The Sun.
London, England, 1836-07-07 00:00:00

NATIONAL DEBT.

The Lords Commissioner's of his Majesty's Treasury
Iraeinit c'ertified to the Commissioners' for the Reduction of
Ntrticintrl Debt, in pursuance of the Act 10 George IV., ,
e, 117; obi':' F; ihrd the actual Surplus Revenue of the United
Kingdom Of fire'at Critain and Ireland, beyond the actual
expenditure therecofi for the year ended the sth day of.
April, 1836, amounted ifo the sum of 1,376,3061. 125.,
Tha Commissioners (or • the Reduction of the National
Debt lweby give notice, that the sum of 344,076/. 13s.
(being oneAturth part of the said surplqs of 1,376,3061. 125.)
will be applied, under the provisi,:ris of the said Act, be-
' tween the 7th day of July, 1833, and the 10th day of oc-
tobers• 1835, to the following purposes—iz. :
To he opplied to the purchase of,Stock 40,834 17 7
Ditto, to the purchase of Exchequer
Bills, made out in pursuance of the
Act 6 IV., e. 2,

340,834 17 7

Add Interest reer)Yable on account of
Donations and Bequests, to be applied
the purchase of Stock .....•.r 3,241 15 5

£344,076 13 0
S. HIG HAM, Cuntroller-Gruerat
National Debt Office, July 1, 1836.

COLONEL PRISON.

From the Tasmanian weNe.xtraet the following picture of
the earthly hell to which Mr. Robert Bryan was ordered
to be sent, for being unfortunate enough to be charged by
felons—by outlaws whose evidence would not be taken in
any other country than this—with stealing cattle. We
hope and trust, for the credit of the free community, that
607 may soon cease to be made the " materials for prison
discipline," and that Colonel Arthur's system may be abo-
lished. It is horrifying to contemplate the oppression and
torture which an honest man may be subjected to in this
colony if he happen to be obnoxious even to the felons ;
for so long as their evidence is received and credited in
our Courts of Justice, it will be no difficult matter to make
up a case against him, upon which he is mire to be con-
victed ; then he is consigned to the earthly hell our Con-
temporary so ably describes :
" This abode of horrors is a peninsula of several miles
area, the isthmus closed against escape, not only by sol-
diers, but by the more ferocious dogs, chained at such 'in-
tervals asunder that passage between them is impossible.
The miserable wretch upon his arrival is put immediately,
without reference to his habits of life, or his condition, to
labour of the severest kind—cutting down logs, rolling
them to the water, and frequently through the water. He
has no change of habit, therefore lie cannot get rid of his
wet clothing but by the absorption of bodily heat. His
food is of the coarsest description. Salted meat:—fre-
quently the refuse of the store. The quantity only suf-
ficient to sustain the vital spark—to support it in health
it must be unequal. The week's rations often is con-
sumed in three days, if it is, as is frequently, the case,
issued altogether. During the remainder, starvation must
be endured. The smalles particle of food; beyond the
ration of the coarest bread and salted meat; is expressly
forbidden ! Should he have friends disposed to
.send him
ever so small portion of that simple diluant, tea—he is not
permitted to receive it. Sugar is equally proscribed. And
as to vegetables, to even think of them, if discovered, would
be a crime ! Abundant as is every description 9f fish upon the
very shores of this Gomorrah, (for, while upwards of one
thousand men are there engaged, woman is not permitted to
approach the unholy place), the poor wretch to whom a taste
of fresh fond would be health, renovating beyond expression,
is forbidden, on pain of the bloody lash, to tottch one, even
if it was cast ashore at his feet. Indeed," a gang" of twelve
recently employed in removing kelp from the shore to the
land, for some government purpose, finding a crayfish 'amongst
the kelp and eagerly devouring it, were all punished, and with
their overseer put into irons. It having been habitual with
many of the miserable men, sent to this terrible place to
use tobacco, the deprivation of it is particularly attended to.
If a morsel is found upon any one, the lash is the certain
consequence. Even a broken pipe, if it can be traced,
flogging is the assured fate ! The consequence of this sys-
tem of limited food, of such a quality, accompanied with
the severest labour which the lash can extract, is emacia-
tion to a dreadful extent. In one of the gangs, the
sawyers, this result of suffering is particularly conspicuous.
They have a certain quantity of labour to perform. If it
is not done, flogging and solitary confinement in a cell, on
bread and water, is the punishment—thus still more ema-
ciating the emaciated wretch, until life is hardly within
him ! It is useless harrowing the heart of the reader fur-
ther ! It is only necessary to add, that it is a constant
expression of one of the inferior but power-possessing mi-
nisters of this hell without hope—" You convict'.-I'll have
you flogged ?" And this threat, when uttered, is half-per- .I`,
formed, for the flesh cutting process assuredly follows!

