The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-23 00:00:00

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THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, JANUARY 23, 1854.

much burnt, as well as the chest. The whole of the
injuries appeared to have been caused more than three

AMERICAN AFFAIRS.

weeks ago.
The child was in so bad a state that Mr. A'Beckett di-
rected it to be taken to Guy's Hospital, where it was
examined by Mr. Moreton, the house surgeon. who dis-
covered, in addition to its other ailments, that the collar

i\ NW YORK, JAN. 7.—Both Houses of Congress
hay a assembled again after the holydays, and it is
supposed that very shortly they will go to work
vigoyously in the public business. There are a
goo d many excitinc, topics of debate, and serious
legit dative work is laid out. There are four topics
thai6 have already been brought on the tapis, which
win prove awkward things for their advocates,
and exciting if not inflammatory subjects for po-
pultar discussion.
1. The tariff will be revised, and there is a strong
and united phalanx of men in both houses who are
determined that our Government shall no longer
extort from commerce more revenue than it needs
to carry on its business. We hear an occasional
groan of despair, and sometimes a shriek of terror,
from the Protectionists ; but it is too late in the
day to talk about legislating money out of the
pockets of one class to put into the pockets of an-
other. England herself has exploded that silly no-
tion ; and in a young Republic like ours, the very
condition of legitimate extension and power of
which is freedom of commerce, it should have been
exploded in the beginning, and would have been,
had we not inherited with our statesmanship the
old fogyism of dead and buried empires. Even
the iron men of Pennsylvania and Ohio are with-
drawing their opposition to free trade, for they
have discovered that the world cannot make iron
as fast as the world uses it ; and why invoke the
intervention of local statutes to interfere with the
progress of universal laws ?
2. The navy—the American navy—the great
American navy—the invincible American navy.—
A voyage of exploration has recently been made,
and it has been discovered that we have no navy.
The Administration, among other good things,
seem determined to give us a navy; and everybody
seems to be glad at the prospect of having one.
But if these ships—these six new steam propellers
—are to be built in our navy yards, if we may
judge by experience, they will be worthless if
they are ever completed. We have expended
$150,000,000 on a navy, and have got none yet.
If our Government would get Collins, Steers, or
some of our great shipbuilders—our really great
men—to build its new ships, there would be some
hope of progress and improvement ; but this Admi-
nistration will make it a job affair, and give the
contracts to its favourites. We have nearly 10,000
miles of coast, taking the two oceans, and at 20
days' notice any maritime Power can sail into every
one of them and burn our cities to the ground. I
leave the rest to my countrymen—to do the brag-
gin • ' I wish to deal only in facts.
3°. The Pacific Railroad.—Various schemes have
already been proposed in Congress, so numerous
that probably no one will pass both houses ; but
there will be long and earnest debate on the subject,
because the impression is all but universal that one
ono or more railroads to the Pacific Ocean must be
built, and built soon. So far as the New York
Pacific Railroad Company is concerned, I have as-
certained that the bill which has passed the Legis-
lature of Texas was framed exactly to their liking,
and that this company intends to take immediate
advantage of itsprovisions. That bill appropriated
16,000 acres per mile, with large privileges in the
conditions of the location of the land, in the vast
domain of Texas, which embraces over 100,000,000
of acres ; and from the best sources I learn that
the prospects of this company are brightening every
day.
4. The Slavery question is up again, and it will
be agitated and discussed. Senator Douglass,
fro:lllinois, a popular and vigorous young man,
who lacked but a few votes in the Baltimore Con-
vention of being nominated as the candidate of the
National Democratic party, has, in his capacity as
Chairman of Territories, brought before the Senate
a bill for the inauguration of Nebraska into a ter-
ritory. Senator Douglass has been chairman of
that same committee for six or eight years, and
every State and territory which has during that
time been inaugurated has come in under the bills
he has drawn. Ho is understood to be a staunch
National Democrat, and distinguished himself by
his eloquent advocacy of the great compromise mea-
sures of 1850. In his Nebraska Bill he has incor-
porated the conditions of the compromise measures,
viz. :—the people of the territory are left free to
establish African slavery within their limits or not,
as they may elect ; and the provisions and obliga-
tions of the Fugitive Slave Law are to extend over
the territory. This will bring up the whole subject
of slavery, and we shall witness, most probably,
exciting and, perhaps, angry debates.

