The Sun.
London, England, 1847-03-02 00:00:00

SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS•

FROM THE MORNING PAPERS OF THIS DAY.
TIMES.— We have hitherto abstained from any notice of
an academical contest which should assuredly never hal
been commenced, and of which the circumstances can aff9l.°
no unmixed gratification to either of the contending PlFtlel
Now, however, the game has been played. This morning. 1
is understood that a formal deputation from the Uoifer'°l.
of Cambridge will wait upon his Royal Highness the ranri°
Consort, to announce that he has been duly elected ChaoCe
lor of that ancient body and receive his gracious acceptance
of the high office it places at his disposal. It is only fig t°B
nate that the result has been of such a kind as to admit th
possibility of forgetting the experiment in the issue. Itu
country has seldom acted with fairness towards personag;
of illustrious or exalted position. We withhold from 11!1ch
characters any appropriate or legitimate field of ezcrt'l
We are satisfied with offering them nominal dignities
sinecure honcurs, and are apt to regard any activity on
their parts as an unconstitutional novelty. We isolate
them from the ordinary functions of society by
the strictest regulations of etiquette, and are AO
surprised that etiquette grows stricter under such conditions!
and that society receives so little advantage from natural co.
dowments so calculated to improve it. We compel the 0r...
sequences, and then complain of them. It would 1:0,1„
reasonable to expect that the chief-colonelcy of the rFfi.,
Guards should confer high-military science, as that a le nits
mate influence should be exerted on the tastes and pll.ll°',
of the nation by persons whose opportunities we studioul
confine to the deposit sf foundation stones, or the presidencies
of public dinners. Prince Albert is generally believed to be
possessed of accomplishments which might be most bench"
chilly applied—to be a scholar of no ordinary accomebsbe
ments, and a Prince of no ordinary acquirements, and to
sincerely attached to the interests of art, science, and liters'
ture. ture. These qualifications we are compelled to receive
the testimony of the very few to whose use and enio77,-;ch
we confine their exertion, but the tact and judgmeut
temper and enhance the value of such endowments are
nately known to all. Yet we circumscribe the sphere of
ties so unusually combined with influence and rank as CaS
fully as if we dreaded their effect, or could dispense with the
aid. We resign to the Home-park what was meant for the
e
nation, and concentrate on the preserves of Swinlel
powers of a mind which might, for aught we allow oneself':
to know, train the tastes of a generation, and raise the Ch'!_
racter of a class. And then, with edifying and characteristie
equity, we seriously criticise the habits we have laboured W.
form, and are
shoo do a Prince whose occupatio.
~_
have limited to shooting pheasants should display litto
anxiety that he may have some pheasants to shoot. wean
„
In!
willing to hope that his Royal Highness may exert is 1""
new office an influence which has not of late years been el'
ercised from such a quarter, but which has very long been
needed and may now be advantageously supplied. The star •
dies which have been peculiarly his Royal Highness's cane.
those, for instance, of modern languages and history--"st..
precisely those in which the discipline of the University
most perfect. Even the fine arts, which have hitherto beet:,
considered as subjects beyond or below the severe
of academical life, have lately been called to their pfor,
rank and nobly installed at Oxford, and the magi",
ficent Museum just growing iuto perfection at Cam
bridge may be the basis of institutions as honourable
and as advantageous to the nation at large. In the vanoitS
functions of the University which his Royal Highness bss
been called upon to protect and adorn, he will find a field s;
ample as it is well adapted to his abilities and his taste!, stl
he may be assured that the less he delegates his legitMt,
influence to incompetent representatives, the more gTstifne;
will it be to that body whose chosen leader he now is. ";,,
is the head of e the Masters and Scholars" of the UniVersia
of Cambridge, and no assuming class should interpose Ire.,
tureen him and that body, who are his sole electors and Or,
stituents. If we pass over without comment the lessld
genuous and creditable circumstances which have attend •
this struggle, it is because we would willingly iraits,te„,
course of conduct which we may anticipate from the Co4;1,
cellor himself, and forget that it has ever occurred. Tom,
is a singular opportunity for impartiality and oblivion. 10
persons to whom his Royal Highness is least indebted are*
be found amongst his most clamorous protruders, sot.„'t
need not fear that the new Chancellor will discover anYtu',7,
buZ, an additional reason for being pleased with his constl;;
ency in the independence of thought and action which P—
;,
characterised so large a portion of it.

