The Sun.
London, England, 1841-12-22 00:00:00

RUMOUR. OX' THE DAY.

Edwin Jones, alias Palace Jones, has refused an offer
of 501., with board, lodging, and clothing for six months,
from the keeper of a strolling menagerie, who intended
to exhibit him in the country. The lad suspects this is
a device of Sir James Graham to keep him out of the
way during the festivities of the Royal christening.

DISTRESS IN OSWALDTWISLE. SIR It.
PEEL'S CHARITY.—The following statement respecting
the distressed condition of the inhabitants of Oswald-
twistle was forwarded to the meeting of the Corn-law
Deputies, at Manchester, on Thursday last :—Oswald-
twisle, in the parish of Whalley, contains a population
of about 6,500 ; the dwellings of the working classes
in the township have been visited within the last few days,
and the following is the melancholy result of the in-
quiries. There are, in the township, 1,171 individuals,
constituting 248 families, whose average weekly earn-
ings is only Is. 3i-d. No account was taken of any
family, the members of which earned individually 2s. per
week, but a very great number were said to only just
exceed that limitation. The general destitution of the
population is truly pitiable; in some cases the visitors
found only one bed, and that of the humblest materials,
for 10 persons, without a particle of blanket, or anything
to warm the wretched occupants save their scanty wear-
ing apparel, and in many instances five and six had to oc-
cupy the same bed, with nothing to throw over them.
The visitors have had their feelings so shocked by the
sights of misery they have been called upon to witness,
that they have expressed their hope that this township is
surely without a parallel for its sufferings, and yet there
appears not the least prospect of amendment, but on the
contrary a gloomy anticipation that the worst has
not yet come, and that even the small pittance doled out
to keep them from absolute starvation, will be, during
tho ensuing bitter months of winter, still further reduced.
The charitable feeling of the more wealthy has induced
a subscription to be got up in aid of the suffering poor of
the township, which amounts to 2801. Among the list
of names of subscribers to this fund, we find that of the
liberal—charitablo—kind-hearted ! !—Sir Robert Peel,
who draws a rental of about 2,0001. a year from this
parish, and who has presented to the starving labourers
on his own estate the overwhelming donation of 20/. ! !
Is not Sir Robert Peel the friend of the poor ?—for, after
starving the people by his odious Corn-laws, he gives
them back the bone from which he has picked the meat !
Blackburne Gazette.

STRANGE CIRCUMSTANCE.--During the se-
vere storm of Monday night last, the inmates of a house
in High street, Ayr, were alarmed by a heavy substance
falling down the kitchen flue, which, instead of lying
stock still, proceeded to divest itself of the sable addition
to its drapery, •by flying around the room, and kicking
up such a dust_as might be expected at a chimney-
sweep's wedding.' When the consternation had sub-
sided which had been caused by the advent of the
mysterious visitor—which was not until it had fairly tired
itself out—a searching inquiry was made by the in-
mates to find what description of intruder they had to
deal with ; when it appeared, greatly to their surprise,
that the unruly transgressor was neither more nor less
than a cock pheasant! The piPIEPRI b'utrin all proba-
bility been scared from its -pdchTilhdliad winged its
way towards the 'town, where it had rc)6l6' to roost n
the top of the chimney, into which it'hid been blown by
one of these sudden and violent gust's of wind that pr. -
vailod during the night.. Into the subsequent history of
the " bonnie birdie," it becomes those not unconnected
with the Tax-Office to pry. It is but charitable to think
he was allowed to wing his way home again; but, judg-
ing from certitinqndications, he must have cast his fea-
thers with fright before he ilew.—Ayr Advertiser.
DISTRESS IN PAISLEY.—We regret to state
that last week's return shows an increase rather than a
diminution of the number of the unemployed. The num-
bers are:—Males, 1,914 ; dependents, 4,785 ; females,
1,637 ; dependents, 3,274—t0ta1, 11,610. Including
Johnston, Barrhead, Kilbarchan, Ece., the total number of
unemployed is 13,240.—Glaagou; Argus,. .