The Sun.
London, England, 1840-05-11 00:00:00

DEPARTURES.

Sir Thomas B. Hepburn, for Shabden park; the Mar-
quis of Donegal, for Leamington Spa; Lady Hawley, for
Weymouth ; Sir Henry Bruce, for Leamington Spa ; Lord
Ileay, for Goldings, Herts; Captain and Mrs. Charles
Talbot, for Leamington Spa : the Marquis of Waterford,
from the Cavendish Hotel, Jermyn-street, for Eglintown
Castle, N.B. ; Colonel and Mrs. Austin, for Warwick-
shire ; the Hon. Colonel and Mrs. Cathcart, for ditto ; Sir
Orford Gordon and Sir Charles Maxwell, for Bath ; the
Hon. Mrs. Hamilton, for ditto ; the Hon. Captain Fores-
ter, 12th Lzneers, for Brighton ; General Sir Alexander
Mackenzie, for the Continent; Colonel and Lady Cathe-
rine Bulkeley and family, for Swanage. Dorsetshire ; Col.
Campbell, 9th Lancers, for Hounslow Barracks ; Captain
Sir Thomas Hastings, for Portsmouth ; Mr. and Mrs.
Nightingale and family, from the Carlton Hotel, Regent-
%tree% for Hants; H. Ker Legmer, Esq., from Hathaway's
Hotels .

Since 1827 the Severn has not been lower than
at the present timc, and as many es 200 vessels are in conse-
quence detained below Upton.
Lord North, on his brother being appointed
Chancellor by Charles 11., having humbly represented, as his
bounden though painful duty, that his brother, though per-
fectly welt intentioned, was not qualified by his talents for so
high an office, the witty monarch thanked him with great com-
posure, and said, "he had always koown that there was one
fool among the brothers ; and he was obliged to his Lordship
for showing him which it was."—Diary Of a Lover of Litera-
ture, in the Gentienzan'.s Magazine.
_ _

Her Majesty the Oucen Dowager will leave
town next week to take up her residence at Bushy for the sum-
mer season. It is the intention of her Majesty, subsequently,
to accompany her sister, the Duchess Ida, on a visit to Ger-
many.
OLYMPIC THEATRE:—An excellent actor, and
most courteous stage manager, Charles Baker, takes a benefit
here on Monday. Compton comes forward handsomely to
support him in his original part of Jerry Chance, in Mark Le-
man's farce of Rettenborough. Mr. Nightingale also lends the
attraction of his very fine imitations, to diversify the entertain-
ment, which, we perceive by the bills, will be unusually rich
and various.

The Staffordshire Gazette has the followine:
strange words plefatory to a Government advertisement :::
" Inserted gratuitously !—shainefully withheld from this Jour-
nal In the Government, because it advocates Conservative prin-
ciples."
Animals' Friend Society last week brought
ten cases before the London Magistrates, when a number of
persons were tined from ss. to 20s. for cruelty to horses.
Captain Denham, R.N., F.R.S., Consulting
Marine Surveyor, had the honour of an interview with the
Chancellor of the Exchequer and President of the Board of
Trade, on Saturday, in Downing-street, to present his work on
Harbour Improvement.
Friday afternoon, as Emery, a waterman, belong-
ing to Whitehall-stairs, was rowing up the river Thames in a
boat, when off the Red-house he discovered the body of a mast
floating on the surface of the water. With assistance it was
conveyed to the shore, and, from an examination, its descrip-
tion of dress, &c., somewhat corresponded with that of the un-
fortunate man, George Tucker, who, with a party of sixteen
other persons were run down by the Bridesmaid iron steam-
boat, on Saturday (the 2d inst. ) off Old Swan-stairs, Chelsea,
all of whom escaped a watery grave but:Tucker.
THE WEATHER.—The arid easterly winds and
scorching sun have given way to refreshing rain. There
is now some appearance of more such showers. The orchards
everywhere exhibit indications of an abundant produce, and
the buds having been retarded in their appearance beyond the
usual period, are now, it is hoped, tolerably safe from the in-
jurious influence of frost. In some parts of Ireland much rain
had fallen before we bad a drop. The same observation ap.
plies also to Scotland. The Inverness Courier says--,4 After
many weeks, or rather some months, of the finest weather ever
experienced in this latitude at this season of the year, a very
sudden and total change has come on. On the afternoon of
Sunday last, the wind set in strong and cold from the east•
ward. On Alonday the gale continued with rain, and yesterday
morning the higher hills had a fresh coating of snow. It still
continues very cold and rainy. At Dalwhinnie, on Sunday, a
tremendous storm of thunder and lightning took place, with
torrents of rain ; and two sheep were killed by lightning about a
quarter of a mile from the inn. This is a rare occurrence in

