The Sun.
London, England, 1830-01-22 00:00:00

LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, JANUARY 22, 1830.

This day was published, in 1 vol. 12mo. 3d Edit. 10s. 6d.

hoards,
DDOMESTIC DITTIES; or, Instructions
to Young Married Ladies on the Management of
their Households, and the Regulation of their Conduct
in the various Relations and Duties of Married Life.

This day was published, in 2 role. Bvo., 11. ss. boards.
I.
HISTORY of the CRUSADES,
for the Recovery and Possession of the HOLY
LAND. By CHARLES MILLS, Esq.
Printed for Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green.
Of whom may he bad, by the same Author,
The HISTORY of CHIVALRY; or KNIGHTHOOD
and its TIMES. 2tl Edit., in 2 Vols. Bvo., 11. 4s. bds.
The TRAVELS of THEODORE DUCAS in ITALY,
at the Revival of Letters and Art. In 2 Vols. Bvo.,
1/. 41. boards.

FREEEIOLD ESTATES.

TO BE PEREMPTORILY RE. SOLD,

Parsuent to Four several Orders of the HIGH COURT
of CHANCERY, made in a Cases " LYNE
THOMPSON," with the approbation of F. P. STRAT-
FORD, Esq. owe of the Masters of the said Court, at
the Public Sale Room of the said Court in Southamp-

ton Buildings, Chancery-lane, London, on WanNns-
nay, the 5d day of February, 1530, in Five Lots,
SUNDRY FREEHOLD ESTATES,
consisting of
A MANSION-HOUSE, MANOR, ADVOWSON,
ned LANDS, situate at Preston, Candaver, Bradley, and
Bentivorth, near Basingstoke, in the County of Hants.

SUICIDE AT THE RESIDENCE OF THE
PRINCESS SOPHIA OF GLOUCESTER.

Yesterday about two o'clock, a tragical event
took place at the mansion of the Princess Sophia of
Gloucester, on Blackheath, by which her Royal
Highness and her establishment were thrown into
great alarm and confusion. The circumstances of
the dreadful affair are as follows :—About a fortnight
back his Majesty, being in want of a couple of fine
doe deer for his palace at Windsor, sent word to the
Princess, requesting that two, the finest that could
be selected from Greenwich-park, might be shot,
and forwarded at the expiration of two slays
to the Royal Palace. Her Royal Highness im-
mediately issued her warrant for the destruction
of the deer, and gave it to Mr. Buck, the de-
puty ranger, who without delay, gave the necessary
instructions to Mr. John Eggleston, the park-
keeper, who had the sole care of them. Mr. Eg-
gleston, who had unfortunately of late addicted
himself to drinking, neglected to attend to the war-
rant, and four days having elapsed without the ar-
rival of the deer at Windsor, Mr. Robert Eggleston,
his brother, who has the superintendence of the
deer in Hyde•park, proceeded immediately to Black-
heath to ascertain the cause of the neglect, where
he found his relative in such a state of inebriation
that he could not obtain from him any information,
and under these circumstances be (the brother) took
his rifle and shot the couple of deer required, which
were without delay forwarded to Windsor. The
negligence of Eggleston next day reached the ear of
her Royal Highness (who was particularly partial to
him, his family having been in the Royal service for
above a century), and she thereupon gave instruc-
tions that she might see him yesterday afternoon,
at one o'clock, in order that she might remonstrate
with him on the impropriety of his behaviour. Her
Royal Highness's commands were communicated to
him by one of the household, and he said they should
be attended to. On Wednesday he received instruc-
tions to shoot a doe for the table of the Princess,
and to bring it with him on the following morn-
ing. Pursuant to his orders the unfortunate man
loaded his rifle, and about twelve o'clock yesterday he
sallied forth for the purpose of slaying the deer.—
Upon leaving his cottage, which is situate in the
orchard immediately behind the royal residence, his
brother Henry (who was in the habit of following
him upon these occasions with a knife, in order to
cut the deer's throat immediately it receives the
fire) attempted to accompany him, but his services
were rejected, and the unhappy man went into the
deer-park alone; his brother returned into the cot-
tage, when shortly after he heard the report of his
brother's rifle, and still thinking that he might afford
him some assistance in the destruction ef the deer,
he went out, when on passing an outhouse in the
orchard he perceived smoke issuing thereout ; lie
opened the door, when to his dismay lie beheld the
headless body of his brother, lying on the ground,
and the piece which had been discharged by his
side, as also the knife. The brother made an imme-
diate alarm, and Mr. Buck, the deputy-ranger, as soon
as it was possible, made the horrible affair known to
her Royal Highness, who was deeply affected. Sur-
geons Harrison and Wattsford were despatched at
the moment by the Princess, but their services were
of no use, as the head of the unfortunate man was
blown to atoms. It would seem that the deceased had
seated himself on a stool, placed the muzzle of the
rifle to his forehead between the eyes, with the but-
end between his legs, and with the ramrod touched
the trigger; the charge of the gun passed through
his head, and through the roof of the outhouse,
and the brains were scattered in all directions. The
body was removed into the cottage, snd information
was given to the coroner, who has fixed his inquest
for Saturday evening at seven o'clock. The deceased
was a widower, and has left two children.

