The Sun.
London, England, 1831-04-08 00:00:00

LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, APRIL 8, 1831.

This day was published, price 4s. boards, or with coloured
Plates, Se. •

that Mrs. Pitt seemed to have plied the fire-shovel
Pretty briskly ; and called upon that lady to offer
something in the shape of explanation for all this.
Mrs. Pitt declared she would prefer leaving her
defence to a disinterested party—to wit, Mrs. Ed-
wards ; and accordingly Mrs. Edwards stood forward.
Poor Mrs. Edwards had not come quite uninjured
from the fray, her dexter eye being also closed up.
She assured the Magistrate that, notwithstanding
his scepticism, they were all " mighty comfortable
and sober" until the last " (platen," when Mrs. P.tt
exclaimed, " •Blow me! if I 'nt got :the blues !"
Whether any of Mrs. Connelly's family belonged to
the Metropolitan Blues, and that she supposed this
was intended as an insult to them, or that from her
national ignorance (the more likely cause) she could
not understand the beauty of this fashionable phrase,
certain at least it was that she waxed might _wrathful,
asked Mrs. Pitt if she meant to insult her, and said
—nay, swore it, that she wouldn't be insulted by
any woman who ever stood in two shoes. Mrs. Pitt
assured her nothing was farther from her wishes than
to offend, and endeavoured to explain, but Mrs.
Connelly thinking, with her countryman, Sir Lucius
‘olTrigger, that the quarrel was a yely pretty
'quifrel as it stood, and one word more said would
only spoil it, refused to listen to any explanation,
sprung from her seat—in doing which she upset
the candlestick—seized Mrs. Pitt, and began pom-
melling her about the head and face. Mrs. Edwards
endeavoured to make peace, but, in her attempt to
do so, came in contact with widow Connelly'E
knuckles ; for this, however, she was ready to for-
give her, as, the light being out, the widow Connelly
could not, of course, distinguish very accurately on
whom she dealt her favours. Mrs. Pitt, conscious
that she was by no means a fistical match for the
widow, seized the shovel just to defend herself, and
the widow Connelly, in the heat-of her rage, hit
her face several times against the edge of it !
" 'Tis true, upon my honour," exclaimed Mrs.
Pitt; " the good lady hit herself every mark your
Worship sees upon her."
" If that be true," observed his Worship, " I
fear the widow was not so-mighty sober as she would
have me believe after the six pots of ale and half-
dozen quatens of gin. But, as you were hugging
one another so loVingly that night, can't you go and
try to settle the dispute lovingly together flow?"
The widow declared all love was at an end be-
twixt 'em for the residue of their lives, and she would
never look again at the same side of the street at
which she saw Mrs. Pitt.
" Well, then," said Mr. GRIFFITH, " Mrs. Pitt
must either make compensation to the widow or find
bail."
The parties retired, but, when the widow Con-
nelly understood that by compensation the worthy
Magistrate meant money, she brushed back into the
Justice-room, exclaiming she wanted no money.
" I cum for law," added the widow, " an' law I'll
have," binying her clenched dexter in the palm of
:s fellow-hand with a sound that proed she was in

earnest.
The worthy Magistrate ordered Mrs. Pitt to be
locked up, hoping that in the course of the day the
widow's wrath would cool, or the persuasions of the
other party would prevail with her; but in vain.
" I cum for law, an' law I'll have !" was her last
phrase as she left the office, leaving poor Mrs. Pitt
to find the necessary securities.

PRICE 7D.

GREENWICH PETTY SESSION.

Yesterday a young man, of rather respectable ap-
pearance, who stated his name to be Boswell, and
that he was an ornamental painter, was brought be-
fore Colonel FORMAN and a bench of Magistrates,
charged with having been found in Mr. Richardson's
itinerant theatre, with the intent to fire it, on the
night of Tuesday last.
The examination lasted several hours, and excited
much interest in the town, as it is supposed that the
prisoner is the same individual who caused the de-
struction of the Greenwich Theatre a few months
back.
Mr. Richardson stated that, a few mornings pre-
vious to the fair commencing, he received a letter
by the twopenny post, signed " Thomas Johnson,
an actor belonging to the Surrey Theatre," wherein
the writer threatened to burn down his theatre, and
all his property. He had written to Mr. Elliston
upon the subject, requesting to know if he had a
man named Johnson in his company. Mr. Elliston
wrote him back that he had not such an individual
belonging to his theatre, and advising him to treat
the threat with indifference, as he (Mr. Elliston)
had done when similar letters were sent to him. He
(Mr. R.) had done so, but still he determined upon
making the circumstance known at the Phoenix
Fire-office, wherein he was insured for 1,8001 ; and,
at the desire of the Insurance Company, he had
kept watehmen night and day about the premises ;
and on Tuesday night the prisoner was arrested
under very suspicious circumstances, as would be re-
lated by the witnesses.
At the desire of the Magistrates Mr. Richard-
son produced, the letter, of whiCh the following is
a copy :

