The Sun.
London, England, 1841-01-20 00:00:00

IRELAND.

MR. O'CoNNELL —The Drogheda correspondent of the
Pilot supplies the following intelligence :

" BELFAST, SATIMDAY NIGHT,-NINE O'CLOCK.— YOU
Will be happy to hear the Liberator arrived here safe and
well at seven o'clock this evening.
,The town is gairi-
soiled by 1 500 fine troops. You see bow very careful
they are of Ls. The excitement here is beyond description.
The Irish Correspondent of a Contemporary writes:—
" T'ne violent Orange party appear to be sadly disap_
pointed at not hiving a brush' with the O'Connellites :
but, from all I can learn, the Roman Catholics in this part
of the north have so greatly increased of late years that
they would be fully able to defend themselves, if any at-
tack were made. . However, the Government have wisely
taken such precautionary measures that no such collision
can take place, and the O'Connell party, even before his
arrival, had announced their determination to have no pro-
cession on the occasion of Mr. O'Connell's entrance.
" The military forces will be stationed in various parts
of the town on Monday, when the dinner to Mr. O'Connell
is to take place."

FIRE AT BERMONDSEY.—This morning, about
four o'clock, a destructive fire broke out on the premises
occupied by Mr. Wrleher, tallow-melter, Crucific-lane,
Bermondsey. It appears that the tire originated in the
warehouse, but from what cause cannot at present be as-
certained. From the early hour at which the fire coal-
nienced, and foam the inflinunable nature of the materials,
the flame had attained a terrific ascendancy before any
aesistance could be rendered, or any engines had arrived.
On their arrival the firemen immediately commenced
operations, and, having a pien:iful supply of water, suc-
ceeded, by great exertions, in confining the fire to the
area in which it commenced, the adjoining buildings being
out partially injured, but it was not till nearly half-past
Seven o'clock that the fire was got under—even at ten
u'cl( ck the firemen were still playing on the ruins, which
mined vast columns of smoke. The whole of Mr.
Wilder's extensive warehouse, covering a space of about
a quarter of an acre, is completely destroyed, merely the
'care walls of the dwelling-house are left standing. Un-
fortunately a very valuable cart-horse was burnt to a
eind..r, although every effort was made to ,rave it. The
greater portion of the valuable stock of raw and manufac,
lured tallow, &c., has become a prey to the flames. The
brewery and store-house belonging to Messrs. Cox, and
Mr. Harrison, the woolstapler's, warehouse, were consi.
&nib!). injured, and some damage done to the surround.
in,, buildings. The amount of damage cannot at present
be estimated, but is supposed to exceed 4,0001. It is un-
derstood the parties are all insured.

CHANCE.Ry COURT-(THIS DAY.)

IiAPN ARP V. PO!\II7TT

'Tie Loan CHANCELLOR gave Judgment to-day io
this case, which came before the Court upon appeal
from the decision of the Master of the Rolls. The
question in the case was, whether an executor, having
admitted assets to pay legacies, and being obliged
afterwards to apply those assets in payment of the
testator's debts, was bound to pay those legacies. The
Master of the Rolls decided that he was, and from that
decision the present appeal was brought. His Lord-
ship was clearly of opinion that the judgment of the
Court below was correct, and dismissed the tippgial with
costs.

BUCKERIDGE V. GLASSE.
His LORDSHIP also gave judgment in this easo, re-
versing the decree of the Vice-Chancellor, which dis-
missed the bill with costs.

VICE-CHAN CERY.-(THIS DAY.)

BANNATYNE V. LEADER.

The further arguments in this case occupied the
Court the whole day.

QUEEN'S BENCH.-(THIS I)AY.)

(Sittinv,s in Banco.)

THE QUEEN V. THOS. lIOPKIN3 AND THE COMMISSION
ERS OF THE BOSTON COURT OF REQUESTS.

In this case a rule had been obtained calling upon
the defendants to show cause why a writ of mandamus
should not issue, directed to them, commanding them
to deliver to Meaben Statuelan, who had been duly
elacted Clerk of the Commissioners, certain books and
papers, which he was entitled to hold by virtue of his
clbce.

