The Sun.
London, England, 1854-04-18 00:00:00

TEE 11714' LONDON, TTIESDA.Y EVENING, APRIL Je. 18ad,

~.

V! 0. to

AMERICA.

LIVEP?O3L,
MESDAY, 1 30 A.m.--By the steamer
Africa we have advices from New York to the sth
inst. She has brought $200,000 in specie. On
the 9th of April she passed the ship Florida, steer-
ing westward, in lat. 52, long. 41. On the 16th
spoke the brig George Marsden, 56 days from
Malta, short of provisions, and supplied them
same day passed the brig Ocean and ship General
Washington, steering westward, in long. 11 28 ;
and at 5 25 p.m. passed the steamer Arabia, from
Liverpool for Boston.
The steamer Baltic arrived at New York on the
4th.

The steamer City of Glasgow had not arrived at
Philadelphia. Sh© was•in her 36th day out from
Liverpool.
In the House of Representatives at R-ashington
Mr. Campbell, of Ohio, introduced a resolution
requesting the President to open negotiations with
England, with the view of ascertaining upon what
terms the latter Government would consent to the
annexation of Canada to the United States The
resolution was rejected by a majority of 119 to 28.
From Havannah, we have advices to the 29th ult.
duel' inconvenience was felt in many parts of the
slaw.' from drought. Upwards of 20 sugar plantaT
ons, including some of the largest in the island,
lad been destroyed by fire, the dry cane having
ignited from sparks issuing from a railway locomo-
tive.

The Spanish war steamer Pizarro had been lost
on a reef of rocks off the east end of Cuba.
The tendency of the New York stock-market was
still downward. The money-market was active at
7 per cent. for call loans, and 9 to 10 per cent. for
first-class paper.
Exchange on London, 108 to 1081 ; Paris, sf.
161 to sf. 13c.
Cotton in limited demand, without change in
prices. Wheat and flour in good. demand, at
slightly improved prices.
Pork dull, and. lower. Beef in good demand, at
advancing prices.
Scotch pig iron in good demand, at $4l to $42
50c., six months.
Freights to London without change.

-

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

GUILDHALL.—ChaTIea Miller was charged with
burgiariously entering the premises of Messrs. Emery,
the drapers, at the corner of Holborn-hill and Farring-
don-street, and stealing therefrom a piece of Cobourg
cloth of the wholesale value of 28s.
Police-constable 292 said, that about two o'clock
yesterday morning, as he was going up Farringdon-
street, he saw the prisoner come out of No. 44, and pull
the door to after him. Witness followed him, and he
then ran up Skinner-street, where he was stopped by
policeman 247. The house No. 44 was an empty house,
and the prisoner, when he came out of it, bad neither
boots nor shoes on his feet. Witness took him to the
police-station, and returned to watch the premises.
Inspector Teague said, when the prisoner was brought
to the station he noticed his hands were black, as if he
had been clambering over the roof of some house or
other building ; and on receiving the charge he went
with Sergeant Oram and the two officers, 292 and 247,
to inspect the premises in Farringdon-street, when three
large bags (evidently intended to carry the property
away in) were found near the window on the first floor,
leading to the leads over Messrs. Emery's shop adjoin-
ing. Witness went on the leads, and found the padlock
that secured the skylight had been forced from its posi-
tion, the staple and screw having been drawn by means
of a spike gimlet. He also found some congreves, some
of which were partially consumed, strewn about the
floor, and a knotted rope suspended, from the skylight
in the shop to answer the purpose of a ladder. A pair
of boots was also found on the premises, which witness
gave the prisoner, telling him he had brought him his
boots, upon which the prisoner put them on his Let
without making any remark.

Sergeant Oram said on receiving informat;on of the
prisoner's apprehension on a charge of burvhry, he
wen to the back of the empty house facing Plumtree-
court, and after climbing over the walls he got on the
leads of the adjoining premises, belonging to Messrs.
Emery. The window of the back room on the first
floor was open, and in the room he found a spike gim-
let, which had been used in forcing the padlock, a
jemmy, a dark lantern, a pair of boots, and a piece of
Cobourg cloth. He also found a knotted rope sus-
pended in the shop from the skylight, by which access
had been gained to that part of the premises, and a
ladder was placed .hear, the skylight to afford egress.
A snopman to MesSrS. emery identified the Cobourg
cloth as his employers' property, and stated that the
premises were elosed on Saturday night at half-past 9
or 10 o'clock. Several of the young men, as well as
Mr. Emery, slept on the premises. The Cobourg cloth
produced was left on the counter in the shop onSatur-
day night.
The prisoner was remanded.

