The Sun.
London, England, 1847-03-18 00:00:00

FINSBURY BANK FOR SAVINGS.

-- -
The managers of this institution held their 30th annual
meeting at the bank in Sekford-street, St. John's-street, on
Friday last ; Mr. H. Carr in the chair.
The auditors' accounts were presented and approved, and
showed on the 30th November last a capital of 205,967/., or
an increase since November, 1845, of 5,450/. The number of
the deposits in the year was 14,488, and the number of new
accounts 1,950.
The interest received from Government was 6,480/., an in-
crease on the last year of 270/. The amounts received and
paid were again larger than in any former year.
The interest payable to depositors is 3 per cent. (within
10d. of the limit allowed by law), and since November last
the capital has been considerably increased. The increase
referred to may be attributed partly to the amount of interest
given, and partly to the fear of those extreme fluctuations to
which the public funds are liable.
The average number attending weekly to deposit money
has been 295, and to open new accounts 40.
The annuity department continues to increase its business;
during the past year the amount paid 'for annuities was
5,989/., and the amount paid to annuitants 1,1221.
While provisions are so dear, employment scarce, and
large calls are often made upon the industrious classes to
assist their fellow-creatures in distress, it cannot but be
pleasing to observe, that a bank situated as this is,
in the midst of a population of working people, has not
only not fallen off in its deposits, but is one of the
very few banks in London whose capital has been
considerably increased. The result is gratifying also, as
exhibiting a disinclination to embark in the many specula-
tive schemes which are afloat to tempt the poor man to his
ruin, and a steady appreciation of such benefits as are pecu-
liar to these institutions, namely, Government security,
freedom from the income-tax, and the certainty of receiving
the entire snm deposited, with interest and compound interest
added, whenever it is required.

A deputation from the Great Metropolitan Cattle
Market and Abattoir Company, accompanied by Mr. Henry
Francis Richardson, the solicitor, have had interviews this
day with Lord Robert Grosvenor, Mr. B. 13. Cabbell, M.P.,
and Mr. Mackinnon, M.P., at their respective mansions, on
the subject of the removal of Smithfield Market, and the se-
lection of a suitable site for the new market.
POTATOES.—A gentleman in India writes thus :
" I wish I could send you some of our potatoes so beautiful
and white. I am sure the reason the potatoes in England
have become so bad is from over cultivation. All those tine
manures have altered and destroyed the natural structure of
the root, and if farmers would let the ground alone, the po-
tato may be again plentiful and good. Some time hence they
may find that not only wheat but other grain may become
like the potatoes."
SOUTHAMPTON, MARCH 17.—The Royal West
India mail-packet the Trent, Captain Surdie, left the river
this day, at 3 r. 31 , with mails for the West India Islands.
The Trent, since her 'return home on the 24th of January,
has undergone a thorough repair, and yesterday went on a
trial trip down the river, which she performed CO the
entire
.
satisfaction of the commander and engineers. The
Trent
has 40 passengers, 3,000/. in specie, and usual cargo. The
Oriental Company's steam-ship Madrid, Captain NN, eeks, lefthe
the docks at the same hour, en route for Gibraltar, with the
Peninsular and Mediterranean mails, also - 14 pa
aVery full Cargo of bale goods, &v. asengers. and

SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS.
FROM THE MORNING PAPERS OF TIM Del.
TIMES.—The Factory Bill appears fated to supply one oC
the most remarkable chapters in the history of British legis-
lation. Not to go back to its strangely checkered course in
previous sessions, what it now suffers is quite without
parallsh Every Wednesday it comes on, not to be regularly
discussed on its merits, but to run the gauntlet of endless
manoeuvres. Its opponents think everything fair that can
injure it. The objects of its protection are women and young
persons, classes towards whom grown-up men are too often.
ready to forget the rules of fair play. The chief stratagem,
employed against it by the enemy is not only to talk against
time themselves, but also to entrap its friends into doing
the same thing. Every attempt is made, every provo-
cation thrown out, to induce Lord John Russell
and its other principal sxpporters to make long speeches.
His Lordship is reminded every Wednesday of the
little he has said, and the little that has been said by any-
body on his side of the question. Mr. Bright or somebody-
reminds bins of his reputation and position, his illustrious
parentage, his services to the State, and, above all, of the
very good estimation in which he was so fortunate as to
stand with the Hon. Member himself. He is then entreated
net to disappoint this splendid premise by an ignoble silence,
but to deliver a good long oration worthy of his talents, h:a
virtues, his fame, his fathers, his colleagues, and his coun-
try. It does not require much penetration to see the object
of this flattery, when all the time allowed for the progress of
this Bill is not quite six hours once a week. It is the old
story of the Fox and the Crow. " Oh, you beautiful bird ! How
graceful your form ; how glossy 3-our coat!! You soar like an
eagle, and perch like a dove. -Then, your voice ! how sweet,
yet how full! Could you but sink,- 1 should say you
were the king of the woods." Lord John Russell opens his
mouth, and Mr. Bright scampers off laughing in his sleeve,
with a good slice of time in his maw. This kind of tactics,
however, cannot always be tried with equal success. While
one party is intent on killing time, the other becomes equally-
anxious to save it; and while the former is ingenious at im-
pediments, the latter, if it only be in earnest, acquires a
peculiar talent for progress. Yesterday the usual budget
of delae swan produced. First the Rating of Tenements Bill
was thrown like a barricade in the way, and was not
removed without a sharp skirmish and an actual divi-
sion. The result was decisive; but—;ono avulso non deficit
oker—the Juvenile Offenders Bill immediately took its
place. That was soon cleared. After some time un-
avoidably consumed in presenting petitions, Mr. Den-
nistoun made a long speech, in which he com-
pensated for the obsolete character of his arguments by the
remarkably novel and original character of his concluding
proposition. We will not trouble our readers with the par-
ticulars of a plan so industriously and ingeniously compli-
cated that, in the judgment of the Hon. Mover, it would take
the whole nation a fortnight to understand. That, indeed,
was its principal merit, as it afforded a pretence for that
much delay, and for throwing the second reading over
Easter. It was described as a system of relays, and therefore
particularly adapted to its object, which was, that the oppo-
nents of the Bill should perpetually relieve one another in
the work of resistance and distraction. After a good deal
of discuSsion, including a long speech from Mr. Bright, the
motion was withdrawn. But the reader will observe the re-
sult thus far. It was now four o'clock, and four hours out of
six had been wasted in hostile motions, and in speeches not
bearing on any one proposition more than another, but
merely rambling over the generalities of the factory ques-
tion. At this point, however, the fortune of the day
