The Sun.
London, England, 1838-09-15 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Stn—l entreat you to consider well the advice von are
,riving the working men to leave agitating, for the Pcople'!.
Charter, And go fur Repeal of the Corn laws. I will not under-
,ate the imporhatte of Repeal of the Corn-laws, but at the same
ime cannot, for one moment, allow that a repeal of the
devil's" law can be at ail equal in importance to extirpating
the dct;il who enacted that law, and many others (if not
equally, nearly sit devilish.
Trusting that no cite will attempt to introduce any division at
the meeting on Mundly,
I remain, yours, tle,
Sept. 14, 1838. J. R. BETTS, a Working Man.

TORY CONSOLATION FOR THE
CHEATED FARMERS.

The admission of foreign wheat to consumption in Great
Britain at the low duty of one shilling per quarter is an event
which will illu=trate the law for the regulation of this important
branch of commerce.
The circumstances attending this temporary suspension of
of the
ephro:racettienrgedf uhtayrcalsrie_dosuicnhrettt
acrriculturist, who is about to be exposed tti the competition of
tto fht iontietr
essotms
oefthtihneg
Britishthe foreign wheat grower, not because there row exists any
apprehension that cur domestic supply will fall short, but be-
cause the state of the weather for a few days, three weeks ago,
occasioned a momentary alarm upon the subject. The high
price then obtained has by the improved prospect of the harvest
been gradually diminis'ied, and there seems no reason to doubt,
that independently of foreign importation altogether it would
rapidly have sunk to something like its former level.
We do not anticipate, however, that this incident in the
operation of the system of our Corn-law, although it is ma-
nifestly injurious to the interest of the farmers of Great
Britain, will elicit from that very intelligent and respectable
class of our fellow-subjects any loud expression of impatience
or dissatisf4ction. They will labour through every difficulty
to pay what they owe of rent to the landlord, of tithe to
the Clergyman, and of duty to the Queen, but they will
yield no tribute as a reward for the gratification of hay-
ing their understandings perverted, their morals vitiated,
and their passions inflamed. It may operate severely upon
the interests of many of their number that the market
price of their produce should be unnecessarily reduced
by foreign competition ; but they will reflect that under
a system, the intention of which is to guard against
the possibility of scarcity, in a manner the least unfa-
vourable to their permanent interests as a distinct class,
but emphatically and primarily to guard against the
possibility of scarcity, they must necessarily remain sub.
ject to accidental and occasional sacrifices for the
public good. At such accidental and occasional sacrifices
as the system extorts from them, they will riot repine, if they
are convinced, as we believe they generally are, that the sys-
ateemeocr
according
ian
g graduated
the a
svcearlage of price, e of dutyupon
m
foreign
up
from time
corn,
t
time, is the only system of protection which is not sure at
any season of real or apparent scarcity, or in other words, at
se-
cures are satisfied
ec theo
f present
protection
at
allany crisis of trial, to baffle the calculations and mock the
hopes of all who have relied upon its practical efficiency. The
farmers
because
seasons w
it
when
scarcity them acertain
scarcity is neither felt nor apprehended, and because they
very justly think that when the period of real or imaginary
scarcity arrives it is the same thing to them whether the duty
on importation be taken off by the operation of an existing
law, or by a temporary Act of Parliament or Order in Coun-
cil. Nor will they become dissatisfied with this system, al-
though the occurrence to which it has now given rise may be
productive of temporary injury to many, and of disappointment
to most of the number.—Morning Pest.

UNCONDITIONAL REPEAL OF THE

CORN LAWS.