LAMBETH.—Mrs: Catherine Saville, a respectably
dressed, middle aged female, was charged with de-
stroying George Edward Saville, her infant son, by
drowning.
Ellen Doyle, a servant to the prisoner and her
husband, said, on Saturday morning last a little before
9 o'clock, I saw my mistress (the prisoner) carry the
baby up stairs in her shawl, and soon after she came
down stairs and went out. Immediately after I thought
I heard the baby cry, and went up stairs, but on try-
ing my mistress's bed-room, I found it was locked and
the key gone. I ran down stairs again, and found a
key which opened the bed-room, On unlocking the door
and going into the room, I saw the poor child lying on
the floor with its face in a basin of dirty water. I
screamed out as loud as I could, and some persons came
to my assistance, but the baby was quite dead.
Eliza Pursell, residing at No. 7, Leonard's-square,
Finsbury, deposed that on Saturday morning she was
at the house of Mr. Saville, and on hearing the last
witness scream, she ran up stairs, and found the child,
who had been just removed from the position in which
it had been found, with its head in a basin of cold water,
quite dead.
Sergeant John Holdeway, 4 P, said that from infor-
mation he received he went to the house of Mr. Saville
on Saturday forenoon, and took the prisoner into cus-
tody. He told her that he took her for killing her
child, and she made no reply, nor did she betray the
slightest regret or emotion when he told her so.
Mr. Clifford, the relieving officer of Camberwell
parish, informed the magistrate that from inquiries he had
made on the subject, it appeared that the prisoner, after
taking the child up stairs, and no doubt placing it in
the position in which it was found, set out from her
home, and proceeded to the place of business of her
husband near Finsbury-square, and on seeing him at
once stated to him the particulars of what she had done.
The husband hoped, though his wife had for some days
exhibited symptoms of aberration of mind, that she was
not guilty of the act, but at once hurried home, when
he unfortunately found t hat her story was true.
Mr. Elliott said that lie should have to remand the
prisoner. After giving the usual caution, the magistrate
asked the prisoner if she wished to say anything in reply
to the charge against her ?
The prisonei., with a smile on her coin tenance, re-
plied—l wish to speak nothing but the truth. I knew
that the child had been very much neglected, and I
thought it bad better die and go to Heaven at once. I
was very comfortable, and had everything I wanted.
She was then removed from the bar, and the magic.
trate gave directions that she should be at once taken
to Ilotsemonger-lane gaol, to prevent the excitement
that it was thought would have been occasioned by her
being placed with the other prisoners in the cells of the
court, and Serjeant Holdeway was desired to mention
the nature of the charge against the prisoner and her un-
fortunate malady to the prison authorities, so that she
might he carefully looked after and have the attandance
of Mr. Harris, the medical gentleman in charge of the
prisouers there.

THAMES.—knit ilf`Caray, an elderly Irishwoman,
of No. 5, Glasshouse.yard, Rosemary-lane, was charged
with stealing 3/. 13s. 6d., a hat, handkerchief, and other
property, from the person of Lewis Morris, joiner, of
72, Great College-street, Camden-town.
The prosecutor, whose manner created great merri-
ment in a crowded court, said he was passing over
Tower-hill late on 'Saturday night, when he fell down
and took a nap on the stones. (Laughter.)
Mr. Yardley—lt was very cold, was it not ?
Witness—Well, I did not feel it so, because I had
something warm within me. (Laughter.) Well, sir, I
had a bit of a dream, and while I was dreaming I thought
that some one was pulling at the guard chain of my
watob. I woke up in a fright, and lo and behold there
were two women had hold of me, and stripping me. My
hat and handkerchief was gone, my coat was half off,
all the money I had, 3/. 13s. 6d. was taken out of my
waistcoat pocket, and my watch guard was cut.
Mr. Yardley—You did not lose your watch, I hope,
Mr. Morris ?

Witness—No, sir ; but. there were no thanks to the
ladies. My waistcoat was rent to pieces, and my fob
was cut. I grasped and held them both, and sung out,
" Murder !—police !" as loud as I could ; and when a
police constable came up, I said, " Take these women in
charge for robbing me." Ile said, •' No, I will uot." I
said, " You shall, for they have robbed me.", " Will
you swear it ? " says he, " To be sure I will," said I ; " is
not my waistcoat rent open ?" but he would not take
them in charge.—l told him I should turn them over to
another officer, and he took one woman and let the other
go. It was the most complicated affair I ever knew.
Mr. Yardley—So it appears ; did you find your
money ?
Witness—No. I want to know what became of my
hat, sir ?

