The Sun.
London, England, 1847-03-24 00:00:00

ATROCIOUS MURDER.

This district (Wick, Caithness) has, this week, been
thrown into a state of great excitememt, by the commis-
sion of one of those diabolical crimes which are fortu-
nately of extremely rare occurrence in this county, and
indeed in the north of Scotland. Isabella Gunn, an old
woman, apparently about 60 years of age, living in
Achow of Swiney, in the parish of Latheron, has been
made the victim of a most atrocious, yet evidently deli-
berate murder. Her residence is at the end of the free
school of Achow, situated about 200 yards from any
other dwelling. On the mornings of Sabbath, a school
is taught, and it is customary on that, as on other morn-
ings, for some of the children to go to her room for fuel
to kindle the school fire. Accordingly, on the morning
of Sabbath last, one of the scholars went for that pur-
pose, and was surprised to find no reply given to the
customary salutation. Another of his school-mates
speedily followed, and discovered the body of the un-
fortunate creature lying under a quantity of straw which
had been spread over her. She was dead ! The alarm
was immediately raised, and forthwith, a number of the
neighbours assembled. They found that the crime of
murder had been that morning committed upon the
lonely woman, and judged that- it could not have been
of very late occurrence, as the body was yet warm.
The foul deed had evidently been committed by means
of strangling, as a piece of rope was found round the
neck of the deceased. There were marks of violence on
other parts of the face, one in particular on the chin,
where, to all appearance, an iron instrument had been
applied. On one of the hands there was also a blue
mark. Several small sums of money, amounting in all
to upwards of two pounds, were found on different parts
of the deceased's person, and lying between the body
and the chest. A considerable time ago, a forcible at-
tt mpt was made to break into the house of the unfortu-
nate woman, who has of late been livinc, very retired,
having refused to domicile with any other individual.
In the district she was reputed to have been worth a
little money; but, as she was of very penurious habits,
and, to all outward appearance, in poverty, she was
admitted lately upon the poor's roll. It is said that,
since the attempt was made to rub her, she generally
slept throughout the day, and sat up during the night.
A young man has been apprehended and lodged in jail,
under suspicion of being connected with the murder.--
John o'Groat Journal.

SAINT PANCRAS AND THE
POOR-LAW COMMISSIONERS.
Yesterday, at the meeting of the directors and guar-
dians of the poor of St. Pancras, held at the Workhouse,
King's-road, Camden-town, B. I. E. Wright, Esq., in the
chair,
Mr. M`GALIET (the secretary) laid before the board
the following communication from the Poor-law Com-
missioners:—
" Poor-law Commission-office, Somerset House,
March 16, 1847.
" Sir,—l am directed by the Poor-law Commissioners
to refer the board of directors of the poor of St. Pancras
parish to article 11 of the rules and regulations for the
government of the workhouse of the parish, which were
issued on the 9th of December, 1846, and which article
requires the directors, within fourteen days after the
order shall come into force, after consulting with the
medical officer, to report to the Poor-law Commissioners
the greatest number of paupers which ought to be ad-
mitted into the workhouse.
" The Commissioners have it in contemplation to
take steps for fixing the maximum number of inmates
of the workhouse. But before they adopt any measure
for this purpose, they request to be informed whether
the directors are desirous of making any communication
to the Commissioners on the subject.
" W. G. LUMLEY, Assistant-Secretary.
" John M'Gahey, Esq., clerk to the directors
of the parish of St. Pancras."
The matter was referred to a committee.

