The Sun.
London, England, 1849-09-04 00:00:00

THAMES.

Maria Cook, a dissipated- looking woman, residing
at Neptune-court, Rosema:y-lane, was charged with
assaulting Mary Anne Purcell, residing in the same
turbulent locality.
The complainant, whose head was plastered up,
and who appeared to be in a very weakly state, said,
as she was returning to her own home on Saturday
night from market, the prisoner assailed her with a
volley of abuse, and just as she got to the door, flung
a pail of water over her, which took away her breath.
Complainant's husband ran to get a constable, on
which the prisoner forced her way into the house,
and struck complainant a heavy blow like a man
with her fist. Afraid of being murdered, she ran into
the court, the prisoner pursuing her with a pair of
tongs which she had snatched up. As soon as she
overtook her, she gave her a tremendous blow with
the tongs over the right temple, which deprived her of
her senses, and she sunk fainting into the arms of a
young woman who ran to her assistance. She knew
no more until she recovered in the London Hospital,
where she still remained very ill and weak.
The prisoner said it was the prosecutrix who
threw water over her and beat her with the poker ;
but she called no witnesses nor did she exhibit any
mark.

Mr. YARDLEY said it was a most violent assault,
and she should be sent for trial but that he feared no
prosecution would take place. lie would, therefore,
order her to pay a fine of 51., or to be imprisoned for
two months.

Locked up in default.
Thomas 21P.Namara,an Irish labourer, was charged
with the following unprovoked outrages :
Mr. Charles Eylors, a sugar baker, residing at 93,
Chambers-street, Whitecimpol, was proceeding home
on Saturday, when the prisoner, who was drunk,
came up, and without the slightest provocation, gave
him a heavy blow on the face, which felled him to
the ground. Criddell, 153 H, who witnessed the
assault, then arrived and took the prisoner into cus
tody, and a desperate struggle ensued, during which
the constable received several very heavy blows and
was knocked down twice. In the second fall his
head struck the kerb-stone, and he was compelled to
remain off duty since. Other assistance being at
length obtained, the prisoner was with no little diffi-
culty conveyed to the station-house.
Mr. YARDLEY said, such outrageous conduct was
not to be endured, and he would try what effect a
little wholesome punishment would have in checking
the prisoner's combative propensities.
lle was then sentenced to imprisonment, with
hard labour for twenty-one days, without the alter-
native of a fine.

STATE OF THE WEST HIGHLANDS.—We under-
stand that notices of removal have been served on a great
number of croftiers, or small tenants, on the estate ce
Lord Macdonald in Skye. Not less than 600 ejectmente
are contemplated, which, at the usual estimate of five
persons to each family, will, next spring, cause the re•
moval of about 3,000 souls from the island. Means of
emigration to Canada, we believe, will be provided, but
the case is an extremely painful one. The condition e!
these remote Highland properties is a subject surrounded
with unusual difficulties and responsibility. The loss ce
the kelp trade and the potato failure rendered it impos-
sible for the poor croftiers to pay rent. Not oily is rent
lost, and the land unimproved, but the people are suffer-
ing the utmost destitution, hundred: of them being
merely kept alive by the Destitution Board and the pro-
prietor. When the relief fund fails, the result must be
deplorable. Every attempt to sell these large Highland
estates, burdened with thousands of cotters, has proved
fruitless. Lord Macdonald, we believe, has not had a
single offer for North Uist, though advertised for sale six
months since. When the lands are heavily mortgaged,
the obvious though hard resource is dispossessing the
smaller tenants to make room for a better class, able
to pay rent, and this task generally devolves on south
country managers or trustees, who look only tc
money returns, and cannot sympathise with the
peculiar situation and feelings of the Highland
population. Had a poor-law been established fifty
years since, greater attention would have been
paid to the condition of the people in those districts;
but they have gone on sAtling and multiplying a-
they choose, and for a while little hardship was expe-
rienced, except in peculiarly bad seasons. Now, the
want of employment, the failure or uncertainty of the
potato crop, the operation of the poor-law, and the pe-
cuniary burdens upon many of the proprietors, have
produced a crisis which calls for some new system of
management. Where the soil or climate is unfavourable
for arable cultiv..tion, or where capital cannot be ob-
tained for improvement, emigration is undoubtedly the
most desirable course. The people are helpless in the
Lowlands. They prefer Canada, because large bodies
of their countrymen are settled in the colony, and the
Gaelic language is found to be no impediment. They
have there a better county, where labour is in demand,
and a spirit of emulation and steady industry is excited.
Where means are provided, voluntary emigration pro-
ceeds on an extensive scale. Within the last ten years
at least 20,000 Highlanders have left this country for
Canada. This season great numbers have gone. We
formerly noticed the emigration from Glenelg—about
350 persons ; and from South Ulst 1,803 have sailed
within the last few weeks. From Lord Macdonald's
part of the island about 900 have emigrated, and from
the property of Colonel Gordon of Cluny, 891.—Inver-
ness Courier.

THE CONVICT WiLsoN.--Maurice Wilson, or Glee-
son Wilson, the prisoner in ICirkdale Gaol, convicted for
the murder of Mrs. llenrichson and family, continues
to manifest the same indifference to his fate. Ile still,
strange to say, protests his innocence; and, like Rush,
appears offended if the turnkeys, or others with whom
he comes in contact, express a doubt of the
correctness of his assertion. The prisoner, as we
have before stated, is a Roman attholic, and is
spiritually attended by th© Rev. Mr. Duggan, of
St. Joseph's, who will accompany him to the scalfo'.d.
Sunday what is termed the "condemned sermon" was
preachd by the Rev. Mr. Appleton, the chaplain of the
!gaol, but Wilson was not present: owing to his faith he
is Excused from attendance at church. It has been stated
by our contemporaries, and such was at one time the
understanding, that the prisoner would be executed on
Saturday next. We have official authority, however, for
stating that the sad ceremony will not take placa till
Saturday week. The executioner (Calcraft again) has
received notice from the sheriff that his services will be
required on the 15th inst.—Liverpool Albion.
A FACT.---It is scarcely within the verge of pro-
bability, but it is nevertheless an indisputable fact, that,
on Tuesday last, twelve hunrlrcel and a half of fresh her-
rings were bought in Douglas for one shilling.—lllanx
Liberal.

RICH DIGGINGS.—We understand that the relatives
of a young man, named Sweetser, who went from Cam-
bridge to California, have received a letter from him,
stating that he secured 15,000 dolls. worth of the
dUSV 1.4 oix weeks after arrival,—llosion Trans,