The Sun.
London, England, 1840-03-25 00:00:00

ST. GILES'S CLOCK AND BELLS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sta,—At a time when almost universal dissatisfaction
prwails throughout the land against the payment of
Church-rates, surely churchwardens ought to show, at all
events, what they do with the money arising from the rate-
payers, to give them a little satisfaction. You will scarcely
believe that out of the enormous sum paid by the inha-
bitants of this pariah (St. Giles), that they put forth a
plea of poverty—that they have not money enough to put
the clock in a little repair; for, Mr. Editor, it ought to
be known that the church clock has not struck the hours
nor quarters for the last two years and a half ; neither has
it been illuminated, as it was formerly, for the same space
of time l The bells, for we have a peal of eight, have not
been rung on any occasion of rejoicing. for four years, for
a very good reason, viz., they are actually falling out of
their hangings, the wheels are rotten, and the iron work
ate out with rust, so that it is dangerous to chime them
for Sunday prayers, not one of them being in a fit state to
be rung up. lf, Mr. Editor, you could rouse the wardens
om their slumber, and urge them to do something to dis-
tinguish their year of office (for the sum required to repair
the clock and bells would not exceed 701.), you would
confer a great favour, not only on me, but nearly the whole
of the inhabitant rate-payers of this parish.
I remain, Sir, your obedient servant.
JOHN IRVINE.
High-street, St. Giles, March 23.

His Royal Highness Prince Albert attended the
rehearsal of the Ancient Concert yesterday morning, for the
first time since he has become a Director. There were also pre-
sent Earl Howe, Lord Burghersh, and the Archbishop of York
in the Directors' box. The selection made by his Grace is a
most excellent on', and we never recollect to have heard a re-
hearsal go off so smoothly. The principal singers are Madame
Ciradori, Miss Birch, Mrs. Knvvett, Hawkins, Vaughan, Har-
rison, Machin, and Phillips. The performance will open to-
morrow evening with Haydn's national anthem, " Guide thy
Church, and guard our Queen." Her Majesty and Prince Al-
bert, also the Queen Dowager, will be present. Mr. Bishop
will be the conductor.

Her Majesty's soirees dansante will be continued
every Monday evening until Passion• week. The Court will
pass the Easter recess at Windsor Castle, where an illustrious
party have been invited to participate in the Royal hospitalities.
The Countess of Minto gives her second ball
this season to-night, at the Admiralty. Her Ladyship's last
ball was a brilliant reunion, and, as we understand the addi-

• _ _
tional invitations for the dance of this evening are very nu-
merous, there remains not the shadow of a doubt but that there
R ill be a crowded assemblage.

Mr. W. Buck, boatswain of Plymouth Dock-
yard. who was the person who nailed the British flag to the
masthead of the Royal Sovereign at Lord Howe's great engage-
ment in 1794, has been superannuated with a pension of 160/.
year.—Plynwuth Journal.
' ARTISTS' GENERAL BENEVOLENT INSTITU-
TioN.—The anniversary dinner of this excellent Institution
Will take place in Freemasons' Hall on Friday next, when the
Marquis of Northampton will preside. We anticipate a full
attendance of patrons of art and artists, for it is greatly to be
hoped on this occasion the subscriptions will enable the Society
to realize that amount of annual interest when a much larger
portion of its funds will according to its laws be available to the
felief of applicants. We understand that great exertions are
being made to accomplish this desirable object.
1 The Council of King's College have instituted
a professorship of the " Theory of the Fine Arts," to which
Air. Dyce, the Director of the Government School of Design,
has been appointed.
THE PENNY POSTAGE.—A somewhat curious
packet was received last week by Mr. G. Palmer, of Kings-
wood-hill, near Bristol, through the post; it was sent to him
by Mr. Joseph Lang, of Ilminster, and contained " fifteen
gooseberry trees," the postage of which was 4d.
Betweln twelve and one o'clock on Sunday
morning, as Charles Wigginer, aged 64, watchman, on duty
at Pickle Herring Wharf, Tooley-street, was conducting a
Captain across a plank to go on board a vessel, his foot slipped,
by which he fell a considerable height, his head coming in
fcontact with a coal barge, which fractured his skull so dread-
fully that he expired on his way to the Hospital.
VOLUNTARY CHURCH PETITION.—This pe-
titi on, which has been lying in seveeal parts of this city for little
more than a day, has already received between 3,000 and 4,000
signatures. The individuals who have signed it, so far as it is
known, have been wholly adults, and not one name has been
obtained by hawking. The strictest orders have been given to
the persons employed to superintend the signing of the petition
neither to practice nor allow any improper names to increase
the amount of signatures.—Scottish Pilot.
ROYAL INSTITUTION.— At the ordinary
weekly meeting of this institution on Friday evening last, Mr.
:-:cliomburgk, the recent traveller in British Guiana, delivered
a lecture on the present condition and prospects of the aborigi-
nal inhabitants of that colony. In the course of his lecture,
the three Indians (of the `Narrow, Maeorsie, and Parahan
tribes), whom he brought with him to this country, were in-
troduced for the purpose of going through some of their evo-
lutions, which they did to the infinite mirth of the audience.
Among other performances, they played several tunes on their
favourite musical instrument, a rude species of flute ; and
having but two, or at the most three notes, the effect was sin-
gelarly characteristic. At the conclusion of the lecture they
were made by Dr. Faraday the subject of some experiments,
which, although at first they appeared not to relish,
were subsequently as much a source of amusement as
of astonishment to them : they were operated upon by an
electric and a galvanic battery. The Doctor having caused
them to stand in a row, with their arms extended and their
hands in juxtaposition, passed an electric current through their
bodies, when the sparks of fire which issued from their knuckles
immediately induced them to separate, amid demonstrations
both of fear and surprise. They imagined that the Pei-man,
or great devil, had taken possession of them! Nor were they
less affrighted on receiving a shock from the galvanic battery,
the peculiar sensation produced by which they evidenced in a
number of contortions and grimaces. But what more particu-
larly struck them was the pleasing, yet simple, experiment of
firin,, ether by means of the electric fluid flowing from their
knuckles. The vivid flame which thus suddenly burst forth,
without any palpable source of ignition except what emanated
from themselves, was unaccountable to them ; and they again
gave vent to exclamations of the utmost bewilderment. When
these unsophisticated natives shall have returned to their
own country, here will be matter for them to talk about!
INCENDIARY FIRES.—The following is a copy
of a hand-bill Many of the Magistrates who attend th
Petty Sessions in the tom' of Tetbury having recently received
anonymous letters, threatening the destruction of their lives and
property, and many corn ricks and other property belonging to
Colonel Kingseote, and his tenant, Mr. Morse, in the parish of
Kingseote. &c., havingi been maliciously set fire to and de-
stroyed some time last night or this morning—notice is hereby
given, that a meeting of the Inhabitants of the town of Tetbury
will be held on Monday, at twelve o'clock at noon, for the pur-
pose of 'adopting proper measures for endeavouring to detect
the perpetrators of the above offences, and for rendering their
assistance generally to the Magistrates, in any manner required
of them. (Signed) JOHN RALF, Bailiff. Tetburv, March
21, 1840."—There were about 300 sheep in the barn, when
about 90 fine ewes were destroyed, and the rest escaped. A
reward of 150/. has been offered for the apprehension of the
offenders. A body of about 30 of the Rural Police marched
from Cheltenham on Saturday for Rodborough.—Cheltenham
Journal. _ _ _