who were sent
out by the ship James Patterson, Capt. Grote, Nov.
16, 1833. That ship is said to have sailed for Swan
River, under the command of Capt. Grote, taking out
thirty children, twenty-six boys, and four girls, under
the care of Sir James and Lady Stirling ; it appears by
their report in 1835, that eleven of the boys were left
at Albany, King George's Sound, Western Australia,
and that the remainder accompanied Sir James to his
destination (Freemantle), whence returns have not yet
arrived, nor am I enabled to learn that any returns
have been made up to the present day.
If poor children are to be transported, and that for
no other crime than poverty, it is but just to their
parents and the public that they should know where
they are sent and how disposed of. It appears from
their cwn report that they were intended for Swan River ;
but it Is very evident this Society intend to send poor chil-
dren to any part of the known world wherever they can
find a market fir them--byway of thinning the population
of this once flourishing and happy isle.
A GUARDIAN OF INFANT POOR.
Banner-street, June 10th, 1839.

iViETROPOLITAN CHARITY CHILDREN.-
Thursday, pursuant to annual custom, the children of the
different charities in the metropolis walked in procession to
St. Paul's Cathedral, where a sermon was preached. The
crowd of person; to witness the interesting ceremony was
very great. The number of children amounted to above
1,000, and their neat and clean appearance attracted ge-
neral admiration,

Considerable sensation was excited among the bankers
in Stranraer, on the afternoon of Thursday the 23d,
from a discovery that three forged bills for 501. each, had
been that day passed at. the several branches, in the
town, of the British Linen Company, Glasgow Union,
and Southern backs, and that a fourth for 60/. had been
tendered to Mr. C. Kerr, accountant of the British
Linen Company's branch here. Mr. Kerr suspecting
one of the signatures to the bill, refused to discount it, and
immediately communicated his suspicions to Mr. M'Neel,
the agent, which led to the detection of the forgeries. The
four bilis were all of the same tenor and date, and
purported to be drawn by Mr. Rose, parochial teacher
of Glenluce, and accepted by the Rev. Mr. MgDouall,
minister of the parish, with the endorsement of Alex-
ander M'Cracken, Esq., of Glenluce. The bills were
brotight to the banks by two different boys, each bill
being enclosed in a letter also purporting to be from
Mr. Ross, stating, that having to purchase some addi-
tional furniture, and to incur other expenses for the new
school-house which was building for him, he had pro-
cured the enclosed acceptance, the amount of which, he
requested might be returned in a parcel by the bearer.
Mr. M'Neel, on discovering the forgery instantly pro-
ceeded to Glenluce, where he had an interview with
Mr. Ross, and was soon convinced that that gentle-
man had no knowledge whatever of the trans-
action. It was also ascertained that the boys
had not come from Glenluce, and from this and
some other circumstances, and the positive fact that
the boys were known to be boarders at the school
of Mr. M'Gbee, parochial teacher and session clerk
of Leswalt parish, suspicion of course fell on that gen-
tleman, althongh his name no way appeared in the tran-
saction. It was late in the evening before Mr. M`Neel
could return and make inquiries at the residence of Mr.
M‘Ghee, when it was found that he had been absent
from home all day. Police officers were immediately
sent out in every direction, and he was traced to the Old
Portpatrick road, where Mr. AP Neel and Mr. M'Dougall,
Inspector of Police, spent a great part of the night in a
fruitless search for him, though we are informed that
they were once or twice at. but a short distance from
him, and once had him actually in sight. To-
wards morning Mr. M‘Dougall was sent on to Port-
patrick, to prevent his escape by the packet. Mr.
M'Ghee, we learn, spent part of the day at the half-way
house, on the old Portpatrick road, where had ap-
pointed the boys to meet him with the money. On
receiving it, he struck across the moors and came down
on the back of Lcmalt, returning to his own house,
which he entered by one of the windows, a little
before daylight, on Friday morning. On the chance
that he might return and be lurking in the neigh-
bourhood of his residence, Mr. Caird, Procurator
Fiscal, Mr. M.William, writer, and Telford and
Brown, police constables, proceeded there at an
early hour in the morning, and at four o'clock
the unfortunate man was apprehended in his
house and brought in custody to Stranraer. On a
search being made, the whole of the notes he had re-
ceived that day, with the exception of 6/., were found
concealed beneath a chaff bed. During the forenoon of
Fridy, Mr. M‘Ghee underwent an examination before
Mr. Caird, Procurator Fiscal, and some of the Ma-
gistrates, the boys who had been his agents in the
transaction being also under detention and examined,
when sufficient transpired to warrant his committal
to jail. Besides the forgeries already mentioned,
it was discovered that other forged bills to a con-
siderable amount (between 400/. and 500/.) had been
negotiated by the prisoner within the last two or three
months, and the whole of them managed with the greatest
dexterity, so as to secure the object without his own
name appearing in any of the transactions. Of these
forgeries we learn the Southern Bank has between
200/. and 300/., and it is probable that the full
extent to which the system has been carried
has not yet been discovered. It is supposed that
Mr. M'Ghee meditated flight, had he not been appre-
hended when he was ; there appears, notwithstanding, an
extraordinary infatuation in his remaining at home on the
Friday morning, though he had learned that Mr.
M'Neel had been there making inquiry about him. It
is melancholy to reflect on the fate of a man so highly
respected as Mr. M'Ghee at one time was, bearing as
he did the character of being one of the first teachers in
this, or perhaps any other country. So celebrated was
the Leswalt School a few years back, that it was con-
stantly crowded with boarders, and boys were sent
from all parts of Scotland, to have the benefit of Mr.
M'Ghee's instruction. Indeed, we know that his pupils
have always been distinguished for superior attainments
and solid information. Latterly, however, in fact for
some years past, Mr. M'Ghee bas addicted himself to
the degrading vice of drunkenness, and with this irre-
gularity his school has rapidly declined. He was always
remarkable for his perfect contempt of money, indeed
there was no man who set less value on it, and it was
always with difficulty that parents could get him to fur-
nish an account for the education of their children. It
has not yet been discovered who he employed as his
amanuensis in forging the several bills, and writing the
letters which accompanied them ; it is quite certain that
none of them were executed by himself.--Galloway
Register.