The Sun.
London, England, 1853-01-04 00:00:00

truest evidence, he is liable to be heavily fined, as
Mr. CONNELL was at Cork ; or to be committed to
the common gaol, as was a lady at Exeter in the
year 1849, when, as we are informed, if a special
order had not been humanely obtained from the
Judges, she must have passed the time of her im-
prisonment in the degrading company of the worst
of the female sex. Thus—and it is most mon-
strous that such should be the case in any civil-
ised country—if they were to suffer an injury in
property or person, and complain thereof to a
Magistrate, they would themselves most likely be
punished in being sent to prison, while the perpe-
trator of the injury would, in all probability, be set
at liberty. The law, in fact, affords them no
protection. Such are the powers of persecution
for a religious belief which still exist under the
law of England, and prevent us practically pro-
claiming the sacred right of every human being to
liberty of conscience. If our Government should
adopt the prayer of the Memorial alluded to in
the beginning of these remarks, the Tuscan Go-
vernment may truly, and without irreverence,
give in reply the sth verse of the 7th chapter of
St. Matthew. Perhaps no other answer could
be so conclusive. But shall our country
continue to be branded with such a stigma? Twice
during the last Parliament ineffectual attempts
were made by Sir Wm. PAGE WOOD to pass an
Affirmation Bill which would have removed the
oppressions w e complain of. In the United States
of America, we are informed that "in every
Court of Law throughout the country it is optional
whether you give your affirmation or your oath,"
and in our own country no evil or inconvenience
has arisen from the evidence of Quakers and
Moravians being given on affirmation instead of
on oath. It appears strange, then, that a measure
which has bean found to work so well when ap-
plied to those, sects, should have been successfully
opposed where. attempted to be extended to Chris-
tians in general, notwithstanding the support it
received from. some of the highest law authorities
in the country We, however, confidently expect
that when Parliament re-assembles after the Christ-
mas Recess, sox ae Member of the House of Commons,
will again introduce an Affirmation Bill ; and when
we consider 11()w ready the Earl of DERBY was to
support the Bill of Indemnity for Mr. Alderman
SALOMONS in the last Session of Parliament, after
the Alderman .had rendered himself liable to pains
and penalties in many respects similar to those we
have named, w e cannot doubt but that it must
pass through bath Houses, now that a new Ministry
has such a fav curable opportunity of proving its
liberal and en lightened tendencies. All that is
asked for is, " that protection which every
Government owes to every faithful and loyal
subject."

THE NEW LORI) -LIEUTENANT.—The Earl of St. Ger-
mans will not make his public entry into Dublin, as
viceroy, until the 12th instant. It is understood that the
Hon. Major Pori sonby will be his Excellency's private
secretary, and the It Mr. George L'Estrange has been
appointed ehambe rlain.

MR. J. SHEBI DAN KNO WlES.—This distinguished
dramatist is at pr esent on a visit at Holywood, in the
county Down, with his son-in-law, Dr. J. D. Marshall.

THE PANTOMIKES.—The Christmas novelties produced
this season at the different theatres have all proved most
successful. All -the theatres are full nightly to over-
flowing ; and if the same good fortune attends them
during the usual duration of a Christnias piece, the
managers may lc•ok upon the season of 1852-53 as one
of the most remunerative which they have had for many
years. They certainly deserve it ; for we scarcely ever
remember a year when more liberality and enterprise
was displayed by the managerial powers than has been
manifested in the production of the novelties now before
the public at the different theatres of the metropolis.
SERIOUS ACCIDENT TO LORD AUCKLAND.—On Tues-
day last as his lordship was returning on horseback
from Ramsey to :Bishop's Court, he overtook, and, in

his- usual kind manner, entered into conversation with
a farmer of the parish of St. Michael, returning from the
fair, when unf oiritunately the farmer's horse became
restive, kicked, and struck his lordship on the right leg,
causing a compound fracture of the limb. His lordship
with great preserbce of mind remained quiet in the saddle,
until the carriag?, which had been at Ramsey with La ly
Auckland and her daughters, came up, into which he
was placed and driven to the palace. Medical gentle-
men were immediately in attendance, and set the limb.
Although his lordship has suffered severely, the symptoms
at present are all. favourable.

