The Sun.
London, England, 1853-09-21 00:00:00

LEICESTER COUNTY GAOL.

Mr. Welsby, Captain Williams, and Dr. Baly, the
commissioners appointed to inquire into the treatment
of prisoners in Leicester County Gaol, opened the com-
mission in the grand jury room, at the Castle, about
2 o'clock on Monday afternoon.
The appointment of the commission has excited much
interest in the county, and besides the visiting justices
(Sir A. G. Hazelrigg, Mr. J. King, and the Rev. H. J.
Hoskins) Earl Howe, Lord Berners, Sir F. G. Fowke,
Sir H. Halforcl, M.P., and seven or eight other magis-
trates, were in attendance.

After the formal opening of the commission,
Mr. Welsby said, that in accordance with the instruc-
tions they (the commissioners) had received, their in-
quiry would mainly be devoted to investigating the
nature of the hard labour imposed in the prison, the
punishments arising out of that hard labour, and the re-
sults of such hard labour and punishment. He thought
they could do nothing further on that day but inspect the
prison, and would proceed with the inquiry on the fol-
lowing morning.

THE IRISH ELEMENT IN AMERICA.—A New York
• correspondent of an Irish Roman Catholic journal, in a
letter dated the 27th of August, writes, " more in sor-
row than in anger," to this effect The Young Ire-
land party are still without a journal to represent them,
while the Italian and German exiles have each well cir-
culated papers. Their views will be shortly either ex-
tinguished or cushioned—ignorance, intolerance, and
bigotry may overwhelm their principles, as long as men
can close their ears, and refuse to judge for themselves.
The Irish portion of the inhabitants of this country are,
of all others, the least Republican. Their principles are
money, their views sectarian, and their integrity a
mockery ; ready to embrace everything that is novel,
everything that is strange, everything that affords them
a pretext to deviate from the tradition, patriotism, and
integrity that ought to inspire and cement them in one
great bond of brotherly love. `Divide and conquer'
may be applied here as in Ireland. This country seems
to change, alter, and affect them more than any other.
From becoming a very great and powerful element, to
which their vast numbers would entitle them, they
dwindle into mere nothingness. Their pleas of patriot-
ism are rank apostacy ; and he who would endeavour Co
bind them may as well try to make ropes from sand."
SUPPLY OF BOOKS TO WORKHOUSES.—The Poor Law
Board having issued a notice to the guardians of the several
unions and parishes under their control, stating that,
being desirous of promoting the introduction of suit-
able books into workhouse schools, they have made
arrangements with the several publishers to supply
books for religious instruction, lesson and text books,
and maps for the use of those schools, at a.
reduction of 32 to 55 per cent., and averaging
43 per cent., on the charge at which they are
sold to the public. The works included in this arrange-
ment comprise 185 volumes and 118 maps, and are in-
tended for the use of scholars, teachers, and assistant-
teachers, being being reading lesson books, and on the subjects
otformar, arithmetic, geography, history, mensura-
tion,
music, composition, writing, algebra, natural
Y, agricultural chemistry, domestic economy.
draw-
Ing, geometry, mathematics, preservation of health,
Principles of
and ta„ teaching, political economy, astronomy,
Slum gailnilosophy.
of destructive ENGINE.—The prevalence and progress
rally known, dirasi,T America is, it may not be gene-
diminished very very much by the use and
application of what
engine. In its %wards
nn
it is
there as the steam fire
los somewhat similar to a loco-
motive, throws up
fa 200 feet jet, and about
2,000 barrels in an hour, infberorn one to six streams of
water. The machine may
four
operation in five
mannidoh4fausrs.horses, and is cal-
minutes, requiring four masen
evlated, it is said, to do
May last,"LatofCt'he ordinary
ameinnati, of
hand engines. At a fire in
neoattran cataract of
a large brewery, the engine discharged
15,000 barrels of water in eight hours, and
this could have saved the entire square in valid! tbliilet
brewery was from destruction.
INDIAN COMMERCIAL NEWS.—The commerciall intelli-
gence from India by the overland mail
is less unfavour-
able than for some time past. At Calcutta the business
in English manufactures had been extensive, although
there had been a fair
Bombay
at low prices, and at From China,
speculative demand at former rates..the transactions
at how-
ever,the statements are discouraging, ions
at Canton being very limited, while at Shanghai all
the answer
business in imported goods was suspended.
of Governor Bonham, refusing the petition of a certain
suspend
_
portion of the English importers at Shanghai, request-
ing him to call upon the Chinese Government to ,
the collection of customs' duties until the termination
of the rebellion, was obviously the only one that could
have been given.

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