The Sun.
London, England, 1847-01-08 00:00:00

RAILWAY REGISTER. Edited 6,y Hyde

Clarke, Esq.
The present is the fifth volume of The !tailwa
Register, a periodical which, as the editor justly
boasts, in his opening address in the present number,
"so far from being an ephemeral production, has ac-
quired for each volume the character of a standard
and indispensable work of reference." This high
character the present number fully maintains. The
opening article is a well written review of the " Rail-
way Policy of 1846." All our readers have heard of
" the stags, 'they were the produce of the Joint-stock
Companies Registration Act, and albeit, they have
been deprived of some of "the honours of their head,"
they flourish still as projectors of 2s. a share " little-
goes ;" but the "knacker " is a species as yet
scarcely known out of the railway world. Like the
stag, he is the creature of an Act of Parliament.
"The Dissolution Act may be shortly named as a
farce, which has done no good to the shareholders, and
no hurt to the coramitte-men, but which has given much
trouble, and has fostered a new set of gamblers, who,
under the Stock Exchange name of " knackers," have
played their pranks, by means of Lord Dalhousie's Act,
to the heavy loss of the old shareholders, who went into
the undertakings with honest views. Lord Dalhousie's
Act came as a godsend to the lower members of the
Stock Exchange, and to the brotherhood of outsiders.
They saw at once how it could be worked, and hoar' in a
time of loss and dulness, it would give profit and em-
ployment.
" The trick of knacking' was this. Having, as
nearly as they could, learned the money remaining to
be shared, they beared the stock in the market, below its
worth, and having bought in in strength enough to make
a large body, they began to cry out for breaking up the
company, and putting Lord Dalhousie's Act in work,
whether the old shareholders who held their stakes were
willing to go on with the undertaking or not. As they
were on the spot, and went together, the knackers, for
the most part, won the day, and by this means carried
on a thriving trade ; being willing to take a small sum
whereby they made a large gain, and doing all they
could to get back at once the money they had laid out,
heedless whether the undertaking were good or bad ;
though they did not forget to put forward anything
which would anger the shareholders against the com-
mittee-men, or bring the committee men to yield to their
demands. Very nearly the same men played this trick
in each undertaking broken up, and although they lust
sorely in some cases, where the knavery of schemers
had been beforehand with them, by spending every
farthing, yet, on the whole, they had every ground for
thanking Lord Dalhousie in giving them this staff to
play with ; when, otherwise, they would have had
nothing to do, and many must have starved."
The editor continues his valuable series of papers on
Indian railways, and Mr. Rettie likewise continues
his paper on the mode of preventing accidents in
mines. We have also an interesting historical sketch
of the mines of Guatemala; an account of a rota-
tory steam-engine recently invented by Messrs.
Allingham and M‘Gauley ; and an account of the
position and resources of the Newmarket and Ches-
terfield line, illustrated with a map. The Portfolio
contains the original prospectuses, &c., of the Grand
Junction Railway.

