The Sun.
London, England, 1847-07-08 00:00:00

LONDON, TWURSD.AY

AGUICULTURAL STATISTICS.

Mr. NEWDEGATE wished to know from the Right
Hon. the President of the Board of Trade when the
returns would be laid upon the table of the House, which
he had moved for some time since, with respect to agri-
cultural statistics.

Mr. M. GIBSON hoped to be able to inform the Hon.
Member to-morrow when the returns would be ready.
The Board of Trade had no control whatever over the
preparation of the returns.
GOVERNOR OF MALTA.

In answer to a question from Mr. HORSEMAN,
Mr. HAWES stated that Sir Patrick Stewart had re-
signed his office of Governor of Malta in consequence
of his having been refused leave of absence. Upon a
former occasion Sir Patrick Stewart had had leave of
absence, and Government did not think it consistent
with the public service to grant it a second time.
CHARGE AGAINST MR. HUME.

On the question that the order of the day be read for
going into Committee on the Destitute Persons (Ireland)
Bill,
Mr. SPOONER said it had been his intention upon

that occasion to bring a matter under the consideration
of the House of which he had given notice, but he did
not feel himself justified in doing so in the absence of the
Hon. Member for Montrose. He begged therefore to give
notice that upon the order of the day being read to-
morrow, he should bring a subject under the attention of
the House which would imperatively require the Hon.
Gentleman the Member for Montrose to give some
explanation upon it.—(Cries of " What is it ?")
Mr. B. OSBORNE said the Hon. Gentleman the
Member for Birmingham ought to state what the subject
or charge was. He did did not think it fair to bring
forward a sort of shadowy charge like this, to which
the Hon. Member for Montrose could not return a specific
answer.
Mr. SPOONER said he had taken care to specify in a
note to Mr. Hume what the charge was.
THE COLLIERY EXPLOSION AT WIGAN.
Mr. HINDLEY would take that opportunity of urging
upon the Government the necessity of instituting an
inquiry into this lamentable occurrence.
Sir G. GREY said a coroner's inquest was now being
held upon the bodies of the sufferers ; but should it ap-
pear, at the close of the evening, that any further hives-
' Ligation was necessary, Government would take care
to institute it.

(LEFT SITTING.)

A TIPPERARY LASS AND A
BOLD DRAGOON!

A gallant young cavalry officer, stationed not a hun-
dred miles from Clonmel, was returning to his quarters
on escort duty, on a certain day, in the early part of
last week. His party were proceeding quietly along
the road, when the officer rode up to a remarkably fine,
intelligent, well-dressed young woman, who was pro-
ceeding in the same direction as the military heroes.
The officer engaged in conversation with the sprightly
fair one, and he was so "taken," with her engaging
manners and appearance that he dismounted and walked
by her side, until they reached the avenue gate, lead-
ing to the residence of the Rev. Mr. Heffernan, parish
priest of Clerihan. "'lt is here my father lives,"
slyly said the lady, and as it is just dinner hour,
you will be welcome to join us; (she well know-
ing that the enamoured swain could not leave his
troop). It would be impossible for me to accept your
kind invitation, as I am on duty," replied the gallant
son of Mars. Well, sir, said she, you will confer a high
compliment on me, by accepting my invitation to dine
with us on to morrow evening, and as my father, who is
advanced in years, is very particular, don't be later than
five o'clock. May I bring a friend With me.' inquired
the officer ? Your friend shall be as welcciree as your-
self, was the answer. The parties separated, and
the next evening, about five o'clock, two martial-
looking youths, might be seen wend their way to-
wards the lucspitable residence of Father Heffernan
dressed in the most captivating style, their hyperion
curls, and mustachios, shining brightly and scented odi-
ferously with " Rowlands Macassar." They arrive at
the door, the double tantararara is answered—the visi-
tors walk into the parlour, and see before them, not the
object of their fond wishes, but Father Heffernan him-
self, with spectacles on nose, engaged reading a work on
Dogmatic theology. " Well, gentlemen," said his Re-
vereixe, can Ido anything for you ? " "We came to
dinner," was the answer. "To dinner ! Who invited
you," said the astonished priest—" I am done dinner this
hour." "Your daughter," was the reply. "My daugh-
ter," said Father Heffernan, " why, I'm only a poor
priest, and I never had a daughter, nor never will." An
explanation took place—a Lull confession of the whole
affair was made to his reverence—a description of the
fair one was given—and, after an immoderate fit of
laughter, the priest exclaimed, " Peggy Quinn, Peggy
Quinn, you'll never be done with your tricks ! " and
then looking at the chief actor, he said, " Go home, you
fool, and learn sense." The humbugged lothario, with his
no less chop-fallen comrade, bade the poor priest a good
evening, and wended their way home in no very agree-
able or comfortable mood.—Tipperary Constitution.

