The Sun.
London, England, 1841-12-04 00:00:00

WEST INDIES.

Her Majesty's packet Sheldrake, Mr. Williams, Mas-
ter, R.N., commanding, (Lieutenant Morgan, who . went
out in charge, having died soon after leaving St. Thomas,
on her passage homewards) arrived at Falmouth on
Wednesday night. She left Barbadoes on October 12,
St. Lucie and Martinique on the 13th, Dominique and
Guadeloupe 14th, Antigua 15th, Montserrat, Nevis, and
St. Kitt's 17th, Tortola 19th, and St. Thomas Nov. 6.
The Firefly steamer brought up her Windward Island
mails; and the Tartarus, those from Jamaica. The crews
of her Majesty's ships had for the most part been exceed-
ingly unhealthy. At Jamaica, on Nov. 1, were the Mag-
nificent, Racehorse, Electra, Comus, Vestal, Fair Rosa-
mond, and Pickle. The Sappho conveyed the Pandora's La
Guayra mail from Barbadoes, some of the steamers hay-

ing been thrown out of the line ; one, the Plainer, being
obliged to sail for Guadeloupe, being short of fuel, with-
out touching at Trinidad. The English schooner, Maid
of Erin, Incledon; had arrived at St. Lucie, and reported
having been boarded by a piratical hermaphrodite brig
north of that island, when she was plundered of provi-
sions, water, and money. The Sheldrake's passengers
were, Lieut. Wingrove, R.N., Mr. Symes, surgeon, R.N.,
Mr. Reep, purser, RN., Capt. Fuller, 59th Regiment,
and lady, Mr. Reed, Mr. Illidge, and Miss Goldsmith.
The Crane, which followed her, having arrived on Mon-
day, her advices have, for novelty, all been anticipated.
Freight, 6,0001. A small mail of about 450 letters was
sent on shore at Falmouth on Wednesday, ex the M.
Wilhelmina, from Rio de Janeiro of October 6. The
packet Pigeon arrived there on that day from England.
(From the Barbadoes Papers.)
We regret to understand that his Excellency the Go-
vernor is by no means in that state of health which could
be desired, and that it is not unlikely that he will be
obliged to leave this island shortly for England.
WEST INDIA CROPS.—Notwithstanding the continued
cry of dry weather, the harvest in the little island of
Barbadoes has proved anything but unproductive. From
the returns published by the Barbadian, it would appear
that of the whole crop, 16,781 hhds. 1,450 tierces and
995 barrels have been exported, equal to nearly 18,000
hhds., and from which " adding the quantity of sugar
consumed in the island (continues the same paper), and
the great consumption of the canes which have been
sucked,' we may
say the crop has exceeded 20,000
hhds." A pretty good harvest this, size and seasons
considered. Will Jamaica ship forty thousand ? We
doubt it ; and yet she has shipped three times that ;
and with equal cultivation may do so again, and more.
In Tobago also the sugar crop is still very deficient ;
that of 1841 being only 2,460 hhds. 225 tierces, and 222
brls., against upwards of 4,000 hhds. of the year preced-
ing. We have not seen the returns from the other
islands, but when we do we shall report accordingly.
The town of St. John, Antigua, seems to be a very
unfortunate and almost fated place. In addition to the
late ravages by fire, which occurred only a few months
ago, another most atrocious attempt to produce a catas-
trophe of a similar nature has just been providentially
discovered in time to prevent the full development of
the incendiary's designs. The following is the descrip-
of the occurrence by the Antigua Gazette :
" On Monday night, at a few minutes to eleven, the
springing of police rattles intimated the occurrence
of a conflagration in the town, which induced us to go out
for the purpose of ascertaining the locality of the fire.
Upon looking around without discovering either flames or
their reflection, we were induced to conclude that the
fire had been got under, which we soon found had been
accomplished. Finding the fire in question had com-
menced in the dwelling-house of Mr. Peter P. Walter, in
Long-street, we repaired to the spot and found afull
exemplification of the more than murderous malignity of
the incendiary or incendiaries, whose demoniac attempt
to send a whole family, consisting of twelve immortal
souls, into eternity without one moment's preparation, had
been so providentially averted by a timely discovery of a
plot which, we are persuaded, had its origin in the
hellish feeling of revenge. The plot was laid by depo-
siting two burning brands between a sofa and the wainscot
of Mr. Walter's sitting-room—and, as if determined to
glut his vengeance by a human sacrifice, the miscreant
incendiary, not satisfied with setting fire to the sofa al-
luded to, deposited in the same room—within the space
of twelve feet from the burning sofa, in a closet or cup-
board, four other burning brands and a parcel of deal •
shavings—the more effectually to accomplish his diabo-
lical purpose. The discovery of the flames is attributable
to the circumstance of, the rapid ignition which took
place in the sofa, on account of the inflammable materials
of which it was composed. It is supposed that the flames
—a family piece of fur-
niturewould have reached the upper floor but for the. great age
" His Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor adniinis-
(ifthe sotfrauspvwcaorndtasionfedoinyetahrse ssotafanding.
tering the General Government, as soon as he learnt the
particulars of the above incendiarism, appointed a Board
of Magistrates to investigate the circumstances connected
with the fire—but we are sorry to say that the Magis-
trates were not able to elicit any evidence calculated to
lead to a discovery of the incendiary."

