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

RENTLEY.

The Gaol Chaplain opens the new volume of Bentley
with the first three chapters of a new tale, entitled
"The Coroner's Clerk." They are written with great
power, and the tale itself promises to he one of en-
chanting interest. This article is illustrated by Leech.
The other illustration of the month is an engraving,
by Holt, of Grant's picture of Raja Brooke, on whose
position in the Indian Archipelago we have an ela-
borately-written article by Mr. J. A. St. John. Mr.
St. John is completely master of his subject, and
satisfactorily refutes the sneerers who would fain give
up our possessions in the Eastern Archipelago, and
induce us to leave that fine region to be monopolized
by the Dutch, the Spaniards, and the Malay pirates.
He satisfactorily proves that not only have we a per-
fect right to settle and colonise these islands, without
any violation of our treaties with Holland and Spain,
but that the Dutch invasions of Bali, Celebes,
and New Guinea are positive encroachments in vio-
lation of those treaties. Our new settlement of Labuan
bids fair to be a second Singapore ; it will be the
emporium of the Archipelago so soon as the pirates
shall be suppressed. Certain professors of ultra-
philanthropy have chosen to raise the cry of humanity
against those who insist upon the necessity of de-
stroying these nests of sea-marauders. They are
the innocent natives, we are told, and we have no
right to interfere with their pursuits. As well might
it be contended that the execution of a Timg was a
wanton infringement of the rights of religious liberty.
Murder can never be religion, therefore Thugs are
hanged. Piracy can never be legitimate trade,
therefore pirates are to be extirpated. And those
pirates of the Indian Archipelago not only Om
ships and massacre their crews, but land even upon
the settlements of European nations and carry off the
inhabitants and sell them as slaves. This is con.-
stantly happening cn the. Is!and of, Penang, a
British settlement, and llynherr btockb. row, a
rich Dutch merchant of Samarang, was carried away
by these pirates and kept in slavery for years by the
Sultan of Lino, and W 33 at lest ransomed and re-
stored to his family by a Chinese merchant. Our
readers doubtless remember reading of the massacre
on board the " General Wood." The perpetrators

of that crime took refuge in the island of Puly Oby,
and during the course of 1847 captured and plundered
70 irading vessels and massacred the crews. Towards
the end of the year they were attacked and rooted
out by the Phlegethon and thirty-five of them were
taken to Singapore. Among the I)lunder which they
had collected, besides the property which they had
carried off from the General Wood there were found
gun carriages, bayonets, time pieces, English boats'
rudder, mast, sails, ladies work-boxes, card casts, &c.
We are rejoiced to find that the Rajah Brooke, whose
return to Sarawak was hailed by his subjects with
the greatest enthusiasm, is about to propose
a plan for putting a stop to these atrocities, The
" Memoirs of Chateaubriand " are continued in this
number, as are the delightful " Wayside Pictures."
Thedescription of the steam-boat voyage up the Rance,
from St. Melo to Dinan, is one of the most beautiful
we have read for a long time.
" The banks of the Rance may be compared to a va-
riety of pretty pastoral spotl, mixed up with wild
rocks, picked out of Switzerland and looked at through
the wrong end of an opera-gla.s. You can here fancy
everything to tLe very [wrath of the steeps, to have come
freshly from Interlacken, and twenty other such places
in the recesses of the mountains, taken in the height of
their summer beauty, and dropped like showers of roses
ov,r the margins of this stream. The variety is endless,
all upon a small scale, but, by force of contrast, occasion-
ally assuming a character of sublimity. Sometimes the
river runs into little bays and creeks, and sometimes it
closes up and forms inland lakes, sheltered on all sides
by hills covered with verdure to the summit ; in some
places a chateau crowns a well-wooded height, or
gleams out through the green depths of a valley ; then
a village grows up before you, its white façades creeping
along the side of a cliff, or disappearing in a ravine as
the steamer sails past. As you approach the port of
Dinan (for so the French call the little quay that juts
out here) you see the spires of several churches glisten-
ing above dense masses of foliage on the tops of the
pretty miniature mountains, and now and then you get
a glimpse of the old grey walls of the fortifications, with
the dark outline of a mighty town standing on the
heights with an air of tyrannic strength. A clatter of
little boys and passengers from the town costae down to
convey back sundry purchases conveyed by the steam-
boat—an odd caricature or two of a sailor hanging, like
a lizard, to the wall—some half-dozen idlers, such as are
to be found at every place in the known world where a
boat touches—and, perhaps, three or four English
visitors sauntering about, and glad of an incident to
break the sleepy routine of the day—are, upon the
average, the first signs of life you may expect to en-
counter upan landing at the port of Dinan."
The " Flaneur" is rather dull this month, and Al-
bert Smith is not so funny as is his wont. He gives
us, by way of Christmas amusement, a batch of ghost
stories from Glanville and Aubrey. Alfred Crowquill,
however, gives us an excellent gossip entitled " Life,"
and Mrs. Ward a beautiful sketch of the scenery on
the banks of the Coquet. Among the popular books
of the month noticed in this number is Macaulay's
" History of England."

