The Sun.
London, England, 1836-11-08 00:00:00

PRICE OF

CONSTANTINOPLE, OCT. 12.—About three months ago,
when intelligence had reached Constantinople of M. Alex-
ander Blaque's sudden death at Malta, reports were indus-
triously circulated among the Turks that he had been poi-
soned by the English. The charge was, of course, treated
with the contempt it deserved, as unworthy of serious refu-
tation. It was believed to be one of the many calumnies
proceeding from a source already fruitful in them against
our national character and policy, which, secretly propa-
gated by a host of busy emissaries, and addressed to the
ignorant and credulous Turks, were intended to counteract
the open hostility of the European press. Circumstances,
however, have since transpired which indicate that there
may have been another motive for this slander besides the
mere pleasure of blackening our reputation—circumstances
whose concurrent evidence almost amounts to a proof that
this unfortunate gentleman was foully dealt with, and point-
ing as with the finger of Providence to his real assassins.
M. Blaque, who held the situation of editor of the Moniteur
Ottoman, was known to have possessed in the highest degree
the favour and confidence of the Porte, to which indeed
his talents and integrity justly entitled him. The whole of
this influence, as Russia was well aware, was persever-
ingly employed to baffle her ambitious designs and to rescue
the Turkish Government from her degrading domination
her agents were in consequence directed to use all their en-
deavours to purchase the neutrality, if not the co-aperation
of so formidable an auxiliary. The most tempting and
brilliant offers were repeatedly made to him in order to
shake his fidelity to the Porte, but as uniformly rejected
by a man who felt an honourable pride in the influence
which they implied, and who was an enlightened enthusiast
for the cause and country he had adopted. Finally, on the
eve of his departure from Constantinople on a secret mission
to the Courts of Paris and London, where it was expected
that his eloquence and the information he possessed would
produce a powerful impression, these offers were renewed
in the most seductive form. He was given to understand
that if he would quit the service of the Porte for that of
Russia, there was no post or distinction in the bestowal of
the latter to which he might not aspire. M. Blaque
treated these overtures, as he had done the others,
with disdain ; but he has most probably paid dearly for
his firmness and devotion. He was accompanied to Malta
by his son, a youth of 13 years, and a Greek servant. The
latter, who bad formerly been in Russia, has since returned
there. The day before bis death M. Blaque wrote to his
family, informing them that he was in perfect health and
spirits, and had taken a passage in a ship bound to Mar-
seilles. It appears that afterwards feeling himself slightly
indisposed he was recommended by his servant to take
some pills, which had been furnished him by a certain
homoeopathic doctor, under whose care he had impru-
dently placed himself while at Constantinople. The effect
of these medicines, though, as he imagined, affording him
a temporary relief, bad not been that which they were in-
tended to produce, since under their operation there had
been a gradual decay, instead of a restoration of his powers.
'On this occasion, however, the result was as sudden as it
was awful—a few hours after he had taken them he was
a corpse. During his brief illness nobody attended him
but his Greek domestic, who obstinately refused to ad-
mit his son into his apartment. The burial of M. Blaque,
it appears, was as sudden as his death. He was hur-
ried to his grave the next morning, and his servant, hav-
ing thus completed his work, returned to Constantinople.
Both he and the homoeopathic doctor have since ab-
sconded. Both have retired into Russia. We ought
perhaps to add, that the starving condition of the lat-
ter, and his scanty practice in his profession, marked
him out, like Shakspeare's apothecary, as an instrument for
desperate men, when, as he says, mischief enters into their
thoughts. Such are the circumstances which I have deemed
it necessary to detail thus minutely, and which, I think,
prove pretty clearly that if M. Blaque were really poisoned,
the English Government at least were not his murderers ;
neither could they have any intelligible motive for such an
act. It is not so, however, with another Cabinet, who,
with the inducement, it is to be feared, may not want the
disposition, judging at least from its character, composed for
the most part of political adventurers, without country or
principles, and whose policy, directed to the ends of the
most selfish ambition, is perfectly indifferent about the
means. The same book from which their Machiavellian arts
are otherwise derived will, I believe, sanction the use of
drugs on an emergency. At any rate, if they should scruple
to employ them themselves, it is the curse of such Cabinets
to be surrounded by

" Slaves that take their humour for a warrant
To break within the bloody house of life,
And on the winking of authority
To understand a law."