1;i r. Yardley—That is a question I can't answer.
Most likely the person who took the money took your
hat. You lost 1/. 13s. 6d.

Witness (staring)-11. 13s. 6d. I Why it was 3/. 13s. dd.
They did not leave me enough for a pot of beer. (Loud
laughter.)
Mr. Yardley—Only lt. 134. 6d, is entered on the
police-sheet. .

Witness—lt is a mistake in the entry. At the sta.

tion•house I saw strange things, and the inspector made
use of very obscene language, quite derogatory to human
nature.

Mr. Yardley7-Well, what did he say ?
Witness—He said, "So help me God, you know a
great deal too much, old fellow."

Mr. Yardley— I very much doubt the correctness of
the inspector's observation, but do not see any obscenity
in it. Now go on.
Witness—There ends my catechism. (More laughter.)
Police constable Bailey, No. 107 H, said that he
heard the prosecutor calling out " Police," and on going
up to the spot he found hun without his hat struggling
with the prisoner, whom ho charged with robbery.
There was no other woman near him.

Morris can you stand there and tell such A. lie ?
I had hold of both.
Bailey—I only ,aw one.
Mr. Yardley—And you only found ls. Cd, upon the
prisoner. Discharge her.

DISERINCHISING SOME HUNDREDS OF VOTERS.----On
Saturday the " five bills" of the Attorney-General to
disfranchise certain voters in Canterbury, Cambridge,
Ringstort.upon-Hull, Mahlon, and Barnstaple were
printed. The names of the voters set forth in the bills,
and it is declared that they were proved to have been
guilty of bribery before the late commissions. There-
ford it is declared that they shall " for ever be disabled
to vote in any election of any member or members" for
the particular boroughs named by the bill.
THE GREEK INSURRECTION.—It is currently reported
in respectable circles in Manchester that the Greek mer-
cantile houses there, and in London and Liverpool, have
subscribed largely to •
promote the insurrection in Tur-
key. The Manchester band alone is said to have reached
10,0001.

OFFER OF A POLISH LEGION TO THE BRITISH Go-
VERNMENT.—A. proposal has been made on the part of
the Poles to form a Polish Legion, which being supplied
with munitions of war shall fight side by side with the
English and French troops against the common enemy.
An address to that effect was sent to the Right Hon.
the Earl of Aberdeen, First Lord of the Treasury, for
his approval; the following is the noble earl's reply
"Downing-street, April 13.
" Sir,—l am desired by my Lord Aberdeen to acknow-
ledge the receipt of the letter you addressed to him on the
3rd inst., in which, adverting to the declaration of war by
England and France against Russia, you express a hope,
ou behalf of yourself and your countrymen residing at
Portsmouth, that her Majesty's Government will allow I
you to form a Polish Legion, which being supplied with
munitions of war shall fight side by side with the English
and French troops against the common enemy; and I am
to acquaint you that your letter has been referred for the
consideration of the Secretary of State for War and the
Colonies.----I have the honour to be, sir, your übe iient
servant, •

CIaLNTON G. DAWILINki.
" Major StaWiar■ki, 43, Grigg-street, *outlaw,
Forteriaoutla."

