The Sun.
London, England, 1840-12-28 00:00:00

CAPITAL NEWSPAPER PROPERTY:

THE ESSEX, HEIRS, AND KENT
MERCURY, averaging during the past year a weekly
circulation of between 1,000 and 1,100, and established about
twenty years; printed partly in London, and partly in Col-
chester. The ESSEX and SUFFOLK TIMES (or old
COLCHESTER and CHELMSFORD GAZETTE), with
a weekly circulation above three hundred, established
more than twenty-seven years ; and the IPSWICH EX-
PRESS, a recently undertaken paper, which in little more
than a year has reached a weekly circulation beyond five
hundred, with a very promising advertising connection, will
be offered FOR SALE, by J. S. SURRIDGE, at the Auc-
tion Mart, London, without any reserve, To.Moartow, at
Twelve, for One precisely.
There is also an excellent Office and Materials at Colches-
ter for conducting a Newspaper, or any other printing busi-
ness—for a Newspaper it is complete.
The Machine, used a little more than a year, is on the most
approved principle, by Napier, and will work off 1,000 eopies
in the hour.

Particulars and Conditions of Sale may be had at the Auc-
ion Mart, and Garroway's London.

ATESSRS. HOW and PARSONS inform
IVA. the Trade that the undermentioned PERIODICALS
will be published on the Ist of January :
MR. and MRS. HALL'S IRELAND, Part 111., with
Nineteen Engravings, price 2s. 6d.
The FLORISTS' JOURNAL, No. XI., with a Coloured
Engraving of Mr. Christy's Cereus, price 6d.
The ENGLISH JOURNAL, No. 1., with a Story by Miss
Mitford, price lid.
Prospectuses of each of the ahoy* works may be had on ap-
plication.

132, Fleet.street.

MR. RICHARD O.ISTLER.

We find that our old antagonist, for we never were

disposed to consider him an enemy—though he often
assumed that character—is at present lodged in the
Fleet Prison, at the suit of his late roaster, Mr. Thorn-
hill, for a debt contracted while he had the stewardship
at Fixby Hall. Mr. Oastler is one of the numerous
victims of ultra-ism that have passed' over the political
stage during the last twenty years;and his example is
striking and instructive. We well recollect the time
when he brought one of ,his first letters to this office on
the factory sysgem. We recollect, too, that, agreeing
with him in many respects as to the abuses in that sys-
tem, we took much trouble to prevail on him to mode-
rate his tone, end use more discriminating language ;
but our endeavours were in vain, and the rei ction of
that and other epistles of the same character soon pro-
duced for us as large ashare of his vituperation as the
factory masters themselves. We have marked his pro-
gress, step by stop, or rather • stride by stride, and we
have seen the amelioration of the condition of the fac-
tory children, partly under the influence of his fervent
exertions, but from Want of discretion he lost his repu-
tatio❑ as a man o:. judgment, and he fell into vlolent
denunciations that greatly impaired his usefulness. In
the midst of his fervour in the cause of humanity, there
is too much reason to suppose that he was not suffi-
ciently attentive to the duties of his situation, and his
expenditure almost imperceptibly in the company he
kept, and the displays be made, began to exceed his in-
come, although that was very handsome, and the delu-
sion, fostered by a specious of popular appiau.2e, for
which he had an insatiable thirst, came over him, that
his frieu•ls were•so.numerous amongst the enemies of
what Mr. Fielded calls the ";bastiles," that, if he
should be ejected from Fixby Hall, an " Oastler Fond "
,vould be raised for him, so ample as to retrieve his cir-
cumstances, and to place him in a situation of opulence
little short of Thornhill himself! Fatal delusion ! He

IOSt his situation ;a subscription was opened for him

Mr. Fielden, of Tomorden, and Mr. Wood, of Brad:
ford, subscribed to the Oastler Fund, but their sub-
scriptions, which were almost the only ones of any
roomtnt, sunk into insignificance in comparison to the
sacrifices that Mr. Oastler had made, and the deficiency
in the accounts with his master. The subscription proved
an utter failure. The cheers of the violent are generally
empty sounds. Poor " King Richard" fell from his high
estate, and he is now, as we have said, incarcerated
within the four walls of the Fleet. We see that the
delusion of another subscription for Mr. Oastler is held
out by the Leeds Intelligencer, and those newspapers
which have, for their own ends, already so grossly de-
ceived him; but it will prove like the phantoms that
preceded it. The Act for the Relief of Insolvent Debtors
will probably soon terminate his imprisonment, and his
example will, we hope, lead others to the conclusion
that the best mode of advancing any public object is by
reason and moderation, and that the effect of violence
is always either to injure the cause or the advocate,and
generally both.—Leeds Mercury.

