The Sun.
London, England, 1841-08-21 00:00:00

COURT CIRCULAR.

WINDSOR, FRIDAT.—The Queen and Prince Albert
visited Adelaide Lodge this morning, and .her Majesty
and his Royal Highness walked in th Park.
Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal has been
taken airings twice to-day.
In the afternoon Prince Albert, attended by Colonel
Wylde, left the Castle on horseback for a ride.

The Earl and Countess of Albemarle, and Viscount
and Viscountess Palmerston, arrived to-day at the Caitle,
on a visit to the Queen.

At one o'clock this evening, her Majesty, attended by
the Duchess of Bedford and the Lady Caroline Somers
Cocks, rode out in a pony carriage and four. In another
carriage and four were the Earl of Fingal and Colonel
Buckley. The Hon. James Howard left the Castle with
the Royal party on horseback.
Mr. George Edward Anson will have the honour of
joining the Royal circle at the Castle at dinner this
evening._ _ _

Her Majesty, Prince Albert, and the Princess Royal,
are all in the enjoyment of excellent health.

The Queen will hold a Privy Council at two
o'clock this afternoon at Windsor Castle.

His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge left
his residence in St. James's Palace, at nine o'clock
yesterday morning, for Dublin, to rejoin his regiment.
His Royal Highness dined with the Duke and Duchess
of Cambridge on Thursday evening at Kew, and after-
wards returned to town.
A Committee of the Lords of her Majesty's Most Ho-
nourable Privy Council held a meeting yesterday after-
noon in the Council Chamber to take into consideration
the grant of Charters of Incorporation to Sheffield, North
Shields, South Shields, and Huddersfield. The Lords
present were the Lord President, the Secretary of State
for the Home Department, the Chief Commissioner of
the Woods and Forests, the President of the Board of
Trade, and the Chief Secretary for Ireland.
Their Lordships assembled at two o'clock, and sat in
deliberation until five o'clock.

Mr. Nugent, Mr. Brown, and Mr. O'Brien, delegates
from the House of Assembly on the affairs of Newfound-
land, had an interview with Lord John Russell yester-
day, at the Colonial.office.
The Duke of Richmond, Mr. Justice Coltman, Sir
James Duke, Lieutenant-Colonel Rawdon (Coldstream
Guards), and Mr. T. Duncombe, had interviews with
the Marquis of Norrnanby yesterday at:the Home-office.
Viscount and Viscountess Palmerston left town yester-
day afternoon, on a visit to her Majesty at Windsor
Castle.
Mr. Crowder had an interview with Lord John Rus-
sell yesterday at the Colonial-office.

THE REGISTRATION.—It should not be for-
gotten that Wednesday, August 25, will be the last
day for leaving with the overseers objections to county
electors. The Tories bestow much attention 6n those
matters ; and the friends of Reform should not suffer
themselves to be surpassed by their political adversaries.

BRUSSELS, AUG. 18.—The average price of
wheat last week was 22f. 92c., that of rye, 12f. 21c.
THE CLERGY GONE GROUSE SHOOTING.--
With respect to the paragraph which we gave last, week,
relative to the postponement of the funeral of a pauper at
Bingham, for want of a clergyman to bury it, we can
add that no less than five clergymen were applied to, all
of whom were out, and could not be found.—Nottingham
Review.

SHOWER OF STONES.—On the evening of the
25th ult., during a violent storm, which was felt at Na-
varre, Balbaita, and other parts of the country, a heavy
cloud burst, and shed, as the Madrid Papers assert, an
abundant shower of stones, which covered the ground
for the space of a league and a half. Some of the stones
are said to have weighed half a pound, injuring the cattle,
and killing a great number of birds. This phenomenon,
which was only a hailstorm, is, with the usual exagge •
ration of the Spanish Papers, magnified into a miracle
FATAL ACCIDENT.--Thursday morning, be-
tween six and seven o'clock, a fatal accident occurred
to Henry Blizzard, thirteen years of age, the son of Mr.
Blizzard, an Excise-officer, residing in Cornwall-road,
New-cut, Lambeth. The unfortunate youth, in company
with others, his companions, proceeded to the River
Thames to bathe between Blackfriars and Waterloo
bridges ; he got out of his depth, and from the strength
of the current was drowned before any possible assist-
ance could be rendered him.

