The Sun.
London, England, 1847-04-12 00:00:00

-- - --- -
" TO THE HONOURABLE THE H(U6E 07 common'

IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLED.
" The humble petition of the undersigned inhabitants
of the Parliamentary borough of the city and
borough of Exeter—Sheweth,
" That one of your Honourable Members for Bath
(Mr. Roebuck) has very clearly and efficiently pointed
out in his seat in the House of Commons, that the land-
lords and tradesmen, officials, &c., &c., do not, in her
Majesty's kingdom, called Ireland, pay any assessed
taxes of any kind, or any income or property-tax
whatever.

" That in the part of her Majesty's dominions, called
England, all her subjects who hare 1501. per annum and
upwards, pay aid. and 7d. in the pound thereon, also all
the assessed taxes and window duties.

" This your petitioners consider extremely unjust, im-
politic and unfair, to the great detriment of good opinion_
and respect (which is the best safeguard of the Three
Estates), that every endeavour is faithfully used by the
Legislature for equal justice to all subjects in this realm.
" We, therefore, submit respectfully that your Honour-
able House will, without loss of time, remit us the
window duties and assessed taxes, and in lieu thereof
put on an income and property-tax on all property, trades,
professions, and offices in Ireland exactly as in England,
which we are well assured will add a great appreciation
of good Government, and much to her Majesty's crown
and dignity, in the affection of her dutiful subjects,—
and your petitioners will ever pray, &e. &c.
(Signed) " RICHARD HOLWELL.
&c. &c. &c."

10, Salutary-place.

LADIES CARRIAGES.—It is the intention of the di-
rectors o f the Great Western Railway to set apart one
division of a first-class carriage in every train for the
exclusive accommodation of ladies who travel without a
male companion. By this arrangement ladies with
first-class tickets, should they prefer this secluded
mode of travelling, will be able to avail themselves of
it, and thus be precluded incurring annoyances which
sometimes happen on the best regulated railways.
THE COBDEN NATIONAL TRIBUTE FUND.—Since
the last advertisement of subscriptions to this fund, wo
find that 55W. have been added, including I OW. from _ _

Jedediah Strutt, of Belper, and 50/. frotii Messr'. Petrie
and Co., of Bochdrik‘. The subscriptions are from many
pia:Ts, principally, however, from Bull, Belper, and Dun-
ferrnline, and chit fly in small sums. The totra amount of
of the subscriptions, as advertised here, now reaches
60,6921.—Manchc.ster Guardiun.

STATE OF THE FRENCH CORN MARKET.—lntelli-
gence from Havre, dated Thursday evening, announces
that the price of flour had ri-ea on that day rapidly, and
that but little wheat was in the market. New Orleans
flour, which on Monday paid 48f. the barrel, was sold on
Thursday morning at 51f., and in the evening at 52E
and 52f. 50c. A great number of purchasers had ar-
rived from Paris and Lower Normandy. The Nicolas,
from New Orleans, has come into port with 3,000 barrels
of flour and 1,100 hectos. of wheat. At Montvilliers,
near Havre, wheat had risen lf. to lf. 50c. the hecto.
The quantity of wheat exposed for sale is stated not to

have exceeded 250 sacks. From Lisle we learn that
wheat has falle❑ B.lc. the !net°. This downward move-

went was attributed prineipully to the tact of the Societe
de PI cyoyancQ having exposed a certain quantity for
sale. At Coulommiers (Seine-et-Marne) there was a
slight fall. At Valenciennes quotations were arm, but
little business doing. Yesterday, in the Paris market,
scarcely anything was done, both buyers and sellers
seeming determined to wait for the prices of this day. It
„ .

was said that purchasers had arrived from Orleans, where
the supplies were beginning to run short.
KING'S COLLEGE, LONDON.—The Council of this
College have appointed Mr Fearon, late interpreter to
the Chamber of Commerce at Canton, and Registrar
General at Hong Kong, to the Professorship of Chinese,
lately founded for the instruction of missionaries and
others intending to proceed to the dependencies of the
British Crown in China. The professor intends com-
mencing his course of lectures ou Wednesday, the 20th
instant.