Sir F. PoLeocx now appeared to show cause-against
the return. The return which had been machc to the
writ by the Commissioners was, that they had no power
or control over any papers or documents connected with
the office of Clerk ef:t he Court of Requests, and there •
fore they could not deliver up the same. Tne return
of Mr. Hopkins was to the effect that by the provisions
of the Act 47 Geo. 111., the Mayor and Aldermen,
under the eld Municipal Act, and not the Town Coun-
cil, under tho new Act, were the proper persona to ap-
point to the dffice of Clerk of the Court of Requests;
that Mr. Stamelan had been appointed by the latter,
and that at. the time of his appointment he ( Mr. Sta.
rnelan) was a Councillor of the borough, and by virtue
thereof inca'pacited from filling the office of Clerk of the
Court of Requests ; that he ( Hopkins) had been duly
nominated and appointed by a majority of the Alder-
men, and by virtue of his office claimed to retain these
documents. There were two points for the considera-
tion of the .Court. First, it being admitted that the
Town Council elected Mr. Stamelan, and that the
Mayor and Aldermen elected Mr. Hopkins, the ques-
tion was, which of these two elections was the valid one.
The other question was, whether Mr. Stamelan at the
time of his appointment, being a Councillor, was in a con-
dition to be elected to the office of Clerk of the Court of
Requests. The Learned Counsel, after referring to se-
veral authorities on the subject, submitted that the return
made by Mr. Hopkins was bad and insufficient, arid that
a peremptory mandamus to compel the delivery of the
books and papers, ought to go.

Su. WILLIAM FOLLETT took a preliminary objec-
tion to the rule on the ground that the whole of the
facts had not been disclosed to the Court at the time
the applicatiin was made. It was clear from what
had now been stated, that it was an attempt to decide
the right to.a' disputed election, both parties claiming
to have been duly elected ; and the Court would at once
see that that was a proceeding which could not be done
by mandamus.

The COURT was of opinion that the objection was
good.—Rule discharged.

BAIL;•COURT.-(THIS DAN.)

(Before Mr. Justice WILLIAMS )
His LoaDsHIP heard several motions in the early
part of this morning, but they were ail of them devoid
of every feature of public interest.

(Sittings at Nisi Prins.)
ALEXANDER V. LINGFORD.

This case, which was an action on a bill of exchange
for 8001., had been special-ly fixed for eleven o'clock
this day. When the Jury had gone into the box, and
the case was called on, it appeared that neither of the
counsel for the plaintiff were present.
On the plaintiff's attorney being asked what gentle-
men he had instructed, he replied that he had given
briefs to Mr,Ylatt and Mr. Wightman.

On inquiry it appeared that Mr. Wightman was at
that moment engaged in speaking in another Court, and
that Mr. Pratt had not been seen about the Courts
during the morning.
The Attorney then said that he had, since the case
had been called on, given a brief to Mr. Petersdorff,
who shortly after entered the Court, and proceeded with
the case.
Mr. IticHARDs and Mr. HUMPIIREY appeared for
the defence,,iwhich was that the defendant's signature
as endorser wets a forgery. Considerable laughter was
excited during the course of the trial by the cross-exa-
mination of the accepter's brother, from which it ap-
peared that the accepter was living either rah the
drawer of the bill or her mother—that he was exten-
sively engaged in bill transactions—that he had not
been living as a gentleman, but in the style of a gentle-
man, for the last three years, upon nothing.
The jury returned a verdict for the defendant.

DREADFUL DISASTERS AT SUN
DEEtLAND BY THE FLOODS.