March 26, 1831.
" Mr. Richardson,—Be pleased to pay advice to your
well-wisher.—First, let me inform you that you have got
secret enemies about you, off whom I am one, although I
am tired of my way of living that I have followed for some
time; and, having an inclination to join your company of
performers, I must now inform you that on Monday
morning, the first day of the fair, at about four o'clock,
there will be about ten men prepared to set fire to your
theatre, and every thing belonging to it. I shall be with
you about nine, or soon after. So no more from your well-
wisher, "THOMAS JOHNSON,
" Late an Actor of the Surrey Theatre.
" To Mr. John Richardson, at his theatre,
Greenwich.—(Private.")
Mr. John Wheatley, one of the overseers of the
parish, and the extensive coach proprietor, said that
just before the fire at Greenwich theatre, he had re-
ceived a threatening letter, stating that the writer
would destroy ail his property ; and he believed
that the writer was the same individual who wrote
the one to Mr. Richardson, as the diction was
nearly similar.
The prisoner said he knew nothing of the letters.
James 'Knighton and David Ayme, two persons
emplOyed in the theatre, swore that, at about half-
past nine oclock on Tuesday night, when the theatre
was crowded, they observed some person in the act
of striking a light under the stage—they saw a
spark through a hole in the flooring. They instantly
gave information to Mr. Richardson, and they, toge-
ther with two policemen, proceeded underneath and
pounced upon the prisoner, whom they took into
custody. He seemed terribly agitated, and begged
hard to be allowed to escape, offering them Ivey
money. They took him behind the scenes and
searched him, when they found in his possession a
phosphorus box and a quantity of matches, and a
bottle in the shape of a kaleidescope-case, nine
shillings and fourpence, a silver watch, chain and
seals, and some camel-hair pencils. After searching
him he was placed in the station-house, when he be-
came very reserved, and refused to answer any ques-
tion whatever.
Mr. Richardson said that when he saw the pri-
soner he asked him for what purpose he had gone
under the stage, but he declined giving an answer.
The detection of the prisoner was most fortunate, as
at the time the theatre was crowded in every part;
and the materials being se light and inflammable,
they would have been destroyed in a very short time.
The Magistrates asked Mr. Richardson if he had
any knowledge of the prisoner ? He replied in the
negative; he never hail seen him before.
The Magistrates. (addressing the prisoner) said it
was a most serious charge that had been made
against him, and, in calling upon him for an answer
to it, they were bound to caution him from saying
any thing that might tend to criminate himself, as
his statement would be :•aken in writing.
The prisoner declined saying any thing then, but
should reserve his defence till a future period.
Committed for trial at Maidstone, and the par.ies
bound over to prosecute.

The election for a Representative for the cit)
of Londonderry has terminated in the return of Sir R.
FErtcosoN.

It is said that about two millions sterling of
gold and silver have either arrived, or expected to arrive
in a few days, from China and different parts of the East,
but principally from Canton. The Andromache has an
immense freight of specie on board. The fact is, England
is now the entrepot of the commercial world for the pre-

cious metals.
HOWITT'S BOOK OF TILE SEASON.—Now
that the forests and the fields are putting cn their gay
livery, and rejoicing in the sunshine as they give forth
their welcome gifts to man, this little book comes as a
guide to their many beauties, to teach the lover of nature
how best they may be enjoyed. An essay on the general
appearances of the earth and sky each month ; a complete
table of the migrations of birds ; a copious list of garden-
plants that are to come in flower ; a botanical calendar ;
an entomological catalogue, and notices of rural occupations
and angling, form the principal " matters of fact" of
which the volume treats. But these are interspersed
with so many exquisite descriptions, so much sound phi-
losophy and moral comment, as to render it a pleasant and
beneficial companion, not only to him who can walk
abroad with Nature, hut to him who must spend the long
summer's day condemned to city " durance vile."—New
Monthly Magazine.
An action of some importance to the com-
mercial world came on for trial at the last Lancaster
Assizes,—lt appears that it is customary in cases of bank-
ruptcy for the Post-master to detain all letters directed to
the bankrupts, for the purpose of delivering them to the
assignees. The letters of a merchant, of the name of
Mamma:es, a bankrupt, were lately detained by the Post-
master of Liverpool, who refused to deliver them to Mr.
Al. on bis personsr application. Under these circum-
stances an action against the Postmaster was brought by
the bankrupt. It came on for trial at Lancaster, when a
verdict was taken for the plaintiff, his Lordship reserving
the point of law for the consideration of the Judges. An
action has also been brought against Sir FRANCIS
FREELING, in the Court of King's Bench, the ()RIK for
detaining the letters having originated from him. It ap-
pears that he received a fee of four guineas for the deten-
tion, for one-half of which only he accounts. The Act of
Parliament expressly declares that any person wilfully,
wittingly, or knowingly detaining, or allowing to he de-
tained, letters, shall pay a fine of 20/. for each letter, and
be rendered incapable of ever again holding any appoint-
ment in the Post-office.
COUNTY OF ELGIN.—A meeting of this
county was held on Tuesday last, to consider the Reform
Bill, when resolutions were proposed by Major C. L.
CUSISIINO BRUCR, of the following tensur, and were una-
nimously adopted :—That while certain alterations in the
state of the representation are expedient, the changes pro•
posed in the Bill now before Parliament are much too ex-
tensive to be adopted with safety to the existing institu-
tions of the country. That as regards the representation
of all Royal Burghs, while the system of the self-elected
councils calls for correction, the alteration
.proposed
volves the virtual disfranchisement of the smaller towns in
Scellsed.