Box.—The staunch Reformers of this town
who have so often distinguished themselves by their zea
and consistency in the advocacy of Liberal principles
rightly concluded that the scurrility of the Gazette, in
its attacks on Mr. Sidney Smith, could only have arisen
from his efficiency in exposing Tory corruption ; they
therefoie resolved to secure his services at Box, and
applied to the vicar for the use of the Church School,
which was refused, on the ground that he (the vicar)
did not understand the subject; and that it was a ques-
tion on which much difference of opinion existed I We shall
not stop to point out the great dereliction of social duty
which this confession of ignorance implies, The Dis-
senters followed the example of the Church, on the
ground that +he question was political. To feed the
hungry sad clothe the naked political !!! Was not the
striking the fetters from the slave political ?—ls not the
overturning of the Pagan's Established Church, and put-
ting i❑ its stead the religion of the Gospel, political ?
why, then, Anti-slavery Societies, or Missionary Meet-
ings? We pause for a reply. In the dilemma of this
double refusal, the large room of the Swan was secured
for Friday evening, when Mr. Smith delivered a lecture
of upwards of two hours' duration, to a most respectahle
and deeply attentive audience. After the address, the
mode of operation for the agitation of the repeal of the
Corn-laws, was discussed at the Bear Inn, and determined
upon.— Wiltshire Independent.
SIR MOSES MoNTEFloßE.—Yesterday a
meeting of gentlemen of the Jewish persuasion was held
in the vestry-room of the synagogue, in Bevis Marks, for
the purpose of considering the best means of testifying
to Sir Moses Montefiore, on his return from the East,
their gratitude for his generous and successful exertions,
in the cause of humanity, and in behalf of their persecuted
brethren in Damascus. Mr. H. de Castro was unani-
mously called to the chair, and the meeting was addressed
by Baron Rothschild, Messrs. Ellis, Moreton, liyams,
Lucas, Cohen, and other eminent Jewish merchants in the
city ; who eulogised in the warmest terms, and amidst
great applause, the benevolent and munificent character
of Sir Moses Mantefiore and his Lady. Several prelimi-
nary resolutions were agreed to, and a committee was
appointed to take measures which will be submitted to a
future meeting.
Captain Grey, the New Governor of South
Australia, will sail for the seat of his government early
next week. Captair. Grey bad interviews with the Colo-
nization Commissioners for South Australia on Monday
and Thursday, for the purpose of receiving his instructions
as Resident Commissioner,—.South Australian Record.

REGISTRATION OF LETTERS.

The following official correspondence will serve to
set at rest any doubts that may have prevailed as to the
intention of the proposed scheme for the registration of
letters, which, according to a recent announcement by
the I'ost•office authorities, is to come into operation on
rnd after the 6th of January next :

6 TO TIIE RIGIIT HON. THE EARL OF LICHFIELD, PaST-

MASTER-GENERAL, &C.

" My Lord,—The official announcement issued from
the General Yost-office, respecting the adoption of a
system for the registration of letters, commencing on the
6th of January next, has naturally excised much attention,
more particularly amongst persons who, like myself, hap-
pen to be engaged in trade, and cons2quantly in the habit
of receiving or transmitting bank-notes or negotiable se.
curities through the past. The principle of the scheme is,
I believe, imperfectly understood. This will, I trust,
plead my apology with your Lordship for thus intruding on
your attention.

" The risk that has hitherto existed in the transmiss!on
of money letters was, perhaps, one of the greatest evils
that could befal a commercial country. Without some
safe medium of communication business cannot be carried
on. Merchants, factors, and tradesman of every descrip-
tion make their engagements with a dependence upon the
punctuality of their correspondents, and relying on the
fidelity of the post. Thoy too frequently suffer from the
culpable negligence of both. Against the former evil no
remedy can be provided. With respect to the latter, it is,
I humbly submit, the duty of the Government (the Post-
office being a Government department, returning a large
annual revenue to the State) to guard against disappoint-
ment in the delivery of all letters entrusted to its charge,—
and not that only,—but to indemnify the public against all
loss, whatever the amount.

