The Sun.
London, England, 1847-08-25 00:00:00

CHINA.

LIVERPOOL, TUESDAY AFTERNOON.—The following
intelligence was posted in the Underwriters' Room
to-day :
"A Colombo Times, extra, of the 15th July (Isle of
Ceylon), contains a very alarming rumour with re-
gard to the relations of this country with China, and
one which derives considerable probability from the
recent conduct of Sir John Davis, the Governor of
Hong -Kong. The report is, that the attack on the
Bogue Forts had roused a desperate spirit of hostility
against all foreigners, but especially the English, and
had led to a general rising of the people of Canton
against them. The report further states that the Con-
suls had been compelled to leave Canton, and that the
Europeans were preparing to follow them.
" The above news is said to have been brought to
Colombo by the Haddington steamer, which received
it from the captain of a vessel who had been dispatched
to Calcutta for troops, to reinforce the garrison of
Hong-Kong.
" The details are too incomplete to enable us to
judge whether this is a national movement, authorised
by the Emperor, or a popular commotion, but either
would be a very serious affair."
It does not appear how this intelligence has
reached England, but from the tenor of our previous
advices from the Celestial Empire, it is no doubt
authentic.

ROYAL ORTHOPZEDIC INSTITLITION. The half-
yearly general court of the governor and subscribers of
this institution was held yesterday, at the Hospital, 6,
Bloomsbury-square. Quarles Harris, Esq., deputy-
chairman, presided, The report read and adopted stated
that the total number of in and out-patients admitted
during the past half-year, from the 24th of February to
the 24th of August, 1847, amounted to 758, being an in-
crease during the last six months of 220. The total
number of the patients admitted since the opening of the
charity in December, 1840, was 570, and of out-patients
5,485, making a total of 6,055. The average daily at-
tendance of out-patients was now about 100; the cases
presented weekly from 20 to 40. The committee had
the highest satisfaction in mentioning that out of this
large number who presented themselves with cases of
club-foot, lateral curvature of the spine, and other con-
tortions and deformities, not one death had occurred,
neither had there been any instance of permanent suffer-
ing or injury from the mode of treatment adopted. The
list of subscribers was steadily increasing, but the feeds
at the disposal of the committee were quite inadequate
to the relief of the large number of applicants who came
from every part of the United Kingdom. Recently six
additional beds have been opened for the reception of
patients, making 36 now in the establi,hment. The
committee acknowleiged themselves indebted for liberal
additions to their resources to the C ,rporation of the
city of London, who bountifully voted them a donation
of Company,ig Right Hon. vlsoi
Sir Fred.
awarded.
guineas.
theMrceeTrsh'
The R
Pollock and Lord Robert Grosvenor having been nomi
nated to the vacant Vice-Presidentships, a vote of thanks
was passed to the Chairman, and the meeting separated.
l 00/ . ,
them and t o
25
SHAKSPRRE'S ROUSE. - BIRMINGHAM, TUESDAY
EVENING.—Last night a meeting was held at the public
office, convened by R. Martineau, Esq., Mayor, for the
purpose of taking into consideration the propriety of
raising a fund for the purchase of Shakespere's house.
The meeting was very respectably attended. Mr. Ed-
ward Flower attended, from Stratford, to give any infor-
mation required upon the subject. The Mayor opened
the business by stating the object for which the meeting
was convened, and concluded by urging upon all present
the necessity of immediate exertions to secure the birth-
place of William Shakapere, the immortal bard of England,
that the country might retain it as a national treasure.
Mr. Flower said it was the desire of the Stratford com-
mittee to obtain the active co-operation of the various
towns for the one object, rather than by having different
subscriptions and different attempts at purchasing; any-
thing like competition would only very materially en-
hance the value of the property. In London, Manches-
ter, and other large towns, they were co-operating for
one fund, and he hoped they would do the same in this
town. The appointment of a committee, for the pur-
pose of carrying out the object of the meeting, was then
moved by Francis Clarke, Esq., and seconded by Arthur
Ryland, and carried; after which it was arranged that
circulars should be immediately sent to the leading gen-
tlemen of the town, requesting their assistance, and to
prepare for another meeting to be held on Thursday
next.

ALLEGED FRAUD BY A LETTER CARRIER.—
Yesterday a charge of fraud of a singular character was
investigated by the Post-office authorities. The charge
arose from the circumstance of Goodwin, who was what
is called " charge taker" of a division, and in that capa-
city had to receive and account for the moneys received
by a number of letter carriers, finding his cash account
frequently deficient, and having to make up the defi-
ciency from his private resources. This occurring fre-
quently, a police-constable was placed in the room be-
longing to the letter carrier's department, who shortly
detected one of the men entering some time before the
usual hour for business, and after opening Goodwin's
drawer with a key, proceed to alter the entries in his
charge book. The case has been ordered to be re-
ported to the Postmaster-General, for his Lordship's
decision as to the course to be adopted towards the de-
linquent.
ANOTHER IMPRISONMENT FOR NON-PAYMENT OF
CHURCH-RATES.—Surely the members of the Establish-
ment must see with shame the incarceration of another
victim to the unjust system of church-rates! A poor
man, named Bedwell, has been sentenced at the Cam-
bridgeshire assizes to six months' imprisonment for not
paying sixteen shillings to a church to which he did not
belong! The facts are stated in an article taken from
'the Nonconformist Elector in our Supplement. We are
told that the sufferer " felt a conscientious objection to
the rate." When legal proceedings were adopted, the
churchwardens might have distrained on his furniture,
instead of indicting him. But they took the latter
course: two years elapsed before the trial; costs of some
hundreds of pounds were incurred; and the poor man—
not having " a shilling in the world to bless himself with,"
but having a wife and five children earning only three
shillings a week—is committed to gaol for half a year!
Such events are a scandal to any church. They are
clearly of the nature of persecution for conscience' sake.
It is vain to say that the law was against the prisoner.
The complaint is that the law itself is an uffence against
conscience, by requiring a man to pay for the teaching
of that which he does not believe to be true. It is idle
to reproach the man with obstinacy, for not obeying the
order of the justices: the same scruple which led him to
refuse the rate, would lead him to refuse the order. Yet
we mast admit that if compulsory taxation for religious
teaching be just,—if it be right to make men pay for the
teaching of that which they do not in their consciences
believe,—the distraining of poor Bedwell's furniture
might have been warranted, though not even in that
case the imprisonment of his person. Such cases as the
present ought to lead men to consider whether com-
pulsory taxation for the support of religion can be
vindicated by reason or Christianity.—Leeds Mercury.
ILLNESS OF AIR. LAW HODGES.—We deeply re-
gret to learn the serious illness of the newly-elected
Member for West Kent, Thomas Law Hodges, Esq. We
understand.that the Hon. Gentleman is suffering from a
complication of ailments, attributable to over-excitement
and exertion during the late contest, which he was en-
gaged in, we are told, contrary to the advice of his me-
dical attendant. The warmest opponents of Mr. Hodges
will, we are sure, sincerely lament that his obedience to
what he considered a call of public duty, should have sub-
jected him to personal suffering, and will earnestly hope
that his maladies may soon yield to medical treatment.
We understand that the proposed dinner in this town to
celebrate the Hon. Gentleman's return has been indefi-
nitely postponed.—Maidstone Journal.