The Sun.
London, England, 1836-02-22 00:00:00

Stafford Assizes, of sending a box loaded with gunpowder and
hard peas to Mr. Ladd, of the Bristol-road, with the atrocious
intent of destroying him, and probably his family. Sen-
tence, however, was not passed at the time, Mr. Justice Wil-
liams wishing to take the opinion of the Judges whether the
tin box, so loaded, came within the meaning of the Act under
which the prisoner was tried, which referred to " loaded
arms." The question has at length been decided, thirteen of
the Judges having taken this important point into considera-
tion ; six were of opinion that the " infernal machine" came
within the meaning of the Act, and seven that it did not; thus,
by a majority of one, has Mountford's life been spared.
EXTRAORDINARY -AFFAIR:— The Brighton
Guardian gives an account of a curious riot, which ended in
a lawyer being put into the black hole. It appears that a
gentleman, whose name is Methold, residing at the west end
of Worthing, some time ago separated from his wife, since
which time the lady has been residing at Brighton and other
places Oa Thursday last she arrived in Worthing, at-
tended by a French female servant, and a gentleman who
represented himself as her solicitor. No movement was made
till Saturday at noon, when the servant contrived by some
stratagem to effect an entrance into Mr. Methold's house ;
and after a struggle with the females of his establishment, she
succeeded in admitting her mistress. By this time a consi-
derable number of persons were congregated - round the
house. Mrs. Methold took possession of the front sitting-
room up stairs, and was there attended by her female servant,
and occasionally appeared on the balcony addressing the as-
sembled people in the street. The servant was afterwards
ejected. The lady herself called for assistance, and her
lawyer came to her aid by means of a ladder. A regular
battle ensued. The assailants, who were very numerous,
were at length repulsed, and the project of regaining pos-
session was abandoned.
MURDEROUS ATTEMPT.—The village of Ban-
stead has been recently thrown into a state of considerable
alarm and excitement, in consequence of a diabolical attempt
to destroy the life of a young female, by hanging her, under
the following most extraordinary circumstances —lt appeared
that a few days since a young woman, in the service of a
gentleman named Morgan, who resides at Banstead, while en-
gaged at night in the lower part of the house, overheard some
men talking, and, frem what they said, it was evident their in-
tention was to rob the house. She immediately gave an alarm,
and, in consequence, the men were compelled to decamp. A
night or two afterwards the female in question had occasion to
leave the house, for the purpose of letting out the charwo-
man ; and, on her not returning in a reasonable time, Mr.
Morgan became alarmed, and proceeded to search for her.
He bad not proceeded far before he observed something hang-
ing from a tree, and, on going close to it,
,his horror and sur-
prise may be easily conceived, when he discovered that it was
the body of his unfortunate maid, suspended by the neck, her
arms pinioned behind her, and apparently quite dead. He
immediately cut her down, and a surgeon was sent for, who,
after some time, succeeded in restoring animation. On being
questioned, she stated that as she was returning towards the
house two men rushed upon her. They declared they would
murder her for alarming her master on the previous evening,
and one of them said that they would cut her throat. The
other, however, said that she should be hanged. She was so
overcome with terror and affright that she was unable to give
any alarm, and they proceeded to pinion her arms, place a rope
round her neck, and they then dragged her up to the tree.
The most rigid inquiries have been made to discover the per-
petrators of this diabolical attack, but hitherto without success.
THE WEATHER.—EXTRAORDINARY HIGH
TlDE.—During the whole of Wednesday night, part of the
previous day, and Friday, it blew a complete hurricane
from the north-east, with occasional showers of rain, hail, and
snow. Friday morning, about five o'clock, after one of
the most boisterous nights ever experienced, and violent squalls,
the rain fell heavily, and the wind moderated. The calm,

however, was of short duration. When the rain had ceased,
gusts of wind succeeded. The storm, as might be oxpected
from its violence, has done great mischief, particularly on the
river, where numerous tiers of shipping have broken from their
moorings, and numbers of barges and boats have been swamped.
Some of the steamers and many of the vessels homeward-
bound had not arrived as was expected on Friday; and it is
feared that the hurricane has caused the loss of many ships on
the coast. The river presented the appearance of a rough
sea, and a small boat could scarcely live in it. In the after-
noon the tide rose to an extraordinary height; and half an
hour before high water the banks of the Thames were over-
flowed on both shores, the waters rushing into the ground-
floors and cellars, committing sad havoc with property of all
descriptions. Bankside was under water more than an hour
from St. Saviour's-creek to Holland-street, Blackfriars, and
flowed down the narrow streets and lanes leading to the inte-
rior of Southwark. The dwellings of many indigent indivi-
duals in the neighbourhood and in the lower parts of Black-
wall, Westminster, Shadwell, and Wapping have been inun-
dated. Friday a boat was capsized in Limehouse-reach
by the violence of the wind. There were two or three per-
sons in it, who perished. In the suburbs of the metropolis
great injury has been done to the young trees and plantations
by the hurricane; numerous out houses and unfinished dwel-
lings have been blown down, and the largest trees have been
torn up by the roots. We have not experienced such a tre-
mendous gale for many years.
BREACH IN THE BANKS OF THE GREAT
RIVER OUZE, NEAT; LYNN, NORFOLK.—The utmost conster-

nation prevails in the neighbourhood of Lynn, in consequence
of a breach in the eastern bank of the great river Ouze, which
conveys the highland waters of the counties of Huntingdon,

