The Sun.
London, England, 1854-02-04 00:00:00

DISCOVERY OF THE BODIES OF Two GENTLEMEN—
ONE IN THE SURREY CANAL, THE OTHER IN THE
THAMES.—This morning information was forwarded to
Mr. Charles James Cartaar, the coroner for Kent, of
the discovery of the body of a gentleman in the Surrey
Canal, Lower Deptford, under the following circum-
stances :—The police on duty saw something floating
black on the top of the water, which, attracting his at-
tention, was got on shore, and which answers the de-
scription of the party missing, who was seen near the
spot shortly before. The police have issued the following
description :—Male, 30 years of age, 5 feet 6 inches in
height ; dress, black cloth overcoat, brown alpacca under-
coat, cross-barred waistcoat, black trousers, Wellington
boots. A shell having been procured, the body was
removed to the dead-house, Deptford, to be owned, and
an inquest held.—The second case is that of a supposed
military gentleman, whose body was found off Alderman
Stair's Tower by some watermen. The various metro-
politan and city police have issued the following de-
scription of the deceased :—Male, 21 years of age, brown
moustache and imperial, brown frock-coat, blue-flowered
waistcoat, black trousers, white shirt, Oxonian shoes.
The body was taken to the dead-house, in Aldgate. Mr.
W. Payne, the coroner, will hold the inquest on Mon-
day.
THE HACKNEY CARRIAGE ACT.—Yesterday notices
were forwarded to the metropolitan police stations,
from Scotland-yard, stating that proprietors of hack-
ney carriages were informed that the tables of fares now
on the outside of the carriage being illegible, another
plate was prepared, which might be seen at the Metro-
politan Police-office, Scotland-yard, and at Rochester-
row,t ;
eeha Bpaeign ;
Mile-end-road ; Westminster ; Marylebone-lane; George-street, St.
Leman
e ; t
r e
Bowet,
iggei
wells, Clerkenwell ;
Tower-
street, Waterloo-road ; Blackman-street, Borough ; Is-
lington-green, and Albany-street, Regent's Park. The
-s
proprietors are required immediately to procure the
above plate, and place it on the outside of each carriage,
in compliance with the provisions of the act. Proprie-
tors are allowed to have the plate made by any maker,
but in accordance with the pattern on inspection at the
above-named stations.
AWFUL EFFECTS OF DRUNKENNESS._Mr. Bedford,
coroner for Westminster, held an inquest yesterday at
the Lamb Tavern, Vere-street, relative to the death of
Patrick M'Partland, aged 38 years, which took place
under somewhat singular circumstances. From the evi-
dence of a great number of witnesses, it appeared that
the deceased went into the Shakspeare's Head, public-
house, Wych-street, Strand, on Tuesday night last,
about 7 o'clock, when he was in liquor. He said some-
thing to the barmaid, which a " gentleman" standing at
the bar thinking to be offensive, took him by the shoulders
and pushed him into the street. At the same time loud
cries proceeded from the street, and it was found that the
deceased was under the wheels of a very heavy waggon.
He was picked up and removed to the hospital, where
he died next morning from injuries to the arms and
legs. The evidence was of the most contradictory cha-
racter, one witness stating that the deceased was
seen to be pushed out by violence from the house under
the wheel of the waggon ; another stating that he saw
deceased standing for two seconds on the pavement be-
fore he fell under the wheel, but it was the opinion of all
the witnesses that the party who pushed deceased out of
the house had no wilful intention to e 'use his death.
The coroner, in summing up, pointed out the various
bearings of the law, and the jury returned a verdict to
the effect that deceased died from injuries caused by an
accidental fall.
AMSTERDAM AND lIAMBURGH. The advices from
Amsterdam and El amburgh show a tendency to improve-
ment in the gates of exchange. At the latter place
money remained
abundant at 2i per cent. From St.
Petersburg the letters are to the 26th of January, at
which date the German houses were buying produce,
but the English
were doing nothing. At Odessa, on the
27th of January, the port was still frozen up.
Mexico.—The letters from the city of Mexico, by the
West India mail, are to the 2d of January, and tend to
confirm all the anticipations regarding the speedy assump-
tion of imperial power by Santa Anna. The ceremony of
inauguration of the Order of Guadalupe, originally
founded by the Emperor Yturbide, but subsequently abo-
lished, had taken place on the 12th of December with
the utmost pomp and every imitation of Royal splendour.
Upon assuming the supreme power and accepting
the title of " Most Serene Highness, it was arrange('
that Santa Anna should also appoint his successor in a
sealed document, to be kept with proper precautions in
the Department for Foreign Affairs. " All these move-
ments," it is observed, "must appear frivolous on the
part of the Mexican people, but it is evident they involve
a serious political end, which is that of restoring mo-
narchical principles in opposition to the republican
system of their neighbours, and gradually to bring back
the nation to its own traditions and natural tendencies."
There was nothing new in business, and the rate of ex-
change was 461.
CLARE ISLAND CONVICT DEPOT.—The Clare Journal
states that the purchase of Clare Island has been finally
concluded on the part of the Government, and that with-
in a very short period the necessary preparations will be
made for fitting it as a receptacle for convicts sentenced
to penal servitude.