bone was broken.
Mrs. Marley, the landlady, proved that she had heard
the male prisoner slap the infant in a very hard man-
ner ; and no doubt existing that the deplorable aid
dangerous state of the infant was caused by the conduct
of both prisoners, they were taken into custody, and
remanded several times, to ascertain whether the poor
little sufferer was likely to recover.
The servant-girl who nursed it also proved that she
had frequently seen the male prisoner beat it most un-
mercifully with his fists.
When called upon to answer the charge, the prisoner
said the child was well enough when sent out to nurse,
and that the limbs must have been broken while out of
their custody ; that the female who brought it home was
drunk, and must have fallen down and ill-used it.
Hannah Willett, the wife of a respectable man, and
sister to the female prisoner, was called to contradict
their assertions. She said she had the child to nurse
for a fortnight before Christmas, and she took it home
the day after Christmas-day. The child had been -pre-
viously burnt, but the wounds wore healed up. The
arms and collar bone were perfectly sound then. There
was no accident occurred to the child when she had the
care of it, but it was very sulky, and appeared to have
been grossly neglected.
Mr. A'Beckett ordered the lengthy depositions to be
taken, and committed the prisoners for trial. The parish
authorities were bound over to prosecute.

LAMBETH.—INTIMIDATION OF A WORK3IAN.--.
William Tanner, a stonemason, in the employment of

Messrs. Kirk and Perry, contractors for part of the
masonry work at the Crystal Palace, Sydenham, was
summoned on the information of Richard Wilcock, for

having used threats and intimidation to him, for the
purpose of forcing him to belong to the Masons' Union,
and to contribute to its common fund.

The complainant, Wilcock, said---I am a journeyman
stonemason, and have been in the service of Messrs.
Kirk and Perry, and employed by them at the Crystal
Palace from the 14th of December until Tuesday last,

when I was obliged to leave. The other masons struck
against me, and I was compelled to leave.
Mr. Norton—What was the cause of their striking
against you?
Wilcock—Because I would not pay to the "union"
fund. The defendant is the "shop steward," and his

•
duty is to collect the " union " money from the men at
work at the Palace. On Monday week Tanner came
to me when I was at work and said you must make up
your mind to pay half a crown a week to enter the
" union," which will cost you ss. 7d., this day week.
On the following Monday he came to me and said,
"Now, I must have half a crown a week of you, else
you shall not work here any longer." I told him I had
no money to spare, that all the money I earned I wanted
for myself, but I said that I should speak to the fore-
man to see if he would give me the money, but all the
time I determined on not giving anything to the union.
I spoke to the foreman about it, and told him about it,
but he said he should not interfere in the matter. I
went to my work on Tuesday morning, and the defen-
dant again spoke to me, and asked if I did not get the
money from the foreman on the night before, and I told
him .not.- The defendant then said, " I suppose you
don't mean to pay it." I told him I had no money to
do it, and he then said, "You will work here no longer
then till dinner time." The defendant then went about
the men in the shop, and afterwards told me the men
would strike against me at dinner time. After the
dinner hour not one of the men went to work but my-
self, the other 20 remained idle, and in about an hour
and a half the foreman came to me and said, " Come,
my boy, you must pack up your tools and be off." I
asked the foreman what I was discharged for, and he
said, " On account of the strike against him, and he
could not do less." After that I was not allowed to
work at the Crystal Palace, but I procured employment
elsewhere.
Mr. Norton— Now, do you know anything about the

society, or this ss. 7d. entrance money-? -
Wilcock No more than it was for the entrance fee
into the " union," and after that I should have to pay
the usual contribution. I know nothing of the union for