AYFICTING SCENE. The ship Anglo-Saxon,
which recently arrived at this port, brought over three
hundred passengers from Ireland. Nine deaths occurred
during the passage. The mother of a family of five
children was among the deceased. The children were
landed here without a friend, and were found on board
of the vessel by a benevolent individual, who brought
the case before the Rev. Mr. Flood, of St. Mary's, who
altar, an d
had them taken to that church on Sunday, placed them
ad e a nThe appealrnisnu
result
was,eir bet aa 1tf2t503 tha
on
benevolent the
congregation.
dol-
lars were paid in on the spot for their relief ! Four
other orphans, similarly situated, have been provided for
by the same benevolent pastor and people.—Boston Pilot.
liarlar, OF THE WINDOW DUTIES.--Wednesday a
very numerous meeting of delegates and de •
from the various metropolitan parishes,
in the
Court-house, Marylebone, for the purpose of devisin
the best means of forcing upon the attention of Lh e g
pre-
sent Government,
in the ensuing session of Parliament, the necessity of
carrying out a total and immediate repeal of the window
duties. Mr. J
g cirohn Williams, of the Re ent's- •
Regent's-circus,
oc-
cupied the chair. After some discussion, a
was agreed to to the effect—" That a meeting resolution
was
con-
vened for the ensuing week, to which the Members for
the borough of Marylebone, the city of Westminster,
and Lord Duncan, the- Member for Bath, be invited, to
consider the propriety of appointing a deputation to the
Government urging the necessity of an immediate and
total repeal of the obnoxious window tax."
PRICE OF Wnisty.—Wednesday, in consequence
of the additional rate now chauged by distillers ou the
price of whisky, a meeting of wine and spirit mer-
chants was held at Alexander Paxton's, Royal Ex-
change, to take into consideration the propriety of
making a proportionate rise in the wholesale and re-
tail prices of that commodity. Resolutions were ac-
cordingly adopted by the meeting, to the effect that
so long as distillers maintained their present high
prices, the retail price of malt whisky should, on
after Monday, 11th January, nut be less than 4d.
per gill, and grain whisky 31d. An efficient com-
mittee, representing all the branches of the trade,
was nominated to see that the trade carry their re-
solution into effect, and generally to watch over the
interests of the wine and spirit dealers of Edinburgh.—
Edinburgh Weekly Register.
TIIE ROYAL STAGHOUNDS.—The frost having en-
tirely
broken up, and the snow which had fallen in the
vicinity of Ascot having disappeared, rendering the
country again in a fit state for the enjoyments of the
chase, her Majesty's staghounds met, for the first time
since the 22d ult., on Tuesday last, at Winkfield-row, a
short distance from the kennel. The deer Woodman,
upon being uncarted on Tuesday, at Brock Hill, took
away to Winkfield, doubling back to the church, where
it was headed at Warfield-grove, and thence doubling
round to I lawthorn-hill and Bray-common, it made for
Binfield Church, by the Stag and Hounds, and was taken
in the stable of the Windmill, at Oakingham, after a
very good run of upwards of an hour. The meet to day
(Thursday) will take place at Salt-hill, and on Saturday
at Bedfont Tollgate.
EXTRAORDINARY SIiIICIDE OF A LADY OF Fon-
TUNE.—Wednesday morning an inquiry took place be-
fore Wm. Carter, Esq., at the Princess Charlotte,
Albany-road, Camberwell, as to the death of Mrs.
Sarah Gregory, aged 60. Mrs. Martha Burgess stated
that the deeeaaed resided at 1, Albany-place, Albany,-
road. She was the aunt of Mrs. Smithe, of St. John s
Wood, who left a large fortune for the education of her
children, and the witness was left her executrix. Upon
the death of Mrs. Smithe they removed to 1, Albany•
road, and on the 31st f December she went up to her
room, and found her lying on a sofa and vomiting. She
asked her what was the matter, and she replied, " I have
taken arsenic. This is the worst thing I ever did_"
Her mind had been singularly altered of late, and she
a
said, when witness went up to her, she had t ken a
great deal;upon with
and the medical man arriving
the stomach pump, she said, `° Oh! it is too late now.
She said it was too much for her to do to distribute and
attend to the money and children; and the obligations
of the will witness consider' d had turned her brain.
The deceased was under the impression that everything
they had for dinnerwas too expensive. She would say
at a common dinner, " Why, can we afford this, Martha?"
when, in fact, she was the trustee for the children of
, great property, and possessing good property herself.
Verdict, " Temporary insanity."

