The Sun.
London, England, 1840-05-26 00:00:00

EVENING EDITION.

ing a valuable library and numerous prints, collected with
considerable taste ; 4,0001. to various persons, as tokens of his
regard. Also to the Canterbury Hospital, 1001., and 100/.
to the Magdalen in St. George's- fields, all free from legacy-
duty. The large residuum of about seventy-five thousand
pounds, he gives to the trustees of charities appointed by
the Lord Chancellor in trust. Some of the interest
arising from this capital, he appropriates, namely
1801. per annum to the occupants of twelve alms-houses built
by him in his life; 421. per annum to the six widows in Mends-
field's alms-houses; 101. per annum to the poor man occupying
an unendowed alms-house, of Napleton's charity ; 5/. per an-
num to each of the friendly societies of the town; 12/. per
annum to the national schools ; 5/. per annum to the Benevo-
lent Society; 2/. per annum to the Lying-in-Charity; the
remaining yearly interest to be given to any inhabitants of the
town of Faversham in want or distress, by the said trustees,
they using their best judgment for its disposal. The capital
may be lent at a low rate of interest to the Company of Dredger-
men when too poor to stock their grounds with brood oysters,
or to any industrious inhabitants of the town needing assistance,
the trustees taking the best security they can for repayment.
STABBING.—The neighbourhood of Biddenden,
in Kent, has been greatly excited within the last few days, on
account of a tragical occurrence that took place in that neigh-
bourhood in the afternoon of the 13th inst., the result of
which was the death of a labouring man named Munn, who was
stabbed by another man James Bell, with a penknife, in the
heart. Bell told Munn (they were both angry) that if he did
not leave him alone, he would stab him with a knife. On
Bell being told that the man was dead, he became frantic, and
begged the bystanders, for God's sake to go for a doctor and
try to save him, and at the same timc declared that he did not
intend to have hurt the deceased. An inquest was subse-
quently held, when the Jury, after a patient inquiry, returned a
verdict of manslaughter against Bell, and he was committed to
Maidstone gaol, to take his trial at the ensuing Summer Assizes.
DEATH FROM SUDDEN EXCITEMENT.—Last
Saturday, ?kir& Ridgeway, of the Greyhound, Sydenham, was
left in care of the inn during the absence of her husband, who
had come to Lor.don. In consequence of the great influx if
visitors to Sydenham, to witness the laying of the foundation-
stone of the asylum for aged and decayed watermen, at Penge,
a short distance from the above village, every inn was filled.
The excitement and unexpected hurry of business had such an,
effect on Mrs. Ridgeway that she was seized with apoplexy
and survived only two hours. She had previously enjoyed ex-
cellent health and spirits. An inquest has been held on the
body, and a verdict returned, " Died of apoplexy."
THE IMPRISONED CHARTISTS,---At a recent
meeting of the Visiting Magistrates of the Lancaster Castle, the
Chaplain of the gaol stated, that he had been applied to by
some of the Chartists now undergoing their term of imprison-
ment, for some mitigation of the prison rules respecting the
books now introduced for their reading. Mr. Bronterre
O'Brien begged to be allowed to have Blackstone's Commen-
taries and the classics. A discussion thereupon took place,
the Magistrates appearing to think that such books were
not contemplated by the rules, which declared that
publications, save those of a moral and religious cha-
racter, should not be introduced into the prison for the
use of the inmates. A Magistrate remarked that there was
nothing immoral in Blackstone, or in some of the classics; to
which it was replied, that neither was there anything immoral
in the "Lady of the Lake," and yet books of that class were
certainly not contemplated by the Legislature. The majority
of the Bench, however, appeared in favour of allowing Mrt
Bronterre O'Brien (who has been educated for the
bar) the compat ionship of his Blackstone; and one
Magistrate remarked, that if Mr. O'Brien had carefully
read and duly profited by the works of this con-
stitutional law expounder, he would never have been within
the walls of Lancaster Castle. Eventually the chaplain
was told that the Bench saw no objection to the introduction of
Blackstone, but that they would not consent to admit the clav44
sits, which would open a wide door, and convert the pmsott
after a time into a library and reading-room. A further appli-
cation was, we learn, made by the Chartists, for permission to
correspond more frequently with their friends, and to be en-
abled to send and receive letters which should not be read by
the governor or chaplain. This application was refused by the
Bench, on the ground that the Chartists might thus go on writ-
ing and publishing seditious matter.—Lancaster guardian.
THE PRINCESS DASCHKAW AND MARIA
ANTOINETTE.—On the day appointed I went there with in
son and daughter, and found the Queen already arrived. He,
Majesty, with the most graceful condescension, came forward
to receive us, and having placed me by her side on a sofa, and my
ton and daughter at a little round table near it, she addressed us
with so much affability as set us completely at our ease, and
absolutely captivated us all. Among other little civilities, she
complimented my son and daughter on their proficiency in.
dancing, in which accomplishment she said it had been told her
they were perfect. " For my part," added her Majestv,
" I grieve to anticipate the loss of so favourite an amusement
which I soon shall be obliged to relinquish." 44 And 'Alp
Mamarn," I could not help saying, " should you feel ',uch a
necessity ?" "It is,' replied she, " because one is *cot per-
mitted to dance here after five and twenty." Ace-A-ding to
my usual awkwardness of a Ninette a la tour, forge sting what
I had heard twenty times, that the Queen had a decided
paasion for play, " I can never approve," said I, 44 such a
prohibition ; for as long as the inclination lasts, and the
feet do not refuse their aid, I should have no idea of not
gratifying a taste so much more natural than its usual alterna-
tive—a love of play." Her Majesty expressed herself to be
perfectly of my opinion, and we continued to converse cn a va-
riety of subjects, luckily for myself, without reflecting on the
awkward observation of which I had been guilty, and without
her Majesty's betraying the slightest mark of having noticed it
herself.—Memoirs of the Princess Daschhawa
DEATH OF MR. PLANK.--Died on Wednes-
day evening, at his residence, Chapel-place, Oxford-street,
Mr. Samuel Plank, who was for nearly thirty years connected
with the old police establishment, and who for a cons;.derablo
portion of that time held the o' ee of Chief Constable of Marl-
borough-street Police-office. Mr. Plank in early life served
on board a King's ship, and he signalised himself on several oc-
casions by his bravery during the war. He was subsequently
appointed parish constable of St. George's, Hanover-square, in
which situation his zeal and activity on all occasions was so
re that he was appointed a constable to Marlborough-
street police-office, and here, having more opportunities
eve
et ,egl aygeadppin o inate vd ast e
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fo
bel.nosft
r exeoccasirting himself, and his skill and courage upon
ry on recommending him to the notice of the
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deli-
cate and important matters in connection with eof the
most noble families of the kingdom, and the fidelity andm intel-
ligence that he displayed upon every occasion, entitled bilnt° the respect of all those who confided their interests to his
charge. Among other cases, it will be remembered that Mr.
Plank was the means of bringing to justice the forger Faun-
tleroy, and as a proof of his probity and honour, it may be
stated as a well-known fact, that while t'ne examination of the
unhappy man was in progress, a sure amounting to nearly
20,0001. was offered to Mr. Plank if he would connive at a
plan that had been laid for his escape, but Mr. Plankindig-
nantly spurned the proposal, and he declared that nothing
should prevent him from a perfortarmee of the duty he owed to
the public. During the latter period of his attendance at
Marlborough-street Office, the Magistrates treated him more
like a friend than an attendant. He was always upon the
bench with them, and if any matter of difficulty arose, they in-
variably conferred with Mr. Plank upon the subject, and his
advice was, upon almost all occasions, adopted. By the recent
alterations in the Metropolitan Police-offices, the situation of
chief constable was abolished, and he retired upon a pension of
80/. a-year. By a long course of frugality and economy, Mr.
Plank amassed considerable property—it is said to the extent
of upwards of twenty thousand pounds. He expired on Wed-
nesday evening about eight o'clock, in the sixty-fourth year of
his age.