COURT CIRCULAR.
WINDSOR, SATURDAY.
The Queen and Prince Albert took an early walk
this morning in the Slopes and Home Park.
His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and
the younger branches of the Royal Family walked
in the Park.

Lord John Russell and the Earl of Liverpool left
the Castle this morning.
There was no addition to the royal dinner party
this day.

SUNDAY.

The Queen and his Royal Highness, and the
younger members of the Royal Family, took an early
walk this morning in the Home Park.
Her Majesty, the Prince, and Ladies and Gentle-
men of the royal household, attended Divine service
in the private chapel. The service was performed and
the sermon preached by the Hon. and Rev. C. L.
Courtenay.
There was no addition to the royal dinner party
this day.
Her Majesty's private band performed the follow-
pieces in the Castle, on Friday evening :
Overture—" Le Rovine di Paluzzi" Romberg.
Duo—" Colporteur" Onslow.
March—" Fidelio"
Cavatina—" Freischutz" Weber.

Sommerfreuden and Balmoral Waltzes.. Labitzky.
March—" Les deux Journees"

Lord John Russell returned to his residence, in
Richmond Park, on Saturday, from W indoor Castle.

IRELAND.
THE CASE OF MR. DUFFY.

DUBLIN, FRIDAY.—The Commission Court was again
occupied yesterday with the argument on the demurrer
to the indictment against Mr. Duffy. Mr. Baldwin,
Q.C., on the part of the Crown, was heard in support
of the indictment ; and Mr. Butt, Q.C., for the
prisoner, sustained the demurrer. At the close
of his argument, Mr. Butt referred to the demand
made by the Attorney-General, contingent upon the
possible decision of the Court against the de-
murrer, for final judgment against the prisoner, and
drew a distinction between misdemeanour and felony,
contending that the Crown could not demand judgment
irr felony, and that it would be monstrous that, for the
~ffenee of pleading a badl plea by his counsel, the pri-
soner himself should be debarred from trial by jury,
and transported kr life.

The Attorney- General is to reply, on the part of the
Crown, this day.
APPOINTMENT.—The office of clerkship of the peace
for the city of Dublin, hitherto jointly held by the late
Mr. George Archer and Mr. Dickenson, has been con•
ferred solely on the latter gentleman.

DEATH OF ME. ALDERMAN JOHNSON. Mr.
Alderman John Johnson expired at his residence,
Millbank, at an early hour on Saturday morning,
after an illness of some months' duration. The
deceased Alderman, in conjunction with his bro-
ther (who still survives), succeeding to his father's
business, was, in early life, extensively engaged
as a paviour, and both also inherited a large for-
tuno from their father, who made a fortunate specula-
tion in a stone quarry in Devonshire, since known as
the " Halter Granite," and who also undertook the
contract for the celebrated breakwater at Plymouth;
this and other speculations tended to place the de-
ceased alderman at the head of the stone trade. In
the year 1836 he was called upon to fill the office
of Sheriff of London, and in 1839, a vacancy taking
place in the ward of Dowgate, he became a candidate,
and succeeded to the aldermanic gown for that ward. In
18.15 he was elected, after a poll, to fill the civic chair,
and during the year of his mayoralty maintained the hos-
pitality and dignity of the office of Chief Magistrate in a
state of almost unrivalled splendour, and among the
many guests who honoured him by their presence at
the civic festive board was Ibrahim Pacha. During the
period he presided at meetings of a vast number of the
metropolitan charities, to each of which he was a liberal
contributor. Of late years he advocated strong and de-
cided Protectionist principles, being a firm supporter
of tthe navigation laws, and a decided oppo-
nent of free trade. At the last general elec-
tion ho was one of the candidates for the re-
presentation of the city of London. He also offered
himself to represent the borough of Plymouth, but was
defeated. As the deceased alderman ;has been ill for
some time, several candidates for the aldermanie gown
are already in the field. It is understood that the pre-
cept to the ward of Dowgate for the election of his suc-
cessor will be issued on Tuesday next. The death of
Mr. Alderman Johnson leaves vacant the town for the
ward of Dowgate, for which the late Sheriff Pilcher and
Mr. Carden are now candidates.