Cambridge, Bedford, and Buckingham, as well as the waters
of the Bedford Level, to sea, by the port of Lynn. This fright-
ful catastrophe was occasioned by the late violent gale, accorn-

pilled by an unusually high tide. The breach is situate in
the parish of Magdalen ; it took place early on Thursday
morning, and has excited the most serious apprehensions, the
safety of many thousand acres of fertile land being dependent
upon the security of the banks of this river. The reports are
at present so various as to extent and injury that little depen-
dence can be placed upon them ; but we are assured that at
four o'clock P. ,on Thursday last, the extent of the breach
through which the water was then rushinr, was not less than
140 yards. In some parts of the bank what are called slips
have taken place, which is the top only of the bank giving
way, and the water runninc, over into the adjoining lands ; but
in other parts the bank itself is supposed to be washed away to
the bottom of the river. It has been difficult as yet to obtain
accurate information, particularly at so early a period after this
calamitous event. A meeting of the Ouze Bank Commissioners
was sitting at Watlington when our informant wrote, at which
place the water was several feet deep. The tide rose nearly
three feet higher than at the time of the late March gale. It
has partially overflowed the banks near to Denver Sluice, par-
ticularly into Mr. Gamble's farm, a great part of which is in-
undated. The flood also reached the-top of the new bank below
the sluice. From a slight variation in the wind, the water was
rot so high last night, and great hopes are entertained that the
flood will be prevented coming up higher than a spot called
Bell's Bank. The result of the meeting of the Commissioners
was not known when this account was sent off express, but the
latest intelligence was, that a strong current of water from the
gull or breach in the bank was then running across the turn-
pike-road at a place called Setch, between Lynn and Down-
ham Market, in the direction of Wormgay. The greatest con-
sternation prevailed in the neighbourhood. The state of these
banks has been for some time the source of litigation in the
Courts of Westminster-hall, and is likely to be the subject of

investigation.
A voluntary church meeting was held at Ecclefechan
on the evening of the 26th ult., The Rev. James Harkness in
the chair. The church was crowded, and the greatest deco-
rum prevailed ; and, though numbers were present from a great
?istance, they waited with
.patience to the very conclusion.
The hissing serpent was not present, or for the time being he
was completely muzzled, or awed into absolute silence, as his
voice was never once heard. The Rev. Mr. M‘Gill of Rigg
prayed, and the meeting broke up at 10 o'clock. This is the
first voluntary church meeting which has been held in Annan-
dale, and from the deep interest it excited, and the beneficial
effects which may be expected to follow, it is to be hoped that
ail the Dissenters will see it their duty to hold such meetings,
and instruct the people in that all-engrossing question, the
separation of Church and State—a separation which, for the
sake of conferring equal right and privileges upon all, and par-
ticularly for the advancement of Christ's kingdom upon the
earth, it is to be earnestly desired, may speedily take place.—

Dumfries Times.
BILL FOR REGISTERING BIRTIIS, DEATHS,
AND MARRTADES. —This Bill contains the following provisions

--A general registry office to be provided in London and
Westminster. Poor Law Commissioners to have the care of

the register. Guardians of unions to appoint registrars and su-
perintendent registrars. Register and certified copy to be de-
livered to superintendent. Rate-payers of parishes not
united under the Poor Law Act to appoint registrars for the
parish. Parishes may be united for the purposes of this Act.
Qourt of quarter sessions to appoint superintendent registrars
for parishes not united. Children born and persons dying at
sea may be registered. Births, after 15 days, to be registered
Lefore the superintendent registrar. Births not to be registered
after six months. Next of kin or other persons present at death
or occupier-of house, and in cases of foundlings or exposed
dead bodies, overseers and coroners requited to give notice to
the registrar. No dead body to be buried without certificate

of registry or of inquest. Registrars to be paid by the over-
seers, according to a scale. Marriage registers to be kept
in duplicate, and, with certified copies, to be sent to super-
intended registrar. Indexes to be kept, searches allowed, and
certificates given. Parties being married, refusing to answer
questions, to be subject to a penalty of 501. Persons wilfully
giving false information touching the particulars to be regis-
tered, to be deemed guilty of perjury, and punished accord..
inmly. Parties refusing to register any marriage solemnized
by them, and every registrar not duly registering births, deaths,
and marriages, or losing or injuring registers, be subject to a
penalty of 50/. The destroying or falsifying register books
considered felony, and will subject the party to transportation
for life, or for any number of years not less than 14. Acci-
dental errors may be corrected. All fines and forfeitures may
be recovered before any two Magistrates in the place where
ilte offence shall have happened, upon information of any
person ; and if, on the conviction of the offender, the fine
shall not be forthwith paid, the same shall be levied by dis-
tres§; and, for want of distress, the justice may commit the
offender for any term not exceeding one mouth. One moiety
of the fine to go to the informer, and the other to the registrar-

general. -
GOOD LlVlNG.—Previous to the dinner given on
Wednesday at Stationers' Hall, beim,- the annul Ash-Wed-
nesdav entertainment, nearly 3,000 buns were given away.
Each Liveryman who sends for his buns gets half a dozen, and
ibe man or boy who comes for them gets one for himself and
a glass of ale. The Liverymen who come are not limited in
quantity either of buns or ale ; and besides all that he shall
cat, be gets his half dozen to take away. An 18-gallon
cask, of the best quality, was barely encugh on Wednesday,