The Sun.
London, England, 1853-11-12 00:00:00

DEFACED COIN.

As there appears to be some misunderstanding,
and not a little inconvenience, in relation to the
object and effect of an act passed in the last session
of Parliament against defacing coin, the Lords
1 Commissioners of the Treasury have passed the
following minute, with a view of explaining the
intent and operation of the act :

"My Lords have under their consideration two
applications on the subject of receiving and passiag
defaced coin :

" Write to the applicants respectively, and state that
it was not the intention of the Government, in passing
the act of the 16 and 17 Victoria, cap. 102, entitled
' An Act to prevent the defacing of the current coin of
the realm,' to interpose any difficulty in regard to such
coin as may have become defaced by ordinary wear and
use, or in relation to persons who, in the ordinary course
of business, pay coins which are defaced.
" The immediate object of the Government in obtain-
ing the act was to put a stop to a practice of stamping
tie names of persons, firms, &c., upon coins, by way
of advertisements or otherwise, and the intention of
the Government was to reach by penalties the persons
who, in this or in any other wilful or malicious way,
injured the coin. And in order that the law should not
prove vexatious to those who in the ordinary transac-
tion of business paid such coins, and ►oho were wholly
innocent of the offence of defacing them, or of forcing
them into circulation with the intention of promoting
the object of such offenders, and not for the purpose
only of ordinary payments, the law provides that no one
can be prosecuted for passing defaced coin except with
the consent of the Attorney-General.
" Whilst, therefore, the Government are determined
to put an end to such abuses as are herein referred to,
and to use the act with vigour to that end, it is neither
their wish nor intention to embarrass or interfere with
the ordinary and current transactions of business.
(Signed) " JAMES WILSON."

EXTENSIVE CONFLAGRATION AND GREAT
DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY.

Yesterday morning, shortly after eight o'clock, a fire
of a very alarming and destructive character, and nearly
attended with fatal consequences to several persons,
broke out in the premises belonging to Mr. James
Reeves, looking-glass and picture-frame manufacturer,
situate in Queen-street, Pitfield-street, Hoxton, at the
rear of Mr. Alderman Lawrence's extensive timber-yard
and builders' workshops. At the time of the outbreak
Mr. Reeves and three of his children were in their beds
asleep. A lad, who was the first to discover the fire,
at once raised an alarm, and after repeatedly shouting,
Fire," and knocking on the stairs, he succeeded in
making his father and the remainder of his family sen-
sible of their impending danger, but not until the flames
had commenced breaking through the floor of the ground
story, which allowed the smoke to ascend in such strong
volumes as!to nearly stifle the occupants. By a desperate
effort the whole of the parties, however,.
effected a safe
retreat in their nightclothes. Owing to the exceedingly
inflammable nature of the stock in trail() in the premises
the fire travelled with such rapidity that before an en-
gine had time to arrive the flames had seized upon every
room in the premises, -and strong fears were entertained
that the premises of Mr. Marshall, patent beer-engine
manufacturer, next door, and also the spacious timber-
yard and carpenters' shops of Mr. Alderman Lawrence
would fall victims to the fury of the destructive ele-
ment. The engines of the parish, London Brigade,
and West of England Insurance-office, quickly at-
tended, and an abundant supply of water having
been obtained from the Maill9 of the New River Com-
pany, not a moment was lost in setting them to work ;
but in spite of the most strenuous exertions of the in-
trepid firemen, the work of devastation continued, and
it was several hours before the least impression could
be made upon its violence. The firemen, however,
kept to their work ; but it was nearly five o'clock in
the evening before the fire was wholly subdued, and not
until the greater part of Mr. Reeve's stock in trade was
destroyed which was piled in the front premises, and a
considerable quantity of the property lying between the
house and Alderman Lawrence's partially consumed.
Fortunately, Mr. Lawrence's premises have not re-
ceived the least injury. The sufferer was insured for
stock in the trade in the Manchester Fire Office, and it
is understood that the building was insured either in the
Legal and Commercial, or West of England Fire Office.
The origin of the disaster is unknown.

About one o'clock yesterday morning information
was received at the fire-engine stations in town, that a
terrible fire was raging in Burcham-street, Bromley
(Middlesex). To that point the various engines of the
Brigade and West of England started, upon reaching
which it was found, from some cause not clearly ascer-
taided, that a travelling show standing in the open
ground had taken fire. From this vehicle the fire ex-
tended to another show, and finally to a third. The
three erections being in a general blaze, the firemen im-
mediately set to work, and after some time suceeded in
extinguishing the fire, but not until the three carriages
were either destroyed by fire, or by pulling down. The
owner of the property (Mr. D. Allen) was insured in the
Pbmnix-office. A man named Holliday was instru-
mental in rescuing the wife of the proprietor of one of
the vehicles.

A short time before the last-named fire took place
another one happened in the premises of Mr. Blomen-
thal, cigar importer, wholesale stationer, and litho-
graphic printer, No. 9, 'Weymouth-place, New Kent-
road. The discovery was made by one of the female
servants, who perceived smoke issuing from a ware•
house and counting-house on the ground-flour. She at
once gave an alarm, and messengers were sent for the
engines. In less than ten minutes the engines of the
London Brigade and West of England Office attended,
and a plentiful supply of water having been obtained
from the Lambeth Company's mains, the fire was sub-
clued, but not until a (treat amount of property had
suffererbeen consumed. The was insured in the Globe
Fire Office.