that district. ,
. i
BIRMINGHAM, SATURDAY.—Thursday the
neighbourhood of Walmer-lane was thrown into confusion, in
consequence of the finding of the body of a young girl, named
Harriet Wright, in the canal, near Walmer-lane Bridge. The
body had no sooner been found and recogniscd, than stispicton ,
became attached to a young man named Josiah Lilly, with whom
she was known to have kept company. Information was sent to
the station-house, in Stainforth-street, and Servant Bruff was
despatched to the residence of Lilly's mother, m York-street,
where he apprehended the youth in bed, at 6 o'clock in the morn-
ing. An inquest was held yesterday before Dr. Davies and a Jury,
which lasted nine hours. The body, on being examined, exhi-
bited no marks of violence. From the account of some of the
witnesses, the prisoner and the deceased had been on intimate
terms, and much attached to each other. The prisoner is about
eighteen years of age, bore rather an indifferent character,
and is an apprentice to a plane manufacturer in Birmingham.
A great number of witnesses were examined, and the Jury, at
half-past eleven on Friday nighacter twenty minutes' consul-
talon, returned the following verdict :—" We are agreed that
the deceased canoe by her death by drowning, and record a ver- i
diet of wilful murder against the prisoner.
Brixham is now become a complete mining dis.
trict, as there are four iron ore mines in full work, shipping
some hundreds of tons per chew • The ore is of good goody.
ANGLESEY SIIEEP.—There was lately slaugh-
tered at Bodednyfed Farm, near Amlwch, Anglesey, a fine
ram, of the old Welsh breed, the property of Mr. 'freweek
from the skin of which the extraordinary weight of 101bs. of
wool was taken • the carcase weighed 821bs. The usual quan-
tity of wool yielded by sheep of the same breed averages from
five to six pounds.
HINT TO BATHERS.--Ally human being, who
will have the presence of mind to clasp the hands behind the
back, and turn the face towards the zenith, may float at ease,
and in perfect safety, in tolerably still water—
ay) and sleep
there, no matter how long. If, not knowing how to swim,
you would escape drowning, when you find yourself in deep
water, you have only to consider yourself in an empty pitcher;
let your mouth and nose, not the top part 0 your heavy head,
be the highest part of you, and you are safe : but thrust up
cone of your bony hands and down you go ; turning up the
handle tips over the pitcher.
The Hon. Mrs. Norton has been on a visit dur-
ing last week to Mr. and Mrs. Brineley Sheridan? at FrPrlptoll
. '
Howe, Dor:Wallin:.

ANGLO-HIBERNIAN RAILWAY

PROJECTS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SlR,—Tbe public ought. to be obliged to you for so
early directing attention to the reports of the Commis-
sioners on this subject.