FALL IN THE PRICE OF BREAD.—Throughout the
metropolis on Saturday a reduction of id. was made in
the price of bread both of the first and second quality.
A corresponding reduction was of course also made in
the price of flour, &c.
EXTRAORDINARY ATTEMPT AT SUICIDE IN
CLERRENWELL STATION-HOUSE. -- Yesterday John
Copeland, a man confined in Clerkenwell station house
on a charge of felony, attempted suicide by cutting his
right arm. The wound being of a very dangerous
nature, the divisional surgeon conveyed him, in a state
of insensibility, to the Roy al Free Hospital, in the
Gray's Inn-road, where he was immediately attended by
Mr. T. Cooke, the house surgeon of the institution.
GREAT WESTER RAILWAY, SWINDON.—When the
works at Swindon station are completed, which is ex-
pected at the beginning of June, the whole department
of building and repairing engines, with the exception of
the cast-ironwork, will be transferred to that manufac-
tory, where all the machinery, boilers, &c., will be made
and finished under the immediate superintendence of
Mr. Gooch, superintendent of locomotives to the com-
pany. The tires of all driving wheels, &c., will not only
be welded, but wrought and screwed there only, in the

manner recommended. At present the carriages, trucks,
and a portion only of the engines and tenders in use on
the line are manufactured at Swindon.
ACCELERATION OF TRAINS.—It is stated
the
ared-
rangements are now in progress to accelerate
of the express trains, which
and
perfornith e distance.
from
dwvice versa (193 f miles).
from Paddington to Exeter,
in four hours and a half. When completed, it is in-
its psenrformed in four
tended that the journey_
4sBh!gnal
hour, including
hours, being at the rate of i
stoppages.
OF A CANAL BOAT WITH ONE HUNDRED
AND SIXTY PASSENGERS ON BOARD..---011 Easter Tues-
day a large party from the neighbourhood of Tipton and
Darlston hired a boat, named the Euphrates (an old
market canal packet), to convey them for a holiday to
Birmingham. The packet started, filled with men,
women, and children, to the number of one hundred and
sixty, increasing in numbers as the boat went along, to
such an extent that many persons had to sit upon the
top, where also was a band of musicians. On reaching
Rolfe's Bridge, Smithwick, those on the top commenced
amusing themselves with rocking the boat, when sud-
denly she gave an unlucky heel, and in an instant
the musicians, together with the other outside pas-
sengers, were precipitated into the canal ; the water
entering the boat at the same moment, she
filled and sank. The scene which ensued beggars
description, the shrieks of the women and children
being heard at a great distance. Fortunately, at the
spot where the accident happened the water was not
more than between five and six feet deep, and although
the situation of the passengers was dangerous in the ex-
treme, their escape from drowning was very extraor-
dinary. There were at least seventy passengers in the
cabin, some of the windows of which were open, and
the water bad reached nearly five fe( t above the cabin
flooring. Those who had children were holding them
above their heads. screaming; franticly for help. With
considerable difficulty the whole of them were get out
alive and landed in safety on the canal banks. By the
kindness of the manager of a neighbouring glasswork,
the women an children were admitted into the works,
where they dried their clothes. Had the boat capsispd
instead of sinking down, there is no doubt but that the
' loss of life would have been most frightful —Suncrall
. t Paper.