turned in favour of the Bill. On the question that
the Speaker do leave the chair being put, Lord John Rus-
sell made that statement of his views which has been so fre-
quently demanded, but for which he had not yet found a
good opportunity. With the single exception, that his Lord-
ship was for leaving to future legislation the step from the
eleven hours' to the ten hours' limit, we have seldom read
a speech to which we can accord such warm and un-
qualified praise. They who have so confidently challenged
the Minister for his arguments will have reason to repent of
their temerity. We are inclined to suspect that they have
got more than they bargained for. Every one of those hack-
nied objections which are daily obtruded on the public with
all the foppery of empiricism, the impertinence
.of sar-
casm, and solemnity of nonsense, was treated in its turn.
with that short and easy method which pure motives and
common sense are sure to suggest. The chimeras that
the prosperity and glory of this empire depend on the odd
hour of labour,—that the eventual difference of production
would be really commensurate with the drop from twelve
hours to eleven or ten,—that all the advantages we possess
over other nations are not equivalent to one hour a day,—
that the object of the Bill is its indirect results,—that labour
from five in the morning to seven at night is a natural and
proper allowance of toil,—that to work, to eat, to sleep, and
to die, is really all that a state should leave to the most in-
dustrious and deserving of its children ;—these and many other
idolafori his Lordship demolished with his own unapproach-
able suaviter in modo and fortiter in re. His Lordship took a
masterly survey of all those existing circumstances of manu-
facture and commerce, those recent enactments, and those
growing ideas of society that bore on the question. It is no
disparagement to the real ability of his argument, but rather
its highest praise, that he brought out the case of the Fac-
tory Bill as a genuine development of our
social progress. With regard to this, as to many other
measures, we are inclined to think that the particular date
of their success depends rather on a humble readiness
to acknowledge the teachings of experience and the warn-
ings written upon the face of human affairs than on a special
power of statesmanship or forethought. Our great men are
not such very great men that they should not submit to take
a lesson from the humblest, and let the " little ones" of this
world imitate their measures. No person of the most ordi-
nary candour, after reading Lord John Russell's speech, can
harbour the suspicion that he is suffering the penalty of a
mere factious move in the days of opposition. If it be so,
never was man so convincing and persuasive against his
own inner convictions. Such a talent of duplicity, however,
is notoriously not among his Lordship's gifts, He says what
lie thinks, and dares what he approves—a course which con-
tributes as much respectability to his failures as glory to his
success. The date and the manner of the further reduction
from eleven hours to ten is one on which there has been a
very great. and, we will add, a very natural latitude of
opinion. The truth is that whatever is done at this moment,
any change postponed for a twelvemonth is virtually resigned
to future legislation. If, what we certainly do not expect,
the, women and young folk shall be content with the boon
of one hour when two hours are within their reach, the
Legislature will be happy to accommodate their industrious
desires. Lard J. Russell wishes to leave the question to
another year. The manufacturers, on the contrary, affect to
say that now is the time for the entire reduction. If
they are in earnest, they will still have the opportunity of
amending the Bill in the Lords, but at present, very pro-
perly we think, the original clans?, limiting the number of
hours to ten, from the Ist of May, 1818, stands part of the
Bill.

