The Sun.
London, England, 1847-01-15 00:00:00

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LON:DON,I FRIDAY' EVENING, JANUARY 15, 1847

MARLBRO'-STREET-(THIS DAY.)

Edward Crowilier, alias Edwin Na/der, \Val) ehargol
stealing two silk umbrellas from a shop in Regent-
street.

Police•constable 182 C said he was on duty last night,
about eight o'clock, in Regent-street, and saw the pri-
soner take two silk umbrellas from the door of Mr.
Melton's shop, 194, Regent-street. Prisoner was run-
ning, and held two umbrellas in his hand. Witness
tripped him up as he passed, secured the prisoner and
one of the umbrellas, but the other was carried off by one
of the prisoner's accomplices.
The prisoner, who had been before convicted, was
committed for trial.

CLERKEN WELL-(THIS DAY).
A miserable-looking old woman, named Bridget Moly-
neux, was charged before Mr. Combe with stealing 13
pounds of pork from the shop of Mr. John Conway, a
cheesemonger in Gray's Inn-lane.
The prisoner watched the opportunity, and while Mr.
Conway was busy with a number of customers, snatched
the pork from the window and ran off with it. She
was captured after a sharp chase of nearly a quarter of
a mile.

The prisoner, who said she was compelled by hunger
to steal the pork, was committed for trial.

FREEMASONRY AND THE PRE-

SENT DISTRESS.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SlR,—The cause in which I write, not being of private
interest, but one in which a large and suffering portion
of our fellow-countrymen are deeply concerned, I feel
confident that you will again kindly grant me space in
the columns of your valuable journal, that I may reite-
rate my appeal to the Freemasons of England on behalf
of their miserable and starving brethren of the United
Kingdom. In a structure like masonry, which from
foundation to coping-stone, is charity—llcaven-born
charity—the appeal of distress must surely find sympathy
and relief. It surely can only be necessary that that
cry should be heard, to find open hearts and extended
hands responding to the call in a manner worthy of the
sons of " Light." Charity is the distinguishing shares •
teristic of a Freemason's heart: he who feels not the
warmth of that virtue of virtues in his breast is un-
worthy of the name of Mason: him I pass over and ap-
peal to those who, deeply impressed with the
obligations of the order, shrink not from putting them
in practice when necessity requires. Thank God, it is
long since art occasion like the present called for the
sympathy and aid of the craft, and when the evil hour
has passed, long may it be ere its dark visage throws its
shadow over us again. Sickness, nakedness, and famine,
with united powers, stalk amid the poorer masses of our
countrymen, and in their track leave misery, agony, and
death. " The superfluity of the rich is the patrimony
of the poor." Who is there of us who does not find
cash to expend upon some superfluity? Oh! in this
time of desolation grudge not a trifle to alleviate the
misery that groans within the length and breadth of the
land.

Freemasons of England! do something AS A BODY to
rescue the sufferers from

"Death, and all the sad variety of pain,"
It is your duty at all times—it is doubly so now.

Jan. 14.

CATO.

THE LEGITIMATE DRAMA.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE 'TIMES.
SlR,—Observing in your paper of this day the cor-
respondence between Mr. Bunn and Mrs. Butler, calls
to mind the following facts :
In the year 1765 David Garrick was at the head of
the Drury-lane company with a salary per night of 21.
15s. 6d. ; Mr. Yates (the famous Othello) and his wife,
31. 6s. Bd. ; Palmer and his wife, 2/. ; King (the cele-
brated Sir Peter Teazle and Lord Ogleby), 11. Gs. Bd. ;
Parsons (the famous comedian), 1/. 6s. Bd. ; Mrs. Cib-
ber, 2/. 10s. ; Mrs. Pritchard, 2/. 6s. Bd. ; Mrs. Clive,
1/. 15s. ; Miss Pone (the first of chambermaids), 13s. 4d.;
Signor Guestinelli (chief singer), 1/. 3s. 4d. ; and Signor
Grimaldi and his wife (chief dancers), 1/. Alt the above
persons were of first-rate talent ; eating and drinking,
indeed all the necesaries of life were as expensive in the
year 1763 as in the year 1847. Either actors and
actresses in those days were under-paid, or the actors
and actresses of the present day are over• paid.
Tour obedient servant,
London, Jan 14. A PLAY-GOER.

