The Sun.
London, England, 1847-12-09 00:00:00

CORN AVERAGES.

~,91CiFERAT, AVERAGE PRICES OF BRITISH CORN
1-2. Week ended Dec. 9, 1847, made up from the Returns .1 ths
is.'"..Pactors in the different Cities and Towns in England and Wales
Imperial Quarter.
W=HAT. I BATLLSY. I OAT!. I 11111. I BEANS. I PEAS.
•• &2s id 3es 8d I 22s 5d 283 10d I 445 Od 495 7d
Ti. Duties on Foreign Grain are now suspended.

DREADFUL TRAGEDY.
(PROX A CORRESPONDENT.)
I_l3/4.13, DEC. B.—A most shocking affair has just
ell discovered, of which further particulars shall be
:Warded to-morrow. A poor woman, the wife
journeyman brewer, has cut her throat
114 the throats of her four children. All were
?lit° dead when found ; and the discovery took place
rieellsequence of the neighbours hearing
f the cries
the pigs, which reminded them that none of the
Zly had been seen for the day. The husband
t been absent at his work since Saturday, when
e left his mother with his family, his wife having
"en for some time in a desponding way.
The inquest will be held to-morrow, at noon.

We are informed that Rear-Admiral Prescott, C. 8.,
one of the Lords of the Admiralty, has accepted the
poet of the late Rear-Admiral ShirreiT, Superintendent
of Portsmouth Dockyard.
-sieTLIE OLD LENTEN ENTERTAINMENT.—The Irish
•tebers are beginning to abuse England as badly as
erle. This really looks as if they intended making ap-
ation for another loan .—Puneh.
_ARRITALS OP STECIE.—The steam-ship Princess
'7O, arrived from Hamburgh, has brought six casks
an o two cases of gold, consigned to order ; and the
American line-of-packet-ship Hendrick Hudson, arrived
in the docks from New York, has brought two boxes and
one 9ther package of specie, consigned to different
tousas in the metropolis.
Cuatous DisCOVEBY.—The other week there was,
it is said, found in a coalpit south of Edinburgh, at a
depth of from twenty to thirty fathoms, a petrified human
body, which unfortunately the miners broke; but three
pieces have been preserved—namely, portions of the
arms, and a foot and a leg half way up to the knee, the
toes broken off.-- Caledonian Mercury.
RAILWAY EMPLOYMENT.—A return of the number
said description of persons employed on the railways of
the United Kingdom (open for traffic), on the Ist of May
'lt, has just been printed, from which it appears there
o
Zere em 1- .
p yed on 74 railways, comprising an extent of
:305 miles, 47,218 persons; of these 124 were secreta-
ries, managers, and treasurers; 96 engineers; 399 super-
intendents 91 storekeepers ; 100 accountants and
; ashiers; 100 draughtsmen; 3,432 clerks; 823 foremen;
,51969 enginemen or drivers, and assistants; 1,163 con-
'4eters or guards; 10,800 artificers; 1,041 switchmen;
8,576 policemen, porters, and messengers; 4,148 plate-
layers ; 12,493 labourers ; 407 gatekeepers; 151 wag-
goners; 49 brakesmen; and 256 had miscellaneous em-
-1 °Yrnent. From a similar return on lines and branches
1) Course of construction at the same period, amounting
128, and comprising an extent of 6,455 miles, it
appears there were 256,509 persons employed. Of these
235 Were secretaries and managers; 34 treasurers; 549
engineers; 2,382 superintendents and storekeepers; 264
!ccountants and cashiers; 1,437 draughtsmen and clerks;
54_40,301 artificers and labourers ; 153 inspectors ; 32
aatid-surveyors; 6,741 miners or quarrymen; 1,037 fore-
In en; 122 policemen or gatekeepers, 16 porters, servants,
.
Watchmen 1:876 platelayers ; 1,793 horse-drivers or
;jailers, and 487 had miscellaneous employment. Total
...umber of persons employed on these two classes of
lanes, 303,727.
MANCIIEBTER.—An accident occurred on Monday
sight
to Mr. Johnson, chairman of the Manchester
Steele Exchange. He was proceeding up stairs to retire
for
the night, when (his sight not being good) he fell
over the banisters, and in his fall dislocated his
is now
bone, and received a fracture of the skull. He
!low lying in a state of insensibility, and we fear there
fa tittle hope of his recovery.
llERalNGs._Large shoals of herrings have ap-
Reared in the Solway Frith of late, particularly on the
Cumberland side; and so keen has the fishing been, that
many of the coal vessels have been engaged therein in
of their usual trade of supplying fuel to Dumfries
and Galloway. A considerable number of the fish have
alsoaPPeared at the mouth of the Nith; but, from the
ant of nets, very few have been caught. During some
s-ra nights lately the shoals had a beautiful appear-
ance,
coming to the surface of the sea and emitting a
phosphorescent light.—Dumfries Courier.
tarhe corporation of Swansea, where the British
•-xsle utific Association are to assemble next year, have
moat liberally voted 5001. towards the fund for providing
for their
46,4922m0dmi0n Rua enterthinmetit;)