The Sun.
London, England, 1840-08-01 00:00:00

WORSHIP-STREET.

SAVAGE ASSAULT.—Yesterday an Irishman, named
Patrick Rucane, was placed at the bar before Mr. Grove,
the sitting Magistrate, upon a charge of biting off tile ear
of John Melan.

They were both labourers, who lived in the same house,
and had disagreed, it appeared, about the repairing a pair
of brogues. The prisoner, who was a loser by the trans-
action, swore that if be could not have money he would
have revenge; and when he next saw the complainant,
attacked him and bit off the greater part of the external ear.
The complainant brought the piece of his car in paper,
to show it to the Magistrate.
Mr. GROVE remanded the prisoner until next Tuesday,
with the intention of then committing him for trial.

MERCHANT SEAMEN'S INSTITU-

TION.

TO TILE EDITOR OF TIIE SMITING AND MERCANTILE GAZETTE.
Sir,—The project of forming a Merchant Seamens'
Institution has been hailed with one entire feeling of ap-
proval in the port of Liverpool. Perhaps no circum-
stance, not excepting the repeal of the present Act for
compulsory payment, could have induced a more hearty
concurrence in objects so confessedly benevolent, humane,
and exalted. Indeed, it is surprising that any one can be
found hardy enough to present imaginary obstacles to a
design so eminently calculated to benefit such a vast num..
ber of the human family as that to which it refers. In
Liverpool we have the most abundant evidence continually
presented of the urgent necessity of a seaman's " refuge,"
as demanded by his undoubted " right ;" and confident I
am that most warmly will the shipowners and wealthy
merchants of this great port help to secure these to their
sailors whenever the call be made on their sympathy and
generosity. The compulsory payment to the Merchant
Seaman's Fund is considered by the masters and seamen
at Liverpool to be most oppressive and unjust,—a tax from
which thousands never derive any benefit, and one from
which they would gladly be rid, in order to contribute to
the institution which is projected, and which we hope to
see firmly eatablis'oed, really and in truth, a " home and
hospital for ever "—I am. Sir,
YOUR LIVERPOOL CORRESPONDENT.
Shipping and Mercantile Gazette Office,
20, Exchange-street, East, Liverpool.

Near Hungerford, Marlborough, and Reading,
the farmers are now mowing their second crops of grass from
their water meadows. Some excellent hay is now making, and
many fine ricks have been thatched in Oxfordshire.
VON RAUMER'S "ITALY AND THE ITA-
LIANS."—Few travellers have visited foreign lands with higher
recommendations, or turned them to better account, than Pro-
fessor Raumer, whose works on onr own country and on our
history, introduced him some years since to the notice of the
English reader. He has just given to the public his observa-
tions on " Italy and the Italians," the result of a tour per-
formed last year; and information derived from the highest
sources—from statesmen, ambassadors, consuls, and literary
men—has assisted the author to produce a work peculiarly
valuable and instructive. His account of the state -of Naples
and Sicily, in particular, is fraught with deep political interest,
and his work throws much light on various topics which have
lately engaged public attention—the Sicilian Sulphur Mono-
poly, for example. From the fund of information, political,
commercial, local, and statistical, that it embraces, this book
must be welcome to all classes of readers, but especially to those
svho are about to visit the beautiful country of which it treats.
An addition to the science of Optics of no com-
mon interest has been completed by Mr. E. Solomons, Optician
to the Royal Family, No. 1, Old Jewry, City, and No. 36,
Old Bond-street, Piccadilly, who has constructed Spectacles
from a valuable mineral. This being the only improvement in
Spectacle Lenses for the last twenty years, all persons afflicted
with defective sight will hail this new invention e ith satisfaction.
They surpass all others in modern use, being of less specific gra-
vity than glass or pebbles—are not sullied by the aqueous exhala-
tion of the eyes—convey a delightful coolness to the organs of
vision, when engaged at any minute employment by day or
candle-light—in fact, more beneficial results will be realised
from their adoption than can be imagined by those accustomed
to use the common spectacles. Mr. E. Solomons' Voice Cons
doctors for deaf persons, measure only one quarter of an inch
in diameter, and have proved wonderfully successful in the most
extreme cases of deafness. When placed in the ear they are
not the least perceptible, musical sounds and the voice of a
distant speaker in church, theatre, or public assembly, vibrate
on the organs of hearing in such a pleasant manner as to
afford immediate relief to all persons labouring under the dis-
tressing ailment of deafness,