The Sun.
London, England, 1847-01-09 00:00:00

THE ART UIVION

The Art Union is the most suPerbly illustrated
periodical ever published. This is the first number
of a new series, and is dedicated, by command, to
his Royal Highness Prince Albert. The illustrations
are a life-like portrait of the Queen, beautifully en-
graved by Robinson, from a miniature by Thornburn.
A print, dedicatory to Prince Albert, drawn by
Marchant, and engraved by W. and J. Measom. A
superbly illuminated Almanac for the year, and an
exquisite engraving by Alfred Revel, from the Eu-
gene Lepattevin's picture of the " Studio of Paul
Potter." Besides these steel engravings we have a
profusion of wood-cuts, illustrating different ar-
ticles. Mrs. S. C. Hall contributes the first part of a
fanciful fairy tale of love, entitled " Midsummer
Eve," the illustrations to which are the most ex-
quisitely beautiful specimens of wood engraving ever
presented to the public.

THE WORK-TABLE MAGAZINE.
This is the first number of a new periodical, de-
voted, as its name indicates, to the art of " plying
the polished shaft." The present number contains a
variety of patterns for different kinds of work, one
of which is very beautifully coloured, accom-
panied by very careful explanations. This
new magazine will doubtless prove attractive
to the fair circle for whom it is intended. It is in
character somewhat similar to a very excellent French
publication, the " Journal des Demoiselles." The
French magazine is, however, not exclusively devoted
to the work-table, and in this respect it would be
well for its English contemporary to follow its
example. Its attractions would be greatly
increased by the addition not of sentimental tales,
like those which too often fill the pages of ladies'
magazines, but of some literary contributions calcu-
lated to benefit, as well as interest and amuse their
readers. It is, perhaps, right to add, that the Work-
table Magazine appears under the special patronage
of her Majesty.

THE RAILWAY REGISTER. Edited by Hyde

Clarke, Esq.
The present is the fifth volume of The Railway
Register, a periodical which, as the editor justly
boasts, in his opening address in the present number,
"so far from being an ephemeral production, has ac-
quired for each volume the character of a standard
and indispensable work of reference." This high
character the present number fully maintains. The
opening article is a well written review of the " Rail-
way Policy of 1846." All our readers have heard of
" the stags," they were the produce of the Joint-stock
Companies Registration Act, and albeit, they have
been deprived of some of "the honours of their head,"
they flourish still as projectors of 2s. a share " little-
goes ;" but the knacker "is a species as yet
scarcely known out of the railway world. Like the
stag, he is the creature of an Act of Parliament.
"The Dissolution Act may be shortly named as a
farce, which has done no good to the shareholders, and
no hurt to the committemen, but which has given much
trouble, and has fostered a new set of gamblers, who,
under the Stock Exchange name of "knackers," have
played their pranks, by means of Lord Dalhousie's Act,
to the heavy loss of the old shareholders, who went into
the undertakings with honest views. Lord Dalhousie's
Act came as a godsend to the lower members of the
Stock Exchange, and to the brotherhood of outsiders.
They saw at once how it could be worked, and how, in a
time of loss and dulness, it would give profit and em-
ployment.

"The trick of ' knacking' was this. Having, as
nearly as they could, learned the money remaining to
be shared, they beared the stock in the market, below its
worth, and having bought in in strength enough to make
a large body, they began to cry out for breaking up the
company, and putting Lord Dalhousie's Act in work,
whether the old shareholders who held their stakes were
willing to go on with the undertaking or not. As they
were on the spot, and went together, the knackers, for
the most part, won the day, and by this means carried
on a thriving trade ; being willing to take a small sum
whereby they made a large gain, and doing all they
could to get back at once the money they had laid out,
heedless whether the undertaking were good or bad ;
though they did not forget to put forward anything
which would anger the shareholders against the com-
mittee-men, or bring the committeemen to yield to their
demands. Very nearly the same men played this trick
in each undertaking broken up, and although they lost
sorely in some cases, where the knavery of schemers
had been beforehand with them, by spending every
farthing, yet, on the whole, they had every ground for
thanking Lord Dalhousie in giving them this staff to
play with ; when, otherwise, they would have had
nothing to do, and many must have starved."
The editor continues his valuable series of papers on
Indian railways, and Mr. Rettie likewise continues
his paper on the mode of preventing accidents in
mines. We have also an interesting historical sketch
of the mines of Guatemala; an account of a rota-
tory steam-engine recently invented by Messrs.
Allingham and M‘Gauley ; and an account of the
position and resources of the Newmarket and -Ches
terfield line, illustrated with a map. The Portfolio
contains the original prospectuses, &e., of the Grand
Junction Railway.

