The Sun.
London, England, 1836-01-26 00:00:00

WAR IN TEXAS.

The packet ship Mexican, front Vera Cruz, brings dates
from that city to the 3d inst., and frcZyn the capital to 28th
ultimo. As usual, the intelligence frotir that country,
though interesting, is nevertheless somewhat C,intradictory.
We have collected from the papers, and front Praate
sources, the following items, which we think may be K.'liej
upon, or at all events are believed to be as nearly true a:,
can be expected to reach us from a country where want of
confidence, even in the transmission of letters, renders both
natives and foreigners cautious how and what they write,
and where all the public prints are enlisted in favour of the
present efforts to establish the new or Central form of-
Government.
The President, Santa Anna, who arrived in Tacubaya
about the middle of Novembei, had left for San Luis
Potosi, the 27th of the same month, taking with him some
250,000 or 300,000 dollars, fifteen hundred or two thousand
men, and a dozen pieces of artillery. It was reasonably
presumed his first attention would be directed to dislodge
Mejia from Tampico, should the latter, as is reported, have
secured possession of that important town. It is admitted
Mejia landed at or near the Bar of the Tampico about the
14th ult., with some two hundred and fifty to three hun-
dred men ; that on the 15th or 16th he attacked the town
and was repulsed, with loss of some killed and wounded,
and forty prisoners, as is stated by the officer who com-
manded at Tampico. •
It is, however, affirmed, that on the night of the 18th. or

19th, he made asecond attack, and succeeded in gaining
possession of the place. This seems to have been generally
credited at the departure of the Mexican from Vera Cruz.
How long Mejia will be able to defend Tampico, will, of
course, depend on the number of the partisans in the sur-
rounding country, and the promptness with which they
come to the standard of the Constitution of 1834,
which he hag raised, and proposes to fight under. It
will also depend on the promptness and number of the
forces Santa Anna may assemble against him. The next
advices will, probably settle this matter. The news
reached the city of Mexico in eight or nine days, and was
thence transmitted to Vera Cruz, where orders were given
to fit out a flotilla of gun-boats ; but it was uncertain
whether they would really leave for Tampico, and when.
It appears that Congress had authorized the Govern-
ment to contract a loan for .500,000 do:Jars, on such terms
as would give them the cash. Private advices state that
this amount could not be promptly obtained, and Govern-
ment assessed the amount among the • foreign merchaots
and others residing in the capital, principally the'former.
Some 20,000 to 30,000 dollars had been raised at Vera
Cruz by voluntary subscription, foreigners having sub-
scribed the principal part of it. The Government had re-
duced the credits on duties (formerly three and six months)
to 40 and 80 days ; had suspended the floating bonds on
the Custom-houses 'at Vera Cruz, Tampico, and Mate-
moras, and martial law had been proclaimed at Tampico,
on the 18th ult., by the then Military Governor. It •is
also stated that Matamoros had decided for the Constitu-

tion of 1834. There is nothing in the papers which con-
firms this report, though it may appear probable from the
fact that several movements had occurred along the coast
of Soto La Marina, and other places, against the Govern-
ment. We think that, in such a state of things, it is fair
to infer that Centralism will not be established at the North
without a further struggle.

JAMAICA.

(From the Hampshire Telegraph.)

We have accounts from Jamaica to the 16th of Decem-
ber. The Comus sailed from Jamaica on the 10th of Dec.,
on a cruise. The Pickle on the Bth, for Nassau, the

Wasp on the 2d, for Vera Cruz, and the Meteor on the
30th of November, for St. Thomas's. The Dec had sailed
for St. Thomas's, from which she was to return to Jamaica.

The Skipjad schooner arrived at Jamaica on the 13th of
December, and the Gannet on the 2d, from Honduras.
One hundred thousand pounds had been granted by the
House of Assembly at Jamaica, towards the furtherance of
emigration, " an instance," observes the Jamaica Herald,
" of such good faith, patriotism, and generosity on the part
of the popular branch of our Colonial Legislature as cannot
fail to excite the warmest thanks of the island generally.
We really were not prepared for so liberal a grant ; we are
sure that if any thing could convince the Home Govern-
ment of the genuine patriotism and sound policy of our As-
sembly, it would be a grant of money, out of the impo-
verished island purse, similar to this ; but the misfortune is,
that the parent country is not to be convinced, persuaded,
or mollified by the deepest sacrifice or concessions. How
this money is to be immediately disposed of we have not yet
learned, nor have been infOrmed of the details in any de-
finitive shape ; but, as the House of Assembly form part of
the Commissioners' for carrying the plan into effect., we
are totally easy on this head. We have also learned that
the Immigration and Police Bills are to be entirely distinct
and separate, which gives us, on mature deliberation, con-
siderable pleasure, as we are persuaded that the immi-
grants will do much better in the capacity of simple culti-
vators of the soil than as half soldiers, half police. Besides,
as we said the other dey, a number of efficient immigrants,
as well as Creoles, may be easily found to make up the
numl4.l necessary for a good filling of the ranks of the po.

1.•••11

• lice, without trenching on the main beuring of theimmi-
gration plan."