THE MAYOR AND THE PUDDING.—A very fashion
able dish in London just now, and a most exquisite
dish in the goodly line it is, is what is called an ice
pudding. It is of the genus ice cream, but a most
splendid species of the family. It comes on with the
sweet course, and has the deceptive appearance of
being a smoking hot plum pudding. The delusion
is sometimes increased by a litttle chimney, with
a flame proceeding from it, being placed in the centre,
so as to make it wear a most " all hot, all hot " look in
the eye of the unsuspecting gourmand who sees it for
the first time. Not many months since a chief magistrate
of Liverpool, not the present one, dined with the Lord
Mayor of London. Spying the fiery chimney in the
middle of the delicious looking pudding, he booked him-
self for a slice. When it was set before him, thinkino-
how very hot it must be, he stirred it round and round
upon his plate until he fancied that he had reduced it to
the requisite coolness, the good citizens all the time
watching his preceedings, and anticipating what
would come next. At last, all fears of burn-
ing his mouth being, as he fancied, over, in went a
spoonful, which none but a whale or an alderman
or a mayor would dream of bolting at once. And
then came the scene. His worship mistook the icy
coldness of the pudding for scorching heat—puff—
cough —hem— hem—splutter splutter out it came,
much more rapidly than elegantly, upon his plate
again, to the horror of the exquisites present, but
to the infinite glee and mirth of the cockney por-
tion of the company. It is still a standing joke at
the Mansion-house, where it is often heard, "Will you
not taste a little of the Mayor of Liverpool's pudding?"
It would, doubtless, be doubly cold to the poor sufferer,
as he is a man rather of a fiery temperament himself.
Nobody ever thought him a nice Mayor, but as an ice
one, he comes nearer to it than ever he did before.—
Liverpool Albion.
DESPERATE BATTLE BETWEEN SMUGGLERS AND
CUSTOM-HOUSE OFFICERS.—Last week a Custom-house
officer of Hirson (Aisne), whilst on the watch, at about
eleven o'clock in the evening, saw a band of twelve men,
carrying packages, leave a wood. He fired his gun as a
signal for help, and rushed on the smugglers ; but the
gang, excited by their chief, surrounded the officer, and
struck him on the head, inflicting large wounds. In
the midst of the struggle several other Custom-house
agents came up, and a severe battle took place between
them and the smugglers. One of the latter wrested the
gun of one of the officers from him, and beat him with
the butt-end of it with such violence, that he broke it.
At last the victory fell to the Custom-house men, and
they succeeded in making four prisoners on the spot.
The chief of the gang being well known, he was sub-
sequently arrested.—Galignani.
AMERICAN Ica.—The vessel Virgilia, arrived at
the port of Liverpool from Boston, United States of
America, has brought, with articles of food and general
merchandise, 291 tons weight of ice. This is tne first
importation of the kind from the United States during
the present season, although one or two arrivals of ice
took place about three months since from the northern
ei
circumstance
rwcheml s
tknownahce
in
our(for
columns particular
o n
tlthhte time) that the supplies of ice
so
oalsotn
long
year of
eorfi'osdoo
of time
xt nt•
several
ee
mentionvgei
ro a niso
was
occasions
Europe.
madea t of
sive a nature, an
article of general commerce in the
list of imports
from America
from that great
fur
supplying country, and
there
now that they have once made a commencement,
l continue this year to an
is little doubt but that they
as to become quite an
For the same reason
(the intense cold of the past winter)there
is,
equal, if not, in consequence of the greater severity of
the past winter, increased, extent.
a much more extensive stock of ice of home production
in the metropolitan wells than was the case during the
past summer, when the scarcity of it was notorious, and
on
caused the foreign supplies to be bought up
with avidity,
which wan increased by the exceedingly hot weather
which then prevailed. There is, however, a peculiar
solidity and firmness about theis o
collected in the
American lakes which for various purposes is a great
advantage, and the
likeplyarctiaucusle it to
arpropmeratiinestaiwn.hiitcshacikt
aaw
pos-
sesses will very
(edged faxotir with the