FRIGHTFUL GIG ACCIDENT IN FLEET-STREET.—
Yeverday afternoon, between three and fuur o'clock, an acci-
dent of a most frightful character occurred to a gentleman
named Saunders, who was driving with a friend along Fleet-
street. Just as they got past Shoe-lane, the animal shyed,
fell, and both gentlemen were thrown out with great force.
Mr. Saunders sustained very serious injuries. He was picked
up senseless, and removed into Mr. Ilutchinson's surgery, in
Farringdon-street, where an extensively lacerated wound was
discovered on his forehead, besides other injuries. Ino-about
an hour after the occurrence Mr. Saunders was removed front
the surgeon's to his residence.

DREADFUL MURDERS OF A PAY-CLERK AND PO-
LICEMAN IN KILKENNY.—The Dublin Evening Post contains
the following :—" Kilkenny, March 15. This morning,about
nine o'clock, Arthur Primm, Esq., pay-clerk of the barony
of Kells, was proceeding, accompanied by a policeman, to pay
the people employed. About one mile from Kells, near the
demesne •f Chapelizod, they were attacked by six. or seven
fellows who fired five shots at them, and killed both. It hal
caused an awful sensation here. There is an account here—
I hope and believe a true one—that the people turned out
and pursued the murderers, and captured two of them, who
had separated from the others. It is also stated that a man
has been found dead in a bog near the same place, supposed
to have been shot by the policeman. The murderers did not
get the money (2501.) in possession of the pay-clerk, I be-
lieve, as the horse, through fright, gallopped on to Kells."
EXECUTION OF THE Iwo NORTHUMBERLAND MUR-
DEREES.—James Welch and George Matthews (both Irish-
men) yesterday morning underwent the sentence of the law
at the county gaol at Morpeth. The former, it will be re-
membered, was convicted of the murder of Thomas Proud,
on the 7th of last month, in the neighbourhood of New-
borough. The unfortunate victim of the culprit was a la-
bouring man. He had invited several of his neighbours to
the christening of one of his children. Welch, who was ex-
cited by liquor, insulted him and the women who were with
him, and particularly one Mary Ann Toward, who refused
his advances. A scuffle ensued. Proud and Toward endea-
voured to get away, but Welch overtook them and stabbed
Proud with a long-bladed knife in the back of his neck, of
which wound he died immediately. Matthews was employed
on the railway being formed between Newcastle and Ber •
wick, and his victim, Daniel Ilives,worked on the same line.
Matthews and another man, Hughes, on the sth of last Oc-
tober, were beating the deceased, who called out to a Cap-
tain Potts, who witnessed the attack, to protect him front
being murdered by the two Irishmen. Captain Potts sup-
ported him, and whilst so doing, Matthews slyly walked
past and stabbed Hives in the abdomen with a knife, which
he drew from under his frock. The juries in both cases,
after returning verdicts of "Wilful Murder," recommended
the prsoners to mercy, and a memorial was forwarded to the
Government praying a commutation of the sentences. The
conduct of Welch after sentence was that of the most har-
dened and impenitent culprit. Matthews, on the cent; ary.
appeared duly impressed with the atrocity of his crime, and
was very attentive to the exhortations of the Catholic cler-
gyman, the Rev. G. A. Lowe. St. Patrick's-day
appointed for the execution, 1 doased bsoeimege dtihse-
meenonestetqhueepritel;
turbance might:be octcroansigonbeoddybyotf ipeoclicuenNtpas,
scaffold appeared more affected than pre-
viouswhen on the
itinesatctoein) condemned;
huat
behaviour had le
the Divine
His mercy.
22 years of age. fellow criminal,
20th year. strong
of the sort took place.
hisNVelch.
d people to anticipate, and died im-
ploring This wretched man was only
Matthews, was is his
HUNGERFORD SusrENsiox BRIDGE STEAM-BOAT
PIER.—Yesterday the long pending dispute between the
Hungerford Market and Bridge Companies was brought to
an amicable termination, the Market acceptingis now railedtließridge
Company's proposal. A space six feet in width
off on the west side of the bridge, from the north turret to
the market termination, for the use of steam-boat passengers,
who will, in the course of a few days, be able to land and em-
bark from these vessels, and pass over the Suspension Bridge
without being subject to any charge.
THE NAVIGATION-LAWS. —A meeting was held
last evening at the Bridge-house Hotel, London-bridge, to
consider the question of the navigation-laws. The two first
resolutions:were to the effect that the repeal of the navigation-
laws would prove ruinous to the country. The person ap-
pointed to move the third resolution, and who had that re..
solution in his possession, was called upon to perform his
duty, when, to the dismay of the chairman, and the amuse-
ment of the meeting, it was found the " gentleman" had
absconded, carrying the resolution with him. A. gentleman
now got up to make some objections to the resolutions
adopted, but he was sharply informed by the chairman
the meeting was convened for a specific
that
Anotherplirpo purpose
ehaekhear d
thought better
g theto
nseaxytaga evening.insta thattllat
itfa take tilTedrouonliltfhoirn
it very ungentlemanly conduct on the part of the chairman
to refuse to hear the objections. At this the chairman seized
his hat, and, vowing vengeance on the " person who had h.-
stilted him," precipitately left the platform. A vote of thanks
to the chairman for his " impartial " conduct closed the
meeting.

MR. Ot CON NEIZS ITEALTIL—We have been in-
formed that the health of the Hon. and Learned Member for
Cork has not much improved, it at all, since his arrival at
Hastings. The only benefit which the change of air has
produced is, that he seems in somewhat better spirit.
With this exception, however, he is, we are informed, in
much the same state of health that he was in before he left
town. Although there are other accounts given of the Hon.
Gentleman's health, we have reason to believe that this is
the true one
Mr. Milnes paired off with the O'Coner Don in
favour of ten hours, on ON Factories Bill cliTisl9l3: yesterday.