The Sun.
London, England, 1849-10-13 00:00:00

SONTAG'S CONCERT.

Last night the City Hall was filled by a brilliant
audience, such as is seldom witnessed in Glasgow.
The great attraction of the •evening was Madame
Sontag. The rapidity with which she rose to the
highest fame in her particular style of singing when
she appeared here in 1828, the romance of reality she
has gone through since, and the knowledge that she
still possesses the fresh full-toned musical voice of her
younger days, all contributed to excite a great desire
to hear this accomplished musician. No one present
last night, we are sure, was disappointed of any of
the hopes he had entertained. Time prevents us
giving more than a very few brief notes of the earlier
part of an entertainment such as we believe Glasgow
never witnessed before, when we take into view the
acknowledged excellence of three of the individuals
who took the lead,—we mean Sontag, Lablache, and
Thalherg..

Of Thalberg's performances on the piano it is pre-
sumptuous for any one who is not a thorough-bred
musician to speak much, except to give expression to
that feeling of delight which accompanies, or is elicited
by the exhibition of great powers of expression, in
whatever mode displayed. In this and in brilliancy
and rapidity ofexecution, Thalberg is, at this day, we
understand, unrivalled among pianists. His two ap-
pearances were very splendid.
Passing hurriedly to the two stars of the evening,
we may mention that Belletti is one of the finest
bassos that has appeared in Glasgow ; and Calzolari
and F. Lablache of themselves would have made any
concert go off well. We come to Lablache. He first
gave one of his great pieces, " Non piu Andrei,"
which one cannot hear often enough. His magnifi-
cent voice filled and more than filled the hall, large as
it is, and years do not seem to abate a jot of his fire.
The trio from William Tell, in which he appeared
with Calzolari and Belletti, was very finely given.
His duet with Sontag, from Don Pasquale, where the
old Don discovers he has married a lady who has a
will of her own, was performed in first-rate style,
and very much applauded.
Madame Sontag commenced with " 0 lute di quest'
anima," and at once established her claim to the repu-
tation which has gone before her. She unites the
greatest power of execution over a voice rick and
melodious, with a degree of winning grace and appa-
rent artlessness which is very charming indeed. In
the union of these her great power seems to lie, not
in the expression of deep passion. She was received
in all her parts with great applause, and when called
for an encore in one of her songs, charmed the
audience with " Home, sweet home. It was curious
to notice how much more enthusiastically the applause
was given to this song than to those sung in a foreign
language.
The admirable arrangements of Messrs. J. M.
Wood and Co. deserve notice, as they contributed so
much to the pleasure of the audience.— Glasgow
Paper.