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS, JAN. 21.

Yesterday was the county day at these sessions.
There was a very full bench of Magistrates.
Mr. Serjeant PELL alluded to Mr. Stirling's ac-
count, which had been so long withheld. An attach-
ment had been issued against that gentleman on a
former day, to compel him to deliver up the county
papers, and render his account.
Mr. Stirling's clerk here said that that gentleman
would be speedily in Court to explain his conduct.
When he entered, soon after, he said that he had
as strong a desire as any member of the Court could
hare to deliver up the papers which were in his pos-
session. When it was recollected that .he had been
for 40 years in--active office, it was natural to sup-
pose that a variety of papers must have accumulated
around him. He repeated his strong desire to give
up all these papers, but he was at this moment much
occupied, particularly in the discharge of his duties
as coroner.. In fact, yesterday he had to preside
over five inquests,—two of them at Hounslow and
Isleworth, and others at the Middlesex Hospital, so
that he was unable to return home to his dinner till
11 o'clock last night. Besides, his health was much
impaired, and he was not able to make active arrange-
ments in the collection of his papers. He would,
however, get on as quick as he could in complying
with the desire of the Court.
The CHAIRMAN asked him whether he would un-
dertake in a short time to produce these papers.
Mr. Serjeant PELL suggested that 14 days should
be allowed for the purpose.
Mr. Stirling desired to have a month, which was,
after some further conversation, agreed to, and in
the mean time the execution of the attachment to
be suspended.
On the motion of Mr. HOARE, 600/. was ordered
for the erection of six new tread-wheels in the va-
grant ward of the House of Correction.
Mr. BRISCOE objected in the strongest terms to
the application of this kind of punishment for fe-
males, the ill effects of which, both upon youth and
the female sex, lie condemned as harsh, unjust, and
impolitic.
The motion was agreed to.
BRITISH SPIRITS.

