The Sun.
London, England, 1853-11-01 00:00:00

This is a fine state of things indeed ! Piratical
barbarians, within hail almost, are allowed to make
"a run for it," after committing the most sicken-
ing atrocities afloat, almost under the nose of the
naval Commander-in-Chief of the station, but no
movement is made to pursue them for twelve hours
after the ship they have plundered and deluged in
blood returns to port, because, when the report is
made to him, his excellency was at dinner ! Beau-
tiful independence ! Exquisite stoicism ! What if
all merchantmen of the China seas got pillaged, and
their passengers or owners got their throats cut, if
the admiral only got his dinner undisturbed !
Verily the duties of naval Commander-in-Chief upon
the most commercial station in the world had bet-
ter in future be centred in Mr. Walker, the super-
intendent of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam
Navigation Company's flotilla at Hong Kong.
That gentleman, evidently, by the promptitude of
his movements and the energy of his application in
person, widersi .od what should I,e done, and bow
to do it, but the old lady in the swabs did not
choose to take a le,son from that quarter. We
hope, however, she will be taught one, at her own
expense, from anodier. Her conduct beats that of
the old lady at Devonport, in the matter of the
Amazon burning, "all to fits."—llampshirc Ad •
vertiser.

GAS EXPLOSION.- Yesterday forenoon an explosion
happened in the Crow a and Thistle publichouse,
property of Mr. T. Heritage, in Great Peter-street.
Westminster. The whole of the facie over the front of
the house was found lying on the ground ; one of the
expensive lamps which adorned the right angle was
blown a considerable distance and destroyed, the ceiling
in the bar was blown down, the flooring of the club-
room was lifted from its original bearings and splintered
into pieces. The rooms above were likewise terribly
shaken, and a vast quantity of the stock in trade was
severely damaged by the utensils containing the liquors
and spirits being disloged from their usual positions. It
is supposed that the gas had escaped, and, after filling
the vacant space behind the wainscoating, had become
ignited.
ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS.- -The following gen-
tlemen, having undergone the necessary examinations
for the diploma, were admitted members of the College
at the meeting of the Court of Examiners on the 28th
ult. :—Messrs. Thomas Prior Hall ; John Wright,
Mount Sorrell, Leicestershire ; John Major Coleman,
Wolverhampton ; William Williams Thomas, Fish-
guard, Pembrokeshire ; Richard Eustace, Royal Navy ;
Joseph Parker, Yoxford, Suffolk ; Thomas Duncan,
Chelsea ; Frederick Trestrail Bond, Hon. East India
Company's Service, Bombay ; and Thomas Joseph
Cookson Powell, Bristol. At the same meeting of the
Court Mr. Charles Harper passed his examination for
naval surgeon. This gentleman had previously been
admitted a member of the College, his diploma bearing
date July 2, 1849.

THE NEW STAMP ACT.—The following information
may help to elucidate the difficulties of some readers
respecting the new act. The receiver of a promissory
note at 30 days, two, or three months ; or a banker's
draft at seven or fourteen days, is obliged to give a
stamped receipt for the amount. Railway companies
are obliged to give stamped receipts for fares above
forty shillings received in cash over the counter at the
station. Auctioneers are compelled to give stamped
receipts for amounts above forty shillings, for goods
purchased at auctions. Farmers and cattle dealers are
obliged to give stamped receipts for corn and cattle sold
at fairs and markets. A stamped receipt must be given
for moneys paid on account offa bill delivered, not actu-
ally settled. Tradesmen are obliged to give stamped re-
ceipts for goods sold over the counter, such as grocers,
drapers, &c. But in all these cases the person paying
the money must ask for the receipt, otherwise there is
no obligation on the person receiving money to give the
receipt. One merchant can draw a draft on another
merchant for the amount of an account without passing
through a banker, provided the penny stamp is attached
thereto, and an acknowledgment on the back of the
draft will be a legal receipt. Letters by the General
Post, acknowledging the safe arrival of promissory notes,
bills of exchange, and other securities for money, are
exempt from the receipt duty ; the law in this particular
new
icular
is the same it was previously to the passing of
of a
duly
act. A receipt may be given on the back
stamped draft for its contents.
an agriculturist of Bouxviller, has just publishedioa
of beet-
PRESERVATION OF VEGETABLES.—M. Scbettenma ann
pro-
cess which he has employed for the preservation
followsth,
beet-
root,
Thean d
planwhich
pursuedis equally
b y applicable
n is t
describedocputa
s
off the leaves,
"At the time of gathering the croptlhe
ashes of lignites
and having first strewed a layer of
and beetroot, until
go on with alternate layers of asheshich the pile is covered
:
othne roots from the cold, the
thwehoglreouarned,depplaocseitaedl.ayaftererofwbeetroot on it, and then
with ashes, so as to keep the
. . ashes must be t
or a partition,
air, and the' light. Where
scodoeintige
oc
Ntu_ai
Ti nh
ea
numberb ing tolfi
personsd a n- L
ashes of lignites,coal or turf
roots. For want of the the
hrXwilne rests
against
it a nadwtahlel
even dry sand ; but the last-
ashes may be used, r_
prevents the roots from ger-
r°.tecuently preserv2.s them fit for use."
Tnakmisemd
aairintiecrleofis
urinating, and consequently
DUBLIN EXHIBITI .. .
THE
Exhibition on Friday was 18,863.
attendance7llviedwtahse the greatest that ever yet appeared
the building. • The receipts amounted to 4501.
ni
CET TO Mn. DARGAN.—The Right Hon.
the Lord Chancellor, the Right Hon. More O'Ferrall, Right lion. Justice Jackson, and the Right Hon.
l
the Lord Mayor, have signified their intention of being
present at the Exhibitors' Banquet to Mr. Dargan, which
is to take place on Wednesday, at the Mansion-house.
The governors and heads of the different public bodies
in the city, and many
m
England, will also attend
toun di municipal
phaol n roenprr
teos etnktea ti ves
occasionfro m.
ENCUMBEREDESTATES COURT.— Anotherextensive pro-
perty--that of Peter Fitzgeral, Esq., commonly called
the Knight of Kerry—was disposed of on Friday in the
Encumbered Estates Court. It consisted of lands in
the counties of Kerry and Limerick, and produced a
sum of 56,995/ , being at an average of 20 years' pur-
chase on the estimated yearly value. Eight out of the
16 lots into which the property was divided were bought,
in trust for tho inheritor.