The Sun.
London, England, 1836-11-22 00:00:00

DIABOLICAL ATTEMPT TO ASSASSINATE THE
FRENCH CONSUL.—On Sunday afternoon last, between
two and three o'clock, a messenger was despatched to the
station-house in Marylebone-lane, having been sent in
breathless haste from No. 44, Montague-square, the man-
sion of M. Durant St. Andre, Consul-General de France,
whose life was, as it will be seen, nearly sacrificed, owing
to the discharge of several bullets from an air or some other
description of gun. On receipt of the information Mr.
Inspector Tedman, of the D division, proceeded without
loss of time to the house, when he was directly introduced
to the distinguished foreigner in question, who at once en.
tered into the particulars connected with the extraordinary
affair, and stated that, at about a quarter of an hour, pre-
vious to his (the Inspector's) arrival, as he was sitting at a
table in his library (which is a back room on a level with
the hall), and in the act of reading a book, he was sud-
denly struck with alarm at hearing a loud crashing of glass,
accompanied by a whizzing noise resembling in some de-
gree that which is produced by the throwing of a stone from
a sling. He looked around, and discovered that a pane
of glass in the window, within a few feet of which he
was seated, was shattered into numerous pieces, and the
frame-work at one corner broken in. He (the Consul)
then alarmed his servants, who were in different parts of
the mansion, and directed them to make a minute search
in the apartment for the substance with which the window
was broken. They did so, and in one corner of the room
found a leaden bullet lying against the wall. They (the
servants) wore then dispersed in various directions commu-
nicating with the rear of the premises, in order to discover,
if possible, the perpetrator of the diabolical outrage, but
returned without being able to gain the slightest clue. The
Consul having concluded the recital of the affair to Mr.
Tedman, who by this time was joined by Mr. Thomas,
another inspector, they both suggested the propriety of
making a strict search below, imagining it to be probable
that in the event of the mischief having been caused by the
firing of an air-gun, which they strongly suspected to be the
case, they should be enabled to collect other substantiating
proof of the correctness of their opinion. The result of
their search can now leave no doubt whatever as to the
discharge having emanated from an instrument of the de-
scription alluded to, for, on making their way into the area,
immediately beneath the library window, they picked up
two other leaden balls, one of which was lying in a stone
sink, and the other on the pavement below, and had, no
doubt, rebounded either from the wall or some part of the
the thick frame-work of the sash. Yesterday morning Mr.
Superintendent Lincoln repaired at an early hour to the
mansion, and his examination has led him to the conclusion
that the gun was discharged from one of the upper win-
dows of sonic house or other in the rear, and that had not
the contents come in an oblique direction the ball which en-
tered the library would most likely, from the position in
which the Consul was sitting, haw: caused serious if not
fatal consequences. Througho►:t the whole of yesterday
Mr. Lincoln and the inspectors were actively employed in
their endeavours to seek out the authors of the cowardly
and diabolical outrage, and it is hoped, that ere long their
efforts will prove successful. _ _

BEET-1 4 OOT SUGAR.—There are already 100 ma-
nufactories of beet-root sugar in Germany.
We have a file of Singapore papers, from which
we take the following :—" On Sunday morning last, about
seven o'clock, one of the servants of Mr. Hallpike having
occasion to go into his master's poultry-house, discovered a
large boa constrictor coiled up under an empty box. At
this time tt.e animal appeared as having lately swallowed
someth ng of considerable magnitude, which not only ex-
cited curiosity but alarm, and what with the attempts made
to prevent its escape, combined with its own exertions to
elude capture, caused it to disgorge the contents of its sto-
mach, which gave satisfactory evidence of its having duly
appreciated as well as taken advantage of good quarters by
gulping a full grown goose for its repast during some time
of the night. After this unauthorised appropriation it had
quietly wound itself away into a place of concealment until
digestion had performed its functions ; but being unexpec-
tedly and abruptly intruded upon, before activity had been
c 1
tys.
Although,
renewed, was eventually captured without much diffi-
culty.
is considered a fine specimen
of
ursgtha,ndfrothat it
from
its size, we do not think it
understand
could yet have attained half its growth, not measuring
above twelve feet in length. We have seen thorn nearly
double that length."
ANECDOTE OF MILTON.—.One day, walking in
St. James's James's Park, he suddenly heard repeated near
him, " The King the King !" " Let us withdraw," he said
to his guide ;" I never loved kings." Charles 11. accosted
the blind man. " Thus, Sir, has Heaven punished you for
having conspired against my father." " Sire," he replied,
" if the ills that afflict us in this world, be the chastisements
for our faults, your father must have been very gutlty."—
Chateaubriand's aetches of English Literature.