The Sun.
London, England, 1847-03-15 00:00:00

THAMES.

PUBLIC-HOUSE PROSECUTIONS.—Mr. Henry Colverd,
proprietor of the Cherry-tree public-house at Bromley,
was charged with keeping his place open for the sale of
beer and spirits at twenty-five minutes after twelve
on Sunday week last.

Peter Sl‘Cardell, 339 K, stated that at the time on
the above day the house was opened to a person, whom
he immediately followed, and saw three persons at the
bar, two of whom were smoking. There were eight other
persons in the parlour, who were also drinking and
smoking, and had before them a quart pot, a pint, and
two glasses.
• Mr. Colverd said he had been in the house two years,
and the manner in which it was conducted would bear
the strictest scrutiny. The fact was that the constable,
Mr. Cardell, accompanied by Mr. Davis, the landlord
of the Beehive at Bromley, came to his house and had a
a pint of stout between them. He (defendant), con-
sidered that the whole was a planned thing.
Mr. BALLANTINE said, the only question was, whether
the defendant had' opened his house for the sale of
malt liquors. If the officer had done wrong, any charge
made against him would be fully heard, but he must not
be taken by surprise in the hearing of another matter.
The defendant was then fined 10s.

DISTRESSING SUICIDE.—On Friday morning a
female named Jane Coussans, the wife of an omnibus con-
ductor, residing at No. 2, Cannon's-buildings, Suffolk-street,
Mile-end, committed suicide under the following very dis-
tressing circumstances s—For some time past she has been
leading a very irregular life, and during the absence of het
husband a man named Cullingford frequently visited her.
This circumstance came to the knowledge of her husband,
and on Saturday last he met Cullingford in the Whitechapel•
road, and accused him with having had an intimacy with his
wife. Cullingford admitted that he had, and Coussans im-
mediately struck him. He was instantly given in charge of
a police-constable, and on the following Monday he was
taken before the magistrates at Worship-street, and after a
long inquiry he was discharged. On the same evening Mrs.
Coussans endeavoured to destroy herself, but was prevented
by her husband. She continued very low and dejected
during the week, and repeatedly said she should never be
happy any more. Yesterday morning she procured her
husband's breakfast as usual, and in about two hours after he
had left home she was discovered suspended from a nail in
the wall, between the windows. Mr. Anniugson, a surgeon,
was immediately called in, and pronounced life to be quite
extinct. She was years of age, and has left two children.
GRAVESEND, MARCH 12.—THE LATE COLLISION
ON THE RIVER.—Mr. Carttar, coroner for the Western Divi-
sion of Kent, having stated his intention not to hold an in-
quest on the bodies of the two men taken from out the
schooner sunk by the Queen Victoria steamer, and brought.
to Gravesend by the undertaker Odden, the latter removed
them this morning from the store in which he had them in
keeping to the opposite side of the river, near Tilbury' Fort, ;
where, it is presumed, an inquest will be held on them by the
coroner for Essex, within whose jurisdiction they were found.
Yesterday the vessel was taken from where she was run I
ashore, after raising her at Shellhaven, and towed up to
London, where she now lies at Smooke's Wharf, Millwall.
Of the bodies of the two other persons drowned where she
sunk there is as yet no account.
GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY.--TRIAL OF SPEED.—
On Thursday last, Mr. Gooch, the locomotive superintendent
of the Great Western line, and Mr. M Connell, the loco-
motive superintendent of the North-Western, or London and
Birmingham line, while riding upon the engine " Great
Western," with the twelve o'clock up express train from
Exeter, tested the tractive powers of the locomotive agent
on the broad guage, the load being sixty, five tons. It ap-
pears that up to the 30th mile-post the steam was cut off at
nine inch, the stroke being twenty-four, and the driver was
keeping his ordinary time. With this power on the engine,
the speed was found to be sixty-four macs an hour. The
power was subsequently increased, and the steam further cut
off, when the speed increased to the rate of sixty-nine miles
per hour. The next quarter of a mile was performed at the
rate of upwards of seventy miles per hour, and the following
mile was accomplished in twelve seconds, the whole being at
a velocity of seventy miles an hour. It is, indeed, almost
unnecessary to add that this is the greatest speed ever at-
tained by a locomotive engine. At the conclusion of the
last-mentioned quarter the power was reduced to its ordinary
rate of working. It should be stated that the trial was made
on a falling gradient of four feet per mile. The power of the
engine was tested a second time, while passing over a level.
The steam was cut off at 131 inches, and the rate was found
to be 69 miles per hour. It is expected that a greater speed
will be attained with the eight-wheeled engines, which are
now being constructed by the Great Western Company, at
their Swindon establishment.

FATAL WAGGON ACCIDENT.—Friday evening an in-
quest was held before Mr. Baker, at the London Hospital, on
the body of Mary Welch, aged 79 years. On Tuesday, the
2d inst., the deceased was crossing High-street, Stratford,
and, being very infirm, she did not perceive a waggon, be-
longing to Messrs. lluffold and Co., carriers, proceeding to-
wards Essex. She was knocked down by the front horse,
and both the off wheels of the waggon passed over her legs.
Her screams alarmed the driver, who was walking on the
near side of the horses, and the waggon was immediately
stopped. The poor old woman was found lying under the
wheel, and when removed both her legs were discovered to
be broken. She was conveyed to the hospital, where she
expired on Wednesday last. Verdict, " Accidental death.
THE RENTAL OF IRELAND•-- Parliamentary
paper, issued on Friday, gives the aggregate net renta
value of all Ireland, as assessed to the poor-rate, at
13,187,4211. 6s. Bd.