BANK OF ENGLAND.
(From last Night's Gazette.)
Ln Account, pursuant to the Act 7th and Sth of Victoria, cap. 32, for
the Week ending on Saturday, the 2d day of January, 1847.
MEE DEPARTMENT.
Notes i55ued........ 28,258,260

Government debt .. 11,015,100
Other securities .... 2,984,900
Gold coin and bullion 11,788,770
Silver bullion ...... 2,469,490

£28,258,260

28,258,260
M. MARSHALL, Chief Cashier.
1847.

Dated he 7th day of January,

BANKING 1
X.
Proprietors' capital 14,553,000
Rest • • • • • • • • 3,469,857
Public deposits (in-
cluding Exchequer,
Commissioners of
National Debt, Sav-
ings-banks, and Di-
vidend accounts) 9,990,624
Other deposits ..
Seven day and other
bills. • • • • • • • .• ...• 901,139

Government securi-
ties (including Dead
Weight Annuity).• 12,826,362
Other securities •• .. 15,071,820
Notes .. .. • •• • . . • 8,227,085
Gold and silver coin • • 693,312

4 36,818,579

• £36,818,579
M. MARSHALL, Chief Cashier.
1847.

Dated the 7th day ofJanuary. t,

THE EXTENSIVE CROWN IMPROVEMENTS AT
WINDSOR. —ln
I consequence of the very extensive altera-
tions contemplated by the Crown in the immediate
vicinity of the Castle, for the purposes of affording in-
creased comfort and privacy to her Majesty, by taking
down the whole side of one street in the town, and di.
verting and stopping up other streets, and also footpaths
and other public highways, as well as the removal of
Datchet bridge,committeea committee was appointed at the last
meeting of the Town Council of Windsor in December,
for the purpose of watching the proceedings with refer-
ence to those projects, and to report from time to time
to the council. A very full meeting of the council was
held yesterday, at the Town Hall, for the purpose of re-
ceiving the report from the committee. '['he report
stated in detail the alterations proposed to be made by
the Commissioners of Woods and Forests, and also
those that would be effected by the proposed railway
extensions, but the committee abstained from giving any
opinion as to the manner in which the alterations would
affect the interests of the town. The report was re-
ceived, and a committee of the whole council was ap-
pointed for protecting the interests of the inhabitants,
with reference to the projected improvements of the
borough.

E
NAVAL INTELLIGNCE.arrTal
PORTSMOUTH, JAN. B—The Retribution steam frigate
has bee, brought alongside the dockyard to be fitted to
take in provisions for conveyance to Ireland (Jr Scotland,
as may be required. As the Sidon will be in the hands
of the artificers for some weeks, Captain Ifenders.on, and
the officers and crew of that ship, have been ordered to
take charge of the Retribution during the temporary
srvice she is to he employed on.
The Athol's orders have been changed, and instead of
going to Woolwich, she is to refit in this harbour, with
all speed, and to take to Malta two companies of Royal
Artillery. The detachments of Royal Artilley and
Sappers and Miners brought from Bermuda have been
sent up by the South-Western Railway. The Athol
came into harbour this forenoon.

Her Majesty's ship Albatross, Commander Farquhar,
arrived this morning from the Nore, to wait orders. She
is intended for service on the coast of Africa, and will be
paid here, and sail next week.

The kestrel yacht, formerly belonging to the late
Earl of Yarborough, has bcen suiveyed by the dockyard
officers, and being declared fit for her Majesty's service,
has been purehn,ed by Government. She is to be
brought here from C.,,v..es :o be fitted for sea, and Lieut.
Sir Godfr,y Webser, a Lieutenant of the St.
Vincent, is to have thc ctantaand of her. The Kestrel
is inter:do(' for service in the West Indies, and is to re-
lieve the Pickle Schooner. The Crown has made a good
bargain in this instance. The Kestrel is upwards of 200
tons, rigged as a brigantine. She was obtained for
about 2,000 t, including everything in her except her
cabin furniture.
To avoid any future accidents to her Majesty's ships
going from Portsmouth to Plymouth on the Downs, by
uflqu.slithd persons being taken on board as pilots, as
occurred for instm:ce in the Daphne, an order has been
i-sued that all commanding officers who may be going
to those places are, if they require a pilot, to apply for
one at the E.,ar•Adrniral Superintendent's office in the
dockyard, and no other place.
Commander Mgt' Gould, from the ordinary at Sheer-
ness, is appointed to the ordinary at this port; he has
been superse&-d by Commander Gordon. Commander
Hall has the ordinary at Plymouth.
The Scourge is to return to Lisbon about the end of
this month, and be attached to the squadron under the
command of Vice-Admiral Sir Wm. Parker.

