The Sun.
London, England, 1849-01-09 00:00:00

FRANCE.

In the 12th bureau of the National Assembly a
discussion of a warm kind took place on Saturday,
relative to the right of the Assembly to pass the
organic law on public instruction. M. Danjoy com-
bated the right of the Assembly to do so, on the
ground of its mission being at an end with the pass-
ing of the Constitution. M. Achille Fould went still
farther. He said that he was well acquainted with
the sentiments of the majority of the electors of
Paris, and that they were decidedly averse to the
continuance of the Assembly, whose indefinite pro-
longation they considered as an obstacle to the re-
establishment of confidence. He said he was so con-
vinced of the truth of what he stated, that he would
not take any part in an act which would prolong the
period of the existence of the Assembly.

NORTH AMERICAN MAILS.—The steam-ship Nia-
gara, Captain Ryrie, which would leave Boston on the
27th, and Halifax on the 29th ult., with the usual mails,
&c., is now on her twelfth day, consequently she may
he hourly looked for to arrive in the Mersey. With
this vessel the weekly communication from the American
side terminates for the season. The steamers will, how-
ever, during the present and ensuing three months, be
dispatched twice a month alternately from New York
and Boston, calling at Halifax.—Liverpool Albion of
this day.
CHOLERA.—We regret to say that a case of sup-
posed Asiatic cholera has occured at Craigton, on the
Ross-shire side of Kessock Ferry. The victim was a
fisherman named Macgregor, who died this morning
(Wednesday), after an illness of about thirty-six hours.
Medical aid was called in on Tuesday afternoon, but not
until the sufferer was far beyond the aid of medicine.
Another case is believed to have occurred at the same
place, but no medical advice was called in. For some
time past a sanitary committee of the Town Council
has been at work, making every exertion to im-
prove the condition of the houses in the poorer
quarters of the town, and money was placed
at their disposal by the Town Council to assist the
work of cleanliness. By this means, we trust, many of
the predisposing causes have been removed. Yesterday,
at one o'clock, the medical practitioners met in the
Town-hall, at the request of Provost Simpson, and Bailie
Dallas, chairman of the Parochial Board, when a set of
precautions and simple instructions, in case of attack,
were drawn up, for publication, and will be circulated to•
day. It was the opinion of the medical men that clean-
liness of house and person, temperance, and good diet,
were the best preventatives, and that the very earliest
symptoms of derangement of bowels should be carefully
attended to.—We learn that a fatal case of cholera has
also occurred at Ardrishaig, on the line of the Crinan
Canal.—lnverness Courier of Thursday.