PREVENTION, ETC., OF FIRES IN
TOWNS.
The following are the clauses relating to this subject
in the " Towns Improvement Clauses Bill" now before
he House of Commons:—
CLAUSE 107.—The party-walls of all buildings which
shall he erected after the passing of the Special Act
within the limits thereof, shall be carried through and
above the roof, to form a parapet of not, less than twelve
Inches in height, measured at right angles with the
slope of the roof above the covering of the roof
of the highest building to which such party-walls
belong ; and the external walls of all buildings
to be erected after the passing of the Special
Act, in or near any street, or within the curtilage of
ji n y house adjoining any street, and the coverings of
the roof thereof, shall be constructed of incombus-
tible materials ; and it shall not be lawful for the owner
of any building within the limits of the special Act,
Laying at the passing of the special Act a roof covered
with thatch or other combustible material, and con-
tiguous to or adjoining to any other building, to suffer
such covering to such root to remain for a longer periodc.t
than seven years after the passing of the special
A
akad every person who shall erect any building, or over
any roof, or suffer the covering of any ande who
contrary to the provision herein contained,roof to netinue
shall not remove or alter the same, within one month
(after notice shall have been given to him for that pur-
rose by the Commissioners,
lbe liable to a nalty,
'hot exceeding one pound, for every day that such build-
ing or covering to such roof shalwl
hso
cshonaltlinwuielf.
ully set or
CLAUSE 135.—Every person
chimney vk ithin the limits of
sense to be set on fire any
the Special Act, shall
:an be liable to a penalty not ex-
ceeding provided always, that nothing
lerein contained
shalln exempt the person so setting or
fivnPn
"causing to be set on fire any chimney from liability to
Xe indicted for felony.
136.—1 f any chimney shall accidentally catch
CLAUSE
go be on fire within the said limits, the person occupying
pr be using the premises in which such chimney shall be
'situated, shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding ten
ahillines : provided always that such forfeiture shall
slot be incurred if such person shall prove to the satis-
faction of the justice before whom such ease shall be
beard, that such fire was in no wise owing to omission,
nlect, or carelessness of himself or servant.
CLAUSE 137.—The Commissioners may purchase or
provide such engines for extinguishing tire, and such
water-buckets, pipes, and other appurtenances for such
engines, and such fire-escapes and other implements for
safety or use in case of fire, and may purchase, keep, or
hire such horses for drawing such engines as they shall
think fit, and may build, provide, or hire places for keep-
ing such engines, with their appurtenances, and may
employ a proper number of persons to act as firemen,
and may make such rub s for their regulation as they
shall think proper, and give such firemen and other
persons such salaries and such rewards for their exer-
tions in cases of fire as they shall think fit.
CLAUSE 138.—The Commissioners may send such
(engines with their appurtenances, and the said firemen,
beyond the limits of the Special Act, for extinguishing
tre in the neighbourhood of the said limits; and the
(owner of the lands or buildings where such fire shall
Lave happened, shall in such case defray the actual ex-
pense which may be thereby incurred, and shall also pay
to the Commissioners a reasonable charge for the use
of such engines, with their appurtenances, and for the
"attendance of such firemen; and in case of any
difference between the Commissioners and the
owner of the said lands or buildings, the amount of
the said expenses and charge, as well as the propriety
of sending the said engines and firemen as afore-
said for extinguishing such fire (if the property thereof
be disputed), shall be determined by two justices, whose
decision shall be final; and the amount of the said ex -
penses and charge shall be recovered by the Commis-
sioners as damages.
CLAUSE 139.—The Commissioners shall provide and
maintain fire-plugs and all necessary works, machinery
and assistance for securing an efficient supply of water in
cases of fire, and for this purpose they may enter into
any agreement with any water company or other party,
and they shall paint or mark on the buildings and walls
-within the streets words or marks near to such fire-
plugs, to denote the situation thereof, and do such other
things for the purposes aforesaid, as they may from time
to time deem expedient.

CONVICTS (WOOLWICH,`.
There has been issued by order of the House of Com-
mons a copy of the report made by. the Superintendent
of Convicts to her Majesty's Principal Secretary of
State for the Home Department, respecting the treat-
ment of convicts in the hulks at Woolwich. The docu-
ment (which with the appendix occupies about 30 folio
and closely printed pages) was moved for by Sir W.
Somerville, and in consequence of allegations made in
the public prints of cruelty to those convicts. The fol-
lowing are extracts from the superintendent's report :--
"To all these charges I beg leave to give a most posi-
tive and distinct contradiction. The general health of
the prisoners as a body of men, and the number of those
admitted in a state of sickness, who have, by the judi-
cious treatment they received, speedily regained health
and strength sufficient to enable them to undergo a long
sea voyage, furnish the best evidence to prove the
correctness of my assertion. The prisoners are not
bid from public view, as in a gaol, but work daily
and openly in the presence of hundreds of individuals,
both in the dockyard and in the Royal Arsenal, who
must of necessity be perfectly aware of any
acts of cruelty towards them. They perform their
work cheerfully, and reference to the officers
of the naval and ordnance departments will prove that
there is no complaint made by them, and that the
amount of labour performed is satisfactory. Strangers
are permitted free access to both those establishments,
and have continued opportunities of witnessing their
treatment. The visitors, alio, on board the hulks are
numerous, and they have invariably express( d themselves
in terms of approbation at the cleanliness and order
apparent to every one.
•`lt cannot be said that the prisoners are overawed by
physical force, fur, in compliance with instructions I had
received, no vacancies occurring among the officers or
guards for the last three years have been filled up ; and
the prospect of the establishment being broken up in-
duced many to seek and obtain other employment. The
consequence has been, that for a long time past the
Lrisoners at Woolwich, averaging upwards ot 600 daily,
ave, as you, Sir, are aware, from reports which ha%e
been laid before you, until very recently had a staff of
officers and guards totally inadequate in point ot num-
bers to overlook and superintend them by night as well
as by day."
The subjoined case is an instance of one of the charges
made, and the answers made thereto by the superin-
tendent :

