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

COUNTY POLLS ELECTION BILL.

Lord R. GROSVENOR moved the third reading of
this bill.

Colonel SIBTHORP said, he considered the bill as a
democratic measure, subversive of the constitution in
Church and State, and he should therefore move that
the bill be read a third time this day six months.
Mr. DEEDES opposed the bill, as a specimen of piece-
meal legislation.
Lord R. GROSVENOR said he should certainly
persevere with the bill.
Mr. SPOONER thought the bill would be productive
of great inconvenience, and he should therefore divide
against it.
The house then divided, when there appeared
For the bill
.Against it

Majority lOl

The bill was then read a third time.

Captain SCOBELL then moved an additional clause,
to provide that no place for taking the poll shall be at any
licensed public-house or beer-house.
After some discussion the clause was withdrawn.
Lord R. GROSVENOR moved an amendment, with
the object of fixing the declaration of the poll on the day
after the election.

Colonel SIBTHORPE said the noblo lord ought to
have given his notice of his intention to move such an
amendment as this.
Mr. NEWDEGATE opposed the amendment.
Mr. PALMER thought that, in many counties, it
would be impossible to carry out this amendment.

Lord R. GROSVENOR said that, not having given
notice of the amendment he should not pr it.

The amendment was then withdrawn nd the bill
passed.

PARISH CONSTABLES BILL. r

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 of 1839 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. Molesworth
(printed on Tuesday), there were in the colonies, on the
lstiof April, 1851, employed 1,608 officers, 2,076 ser-
geants and drummers, and, 34,558 rank and file. On
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 purporting
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 HA.VANNAH.—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 his knife 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 was fatal.
The negro ran about 300 yards and fell in mortal agony.
Thus terminated one of the most barbarous transactions
that it has ever been our painful and repugnant duty to
reoord,—Americant raver.

WRECK

OE THE

VICTORIA STEAMER.

GREAT LOSS OF LIFE.
KINGSTOWN, TUESDAY MORNING.
A frightful catastrophe occurred this morning off .
the Irish coast. The City of Dublin Steam-ship
Company's vessel which left Liverpool on Monday
at noon, with 120 souls on board, ran on the rocks
off the Howth Lighthouse, in a dense fog, at a fevr
minutes before two o'clock this morning, and in-
stantaneously went to pieces.
The screams of the affrighted passengers and
crew were heard by the parties on board the Ros-
common steamer, which had just left Kingstown
harbour for Holyhead. The captain hove to
immediately, and by great exertion succeeded in
picking up between forty and fifty persons wh°
were struggling in the water—some of them cling-
ing to portions of the wreck, and others holding -
on to the masts and rigging of the ill-fated vessel.
The remainder--according to some accounts t
more than 100, and certainly not less than 80---
were lost.
Among the missing persons is the commander of
the vessel, Captain West, who has been on the sta'
tion upwards of twenty years, and who was -waiver-
sally respected.
The accident appears to have occurred through
the fog which prevailed along the coast when the
vessel struck. The shoal upon which she ran is.
known as the Bayley Rocks, in the immediate viol'
nity 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 mornini
with the rescued sufferers, whose woe-begone Ana;
heart-broken appearance excited universal comum' •
seration.
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 could
reach, portions of the wreck, thinks, boxes, barrels,
baskets, and all other descriptions of luggage ,
be-
longing to the passengers, were seen floating on. we
water.

The g►reatsst Excitement prevails on the Subjecb
of the wreck.

ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS.

LIVRRPOOL, WEDNESDAY, 9.30 A. 16
Further particulars of the loss of the above
steamer have come to hand this morning.
left Liverpool at 3 p.m. on Monday, with about
100 steerage and six or eight cabin passengers, and
She
a large and valuable cargo, principally sugar.
proceeded safely until about 2.30 a.m. on Tuesday!
when she struck with great force on the rocks 9,:
a few perches north of the Bailey's Light. The
engines were reversed, and she backed off ana
sunk in about 20 minutes afterwards, leaving W
tops of her masts and about six feet of her funnel
~
above water. The boats, five in number, were go:
out, and such was the rush to get into them air
three were swamped, and large numbers perished'
The steamer Roscommon was near the place
the disaster occurred, and seeing the danger sign
proceeded in the direction indicated, and succeeded
in. rescuing 45 persons ; eight others, who hr
climbed up the rocks, were also saved. The
steamers Iron Duke and Prince Albert were imlne;
diately despatched to the scene of the disaster, /311"
could find no trace of any human being. CaPtallt
Church, the second and third officers, and the fill
and second engineers, are amongst the drowned.