OPIUM GAMBLING IN INDIA-
(From the 13entbay Gentleman's Gazette.)
The gambling transactions in opium, carried on by
the native merchants and shroffs of India—more espe-
cially of the Bombay presidency—have attracted the se-
rious attention of European merchants, and largely in-
fluenced the state of our markets, since we last appeared
before our European readers. We felt it our dup.—
and, with the exception of two of our native contempo-
raries, we have been solitary in our endeavours—to ex-
pose in several recent articles the disgraceful doings of
these gamblers, and the pernicious consequences of the
whole system of gambling. As many of our mercantile
friends at home are more or less connected in business
with some of the parties whose names have been men-
tioned (and mentioned on good authority too) as being
mixed up in this unprincipled traffic, we think it will be
interesting to them to learn some of the particulars
which we now proceed to furnish, begging our readers
in India will excuse us for taking up so much space in
recapitulating what must already be known to them
through our columns.
The first sale by the Bengal Government of nearly
1,700 chests of opium, a portion of the prance of their
Patna farm, which was held at Calcutta on Monday last,
has formed the nucleus of all this gambling. As many
as 30 COO " first sale " chests are said to have been bar-
gained for among the gamblers, at prices varying from
I,loor. to I,Boor. per chest. Of course only 1,700 chests
of the 30,000 can be bought, and the average price at
the Calcutta public sale en Monday last of these 1,700
chests, which are sold in lots of five chests, will be the
settling price of the remainder. The latest specula...
tive purchaser on the present occasion has been Ragoo-
oath dass Ramlall, a Marwarry, and agent in Bombay of
the Indian Rothschild, Lutchmonchund Muneeram,
shroff of the city of Muttra, in Bengal. His purchases
are stated to be to the extent of 8,000 or 10,000 chests,
sold to him at the range of prices above named by a
clique of Ahmedabad, Bombay, and Malwa gamblers,
who during the last two years are said to have won from
Ramlall above seven lace of rupees in similar gambling
transactions. If Ramlall has been able—as he intended
and was prepared—to run up the price at the Calcutta
sale of Monday, the 30th of November, to above 2,000 r.
per chest—of course driving every other competitor out
of tfte sale room at whatever cost—it will be seen that
the differences in price to be made good to him by the
Bombay clique and their confederates will be something
enormous ; little less, indeed, than half-a-million sterling.
The bulk of Ramlall's purchase was made about two
months ago, and it was not until the beginning of
November that his intentions became at all known to his
victims, who, seeing nothing but ruin staring them in
the face if their engagements are to be honourably car-
ried out, have been exhibiting the utmost alarm and
attempting the maddest expedients to rescue themselves
from their perilous position. A petition to the Supreme
Government to put a stop to gambling and frustrate the
intentions of their powerful opponents is said to have
been forwarded to Bombay; bearing the signatures, be
it remembered, of the most notorious gamblers, and
themselves the originators of the very evil against which
they profess to complain! Meetings innumerable have
been held everywhere over this island within the last
fortnight, and threats and entreaties have been in vain
used to induce Ramlall to come to an amicable compro-
mise of the matter. One of the most prominent and im-
portant of the threats has been, that they will treat their
engagements as not binding, and refuse payment.
Hitherto these gambling debts have been considered as
debts of honour of the most sacred obligation and we now
hear of " repudiation" for the first time. The Marwarry
gamblers do not, let it be observed, participate in this
dishonourable sentiment. We believe, moreover, that
earnest money having been paid by Ramlall on all his
purchases, and the transactions being otherwise bona fide
bargains, these gamblers can be compelled in a court of
law to pay the full extent of their engagements. It re-
mains to be seen whether this alternative will have to be
adopted. We do not, however, think that where an
honest endeavour is made to pay, Ramlall will press his
debtors harshly or to the utmost.
In the meantime, some of the effects which in our
article of the 20th of last month we predicted would
follow this gambling have become wofully apparent.
Business has been suspended among the gamblers them-
selves, internal exchanges have become deranged as a
natural consequence, distrust prevails in the bazaar, le-
gitimate trade is paralysed, and general credit shaken.
Our home readers will recollect that the gamblers re-
present collectively the majority, we had almost said the
whole, of our native moneyed interest. The conse-
quences already produced by this odious practice are bad
enough in all truth, but we can scarcely bring ourselves
to hope that the issue will not be infinitely worse. We
shall know the worst ere another week passes over our
heads. At present all is doubt and conjecture ; bat a
strong presentiment is felt by many that the crisis will
not pass over without a convulsion of our monetary
system that will be felt far and wide, long and severely.
We trust this presentiment may be wrong, but we have
our fears.

Although we cannot acquit Ramlall of a little selfish-
ness and a large desire for vengeance, yet we consider
that the mercantile community of India is much indebted
to him for his administering so well that retributi%e jus-
tice and well-merited punishment which the gambhngs
of the last three years so loudly called for. Let us hope
that out of all this " evii" will come " good," and that
the blow which he has so dexterously struck at the trunk
and branches will reach the roots of, this baneful tree,
and extirpate it for ever from the soil of India.
We have within the last few days heard it contended
that the petition of the Bombay gamblers to the Supreme
Government, which we have above mentioned, was not
so mad or groundless, after all ; for, say its advocates,

Government will be made aware thereby that a large
proportion of its subjects will be ruined if things are
allowed to take their present course, and though Govern.
went may gain 10 lacs, or even 20 lacs, by the sale of
1,700 chests at 2,000 r., still the ruin of so many opium
merchants will leave but few purchasers for the remain-
ing 14,000 chests produced this season at their Behar
farm, and the Sirkar will lose as much or much more in

the remaining eight tales as it gained at the
first one. This is very specious—very ingenious,
indeed. But what are the facts ? In the first
place, Government has no right to interfere ;
in the second, we cannot think that it will have had
any wish to interfere. It wants money now, and
moreover, it is not likely to be a loser by taking as much
as it can get from this same first sale. For suppose it to sell
1,700 chests (we speak of Pataa only), at 2,000 r. at the
first sale, it can afford to sell the remaining 14,000 at an
average of about 1,200 r., and yet make as much out of
its Behar opium farm this season as it did last, which,
be it observed, was its test. Now 1,200 r. is a price that
may fairly be expected in open market for every chest
the Government possesses, and that rate will pay the
shipper to China, so long as the drug there continues at
its present price, and there will be a ready demand for
every chest of it. Moreover, the Bengal Government is
not, we presume, ignorant that the parties who thus
petition against rui❑ are by no means large purchaser;
of their drug. That their gambling has frequently in-
fluenced the price favourably for Government is not to
be doubted, but without any very serious detriment.
Our home readers will learn more on this subject when
another fortnight shall bring round our day of inter-
course—always a pleasant one to us, and, let us hope,
not unedifying to them.
The subjoined supplement to the Bombay Government
Gazette is of sufficient importance to merit imnaeduste
insertion:—

PROCLAMATION.
TERRITORIAL DEPARTMENT.
REVENUE.-OPIUM.