At the Eton and Harrow cricket match last
week a Mr. G. Bayley scored 152 runs off his own bat !
COMMISSION OF ASSEMBLY.—We under-
stand, from authority, that it is not the intention of those
Members of the Church who adhere to the Protestation
of 1)r. Cook at last General Assembly, to attend the
special meeting of the Commission summoned for the
25th of August.—Edinburgh Courant.
RAILWAYS AND FASTING.—It is rumoured
that the proprietors of railways in Glasgow and Greenock
are going to memorialize the General Assembly to ap-
point more frequent fast-days. This would only be
giff-gaff The proprietors of the Glasgow and Greenock
railway agreed to stop their trains on Sunday, to increase
the number of church .attenders. The Assembly ought
to make more fast-days, to increase the number of rail-
way passengers. Not fewer than 40,000 persons left
Glasgow by the railwry last fast-day.—Scots paper.
LORD MORPETH.—TO the Editor of the
Dublin Monitor :—August 16, 1841. Sir, I see that a
friendly correspondent in your paper has done me the
honour to suggest that an Irish constituency should now
return Lord Morpeth voluntarily and unsolicitedly.' I
have had such recent experience of the extent of Irish
kindness and generosity, that there is, perhaps, less pre-
sumption in supposing it possible that the hint might be
acted upon ; and I am, therefore, constrained to repeat
What I have already stated elsewhere, at it is an honour,
gratifying,however signal and of whiph I should not be
prepared to avail myself. I the' honour to he, Sir,
your very obedient servant, MORPETH."
It is singular that, while we have experienced
such constant rains in this neighbourhood, tho weather
in Skye and the other western islands (usually so very
wet), has been remarkably dry and fine. So favourable
a season has not been witnessed there for many years ;
and one farmer (Mr. Smith, at Sconser) had the rare
good fortune to cut, winnow, and stack an excellent
crop of hay, without one drop of rain.—lnverness Courier.
On a cold frosty morning an unfortunate seal-
peen was late in his attendance at school, when he was
severely reprimanded by his master. " Faith, Sir," said
young Pat, "it was no fault of mine at all, at all. The
road was so slippery, that every step I took forward was
two backward." " Oh, you big blackguard, how can
that be ? If you walked in that fashion, you never
could be here by any means." "No more I could, Sir,
and so I played the road a trick : I turned my back on
the school, and made it believe I was going home
again."
THE CROPS AND THE WEATHER.—During
the last fortnight, the Yorkshire Wolds have on the whole been
favoured with a number of splendid days of fine and bristling
breezes, weather highly favourable for bringing forward the
crops. An extensive farmer who has just come across the
country, reports the crops upon the Wolds to be very
voniising. The wheat crops, though small in the ear, appear
le .y heavy and good. The oats are said to be excessively
heavy. Several fields of wheat between Beverley and Drif-
field were cut last week, and in the course of ano'h' r week,
s'iould fine weather continue, much more will bend beneath the
scythe. The quantity of oats sown is very considerable, but
the breath of barley is very slight.—York Courant.