Working men of Great Britain I Read the letter, signed
John Crawford'', which treats of the pressure of the Corn-laws
on the industrious operatives. A large and influential body of
the class already admitted to a participation of political power
are hostile to these laws. Backed by you, that body can com-
mand a repeal of the Corn-laws in despite of both the Whig
and Tory Aristocracies, even with our present imperfect insti
tutions. Is it not, then, worth while to make that effort? It
will not for a tnometa interfere with or impede your other
agitation. It will assure you of cheaper bread, and more
money to spare for other necessaries and comforts. It will
detach the landed interest from their unnatural alliance with
bad institutions, and strengthen the ranks of Reformers.
Now is the time. Last week we announced the accession of
Lord Brougham to our ranks. To-day we have to intimate that
the most deadly enemy the Corn-laws have ever experienced--
Col. 'l'. P. Thompson—is again in thefleld. Hehascommenced
a series of articles which, as proposed, shall appear twice a week
(Mondays and Wednesdays) in The Sun, under the title of
" Corn Law Fallacies, with Answers, which we shall have
the pleasure of regularly re-printing. Lord Brougham is not
at present on the best of terms with Ministers, and Colonel
Thompson will not be suspected of playing into the hands of
any class of place-hunters. This is our answer to those who
seek to represent the present Anti-Corn-law agitation as a
mere Ministerial trick.
Honour to the Society of Friends 1 ever foremost in every
benevolent work. Joseph Sturge, the sound-hearted cham-
pion of Negro freedom, has come forward to denounce the
Corn Laws as a " disgrace to a civilised community," and to
" offer twenty pounds from the firm of Joseph and Charles
Sturge,l
in aid ?fa general effort for the total abolition of the
Ward, Brotherton, all the leaders of the independent and
rational Reformers in the House of Commons, are urgent that
the question of the Corn-laws be seriously grappled with.
The Liberal Press throughout the country is inimical to the
Corn-laws. The enterprising, intelligent, and right-hearted
t xugp upon corn.
Editor of The Sun (in which a number of admirable articles
on this question have recently appeared) proffers the aid of
his great reporting establishment—and the whole civilized
world knows what it can effect.
hind. The tax upon corn was not imposed
Now then is the time to hoist the flag of UNCONDITIONAL
REPEAL OF TILE CORN-LAWS. Have nothing to do with a
osaenYof raising a revenue, but for the purpose of
out of the country. We deprive the Chan-
Exchequer of nothing when we repeal the
Corn-
laws—whyytuehor oi:Prsnhould we give him anything for their repeal ? If
fikieftoexlielespotdril:n(relogoufpPtosed to swell the revenue by a tax on cornv let that
subject,be discussed on its own merits, and with reference to
our Whole (systenf or taxation. • With the question whether
we are to have a trade in grain with other nations it has nothing
to do. '

We shall insert a small part of the excellent letter alluded
!o by the Glasgow Argus on Monday.

THE VOICE OF LIBERTY.

METROPOLITAN PUBLIC AIEETING, Sept. 17, 1838.

if And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time, to
awake out of sleep."—RomANs.

The world from its trance is awaking,
With the strength of regenerate youth,
And the error-freed people are slaking
Their thirst at the fountains of truth.
Oh ! the canker-worm custom was eating
Its way through the veins of our age,
'Till min, like a wild-bird, scem'd beating
His breast on the bars of his cage.
But a voice to the nations bath spoken,
In tones that have startled the world,
" Let the thick chain of error be broken—
Let Libertl's flag be unfurl'd
For time and progressive opinion
Shall conquer, where cohorts cannot,
And Freedom assume her dominion--
Vain dogmas of old be forgot.
The war-fiends, sin-spotted and gory,
No longer shall gorge on mankind,
For the sun of a new day of glory,
Flames far o'er the empire of mind;
Man's spirit was quickly surmounting
The vapours that veil'.] it in night,
And now, like a long pent-up fountain,
Its vratrs are gushing to light.
From the Heavens a shadow is clearing—
From the cart!) a thick mist is dispcll'd,
An•l the rainbow of hop' re-appearing,
Sheds a light that bath long been withheld.
Ye Helots I Shrink back nosy in terror,
To the dens where "lost" tyranny lies;
Light dawn_; on the long night of error—
The Pharos of Freedom will rise I
Boulogne. T. S. L.