1. With reference to the notification dated the 20th of
August, 1846, published in a supplement to the Govern-
ment Gazette of the same date, notice is hereby given—
that, from and after the Ist of June, 1847, passes for
the free transit of Malwa opium to Bombay will be
granted on application to the opium agent at Bombay,
or to the resident and opium agent at Malwa, on pay-
ment of 400 Bombay rupees per chest of 1801 b. weight.
2. Passes will be granted for maunds instead of chests,
should it be desired ; but in no case will a pass be given
for less than 15 maunds or 5 chests.

3. Passes obtained at Bombay will not be given open
to the persons taking them out, but enclosed in a sealed
letter of advice to the opium agent at Malwa, who will
countersign each pass before the opium is despatched ;
persons taking out passes for Malwa opium, that may
have left that province, will be required to satisfy the
local authorities in whose district the drug may first
arrive, that, in the event of its proving otherwise, the
same may be confiscated, and the pass-money forfeited.
4. No duties will be exacted, on account of the Hon.
Company's Government, on opium protected by passes;
it will, however, be liable, should occasion require, to
examination when in transitu, and also on its arrival at
Bombay, with the view of ascertaining that the quantity
corresponds with that specified in the pass ; but there
will be no detention or obstruction by the efficers of
Government, beyond what may be necessary for the dili-
gent prevention of any opium being conveyed into the
territories subordinate to this presidency.
5. The owners of the opium will have to make their
own arrangements for its transport. The dispatches
will be accompanied by one or more chuprasses or peons,
as the resident and the opium agents in Malwa shall
consider advisable ; but the providing of escorts for the
protection of the drug will rest with the owners ; and
Government will not be answerable for any casualties
that may befal the same.
_ _

6. It is left to the option of persons taking out passes
to pay at the rate of 17 Bombay rupees per chest, in
commutation of all customs and duties that may be due
to the native states through whose territories the opium
is conveyed, or to pay those duties themselves. Opium
for which this commutation money may have been paid
shall be allowed to pass equally free from customs and
duties whether examined at, and dispatched from, Indore
or Ratlam, or other marts in Malwa.
7. Persons residing at Ahmedabad, Baroda, Surat, or
other places, desirous of exporting Malwa opium under
a pass, will be furnished with the same on application to
the British authorities resident at such places.
8. The Hon. the Governor in Council guarantees that
the price to be paid for the passes and in commutation of
the duties to native states shall continue as now fixed to
the Ist of June, 1848, but the guarantee here given will
not debar the Government from continuing to grant
passes after the expiration of this period, should it think
fit to do so, without a further proclamation.

9. For the convenience of individuals, deposits of
Company s papers will be received on account of sums
'
payable for the paAes and duties specified in Articles 1
and 6, interest being payable to Government on the same,
until redeemed at the rate of 5 per cent. per annum, and
the deposit should be redeemed on or before the arrival
of the drug at Bombay, from which period the charge
on account of interest will be doubled.
10. Hoondies may be received by the opium agent in
Malwa for passes taken out there, payable to the opium
agent in Bombay within six days after sight ; if not re-
deemed within that period, a deposit of Company's paper
or substantial security must be given by the parties con-
cerned, interest being charged at the rate of 5 per cent.
until the arrival of the opium, which will be detained
until payment be made, If securitioa be not Patin*

produced, the hoondies will be returned as dishonoure d,
and the opium seized on its arrival.

11. The holders of passes are to take tho opium to
Indore, Rattan, or any other place in Malwa that may
suit the wishes and convenience of both parties, to be
weighed by persons who will be appointed by the opium
agent in Malwa to perform that duty.

12. Fifteen days? notice must be-given to the opium
agent in Alalwa, or his assistant, by all persons about to
make exportations under licences, previously to the pro-
duction of the opium at the place of weighment, in order
that he may be better prepared to receive, weigh, and
despatch it.
la. Only one despatch will be allowed under a pass,
or license, which despatch may or may not, at the option
of the holder of the pass, be for the full quantity men-
tioned in it; but a smaller quantity be exported, no
drawback or refund from the sum paid for the pass will
be allowed on account of such deficiency, excepting in
the cases of such parties taking out passes at Bombay,
who will be allowed a refund on account of such defici-
ency, on a report thereof being made to this Govern-
ment by the opium merchant in Malwa; but in the event
of the actual despatch containing a greater quantity of
opium than that for which the pass wis taken out, such
excess shall be paid for at the rate specified in the first
article of this proclamation, and shall by way of secu-
rity tor payment, be liable to detention by the collector
of customs.