Can it be believed that such a system as this exists
amongst Christians !—Van Dienzen's Land Paper.

VERULAM PHILOSOPHICAL SO-
CIETY OF LONDON, JUNE 29.

The President and Director, H. W. Dewhurst, Esq.,
F.E.S.L., &c., in the Chair.
A paper on the Scolopendra Electrica, from William
Rogerson, Esq., of Greenwich, was read by the Secretary-
It was stated by the author that many species of the Sco-
lopendrce were indigenous to this country, some of them
residing among stones and rubbish, others in decayed trees,
&c. They all possess a great number of legs, and, accord-
ing to Litinmus, come under the order of apherous in-
sects, being destitute of wings. The Scolopendra Electrieci
is the most delicate species of this genus. It is about an
inch and a half long, and not more than onkwentieth of
an inch broad. Its body is of a bright red colour, very thin
and transparent ; the head is small, and furnished with two
antennae. This insect is very quick in its motions ;it can
easily coil up its body, or turn itself in any direction. But
that which particularly distinguishes this little creature is
the light . Ohich it emits in the dark. This differs from
that of the Lampyris Noctiluca, or Glow-woim, which is
more brilliant, and in general confined to one part of the
body ; but the Scolopendra gives a faint light, appearing
like-a luminous fluid dispersed all over the surface of its
body, leaving a number of shining particles after it, on the
ground, as it creeps along. These insects are to be met
with during the autumn in most places, as the, bottom of
walls or hedges, on garden-walks, footpaths, Sze. Mr. Ro-
gerson has seen them shining in the neighbourhood of
Greenwich during cloudy warm nights, in October and No-
vember. On the sth of June, 1836, he met ivith one shin-
ing in Lee-lane, near Blackheath, and has often seen theirs
at New-cross, on the road-side. It requires great care to
take them, their bodies being of so delicate a structure.
Through the kindness of Dr. Hancock, Vice=President, and
his son, the Assistant-Secretary, specimens in a preserved
state, with coloured drawings of this insect, were exhibited.
A. Blyth, Esq., of Chatham, was elected an Honorary
Associate ; and ---- Minett, Esq., an Associate.
Vhe Secretary then read the first of a series of papers on
the phenomenon of insects, frogs, toads, &e., found in the
substance of trees, blocks of marble, &c., from Alfred Booth,
Esq.
The President then read his second paper on Geology,
comprising a series of remarks on the importance of study-
ing. the collateral science in conjunction with that developing
the structure of the earth.
Professor Dewhurst then delivered his lecture on the
nature of lunar and solar eclipses, illustrating his observa--
tions by a series of diagrams and drawings.
The thanks of the Society were voted to the President,
and to Messrs. Rognson and Booth, for their interesting
communications. _ _ _

At ten o'clock the Society adjourned till July 6,

HORIZONTAL FLAT WATCHES,
with accurately finished jewelled movements, warranted, are offered
in Silver cases, price Five Guineas each ; or in Gold cases, price
Nine Guineas each, at T. COX SAVORY'S, Watchmaker, Jewel-
ler, and Silversmith, 47, Cornhill, London.

BIRTH S.
On the sth inst., in Portland-place, the lady of J. R. Todd,
Esq., of a daughte
On the Ist., at Catton Hall, Derbyshire, the lady of .E. N. Ker-
shaw, Esq., of a son. •

MARRIED. ,
On the 2d inst., at St. John's, Holloway, Mr. Thomas Lamb, of
Salisbury-square, to Caroline, youngest daughter of the late Joseph
Wolfe, Esq., of Ewell, Surrey.
On the sth inst., at Kensington Church, J. K. Brunel, Esq.,
of Duke-street, Weeminstr, to Mary Elizabeth, eldest daughter. of
W. Horsley, Esq., of Ker4ngton Gravel-pits.
On the 4th inst., at St. George's, Hanover-square, till Rev.
George Morris, 8.A., eldest son of Captain Morris, R.N., to Susan
Emma, youngest daughter of the late W. Waudby, Esq., of Cold—
ham Hall, Cambridgeshire.
On the 4th inst., at Didbrook, Gloucestershire, Lieutenant W. F.
Young, R.N., second son of the late Admiral James Young, of
Barton End, to Elizabeth, youngest daughter of the late X. Gist,
Esq., of Wormington Grange, in the same county.