DEATH OF THE COUNTESS OF NORMAN-
TON.—We have the melancholy task of announcing the
death, which took place on Thursday, the 2d December,
at the family seat, Somerley, Hants, of Diana, Countess
of Normanton, after a protracted illness of four years.
Her Ladyship was the eldest daughter of George Augus-
tus, Earl of Pembroke, and was married on the 17th of
a person of rare
May, 1816, to Welbore Ellis, Earl of Normanton. Her
Ladyship leaves issue, James, Viscount Somerton ; the
Hon. Herbert, the Hon. Charles, and the Lady Mary
eLeadd
toy or
accomplishmentsin a n ton united
ef t
theto
highest order, a
more than feminine understanding. Solid in judgment and
quick in perception, she has left her family and friends
Agar. Ludy
the sad recollection of still more amiable qualities which
never can be forgotten.
They write from Leghorn .—." The sojourn of
our gr • and ducal family at Naples, will not exceed six
weeks, after which it will return to Pisa. The Dowager
Grand Duchess will go into Sicily, and pass the winter
at Palermo with the Princess Augusta, whose weak
health will, it is hoped, be re-established by the mildness
of the climate. The young princesses of the second
marriage of our grand duke have remained at Florence,
under the charge of their governess, Mlle. Laure Brady,
daughter of the Countess Brady.

The Royal mail steam-ship Columbia, Captain
Charles Judkins, takes her departure from Liverpool at
at one o'clock to-day.
During the last month, and including the 31st
October, the Paris Savings' Bank received 3,270,321 f.
from 23,163 depositors, of whom 3,179 were new, and
paid 2,380,0001. out.