14. In weighing the opium an allowance of 3lbs. will
be allowed for each cheit of 104Ibs. on account of leafage
and dustage.
15. With the exception contained in Article 8, tho
Hon. Governor in Council reserves to himself the right
to adspt from time to time such measures as he may
conceive to be necessary to prevent the illicit trade in
opium, and to secure the object of Government in sanc-
tioning. the present arrangement.
Published by order of the Hon. the Governor in
Council.

R. K. PRINGLE, Chief Secretary.
Bombay Castle, Dec. 1, 1846.

AMPUTATION WITHOUT PAIN.

Our readers are aware that a series of experiment.
recently made by an American physician, led him to an-
nounce to his professional brethren the discovery of a
gas, the inhalation of which was capable of reducing the
inhaler to a state of insensibility of so intense a charac-
ter, that the most painful operations might be performed
without causing any, even the slightest, suffering to the
patient. We stated on Saturday that an operation had
been performed on the preceding day, at the Richmond
Hospital, in this eity, on a female who was subjected to
the inhalation of the gas whose newly-discovered pro-
perties promise to confer such benefits on suffering hu-
manity ; and that the result was of the most satisfactory
character. Through the kindness of a professional
friend, we are enabled to-day to give some of the details
of this most interesting and successful experiment.
The patient was a young woman under twenty years
of age. She received an injury in the elbow-joint some
weeks since, which is supposed to have been inflicted by
a bramble penetrating the joint, and inducing inflamma-
tion of the delicate membrane that cover the surfaces of
the bones of the joint. When admitted to the hospital
the joint was much swollen, and in a state of suppura-
tion. Mr. M'Donnell, the gifted surgeon, under whose
care, she was, applied every remedy which professional
skill could suggest, but without effect. The patient was
rapidly sinking ; her constitution was unequal to the
combat ; hectic fever set in, and on a consultation being
held it was the unanimous opinion of the surgeons of the
institution that there remained but one means of saving
the girl's life—amputating the arm. The poor girl was
apprised of her position ; she consented to undergo the
operation, it being the last chance of life, and Wednesday
last was fixed on as the day on which it was to be per-
formed. We understand that on Tuesday evening Mr.
M'Donnell first conceived the idea of testing the efficacy
of *be narcotizing gas—the fumes of pure sulphuric ether
I —but with that self-devotion so characteristic of great
minds, he resolved that his first experiment should be on
himself. The necessary apparatus had to be made, and
the contemplated operation on the girl was postponed to
Friday. The apparatus necessary to apply the fumes
of the ether with effect, though simple, requires nice
adaptation. That recommended consiet essentially of
two valves placed in a tube, and acting in different direc-
tions—the one opening at each inspiration, so as freely
to admit the fumes of the ether, and closing at each ex-
piration ; the other opening at each expiration, so as
to anmit of the escape of the expired air, and closing at
each effort at inspiration, so as to exclude the atmosphe-
ric air, and thus prevent the too great dilution of the
fumes. These valves, it is obvious, must play with such
freedom as to offer no serious obstacle to the process of
inhalation. After several failures an apparatus was pro-
cured, and Mr. M'Donnell, accompanied by a professional
fsiend, in whose steadiness and skill he had perfect con-
fidence, retired to his study to make his first experi-
ment—and on himself.

After a few minutes' inhalation the operator became
perfectly insensible. He, however, was quickly restored
from his temporary death. No unpleasant sensation re-
mained, and—resolved that the poor girl should not be
experimented on till he had first properly satisfied him-
self that no possible injury could result to her—Mr.
M'Donnell again and again operated on himself, each
time protlucing the most perfect insensibility—in fact, a
complete absence of all sensation ; and on being restored,
each time felt, as be afterwards described it, no unplea-
sant sensation ; but, on the contrary, rather a pleasing
sense of quiescence during the return of sensibility,
which lasted for some minutes.