An entire stoppage has been put to the further pro•
gress of the railway bridge over the Tweed, at Berwick,
in consequence of the men in a body having refused to
work any longer for the contractors without wages. On
Saturday night the arrears amounted to nineteen weeks.
THE WEATHER.—Hard frost has prevailed during
the week, and since Friday the lochs and ponds in this
neighbourhood have been crusted with ice sufficiently
strong to bear crowds of visitors. The frost has been
intense, and a crust of frozen dew gives to the scenery-
the appearance of being covered with a thin coating of
snow. Rural work, as a natural consequence, has been
suspended; but the previous openness of the season has
permitted the farmers to make so much progress that the
interruption is of less consequence. Not only was the
sowing of winter wheat well got through, but consider-
able preparation was made fur the spring seed time; and
the benefit of a good hard frost at this season is always
evident in the succeeding months. During the last week
the nights have been peculiarly beauttful.—lnverness
Courier of Thursday.
THE WEATHER.—The wind continued to blow,
though gently, from the south-east up to Friday even-
ing. On Monday a keen frost set in, and the cold in-
creased in intensity during the succeeding two nights.
till the ice on the ponds in this vicinity was in that firm
state which rejoices the hearts of skaters. On Thurs-
day evening some snow fell, and continued to descend,
though not thickly, throughout the night. On Friday
Might the wind veered to the south, at which point it
has continued ever since, causing a slight elevation of
the temperature above the freezing point and a gradual
thaw. Should the wind, however, change to the east-
ward, we may expect a return of frost, but as the baro-
meter last night was falling, it is probable that we shall
have an interval of damp or rainy weather. Over the
heavy falls of snow. In the neighbourhood of
country, between here and London, there have been
very
Preston, on Wednesday and Thursday last, the frost
was so intense that the Ribble was frozen over, a circum-
stance scarcely ever before remembered. The ice was
so strong that hundreds of skaters recreated themselves
on its surface.—Liverpool
Slavery has been abolished at Cayenne. The
blacks assembled in thousands and thanked God and the
governor for liberty.
Firing of property to an alarming extent has taken
place in the model province of Ulster. There can be
no question that it is the work of incendiaries. Landed
proprietors and extensive farmers have suffered severe
losses, and great alarm prevails. The origin is enve-
loped in deep mystery. We are not aware of any viola-
tions of tenant right have occurred to such an extent
as to be set down as the probable cause. Some evictions
have taken place; but even these would not palliate the
occurrence of the outrages. Until the cause is known,
it would be idle to speculate or comment. In the mean-
time the Government have proclaimed two districts in
the disturbed locality.—Cork Examiner.
EXTRAORDINARY CASE.—On Tuesday, at the
Dorsetshire sessions, Mr. Sheridan, M.P., called the at-
tention of the Court to a most unfortunate circumstance
that had recently occurred at the Halstock Private
Lunatic Asylum—a circumstance which he men-
tioned as one of the visitors of that asylum, and on
which the metropolitan commissioners had made a
special report. Mr. Sheridan then proceeded to read
from the report of the commissioners, Dr.
, the details of the circum-
sPtraincolcoarad and
lloded Mr. Proctor,
o. Amtorsr.
was two years since
admitted into this asylum as a patient, her husband
being abroad. In the course of the winter she managed
to escape from the asylum, but she was brought back by
by a female servant before she had been away an hour.
No suspicion of any impropriety had been entertained,
nor was any person observed near her, yet the un-
fortunate lady proved pregnant, and was delivered in
the asylum of a child, of whose parentage not the most
distant idea could be formed. Mr. Sheridan, after read-
ing the report, said the justices had the power, if they
thought fit, of recommending to the Lord Chancellor
that the license should be revoked, but seeing how well
the house had been conducted, and how much it had been
improved of late, he certainly would not advise that such
a step should be taken. After some conversation, the
clerk of the peace was directed to make a special minute
of the matter.—Sherborne Journal.
TRAWL FISHING.—The Buckhaven fishermen,
who are well known for their industrious and ad-
venturous habits, have latterly fitted out seventeen
of their boats with trawl nets, and it is grati-
fying to learn they have been fortunate to discover
a large shoal of plaice, a little eastward of Pitten-
weem. These fish weigh from 6to 8 pounds each, and
have been sold as low as 3d. Since the discovery was
made, fish amounting in value to several thousand pounds
sterling have been drawn from a narrow stripe of ground,
thus verifying the conjecture of Mr. Dempster, as to the
advantages of the trawl net.— Ross-shire Advertiser.
MELANCHOLY DEATH Or MR. STEVENSON, THE
PORTRAIT PAINTER.--Yesterday morning Mr. Bedford
resumed an inquest, which had been twice adjourned, at
St. George's Hospital, on the body of Mr. William Ste-
venson, aged 37, the well-known portrait-painter. The
deceased gentleman, it appeared, on the morning of
Saturday week, left his residence, in Brecknock-crescent,
Camden-town, to pay a professional visit to the Earl of
Cardigan, at Hounslow. He reached Piccadilly after the
Windsor stage, by which he intended to go, had started,
and had to run some distance before he overtook it. He
then mounted to the top of the coach, but had no sooner
taken his seat behind the driver than he fell backwards
and died instantly. His body was taken to the hospital.
Mr. Henry Potter, house-surgeon, who made a post-
mortem examination, found the viscera healthy, but the
heart was unusually small, thin at the walls, and what
is termed "flabby." Considering that the deceased had
run very fast to overtake the coach, and the weak state
of the heart, the surgeon thought the deceased had
fainted, and died from exhaustion. This evidence was
not considered sufficient to warrant the conclusion that
deceased had died a natural death, and, in order to re-
move all doubt, the contents of the stomach were ana-
lysed. Nothing of a deleterious nature was, however,
found, and the jury returned a verdict of " Natural
death." The deceased has left a widow and several
children,