The Sun.
London, England, 1853-02-04 00:00:00

we know, see, or speak with all mankind. We are
more neighbourly with the antipodes now than with
Europe a century ago, and the state of the continent is
better known to us to-day than was that of this king-
dom to our grandfathers." This urges the people to
strive after a higher state of education than was attained
in former times ; for as all are now interested in what is
. going on in Melbourne, in the United States and in Canada,
and as we make the great topics of conversation, the
triumphs of steam and ,navigation, men are not for so-
- ciety in the present day unless they have have a more
enlarged knowledge of all these things than their fathers
had. Take the mechanic ;he reads that in New York
there is a new invention being applied, called the calo-
ric engine, by which it is proposed to propel ships with-
out steam-engines or boilers. But when an uneducated
man reads about these things in New York, it is to him
just the same as if he read about something going on in
the moon ; he does not know whether the people there
are black or white. In fact, an American went to a re-
spectable inn in York, the son being tuld that he was
from America, the landlady in surprise said, " You are
from Ame.rica c Dear me, I always thought they were
black." (Loud laughter.) And there are many people,
I dare say, who do really suppose that the Ameri-
cans are black. This arises from neglect in not
teaching people geography. I want to see the mass
of the people read these things to which I have
alluded with advantage. The people have read
of these things in your news-room. I
am glad to
hear of this new feature, the news-room, and have no
doubt but it will be one of the most attractive features
in your institution. (Hear, hear.) This has been
found to be the case in other places. For many yemB
these institutions could not have a news-room, because
they were objected to by influential persons as being
political. But there is nothing less political than a
`news-room, if the newspapers admitted are fairly select-
ed, because they will have papers of all kinds. (Hear,
hear.) You will find that people will resort to news-
rooms, not to, read the leading articles ; for, with all re-
spect for the talented writers for the public press, I re-
gard the leaders as of far less importance than the articles
of news in the paper. Take a newspaper up, and you
will find news brought from all parts of the world.
Nineteen-twentieths of the whole paper consists of news,
and only one-twentieth part of original articles or lead-
ers ; therefore, with all respect to the editors of these

newspapers, I believe these original articles, so far as
guidance and direction are concerned, are the least use-
ful and interesting parts of their papers, facts and intel-
ligence being more sought after by readers. There are
far more newspapers in America than here ; but they
have less political influence ; people there go to see what
is the last news from Europe, brought in by the last
' steam-boat which has arrived. I wish, therefore, that
people could be disabused of the idea that the reading
of newspapers can be of the least injury to those who
like to read a newspaper for the purpose which most
of us like it for. There is one other point upon which I
wished to have made a remark. Somebody mentioned to
me when I came into the room that you had made an
application to Parliament for grants of Parliamentary
papers. We publish, as many of you know, every year,
a mass of Parliamentary papers. lam afraid that a

great deal of these papers, in the case of nineteen-twen-

tieths of the members of Parliament to whom they are
open, go very speedily to the butter-shop, not being much
read or used. It has been asked that these papers should
be given to societies of this kind. (Hear, hear.) Now,
I have presented petitions to this effect to Parliament,
and I think one from this institution in favour of grant-
ing you these papers. My own impression is, that if
the statistical department of the Board of Trade would

analyse all these papers, and give us at the end of the
session a good digest of them in a simple form, it would
be a great deal more useful than the mass of blue-books
which are now given to us. Every member in th
house claims a right to move for any returns he thinks

proper. For instance, there is a curious man interested in

the malt trade, who wants to know the number of quarters
of malt made in the year, perhaps he has got a bet upon

it, or it may be on the hop trade, and so on.

We gene-

rally give these returns. Now, I have never yet moved
for any return except when I intended to found a motion

upon it, for these returns have to be furnished at the

cost of great labour and expense, more than people are
generally aware of. (Hear.) But as the type has to be
set up for these books, it would only require a little more
paper, which would make but little difference in the cost,
you shall have my vote and interest in favour of granting
you a supply of these papers printed by Parliament.
(Applause.) And now, gentlemen, in conclusion, I

•
must again say I came here 'without at all hoping to give
you any information as to your proceedings, or any
itimulus in the prosecution of your objects ; I came here
rather from a pleasing sense of duty, and to show yon

that my feelings were with you in this good cause ; and
I assure you you may now cr hereafter command my
best services in promoting in every way I can the pros-
perity of the Holmfirth Mechanics' Institution. (Loud
cheers.)

After a vote of thanks to the chairman, the meeting
iroke up a little after 10 o'clock.

THE ALLEGED MURDER AT BRIXTON.