THE LATE DREADFUL CASE OF
MURDER AND SUICIDE.
LEIGH, LANCASHIRE, THURSDAY.--The adjourned
inquest on the bodies of Betty Thompson and Elizabeth
Thompson, her infant child, was resumed this morning
before W. S. Rutter, Esq., at the Royal Oak public-
house. •
Samuel Part deposed as follows:—I am the only re-
lieving officer for the Leigh union. I attended the I3oard
of Guardians every Monday. The Guardians are
eighteen in number. There are two Guardians for the
township of Pennington. They are Mr. James Lunn
and Mr. Robert Lee. They both reside in Pennington.
The Board meets every Monday at half-past ten o'clock,
at the Town-hall, in Pennington, in the town of Leigh.
I have never been absent from any Board Meeting since
the Board was formed. I never remember a person
named Betty Thompson applying for relief; certainly
not within the last six months. I always take down the
names of the applicants as they apply, whether their
application be rejected or not. We do not, in all cases,
visit before we relieve ; but we generally do in cases of
persons belonging to other townships. We usually
write to the relieving officer of the township to which
they belong. In case no notice is taken by that officer,
I report to the board, .and remove the pauper by a re-
moval order: I mostly relieve when they first apply. It
is not the practice of our board to direct the party ap-
plying for relief to go to the board to which they belong.
We never haie done so. I am informed that the de-
ceased belonged to Ilindley in the Wigan Union. The
board of that union meet in a room in the Eagle-yard in
the town of Wigan. Wigan is about seven miles from
the town of Leigh. I know nothing of the practice of
that board. In our union we refuse to affiliate bastard
children on account of the expense, and our not getting
the money. There is great difficulty in obtaining the
money after affiliation. In cases where there are wages to
attach there is generally a collusion between the master
and men, and when the parties havo no goods we are
without any remedy to recover the amount of the order.
I know cases in which wages, have been attached.
The master invariably turns the man away, and he im-
mediately takes work under one of the other workmen,
and so they shift from one to the other, and we can find
no wages to attach. There is no means under the Act
of Parliament of punishing the father by imprisonment.
I never knew an instance of a master being imprisoned
for non-performance of an order for attachment of wages.
The Coroner, in order to set this part of the witness's
evidence right, read the 77th, the 62d, and 99th sec-
tions of the Poor-law Act, the 4th and sth William
IV., which gives to Magistrates the power to seize the
goods of the master ; and in case he has none, and re-
fuses to pay the amount of the order for the attachment
of wages in his hands, then the power to commit to the
county prison for the space of three months.
The Foreman wished to know whether masters were
compelled to keep servants after an order was made upon
them ?
The Coroner said no ; there was no such power in
the Act.
Jane O'Connor was recalled—l remember the time
Betty Thompson applied to the Board of Guardians at
Wigan. It was about four months ago.
Betty Horrocks sworn—l live at Hindley-green, about
two miles from here. I knew the deceased, Betty
Thompson. She called on me as she came back from
applying to the Wigan guardians. It was just about the
time when new potatoes were coming in. Deceased told
me that she had seen some new potatoes in Wigan, and
that they were 4d. a-pound. Deceased said she had
been to the union board, and had lighted on the Pay-
master or some other person at the door, and he told
her that if she went before the board, they would put her
in Kirkdale. I then said, " Well, thee did not go." She
said " No." She was terrified so at the idea of being
sent to Kirkdale that she did not go to the board for re-
lief. Deceased's mother was dead at that time. Deceased
said how much she had been distressed to bury her
mother. Witness gave her and her baby some victuals.
She said she was very badly off, and could not get a
meal for her children. It was about one o'clock when
she called upon me, and somewhere about the beginning
of July. She had walked to Wigan and back, and was
very ill and tired.
Mary Marsdall sworn—l knew the decetised. She
used to come to our house, and we have given her bits
many times. She was short of food and had nothing at
all to give to her children. There was not a more
hard-working woman in Leigh, or one who strove harder
for a living. Witness saw her on Monday morning and
gave her bit of bread. She did not ask for anything. I
followed her with the bread into her cellar, in order to
give it to the children. I did not know that she had any
money, but I understand 2d. was found in the house
after her death. I saw no meat in the house except
what I took. I knew that she had sent the elder boy on
Monday to the father of the other children to try to get
some money from him. Sbe told me when the boy
came back that the father wculd not come near her.
She said she would go herself. She had been crying two
or three times that morning. Her spirits were very low
during the last week or two. She was very fond of her
children, I never knew her to abuse them.
Edward Birchall sworn—l live at Ashton, in Mocker-
field, and am one of the relieving-officers of the Leigh
union. There are two others. It is a large union, and
comprises twenty townships. The township of Hindley
is one. That is in my district, and it is about six miles
from one extreme point to the other. The population of
the seven townships is about 20,000. The board sits at
Wigan every Thursday. I attended every Thursday,
and have left it to come hero. I know the deceased by
sight. I knew that her mother belonged to Hindley, and
now believe that she did also. Her eldest boy was born
at West Leigh, and being illegitimate followed his
mother's settlement. Deceased's mother received first
Is. and then 2s. a week relief. The deceased received
it. Since her mother's death deceased had made no ap-
plication to the board for relief. I knew she had three
children, but was not aware she had a fourth. In case
of a person applying for relief I have to make a report
of the case to the board before it comes under considera-
tion. I attend at different places to give relief every
week. The deceased never made any application to me
to affiliate the children upon Wood. That is the only
reason I can assign for their not being affiliated ; but
there is a general unwillingness on the part of unions to
affiliate, on account of the expense and difficulty of get-
ting the money from the fathers. They laugh at our
attaching their wages. The order for the attachment of
wages is of no use. lam not aware of any person hav-
ing threatened to send the deceased to Kirkdale in case
of her applying for relief, nor of her having been threat-
ened to have her children taken from her. In case she
applied to the doorkeeper, he would ask her business,
and then call me as relieving officer of the district. No
person would have a right to give the deceased an an-
swer except myself. On her stating that she belonged
to Hindley, she would be referred to me. No relieving
officer would be allowed to threaten to send the deceased
to Kirkdale, or to take her children from her. I never
used such terms, and have not seen her since her mo-
ther's death.
William Wood was next called. He said he was a
weaver. He earned seven shillings and sixpence per
week. Was a single man, and the father of three of
the deceased's children. He was a silk-weaver, and
worked for Mr. Walker. He could not tell what he had
given. Ho had pawned his coat on August 4th, for 45.,
and he gave her part of it; that satisfied her. On
Monday he saw the deceased's son, but did not tell him
he would neither come nor send. lie told him that he
had no money, and could not send any. He gave her
two shillings last Friday.
The Foreman commented in strong terms upon the
conduct of Wood in continuing to be connected so long
with the deceased without marrying her, or at least lend-
ing her assistance in maintaining the children.
The Jury, after consulting together for about three
quarters of an hour, found " That the deceased being
reduced to a state of extreme want and mental suffering
came to the determination of destroying herself, and
being unwilling to leave her infant child behind, de-
stroyed her likewise." This in effect amounts to a ver-
dict of wilful murder as concerns the child, and fete de se
as regards the mother.

