The Sun.
London, England, 1824-06-22 00:00:00

FOR THE SUN.

THE LATE MR. MUSS.
MR. EDITOR--I have just seen an article, con-
tained in your Paper of Thursday last,*' relative
to the death of my lamented friend Mr. Muss,
but which, in some points, is so exceedingly in-
correct that I should feel myself guilty of in-
justice to his memory were I to let it pass un-
noticed. lam persuaded, at the same time, that
you will readily embrace an opportunity of cor-
recting an inaccuracy which has, doubtless, inad-
vertently been inserted in your valuable Paper.
—ln the article to which I allude, Mr. Muss is
made to appear as the pupil of a Mr. COLLINS,
"an eminent enameller on glass." Who this
eminent enameller might be, I cannot imagine,
but I am quite certain that Mr. Muss could never
have been indebted to him for the smallest par-
ticle of his greatness. It was his own rare talent,
matured by years of unremitted application, that
raised him to the unparalleled eminence which he
held in his profession, and which brought the art
of enamel painting to such exquisite perfection.
—Mr.Muss was a native of London, and pursued
his studies under the tuition of his father. The
difficulties into which he was plunged in early
life by the failure of a porcelain manufactory, in
which his whole property was invested, induced
him to accept an engagement under Mr.COLLINS,
of the Strand, who about that time became a
dealer in stained and painted glass.—Struggling
beneath the weight of adversity, he remained
some years in this situation, and but for the most
indefatigable labour, and almost incredible exer-
tions, his splendid talents must have yet remained
in obscurity, or have been appropriated to another's
fame.—Scarcely had he emerged from his diffi-
culties, and succeeded in obtaining that patronage
to which his works,so justly entitled him, when
death suddenly deprived the country of his talents,
his family of his protection, and society of his
inestimable worth.—Confident that you will take
an early opportunity of correcting the unjust im-
pression which your former insertion is calculated
to produce,
I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your very obedient and humble servant,
June 20, 537 Warren-street. JIEDGELAND.
' The paragraph came from a Correspondent.

ANOTHER CORPORATION.

(From " THE Joint BULL" of Sunday last.)

We are sufficiently REFORMERS in principle to
resist every thing that savours of extortion or oppression, in
whatever quarter it may be found—where corruption is proved
to exist let it be exposed—where it is tangible let it be rooted
out. We find we have succeeded in foiling the measures con-
templated by the Bristol Corporation—although those wise-
acres, their legal advisers, were silly enough to threaten us
with vengeance for having presumed to expose them. W
have another Corporation under castigation at present, and we
believe the public will go hand in hand with us in rejoicing at
the judgment pronounced by 111 r. Justice BAILEY, upon the
long pending question between that august body and the inha-
bitants of the Isle of Wight, whose interests have been adopt-
ed, and at an enormous expence advocated, by that liberal and
public-spirited individual, Mr. WARD, of Northwood Park,
and his son.

A slight sketch of the question may be necessary for the pub-
lic at large, although the natives of Hampshire and the whole
neighbouring coast have long had it at their finger ends.
The Corporation having some obsolete claims, founded upon
' a grant from King JOHN, thought a good thing might belriade
of them, it' they could be licked into some shape by an Act of
Parliament ; and accordingly in 1803 they petitioned for, and
obtained one from the legislature, by which these petty cus-
toms, as they were called, were abolished, and great things
were held out in prospect to the public, in the promise of docks,
which were to be constructed for the safety of ships coming to
the town, and of WAREHOUSES which were to be built for the
safe custody of goods which were to be imported or exported in
such ships ; for these purposes certain duties were imposed by
the Act. is_ _ _

Twenty years bave,now elapsed since the passing of the Act,
and the Docks still remain to be constructed, and the ware-
.....

houses are in nubibus ;—not so the dues to be levied for Their
construction and support. They without delay began to levy
tolls on all merchandise imported into, or exported from the
town. With this they were content fbr about 14 or 15 years, but
at the end of that period, some wise man of Gotham hit upon
an expedient to render the act more effective—not in raising
'docks and warehouses—but the wind.

The loose wording of our Acts of Parliament too often
opens a door to artful or skilful interpreters. In the schedule
to this Act in the list of Merchandise on which an import or
export duty was payable, there occurs .the words " Baggage
and Luggage,"—this was easily interpreteß to mean the port-
manteau of clothes—the sac de nuit or poqicuille of every luck-
less passenger who had occasion to pass over the public quay of
Southampton in his transit to or from the Isle of Wight, and
accordingly for such articles every individual was, with a sua-
vity of manner peculiar to the collector of these claims, forced
to pay three halfpence for every separate article which accompa-
nied him—nay, one gentleman having taken a bag with three
shirts on board one of the passage vessels, with an intention of
going to the Isle of Wight, altered his mind, and returned
immediately on shore. What follows 9—he had his shirts
seized because he would not pay three halfpence for what was
termed AN EXPORT, and a further three halfpence for an IM-
PORT duty on this bag, which had gone about fifty yards from
and back again to the Quay. Such an obvious imposition, how
ever, was too glaring to be long endured without causing enquiry
and investigation into the assumed right of levying a personal
IT s
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opooenr
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seizeoom-
the portmanteau, eix. of the above mentioned G. WARD, Esq.
of Northwood Park, in the Isle of Wight, he having refused
to submit to the demand on several occasions.

In consequence of this, that Gentleman (and his son), in the
public spirit of an independent man, brought actions against
the Collector, and on Thursday 'last, the Judgment of the
Court of King's Bench was delivered, declaring the illegality
of all such seizures, and in effect relieving the inhabitants of
the Isle of Wight from all charge on their property passing to
and from Southampton. This is as it should be ; but what
will the public think when informed that three verdicts had
been previously given against the Corporation at the County
Assizes—and that for a twelvemonth after the two first, the
Commissioners still continued to levy the toll—nor discontinued
the exaction until a third prepared them for the thundering'
Judgment which went to annihilate diem on Thursday. It
would be some satisfaction—and we own we feel some curiosity
to know what the Commissioners mean to do with the large
sums of money levied since the
first verdict against them pro-
nounced the ,Levy to BE. ILLEGAL. They will perhaps
condescend to gratify us by consulting our judgment.

DuEL.-A meeting took place at five o'clock
yesterday morning near Hampstead, between
J. W. WILLIAMS and R. J. HOWLEY, Esqrs.,
when Mr. WILLIAMS was severely wounded ; but,
from the skilful exertions of his medical friend,
every hope is entertained of his recovery.
There is no truth in the statement which ap-
pears in the Morning Papers, copied from the Sent Herald,
that Mr. LUSIIINGTON had declined accepting the appoint-
ment of Governor of Bombay, and that Sir JOAN MALCOLM
had in consequence been nominated to that important office.—
(Morning Paper.)
A subscription is opened at GALIGNANI'S read-
ing-room, in the Rue Vivienne, Paris, for the
portrait of the unfortunate traveller BELZONI,
price from ten to twenty francs. This subscrip.:
,tion is under the patronage of Sir C. STISAIIZ.