I Kish, however, to correct some important omissions and
transpositions in the quotations you have given from the
reports, calculated to misinform the public as to their ma-
terial contents. I doubt not they have occurred through
inadvertence, so far as you are concerned ; nevertheless,
the tendency is to establish the Portdynllaen line, whereas
whatever alleged superiority in favour of that line appears
in the report, is in favour of the coast line over the interior
lines, radiating from that harbour terminus. The final de-
cision is in favour of Holyhead over all the competing lines.
In your journal of the Bth inst., between the first and
second quoted paragraphs (both being from page 22 of the
Report), you omit an important table, showing " that
even if the harbours of Portdynllaen and Holyhead had
been equally favourable for a packet station, the saving in
favour of the latter line would be as to time, halfGn hour,
and as to length of Railway to make, three miles and a
half. In your lengthy extract of the following day, the
same table is generalised, although every material table
relating to what is now called the Portdynllaen line is in-
serted at length.
Again—ln the article of the Bth inst., after omitting
the table just alluded to, the quotations go backfour pages,
in order, as it appears, to give a table en the comparative
merits of " the competing lines to Portdynllaen," a ques-
tion now " put out of Court" by the decision of the Com-
missioners. I think it was at least equally important you
should have given the table showing the comparative
merits of the Holyhead, and the best Portdynllaen lines,
which the omitted table gas.
Then follows the conclusion of the report,lnot totally
severed from the decisive opinion in favour of Mr. Steven-
son's line, over Chester and Bangor to Holyhead, although
in the report following in regular sequence.
I should not have drawn your attention to these points,
but for the tendency already alluded to, and also because
a similar use bad been made of the report in the Carnar-
von and Denbigh Herald, by a person who signs himself
" Henry Archer," dating " 5, Chester-street, Grosvoner-
place, Lendon." If it is the same Mr. Archer alluded to
by the Commissioners as the projector of the Portdyn-
llaen line, the reason for his doing so is obvious enough.
But I am certain nothing but the most impartial and disin•
terested feeling actuates you on this and all other subjects.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
' GIRALDUS CAMBRIENSIS.

[We readily insert the above, and beg to assure the
writer that we have not been actuated by any feeling of
partiality in favour of Portdynllaen; on the contrary, we
entirely agree with the Report of the Commissioners as
to the decided superiority of Holyhead, both as a Railway
terminus and packet station, when the contemp!atcd en-
largement of the harbour is carried into effect. We this
day publish the Naval Report, and we shall also publish
Mr. Stephenson's Report in a day or two.—ED. Sun.]

GENERAL POST OFFICE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SIR,---I beg to hand you the accompanying extract, to
show how willing the Post-office authorities are to attend
to suggestions respecting the transmission of letters, and
also to encourage other commercial travellers, who see
room for improvement, to make known their views to the
Secretary of General Post-office.
Yours respectfully,
A COMMERCIAL TRAVELLER.
Birmingham, May 9, 1840.
EXTRACT FROM LETTER.

" The arrival of the Ride from Newark has been timed
to the despatch from Nottingham, according to your last
suggestion, by which a day will now be saved in the com-
munication from Worksop and Retford to Birmingham."
General Post-office, May 4, 1840.

