The Sun.
London, England, 1824-07-21 00:00:00

CHARGE OF ARSON.

UNlow-HALL—Yesterday. a man - named
Andrew Leslie was brought before R. J. CrtAsin E as, Esq.,
charged with having maliciously set tire to a house, situate
No. 24, Salisbury-place, Bermondsey.
Anne Walker stated that she lives with her father and mother
in the above house, and the prisoner lodged in the front garret.
On Wednesday morning last the prisoner came down stairs about
nine o'clock, and asked her mother if the tire was at leisure.—
Her mother replied that it was, and desired him to take his
breakfast (which he usually did with the family) and bring down
his saucepan. Ho went up stairs and brought down his sauce-
pan, into which he had his tea for breakfast put. There was
no grate to the tire-place in the room he occupied. In about a
quarter of an hour after he had taken up his breakfast, he
brought down a candle and lighted it, and took it up stairs, and
about i 4 o'clock witness went out of the house to shut the gate,
when the next-door neighbour asked her if there was any tire up
stairs. She replied that there was not ; however; on looking up
to the garret window she saw a smoke issuing out. She con-
cluded it • was steam proceeding from the saucepan which the
prisoner was using. She Alen went into the house and found
the saucepan in the parlour. She hurried up to the prisoner's
apartment, and found it so full of smoke that she could not go
in. She then ran-down stairs for the purpose of getting water
and calling for assistance' when several persons entered, who by
their exertions quenched the flames, which were rapidly com-
municating to the furniture. During this; time the prisoner left
the house. On examining the room, after the fire was put out,
she discovered that the prisoner had removed his Sunday
glothes, and left nothing in the room but a bundle of rags.
After further evidence in corroboration of the above, the pri-
soner was fully committal for trial.

RAVER NAVIGATION.—Mr. Matthew Robert-
son, of Glasgow, has contrived a Float, similar in principle to
those used by the Dutch, fin enabling a loaded ship to pass up
and clown rivers whose depth is not equal to her usual
draught of water. It consists of a deck tlat-bottomed
boat, twice or thrice the size of the ship, with an opening
in the middle large enough to receive her. This fist boat is
formed in two pieces, which arc united by a strong hinge at the
prow, and a strong clasp at the stern. The deep being loos-
ened, the two aides of the boat are made to diver.ge; the ship
saras
eiliti6nationticieloospetein, sapnadceilitristetthieed.inidtcl
,li,eur; afterro wlngcnich the sides
iains(niore
if necessary) are then passed across under the ship's bottom,
and attached to screws fixed to the deck of the Float; the
screws are then worked by. wheels and pinions, the chains are
shortened ; and the vessel is gradually raised by transferring
the pressure to the Float. The weight of the vessel is thus dif-
fused over a surface twice, or if need be thrice, the size of her
own hull, and of course the draught of water is proportionably
diminished. It may thus be effected that a ship, drawing 1G
feet of water, being raised nine feet by the chains, shall depress
the Float three feet, and so her actual draught will be reduced
to ten feet.

•
DlsTuitnANcr. BARTON.—an Friday s'en-
night the overseer of Barton? accompanied by the constable,
went round to deliver bills for the poor-rates to a number
of the inhabitants of small houses that had never contributed
to the relief of the poor, when they were attacked and abused
in a most serious manner. The people denied the right
of the overseer to charge them with the rate, inasmuch as
they had never paid it, and taxed him with want of humanity
towards the poor. Mr. Hampson (the oorseer) got very se-
verely scalded through hot water being thrown upon him. The
civil power being totally inadequate to put down the disturb.
ance, it was deemed. necessary to send to Manchester for mili-
tary aid. A troop of the Scots Greys were speedily dispatched,
and the very news of their being near the place caused the
rioters immediately to disperse. Several of the principal dis-
turbers were compelled, by Major Watkins, to find sureties
to answer to ow' indictment for the assault and riot at the
Sessions.

TUE WHITE ELEPHANT.—Our new enemy
in India, the Burmese Monarch, is the proprietor of the cele-
'butted white elephant. The writer of the article on the Burman
Empire, in the Encyclopedia lifetropolilana, has the following
account of this important beast, which, like many other import,
ant personages, dwindles down on close inspection :—" One of
the most singular and absurd superstitions by which human
nature has been 'disgraced, is the veneration paid in this
country to a white elephant, who is considered as the second
personage in the empire, ranks before any of the Royal Family
except the Sotereign, has a regular Court, Ministers, Secre.
tariea,'&.c. and is lodged in a splendid Palace connected by a
long gallery with the itoyal residence. A black velvet curtain,
embossed with gold, screens this august beast from vulgar eyes,
and his abode is as brilliant as gilding can make it. kle ham u
bed covered with crimson silk, and trappings richly adorned
with gold and precious atones. A complete service of gold,
including betel boxes, spitting pots, and we may presume pipes,
though the historians of Ava have not mentioned those im.
portant articles, are luxuries indispensable to so distinguished
a quadruped; but like many other Royal personages, he is
doomed to live in a splendid prison, and is chained' by silver
chains and golden fetters to the pillars of his palace. Captain
Canning, the British Envoy to the Court of Atnara-pura, in
1010, was admitted to the sacred presenee, and saw nothing
but a diminutive, sandy'-coloured beast, disfigured by a species
of leprosy, and apparently little gratified by the humility of
his attendants, who, at the threshold of the apartment, bowed
their heads down to the ground before him."

On Monday last was launched from Messrs.
WtGa.‘at4 and GREEN'S yard, Blackwall, an.
other beautifUl steam.vessel, named the Queen
of the Netherlands, for the Rotterdam Steam.
packet Company, intended to be employed in
conjunction with their vessel the King Yf the
Netherlands, in the passage between London and
•Rotterdam.