SATUR

i~~~~

ANTI-CORN-LA W CONFERENeg.-

.-afANCIIESTEa, AUGUST' 19. -I
The Chair was taken thisanorning at thti used hour •
by Dr. Cox, and after a ShOrt address frtim the Chair-
man, the business of the day commenced. It was an-
nounced that all who were desirous to give evidence as
to the present state of the country would be called, on :
in the order in which- their. names were given in.
The Chairman said that he was happy to communi-
cate to the meeting a gratifying piece of intelligence.
It was this :--that a deputation was present from the
workmen engaged in Messrs. Sharp and Roberts's esta-
blishment, machine-makers and engineers.
One of the workmen came forward, and on the part of
the deputation, read the folldwing address :
" TO THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF MINISTERS OF ,
RELIGION, ASSEMBLED TO DISCUSS THE TARES ON FOOD.
" We, the undersigned workmen in the employ of
MesSrs. Sharp, Roberts, and Co.,* engineers and ma-
chine-makers, are desirous of respeetfutly 'addressing to
the Conference our full concurrence in those Views of the
injustice:of all laws which restrict the supply of food,
and which have led to their meeting, and our admiration
_of the courage and devotion to sound prineiples which
have brought so many hundreds of Ministers from their
usual retirement to meet in Conference upoh this vitally
important and all-interesting, subject.
" We have long been deeply convinced that the food
monopoly is unjust, uti-Christian, and oppressive. Our
situation as workmen; in a very large manufacturing
establishment, has given us many opportunities of wit-
nessing its destructive influence on trade, although,
oving to the peculiar position and extensive connexion
of our respected employers, we have, not hitherto: (com-
paratively) suffered from its direful effects to the extent
that others have ; yet our familiarity with the homes
and circumstances of the working population in this
town enables us to affirm that the amount of misery and
want which the Corn-laws have produced among us is
heart-rending and appalling.
" We rejoice in all efforts to put an end to a system
which we hold to be so wicked and demoralizing, and
hail with peculiar satisfaction the present combined ex-
ertions of men whose frequent intercourse with the poor
leads them to feel for their distress, and whose just in-
fluence in society adds weight to their sentiments.
" We believe that ministers of religion cannot devote
their talents and valuable time to more blessed or more
important objects than in advocating the rights and ex-
posing the wrongs of their suffering fellow-men. We
weleon3e.your assembly with heartfelt pleasure, we sym-
pathise with you in feeling, and we trust that your efforts
will be, sustained in hopeful perseverance that more and
more of your profession will soon feel constrained to join
with you, and that a glorious success will ere long be
your gratifying reward.
" The prayers of many who are ready to perish are
with you, and their blessings arc upon your endeavours
to aid in procuring for them that share of the means of
subsistence which was designed, and is provided by the
Creator of all things.
" We are with sincere respect, &c. &c.,
(Signed)
" BENJAMIN FOTHERGILL, Chairman.
"JOHN ALLEY Secretaries."
"R. TENNANT
[Signed by 614 workmen.)
The next address was from the hand-loom weavers.
It was received with every expression of sympathy.
The Rev. Mr. ATKINS said he should wish to put a
few questions to one of the deputation, and the first
should be—
What is the number of the hand-loom weavers ?
Seven thousand.
What is their condition ?—One-third of the whole
are destitute.
How do these live ?—That may be better imagined
than described.
What diseases prevail among them 2=--Fever and many
others.
What dwellings do they reside in ?—Cellars, without
a blanket to cover them, or a vessel to boil their food.
Many of them in this town I know had no food. yester-
day, and don't know where to get any to-day.--(Great
sensation.)
What is the opinion of these men as to the Corn-laws?
—They attributed the evils of their condition chiefly to
those laws.
Would there, in your opinion, be any danger of these
men joining illegal societies, if their condition was better.?
—No ; and whatever our sufferings have been, we have
proved ourselves, I think, loyal subjects of our Sove-
reign.—(Loud cheers.)
This poor man went on to say, that the wages of those
employed was Is. a day for fourteen hours' labour; that
in 1835, when corn was cheap, their wages were better
than in any year since 1815; and though the introduc-
tion of machinery must have somewhat affected their
wages, their opinion was that, but for the Corn-laws,
they should never have sunk to the deplorable condition
in which they now found themselves; that they were un-
able to attend places of worship, for the want of decent
clothing, and could give no education to their children. •
The Rev. Mr. ATKINS observed, that these men showed
they had not only hearts to feel, but heads to think, and
he rejoiced to have them as brethren.—(Cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN said that as twenty-four clergymen
were most anxious to speak, he should be obliged to limit
each speaker to five minutes.—(Hear, and laughter.)
The Rev. Mr. FORD said, on the part of the "New
Connexion," that they did not participate in the refusal
of the Wesleyan Methodists to attend this Conference-7.
a refusal, his mind, which was disgraceful to those
who gave it.—(Hear, and cheers.)
