The Sun.
London, England, 1853-02-16 00:00:00

PARISH CONSTABLES BILL.

Mr. DEEDES moved the second reading of this bill.
The object of the present bill was to consolidate and
amend the present Parish Constables Acts, which regu-
late the police arrangements of a majority of the Eng-
lish counties, the Rural Police Act not having been
adopted, for different reasons, in more than 26 counties.
(LEFT SITTING.)

TROOPS IN THE COLONlES.—According to a return to
the House of Commons, obtained by Sir W. A.
loi esworth
(printed on Tuesday), there were in the colonies, on the
lstZof April, 1851, employed 1,608
rank
officearsn,d2file7.6
oser-
geants and drummers, and 34 ,5
the Ist of April last there were 1,706 officers, 2,735
sergeants and drummers, and 35,530 rank and file.
THE PINT-BOTTLE QUESTlON.—Yesterday the magis-
trates of Sunbury heard two informations, laid by an
inspector of weights and measures, against publicans of
Hampton Court, for selling beer in bottles purp'orting
to be pints and quarts, but not holding the full measure.
Each party was convicted in a fine of 40s. and costs.
LIVERPOOL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.—The first
monthly meeting, since the annual general meeting, was
held on Monday, in their office, Exchange-buildings,
when Francis Shand, Esq., was elected president,
Thomas Bouch, Esq., vice-president, and Samuel Still,
Esq., treasurer. •
LATER FROM HAVANNAH.—A telegraphic dispatch to
Halifax, just before the sailing of the Europa, has been
received by a gentleman in Liverpool. It is dated New
Orleans, Feb. 2, and contains news of a dreadful fire
which occurred at Cardenas, Havannah, by which property
to the extent of nearly a million of dollars was destroyed,
including the custom-house, theatre, and powder-ware-
houses. The British mail-steamer from Vera Cruz had
not reached Havannah on the 31st ult., and was ten days
overdue. There were serious apprehensions regarding
her safety as very severe weather was experienced in
the Gulf.
MURDER OF A SLAVE BY HIS MASTER.—Our citizens
were startled on Saturday last by the report of inhuman
transactions in the adjoining county of Clark. On
Thursday morning last, James Clark, a well-known
citizen of the county of Clark, made an assault upon his
negro woman for a cause which we have not heard
stated ; he then ordered her into a corner of the room,
and commenced pitching hisknife at her, point foremost.
As the knife would enter her flesh, he would compel his
victim to draw it forth and return it to him. This
demoniacal amusement was continued until the slave
was covered with about fifty bleeding gashes. The same
day he whipped his wife, cut her all over the head with
his knife, not dangerously, we understand, but in a mass
of cruel and painful punctures. He also cut off her eye-
lids. This strange drama wound up on Friday last by
the commission of a murder. Clark, on that day, ordered
his wife to go and call Lewis (a negro belonging to the
family). She obeyed, but the slave refused to come—.
through dread of his enraged master, we suppose. Mrs.
Clark returned, and was whipped by her husband for
not bringing the negro. Five times was she sent upon
this capricious mission, five times was it fruitless, and
each time was she whipped for her failure. Clark then
called to the slave, informing him that he would shoot
him next morning. The negro, it seems, did not heed
the warning, for while splitting rails the next day he was
deliberately Shot by his master. The wound wz.ts fatal.
The negro ran about 300 yards andarhu
fella rien me
transactions
that Thus terminated one of the most barbarous
that it has ever been our painful and repugnant duty to
record.—Ainfrkgn l'‘`lsll.*

WRECK

OF TIIE

VICTORIA STEAMER.

GREAT LOSS OF LIFE.
KINGSTOWN, TUESDAY MORNnia•
A frightful catastrophe occurred this morning c
the Irish coast. The City of Dublin Steam-shi P
Company's vessel which left Liverpool on Monda
at noon, with 120 souls on Voard, ran on the rook $
off the Howth Lighthouse, in a dense fog, at a fel
minutes before two o'clock this morning, and 511
stantaneously went to pieces.
The screams of the affrighted passengers
a nc
crew were heard by the parties on board the 1305.
common steamer, which had just left Kingstcorl
harbour for Holyhead. The captain hove
immediately, and by great exertion succeeded i) a
picking up between forty and fifty persons w: ho
were struggling in the water—some of them din g
ing to portions of the wreck, and others holdilig
on to the masts and rigging of the ill-fated vessel
The remainder—according to some accoun
more than 100, and certainly not less than 80-
were lost.
Among the missing persons is the commander `•
the vessel, Captain West, who has been on the sti
tion upwards of twenty years, and who was lll"'
sally respected.
The accident appears to have occurred throng] 1
the fog which prevailed along the coast when t•11.'3 ;
vessel struck. The shoal upon which she ran I.'
known as the Bayley Rocks, in the immediate viol
pity of the Howth Lighthouse.
Immediately after completing his humane efforts
the captain of the Roscommon returned to Kings
town, where he arrived at six o'clock this morel'' f
with the rescued sufferers, whose woe-begone ani
heart-broken appearance excited universal cow'
aeration.
The scene presented to-day to the passengers by
the express boats was of a truly heart-rending
_.,
na-
ture. In every direction, as far as the eye e°ll`,„
reach, portions of the wreck, trunks, boxes, bare'
baskets, and all other descriptions oS, luggage '
longing to the passengers, were seen floating on the
water. •
The greatsst excitement prevails on the subject'
of the wreck.
•