DISGRACEFUL PROCEEDING.

An event occurred on Thursday last. in Gloucester,
which has given rise to a good deal of conversation, and is
certainly by en means creditable to some of the parties con-
cerned. A sweep, a diminutive urchin, about ten years of
age, was sent up a chimney at the Talbot Inn, about nine
o'clock in the morning, and, for the purpose of diminishing
his size to suit the capacity of the flue, he was stripped
entirely naked. Having remained up the chimney for a
very considerable period, it was thought, as he was of ra-.
ther a morose disposition, that he was continuing there
unnecessarily and from stubbornness, and another lad was
also sent up after him. Whether the supposition was in
the first place correct, it is hard to determine ; but as he
would not, or could not descend, after a lapse of some
hours, a cord was attached to his legs, and several at-
tempts were made to drag him down by force, but with-
out effect, and the cord breaking, a stronger one was
substituted, but with the like success. A large quantity
of brimstone matches it is said about three-penny-
worth—were then ignited, and held burning up the
flue, we suppose with the view of making his abode
uncomfortable and causing him to come down ; but the
consequence of such a foolish and inhuman proceeding was
far more likely to be to deprive the unfortunate creature of
his existence ; that that awful result did not take place is
even more astonishing than that men should be found in
these days to resort to such a disgraceful and brutal expe-
dient. But this is not all. A ladder was next procured
reaching to the top of the chimney, from whence several
buckets of water were poured down upon the miserable little
prisoner in the flue ; and a pole was thrust down to discover
his position, and with tolerable force, as it would seem from
the numerous protuberances afterwards discovered upon the
poor child's head. These mild and gentle efforts were con-
tinued at intervals through the day till nine o'clock in the
evening, accompanied, it is fair to say, with persuasives
in the promise of bribes to induce him to descend by
fair means. By this time a large crowd had as-
sembled in the neighbourhood, and, we are heppy to say,
that among the number were some more sensible and
humane individuals than those we have before alluded to,
and they insisted that attempts should be made by opening
the chimney from the outside to liberate the child, who, it
was began to be apprehended, might be dead, as he had
not been heard to speak for some time. Masons were ac-
cordingly sent for, and about ten o'clock at night the poor
little sweep was found firmly jammed by the head and shoul-
ders in the brick-work of the chimney. Having been in
such a situation, and subjected to such treatment as we
have described, and perfectly naked, for thirteen hours, it
was needless to state that he was in a most pitiable state of
debility. He was washed in warm water, when several ex-
coriations were discovered on his back and shoulders, and
the skin rubbed off his ears and other parts of his head,
which was also covered with bumps. He was taken home,
and a surgeon sent for, and it is with some surprise we state
that, though very ill, he is not considered to be in danger
of his life.--Gloucester Journal.

POPULATION OP SCOTLAND.—The population
tables constructed by Parliamentary authority for every
shire in Scotland contain many important circumstances
regarding each parish, and exhibit an increase of inha-
bitants in every county from 1801 to 1831. The augment-
ations in the number of inhabitants have taken place chiefly
in commercial and manufacturing districts—in great cities
and large towns—and in the counties where these towns
are situated. I n the county of Mid-Lothian, compre-
hending the city of Edinburgh, the increase in 30 years is
78} per cent. ; in Lanarkshire, comprehending the city of
Glasgow, the increase in the same period is 116 per cent. ;
in Ayrshire, 72 per cent.; and in Renfrewshire, compre-
hending Paisley and Greenock, 71 per cent. The total
population of these four districts in 1831 amounted to
814,662 persons, and we might naturally suppose that this
aggregate population consisted of 407,331 males, and the
same number of females ; but in fact, there is an excess in
these four counties of 52,856 females, the ratio being 464
males, and 534 females. This disproportion of the sexes,
or. difference between the number of males and females,
chiefly exists in the great towns above mentioned, and in
districts where manufacturing and commercial establish-
ments are situated ; but in agricultural counties, where
there are no manufactures and no large towns, the balance is
kept even.