.The next case of cruelty is that of James Brandish a
maniac. This man was admitted while in a fit, roaring
out very lustily. This was his second time of admission
into the hospital. When I saw him, he was shouting
out on each occasion. The first time when Mr. Bossey
saw him he began to laugh at bim, and told him those
fits would not do there.' Brandish had a fit after this,
which appeared to deprive him of the poner of opening
ibis jaws; Bossey placed his thumb on his cheek, and
pressed against his cheek; he then opened his mouth;
Bossey began to laugh, and said, all garcmon, Mr.
Brandish; I will have you well flogged if you do not
alter your course of conduct; I will have you sent to the
Justitia and well flogged.' After the doctor went away
examined his mouth, and I found that his cheek was
cut opposite where he pressed his thumb. They fre-
quently handcuffed his hands to each side of the
lbed, and kept him lying in this position, in his
(dirt and water, until a large piece mortified out of
,the bottom part of his back, about the same place
es that of George Monk. Ho became completely
(childish. The doctor frequently threatened to have him
dogged. He allowed him wine before he died, a part of
-which he took off a few days before his death, with his
usual threat of having him flogged. He died 6th
'October, 1844."
"The treatment in this case will be found detailed at
3ength in Mr. Bossey's own report, which it is believed
-will disprove the charge. I cannot b,lieve that the sur-
geon laughed at this patient; and the officers are positive
;that such a wordl as ' gammon' was never, on any occa-
sion. used by him.
" The charge about opening the prisoner's mouth to
Teed him is explained by Mr. Bossey's own statement,
from which it is clear he fed this prisoner with his own
Land, when no one else could accomplish it. tio restraint
was required.
" The threats of flogging, repeated more than once in
this case, are a mere fabrication; the very fact of the pri-
soner being placed upon full diet, with wine and porter for
sao long a period, and the entry in the surgeon's own hand-
writing proves that he thought him in a dying state on
the 18th of September, after which date must have oc-
curred the usual threat of having him flogged' on the
slay he took off his wine, which was the 26th, as the
patient died on the 6th of October.
" There is a record in this case on the hospital jour-
;:bl.,;ko an officer
that on one occasion the surgeon was compelled to
for neglect of duty in not changing this
patient faiffirieritl
'desired effect tired often ; the reproof given had the
3 mention this
circumstance
further complaint was necessary.
continued neglect ijtl
to prove that the charge of
i.astand a preceding case is without
:foundation. The re
'which
.` mortified outl'ofiti,.?n here at the 'large piece'
real circumatpaenrcseosusarwe uho havdetailed in thnetrsuuer.geTonh,es
bee
awwitnessed long sickness
TeporL All
in their own families. must
tunes, of preventing what is colleen! :tthe difficulty a;
ed-soe.' '

SOLIAM.—TIIE INCENDIARY PIRES.--MTL '‘,,T
(the mother of Josiah Munson, who was tries];ll.,"°n
quitted at the recent Cambridge Assizes, upon
~,-ne`i: ac.
of arson), who was remanded some time back for setatrir
Fire to some premises at Soham, in the occupation of Me.
:Liles Cooper, of that place, was on Saturday last fully
committed for trial at the next assizes. During the
examination, which was holden at the Crown Inn, at
Soham, her son, the aforesaid Josiah, was anxiously
waiting outside the room to hear the result.. It
•VI a s found necessary, however, to send for a witness
from Mildenhail; in the interim, the magistrates sent
for Josiah, who came boldly into the room, wondering,
no doubt, %hat they wanted him for ; and his surprise
sod mortification may he pretty well imagined, when
Dlr. Wilkin, solicitor, rose and said, that he appeared to
prefer a charge of arson against him, viz , for having set
re to a stack of straw, on the let of November, 1846,
the property of Mr. Thomas Peck, of Soham, whereby
_. sever4Lvt- buildings were destroyed ; upon which
.111.: 1/..cberOlht prisoner stood remanded until Tuesday, when
.-..--",,,-- be aat the Crown Inn, Soham, at eleven o'clock
~.<"- ''
21e "slary committed. Well might he exclaim, ~ Had
fii.7/7! pled wasi.- f this I would never have come to Sohan3
II uclgeu n
.4( .1.-:'11 sgain."--,X9r
,fifh Chronicle.
\- , TheiA And most celebrated dame of Eton, Mrs.
°:.":0,
Angek;; has st expired, in the 88th year of her age.
---- Xot, near y years the deceased lady Was c:nnected
I\l Nritli-t • at public ostabliihAat