The Rev. Thomas Dale has (says a correspondent)
resigned one of his appointment., known as the "Gol-
den Lectureship," a post, tho emoluments of which are
about 5001. a year, and the duties one sermon a week,
delivered on Tuesdays at one of the churches near the
Royal Exchange. There are already three candidates
for the appointment—first, the Rev. Mr. Molyneux, of
Woolwich; second, the Rev. Mr. Gurney, who will, of
course, have the influence of his relatives, the Messrs.
Hawes, they being members of the court of the Haber-
dashers' Company, iti whose gift the lectureship is; and
third, the Rev. Mr. Melville—a gentleman who is al-
ready chaplain of the Tower, and principal of the East
India College, with a salary of 2,0001. a year.
BEGGING UNMASKED.—At a late meeting of the
Wesleyan Missionary Society, the Rev. Mr. Branch said
that a short time since he visited a room in Westmin-
ster, where he saw a woman with a dying child in her
arms. Commiserating the wretched creature's condi-
tion, he inquired into her history, and her means of
livelihood, and, in answer to his questionv, 0
are
replied, " Oh, sir, my sufferings are great, and 8
know
those of my child ; but when my child is gone,l , ,
it
not what to do." " But," observed Mr.
child, Branch,s
you
will be a happy release for you and
can make no exertions while you a)r'oeurbutritdeer:le,d,
wwhietnh
her." " Oh, dear ! Sir," ejaculated th
she is gone, I'll have toso, I'll earn
while she costs me nothing.
nindb'lind, gathered round a
nothing by begging, for it is thei.n
pay
9 d U.
an-ldeacs
thel houseiflledo rrindeoan°l3
:t ibt excitebra.etrßreah ni lcd h'
and planning for their
and rogues, male and
compassion." In another ribooooimi
a regular wareroom,
found forty beggars, yagatwd
c.xhi-bnUed for hire and sale
einnve:rtl," attacks,
varietye s t m i o upont
oo
fr:bthbhoe dresses,
gp eunw te l includingcostumes,
t Widows'ure e
8 C
fire, ail
yrOeulantgi,ngoldt,heliarmeex,
j;
weeds and
saw C
clerical suits,
tattered rags, si y
plansof
mendicant opera-.
the severalparties
Lions pursued by
extraordinary bazaar, and who made begging a regular
&c., adopted to the different
trade.
A. bailiff, SaUvurroanienb,
ywaasdesbtatobrhewdhotmo the
e
heart named
cn the 24 thult., at
vois going to arrest. The murderer has been arrested.
..... Galignani.

MR. ROEBUCK AT BURY.—Owing to the continued
illness Of Mr. \Talker, the Member for Bury, whose
malady is of a character precluding the hope of his being
able to attend to his Parliamentary duties for some time
to come, it is in contemplation, upon his resignation, to
invite Mr. J. A. Roebuck, the late Member for Bath, to
stand in the Liberal interest.

A burglary was committed yesterday morning at
the house of Mr. Josephs, a jeweller and watchmaker,
nr,ar Lion Chapel, Waterloo-road. The family were
aroused by some neighbours, 'oho saw the shop door
open, and it was found thpt the whole of the stock had
been stolen.

FRANCE.
The following appeared in our Third Edition of
Saturday]:—
We read in the Moniteur:—

" An exemplary punishment has just been inflicted on
the first division of the Ecole Speciale Militaire, in con-
sequence of grave disorders which took place in the night
of the 19th of this month, of which it is important to
make known the motives. The participation of the pupils
of that division in all the events which have oc-
curred at Paris since the revolution of February,
their long absence from the shoal, the antici-
pated advancement accorded to the promotion which
preceded them, and the hopes they had themselves
conceived, left in their minds an agitation injurious to
the discipline of the schools, and thus caused the Minis-
ter of War to send them to their families to the month
of October last. From that time to the present calm
was re-established in the schools, and the studies con-
tinued their course in a satisfactory manner. But the
entry of the newly admitted students caused some bad
traditions, which have never been completely destroyed,
to he restored, and thus drew on a small number of pupils
punishmtnts from which they had the pretensions to re-
lieve themselves on account of the importance they at-
tached to the services which they rendered in Paris, and
the praises they had received fur them. These punish-
ments became the pretext of tumultuous demonstrations,
forbidden by the regulations, and. at length, in the
evt ning of the 19th, the agitation assumed the charac-
ter of open revolt, during which the authority of the
chiefs was completely and grossly disregarded. In con-
quence of the investigation which took place on these
events, the first division was dismissed, and immediately
re-organized by a special commission, which only admit-
ted the pupils who, by their conduct and industry, of-
fered the strongest guarantees for securing order in the
school, and good officers to the army."
_ . .

The following is a return of the situation of the Bank
of France on the 28th of December, 1848:

... f. 143,243,781 44
.. 115,335,537 00
198,677 80 •••

... 58,458,853 03
... 104,833,577 22
17,560,918 00
32,754,368 85
1,560,310 00
50,000,000 00
50,000,000 00
10,000,000 00
34,771,288 62

12,806,741 39
4,000,000 00

. _
2,273,658 00
5,500,000 00

200,000 00
230,000 00
11,256,525 42
5,259,618 00

32,663 00

749,102 20
7,848,032 50

f. 668,873,682 47

... f. 67,900,000 00
... 23,350,000 00
... 10,000,000 00

... 2,980,750 00
... 4,000,000,00