having thus convinced himself of the safety of the "”t3
ex-
periment, and his friend of the perfect temporary anni-
hilation of sensation, Mr. Mijonnell proceeded en Fri-
day to perform the operation (amputation) on his pa-
tient, in the presence of a number of his professional
brethren. Having treated his patient as he had pre-
viously treated himself, she became insensible in a few
minutes, and he proceeded to operate. The several
stages of the operation were proceeded with, the patient
all the time evincing no evidence of consciousness. The
integuments and muscles were cut through, the bone
was sawed across, and the amputated arm laid aside,
the patient continuing to all appearance ignorant of the
whole proceeding. These several stages occupied some-
thing more, we believe, than a minute and a half, and
more than two minutes more elapsed before the patient
evinced any symptons of returning sensibility. When
she first became conscious, the distinguished opera-
tor was tying one of the bleeding vessels. This she felt,
and described her sensation accurately, she also com-
plained of a sense of smarting, such as is usually felt
after an incised wound, over the surface of the stump.
She was perfectly conscious during the dressing of the
stump, ard her sensations at the time in no way ap-
peared to differ from those of patients operated on in
the usual way. She appeared, however, to suffer less,
and was less agitated, than other patients. Since Friday
the patient has been doing well. No bad symptoms
have appeared—none of any character attributable to
the inhalation.

We cannot conclude our notice of this interesting and
instructive case without congratulating Mr. M'Donnell
on the new triumph this operation adds to an already
remarkably successful professional careen—Dublin Free-
man's Journal.

Ozr SAlsom's, JAL I.7Wind E.—Republic, New York

The family of the Right Hon. Sir George Clerk,
Bart., has been greatly alarmed at the serious illness of
Lady Clerk. By letters received in town from Penny-
cuick, we are glad to find that her Ladyship is out of
danger, and when sufficiently recovered will accompany
her family to join the Right Hon. Baronet in Park-street.
CHAPEL ROYAL, ST. JAMKS'S.—Wednesday being
the anniversary of the Feast of Epiphany, or the Mani-
festation of Christ to the Gentiles, the same was duly
observed at the Chapel Royal, according to ancient
usage. Sir WilliaM Martins (of the Lord Chamber-
lain's office), presented on behalf of her Majesty, the ac-
customed offerings of gifts, gold, and frankincense, &c.
EXPLOSION OF BOILERS.—The constant occurrence
of accidents to steam boilers is disgraceful to us as a
nation, in a mechanical point of view, and calls for in-
quiry. It would seem to be necessary that every boiler
should be examined by a public officer before it is sent
out.--The Builder.

DESTITUTION IN LIVERPOOL.—The parish offices
in Fenwick-street have for several weeks presented an
extraordinary scene of confusion, owing to the immense
number of applicants for relief, but yesterday the appeals
were more numerous than ever. The street was quite im-
passable. No fewer than 1,500 families, representing on an
average three persons, were yesterday relieved, of whom
probably three-fourths were Irish. The relief dispensed
during the day, up to six o'clock last night (and the dis-
tribution had then by no means ceased), was 2,300
rations of bread and 2,000 soup tickets, in addition to a
large sum in money.. The burdens on the ratepayers
will be immensely increased by this large outlay, but
we see no means at present of lightening the pressure.
Liverpool Standard.
RE-OPENING OF COAL-PITS.—On Saturday last
there was a procession of a somewhat novel character
through the streets of Manchester and Salford, to cele-
brate the re-opening of two of the coal-pits at the
en-
dleton Colliery, belonging to John Fitzgerald, Esq.,
whic h have
In
for
the m
upwardsonthof
of three
August, 8
yearsl4b4, h orke beeninundatedwin
with water.
of coal at both the Albert and the six-toot mine was
totally stopped by their being flooded. Mr. Fitzgerald
shortly afterwards erected a stationary engine and pump,
in order to endeavour to clear the pits; and though for
some time the task seemed almost hopeless, the exer-
tions were continued with vigour, till, after incessant
pumping night and day, for nearly three years, the men
were again enabled to commence coal-getting operations.
—Manchester Guardian.

THE WEATHER AND THE PARES.—REFORT or
THE ROYAL HUMANE SOClETY.—Yesterday the ice upon
the several lakes in St. James's, Hyde, and Regent's-
parks, which had afforded so much exercise and enjoy-
ment to all classes of society, was reduced to such an
extreme thinness as to be considered entirely unsafe. In
some parts it had disappeared altogether. The secre-
tary of the Royal Humane Society yesterday issued a
report of the icemen's operations, and the numbers of
sliders and skaters since the commencement of the frost.
From the statement it appears that the number of persona
immersed was 55, all of whom were rescued by the
society's icemen, with the aid of their apparatus. One
accident only (in St. James's-park) terminated fatally—
a report of w hich was published in our paper some time
since. The total number of individuals who have ven-
tured upon the ice of St. James's-park, the Serpentine,
Hyde-park, Regent's-park, and the two ornamental
ponds of Kensington-gardens, exceeded (it is stated)
100,000. The accidents by fallS upon the ice were very
numerous, and of a very serious description ; and in
these cases surgical and other assistance was afforded by
the society's officers, and medical gentlemen engaged for
that purpose. During the operations of the society,
several munificent donations have been received at their
marquees and receiving-houses in each park, from the
Earl of Ellesmere, the Hon. Ir. Caoogan, F. Regori*
Esq., J. Ouselcy, Esq., &c.