PUBLIO MEETING IN DUNDEE FOR THE RE'
PEAL OF TILE CORN-LAWS.--.On Monday last a meeting or
the inhabitants of Dundee favourable to the present movement
against the Corn-laws, was held in the Thistle Hall, at one
o'clock, for the purpose of expressing disapprobation at the
manner in which the House of t,ommons recently treated the
question of repeal, and devising measures for the better pro-
motion of the agitation for the total abolition of these laws.
The attendance was numerous and respectable. In addition
to those who took a part in the proceedings, we observed pre-
sent a number of our most respectable merchants and others
interested in the trade of the town. Provost Hackney was
called to the chair. The principal speakers were the Rev. Mr..
Shnebothan, the Rev. Samuel Spence, Mr. Inglis, Dunfermline,
the Rev. Mr. Blair, Ferry-Port-on-Craig, &c. Mr. Shoe-
bothan (says the Dundee Chronicle, from which we copy the
present paragraph), brought his excellent talents into full pliq
in exposing the injustice of the Corn-laws; and Mr. Spence
not only followed up the onset, but showed that he
and hill
..
brethren might with propliety discharge their duty to the
fellow-citizens consistently with their higher vocation as nu"
nisters of the gospel.
A TRAVELLING FIRAr.--A very clever frrAud
has recently been committed on the Continent by a lcnot of
swindlers, French, German, and Italian, with, we unak.irstand,
some English associates. They forged circular letter.s of cre-
dit from a large banking-house in London, and stf,rting from
Aix-la-Chapelle, divided their forces, and worlred so well in
Germany, Belgium, and the north and south of Italy, that they
have already raised 10,0001. As some of the F arty have gone
to Athens, Constantinople, and Smyrna, it is supposed they
will reap further spoil from their well-laid nefarious scheme•
Report says that two Frenchmen of rank and. an English lady
belong to the firm. As an instance of the skill with which the
affair has been managed, we hear that the rnvindlers have in no
instance drawn for the full amount of each letter of credit, and
the documents being consequently restored to them, there ex-
ists no evidence of their forgery.
COLONEL THOMPsON.—The gallant and out-
and-out Radical Colonel, in his letter this week to the Leeds
Times, tells us that the " English Irish Tail " amongst their
other acts of personal hostility to him, ient ; Tory Lord into
Parliament, as the means of keeping him out from Mar
bone. " There were," continues the Colonel, 4, at one time
actually six Tory Members voting in the 11use upon
that
strength of the measures taken to keep me out • so that at ‘.,;
moment, I might be said to count tw,,lve on a'division
of the seats for Hull was afterwards recovered, which. makes
me to-night count only ten."