PROTEST OF THE CORPORA-
TION OF WORCESTER, AGAINST THE AP-
POINTMENT OF THE NEW MAGISTRATES.
A Special Meeting of the Corporation was held this
day, Friday, the 3d inst., to take into consideration
the letter of Sir James Graham, announcing the Ap •
pointment of six Magistrates, when the following pro
test was carried by 27 to 4, the Liberal Members of
the Council who were also Magistrates being absent :
TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE SIR JAMES GRAHAM, BART.,
ONE OF HER MAJESTY'S PRINCIPAL SECRETARIES OF

STATE,
The Memorial of the Mayor, Aldermen, and Burgesses
of the City of Worcester in Special Council assembled,
this third day of December, 1841,
Showeth,—That the Corporation of this City from its
first creation to the time of the passing of the Municipal
Reform Act, had the appointment of its own Magis-
tracy. That on the passing of that Act the same pri-
vilege was virtually continued to the present Corporate
body by the then Secretary of State inviting the Council
to recommend to the Crown individuals as proper per-
sons to act as Magistrates for this borough, and that
twelve gentlemen holding various political opinions
were thereupon recommended by the Council, and ten of
them subsequently appointed, with whom was associated,
as stipendiary Magistrate, a gentleman who had for se-
veral years held office under the old Corporation ; and
by these Magistrates justice has been administered in
this city, with honesty and impartiality, and to the sa-
tisfaction of the inhabitants at large, and, therefore, in
the opinion of this Council any addition to their number
was not required.
That this Council have viewed with great surprise
the letter received by the Mayor from you, an-
nouncing the appointment of six gentlemen, all pro-
fessing the political opinions of the present Government,
without any communication being first made to the go-
verning body of the city.
That this Council being in mind that their first re-
commendation was not exclusive, and viewing the pro-
posed appointment as uncalled for, and involving a dis-
regard by the Executive of the confidence which may
abridgeo the
leadingfairly be claimed by the representatives of the Bur-
gesses of this city, and as calculated to
t o
(uture influence of the bench, by
conclu-
sion that the individuals so appointed owe their elevation
to their political opinions rather than to their qualifica-
tions, or the esteem in which they are held by their
fellow-citizens, respectfully, but firmly, protest against
;itch appointment, and its exclusive character. -

THE SPITALFIELDS' WEAVERS.--The. Lord
mayor has received a check for 501. from Lord Corn-
wallis, as the Noble Earl's contribution in relief of the
distress of the Spitalfields' weavers.
The Rector and Curate of Kegworth have begun
a good work, which we hope to see seconded by the
other wealthy inhabitants of the town—namely, distri-
buting soup, every week, to the poor and destitute of the
parish,—Nottingham Review,