IRELAND.
DISTRESS IN THE COUNTY OF CORE.

STATE OF CLARE.
The Clare Journal has the following statement with
respect to the adoption of measures for counteracting the
mischief resulting from the neglect of all agricultural
labour in that district:—
" We are given to understand that seventeen of the
relief committees in this county have agreed to the pro-
posal made to them by the Killaloe committee for a ge-
neral meeting of a deputation from each body, to take
place, we believe, is Ennis, for the purpose of devising
means to secure the cultivation of the land now ready
for tilling in the several districts. We shall, therefore,
wait for some short time to learn how far this proposal
will be carried out before we further address our inquiry
to each relief committee, as to what efforts they may
have made in their separate localities to secure this very
desirable object—ono which, if neglected, will be the
means of perpetuating the misery we are now suffering
under. The Ennis committee have taken the first step
towards procuring seed wheat for their district ; and
this, we should hope, will be followed by efforts to se-
cure, in the proper season, a supply of seed barley and
oats. They will, we are sure, at all events, do their
duty. We hope others will do likewise."
Meanwhile, outrages on the public works in progress
in that county are still rife:—
" The public works have been suspended in the parish
of Roan, in this county, in consequence of an attack
having been made upon Mr. Harrington, the principal
overseer in that parish, because he was a stranger in the
district. Mr. Harrington was severely beaten, but we
are glad to hear that the medical attendant has pro-
nounced his life out of danger."
Extract of a letter, containing some American in-
formation, received from a friend at Liverpool by Mr.
John Singleton, Quinville, county of Clare:—" Amongst
many intelligent friends with whom I have conversed
here, one was an extremely well-informed gentleman
from New York, who told me there was plenty of food
for us in America; and that, as my countrymen seemed
to adopt Indian corn, he could assure me that any
quantity. could be grown for fourteen cents a bushel to
the farmer; the shipping price depending, of course, on
the current of speculation, as well as the expense of
inland transit. New Orleans is the safest port to look
to, because corn can be borne on the Mississippi at a
light charge and from any remote districts. Then the
price at New Orleans was 30, while at New York it was
70 cents a bushel. One great comfort we have—that as
yet none of the Indian corn of 1546 has been exported
from America. This month, January, is the first for
thrashing and preparing the crops, and I do hope it is true
that Government design sending some of their ships of
war, unarmed, for supplies, because the mercantile navy
is not yet sufficiently numerous to embrace this new
traffic in addition to its usual calls."

DARING ATTACK AND ROBBERY.
The following is an extract of a letter received in tows
to -day from the neighbourhood of Cahir, county of Tip-
perary :
" On Sunday last, at 12 o'clock in the day, Captain
Batley's house, near Cahir barracks (an officer in the
Bth Hussars) was attacked by an armed party, who
rifled the house of two guns, two pistols, money, &c.
The fellow: were pursued by the military and police to
the neighbourhood of Clogheen, where they were lost
sight of. Houses are attacked every day, provision.
carts plundered, cattle and sheep taken off the fields—in
fact, society is totally disorganised. Every ruffian in
the country has arms; neither life nor property is secure
for one moment."

ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
CAHIR, JAN. 3, 9 o'cLocx, P.M.-A very daring
outrage took place here this day. Mr. Batley, pay-
master of the B+ll Hus,ars, rents a house about two miles
from the barrack. At about two o'clock this afternoon an
armed pal ty entered his house ; four went into the room
in which he was with his wife ; they presented two guns
at his head, and threatened to shoot him if he moved.
They remained ab,,ut half an hour, holding him all the
time ; they would not take his watch, or any of the
plate in his house, but took a double gun, pistols, and a
cm bine, and all the money in the house, about IL 16s.
They had handkerchiefs tied on their faces. When it
will reported here, the police, with Inspector Brew,
started, but have not yet returned. I don't think there
is any chance of finding them, as all the peasantry are
armed,"

EMPLOYMENT UNDER. THE BOARD OF WORKS
The subjoined return shows the daily average num.
ber of persons employed on public works in Ireland for
the week ending the 26th of DQcember, 1846 :

LEINSTER.