'METROPOLITAN PUBLIC CABRIAGES.—TIMIS-
Reiglibeurbood
daY last, being the first day appointed for applications to be
licensed, and for the deliver• of certificates of character, which
are required to be sired by tyro inhabitant rate-payers, the
We understand that upwards of 3.000 persons have already
applied for requisitions, scvaralhundreds of whom cam?, to the
office in cabs and carriaffes; yet, by the judicious arrangements
or the office in the Adeiphi has bmn thronged.
of the R,.‘gistrar. !kir. D. W. Harvey, an•l the aid of the police,
Intone the the greatest older has been preserved. It is calculated that,
into full operation, the number of persons who will attend the
offi?e, either for requisitions,
certificate., Rate., or
7th day of October, on which day the Act comes
exceed 15,000.

CENIETERy
tery for the City of
FOR THE CITY.-A general ceme-
London and its north.casttra suburbs is
about to be built in Abney Park, at the northern extremity
of the village of Spoke Newinr,ton, which cemetery is to be
open to all classes of the community, and to all denominations
of Christians, without restraint in forms. At Abney Park
were composed and written the greatest part of the literary and
religious works of Dr. Watts, who lived there for the last 36
years of his life, in the time of Sir Thomas Abney, to whom
the estate beloaged.

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT MORI:TON-

HAMPSTEAD.

(Abridged from the Devonshire Chronicle.)
It is with deep regret we announce the occu-recce cf a most
destructive fire in the town of Moretonhampstead. About
one o'clock on Tuesday morning the inhabitants were aroused
from their slumber by the Appalling cry of fire, which was
iucceeded by the violent ritwing of the a'arm-bell, and so
great a light thrown over the whole town, as gave but too
ronvincing evidence of the rapid progress of an awful confla-
gration. The fire had its commencement in the White Horse
' Inn, kept by Mr. Samuel Gray, and spread both right and
left with fearful rapidity. In the out premises of this inn, we
hear from several informants, that there was lodged in !rancho
a small barrel of gunpowder, to get at which, in the then
state of the building, would have been a work of the greatest
hazard; as also that for a time it rendered persons very cau-
tious how they approached this part. The explosion, how-
ever, at length gave notice that no further danger was to be
apprehended from this source, and the exertions of the inha-
bitants were redoubled. To the eastward the fire commu-
nicated to the house and premises svhici; immediately adjoin
the White Horse Inn. To save the forme: was evi-
dently impossible. the town engine, therefore, the
only one they had, was brought to play with great cffect
on the latter, and, we are happy to add, by these means,
and the extraordinary exertions of the inhabitants, this
Inn was saved from destruction, although not without some
injury to some part of the premises, but not so as to interrupt
the business of the house. Westward, however, the flames
made terrible havoc, clearing the houses between, and extend•
ing from the White Horse Inn into Pound street, until checked
in that street by a house covered with slate, the intervening
buildings having been mostly or entirely covered with thatch.
Nearly all the back premises shared the sag, e fate, also nine
houses in the front, and these formed one mass of burning
ruin. We are happy to say that no livrs were lost, but the de-
struction of property is very great, some having lost nearly
their all. We have not heard how the fire originated.

The loss of Mr. Gray is great. The barrel of gunpowder
:which was on his premises was 561bs. weight of stock powder.
It was lodged there but a day or two before, for a farmer in
the eau:2"Y. When the explosion took place, the concussion
was sensibly .`'it, and the glass in many windows at a distance
f
from the fire was tterej. There are fourteen families burnt
out, who are all great sun.: ers•

LOSS OF THE ,;---F6I.FARSHIRE"

STEAMER.