" I am aware, my Lord, that this doctrine is at vari-
ance with the principle of non-responsibility hitherto as-
sumed and acted upon by every Government since the
General Post-office was first established. Nevertheless, it
is, I conceive, the only intelligible mode by which the mo-
netary circulation of the country can be placed upon a cer-
tain and satisfactory basis. Were the Post-office held le-
gally liable to make good all proved losses, there would,
perhaps, be a diminution of revenue on the year's acc3unt,
but the benefit that would accrue to the public would far
outweigh any merely pecuniary consideration.
" The fundamental error of the present system consists
in treating the post as a source of national income, rather
than as a purely national accommodation.
" But I am digressing. With these truisms, I make
no doubt your Lordship is already sufficiently acquainted.
I would now respectfully, but earnestly, solicit your Lord-
ship's attention to the more immediate subject upon which
I venture to ask for information—l mean the proposed
scheme for the registration of letters. I trust to your
Lordship's courtesy, if not to your sense of official duty,
as the head of an important public department, for explicit
reply upon the following points :
" 1. Is it proposed that the scheme of registration shall
extend to all post-offices in the United Kingdom ?
" 2. Is the registration fee of one shilling to be con-
sider: d in the nature of an insurance ?

" 3. In the event of a letter being stolen or lost in tran-
situ, upon which the registration fee had been paid, such
letter being proved to have contained either cash, bank-
notes, or checks payable at sight, is it proposed in such
case, that th© Post-office shall indemnify the party to whom
such remittance would of right belong, had such letter
come to hand in due course ?

" Should your Lordship's reply, to the latter question
more especially, be in the affirmative, the commercial
world will hail the introduction of this plan of letter regis-
tration as the wisest and most practically useful reform
ever yet effected in the Post-office. _ _

" I have the honour to be, Sec.,
" ROBERT MINTER.
" 47, Aldermanbu7y, City, Dec. :21, 1840.

" General Post.effice, 24th December, 1840.

" Sir,—l am directed to acquaint you, in reply to your
inquiries, that the system of registration of letters will ex-
tend to all post towns throughout the United Kingdom, and
that although the system will give additional security to the
conveyance of letters through the Post-office, the depart-
ment will not incur any responsibility whatever in regard to
the content: of any letters.—l am sir, &c.
" W. L. M A BER LE Y, Secretary:
" Mr. Robert Minter, 47, Aldermanbury."

AGGREGATEMILETING OF IRISH

REFORMERS.

(From the Dublin Evening Post of last Saturday.)
We have the gratification to announce that it has been
determined to hold a meeting of Reformers in this City,
about the middle of the ensuing month, once more to
assert the right of Ireland to equal franchises and institu-
tions with England and Scotland—to proclaim their deter-
mination never to be content with less—more they do not
seek.

This meeting is to take place upon the eve of a Ses-
sion of Parliament, during which the entire strength of
the Tories is to be concentrated in a renewed attempt to
pass the Bill of Lord Stanley for repealing, in practical
effect, the Irish Reform Bill and the Emancipation
Act. This, then, is the moment for a vigorous and si-
multaneous action upon the part of the friends of peace
and good government in Ireland. Under these circum-
stances, it rejoices us exceedingly to be able to state that
all sections of Reformers, however differing upon abstract
points, are thoroughly united in this movement, which so
deeply concerns the welfare of their common country.
Amongst the names already attached to the requisition are
those of the Earls of Charlcmont and Fingall, Lords Lur-
gan, De Freync, Brabazon. and Clements; Daniel O'Con-
nell, O'Conor Don, Sir W. Som-rville and Sir Michael
Bellew, George Evans, Fitzstephen French, Thomas
Anthony Stoughton, William Sharman Crawford, David
R. Ross, Pierce Mahony, John Hatchell, George Roe,
Peter Purcell, and an host of others, embracing all sec-
tions of the great Reform party.

