The Sun.
London, England, 1847-12-30 00:00:00

COURT CIRCULAR.

WINDSOR, WEDNESDAY.—The Queen and Prince
Albert took their usual morning walk.
The Duke and Duchess of Victoria, Viscount
Palmerston, Viscount Canning, and Colonel Wylde,
took their departure from the Castle to-day.
The Royal Family took walking and pony exercise
to-day in the Little Park.
The royal dinner party at the Castle this evening will
include the Marquis and Marchioness of Abercorn,
and the Rev. Lord Wr:othesley Russell.
The band of the Grenadier Guards attend during
dinner. Her Majesty's private band will afterwards
attend in the Castle.

His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge
arrived in town yesterday, from his residence at Kew.
The American Minister has left town for Paris,
During his Excellency's absence, Mr. Broadhead will
act as Charge d'Affaires.
Sir William Clay transacted business yesterday at
the office of the Board of Trade.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer has left Althorp
Park, for his seat, llickleton Hall, Doncaster.

COMMERCIAL TRAVELLERS'
SCHOOLS.

We have been requested to correct one or two
trifling inaccuracies in our report of the first anni-
versary of this valuable institution. They are mainly
to be attributed to an imperfect list of the principal
persons stated to be present, and of the toasts, sup-
plied to our reporter early in the evening, and to the
difficulty, owing to the crowded state of the room and
the noise that prevailed, of hearing distinctly.
It appears that Mr. Muir returned thanks for the
Vice-Presidents ; that twenty children were main-
tained and ethicated by the institution, but that since
the anniversary twenty more have been elected, and
that the subscriptions and donations received during
the evening exceeded the magnificent sum of 2,0001.
Mr. Robert Johnson proposed the National Mercan-
tile Assurance Company, who gave the institution
their first subscription of 1001. a year. Mr. Moore,
the treasurer, in the course of his address, said he
hoped to see the institution placed in a condition to
elect twenty additional children every six months,
and not " six," as erroneously stated. We have sel-
dom had to record such unparalleled success in so
youthful an institution. Its age dates no further
back than two years.

We have received the following letter from Mr.
Charles Nash; the secretary, on the subject:—
Six,—Permit me to correct an error in the report
of the dinner of the above named institution, held at
the London Tavern, on the 27th inst., which appeared
in your usually very accurate and valuable journal.
It is stated therein that Mr. George Moore, in the
course of his observations, expressed his desire to see
six children elected for admission into the society's
schools every six months. This, you will perceive at
once, is no very ambitious hope. What that gentle-
man really did say, while referring to the fact of
twenty children, in addition to those already in the
institution, being about to be elected, (for particulars
of which election I refer your readers to your adver-
tising columns of this day), was, that he hoped to see
the society in a position to admit at least twenty
children at every succeeding half-yearly election.
Trusting you will find space for these few lines, in
correction of an error which gives a most inadequate
and prejudicial impression of the society's intended
exertions, I remain, Sir, your obedient servant,
CHARLES NASH, Secretary.