MELANCHOLY OCCURRENCE
NEAR PRESTON.
PRESTON, FEB. 28.—0 n Saturday morning a report fl%
circnlated in rreston that a woman of respectability, pita
Leadbetter, residing at Walton-le-Dale, about one roile__„,f
a half from this town, had committed suicide by drowM.
herself in the river Ribble, after having administered pow
to her five children. In the course of the day circumeten
happened which, it is to be feared, confirm the rumour.
appears that Mrs. Leadbetter, whose husband is a shoe"
e
broker in Manchester, has for the last twelve months
residing at Walton-le-Dale with her children at the house o 0
Mr. Livesey, her father, a highly-respectable gentleman,
some time ago retired from the cotton trade. About let
o'clock on Friday evening last she left the house of her fa! _..,g
unknown to the family, after having assisted an attend,
in putting the children to bed; previous to which she ja
ministered a dose of what she called medicine to each,,
the presence of the servant. About ten o'clock in the ea
ing all the children began to complain of illness, and et,
appeared to be affected in a similar manner. The circu;ci,
stance alarmed the inmates of the house, and hirg• !Atte
better not having returned, information was given laidd
neighbours, with a view of making inquiry for her. It
be stated that for some days previous Mrs. Leadbetteravirg
been exceedingly low spirited, and the fact of her ap in
in
ed
the house on Friday evening, and not return g,
uced the
connexion with the children's sudden illness, the whole
family to suspect that something was wrong-
evening was spent in the village in a fruitless
h man on the
Mrs. Leadbetter, and towards morning
a fisierd after some
river Ribble went in a boat in search of her, n • er called
time he discovered the body in that part of the river
in the
the Walton Salmon Fishery, lying about a yard deepr.
water. It was immediately forwarded to the house of iH
Livesey, there to await a coroner's inquest. In the mean
time the children had continued to get worse during the
evening, and a surgeon was sent for, who applied the 00'1'
remedies, when four of them began to improve. One, bow-
ever, named Fanny, gradually got worse, and eventual
search for
died about four o'clock on Saturday afternoon. IV° all
glad to say that the other children are considered out
danger.
An inquest was held on the bodies, but was adjourned until
s
Monday evening for further evidence, and in the meantime'
postmortem examination of the body was to be made.

RoflOtUmSola'nlßd
houSrEs 6th—reelnC
was created in the immediate vicinity of Battle-brilgS4oo
etshteerudtamy ost afternoon,exeitem excitement
tetavemran la, ti
consequence of the sudden outbreak of a fire in the LoD
Fever Hospital, situate in St. Pancras-road, liing's'scilbe
The flames first showed themselves by shooting throne's:De,
roof of the nurse-ward, at the northern end of the bui!uln7o
From the strong hold the fire had then obtained, it bee it,
quite clear that the inmates would be unable to subit.,
and the first thing sought to be accomplished was thesooo
moval of the patients from the burning building. 11' ides
as the intelligence was communicated to them, some
were
may be formed of the state of consternation thqsakee
thrown into. Owing, however, to the
one
i.ote
by the heads of the Institution, not one of the Pati.seir
was hurt in being removed, and from the fact of rig
having been well wrapped up, it is to be hoped that jo.
will not ultimately receive any injury. As soon es.tb.:oocl,
formation was received at the fire-stations, Mr. Brawn" air
the superintendent, and Mr. Colf, the foreman of the °
PIA*
trict, started to the scene with six or seven brigade gloat'
and were followed by others of the parish, and Mr. Cou.sod,
ton with the West of England one. By the Pew'ere
however, that the first engine arrived, the flantea .oieft
mounting most fearfully, and it was the general o,les
that the entire range of premises was doomed to desoiAss
tion. The firemen, however, set to work most vigore,wol),
and carrying the hose to the top of the building, the)
tamed full power over the fire, and were enabled t°,5,0,
vent the conflagration from travelling further ; but sttl
were unable to get the flames entirely extinguished, 'oh
the roof of the nurses' ward, between 20 and 30 feet glessa
was burned off, the ceilings below damaged by water, 'ts
the beds and other furniture severely injured by "5'
removal.
fol'
THE SMALL DEBTS Acv.—Yesterday the d
its
lowing notice was issued throughout the metropolis liee
environs:—" Notice is hereby given, that in consequell: of
the notification in the supplement to the London Gazei,"o4
the sth of February instant, that the New County us oo
Act will come into operation on the 15th of March ne.:(,`,l be
further sitting of the Courts of Requests in London will ill
held after that date, and no eummonses or executionixese
be issued after Tuesday, March 2 (this day), but the onsg
of the Courts will continue open as usual, for the receifro,
and payment of money until Wednesday, the 10th of Me the
l'ublic notice will be given of the commencement of Ns
operation of the New County Court under the Act of
and 10th Vic., cap. 95." t°
INFLUX or SHIPPING.—The change of wind at ois
commencement of the past week, and the thaw whiel:!ter,
lowed the lengthened and continued frost of the past wl:seJS
had conjointly the effect of causing a vast influx of VeList
from all parts, including, in addition to a great number P;be
the Dutch and German ports of Europe, very many fro%"id,
East Indies, China, and other distant parts of the 'lOll
This influx of shipping into the docks has caused a vast
Nor
of bustle to exist, affording employment to many of thetbess
labouring men attached to and solely dependent on ucb
establishments for-casual engagement, and which was mole-
needed on their part in the present time of severe and 1" At
ment weather and dearness of all sorts of provisionssidee
some of the dock establishments, so great is the erste
pressure of business, that the discharge of the vessel° the
permitted, application having been specially made for the
purpose, before and after the usual and legal hours °ford
attendance of the officers of the Revenue, in order to sots
dispatch to trade, and enable the importers to bring the
chandise into the market with the least possible delay ea
The sale of the lands in Texas so long annottlitiort
by Mr. Robins takes place on Thursday next at the Of sat
mart. These lands appear to possess greater attractiood to
the emigrant thsn any that have before been subtnitsiseoe,
auction, being contiguous to populous and thriving "oat
with water communication assisted by steam-boats, e° oi-
the seeds of vast and unbounded prospdrity may be cjoist,
dered to be sown in this almost new country to the CO ose
whilst its being under the protection and doinifaionaT.„o4
United States ensures good government and its
certain concomitant—wealth.