AN ARGUMENT FOR VOLUN-
TARYIS,M.

UPPER-MILL, IN SADDLEWORTIL-011 the evening of
Christmas-day, the teachers of the Sunday school in
connexion with the Indepenclo nt chapel in this village,
held their annual tea party. 'Xhe spacious school-room
was adorned for the occasion in a very tasteful, sylvan
style. The room was thronged by ladies and gentlemen
to the number of about 400. 'The minister of the place
presided; and in succession called on thirteen speakers,
all teachers in that school, and five or six of them
having been scholars there, to which circumstance must
be attributed their present marked piety and deep re-
ligious feeling, their respectable attainments, and the
rapid development of talents of superior promise. The
speeches possessed various merit ; several were of a
highly intellectual character. true very important ques-
tion of a State education was not forgot ; and Dr.
Vaughan was severely reprehended for the side of that
question which he has so strati, gely taken, though his
known talent as a preacher (ht.ving been engaged to
advocate that very school the last summer), and his pro-
found knowledge as a divine,. were fully and freely
acknowledged by the speaker, who denounced the system
of State interference advocated. by the learned, but in-
consistent and erring doctor. Tlris subject seems to be
well understood by the teachers of the said school; and
the writer felt pleasure in beaming how abhorrent to
their ideas and feelings are the dictation, supervision,
and other unknown, vexatious, and paralyzing Go-
vernment interferences, ivvhich they are persuaded are
consequent on the system in question. Knowing how
the thirteen speakers obtained their knowledge, the
writer could not help thinking that they furnish an incon-
testable proof of the perfect acie quacy of the voluntary
system to furnish as good an education as the working
population require. Saddlewo rth, at all events, needs no
educational help from Government, and wishes not to be
taxed for grants to other townships. It possesses Sun-
day school accommodation for ;about 4,400, being one-
fourth of the entire populati on. Besides which, there
are four large schools just ou t of Saddleworth, but
standing on the border, and receiving scholars from the
township, which are calculated. to hold about 2,000
more. Nearly all the numerous Sunday schools are also
used as day schools. If all townships, in respect to
education, will do as Saddleworth has done (and not a
sprig of aristocracy grows in any part of the forest),
Drs. Hook, Vaughan and Co., -may spare a good portion
of their effervescing anxiety for the boys of England,
and bestow it on the adults oct ;upying the upper forms
—the men and women in their several departments; to
whose improvement their greafc learning, and their high
professional skill seem more peculiarly adapted, and
whose condition surely demands their especial attention.
—Correspondent of the Leeds .111erculy.

UNIVERSITY IN'TELLIGENCE.
OXFORD, JAN. 14.—This being the first day of term, a
Congregation was holden, atr.d. the following Degrees were
conferred :

EMPLOYMENT OF PRISONERS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sin,—The progress already made in this important
measure must be gratifying to the friends of humanity,
and proves that my appeal of last year to the constituted
authorities of the land was not made in vain, but has
been responded to by the Government, who have now
seriously set about a remedy. by the communication lately
issued from the 'Home Office to the magistracy of the
kingdom, informing them of the suspension of transpor-
tation and the determination to give employment to the
prisoners in this country ; thus has one step been gained,
and it is now only necessary to go one step farther to
accomplish the desirable end, viz., to employ them when
out of prison, and by such means restore them gradually
to society again.
Such a system Rill relieve the calendar of two thirds
of the number of prisoners whose repeated convictions
entail so heavy an expense on the country, and will obvi-
ate, to a great extent, the necessity of separate and silent
systems; and will not only render the erection of new
prisons unnecessary but reduce the numbers at present
in existence.