When the Report of the Gaol Committee was
read,

Serjeant PELL rose to take the opportunity
of bringing forward a topic on which he had made
the most anxious inquiry—he meant the consump-
tion of British spirits. He was one of those who
had of late very much reflected upon the unquestion-
able increase of crime, and consequently of misery,
in this great city : he had endeavoured to investigate
the data which had caused this lamentable result,
and although more than one cause was probably con-
cerned in producing such a dreadful state of things,
yet it was obvious to any one who had turned his
mind to the consideration, that there was one great
paramount cause which more than any other had led
to the melancholy demoralisation which shocked
and disgusted every well-regulated mind, in con-
templating the condition of large classes of the com-
munity in this metropolis. He was happy on the
present occasion to have the aid of that Court in
the view which he had taken of this question, for
they had, by a resolution of the 29th of last October,
declared their opinion of the fatal tendency of the
rage for gin-drinking which had unhappily pervaded
so large a number of the people. He referred to this
resolution, not because he thought it calculated to
meet the growing evil, but it was declaratorY of the
principle upon which the motion proceeded, namely,
that the consumption of British spirits in this great
town, to the extent which had been demonstrated, was
dreadful and horrible evil.—(Hear.)—The ♦ice of
drunkenness had notoriously increased, and exactly
in proportion to the cheapness of liquor. What steps
could be taken to diminish the alarming growth of
this vice ? For his own part he only knew of one
mode of proceeding, and that was by a direct and
public declaration that the evil had attained a height
which loudly called for the prompt application of
some remedy. It was scarcely credible to think
what facilities were afforded for the consumption of
gin in London. There were places in which a gallon
of that liquor could be purchased for the small sum
of 3s. 4d., or a glass of it for lid. At this low
rate an unhappy being, broken in mind and body,
could drown all recollection of his present sufferings,
and banish all thought of his future fate. It would
be, perhapS, recollected that he had some time ago
taken an active part in the establishment of a pauper
lunatic asylum for the county of Middlesex. About
a year ago, there were found within its walls 825
wretched inmates, but they had of late increased to
1,100 or 1,200; and it was a notoriously medical
fact, that this increase mainly was attributable to the
dreadful practice of gin-drinking.—(Hear.)--The
Learned Serjeant then concluded by moving the fol-
lowing resolutions:—
" That the present low price of British spirits affords
such an encouragement to an improper indulgence in the
same, aggravated as the mischief is by the mixture of de-
leterious ingredients, that the increase of misery, madness,
and crime in the metropolis may in no small degree be
imputed to it.
" That the Magistrates of Middlesex have no adequate
means in their power by which the evil can be prevented.
" That these Resolutions be signed by the Chairman of
the Sessions, and forthwith be presented by him to his
Majesty's Secretary of State for the Home Department, to-
gether with the earnest expression of the hope of this
Court, that his Majesty's Government will take the same
into its consideration, and apply such remedy as in its wis-
dom it shall think fit."

Sir GEORGE HAMPSON, in cordially seconding this
motion, begged to corroborate from his actual know-
ledge, as a viiiter of their county prisons, the dread-
ful fact that the consumption of ardent spirits was
one of the mainly influential causes of the recent in-
crease of crime.

Mr. BRISCOE hoped that the Learned Serjeant's
proposition would receive the unanimous support of
the county Magistrates.—(Hear.)—He should,
however, like to add a word or two to one of the
Resolutions, expressive of the aggravation of the
evils now become so notorious, from the addition to
the liquor of the noxious and poisonous ingredient
of vitriol. Gin itself was bad enough even in what
was called its pure state, when thus drunk by the
poor in large quantities; but its deleterious effects
were dreadfully heightened by this infusion of vi-
triol ; and this was, he understood, always the case
with the cheap liquor. Gin, at 3s. 4d. a gallon, if
not adulterated in this manner, was not likely from
its reduced strength to be very noxious; but it was
the addition of vitriol which did the mischief. He
thought some sort of penalty might be devised for
this adulteration of gin with vitriol; then perhaps
the effect would be to augment the price of the
liquor, and place it more beyond the reach of those
who were now become such shocking spectacles
from their mournful propensities.
Sir R. BIRNIE concurred in all that had been
said upon the prevailing vice of drunkeaness. His
situation gave him melancholy opportunities of ob-
serving the dreadful prevalence of drunkenness
which now degraded the metropolis. For example,
on last Monday morning he had no less than 72
charges brought before him at Bow-street, for abso-
lute and beastly drunkenness—(Hear, hear)—and
what was worse, mostly of women, who had been
picked out of the streets, where they had fallen
dead drunk. It had been said that the Magistrates
had the power of preventing persons ‘vho did not
conform to the law in ,fitting up their houses, from
having their licences renewed; but, be it remem-
bered, that was not always a very safe power to ex-