Her Majesty's sloop Hyacinth, 16, Commander F.
Scott, has arrived this afternoon from the West Indian
and North American station. She has been ordered home
to be paid off, having been upwards of three years in
commission. The Hyacinth has a few supernumeraries
from the squadron.
WooLwicu, JAN. B.—The Geyser steam-vessel, Com•
mander F. Brown, left to-day for Greenhithe; and after
having her compasses adjusted there by Captain John-
son, will proceed to one of the western F orts, where she
is to receive her final sailing orders. Her destination is
now ascertained to be the East Indies.
The Rosamond, Commander John Foote, will not be
completed before the end of next week, after which she
will proceed to the Cape of Good Hope to relieve her
Majesty's steam-vessel Thunderbolt, Commander A.
Boyle. The Thunderbolt has been upwards of four years
in commission.

The Tartarus steam-vessel has undergone an entire
refit, and will be re commissioned in a few days by Com.
wander Wolfe, who commanded her during the recent
surveys on the coast of Ireland, and where she is to be
employed again on similar service.
The Janus steam-vessel, having had her machinery,
taken out and replaced at this dockyard by the con-
tractors, was towed back to Deptford on Tuesday.
Several steam-vessels are ready for trial, and will be
commissioned very shortly, viz., the Growler steam-
sloop, the Antelope and Odin steam-vessels. The An-
telope, Triton, and Oberon, new steam-vessels, are
ordered to be fitted out at Chatham.

REDUCTION OF DUTY ON TEA.
On Thursday a deputation from the London Asso-
ciation for the Reduction of Duty upon Tea, consisting
of Sir George Larpent, Bart. (chairman of the East In-
dia and China Association), Mr. S. Gregson (deputy-
chairman), Mr. Norton, and Mr. Dallas, waited upon
Lord John Russell, at his official residence, Downing-
street, for the purl ose of representing the present state
of the trade, and the public advantages which would
accrue from a reduction of duty.
Lord John Russell received the deputation with much
courtesy, and expressed his willingness to hear what-
ever observations they might have to make upon the
propriety of reducing considerably the present duty
levied upon tea. His Lordship also took occasion to
remark that a deputation, consisting of several gentle-
men connected with the commercial interests of Liver-
pool, and their relations with China, had lately waited
upon him and given him the benefit of their opinions.
The interview lasted upwards of an hoer, in the
course of which Lord John Russell asked a number of
questions calculated to afford the most authentic in-
formation on the subject connected with the visit of the
deputation.

After the deputation had advanced various argu-
ments to show that the greatly increased consumption
would more than compensate for any trifling diminution
of the revenue,

Lord JoUN RussELL thanked the deputation for the
trouble they had taken, and assured them that the sub-
ject upon which they appeared to be so much interested
would receive the fullest and most patient consideration
of her Majesty's Government.
The deputation having acknowledged their sense of
his Lordship's kindness, and the great courtesy with
which he he had received them, then withdrew.
The Chanea,r of the Exchequer had expressed his
intention to be present during the interview, but was
prevented by the death of his rather.

MAGISTERIAL CLlANGES.—Yesterday it was stated
that Mr. Arnold, the revibing barrister, has been ap-
pointed one of the metropolitan police magistrates, and
he was present at Worship-street, with Mr. Bingham, the
sitting magistrate. It appears that Mr. Broughton, who
has been about twenty years at Worship-street, removes
to Marlborough street, to replace Mr. Maltby, whe re-
tires from the bench.