Carlow .
Drogheda, Town of
Dublin
Dublin, City of
Kildare
Kilkenny
Kilkenny, City V
King's County
Longford
Louth
:Meath
Queen's County
Westmeath
Wex'ord
Wicklow

2,077

1.961

3,839
9,324
576
3,999
8,506
3,693
9,023
4,268
6,54
13,375
2,383

T:NSTER.

Clare 40,778
Cork, East Riding
Cork, West Riding 11,788
Cork, City of
Kerry
Limerick
Limerick, City of 690
Tipperary, South Riding
Tipperary, North Riding
Waterford 5,535
Waterford, City of

CONNAUGHT.
Galway, East Riding
Galway, West Riding 21,040
Galway, Town or 2,844
Leitrim
Mayo 22,20$
Roscommon ""30,548
Sligo
13,482

ti LSTER.

.Antrim
Belf4st, Town of ...
Carrickfergus
Armagh
Cavan
Donegal
Down
Fermanagh
Londonderry
Monaghan
Tyrone

JJ
~.

2,302
20,503
1,804
429
5,996
4,933
6,650
2,715

G 9,58.5

163,213

119,546

45,487

Total for the four provinces
AWFUL FIRES.

A little after two o'clock this morning the sentry on
guard at the gate of the Lower Castle-yard, perceiving
smoke issuint, from the shop of Mr. Mears, the boot-
maker, in Dame-street, promptly gave the alarm; but,
before the family were well aroused to a sense of their
danger, the whole premises were enveloped in a sheet of
flame. Mr. Mears and his wife rushed to the drawing-
room window, and, throwing open the sash, the latter
sprang into the street, and was caught in the arms of
the soldier who discovered the fire; she fortunately
escaped without any injury. Mr. Mears was saved in
a similar manner, and also received no hurt. By the
exertions of the police some of the inmates
who slept in th
nieceout tobfrolni...l.l the house were got
mtheearerootfor bouft two children, and a
lvweho was on :a visit,
to extricate themsse were unable
A little after four o'l'l ail:dperished in the flames.
thei whole concern was, 1
in spite of every exertion,occom
time an alarm was given that y gutted. About this 1
Panetetlishier fire had broken
ar. Clifford, the drug-
out in the extensive premises of°
adjacent to the scan© of
gist, in Castle-street, and quite ad'
were
nature
of
the previous conflagration. Thej
imme-
diately set to work, but, from the comgbinuestsib
the stock, all efforts to the furious elemeent
unavailing, and, in a few hours, not a vestige theol7;iv ed
house was left standing except the front wall.
also there was a loss of life. At nine o'clock two men
were ascending a fire-ladder for the purpose of gaining
the roof of an adjoining house, and had reached to nearly
the top story, when the ladder snapped across, and pre.
cipitated the two men into the street below ; one saved
him,elf by clinging to a lamppost, but the other, falling
on the pavement underneath, was so severely mutilated
that he died shortly after the accident. At two o'clock
this afternoon the bodies of the two children of Mr.
Mears were discovered in the ruins ; both were literally
burnt to cinders. The third body 'has not been yet
found. At three o'clock P.m. the house adjoining Clif-
ford's took fire ; but by great exertions it was sup-
Pressed,—not, however, before serious damage was in-
flicted on the owners, two elderly ladies, who carried on
the haberdashery business there. At post-hour the en-
gines were kept playing on the smoking ruins in Dame-
street and Castle-street.

DUBLIN, JAN. s.—The Cork Examiner of yesterday
devotes a great portion of it space to the proceedings of
a meeting held in Bantry on Friday last. The object of
the meeting will be found embodied in the subjoined re-
solutions :
" That the condition of this district is most appalling,
starvation being universal, deaths from want of food
frequent, and fearfully on the increase, whilst despair has
seized upon the public mind from the apparent indisposi-
tion of the Government to exert itself for the preserva-
tion of the people.
" That thus circumstanced, it becomes indispensable to
provide forthwith, and no matter at what sacrifice of
present or future interest, food and employment for the
people.
" That considering the many obstacles which have
heretofore obstructed the progress of reproductive works
throughout the country, and the hopelessness of making
them immediately available for the relief of the pressing
wants of the people, it is our opinion that we cannot do
otherwise than fall back on the admitted evils of the
Labour rate Act, at least until reproductive works equal
to the amount of employment required shall have been
put into active progress within the district.
" That the prices of food have now risen in this dis-
trict to a price which places it far beyond the reach even
of those amongst the labouring classes who are em-
ployed, and this most unfortunate condition is, in our
opinion, mainly attributable to the obstinate refusal of
the Government to establish food depots throughout the
country, and to the discouragement given by it at an
early period to the procuration of food from funds raised
by private subscriptions, by its refusal to aid any funds
applicable to the object of lowering the prices of foed
even to the poor and the destitute."