MB. , , -
Esti,
On the 19th ult., at CamberwelR
1271, the lady of John WeolG
ie
of a son. rj3 lggg'
On the 20th ult., at Hans-place, Chelsea, the lady of T. C.
Esq., of a son.
Alb
winiara l'-Y
On the 20th ult., at Perry-hill, Sydenham, Mrs. ..
of a son. Of
On the 2eth ult., in Cork-street, Burlington-gardens, the 101/
J. A. Hallett, Esq., of a dauhter. °I A
On the 27th ult., in Bedfg rd-row, Mrs. W. Esdalle Winter,
daughter. ghter•
On the 27th ult., at Stepney, Mrs. S. S. Itillingay,

MARRIED. fwelTh
On tl e 2 ,th ult., at. Ilfracombe, Devon, Captain Iv. r• of the
13th Regiment Madras Native Infantry, to Elizabeth, rid"
late W. It. Vye, Esq.

DIED. A..1'0
On the rtli alt. at Canterbury, Licutenant-Colonel Sir ~----
, Gipps, of the Roya'l Engineers, aged 57. „,./, Wet'
On the 21st ult., George Elliott Bartlett, of New Inn, II e 4
avenue-road, Regent's-park, aged 41.
On the 211 h ult., at the Iltcns, near Ashby-cle.la-Zoneh, I"ratbl.
relict of the Rev. John Roby, Rector of Congerston, aged 77.
ed 66.
On the 24th ult., at Witheridge, Devon, R. Comins, 1:84.• gg..„,ornd 76.
On the 26th ult., at Alsop-terrace, New-road, Mrs. Gloverti.- aa
'm
On the 26th ult., at Stamford-place, Stoke Newington, ..-
Law, Esq., aged 86. .. „ringed
On the 26th ult., at Dosthill, Warwickshire, Edwar" p,.
Dickenson, E',l , Lieutenant-Colonel of the Warwickshire Mit.-
On the 26th ult., 111 r. Edward !Ilene, of London-wall,
theOnthe2aged
On the 26th ult., Susanna, the wife of G. Bowes, of llosnertosten. p
of
Terrace,tl6l
ra nit.,y , Elizabeth,iiiil_ln, agedth e w6iofe. of fir. Henry 00°113' 9 •
On the 26th ult., William Watts, Esq.,
harnshire, aged 66. of Hanslope-parls, Bticki°g-

- ----------,---- 12,
Lonelan: Peinted anti Published by MURDO YOCUM. of 2.l°' .11„,.t
Strand, Printer, at The Sutra Cit Vet, 1i0.112, Strsnd, iu the Prec,--,-
of tae Savoy, in the County of Middlesex, Tuevisf, 31ar".
2, 1847.