GRAND OPERA, THEATRE ROYAL, DRURY-LANE.—
Among the company who honoured the performance yes-
terday evening were—His Royal Highness Prince George
of Cambridge, the Marquis of Stafford, Marchioness of
Clanricarde, Lord Ward, Lord Rokeby, Lord Devon,
Sir Bellingham and Lady Graham and party, Viscount
Somerton, Viscount Cuntilupe,
Sir George and Lady
Wombwell and party, Sir William Martin and party,
Baron Rothschild, Right lion. E, J. Stanley, Captain
Stanley, Gen. D'Oyley, Montague Gore, Esq., M.P.,
Dr. Bowring, M.P., 11. G. Crape, Esq., M.P., &c.
CHRISTMAS LIBERALITY. -- This morning, Mr.
Mark Nichols, of the St. Martin, Duke-street, Adelphi,
laid a sumptuous repast before his friends, as a mark of
his esteem for the many who had for years frequented
his house. A huge baron of bief—a portion of one of
the prize oxen—was the principal
object of attraction,
and a mighty Cumberland pie, containing pheasants,
hares, geese, and other such choice food, met, like the
hare in the fable, with many friends. The brethren of
the Philanthropic Lodge, which meets on Monday even-
ings at the St. Martin, afterwards held their usual
meeting, when, from the accounts rendered, it appeared
that several poor families had been provided with Christ-
mas fare, who would otherwise have been quite destitute
at this inclement season.
ACCOUCHEMENT OF MARY ANN HUNT.— This
wretched female, who was tried and convicted for the
wilful murder of an aged woman, of the name of Stowell,
and whose case, from the peculiarity of the circumstances
connected with it, created at the time a good deal of
attention, has at length given birth to a male infant.
The first intimation which the prison authorities had
that the convict was about to become a mother was on
Monday night, and from that time up to four o'clock
on Tuesday morning Mr. Holding, the assistant-surgeon,
was in attendance, when she gave birth to a fine healthy
male child, which, with its wretched mother, are both
doing well. The birth of the infant has raised a ques-
tion of some difficulty as to its future destination, should
the infant live. Although the mother's sentence is
commuted to transportation for life the child is not liable
to the same penalty; and as the mother has no locus
standi in law, the child is an orphan, and as the prisons
are exempt from the payment of poor-rates, no settle-
merit can be obtained by those who are within. Pro-
bably the infant will become the ward of the Corpora-
tion, which will no 'doubt do its duty towards the poor
little fellow, if he lives. The wretched woman will, as
soon as she has properly recovered from her confinement,
be removed to Milbank prison, preparatory to her sen-
tence being carried into effect.
CHRISTMAS WAlTS.—Numerous tradesmen waiting
for their accounts, as they have all a " little bill" waiting
to be taken up—Numerous persons waiting several days
in the Post-office at Manchester to get a small money-
order cashed—The pedestal in Trafalgar-square waiting
for a statue—The Spanish bondholders waiting for a
dividend—The Irish waiting for John O'Connell to die
on the floor of the House of Commons—The monster
house at the Albert-gate waiting for a tenant—The
subscribers to the Art-Union waiting for their en-
gravings—The marble arch at Buckingham Palace
waiting for a situation—Leopold waiting for his wife's,
dowry from Louis Philippe—England waiting for jus-
tice from Ireland—And, the greatest wait of all, the
printer's devil waiting for copy.—Punch.
The Hon. and Rev. George T. Bourke, brother to
the Earl of Mayo, died a few days ago at his residence in
Ireland, aged 72. His father was Archbishop of Tuam.
DARING ROBBERY.—A most daring robbery was
committed in Bridge-street, Blackfriars, on Monday
last. As Thomas Davis, one of the Doctor's-commons
letter-carriers, was on duty, making his evening delivery,
and opposite the house No. 17, he was attacked by three
women, who suddenly placed a cloak over his head,
which in a short time rendered the old man quite power-
less; they then robbed him of 21s, in silver, with which
they escaped. This was in one of our most public streets,
and not more than half past eight o'clock in the evening.
It is supposed the women had followed him for a consi-
derable distance, and probably had discovered the tempt-
ing stock of money of which be was possessed, being the
harvest of his Christmas-boxes.

EXTENSIVE ROBBERY BY A POTBOY.—lllfOrillatiOn
was forwarded to the police that the potboy in the
employ of Mrs. Wieland, widow of the late cekbrated
Wieland, of the White Hart Tavern, Oxford-market,had
absconded, taking with him a tin cash-box, containing
upwards of 701. in gold and silver. The police have got
a clue which, no doubt, will tend to the villain's appre-
hension.
QUITE A MATTER OF FEELING.—A medical man,
of the very old school, calls all operations that are per •
formed without the patient feeling anything, " senseless
operations."—.Punch.