The powerful aid the press has afforded this praise-
worthy cause cannot be sufficiently acknowledged; and
as the public mind has now been awakened to the pre-
sent demoralizing system, and the Government being
more actively engaged in correcting it, the day is Lot
far distant when by a revision of our criminal code, and
the employment afforded, many thousands of human
beings will be rescued, which will prove that the mer-
ciful system of prevention, which I have so humbly advo-
cated, will supersede the cruel and expensive system
of perpetual punishment.
Perseverance in this humane cause must insure suc-
cess, and supported by an influential committee and
a strong battery of facts, the legislature in pursuing these
laudable measures will not only benefit the great body of
the people, but save thousands who otherwise must be
lost, and will carry out an act of the greatest economy
and which will do honor to our country. I am, Sir,
your obedient servant, JOHN LAURIE.
1, Hyde Park-place, Jan. 12, 1847.

LORD JOHN RUSSELL AND THE
ORPHAN CHILDRREN OF THOMAS HOOD.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.

Sir,—The statement on thie interesting subject con•
tained in your paper of the 11th inst., which was taken
from the Examiner, is incomplete without the notice of
an important offer of a sum of money to the children,
which was contained in a private note to Mr. David Sa-
lomons, which accompanied the official reply to the me-
morial of the trustees. In that note Lord John Russell
says, if 1001. from the Royal bounty would be accept-
able, he would advise her Majesty to give that sum to
Mr. Hood's children.

The official reply having somehow found its way into
the public press, it is but justice to Lord John Russell
to show how promptly and kindly he has responded to
the appeal made to him on behalf of these orphans. For
reasons which he states, he is unable to grant any pen-
sion before next June. He expresses his regret, at this
circumstance, and says he should have been happy to
recommend the continuance of the pension, but until
June next the Crown has not the power to grant any
pension on the civil list. The whole sum grantable
within the year has been already bestowed, and any
grant he should recommend for the children would be
illegal and void. It cannot be doubted that in June the
pension will be granted to the children. Meanwhile a
grant of 1001. from the Royal bounty has been given.
For this new grant there is a precedent exactly in point
were such necessary.
Sir Robert Peel advised the Crown to acknowledge the
merits of Sir Martin Shee, the President of the Royal
Academy, by the grant of a pension from the civil list.
It was settled on Lady Shee. Lady Shee died within a
year of the grant of the pension, and, as the benevolent
intentions of the Crown were thus defeated, her Majesty
was graciously pleased, by the advice of Sir Robert Peel,
from the 1,200/. grantable within the next year, to allot
a pension to the daughters of Sir Martin Shee equal in
amount to that granted to his wife.
Oa the occasion of the original grant of the pension
to Ilood the course pursued by Sir Robert Peel was
similar to that now taken by Lord John Russell. When
the pressing case was made known to him, he could not
(probably for a similar reason) immediately comply with
the request; but he recommended a gift of 150/. from the
rod al bounty, and shortly afterwards he bestowed the
pension.
It is most gratif3ing to observe the ready recognition
of the claims of literary distinction, totally independent
of and apart from any political services. On this neutral
ground Ministers politically opposed are ready to meet
and to rival each other in their eager desire to break
through the restraints imposed on them by a too nig-
gardly economy of the state.
That the limitation of the amount to which pensions
to persons of literary eminence can be legally granted is
far too great, and unworthy of this great nation, must
be painfully felt by the Prime Minister as often as claims
strong as those of Hood's family are presented to him—
claims he cannot hesitate to recognise, though unable to
relieve them.

It would be no difficult matter to procure a grant of a
larger amount, to be placed annually at the disposal of
the Crown, on advice of the first Lord of the Treasury.
The justice and necessity of such a measure would be
admitted by all parties in Parliament, and by none more
willingly than by the Prime Minister,
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
ONE OF THE TRUSTEES.