(FRO)f A CORRESPONDENT ON THE SPOT, )
NORTH SUNDERLAND, Sept, 11,
The melancholy loss of life which has occurred by the wrack
of the Forfershire steam-boat has created intense and painful
interest in this neighbourhood. Having occasion to be near
North Sunderland, the writer of this statement availed him-
self of the opportunity of visiting the wreck, and of acquiring
a knowledge of most of the particulars connected with the ca-
tastrophe by personal inquiries of some of the crew who have
survived it. The following may, therefore, be depended
upon as authentic, as far as the facts can at present be ascer-
tained :
The Forfarshire was built at Dundee about the spring of
1836, and the engines and boilers were made by Mr. Peter
Borrie, engineer, Tay Foundery, Dundee. The vessel ran
between Hull and Dundee, and on Wednesday, the sth inst.,
left Hull about six p.m., for Dundee. As nearly as the men
who have been saved can calculate, there were 30 pass-tigers
in the principal cabin, and seven in the fore cabin, and 24 per-
sons composing the crew, inclusive of the Captain's wife, and
Mrs. Gibruth. the stewardess. When off Flamborough Head,
one of the boilers turned out to be insufficiently charged, but
whether from being in a leaky condition, or from the pumps
not feeding it properly, seems a point of doubt. The boiler was
in consequence laid off, the fire being drawn from it. The vessel
I passed northwards, through between two of the Fern Island.,
called the Megstone, and the Fcrnhouse Islands, about five
o'clock p.m., on Thursday, the 6th instant. The Captain
(John Humble) proposed to take the vessel between the inner-
most island and the main land, and bring the vessel to, by
dropping the anchor, but the engineer thought the vessel
could be taken to Dundee, and he proceeded accordingly.
The vessel had three boilers and two engines, and had been
propelled by two boilers after the inefficient boiler had been
laid off at Flamborough Head. After passing the Fern Islands,
however, the third boiler was again used, and the men differ in
their statements as to its leaking or not. The vessel had got
to the north of Berwick between 7 and 8 o'clock in the evening
when it became impossible to keep the fires in, owing the water
in the engine-room. The water was so hot that the men
could not bear to remain in it ; and with the rolling of the
vessel washed the coals about the room, and rendered it im-
practicable to charge the vessel with steam. The fires were
raked out ; and the canvass was spread to give the vessel way,
but the tide acting on the paddles neutralized the propelling
power of the canvass. The wind was N. N. E., and was blow-
ing a perfect hurricane, the rain fell in torrents, and the sea ran
mountains high. The vessel drifted to the southward, in an
unmanageable state for seven hours. From the thickness of the
weather, the crew could not see the Fern light, until they were
close upon the rocks, about a quarter of an hour before the
vessel struck.