; DERBYSHIRE, STAFFORDSHIRE,
AND WORCESTERSHIRE JUNCTION RAIL-,
WAY.
The first general meeting of the proprietors of the
Derbyshire, Staffordshire, and Worcestershire June-
' Con Railway was held yesterday, at the offices of the
company in Cornhill ; Mr. J. Mee Mathew, chair-
' man of the board of directors, in the chair.
' The SECRETARY (Dr. R. S. Mackenzie) read the
advertisement convening the meeting.
The CHAIRMAN then intimated that they would in
the usual manner proceed to affix the seal to the
register of shareholders.
Mr. WINTER HARRIS said that before the seal was
affixed he would ask one question. Was the Chair-
man satisfied that every entry in the register of share-
_ holders was correct ? He objected to the shareholders
being called upon to affix their names, or rather give
their sanction to a document they knew nothing
about. The motive he had for putting the question
was a desire to be satisfied that the calls had been
duly paid up, and that the transfers had been regu-
larly completed up to Friday night.
The CHAIRkAN, in reply to questions, stated that
the number of the shares of the company was 20,000
at 201. each; 115,100 of the shares were disposed of to
327 shareholders, whose- names appeared on the re-
gistry.' The bcok was perfectly correct.
A long desultory conversation then ensued as to
whether call letters had been refused to several parties,
the secretary insisting that he had never refused a
call letter to any party entitled to it, while others
maintained that tie had. In explanation, the secre-
tary informed the meeting that the board had allowed
several members to pay calls on a portion of their
shares, the calls on the remainder being allowed to
stand over.
The CHAIRMAN said that with reference to the book
he was willing to go through it with any shareholder,
in order to test its correctness, but he begged to re-
mind the meeting that the secretary, who had that
book in his possession, and under his control, was re-
sponsible for its accuracy.
Mr. W. HARRIS then said that he had seen the
shareholders' address book on Friday last, at half-past
three o'clock, and he did not then see the name of a
single director; and yet now he was told the names
of the directors were in that book. He was afraid there
was something wrong either in the office, or with the
board, about that book, and he would ask whether
the name of Robert Shelton Mackenzie appeared in it ?
The CHAIRMAN replied in the affirmative.
Mr. HARRIS wished to know when the name had
been inserted, for it was not there on Friday; and
an Hon. Proprietor, Mr. Pettley, did not see it on
Monday last.
The question gave rise to an angry discussion,
which lasted for upwards of two hours, when it was
ultirotely decided that Dr. Mackenzie had that
morning been entered upon the books of the society
as a member holding one share, to enable him to use
proxies which had been sent to him.
Several proprietors, including Mr. Harris, Mr. H.
Brown, M.P. for Tewksbury, Mr. Sydney, Mr.
Fearon, Mr. Curtis, and Mr. Alston, contended that
the placing of Dr. Mackenzie on the register was an
illegal act, and that being such, his name had no right
to remain there. Ultimately, after an exceedingly
noisy and irregular conversation, in which many
strong personalities were handed about,
Mr. H. BROWN moved a resolution, that the name
of Robert Shelton Mackenzie should be expunged
from the list of shareholders.
Mr. YOUNG seconded the proposition.
The CHAIRMAN doubted the power of the meeting
to expunge the name of any member from the list.
The resolution was put to the meeting and carried
by a large majority, only two hands being held up
against it.
The CHAIRMAN, after considerable hesitation, ex-
punged the name, under a protest that he did so in
obedience to the resolution ; but entertaining doubts
as to the legality of the proceeding, he had consented
to strike the name out under that protest, which he
entered upon the books of the company.
The SECRETARY also tendered his protest, and said
that he held the proxies of the owners of 1,198 shares,
giving 493 votes, and that he considered they had
been deprived by an unlawful act of their privileges
as members of that company.
Mr. BROWN, M.P., wished to know whether the
amount of 2/. 2s. 6d. (the deposit) was paid upon all
the shares held by the board.
The SECRETARY stated that every one of the par-
ties who signed the original deed had paid the deposit,
and that the majority of the board had paid up the
call upon a portion of the shares which they held.
Mr. BROWN, M.P., insisted upon knowing in what
manner the call of 11 had been paid upon the shares
by the directors, to qualify them for their office.
A DIRECTOR said that the directors would not lie
excluded from sitting at the board in consequence of
their not paying the call.
Mr. WINTER HARRIS said that by one of the
clauses of the Act no person who had not paid up
his call was entitled to vote. He also wished to
know from the secretary how many of the fifty
original shares had been disposed of by the secretary,
and by what means he had become possessed of the
one share for which he was registered that morning,
in order to use proxies ? After some discussion,
The common seal of the company was affixed
to the register.
The CHAIRMAN then read the report of the
directors, which stated that, after considerable diffi-
culty, the Act had been obtained in July, 1847, and
that the funds having become exhausted the directors
had made a call of 1/. per share, which had not been
responded to, and measures would be taken to have
the payment enforced. The outstanding claims against
the company were large, but the bills of the solicitors
and others were being taxed, and considerable reduc-
tions were anticipated. The balance sheet, which had
been published for some time, showed that 39,714/.
15s. 7d. was the gross amount received, and that the
balance in hand and some debts amounted in the whole
to 6371. 17s. 6d.
In answer to several questions it was explained that
there was due on calls about 9,0001., and the claims
were near 16,000/.
Mr. BROWN said that 20,000/. had been peculiarly
expended by the directors; might he inquire how it
had been disposed of ?
The SECRETARY—In shares purchased for rigging
the market, as it was called, before the present
directors had anything to do with the company.
Mr. BROWN—One-third of our capital expended in
that manner.—(Cries of " Shame.")
It was elicited that a director had appropriated
2001. and upwards to his own purposes, out of a sum
he had been commissioned to procure for the com-
pany.
The CHAIRMAN said, that after the discovery of
the circumstance the defaulter never attended the
meetings of the board, and he (the chairman) had
insisted that he should not.
The report and accounts were, after some few
further remarks, ordered, by a resolution carried
unanimously, to be referred to the auditors, to be
examined and reported upon at a special meeting to
called for the purpose.
A resolution was then passed limiting the number
of directors to six, and the following gentlemen were
unanimously appointed to be' directors : John
Mee Mathew, Esq., W. Harris, Esq.; Thomas
Brooks, Esq., of Tewsbury ; H. Brown, Esq., M.P.;
Robert Aslton, Esq. ; and Edward Crook Bond,
Esq.
whom
mb o aar
cd
0,
mwpi tl
ihmtehnet e
wasxce exception, o
isf
at
nh ec
entirelyai r-
elected auditors, and the question of remuneration
nmeawln''heotonabe. Messrs. Hampton and Fearon were
both to directors and auditors ordered to be taken
into consideration at a future meeting. The secre-
tary's salary was fixed at 2001., and after the general
half-yearly meetings had been fixed upon for June
and December in each year, a vote of thankS was
passed to the chairman, and the meeting separated,
after a very protracted sitting.