SUNDERLAND, JAN. 18.—Never within the memory of
the oldest inhabnant has the shipping interest of this part
sustained, by sit er floods, damage and loss so extensive as
that which has this day been occasioned by the breaking
up of the ice in the river Wear.
The thaw and the heavy rains to the westward,
which prevailed for two or three days, bad led the
crews of the respective vessels to use every pre-
caution in securing them, so as to withstand the
pressure of she vast body of ice which would
inevitably, on its breaking up be borne along with
the ebbetide ; but notwithstanding the utmost vigilance on
the part of thetrewk and the river authorities, the harbour
from the entrance to the Hetton Coal Staiths, (a mile
and a half iiiilength), presents one vast scene of wreck
and confusion.
The main body of the ice, borne down with increased
rapidity by the floods, swollen by a continuance of rainy
weather, reached the harbour at about half-past four
o'clock this ,roorning, bearing away with sweeping
and irresistible sway all before it—driving front their
moorings (and; in some instances, with their
mooorings) upwards of 100 sail of ships, several steam-
boats, besides innumerable keels and other small craft, to-
gether with rafts of timber, all huddled together in the
most distressing confusion.
The scene which presented itself at day-break was truly
terrific, and is beyond description. Vessels entangled
with their broken masts, bowsprits, rudders, bulwarks,
stanchions, stems, sterns, bows, arid rigging, so as '
in many instarrees to render it impossible to identify
the respective. properties. The ice is so compactly
formed into pne solid and extended sheet that
it has remained immoveable during the whole of the
day, undisturbed by the flux and reflux of the tide, inter-
spersed, as we leave stated, with detached pieces of tim-
ber, broken spars, wrecked boats, and damaged keels, and
men and boys, Walking without trepidation, from side to
side, in pursuit of what they might find of value.
In the present confused scene, it is difficult to furnish
any thing like a-correct estimate of the damage done to
property, or of the number of lives lost, as several vessels
have drifted out' of the harbour, and it is hoped some are I
on board.
The following is a partial list of the vessels, which have
been driven from' their moorings and are laying about tbe
harhour in great confusion :—The fine brig Pilgrim, of
Lynn, sunk and almost a complete wreck in the middle
of the harbour,; William Henry, belonging to Suader_
land, sunk, stern-post and rudder given way, bulwarks and
stanchions stove in, and foremast carried away ; Kirton,
seriously deranged and sunk ; Resource, dismasted, broad-
side sent in, and decks partly carried away, supposed to be
past repair; Effete, sunk, and terribly damaged ; Ata-
lanta, bowsprit, bulwarks, and stern stove in ;
Thistle, lying atelletton Spouts, lost foremast, bowprit,
and sustained various other injuries ; Beeswing, driven
from Lambton's - Drops, foremast and top etanehions
carried away. The Hare, steamer, drove to sea, came
behind the south--pier, chore she became a total wreck ;
the Safety, steam-boat, lost; George and Ann, steamer,
lost ; Prince Albert, steamer, sunk, and much injured ;
Earl Durham, steam-boat, sunk, and greatly damaged ;
the Neptune, steam-boat, drove from Hetton Spouts
to the ferry-boat landing, having lost paddle-cases, paddles,
rudder, stanchions, and bulwarks. The brig Queen
Victoria, Sunderland, has lost foremast, main-topmaat,
main boom, bowsprit, and carried away her stern and a
considerable portion of her bulwarks ; a Rochester barge,
timber laden, drove behind the south pier, but was after.
wards towed into the harbour again ; Petrel, of Sunder-
land, lost bowsprit, and had her bulwarks stove ; a foreign
vessel (Dutch) was cut down to the water's edge, present-
ing, a most lamentable appearance ; the Era, of Rochester,
drove to sea without any living animal on board, save a dog ;
the brig Jean was driven to sea, arid has not yet been seen
or heard of; OW GAIIIIII,I was also driven to sea, with eirly
one boy on beard, but has sinee been reported to have got
into Haitiepool ; . and several other vessels, whose nettles
we have not been able to ascertain, were likewise forced
out by the pressure, some of which, having crews on board,
were brought up in the roadte and afterwards towed in ;
but the number missing is not correctly known, such is the
general confusion.
A poor boy, while in the act of leaving a ship which
was in imminent danger, by means of a rope, was unfortu-
nately- cut in two owing to the vessel he was leaving closing
with another ship near Mark Quay. He was the het one
left on bard, the others having succeeded in getting front
her. The coal drops and part of lietton-spouts were
carried away by ships coming in contact with them, anti
several of the Sunderland and Durham Railway Corn-
pany's stacks sustained partial injury.
The most disastrous and melancholy case is that of the
brig Newby, which lies bottom up across the I:111bour
mouth, and must become a total wreck. This vessel was
drivee against the north pier, and the crew, Severn in
number, were with great difficulty and immense danger
drawn on to the pier by means of a rope, throws on beard
by Mr. Garthwaite, dock•master= the men oue after the