One of the passengers, a Mr. Ritchie, a farmer in Perth-
shire, states, as the writer has been informed, that, as soon as
the crew had descried the rocks, one of them came down into
the best cabin, and desired a passenger whom he knew to
rise and dress himself immediately ; and, on the latter asking
what had happened, the man replied that he could not at pre-
sent fully explain the danger. Mr. Ritchie, hearing this,
sprang up, and ran on deck half dressed, where the horrors of
the scene were disclosed to him. Some others of the passen-
gers began to appear on deck, and one of them, a gentleman
in the prime of life, of the name of Bell, whose brother lives
near Perth, turned to Mr. Ritchie and said " It's
all over with us;" and then shook hands with
Mr. Ritchie and bade him farewell. At this mo-
ment Mr. R. saw some of the crew lowering a boat front the
'stern, on which he ran aft, and instinctively leapt into the
boat, first throwing a pair of trowsers into it. Eight of the
crew, besides Mr. Ritchie, got into the boat, which passed the
dangerous rapid called the Pipergut, and were carried to the I
South, where they were picked up by a Montrose vessel, and I
carried on the evening of Friday last into Shields. In the
space of ten minutes or a quarter of an hour after the rocks
were seen the vessel struck the North Western-most poi at
of the large rocky islet, called the Great Hawker, or Harker,
and tore the bottom to pieces. About sixty or seventy
feet of the forepart of the vessel was, by the first blow,
pitched upon a jagged hollow of the rock, which shelves down
northwards to the sea. The part of the vessel aft of the en-
gines, supposed about 100 feet in length, not resting upon any
ground, and being totally unsupported, was by the second sea
which struck the vessel (to use the apt expression of one of
the men, Kidd, the fireman) " snapped off by the engines like
a carrot." Almost all the passengers were at this awful mo-
ment on the aft part of the vessel, and nearly all of whom
were without any other than their sleeping dresses, and amongst
them several females. Their shrieks were only heard for a mo-
ment; the next moment the whole of that part of the ship
which had so broken off disappeared with the unfortunate
sufferers, and has not been since seen or heard of. In that
part of the vessel also, there was x cargo.e. valuahle cloth and
bale goods, and hardware, as well as a good deal ofniachiaery
for a spinning-mill. The fore-part of the vessel did nut after-
wards shift much, 'and nine persons—four passengers, and five
of the crew clung to it, until the tide receded, and enabled
them to get upon that part of the rock which is above high
water mark. A poor woman of the name of Dawson was
with her two children in the forecastle, and saw both of the
children die with cold, and the blows received by the
rolling of the wreck. At this part of the narrative it is
only justice to state the heroism of an aged man and
his daughter, a young woman of twenty-two years of' age,
by whose exertions these nine persons were rescued from
their most. perilous position. William Darling, the keeper of
the Outer Light-house on the Longstone Rocks, observed the
wreck about five o'clock in the morning—that is, about two
hours after the vessel had struck. From the thickness of the
weather, he could not discover whether there wens any men
upon it. Between seven and eight, A. as., he at last perceived
some men, and asked his daughter Grace Horsley Darlirg to
accompany him in a coble-boat, with a view to assist and save
the unfortunate people. She at once consented. It may be
remembered, that Darling was quite certain that he would not
be able to get back to the light-house without the help of
some of the men he saw on the Great Hawker, and his cal•
eulation of returning was fotinded on that assumption. He and
his daughter, anticipating such help, left Mrs. Darling to at-
tend to the light-house, and rowed their little boat round by
the southern sides of the three intervening rocks, to the spot
where they saw the shipwrecked persons. This was about a
mile or upwards. and the sea was all broken water, when the
men on the rock saw a young slender woman pulling the boat
to their rescue, their joy was almost frantic. Darling and his
daughter succeeded in getting the boat to a spot where they
could get a landing, and took up Mrs. Dawson and f. ay of at c
men, and brought them to the lighthouse. Here Darling
his daughter, Mrs. Dawson, and two of die men, Dead teok two
of the men back to the Great Hawker, and brought the re-
maining four persons. The danger was most imminent, but
the experiment was successful. This is one of the noblest in-
stances recorded of female heroism, and the writer who saw
this young woman, was struck with the singular modesty of
this courageous female. It is to be hoped that this act of st
lf-
devotion will be duly rewarded. A boat put off from North
Sunderland the same morning, but Darling had alrea 1)
effected the deliverance of the unfortunate people This boat
encountered great difficulty and much danger. It was under
the guidance of William R.,bsort, the pilot of North Sunder
land, and the humane and firm conduct of Robson and his little
crew deserve to be honourably mentioned,

As soon as it was practicable the peop!c saved were brougbt
ashore, and their wants have been kindiy attended to by the
agent of Lord Crewe's trustees at Baliborough Castle •Four
dead bodies have been found. one of them that of the Rev.
Mr. Robb, Minister of Duileld. An inquest was held at
I3amborough yesterday by Mr. Reid on the bodies, and the Jury
(who were hastily summoned) returned a deodand of 100/.
upon the boilers. Mr. Just, the manager of the Steam
Packet Company, was at the w,eek about five miles from
North Suaderlana, and abandoned it to the underwri•ers. One
merchant has 4,0001. insured on his goods, and the vessel is
insured. The entire loss may be stated at 20,000/. The
number of lives lost may be assumed at 42.
It appears that the boilers have of late been in a leaky st ,to,
the steam issuing out of them at several places. Before leav-
ing Hull, Mr. Barrett, of Hull, had patched and repaired
them, and the vessel was to have been laid up a fortnight
The
at Dundee, to undergo repairs for the winter. Different opi-
nions are entertained as to the cause of this disaster.
prevailing opinion is, that there has been some mismanage-
ment, and perhaps some imperfections in the boilers, with
which the vessel might in calm weather have reached