A WIFE MURDERED BE lIER HUSBAND.—The
secluded village of Caldbeck was thrown into a state of
great excitement and alarm on Wednesday last, by the
rumour that William Stalker- had murdered his wife,
aged about fifty years, on the preceding evening.
Stalker has been for many years a respectable farmer at
Willie Riddings, where he brought up a large family,
and was about to quit the farm, and keep a grocer's shop
in Caldbeck. On Tuesday evening last, he and his wife
went to the farm to milk the cows, and on their not re-
turning at the usual time, about two hours afterwards,
one of the sons repaired to the farm to look after his
father and mother, and on entering the house, fell over
something lying on the floor, when he fainted. On re-
covering, he returned to:Caldbeek,and other persons went
back to the farm-house, who found poor Mrs. Stalker
lying murdered on the floor. From the black marks
which were discovered on both sides of her neck, it was
presumed that she had been strangled. Her body was
then removed to Caldbeck, to her disconsolate family.
Search was then made for the murderer, who was found
the next morning sitting under a hedge in one of his
own fields, and confessed that he had murdered his wife
by strangulation. Stalker has been in a state of mental
debility for some time past. The family is one of the
most respectable in the locality. An inquest was held,
and a verdict of Wilful Murder returned. Stilker was
immediately committed for trial.—Sheffield Iris.
A ROBBER SHOT.—Linden House, near Welling-
ton, the residence of Major Thomas, has been repeatedly
attacked by midnight robbers within the last three
months, and on Friday night, about half-past twelve
o'clock, the servant was aroused by distinctly hearing
the noise occasioned by an attempt to break into the
back part of the premises. Having alarmed her master,
he proceeded with his gun to
,the front door, with the
view of intercepting the villains, but on opening the hall
door was surprised to find two fellows under the portico.
The Major instantly struck down one of them with his
fist, and the rascal, on attempting to recover, received
another blow, which a second time prostrated him. The
other scoundrel ran off, but before proceeding beyond
the range of the gun, the Major fired and lodged a
charge of small shot in the lower part of the villain's
back. The robbers are brothers, of bad repute, and live
at Row-green, a place long notorious as the rendezvous
of the most profligate and dangerous characters. War-
rants are out against the two, and also against some
others, who, it is ascertained, were associated on the
spot for this midnight outrage, so intrepidly defeated by
the worthy Major.— Taunton Courier.
SURRENDER WITHOUT FIGHTING.—M. Marin, a
lieutenant in the 15th Regiment of Light Infantry, was
lately tried by a court-martial at Oran for having capitu-
lated in the open country without fighting, an offence
punishable
with death 'by the Ist and 2d articles of the
Imperial decree of the Ist of May, 1812. M. Mariawas
sent on the 27th of September, 1843, to conduct from
Tlemcen to Ain Temouchen a detachment of 200 men,
emsecnorthinagd abeecnonvdoisychoag
cartridges;fr2eod,oofOromballoe
hospital, allan thoseand not
eine ot
irree
dutythan fi fTt yh e
yw ere sufficiently
erue
rcroovue
ur ed de
dds_
perform
aist, cKalpaadirtegure:
efuAternaabnst, Muanrdiwneer, rfietehdei findingcommand
useless s so ft
oArbe
questioned
labanotddedyThe accused having been brought to the bar,
the competency of the Court, and refused to
reply to the questions addressed to him by Colonel
Gachot, its president. M. Lebon, his counsel, contended
that the charter of 1830 had abolished military commis-
sions and extraordinary tribunals, and that the decree of
1812, not having been sanctioned by the Legislature, was
unconstitutional. The Court having retired to delibe-
rate, soon afterwards returned, and pronounced itself
competent, in virtue of the said decree, and of a decision
of the Court of Cassation of the 9th of December, 1829
It accordingly proceeded to examine the witnesses, and
the prisoner having persisted in his system of defence,
was condemned to death. The sentence was immediately
afterwards read to him in presence of the assembled
guard, and Colonel Gachot, moreover, notified to him
that he had ceased to be a member of the Legion of
Honour. He was then removed to the military prison,
where he was to await the decision of the Supreme
Court.

POST-OFFICE NOTICE, YESTERDAI:-DEPARTURE
OF MAILS.—The Forth, for Sydney, New South Wales,
and West Indies, on the morning of the 18th inst. The
Cambria, for America, on the evening of the 3d Feb-
ruary. The Giraffe, for the Holland and Hamburgh
mails, on the evening of the 9th (this day).

CAUTION TO BUYERS Or GREEN PEAS.--(From a
Correspondent.)—Persons cannot be too cautious in
purchasing green peas ready shelled from hawkers, as
they are not really, as represented, an arrival from Hol-
land, but a small species of our common grey pea, dyed
with a preparation of verdigris and urine, in which they
are partly boiled, to render them a little mellow. This,
a few years since, was a famous trade of costermongers
about this time of year, until their "hot green peas",be-
came a cold game, a discovery having taken place.