THE REV. J. P. WALSIL—We have received a
letter from the Rev. J. P. Walsh, dated Dec. 24, 1847,
complaining of the inaccuracy of a report which appeared
in The Sun of Dec. 6, under the head of " Marlborough-
street." That report states that Spencer Walsh was
brought before Mr. Hardwick, charged with " having
committed a dreadful assault with a poker on William
Prentice, green-grocer." In the course of the report it
is stated that the father of the defendant, the Rev. J. P.
Walsh, called out " Go it, boys, go and get the poker;"
and it is further stated that the father positively denied
that the son had a poker at all, but afterwards admitted
that his son had a poker in his hand, but it was only a
very little one. This account was copied by us from a
morning contemporary. We are assured, how-
ever, that it is incorrect in every particular, so far
as the Rev. J. P. Walsh is concerned, and that minutes
of the evidence, as taken by the clerk, show that the words
attributed to the Rev. Gentleman were never uttered by
him ;. and that so far from denying his son had a poker,
he distinctly swore that he had one, and that the whole
affair had caused him, as a Christian minister, the greatest
grief. It was also stated by the complainant that the
servant told him that so many persons had called for
debts that she was ashamed to go to him (Rev. J. P.
Walsh) for money. The Reverend Gentleman
states that " during the two months that he resided
in Arundel-street, with his family of eight persons,
his dealings were almost exclusively for ready money,
and that for six months the demands upon him for
tradesmen for the necessaries of life for eight persons
did not exceed 131." Ilavin7, by copying the report
from a morning paper, given it circulation in The Sun,
we feel bound, in justice to the Rev. Gentleman, to
publish these contradictions, and regret that we should
inadvertently have given circulation to a statement cal
culated to wound his feelings.

COURT MARTIAL AT 15EVONPORT.--A court mar-
tial took place at Devonport, on board the San Josef,
flag-ship of the Port Admiral, on Monday, to try a
seaman of the Columbia steam-vessel, for desertion, and
entering on board an American merchant schooner. The
proceedings commenced at ten, and the case closed at
two, when the prisoner was found guilty, and sentenced
to be imprisoned three calendar months, and forfeit all
arrears of pay.