seven years, when I belonged to it. About seven or
eight years ago I was employed at Hull, and I was then
obliged to contribute to the union, else I should not have
been employed. At another place I got work, and was
then called upon to turn out against a man who did not
belong to the union, but on that occasion six men and
myself refused to do so, while ten turned out. I subse-
quently received work at Mr. Myers's, andlwas then com-
pelled to pay 3/. penalties for acting as I had done against
the union.
In his cross-examination by the defendant's solicitor,
the witness denied having used any improper language
to his fellow-workmen—that he did not charge them
with being scoundrels for attempting to rob him of his
money. He admitted, however, having been convicted
at this court for an assault and fined 405., but this, he
said, was in consequence of his being pelted at by the
unionists in Belvidere-road, and his throwing a stone at
one of his assailants, which unfortunately struck another
party.
John Hart, foreman to Messrs. Kirk and Perry, said
he had the superintendence of the masons employed by
the firm at the Crystal Palace works, and recollected the
complainant coming to him on Monday last and saying
he supposed he should have to pay the money for his re-
admission into the union or leave his work. He (wit-
ness) told him that he did not interfere in such matters
so long as they did their work. This was on the Mon-
day evening, and the next morning the defendant and
another mason named Cummings waited on him as a
deputation from the men, and said Wilcock had made
use of very offensive language, and therefore they did
not wish to work with so disagreeable a shopmato. On
the same day at dinner-time, or rather some time after,
on going on to the works he saw all the men standing
except Wilcock, who was at the work, and on asking
what was the cause, he was told Wilcock. He did not
know what to do under such circumstances, but thought
the best course was to discharge Wilcock, and he did so.
Mr. Norton That is to say, that though you told the
complainant you should not interfere so long as they did
their business, you acted in perfect violation of that
assertion, by discharging the man who was doing his
work, and sacrificing him to the caprice of the 20 or 30
persons who had not gone to their work, and who had
conspired to get rid of him. In answer to the questions
of the magistrate, the witness admitted that he had been
a member of the union himself when he was a working
man. The complainant, he said, was not a first-rate
hand, and he should have discharged him if he could get
a better.
John Cummings, an Irishman, laboured hard to im-
press upon the magistrate's mind that the society to
which the complainant was required to contribute was
only a benefit society ; but on being questioned by Mr.
Norton, he admitted that part of its funds were devoted
to the strike.
Other witnesses of a similar character were called, and
it was evident that there was a strong feeling on the
minds of all against tha complainant, from their know-
ledge that his feelings and opinions were inimical to the
" union."
The defendant's solicitor addressed the court at some
length, contending that the complainant was unworthy
of belief, and that the society to which he was requested
to subscribe was nothing more nor less than a benefit
society, from which the complainant himself would derive
as much benefit as those of his fellow-workmen. He
declined, however, to put in the rules of the society or
union.
Mr. Norton observed that he had no doubt what-
ever in the perfect truth of the complainant's state-
ment ; indeed, he could have no doubt on the subject
as it was corroborated by the witnesses who had
been called, and who were opposed to him ; and that
he (the complainant) had been made the victim of
the strike, because, like an Englishman he chose
to resist an ille= al impost. He (Mr. Norton) could
not approve of the conduct of the foreman of Messrs.
Kirk and Perry, in taking on himself at once to dis-
charge the poor man, as it was quite at variance with
his professions to Wilcox—namely, that he did not in-
tefere with such matters as long as the men did their
work—in discharging the man who was at work, at the
will of those who were idle. There was nothing more
disagreeable to him than that of sending a hard-working
man to prison, and if he,was satisfied that the com-
plainant was taken back, and should not again be inter-
fered with, he would avoid doing so.
The complainant said it would be useless going back,
as he could not expect any comfort, and he should leave
the case in the bands of his worship.
Mr. Norton said, in that case, he must do his duty,
and protect the complainant. He then sentenced the
defendant to one month's imprisonment and hard labour.

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.

CUSTOM HOUSE, JAN. 21.

ENTERED INWARDS.—The Prince Albert, from Antigua ;
Antigua, Newfoundland ; Clio, Terceira ' • Indrais, Bor-
deaux ; Mary Ann, St. Michael's ; Joseph, Berdianski ;
Louisa and Maria, Dunkirk ; Gertrudis, Cuba ; Medora,
Jamaica ; Auguste Marie, Cette ; Eliza, Madras and Pon-
dichderry ; Ellen, Caen ; Ida, Bjorneborg ; Abeona, Bos-
ton, U.S. ; Nephews, Caen ; Julie, New York; Lamar-
tine, Trieste ; Glenorchy, Calcutta ; Colgrain, Cochin ;
St. Hilda, Manilla ; Edith, Baltimore ; Faneuil Hall,
Calcutta ; British Tar, Aden and Colombo : Vectis, Cher-
bourg ; Earl Mulgrave, Rio Janeiro ; Marchioness of
Bute, Charente ; Aline, Marans ; Rencontre, Bordeaux ;
John Laera, Callao ; Sir Howard Douglas, St. John's,
Newfoundland ; Wave, Nassau.
ENTERED OUTWARDS FOR LOADING.—The Rattler, for
Melbourne ; Donna Francisca, Bahia ; Austin, Jamaica ;
Earl of Hardwick, Rangoon ; Memento, Newfoundland ;
Falcon, Bombay ; Eliza Moore, New Zealand ; Euphro-
syne, Cape of Good Hope ; Point, Jamaica ; Era, St.
Thomas's.