PRINCE ALBERWS FARMING.—Her Majesty and Prince
Albert possess several farms in the Isle of Wight, two
of which, containing about six hundred acres, the Prince
farms himself. Every recent improvement has been in-
troduced on these farms, and steam engines are now
performing on them various agricultural operations.
His Royal Highness is a thrifty and successful farmer,
and the results of his skill and superintendence may be
regularly seen at the neighbouring markets. The Prince
is partial to the rearing and fattening of the Scotch
black cattle.
FATAL ACCIDENT.—A fatal accident occurred to a
man of the name of William Quinlan, labourer, aged
28 years, who expired in the Albert Ward, King's Col-
lege Hospital, Carey-street, - Lincoln's-inn-fields, on
Sunday night, under the following circumstances :----It
appears that the deceased was passing through Carey-
street, Lincoln's-inn-fields, on Monday, the 27th of De-
cember, when the wind blew off a tile from one of the
houses, which fell on the head of the deceased, inflicting A.
most severe wound. He was immediately picked up in
an insensible state, and conveyed to the above hospital,
where Mr. George Lawson, the house surgeon, was un-
remitting in his attendance on the unfortunate sufferer,
till death terminated his sufferings. Mr. Baker, the
summoning officer, has forwarded the information to
Charles Bedford, Esq., of, the melancholy event, but no
day at present is fixed for the inquest.
COLLISION ON THE LONDON AND NORTH- WESTERN
RAlLWAY.—Yesterday evening a collision occurrred upon
the London and North-Western Railway, close to the
city of Oxford. It appears that the half-past five o'clock
train from Oxford was met after it had proceeded about
a quarter of a mile upon its journey by a coal train. The
particulars of the accident have not yet reached us, and
we are unable to say whether it was attended by any
loss of life.

DEATH OF Two YOUNG WOMEN BY FlRE.—Yesterday
afternoon Mr. W. Baker, the coroner, held two inquests
at the London Hospital, on the bodies of two females
who perished by fire. The first death was relative to
the death of Catherine Harley, aged nineteen years. It
appeared from the evidence that the deceased was ser-
vant to Miss Blackman, a maiden lady, residing at No.
21, Arbour-square, Stepney. On the night of the 24th
ult., and after the family returned home, the deceased
fell asleep in an easy chair, before the parlour fire, and
about three o'clock on Christmas morning the family
were aroused by hearing loud screams. Another do-
mestic ran down stairs into the room, and found the de-
ceased enveloped in a mass of flame. The second inquiry
was respecting the death of Eliza Barker, -aged sixteen
years, whose friends reside at Barking, Essex.. The de-
ceased was the daughter of a fisherman, and on Wed-
nesday morning last was standing near the fire-place in
her father's house, when the lower portion of her gown
became ignited. In both cases the jury returned a ver-
dict of " Accidental death."

NORTH-WEST NIGHTLY REFUGE FOR THE ifOIISELESS
Poon.—Last night a public meeting of the originators
and friends of this charity was held at the institution,
77, Market-street, Edgware-road, for the purpose of
inaugurating its operations. The chair was taken by
Lord Dudley C. Stuart, M.P. His lordship having
given an account of the difficulties which beset the un-
dertaking, called upon the Rev. Mr. Booth to offer a
prayer to Almighty God for his blessing upon the under-
taking, and he having, in earnest and eloquent terms,
complied with the request, the Rev. Mr. Marks accounted
for the establishment of the institution, and moved a vote
by
tewoahli.toendr di a
of thanks to the Rev. Mr. Booth, which was seconded
unanimously.rstoaoAld
tvotetoom of
thanks was
Reece,ea e ah passednodf
esta-
blish the refuge.
NAPLES.—lmportant intelligence has arrived from
Naples, which will especially affect the interests con-
nected with our woollen manufactures. The' King, by ,
a decree dated the 27th of December, has raised the ex-
port duty on olive oil in the kingdom of the Two Sici-
lies to about 81. 12s. per ton (and to about 131. per ton
by foreign flag of those countries that have not treaties
of reciprocity), being an increase of about Si. 12s. per
ton on the old rate. At the same time the import duty
on this article is reduced one-half, namely, from 171.
to 8/. 10s. per ton. The civic duty, or octroi, on_ oil for
the consumption of the city of Naples is reduced 1 ducat
per cantar, or about 2/. 2s. per ton—that is to say, from
3.20 ducats to 2.20 per cantar. Some further clauses
of the decree prohibit the export from the kingdom of
the Two Sicilies of beans, Indian corn, potatoes, French
beans, vetches, lentils, and chick peas, and also tapow
and hogs' lard. The whole of these
regulations
were to
come into force from the date of the decree, and the
motives assigned for them are the scarcity of the crops
of all kinds of pulse as well as oil, and the consequent
pressure of high prices upon the home consumers of
these products and their substitutes.—Timee.
PORTUGAL.—The intelligence from Lisbon of a decline
of 3 per cent. in Portuguese stock, and also of the in-
tention of the Government to convert a portion of the
home debt into foreign Three per Cents. for railway
purposes, caused a fall here of 1 per cent. It is pre-
sumed that the portion of the home debt thus referred
to consists of bonds in the hands of the Government,
which they intend to give as security for the guaranteed
interest
_ offered to the projectors of the railroad. Proba-
bly they were among the securities advertised by the
Bank of Portugal in October 1 t I •
as laving been seized
by the Government, although theya
the Bank for
in denouncing
540,0001. occasion the Bank,
the transaction as " flagitious
committed
in injustice
contempt of the most• '
gave notice solemn stipulations "
that they would always contest the '
possession of these • right to
securities, whether in the hands of
the Government
or of third parties, and warned
"every
individual, corporation, or company, national or foreign,"
to that effect.