The following is an extract of a letter recently addressed
to the Marquis of Sligo, from one of the special magis-
trates of Jamaica, Arthur Welsh, Esq., dated Warwick,
Carpenter's Mountain district, Manchester :
" The negro apprentices of this district are orderly and
generally well disposed ; labour goes on regularly, with
comparatively- little necessity for coercion. Crime is ex-
tremely limited, ti,e worst feature thereof being the occa-
sional plundering of prevision-grounds, The apprentices
are everywhere humanely treated by their masters or ma-
nagers. Ample land is given for the cultivation of provi-
sions ; they have their hops and poultry, and many keep
their horses. Their appearance on Sundays is superior to
that of European peasantry in general. Beggary and want
are strangers to the land. Complaints of apprentices against
their masters or employers are rare ; where they do occur,
it generally happens that the apprentice, on investigation,
has been the aggressor. I have every reason to think that
the apprentices labour as well as when they arc slaves.
So,-ne planters complain they cannot keep the same quan-
tity of
.land under cultivation ; but this must be understood
with refereixe to the time formerly allotted to labour, com-
pared with that now given. Wherever the negrocs work
for hire, they scent to work harder than atitheir ordinary
labour ; I see no disincibation to work for hire. Some
planters complain. latterly tiot the negroes neglect their
own grounds, in order to hire themselves out. As they
have time enough for both purposes, I attribute such mea-
sure to the dry season. The future must of course be pro-
blematical ; but the present system, where the law is judi-
ciously administered, I consider equall)• advantageous to
both master and apprentice ; nor do I see reasonable cause
to anticipate a decrease of the staples of tie island. In
fine, I believe the peasantry of this island to h,q better off
and more happy, than any other in the worlds and am
certain, on their transition to absolute freedom, they will
encounter many difficulties they have hitherto never had
an idea of."

HORRIBLE CASE OF INFANTICIDE.

CHELTENHAM, MONDAY EVENING, JAN. 2.s.—This
day a Coroner's Inquest was held at the Fleece Inn, in
this town, before John Cooke, Esq., Coroner, on the
body of a remarkably fine illegitimate male child, which
was murdered on the Tuesday evening previous in the
most inhuman manner by its own mother. The name of
the murderess is ,Ant; Sherrington, a servant girl, twenty-
five years of age, ::*id tie infant was exactly three weeks
old on the day it izas murdered. The father of the
child, a journeyman butchen named Thomas Smith, is
in custody for wilfully conceaL'iAlg the murder after he
knew it to have been committed.

Sarah Biggs, wife of John Biggs, carpenter, residing in
Milsom-street, Cheltenham, about tweln: weeks since, took
the young woman (Ann Sherrington) into her house as a
lodger, at which time she was pregnant. She took her at
the request of Mrs. Foxell, a midwife. The roman called
herself Ann, but would not tell her other name. Three
weeks ago last Tuesday the prisoner was confined of a male
child, and witness attended upon her for one week after-
wards. A person whom the prisoner called Thomas Smith,
a butcher, frequently called to see her, and she (prisoner)
said upon several occasions that he was the father of the
child. On Tuesday last, the 19th inst., the prisoner left
witness's house about six o'clock in the evening, taking the
child with her, which she said she was going to take to am
aunt of the father's to be nursed. She returned about eight
o'clock the some evening without the child, but with a small
bundle in her hand. She said she bad left the child with
Smith's aunt, and that it was very comfortable ; and after
putting the bundle she had brought back with her into her
box, which she locked, she again went out, saying she was
going to her sister's, and would return the next morning and
p.py for her lodging. She did call the following morning
but did not pay for her lodging till Friday, when she was
about to take her things away : witness, however, told her
husband that prisoner had put a bundle in her box and
locked it, which box bad never been locked in her house be-
fore, and that she was fearful some harm bad come to the
fore, insisted upon the box being
child ; her husband, ther','-:
ose, which the prisoner resisted,
opened before it left the ho
but the prisoner's sister, whe was with her, said the box
should be opened. Witness's hxband then forced open the
box with a screw-driver, and the first thing witness saw was
the bed gown and two flannels, it: which the baby was
wrapped when the prisoner took it away from her house.
Witness's husband then said that if the child was not
brought forward he would see into it till it was found.
The prisoner then said she would produce the child in
half an hour and went away, but witness never saw ei-
ther woman or child till to-day, when she saw the child
dead at the Casualty Hospital and the woman in custody at
the station-house. She identified both. She said the
woman did not neglect or ill-treat the child while residing
with her, but appeared very fond of it.
John Hobbs, constable, said he took Ann Sherrington

into custody, when she said it was all through Smith that
I sLe committed the murder ; for if he had not told her that
he would not give any money towards the support of the
chile, tior do anything for it, if she did not do something
with it,
..the should not have done it. She never explained
"ant by this something. When he took Smith
said he did not know Ann Sherrington or
itwnhhteoa t
child,csuhset o
butmd'Y
,e
, v,'ven be was handcuffed he said he knew her,
and knew she had .71urdered the child, for she had told him
so the same evening' that she committed the murder.
When he took him into ,',be female prisoner's presence, she
said, " Thomas, this is all `trough you ;" to which he re-
plied, " No, it is not." No 2:Arther conversation passed.
This testimony was corroborNed by Wm. Cab, another
constable.
The Jury returned a verdict of " Vkrilful Murder against
Ann Sherrington, and we find Thowas Smith Guilty of
being accessory after the fact, and wilfUlly concealing his
knowledge of the murder." The Coroner said he cold&
only take the verdict as against the woman—the other
must be put in the shape of the opinion of the Jury, which
was accordingly done.
The man will be brozight before the Magistrates to-mor-
row (Tuesday) on this chtZrge•