CLEARED OUTWARDS WITH CARGO--The Wrn. Allan,
for Surinam ; Taymoith, Adelaide ; Eliza Sharp, Antigua ;
Forrester, Tobago; Queen of the W ,ve, Madras ; John
and Jane, Brussels; Juniata, Demerara ; Irene, Mel-
bourne.

LIVERPOOL, JAN. 21.
The steamer Shamrock, hence, has arrived at Havre.
The Isabel, hence, has arrived at Barcelona.
The Jane Smith, the Irma, and the screw-steamer Arno,
hence, have arrived at Leghorn.
The David, from Callao, and the Caffre, from Alexan-
dria, have arrived at Queenstown.
Jan. 22.—Arrived—The ocean steamer City of Manches-
ter, from Philadeiphia ; the Chaos, Pugwash ; the Ex-
periencen, Alexandria; Virginia and Elizabeth, Girgenti ;
Providential, Malta. _

The Livingston, for Africa, has put back leaky, having
struck on Arklow Bank.
The Johann Christoff, from Mazatlan and Valparaiso,
for this port, was yesterday towed in, dismasted and
leaky, having been thrown on her beam ends off the Orms-
head in a squall, and cut away her mast.
The flat, Red Rover,
of Conway, was abandoned yester-
day in a sinking state, off the Black Coomb ; crow taken
off by the Monas Queen (s.)
The Tam O'Shanter, for Demerara, has put back.
Off Port—The ship Alice.

DOUGLAS, Jan. 20.—Some casks of butter, part of the
mast and head board of a vessel marked " Tailored," and
other wreck, have been washed ashore in Castletown Bay.
ANTWERP, Jan. 20. The Ocean, Havannah to Mar-
seilles, was totally lost on the Memory Rock, to the west of
the Grand Bahamas, on the oth Dec. ; crew saved.
SUNDERLAND, Jan. 20.—Large quantities of ice and
fresh water have come down the river, and several ships
have been driven from their moorings and received damage.
The Generous and the Ag-enora have lost their bowsprits,
and the Star, of Dover, has her stern stove.
fprOmjNane.w Orleans,
19:—The
Liverpool,WE James Calder,
eCnaledaerr
K, aornedfo
yes-
terday, has broken up ; cargo is being saved as it comes
on shore.

SHOCKING OCCURRENCE AT DOWLAIS—A CHILD
EATEN ALIVE By RATS.—The busy little town of Dow-
lais, Glamorganshire, has been the scene of one of the
most painful and revolting occurrences which we have
ever been called upon to record. Some of the poorer
class of houses are infested to a considerable degree by
those destructive vermin—rats, but no one seemed to
imagine that the presence of those intruders, although
dangerous to property, would be attended with so much
peril to personal life. A poor working woman having
occasion to go from home, put her young child to bed
until her return. Upon her opening the door of the
apartment in which the child lay, she saw three large
rats jump from the bed, and on looking in that direction,
was terrified at perceiving that the bed-clothes were
stained with blood to a considerable extent. Upon her
removing the coverlet a shocking spectacle presented
itself. The rats had mutilated the poor infant, and
destroyed its life, having eaten away the wall of the belly,
and destroyed portions of the intestines. The agony of the
unhappy mother upon discovering her loss may be better
conceived than described. Her cries brought her neigh-
bours to her assistance, and the shocking occurrence has
produced a painful sensation throughout the neighbour-
hood.
THE ALLEGED MURDER ON ROBOROUGH-DOWN.—The
prisoner M 'Donnell was on Thursday morning last taken
from the military prison at Devonport (where he is un-
dergoing punishment by sentence of court-martial), and
marched, under an escort of soldiers, to Roborough-
do wn, to afford him an opportunity of pointing out the
spot where he had deposited the remains of the woman
whom he still persists in declaring he has murdered. Mr.
Giffard, chief of the Devonport police, and other persons,
were on the spot; but after the day had been passed in
a fruitless search for the alleged " body," the escort re-
turned, tired and jaded, fully impressed with the convic-
tion that they had been hoaxed. The fellow has borne a
most disgraceful character in the regiment from the time
he entered it.