ercise, as was discovered by the late Sir Nathaniel
Conant, and two other respectable Magistrates, who
had to bear the expenses out of their own pockets,
of different actions which had been brou rht against
them for refusing to continue the licence of an indi-
vidual. For his part, he was determined to resist
the licence of all those persons who hadside-doors.
Mr. WEEKS called for the production' of a series:
of resolutions drams up in 1816 by Mr. Gifford, and'
which, if enforced by the Magistrates, as they ought
to be, would at least abolish this new mode of
fitting up gin-shops.
Mr. BRISCOE said that it would be in vain, he
feared, to wean poor people from the use of gin
until some wholesome substitute of beer could be
provided for them good and cheap. But how could
this be done until the dangerous monopoly of the
great brewers of the metropolis were shaken. All
regulations would be useless while this monopoly
flourished.

Sir E. HAMPSON on the next Court day would
bring the subject of those resolutions of 1816 be-
fore the Court;

Mr. Serjeant Pell's resolutions, as amended by
Mr. Briscoe, were then carried unanimously.
The Court broke up at five o'clock.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

GUILDHALL,

A man named Welch attended before Mr. Alder-
man COPELAND yesterday, to complain that the
overseers of St. Andrew's, Holborn, had refused to
relieve him. The overseers had been summoned to
meet him, and were also in attendance.

The pauper's statement was taken in writing, and
signed by him; and the parties retired.

BOW.STREET.

Yesterday a police consta►le, named Robinson,
No. 114, and attached to the letter F division, np-
Peared before Mr. MINSHULL for advice and assist-
ance, under the following distressing circumstances.
He stated that on Monday last his wife lay in,
and she was attended in her confinement by the
assistant of a medical gentleman, residing at West-
minster. After she was delivered, the medical man
left her in the care of a nurse, and she and the infant
were as well as could be expected. Before he went
he directed the nurse, if she found her patient in
any pain or the infant, to send to his employer's
shop for some castor-oil, The nurse subse-
quently found it necessary to obey his direction,
and when the medicine arrived, a portion of it
was administered to both mother and child.—
The infant, however, had hardly swallowed the
dose, when it was seized with violent convul-
sions, and after lingering in torture for a few hours,
it stiffened and died, and its little body soon after
exhibited the appearance which would be occasioned
by a deleterious drug. The mother also had ex-
perienced similar symptoms, and the anguish which
she still suffered was most excruciating.
Mr. MINSHULL regretted the situation of the ap-
plicant, but observed that natural causes might have
occasioned the misfortune.

The constable shook his head, and handed the
bottle, with the remains of the medicine in it, to
the Magistrate.
Mr. Mlr4stium. could pass no opinion upon the
contents, but castor oil appeared to be one of the in-
gredients. He recommended the constable to have
the contents submitted to a Chymical process.
The constable had gone for that purpose to no
fewer than six Doctors, but all of them, in the most
peremptory manner, declined to have any thing to
do with the matter, observing that they had no
desire to interfere with the practice of other pro-
fessional men.

Mr. MINSHULL expressed some surprise at hear-
ing this, and observed that the refusing to satisfy
the mind of a person under such circumstances re-
flected very little credit on the members of a liberal
profession. He advised the applicant to lune the
child opened and examined by the surgeon of the
parish in which the transaction had taken place.
The constable would follow the directions of the
Magistrate, and withdrew.
A female of lady-like appearance, who announced
herself as the wife of a musical gentleman of ac-
knowledged talents, who held an appointment in
the orchestra of Covent-garden theatre, applied to
the Magistrate to compel her husband to support
her. The lady stated that she went to Bath on a
visit some time ago, and on her return found that
her place was occupied by one of her husband's
pupils. When she upbraided him with his conduct,
he told her he had pleased himself, and she might do
the same.

Mr. MirismuLL told the lady that the regular
course would be to prefer her complaint through the
parish officers.