A VOLUNTARY CLOCK, AND OP-
POSITION TO CHURCH-RATES. Ma

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SIR—In July last year, the Chapelwardens of Bil-
ston, Staffordshire, gave notice to the person who had
the charge of winding up and regulating the church
clock, that they would not be answerable for his salary.
The reason of this was, because they could not obtain a
rate in vestry for congregational and other expenses; and
notice had been given to them that any items in their ac-
counts which the strict letter of the law did not allow
would be objected to, and it was likely that those
objections would be sustained. The Church clock,
therefore, was stopped, and it continued standing, very
greatly to the inconvenience of the colliers, miners, and
persons connected with the iron, works, that constitute
the great bulk of the inhabitants of the town, until
the month of October. By that time the inconve-
nience having been sufficiently felt, and it was thought
the minds of the inhabitants having been sufficiently
prepared for the purpose, a meeting of the ratepayers
was called in vestry to grant to the Chapelwardens
a rate of Is. in the pound, to defray the following
charges, viz., repairs and winding up of the clock, and
arrears due, five o'clock and curfew bell, and beadle,"
to which they added visitation expenses, law expenses,
and summonses not recovered, collector and postage,
and sacrament wine," besides other things. The object
of all this was to steal a march on the Dissenters, and
under cover of the convenience of th - town to obtain
a rate for all the congregational expenses which the
Church party had previously pledged themselves to find
out of their own pockets. They were, however, com-
pletely defeated in their attempt. The notice calling
the meeting was found to be informal, but that objec-
tion would have been over-ruled, and a motion for the
rate moved by one of the Chapelwardens, and
seconded by the' other, was about to be put in the
meeting, when the Independent Minister came forward,
to move an amendment. However, to prevent his
speaking, the notice calling the meeting was admitted
to be informal. The motion for the rate was with-
drawn, and the whole .proceedings fel Ito the ground.
This was a glorious triumph for the Dissenters, and
they might have retired from the oneetin,g content with
what they had achieved, but. they felt the inconvenience
arising from the standing of the church clock ; and al-
though they had refused a rate for the purpose of re-
pairing and winding it up, because it was connected
with other things with winch they had nothing to do,
they offered to find by subscription half the money ne-
cessary for all objects of public utility, if the Church
people would find the other half. But the offer
was indignantly refused ; and it was said by one person,
a leading man amongst them; that if the Dissenters
would find all the money for the clock, it should not go
without a rate, as, to use his own words, " that would
be to sacrifice the principle." The Dissenters, there-
fore, must either submit to be taxed for visitation ex-
penses, law expenses, summonses not recovered, Sacra-
ment wine, &c., or they must submit to be without the
use of a clock which had been bought and put up with
their money, in common with that of the whole town.
They determined not to submit to the exaction, and yet
they determined that the town should not suffer through
them, for they resolved to have a clock of their own,
and supported on the voluntary principle. That deter-
mination has at length been carried into effect. A
handsome clock has been erected on the top of the In-
dependent Chapel, which is a conspicuous object
in the main street of the town, with four dials, one of
which is to be illuminated ; an excellent clock
has been put into this tower ; and on Wed-
nesday • last, the 6th day of May, it com-
menced going, very greatly to the delight of many
of the inhabitants. The spirit manifested in this un-
dertaking will appear to have been as generous as it
was determined when it is known, that the parties who
promoted it, although at the beginning of the year they
had involved themselves in an expenditure of more than
5001. for the erection and opening of an infant school,
and two British schools, did not hesitate, rather than
sacrifice their principles, to incur an expenditure of 150/.
more, for the raising of which they are quite willing
to trust to the voluntary principle.
In the accomplishment of their object they have had
no small difficulties to encounter. Although the
church clock continued standing for some months
after the refusal to grant the rate in vestry, when it
was ascertained that engagements had been actually
entered into for the new clock, the church clock was
repaired, and once more set to work, without either
rate or voluntary subscriptions, at least from the Dis-
senters. This was intended to prevent the obtaining
of subscriptions towards the voluntary clock, but even
that attempt has not been successful, as nearly onc-
half the money has already been either obtained or
promised, and the remainder, there is no doubt, will be
forthcoming when asked for.
Bilston, May 8, 1840.

As an illustration of the great popularity of
Tory principles and " the re-action" in favour of them in this
county, we suppose the York Chronicle has been permitted to
expire ! The late Chronicle was 68 ears of age, and was
one of the oldest Tory papers, if not the oldest, in Yorkshire.
It has been a staunch advocate of its party ;—not over nice as
to what it said of Liberals ; and was the chosen vessel from
which all the low malignity of the York Tories was discharged
upon their opponents. Hence it was called the Slop-pail.
However, Nil de mortuie nisi bonum : so we must take out
our pocket-handkerchief and exclaim over Mr. Lowther's paper
Requiescat in pace !—Alas, poor " Slop-pail !"—Yorkshire-
man.
THE RAIN.—The suddenness with which the
rain came on yesterday afternoon, about the time when the
fasbionables were abroad to take the air, to admire and be ad-
mired, made sad havoc with drapery. Hundreds, and per-
haps thousands. of elegantly dressed people were caught in the
Parks, in the Zoological and Kensington Gardens, and could
not escape a wetting. However, such an accident will be good
for business. The dresses which were spoiled must be replaced
by new ones, and the catching weather, so propitious to vege-
tation, will be found, we believe, equally advantageous to the
silk and millinery trades.
Died at Rome, on the 9th ult., aged 88, the
Right Reverend Charles Edward fifth Duke of Melfort, &e.
&c., and a Roman Catholic prelate. This venerable nobleman
was chief of the ancient and distinguished family of Drum-
! mond. and heir to the forfeited Earldoms of Perth and Melfort,
and other titles in Scotland, to which he would have been re-
stored at the time of the restoration of the titles of Earl of
Mar Viscount Strathalan, &c., in 1825, but, being a Roman
Catholic., and a prelate of that Church, his claim was not then
preferred. He is succeeded by his only nephew and heir,
George Drummond, Esq., a captain in the army, late of the
93d Highlanders; who, as these titles have never been dropped,
now bears them, which was generally done by the linear de-
cendants of the nobles attainted for their adherence to the un-
fortunate House of Stuart, before they were restored, as
; iverny.”, Airlig, &c,