The Sun.
London, England, 1838-01-25 00:00:00

FINE ARTS.

. We have just seen a plate entitled ",The Last Supper,"
'which has been executed under the direction of Mr. Notte,
the artist. It shows considerable skill and delicacy of
touch, more especially the back-ground ; but the figures
and features of the Apostles have little or nothing of that
expressive character, so remarkable in the original de-
sign of Leonardo da Vinci. Nevertheless, the plate looks
well to the eye, from the novel nature of the engraving.
It is published by Mr. Herring of Oxford-street.

„ECONOMIST” NEWSPAPER.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Stn,—An advertisement having appeared announcing
the revival of the Economist and Joint Stock Bankers'
Journal, in which my name is mentioned, I'was induced to
correct tho mistake involved in it, by the following explana-
tion to the gentleman from whom it emanated ; and as it
will also serve to explain to the readers of that paper the
reason for its not being resumed, and that other parties
have made arrangements for supplying its place, I beg the
favour of your inserting it.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
THOMAS JOPLIN.
13, St. Swithin's-lane, Jan. 23, 1838.

2, Montague-street, Russell-square, Jan. 22, 1838.
DEAR observed in yesterday's paper an advertise-
ment in which my name appears, and which must be obviously
the result of mistake.
I communicated to the Committee of the Joint Stock Bank
Association your willingness to start the Economist upon the
principles on which it was first established, free from politics,
and devoted to commerce.

There was a disposition on their part to favour your propo-
sition, and recommend your paper to the Joint Stock Banks,
and I should have been glad to have given you my assistance
(at all events until the paper had been re-established), though
I should have declined having my name in any way advertised.
But I found that without the Economist was recommended on
my own account and risk, it was the intention of a gentleman,
extensively connected with Joint Stock Banks, to start a paper
in opposition to it. This of course he would not do, without
the support of a considerable portion of them, and it appeared
undesirable under these circumstances to proceed with the
arrangement. I felt assured that it would riot answer the
purpose of two papers. It was obvious also that the exist-
ance of rival papers would only lead to disunion amongst the
Joint Stock Banks, and that it could not fail to produce per-
sonal differences, in which I was determined not to be in-
volved, and these sentiments being approved by different
members of the Committee, I declined any further interference
in the arrangements proposed for recommencing the Econo-
mist, to which I mean to adhere.

This being the case I have written to the Stamp Office to
beg them not to allow the title of the Economist to be used or
incorporated with any other paper, and shall feel obliged by
the mistake that has arisen being corrected in the way most
agreeable to you, provided the fact of its being a mistake be
sufficiently made known.
I am, dear Sir, your most obedient servant,
THOMAS JOPLIN.
To --, Esq.

THE RIVER.

The strong north-easterly wind which prevailed yesterday,
occasionally blowing a hurricane, had the effect of disturbing
the ice on the river, and blew it over towards the south shore,
which was entirely blocked up, and no vessels, barge's or boats,
could more in or out. The ice has considerably increased since
Tuesday, in consequence of the severe frost yesterday and the
preceding night ; and although
.most of the dock entrances
were cleared of the ice on Tuesday, they were found again
frozen over on the following morning. Between Greenwich
and Blackwell the stream was covered with ice from one side
to the other. There were not more than a dozen small
boats ventured across the river all day, below London-
bridge. These were navigated by a few hardy watermen,
who appeared unmindful of the danger. The icebergs were
occasionally driven, with great violence, against the ships,
by the extraordinary force of the wind ; and on the break-
ing up of the weather, many will have to go into dock to re-
pair. A number of ships are still moored alongside the Cus-
tom-house Quay and Tower wharf, out of the way of the drifts'
of ice, and there they are likely to remain for some time
longer. The south shore above bridge was blocked in the
same nienner as below, and the coal-merchants were unable
to send their lighters away to the Pool for coals. At high
water the ice extended right across the river at Westminster-
At Blackfriars, however, there was a clear waterway in
Westminster-
bridge.
the middle of the river. The changes which present themselves
on the river are most extraordinary. At one hour a large space is
quite clear of ice ; the next hour it is covered, and field upon
Held
up the stream, dashing and crashing against the ves-
sels, flows up
and bridges ; returning again as the tide recedes.
The wind blew so keenly and fiercely all day that no one ven-
tured on the ice on the river, and the sliders and skaters also
kept away. There will be a new moon to-morrow morning,
and consequently a lofty spring-tide at the period of the pri-
mary high water, or that which depends on the moon, coming
to the south, and also at the time of secondary high water, de-
pending upon the moon being on the opposite part of the me-
ridian. The north-east wind always has the effect of driving
the waters up the Channel, and there can be no doubt, if the
wind continues in the same quarter, there will be an extra-
ordinary high tide to-morrow, if not this afternoon, which, in
the present state of the river, is likely to cause a great deal of
mischief. We cannot, therefore, too strongly recommend the
owners of water-side premises to use the necessary precau-
tions to prevent their shops, warehouses, and underground
apartments from being filled with water.
(TIE SERPENTINE.—From the intense frost during the pre-
vious Light, the ice on the Serpentine yesterday morning was
seven inches and a half thick, being an increase in thickness
by which it was covered on Monday being frozen, was
x
of one and a half-inches from Tuesday. Its surface, from the
w
even, and from its transparency resembled a po-
isaicitceeed water
y mirror. It was also so extremely slippery, from the
severity of the frost, that persons venturing to cross it were
compelled to slide whether they would or not, 'or to measure
their length on its surface. Several curious accidents of that
kind occurred, to the no small amusement of the lookers on,
who, by-the-bye, owing to the cutting north-easterly blasts,
ti
were not very numerous. Many carriages filled with elegantly
dressed ladies, however, graced the banks. The skaters were
but few, and no accidents occurred.
ST. JAMES'S PARK.—.The skaters in St. James's Park were
very numerous, and the ice was very good, but of so polished
a surface, that the skaters had great difficulty in stopping
themselves when approaching the spots where the ice had
consequences,
which chfr hadom
been broken for the benefit of the water fowl, which spots,
owing to the intensity of the frost, were yesterday again frozen
over.
nearly
been About
a t
tended half-past
fatal saiuen
wo o'clockn n accident,
occurred
the above circumstances : as a young man named Charles
Langley, residing at No. 44, New-street, Westminster, whiht
skating close to the island opposite Buckingham Palace, which
obterienrnicaemineedn"wQerueeeitilfsirrllmsleeididia,
by Captain --, the gentleman whose pertinacious attentions
to her Majesty at Kensington attracted so much attention, has
immediate becameatte n d a inne' em withersedt. h
eN
ice
-hb
os
antd,
&c., and lie was got out.
'
RFGENT
• S Penh.—The ice in the Regent's Park was yes-
terday very good, with scarcely any cracks. During the day
there were full 1,000 skaters on the ice. Among them were
:hrce ladies, whose graceful evolutions attracted much atten-
'ion. They were habited ala Russe, and were attended by a
very servant.