w y ,

SYBO-EGYPTIAN SOCIETY,

The last ordinary meeting of the Syro-Egyptian So-
ciety was held on Tuesday evening, the 11th inst., at
their rooms, Mortimer-street, Cavendish-square ; Mr.
Thomas Wright, F.S.A., in the chair.
After the reading and authentication of the minutes of
the preceding meeting, the Rev. Dr. Hewlett and Mr.
Keen were declared elected members of the society.
The following communications were made to the meet-
ing-
1. The exhibition of a coin, with some very small yet
beautifully executed objects in terracotta, from the city
of Tadmor, in the neighbourhood of the city of Palmyra.
These were almost square in form, having upon each two
recumbent figures, and were evidently the production of
a considerably advanced state of art, on account of their
smallness, as well as of the beauty of execution of the
figures upon them. A magnified drawing of these was
exhibited, which showed that in their general character
they were Pahnyrene. The figures represented were
those of a male and female gracefully reclining upon a
Roman couch, their head-dress, however, not being
Roman, but partaking rather of an Oriental style.
2. A paper was read, "On the Intellectual Character
and Habits of the Arabians, as, for the most part, dis-
played in the' Mtikare4t of Al Hariri, of Basra," by Dr.
W. Camps, treasurer of the society. Dr. Camps, com-
menced his paper by stating that, on the occasion of the
establishment of the Chronological Institute of London,
lie read the first of a series of papers on the Chronology
of Medical Literature, from the earliest periods of the
history of medicine, and, in consequence of historical
and literary researches for that purpose, he was led to
observe, in some degree, to what extent the literature as
well as the science and art of medicine were indebted to
the Arabian school—an obligation not unfrequently ad-
mitted and acknowledged in classical medical literature
of more modern times. At about this time, too, by a
most fortunate accidental-coincidence, there fell int I his
hands Mr. (now, he believed, Professor) Preston's trans-
lation from the original Arabic, with annotations, of the
Maledendt of Al Hariri, of Basra, and he was thus in-
duced to look the more closely into this work, in order
to glean what informetion it might afford as to the in-
tellectual habits and tastes of this people at a given
period in their history ; and in this he had by no
means been disappointed, for it contains a great
deal of ethnological information, as bearing upon the
moral, uncial, and intellectual faculties and habits
of one of the most ancient and, in many respects, a very
remarkable race of the human family. Consider-
' ing this people as one variety of a more comprehensive
ethnological class or group commonly designated by the
term Caucasian,' they at once present themselves to our
notice attended by much that is highly interesting in
connection with the early history of mankind. Cognate
with the Hebrews, by descent from the Jewish Patriarch
Abraham, and so from his son Ishmael, the child of an
Egyptian woman servant, they are not even on that
account, devoid of interest as to their origin and early
history. In act opinion of many—in which the author
of the present paper concurs—the writer of one of the
oldest poetical works extant was rather Arabian than
Jewish--a volume which, regarded merely as a literary
composition, presents us with, most unquestionably, one
of the very finest and most beautiful specimens of con-
templativp poetry that the world has ever seen, or pro-
bably ever will— namely, that ancient work known to
us by the familiar term, the " Book of Job." Amongst
the different people composing the Syro-Arabian race,
few, if any, are better known to us than the Jews and
their congeners, the Arabians ; and tenaciously as
the former (the Jews) have preserved unto this day
their national characteristics, the latter (the Arabians)
have not less markedly and tenaciously preserved
their nationatepeculiarities. Physically, they are des-
cribed by writers and travellers amongst them to be to-
day what they,are said ever to have been ; arid whether
observed in their own proper -country, Arabia, and in
adjacent geographical 'kilts, or in Africa, this people
are the faithful representatives of the Semitic races. The
Arabians, properly so called, and modifications always
excepted, are, with but few exceptions, rather thin than
robust ; the superior class amongst them, as the sheikhs
and their families, have a most marked resemblance of
figure, the skin indeed varying in colour ; the face is
usually long and thin, the forehead rising in beautiful
but not large expansion towards the summit of the head ;
the nose is for the most part regular and aquiline in
shape, the mouth and chin striking and expressive, thus
imparting a roundish rather than an angular appearance
to the face; the eyes are, commonly dark, almost black
and sparkling, and deeply seated under the eye-brows.
Their limbs are supple, and not very muscular, and
rather small than otherwise, whilst the hands frequently,
even of the males, have a delicacy of size and form which
is almost feminine. In their social relations, too, they
have preserved the same manners and customs, towards
each other, and towards strangers, as they are said to,
have exercised in the remotest period of their history.
About 600 years after the birth of Jesus Christ, a new re-
ligion, followed subsequently_by a new era in literatureand
the arts, had its origin in Arabia. The inhabrante of
this country under their leader, both a prephet and a
warrior, Mehemet, and his immediate successors, issued
forth, sword in hand, from the deserts of Arabia, and
rapidly subjugated to the Koran, by their sword, several
great and powerful provinces in Asia and in Africa, as
well as a great part,, if not the whole, of one European
province, that of Spain. The study of their venerated
book, the Koran,.consisting for- the most part of the
wild raphsodies of Mahbritet and the profession of arms,
were the only pursuits then in repute, or even tolerated
amongst his earliest followers. Under the first succes-
sors of Mehemet, that noble and stupendous monument