THE PROTECTIONISTS' AND THE

THE GLORIOUS THIRTY-FIRST

REGIMENT.
CUATI,A3I, JAN. 1:3. l'he left wing of this distinguishcu
and heroic regiment, which signalised it6elf in bravury iu the
recent battles with the Seikhs, at Moodkee, in De-cember,
1845, arrived this evening at Chatham Barracks from
Gravesend. This wing of the regiment consisted of 14 ser-
geants, 7 corporate, 4 drummers, and 93 privates, with 10
women and 11 children. They embarked at Calcutta' on board
the ship Plantagenet, and sailed on the 3d cf August last,
but, owing to the ship meeting with an accident on her
voyage down the river, was obliged to return to Calcutta,
when she underwent repairs necessary for her voyage. She
sailed for England on the 2d of September, and put in at St.
Helena on the 17th of last month, and there took in water,.
and arrived at Gravesend on the 12th. inst. During the
passage the detachment lost by death six men ; one died this
morning at Gravesend. One man of the 9th and one man
of the 94th came home with the detachment. Lieutenant
T. H. Plasket, 31st, was in charge : this officer is wounded
in the ancle. There are four other officers of the 31st came
with the troops: Lieut. R. Law, Lieut. A. Pilkington (this
officer is wounded through both ancles), Lieut. E. A. Noel, and
Assistant-Surgeon Hampden H. Massey. This part of the
regiment is very sickly, and the greater part are wounded,
there being only about forty effective men among them.
Very general complaint prevails amongst the soldiers re-
garding the ship, as the pumps were kept working every four
hours during the whole voyage. There were several pas-
sengers came home in this vessel, among whom was Lord
Henry Gordon, Captain of the 4th Native Infantry; Mr.
Shand, a cadet; Miss Sutherland, sister of Major Sutherland,
of the 21st British Fusiliers; and Mrs. Chapman, a lady of
one of the judges of Calcutta; Mrs. Kelly, widow of
Lieu-
tenant Michael Kelly, of the 63d, who was killed in action,
and also the widow of Lieutenant and Adjutant George Sims,
of the 62d, and the widow of the quartermaster sergeant of
the same regiment, who fell in battle, and Mrs. Turnbull, an
officer's widow of the Company's service. This detachment
of the 31st, after being medically inspected, and the men that
are unfit for service transferred to the invalid depot to be dis-
charged on pensions, and those that are effective will join
their head-quarters at Walmer Castle. The Royal Marine
band went out to meet them, for the purpose of playing them
to the-barracks, but owing to the soldiers being brought in
vans, not being able to march, the band returned to their
head-quarters without them, although the band waited up-
wards of two hours.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.
LEEDS AND MESE.

On Wednesday a special meeting was held at Leeds, Mr.
John Gott in the chair, to consider and determine as to the
expediency of contracting to purchase the undertakings, rail.
ways, stations, and properties of the Stockton and Hartlepool
Railway Company, and the Clarence Railway Company, or
any part thereof respectively, by the Leeds and Thirsk Com-
pany, upon the terms and conditions to be submitted to the
meeting; and to authorise the directors of the Leeds and
Thirsk Company to enter into contracts for such sales, or to
ratify any provisional agreements, if approved, that may
have been entered into with these companies respectively, or
either of them, for those purposes; and further to authorise
the directors of the Leeds and Thirsk Company to do all such
acts,•adopt all such measures, and execute all such docnments
as may be necessary or expedient to carry the same respec-
tively into full effect.
Mr. EDDISON, solicitor to the company, read the terms of
the agreement which had been entered into provisionally by
the directors of the Leeds and Thirsk Company with the di-
rectors of the Stockton and Hartlepool Railway Company
during the present month. By that agreement the Leeds and
Thirsk Company are to purchase the works of the Stockton and
Hartlepool Railway for the sum of 240,0001., of which sum
90,0001. is to be paid in cash within three months after ob-
taining the Act of Parliament to ratify the agreement ;
and the remaining 150,0001. by 3,000 shares in the Leeds and
Thirsk Company, which are to be considered as paid up, and
to take all the rights and interests which appertain to the
other shares in the company; and in pursuance of which the
shareholders in the Stockton and Hartlepool Company are to
be entitled to an allotment of 3,000 of the 351. preferential
stock, bearing six per cent. interest, created on the 30th of
November last, but are to pay the calls and interest
thereon in all respects the same as the other holders of those
shares. This purchase is to cover all the real and personal
property of the Stockton and Hartlepool Company, excepting
the engines, which are to be taken at a valuation, sub-
ject to an option which the Clarence Railway Company are
entitled to, under some former agreement with the
Stockton and llartlepool Company. Mr. Eddison also
read a copy of the proposal of the Leeds and
Thirsk Company to purchase the works of the
Clarence Railway Company for thesum of 450,000/., of which
214,000/. is to be paid in money within seven months of the
passing of the Act of Parliament, and the remaining 236,000/.
in shares of the Leeds and Think Company principally pre-
ferential shares. The proposal had been accepted by the
committee of the Clarence Company, on the understanding
that the preferential shares are to continue such. The
Chairman read some observations illustrative of the advan-
tages of the proposed amalgamations, which had been writ-
ten by the chairman of the company. He concluded by
moving that the agreement for the purchase of the Stockton
and Hartlepool Railway works and other property, which
had been read be approved, and the corporate seal attached
thereto.