---
ALARMING FIRE.—BRISTOL, FRIDAY NIGHT.—
TILE VALUABLE MACHINERY OF THE GREAT WESTERN
COTTON-woaßs DESTROYED.—AbOut SiX o'clock this
evening a tremenduous fire broke out in the engine
department of these extensive works, and spread with
such rapidity that in less than an hour upwards of 2,0001.
worth of property was destroyed. The fire-engines
belonging to the various offices were speedily on the
spot, and stopped the further progress of the flames, but
the valuable machinery and a large quantity of raw
cotton have been entirely destroyed. The accident will
be the means of throwing upwards of 1,700 hands out of
employment. How the fire originated no reason has as
Jet been assigned. Great praise is due to the firemen,
and also to the police force, who exerted themselves
must strenuously to put out the fire. Fortunately the
building is composed of fire-proof materials, or the loss
must have been comalerably greater.
It is stated from Beziers, of the 6th instant, that
the vintage, which had been suspended owing to the
heavy rates, had been resumed with the late favourable
change in the weather. The produce, owing to the rot,
would not exceed one-half that of last year. The prices
ruled therefore very firm.
The quantity of wool destroyed by the late fire at
Messrs. Gooch and Cousins' warehouse, in London-wall,
is about 3,500 bales colonial and SOO German.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.
PALACE COURT, Oct. 12.
(Before Mr. W. BRENT BRENT.)
POOR JONES AND TILE LOAN SOCIETY.---PORD V. JONES.
At the rising of the Court Ms. Cox, an attorney
(Willoughby and Cox), applied for redress on the
part of William Jones, whose case, in consequence of
his appearance at Worship-street Police-court (re-
ported in this journal on the 2nd instant), has excited
a good deal of public commiseration, and for whom
subscriptions have been received by Mr. Arnold. It
will be recollected that Jones had all his furniture
swept away under an execution at the suit of a loan
society, of which Ford was said to be the embodiment.
The loan raised was 61., on which payments had been
made reducing the debt to 3/. 18s., when an action
was commenced. Jones had suffered several afflictions
in his family. The action was begun on the 6th of
July last, the writ being endorsed for 31. 18s. debt,
and 1/. 103. costs. Jones paid it. off the costs. On
the 14th of August a declaration was filed, and the
plaintiff gave the defendant till the 30th of the same
month to pay the balance of the costs; in violation of
which promise, three days before the time expired,
judgment was signed and notice given to execute a
writ of inquiry on the 31st of August. On the day
before, the defendant saw the plaintiff, paid him 103.,
the balance of the costs, and an instalment of 33. The
writ of inquiry was, however, executed, and 'on the
following day an execution was levied for 3/. 183.
debt, and 51. 13s. costs. Credit was given for 103.,
and the execution was in the whole for 91. Is. The
goods were removed on the Tuesday and sold on the
following Friday at a great loss. The goods were
sold for 141. 15s. The officer paid over 9/. is. for the
debt and costs as appeared from his return, and the
balance of 51. 14s. went in the expenses of the officer
and the expenses of the sale. It was known that Mr.
Hewlett, the deputy-prothonotary, exercised a con-
troul over the officer, and on examining the return he
made the officer refund 1/. ls. to Jones, so that ha ad-
dition to the 1/ 33. paid, which had not been allowed,
besides the 10s., the execution had absorbed 9/. Is.. for
debt and costs, and 4/. 14s. the expenses of the s ale.
On the affidavit which he held in his hand there v'aS
a clear case of oppression, and he therefore appliod
for the assistance of the Court.
The Learned JUDGE said, the difficulty was that
the defendant had not come before the execution was
executed.
Mr. Cox showed that he could not have applied in
time to stay the execution, as it was issued on a
Saturday, and the property sold cn the Friday fol-
lowing. It could not be said that there was an
" irregularity" in the case. There was something
more, and, without asking for the sympathy of the
Court, there was enough on the affidavit of Jones to
ask the Court for a rule to set aside the inquisition, or
to have the money not allowed refused. There was
no complaint against the plaintiff's attorneys, but the
plaintiff had interfered, and as he had settled the
action, he must take the consequence on himself.
The COURT granted a rule nisi, observing that in
the early part there appeared to have been a good deal
of leniency shpwn to the defendant.
It was understood that the present application was
made on public grounds, in consequence of the pub-
licity given to the case. It had been taken up by a
gentleman.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
MANSION-HOUSE.
William Burns was brought before Alderman Wil-
liam Hunter upon the charge of robbing Messrs.
Cook, Son, and Co., the extensive warehousemen, of
St. Paul's Churchyard, of a quantity of silk goods.
James Beswick, of Charlotte-street, Blackfriars-
road, plumber, said—l am executing some work on
the premises of the prosecutors, in St. Paul's Church-
yard, and I hive several men employed there, among
whom was the prisoner, who was paid off on Thurs-
day evening in the last week. On last Wednesday
evening, between three and four o'clock, I saw him at
the bottom of the stairs of the lower warehouse. He
was taking away some loose tiles, and I went and
asked him what business he had there, to which he
replied that he was with a bricklayer, setting a stove.
I immediately ordered him off the premises, and made
a communication on the subject to Mr. Cook. He
has not since that period been employed.
Mr. Francis Cook, a partner in the house of Cook,
Son, and Co, said the premises had.been under repair,
and Mr. Beswick had been employed to do the neces-
sary work. The firm had, within the last ten days,
lo,t some goods, and in consequence of some informa-
tion which they received they communicated with
the authorities of the police, with whom arrangements
were made. On Thursday evening, between five and
half-past five o'clock, a strict watch was kept upon all
persons entering the premises, and at about half-past
five witness saw the prisoner enter at the front door,
and walk through the front part of the warehouse and
down the stairs leading to the basement floor. Two
of the detective City police were then placed on the
premises in such a position as to be able to see what
might take place, and at five o'clock the next morning
an alarm was given by them. Upon going down
stairs he saw the prisoner with the policemen, and
observed in his possession a large quantity of silk
articles, the property of the firm.
Storey and Barnes, the officers selected for acting
upon the occasion, stated that they remained in their
positions till a quarter to three o'clock yesterday
morning. There was a light from a street lamp
through the windows, and the prisoner was seen
going from the fore end of the warehouse very
cautiously and without his shoes. From the ware-
house he stole along to the silk-room, and was seen
meddling with some goods there, and which he
brought to the place where the light reflected. He
then pulled off his clothes, and began to bind the
articles, which consisted of silks and satins, round his
legs, thighs, body, and arms, and so strong was his
appetite for plunder that he incumbered himself
beyond the chance of escaping ;from an ordinary
pursuit. Having stowed away the goods, he forced
his clothes over them, and looked, as the officers said,
" more like a moving mummy than a Christian." He
then went to the counter, filled his pockets and cap
with some of the choice property there, and walked to
the part of the warehouse from which he had first
been seen to issue. One of the officers walked round
to meet him, and immediately gave the signal. They
soon found him in the silk-room, crouching down
between some silk goods, with his cap in his hand,
and took him into custody.
Alderman HUNTER, having given the usual caution
to the prisoner as to anything he might think proper
to say, asked him whether he wished to make any
defence ? The prisoner—No ; nothing.
Committed for trial.
The prisoner is supposed to have been concerned in
other robberies upon the same firm.
Mark Isaacs was finally examined before Alderman
Carden upon the charge of having committed a most
desperate assault upon John Courtoy.
Alderman CARDER—I cannot in this case commit
for a higher offence than a misdemeanour. I am
sorry I cannot commit for a felony. Violence se
completely unprovoked is not often heard of. I shall
allow you to bail, but I shall demand two good sure-
ties in 501. each, and your own security in 1001.
The Prisoner—l have bail, my Lord, to any
amount.