--....,›.-_

Yesterday morning Mr. Superintendent Lund, accom-
panied by Sergeant Quinnear, paid another visit to No.
4, Springfield Cottages, the late residence of the unfor-
tunate Mr. Jones, at present in the possession of the
police, for the purpose of making a further and more
minute search and investigation. It may hero be stated
that these experienced officers are of opinion that for the
last 4 or 5 months not a single article in use in the house
had been washed ; but that since the death of the de-
ceased some of them had been partially washed, and that
only to,remove suspicious appearances, so that the place
exhibits a most filthy appearance, and actually stinks.
The officers, in the course of their search, 'found the will
of the deceased, and from it it appears that his

property amounts to 3,0001., and that after be-
queathing 2001. a-piece to two of his nephews, 1001. to
a third, and 3001. to Mr. David Key, who used to attend
him as his medical man, he left the residue, with the
whole of his furniture, to his housekeeper, Elizabeth
Vickers, at present in custody, so that, after paying the
funeral and other expenses, she would be entitled to over
2,0001. It would appear, also, that in Christmas week
the deceased had received 281., of which sum all that was
found on the prisoner or in the house on Tuesday wai 11.
Gs. 6d., though the prisoner, Elizabeth Vickers, had
pawned a silver watch and some trinkets three days after
her master's death for 3/. On making inquiries in the
neighbourhood it was found that Vickers had been carry-
ing on a most irregular and extravagant course for some
months past, and this would perhaps account for the dis-
appearance of the money. She had been accustomed to go
to the public-houses in the neighbourhood, and not only
to drink to excess herself, but to treat perfect strangers
to brandy and water, or anything else they chose to
drink, and had herself been frequently led home perfectly
drunk. At the inquest a person named Collins was sent
for and attended, and he deposed to having seen the de-
ceased a short time before his death, and while in his
own garden, fall down and strike his head with consi-
derable violence against the wall, and this corrobo-
ration of her evidence had much weight with the coroner
and jury. Since the officers have had the matter in
hand Sergeant Quinnear took Collins to the garden, and
requested him to point out the spot where he saw the de-
ceased fall. Collins on this occasion pointed out the spot,
and said the fall took place just after Mr. Jones had
closed the front shutters. He could not state the pre-
cise evening on which this occurred, but thought that
two Sundays had intervened between the time and the
death of Mr. Jones. Quinnear examined the spot mi-
nutely, and his impression is that it is quite impossible
that a person could fall in the position which Collins
described. Besides this, police-constable White, 111 P,
states that on the evening of Saturday, the Ist of Jan.,
he saw Collins bring home Elizabeth Vickers in a state
of intoxication, and both went into the house together.
A report had btained much currency and belief in the
neighbourhood that the man Collins was about to be
married to the housekeeper, Vickers, and according
to the account of the landlady of the former, his circum-
stances seem latterly to have much improved. It would
seem, howeycr, that Collins (if he really is so) is not the
only candidate for the hand of Vickers, for last Mon-
day's post brought a letter addressed to " Mrs. Elizabeth
Vickers, late at Mrs. William Jones's, Springfield Cot-
tages, Acre-lane, Brixton, near London" (now in the
hands of the officers), of which the following is a verba-
im copy:—

" Coventry, Jan. 29.

" Madam—l have taken the liberty of writing these few
lines, hoping that it will not give any offence. I have
applied to you, has I am in want of a good domesticated
wife, and no doubt has you have lost your master, no
doubt but what you should like a good home and a good
partner, and if you think anything about it, please to let
me know by the return of post, and please to let me know
particulars. I mentioned that hes to ask you your age, to
se if they will correspond with mine, for my age his 40.
Though I have seen you once or twice, and you perhaps
don t•know me ; but if you answer this immediately, you
will soon se the if you are not engaged with any one.
" I remain yours respectfully,
" C. Coventry.
"My address his this, Mr. H—, cutler, —street,
Coventry, Warwickshire."

ALL IS NOT GOLD THAT GLITTERS.—A spEcimen was
laid before the last meeting of the Bombay brench of
the Royal Asiatic Society of a substance called " gold
sandstone," from Kattiwar, and as we have seen more
than one of these of late, we presume they are plentiful
at the presidency. The sandstone in reality contains
not one atom of gold nor of any other substance of value ;
it consists of a mass of the microscopic shells called
Meliolites, from their resemblance in form and size to
millet seed, the same as constitute the masses of limestone
in Kutch and Kattiwar, only in this case martial pyrytes
or sulphuret of iron takes the place usually occupied by
calcareous matter. Though valueless for economic pur-
poses, as cabinet specimens they are very beautiful ;
when looked at through a magnifier of moderate power,
not only are the forms of the shells most manifest, but
their irridescence shines in all its primary beauties.—
Bombay Time,