Mr. EDWARD BAINES seconded the motion, when it passed
unanimously.
A motion by the Chairman, sanctioning the proposal made
and accepted for the purchase of the Clarence Railway and
works, subject to such alterations as shall be found expe-
dient, and subject also to a copy of the Bill for confirming
the same being laid before the shareholders of this company
for their sanction, was seconded by Mr. J. G. Payley, and
adopted unanimously.

PROGRESS OF THE ATMOSPHERIC.
Yesterday a special trip (preparatory to the opening) was
taken upon the Croydon Atmospheric, from New-cross to
Forest-hill. Nearly the whole 01 this distance is upon an in-
cline of lin 100. Captain Codington was in attendance, and
was accompanied by Mr. Wilkinson, Mr. Crowley, Mr.
Schuster (directors); and Mr. Peter Clark, the superin-
tendent of the line. The trip was interesting only so far as
it afforded something like an indication of the power of the
15-inch atmospheric pipe up a long and severesgradient.
The train, which consisted of four carriages, weighing about
sixteen tons, ran through from New-cross to Croydon without
stopping—that is the train, after the piston left the section of
the pipe laid down from the New-cross station to the engine-
house at Forest-hill, was carried by its own impetus up the
incline between such engine-house and the station at the
latter place, and down the short incline from the station to
the next length of pipe. The time occupied in running, from
a state of rest, from New-cross to the quarter-mile-post at
the Forest-hill station—viz., 23% miles, was 5 minutes and
21 seconds, showing a speed of about 30 miles per hour. The
breaks were put on rather heivily as the train approached
the Forest-hill station, and greatly retarded the speed of the
train. We believe this was done to avoid running at a high
velocity round the very short and sharp curve that carries
the train to the down side of the station. But for this the
23% miles would have been accomplished up the New Cross
incline in rather less than five minutes, or at a speed of 36
miles per hour. The highest velocity reached with this
light train of 16 tons was immediately previous to the ap-
proach to the viaduct over the Brighton Railway. The train
at this point attained a speed of nearly 60 Miles per hour.
The return train consisted of seven carriages, weighing
nearly 30 tons. The highest speed reached by this train was
56 miles per hour.

A second trip, which was not accompanied by Captain
Codington, or any of the directors, was taken up the New
Cross incline with the same carriages. Thee train started at
1 hour 42 minutes 6 seconds, and reached Forest-hill at
1 hour 50 minutes 30 seconds, giving a speed of something
less than 20 miles per hour.