The Rev. Mr. WATSON bore testimony to the fact, that
a Deacon of his, who was agent for a large mercantile
house 'in Belfast, told him that he was obliged to dismiss
1,000 persons within the last few months, and he had
now but 500 in his employment.
Dr. REDFORD said the part of the country frpm
which lie came, Worcester, was remarkable for three
branches of manufacture, needles and fishhooks, carpets,
and leather gloves. The latter was in a most depressed
state, those brought up to that trade being only
half employed. He could further state that the earnings
of the inch declined with the increased price of fbod.
The Rev. Mr. BLAIR, of Dunfermline, entered into
some details of the distress existing amongst the people
of the district from which he came, and which was de-
ducible from the Corn-laws.
The Rev. Mr. 1116DoucaLL, of Kilmarnock, said he
had furnished answers to several questions which the
Committee 'of Conference had addressed to him, and
which lie would read to the meeting, together with the
questions to which they referred. The Rev. Gentleman
then read the lollowing paper, which we publish at
length in this summary, believing that facts of this de-
scription are more important than mere speeches, how-
ever eloquent and interesting :
Question I. Are the working-classes in your neigh-
bourhood generally well employed or otherwise ? 'State
the average weekly wages paid, distinguishing between
skilled and unskilled labourers.—Answer. At scarcely
any sort of work is there constant employment, and at
present there are in this place about 600 hand-loom
weavers (besides other classes of workmen) quite idle.
The average weekly wages are about Bs. ; but a few—
and those a very
few—of skilful, well-employed opera-
tives (such as gunsmiths, printers, block-cutters, tanners,
skinners, curlers, engineers, &c.) obtain from 154. to
20s. per week.
Question 2. Has the' amount of their earnings been
increased or diminished within your experience?—LAn-
swer. Decreased at least 25 per cent. within the last
fourteen years, which is the period of my residence in
this parish.
Question 3. How have you found the demand for la-
bour to be affected by cheap or dear food ?—Answer.
I am convinced that dear food has diminished the de-
mand for labour ; but have not the means of ascertain-
ing to what extent.
Question 4. Have wages risen with the rise of the
price of food and fallen with its fall, and in what pro-
portions ?—Answer. Wages have not risen with the
price of food, nor fallen with its fall, but the contrary
has taken place, although not in a degree so perceptible
as can be stated with precision.
Question 5. Is the condition of the labOuring popula-
tion, as a class, better or worse now, as compared with
former periods within your experience ?—Answer.
Greatly
.worse.
Question 6. What proportion do poor-rates in your
parish bear to those of former periods ?—Answer. The
poor rates have increased 75 per cent., and the popula-
tion about 10 per cent. since 1828. The following dates
and sums are extracted from the parish records :
Amount of assessment for the poor for 1828 £1,050
Ditto (for the first half-year) 1829
Ditto (for the last half-year) - GOO
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto • IB3B
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
8000
Question 7. Refer to prison reports, and reports of
infirmaries, 'dispensaries, and other charities, for statis-
tics of the state of crime, disease, and destitution in
your neighbourhood now as compared with former
periods.—Answer. Crime in Kilmarnock, although not
of a very serious nature, was on the increase as the
population increased ; but for the last two or three
years it has been rather on the decrease. This
decrease has, in part, been caused by the formation of
the Temperance or Teetotal Society ; for a number of
individuals who have become members, and who often
made their appearance in the police court, are now leading
a life quite different from that which they led before they
joined the society. Disease and destitution have cer-
tainly increased very much within the last twelve months.
It is believed that malignant or typhus fever never pre-
vailed so much in this town as it has within the last six
months. Scarlet fever has also prevailed very much
during the same time, and has been very fatal among the
young. Indeed, such is the destitution among the lower
classes that where fever enters into a family there is little
chance of any of the members escaping being seized with
it, from the almost total want of the means to provide the
common necessaries of life, or to enable them to take
the necessary steps for promoting cleanliness in their
houses.
Question 8. If your experience be in a rural district,
state whether the wages' paid to agricultural labourers
are regulated according to the number of their children?
—Answer. In the rural districts in my neighbourhood
wages are never paid in proportion to the number of la-
bourers' children.
Question 9. What is the state of the middle classes in
your district, such as the small traders ; and is their
I condition improved or deteriorated now as compared with
former periods within your experience ?—Considerably
10. Have you perceived any connection
between rai°t(d.
high'Qu and. low-priced food, and an increase or
diminution of the funds of your religious and bene-

We understand the employers of these men are high
Tories, and' have held various civic offices for many
years previous to the grant at the late charter of incor-
poration.