The Sun.
London, England, 1841-02-16 00:00:00

MECHANICS' INSTITUTION.

(FROM A CORRESPONDENT.)
One of the greatest obstacles to the prosperity of these
valuable institutions the members find in their inability to
obtein scientific lecturers ; this in small towns is most se-
riously felt, and has been the cause of the early dissolution
of perhaps hundreds of Scientific., Literary, and Mechanics
restitutions. Their limited funds being uneval to pro-
curing gentlemen of such high scientific attainments as to
attract the public generally to the lecture-room, many
well-meaning individuals have attempted by giving gra-
tuitous lectures to fill up this deficiency, particularly Dis-
senting Ministers ; but, however good their intentions,
from not having received scientific education, and many
being bad experimentalist* (numbers only reading the
written lectures of others) they soon failed to attract,
and the lectures were deserted.
The only means to overcorrie this appears to be the asso-
cia;.ing together the institutions in the neighbouring towns,
and by their united means obtain gentlemen of ability to
deliver a course of lectures to each institution on terms
within their means; by their thus mutually cooperating
together for the generdl good, they might obtain valuable
apparatus, which the funds of few institutions singly are
equal to the purchase of, and perhaps the more expensive
works in their libraries might be purchased and circulated
between them. With a view of forming an association of
the institutions in the county of Southampton, many corn-
munications and meetings have taken place between the
scientific bodies in Winchester, Romsey, Southampton,
Cowes, Newport, &c., but unfortunately without any buil-
ficial result. Better success has attended the north, and
the " Manchester District Association" has just addressed
all the institutions in the kingdom in a very able and
spirited manner, from which we hope much good will arise,
and a general co-operation be eventually obtained. The
subject of the introduction of newspapers into Mechanic
Instnutions is handled in such a masterly way as to bring
conviction home to the most obstinate, that they of all
others arc most likely to increase the interest and happi-
ness of those for whom these institutions were originally
farmed, without their possibly being productive of those
baneful effects which some very foolishly suppose. The
introduction of music is also ably advocated. The whole
deserves the serious attention of the friends to the diffusion I '
of useful knowledge.

APPREHENSION OF A SUPPOSID MURDERER.
—Our readers will recollect the barbarous murder of Mr.
Alexander Tulloch, farmer, Ballintomb, in Morayshire, on
the 17th of October last. The son-in-law of the deceased,
Peter Cameron, who lived in the same house, was sus-
pected of the murder, but succeeded in escaping from the
hands of the officers. He had lurked about the parish of
Knockando ever since the date of the atrocious deed, and
intelligence having been received of his place of conceal.
ment, a party of officers went to the place. Cameron
again escaped by a back window in the house, but a body
of from ten to fifteen men followed him, and after a despe-
rate race of about twelve miles the unhappy men was
taken on Saturday last, on the moor near the New lon,
on the banks of the Findhorn. He was conveyed to the
town of Forres, and thence to the town of Elgin, where
he was fully committed for trial.—lnverness Courier.
LIBERTY OF THE SUBJECT.---Mul
impri-
soned twenty-one days without being brought before a
Magistrate.—On Thursday a man named Thomas Ben-
nett, was brought before Mr. Maude, at the Borough
Court, charged on suspicion with being a deserter from
the army. Sergeant M‘Donnell, of the police, said the
prisoner bad been apprehended on the 22d ult., and the
head-quarters of the reg:ment from which he was sup-
posed to have deserted being at Youghall, in Ireland, a
letter had been sent there, but no answer had yet come to
band. IVIr. Maude (to the prisoner) : Da you confess to
being a deserter ?—Prisoner: No, Sir, I am not a deserter;
I never was in the army.—M‘Dennell : If you remand
him till to-morrow, Sir, perhaps we may have an answer.—
Mr. Maude : No, no, if he has been in custody since the
22d January there has been quite time enough for that ;
he is discharged.—The prisoner left the bar hastily, aP-
parently very glad to regain his liberty after his extraor-
dinary inearceration.—Manches,fer Times.
We are authorised to contradict the report of a
marriage between Mr: Charles Kean and Miss Ellen Treo,
there being not the slightest pretext for the rumour.