OPENING OF THE ELY AND PETERBOROUGH RAIL-
WAY FOR PASSENGERS.—This important extension of the
Eastern Counties Railway was opened yesterday for pas-
senger-trains. This line branches off about a mile below
the Ely station, and passes Chittisham, Manes, March, and
Whittlesea, running on to the North Western at Peter-
borough, its entire length being thirty miles. The works
over the Wash, and the extensive timber bridge over the
Old Bedford River, have been the principal engineering
difficulties in forming tho line. It was intended to have
been opened as far back as last September, but various slips
taking place in tie embankments in the vicinity of the
Wash, it was necessarily deferred until the works were
restored, and the foundation properly consolidated. The
connecting of the Eastern Counties with the North Western
will prove of the greatest importance to Norfolk. Suffolk,
Essex, Cambridgeshire, and the more inland counties. Ar-
rangements have been entered into by the two companies, by
which goods from Manchester, Birmingham, and other manu-
facturing towns, will be conveyed direct to the above-named
districts.
ROYAL SEA BATHING INFIRMARY, MARGATE.—
Yesterday the quarterly general Court of the governors of
.this institution, founded in the year 1796, for the relief of the
diseased poor, by means of sea bathing, with medical attend-
ance at a trifling expense, was held at the London Coffee
Rouse, Ludgate-hill, the Rev. Dr. Russell in the chair. The
minutes of the last meeting having been read and confirmed, a
report from the board of directors, relative to the appoint-
ment of six additional surgeons to the infirmary at Margate,
was taken into consideration, and after considerable discus-
sion it was agreed, " That it would, in the opinion of that
Court, be to the interest of the institution to elect six visiting
surgeons, one of whom should attend at the dispensary each
day, except Sunday." During the year the number of
patients who had been in the infirmary exceeded 700. It was
also agreed that the board of directors should appoint sll
officers receiving any emolument, except the house surgeon,
who should for the future be elected by the governors gene-
rally. A committee having been appointed to confer with the
medical board as to the duties of the new visiting surgeons,
the meeting separated.
FIRE IN THE REGENT'S CANAL. Yesterday
morning, between one and two o'clock, a fire was discovered
burning on board one of the stun tugs, lying in the en-
trance of the tunnel, Montague-place, Islington, the property
of the Regent's Canal Company. The parish engine, with
two belonging to the London- brigade, quickly attended, but
the fire had been previously subdued by the police. The
damage was fortunately confined to the destruction of a quan-
tity of faggots, and slight injury to the boiler board and roof
of the vessel.

EXPERIMENTS AT THE EXCISE-OFFICE.--BREWING
AND DISTILLATION FRO3I GRAIN.—In obedience to orders
received from her Majesty's Government by the Commis-
sioners of Excise, a variety of experiments have, during the
past and present week, taken place in the private labt•ratory
of the Excise department, under the superintendence of
Mr. George Phillips, analytical chemist to the board, assisted
by Mr. Dodson, surveying examiner-general, for the pur-
pose of ascertaining how far it may be possible to supersede
is
the use of grain for purposes other than food to whichit
at present applied. The first process was an experiment as
to the necessity of the use of malt in the production of
ale and porter, and the substitution of sugar or molasses.
It appears that a very superior wort has been obtained
from the above articles, which, when flavoured with hops,
produced a very excellent beverage, the result being deemed
satisfactory. The beer thus obtained is deposited in the '
Excise warehouses, to be produced when occasion may re-
quire. The subsequent experiments were the distillation of
sugar by fermented wash, to supersede the use of malt in the
manufacture of whisky, and it is believed that , a pure
spirit, superior in strength, may be had from sugar to what
is now obtained in the ordinary way from grain. The results
of these experiments, it is stated, will be communicated in
the course of a few days.
SUDDEN DEATH.—Yesterday—Yesterday
informationo f
Mrs.w a for-
wardediary to the Coroner's office of the death
Colombo, aged sixty, residing at 26, Little Russell- street,
Bloomsbury, under the following lamentable circumstances :
It appears that about nine o'clock
deceased was sitting at the breakfast t a
e,tthoege
together
withg herth the
husband, and in the act of buttering a slice of toast, when
she was suddenly seized 'with a pain in her head, and in a few
moments fell back in the chair apparently lifeless. A surgeon
was at once summoned, but Whose efforts to restore animation
were ineffectual, life being totally extinct.
REMOVAL OF THE ASPRALTE PAVEMENT,
Whitehall
WHITE-
HALL h 1
—Yesterday Claridge's as
was removed, p a te pavement at
it having become so full of holes as to render
the
footway dangerous. It will be replaced with Portland
tone.