THE SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY IN LIVERPOOL.
James Wilson, Esq., the member for Westbury and the
Secretary to the Treasury, has been in this neighbour-
hood during the past few days on a visit to W. Brown,
M.
Esq . ,
isPoou., s
ea
rtleooheeki
isve seat,lockers,
tawn R i d
tchhedeputations—one
Richmond-hill.
ootnhde-rli
filrlo. Om
thne
fcrMonday,mam tbhe
e
r
o Cf olCurs.tWn'n
Commerce. The deputation from the Chamber of
Commerce waited on the hon. gentleman on matters re-
lating to the Customs department of the port. The de-
putation from the body of Custom-lockers waited on Mr.
Wilson, at the office of Messrs. Brown, Shipley, and
Co.,urging
for the purpose of upon him the anomalous
and invidious position they at present occupied, as com-
pared with the lockers of London. The principal ground
of complaint appeared to be the different mode in which
the Liverpool lockers are paid to those of the metro-
polis. During a long interview, in the course of which
the deputation urged, with much clearness and force,
ed
the justice and proprietyn itonftheir claims, the honourable
sn rgentlemane(i theevi
deputationne m
that theirersetlaiLt3heehmottitltrrh,aavned
the
e-
best consideration immediately on hisreturn to London.
THE COURSE OF TRUE LOVE NEVER DID RUN SMOOTH.
—DESPERATE ATTEMPT OF A YOUNG MAN TO SHOOT
HISL OVE R . —On Thursday Henry Dobbs, a waiter be-
longing to Newcastle, a well-dressed respectable look-
ing young man, was brought up in custody, before the
Tynemouth borough magistrates, charged with shooting,
with intent to kill, Margaret Musgrove Beaumont, a
domestic servant belonging to the 'Commercial Hotel.
It seems that Dobbs had an engagement to marry
Beaumont, and at her invitation had come down to see
her on Sunday. They, however, had had some words,
and she had left him in a tiff in the evening, and was
shortly after noticed walking with another young man.
Dobbs had come to the house afterwards and found her
with the stranger. A scene had ensued, and Beaumont
had caught the letter out of Dobbs' hand that she had
written to him, and had burnt it before his face. He
exasperated, and next morning
illeafdt Spuhrieelhdassvederay
pistol, powder, and shot at Newcastle,
and had come down to Shields evidently with the object
of destroying his faithless lover if she proved shy with
him. She had received his visit with disdain, and he
had deliberately placed himself about five yards from
her, pulleut stoop loaded pistol, and fired it at her. She
happened to beng at the time, however, and its
deadly charge but grazed the back part
aofql: elarntnitevck,f
and set fire to her cap. She was not otherwise injured.
Dobbs was immediately prevented from doing further
and on being taken into custociduiyet
neighbour-
powder and shot was found on him. He was °
committed
for trial.
mischief,
HORRIBLE MURDER.—The hitherto
rrowibnleliftmougrerdeart,
hood of Dunster was on Weinesday thrown
old, named Cole.
committed
obny
athgempaebrpoeuttralt2ionye.ollsa
0aItlidT(111 weshdeaqsthae widow)
r)
and
She resided with her mother
k'situateedft
brother, a lad about 17.
care
brotherreo outawleonntely eettot
cottage,
Somerset. itnhtehegirplaraitshhoofmce
uitn.
dwell-
ingscombe,
undernear
thDe usanrasteerr,oSofom.
theTrhbereeinarg
by
an old woman more than 80
day morning, about 10 o c ocyke, are
occupiedt w two
asmawofanyoe,unwghmo,aonnnTnameesa-
Baily in the house with the girl. He soon after left the
house, and did not again return. On the.return of the
mother and brother ey made a search for the girl, and
at last found her in an old barn close by, with her throat
cut and quite dead. The man Baily is in custody.
DEFALCATIONS BY A POOR-RATE COLLECTOR.—The
board of guardians of the Salford union have discovered
that Mereweather, one of their poor-rate collectors, has
collected moneys to the amount of 90/. without acCount-
ing for them, and they have suspended him from him
office, determining not to -prosecute him, but to coins
up a his sureties. The defaulter has had a salary of au
least 1201. a year, and yet has been unable to keep•
himself straight with his employers from his fondness
for intoxicating drinks.
PREVENTION OF SHIPWRECK BY BELLS.—In the
Southampton Dock there are three patent bell buoys
which the Mexican Government have ordered for a part
of the coast in the Gulf of Mexico. They are enormous
buoys with lar7e bells, and their use is in 'thick and
foggy weather, when the buoys cannot be seen. The
surging of the waves causes the bells to ring, which gives
information of the locality of the buoys. The apparatus
is such also as to answer the purpose of life buoys.
where several persons can be sheltered until they are
rescued. Their use in enabling ships to enter channels
in fogs is invaluable. The under part of the bell b
- uoy
is boat shaped, only solid, and is admirably formed to
roll about in the water to ring the bell that is attached
to it. From the upper surface of the buy a circular and
tapering palisading is raised several feet in height, in-
side of which, towards the top, the bell is hung sg its to
ring at the slightest movement.