of ancient literature, the library collected at Alexandria,
in Egypt, the most magnificent assemblage of books that
the civilised world could at that time boast of, was con-
sumed by conflagration to ashes. In this devastation,
according to some authorities, four, according to others
eleven, hundred' thousand volumes were destroyed, six
hundred volumes only, as it is said, being rescued from
the flaming havoc. When, however, the religious fana-
ticism of the followers of Mahornet had somewhat abated,
after they had become enriched by commerce, and their
military ardour was satiated with conquest, their ignorant
ferocity gradually subsided, and subsequently literature
and the arts were cultivated amongst them, and with
great industry. The medical profession in particular was
rewarded and encouraged with rank and liberal endow-
ments, in many instances superior to every other nation
where the healing art had hitherto been exercised ; and
they, i.e., the Mahometans, early endowed several me-
dical schools in Persia, in Africa, and in Spain. It be-
came a custom with the Mahometans, wherever they
built a temple for religious worship, to append to it a
school, and an hospital for the cure and relief of the sick.
Historians assert that one of the Caliphs,, in the year
820, sent to the Greek Emperor at Constantinople, to
request copies of his best books, which he ordered to
be translated into Arabic by some of the Jews or Greek
Christians. The works of Galen had been first trans-
lated into the Syriac language, but the translation is
said to have been very wretchedly executed, and adul-
terated, so to speak, with the vain fables and astrologi-
cal potions of the Arabians. Aristotle, too, is said to
have been studied with an incredible
_ardour
by the fol-
lowers of Mahomet. Magic, what is termed judicial
astrology, and the interpretation of dreams were
also in high repute, and by these the Mahometahs regu-
lated their most important undertakines. The Arabians,
there is little doubt, combined with their own celestial
observations those made by-the Assyrians, the Babylo-
nians, the Egyptians, and the Greeks, in astronomical
science, such as it wit's. Algebra, too, a species of
science connected with 'mental or psychological
-operations, is, as its name implies, of Arabian
origin, and is a description of universal arithmetic,
by means of which intricate mathematical problems are
resolved, and arithmetical operations greatly facilitated,
Rhayes, A.D. 900, and Avicenna a little later, were me-
dical authors and physicians ; the former being by birth
a native of Persia, practising at Bagdad, and presiding
over an hospital in that city cf the Caliphs. Besides
these, the author mentioned, as belonging to the' same
category, Hely Aboas, Aveuzour, Avenhoes, Albueasis,
and Abi Ashin, with others, he has furnished us with a
catalogue of three hundred medical writers amongst the
Mahometans. The Arabians were at no period of their
history a people altogether sunk in savage barbarism.
The position and the climate of their country might be
expected tp conduce to some considerable advance in.
their social institutions. A climate exciting, further, a
naturally lively imagination, might be supposed tobe
favourable to a kind of poetry peculiar to their country,
and as has been remarked, if copiousness and abundance
of imagery, wild and extravagant productions of an
over-excited imagination, intense activity of sensa-
tions, combined with a rare talent for concealing the
fixed principles or maxims of truth and of morality
beneath the most aereeable veil, as in beautiful figures
and metaphors, constitute at once the essence and the
charm of poetry, then we say, to no place could we
look with more tolerable certainty of finding this art—
that of poetry—more generally and more successfully
cultivated than in Arabia. The dispersion'of the savaes
of-the school of Edessa, and -the expulsion of the n
tonic sect of Athens, by order of Justinian, contributed
greatly to extend the study of the sciences and of lite-
rature amongst the Arabians ; and after the conquest of
Egypt, by the Caliph Omar, they (the Arabians) soon
learnt to perceive the advantages that accrue to a
people from an application to, and an application of the
sciences, arts, and literature. The academy of Bagdad,
founded most probably by the Caliph Almansor, ulti-
mately acquired a high reputation as a place of learn-
ing ; so much so as to be held in higher estimation than
almost any other similar institution within the IVlaho-
metan domain. Fabricius informs us that, front all
countries of the world, so great-was the influx of pro-
fessors and of pupils into the city. of Bagdad, that at one
time it was computed there were assembled in that city
not fewer than six thousand sevens. The successor of
the Caliph Almansor; the more distinguished Caliph
Haroun-al-Raschids extended to a greater degree than
his predecessor his love for science, as well as the pro-
tection the former had bestowed upon learned institu-
tions. He drew around him intelligent Christians from
Syria and the neighbouring countries, some of whom
employed themselves in translating the Greek authors ;
the, Caliph richly rewarded for their literary labours,
and authorised them to instruct his subjects in the
various departments of science and art, and especially in
that of medicine. He is deScribed by Abulfoda, Abul-
faraga, and subsequently by Benjamin of Tudela, as
always surrounding himself by some one or more learned
inen, as not disdaining even to take part in their literary
and scientific discussions, and as adding or combining
his advice and opinions on many points with those of
the most learned of those that surrounded him. The

most distinguished of the Caliphs, for his promotiop of
literature, science, and the art', was, however, Alma-
mom, a successor of Harouo-al-Raschid,- who has almost
immortalised 'his name by his devotetine,ss to. learning.
He called. his zeal for learning .so far as to give just
offence to the true Mussulman believers, Who-contended

that he had most jusili exposed himselfto Divine wrath
for haying NO far familia philosophy, and by this means