INCENDIARY FIRE.— On Sunday morning,
between one and two o'clock, a fire, e%idently occasioned
by an incendiary, was d,scovered in one of the stack-
yards of Mr. James Cropley, a very extensive farmer at
Ely. Immediate alarm was given to the iNhabi!ants, by
whom great exertions were made for several hours to
check the progress of the flames, end to save the house
and buildings, and part of the corn. The fire was not got
under until some time after day-light, by which time
eight, out of nine i:rge wheat stacks, were consumed.
The property was ensured in the Globe Office, and we
understand the cl...nage is estimated at about 1,2001. For-
tunately there was no wind, or there is every reason to
fear that the fire would have extended to an adjoining
stack-yard belonging to Mr. Lawrence, which contained
fourteen or fifteen stacks, principally of wheat, &.., all of
whi.:ll were within 100 yards of the stacks burnt, and
some within as ninny feet.
Slit GEORGE CAYLEY'S AIR-ENGINE.—Buth
in England and France many unsuccessful attempts have
been mule to convert air into a motive power ; Sir George
Cayley has at length succeeded. The public will have an
opportunity of judging for themselves of the value of this
discovery, so soon as a locomotive carriage, now in pro-
gress of manufacture, can be got ready. The principle of
the new engine is easily explained—the details we re-
serve for another occasion. Air is compressed by the
pump into a teceiver, to be used when wanted. Motion
is communicated to the wheels by pistons acted upon
by the air, which is rarefied by beat in its passage
from the receiver to the cylinders, where it acts upon
the piston rod much in the same way that steam does.
Thus, to communicate motion to a piston, a portion of the
air in then ceiver is forced by compression into tubes sub.
jected to heat, and from thence, in its ratified state, it
rushes to the cylinders as the only place of escape. Motion
is accordingly produced. The power, which was under
perfect cantrol, was capable of immediate increase or de-
crease, the expense of fuel followed exactly the same ratio
as the power which is one of the peculiarities of this en-
gine. If it were stopped for a minute or any number of
m;nutes, or for half an hour, no less of fuel took
place; that is to say, no loss takes place while the engine
stands idle. No water is required—a serious considers
tion ; and the consumption of coke is only from four to five
pounds weight per horse power per mile. The air
engine, by obviating the necessity of carrying water, and
by obtaining the full power from combustion in the most
economical manner, bids fair to be applicable on many oc-
casions where the steam engine is inconvenient, and to vie
with it in power. We are extremely anxious to see the
new machine At work.—Front the Polytecynic Journa
ti.,r December.

The proceedings in the Marylebone Vestry yes-
terday possess more than ordinary interest, from the una-
nimous feeling expressed in favour of the plan for supply
ing London with pure and wholesome water, from the
valley of Chalk Hills, near Watford. Some of the speak-
ers narrated instances of the monstrous exactions of the
existing monopolies, while others dilated on the gross and
deleterious character of the water itself. Both are well
known. Parliament has taken the matter up repeatedly,
and always came to the same result, but un-
fortunately without being able to find an adequate
remedy. A Mr. Pawn is the originator of this
highly lauded project of bringing water from the
neighbourhood of Watford, and the under-springs of
the earth, which project has; been most minutely examined
and most elaborately reported upon by Mr. Robert Ste-
phenson. the eminent engineer, praised by the Marquis of
Westminster in the House of Lords, and taken up by a
company called " the London and Westminster Water
Company," of which Sir Francis Burdett appears to be
chairman, and Sir Charles Grey, Sir Henry Halford, Mr.
Mackinnon, M.P., Dr. Hamilton Roe, and Dr. Paris, arc
of the committee. The vestry of Marylebone never did
a more useful thing than in lending its aid to so impoi tent
a measure as this.— Obscr
The Great Western Railway was opened to the
Wootton Bassett-road station on Thursday last, since
which time all the Bath and Bristol coaches that had pre-
viously joined the Railway at Farringdon or Reading,
have been under the control of the Directors, and now
run only between Wootton Bassett and Bath, The White
Hart, Emerald, and other well-appointed coaches, that
had for many years passed through Devizes, have now
ceased to run this way ; but there arc still two by day
• and one by night regularly passing through this town to
and from the Wootton Bassett. road station. —II' iltshire
Independent.
A B EAUTY.—A letter from j\luskau announces
the death of the Abyssinian woman, so celebrated for her
beauty, whom Prince Puckler Muskau brought with him
sime time since to Germany.