A TALE OF THE TEMPEST.
The following narrative regards the brig Halifax,
of Newhaven, Sussex, which was wrecked near
Cockenzie, in the fearful hurricane of Monday, the
6th instant, and the preservation of the crew, con-
sisting of seven persons, after the terrors of death had
long impended over them. It is given by Captain
Coppar, an intelligent and experienced officer
"We sailed from Montrose on the Ist instant,
in ballast, for Sunderland, but, in conseqence
of the prevalence of contrary winds, we had
been beat about so much that on the morning of
Monday, the 6th, the ship was off St. Abb's Head.
The wind coming from the south, we drove back to the
Frith, and found shelter in Aberlady Bay, in which
we dropped anchor at noon. There was then very
little wind and the weather being fine, I amused my-
self fishing, and of the 16 fish which I caught in a
very short time we cooked some for tea. At five
o'clock a fresh breeze blew from the south, and an
hour after the ship was suddenly caught by a terrible
gale, and struck at the same moment by a tre-
mendous sea, and both with such violence
that the vessel heaved as if lifted into the air and
let fall. At eight we let go a second an-
chor, which held the ship firm till ten, when the
gale having increased, she parted her small
bower anchor. As the sea washed over the deck, and
the ship, besiqes rolling heavily, was driving near the
land, I went about midnight to the cabin, and brought
a sharp axe, which I had ready for the purpose, and
commenced to cut the mainmast. After two or three
strokes it was wrenched by the storm, and fell over-
board. I soon cleared it away, and the ship was
eased greatly. It was now two o'clock, the tempest
raged with awful fury, and the -sea making a com-
plete breach over us had swept away everything from
the deck, the single anchor had been dragged two
miles, while there we stood benumbed with cold,
which was intense, and torrents of rain, which were
incessant—utterly helpless and terror-stricken ex-
pecting every moment would be our last. I saw
that there was no 'chance of saving our lives ex-
cept by running for the main. I seized a rope, tied
part of it round my waist, and ordering the men to
follow my example, I slipped the cable and betook my-
self to the rigging. To it all seven lashed ourselves
as firmly as we could with the ropes. The scene
had become so dreadful that, though I had been
thrice wrecked before, I never saw anything like it.
The wind tore and howled fearfully, thick dark-
ness brooded over the roaring deep, the vivid
flashes of lightning rent the air, the ship, now be-
come the sport of the enraged elements, creaked and
staggered, and the heavy huge waves broke upon our
backs as, clinging to the remaining rigging, we
rocked from side to side, and gasped for breath be-
tween each succeeding wave. As each sea en-
gulphed us, and then rolled past, leaving a yawning
chasm in its stead, I looked anxiously to see, if pos-
sible, in the murky darkness, whether any of my
crew had been swallowed up in it, my quailing heart
expecting the next wave would prove my own watery
tomb. A kind Providence, however, stood by us,
and after being three hours lashed to the
tempest-tossed wreck, our crazy ship was carried
over a reef of rocks, and floated between two high
rocks close to the shcre, at Cockenzie, where we
stuck fast about five o'clock. Had we been
two hours later the tide would have been such that,
assuredly, the ship would have been dashed to pieces
on the first ledge of rocks, and all have perished.
The same sad result would have followed had the
ship been driven a little either E. or IV., as the
rocks between which we were so mercifully cast
were not above twenty yards distant. Soon after we
ran ashore a gentleman came through the surge to
us on horseback, who proved to be -My. Cadell, of
Cockenzie. He said he would give every assistance
in his power, and in a short time be brought a body
of his men, who were of great service to us in re-
moving a few things from the ship. He also took
us to his house, where he liberally regaled us, and
did everything to render us comfortable. When the
hurricane commenced I saw the schooner Napier, of
Sunderland, above us, and the Halifax had not been
on the main above five minutes when she was also
cast ashore. In the forenoon we visited our ship, and
found her a desolate wreck. However, we succeeded
in saving some of the materials on board, and among
other things, some of the fish which I caught in Aber-
lady Bay, which we cooked for. dinner. As we sat
down to eat them the mate said to me, Oh, Sir, did
you ever suffer so much in your life as since you
caught these ?' The mate's remark filled our hearts
so much with gratitude to God for preserving us,
that for some time we could not partake of the food
before us, and I hope I will never forget His mercy
in saving me four times from the terrors of the deep."