arm a' . excit ewer.
tants living in the Easterit yerflua...,
most dreadful and destructive 4
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immense pile of buildings forming the sea .rt. met ,
c w.„
property of Messrs.Goodhart and Son, .agar Th
and refiners, situate in Ratellifo.-highway.
appoi ne
extendedaLl 3°l
nnifogiclsnht e hdwsooe acvn yeodr.%D' tleoi
oernoeicki covered
Theds adge. yn-pht
depth
hwixeuitei seunreenne: entire ti or'ei
p'
Hundreds,
edge tPlisni , ni t'
Pennington-s.
belongingci
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61
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society, rushed to the spot to render a.'sistikg.c4. . t,
fierce were the flames that it was out of al: btx , '414
to arrest their progress. They extended 1.-eta at 052.-:
story with a rapidity that was surprising, ant!' with;;
twenty minutes the entire of the upper portmn of lir
building presented one entire blaze, and the flame.; PI
to an immense altitude. The moment the alarm% is
given, information was carried by one of the i talia''
bitanta to the Fire Brigade Station, in Wellc loseL
square, which is situate within two hundred yard La 1
the fire. The engines were turned out, and imn 1, `l..i.
ately proceeded to the spot ; they were as soon as 't 704
sible got into operation, but the firemen had corn i 0 . .4
able difficulty in obtaining a position to play into &t.
fire, in consequence of the loftiness of the buildiug : a.• .
its confined situation. In a few minutes after th a •
rival of the above-named engine, a powerful body cf , ft
H division of police came up, headed by their %Wmu n •
tendant, Mr. Pearce. and numerous inspectors o 1 aill
division ; they cleared the streets adjacent to the si ). t
and blockaded them up, for the purpose of allowing milk let, '
room for the operation of the firemen. Shortly aftt t`,l
the engine and brigademen from the station in Jeffe-y-'4
square arrived, and other aid from Watling-stree :a.;.'i
Schoolhouse lane, Whitecross-street, Farringdon-stre• It i.'
,Holborn, Southwark-bridge-road, and Morgan-lane s al
Lions, reached the scene of destruction very shortly aft. Ir '
Numerous other engines belonging to the parish of : i
George's-in-the-East, and the London and St. Kati *,
tine's docks, were brought to the spot in the mean tii ie's
and every one of them were brought to play on ! hr
burning property:
Long before nine o'clock the sugar house, from t b ,
basement to the roof was on fire, And although b) %
that period no fewer than twelve large engi lei .
were throwing their utmost power into the buildi lA. A
it seemed to have not the slightest effect. At abr. 44. ;
nine it was discovered that the flames had extended 9 r
the dwelling-house of Mr. Goodhart, No. 2, in Ri t. :
cliffe-highway, and also to the, counting-house, ar
dwelling of the foreman of the premises, adjoiniugai
These premises were three stories high, and in less the
fit
a quarter of an hour after, they were burned to toe)
ground. The appearance of the fire by ten o'clock waA '
most alarming, and threatened the neighbourhood wit.
destruction, but in half an hour after, the firemen g .4 4
the better of the terrible clement, and prevented it o ei
casioning further destruction than above stated. Ti A
engines, however, continued to throw torrents of wet n
on the flames, which raged with violence during ti le
day. A frightful accident occurred at about t• m
minutes past nine o'clock, by the eastern wall of ti so
sugar house giving way, and falling on sees• all.
firemen, who were beneath. The poor fellows, four i
number, namely, Robert Loader, belonging to Watlir Iv-
street station ; Richard Harris, Joseph Arkhc le,
and another belonging to Wellelose-square, w ere
standing under an extensive shed, belong
,ing
to Mr. Branton, gingerbeer-maker, adjoining idr.
Goodhart's premises, directing the stream from frhe
engine branches into the basement of the sugar-hot .se,
through the lower windows of the premises. They va er
alarmed that the wall was falling, and were endeavor ur•
ing to escape, when the whole wall came down a eel
buried them under the roof of the shed. It was nee: -ly
a quarter of an hour before the poor fellows could be
dug out of the ruins, owing to the intense heat. Load .1-
was dreadfully crushed and burnt, and one of his leg,:r
broken in several places. The others were also greatly
injured and burned, and they were all immediately taken
to Guy's Hospital, where they still remain. Loader hs a,
had the broken leg amputated. He is a young mar ~
and but recently married. Since the above wail writte .n
an inquiry has been gone into by the Insurance office .a
as to the cause of the fire. It appears that there lam
been no fire in the sugar-house for several days past ,
nor have there been any lights whatever iu the built -
ing. Suspicions are entertained that the fire has t it
been an accident. The loss is very great ; it is estimati d
at 25,0001. The property is insured to the extent .ot
16,0001. in the Scottish Union and Imperial Fire-officvs.