EXTRAORDINARY PHENOMENON.—On Friday even.
ng last, between eight and nine o'clock in the evening,
a remarkable appearance was observed in the atmo-
sphere in our neighbourhood. It was a transparent
stream of light, extending from east to west. At the
west end it inclined somewhat to the south—the extent
was about 180 degrees, and the breadth between two
and three degrees. The centre, it is supposed was 50
miles from the earth, and it moved 10 or 12 degrees
towards the south, whilst the ends remained stationary.
It was distinctly visible at all parts of our town for
about an hour. During the afternoon and evening the
air was heavily charged with electricity, so much so,
that the magnetic needles, wires, &c., could not be
worked at the Telegraph-office.—lpswich Express.
DISCOVERY OF SKELETONS.—On Thursday last,
whilst some men were sinking a well in the Priory Gar-
dens, about six feet below the surface of the earth, they
discovered two human skeletons, male and female, lying
side by side. The bones of the legs, thighs, and
scapula, particularly those of the male, were amazingly
large, and both craniums well developed. The jaws,
with the teeth, are nearly perfect ; and what is singular.
the Dens sapientia of the man, on the right side of the
lower jaw. grew horizontally. From the appearance of
the remains, they must have been buried about 400 years,
—lpswich Express.
STATE OF TRADE,--MANCHESTER,
i TUESDAY.--
There has been no particular animation n this market
to-day, but prices remain tolerably firm for both cloth
and yarn, and upon the whole the feelingis better.
The decline in the grain markets,
.the easier position of
money matters, and the
causesextrao elf. thisrdna yfisnoemneeswshaotf
im-
proved the
weather, are the prime
feeling. Some even think we are on the point of
a gradual turn towards a permanently better state of
things. The country trade is mending, owing, no doubt,
to the seasonable weather.
DEATH OF LORD JAMES BROVINE•—This gallant
young nobleman expired on board the Precursor, from
Calcutta, shortly before her arrival at Suez. He had left
India on his return to England, having for some months
suffered from dysentery, and other complaints peculiar
to the climate. The deceased was born April 20th,
1823, being the second surviving son of the late Marquis
of Sligo, by the Lady Hester Caroline de Burgh, sister
to the Marquis of Clanricarde. He was brother and heir
presumptive to the present holder of the title. He en-
tered the army as cornet in the 9th Lancers (which
were particularly engaged in the war of the Punjaub,
July 7th, 1843. In May, 1846, he succeeded to a lieu-
tenantcy, and exchanged into the 10th Hussars. Lord
Gough subsequently appointed him one of his aides-
de-camp.
MONEY MARKET.--The premium on gold at Paris is
10 per milk, which, at the English Mint price of
3/. 17s. 10id. per ounce for standard gold, gives an
exchange of !25.40 ; and the exchange at Paris on
London at short being 25.35, it follows that gold
is 0.20 per cent, dearer in Paris than in London.
By advices from Hamburgh the price of gold is 4321
per mark, which, at the English Mint price of 3/.175. 10Id.
per ounce for standard gold, gives an exchange of 13.81;
and the exchange at Hamburgh on London at short
being 13.61, it follows that gold is 1.05 per cent. dearer
in Hamburgh than in London.
Mr. Cobden is at present in Naples, where Baron
de Rothschild, the head of the house in that city, has
given him a banquet, which Prince Oscar of Sweden ho-
noured with his presence.

THE BRITISH MUSEUM,
The annual accounts and statistics of this great national
‘"t
11
institution have appear. d in print. In accordance
the plan pursued of late years, tl:e following precis
l°OOA
this Parliamentary paper is subjoined for the informs
of the public. The total receipts of the British Muse
in the year 1846, amounted to the suns of 49,1291.' an
the concurrent payments to 45,911/., leaving a balance of
cash in hand amounting to 3,217/. The estimated eve
penditure for the year 1846 was 49,0421. or 3,131/. In°ra
than the actual expense. Of the gross total expend,eo
last year the sum of 19,470/. was appropriated t 0 t9l
'
payment of salaries; 1,693/. to house expenses; 15,19-9
to purchases and acquisitions ; 5,507/. to bookbinding,
cabinets, &c. ; and 9571. to the printing of catalogues,
making of casts, &c. The total estimated charge fre,,r!
Lauy-day, 18.:17, to Litily•cl;7; 1848, is stated to
50,6661. The amount of grant required from the 110°.
the House of Commons to meet the estimated otrelv
dituro of the year ending Lady-day, 1848, is 48,5181• f
Thus much for financial matters. The return °f
visitors, &c., shows us that 750,601 persons visited the
general collections of the Museum last year, against
685,614 in 1845, 575,758 in 1844, 517.440 in 1843'
547,718 in 1842, and 319,374 in 1841. The number of
visits made to the reading-rooms, fur the purposes °rf
study or research, which were about 1,950 in the yea
1810, at present amount to 66,7i4 (in 1846). Fr°s
some cause, not perhaps explainable, there has been
late years a decided falling off in the number of por!'t
literary" visitors to the Museu ; for it appears O
the number of students that ranm sacked the bookslielfa,
of the library amounted to 67,542 in 1840, to 69,303 l°
1841, to 71,706 in 1842, to 70,931 in 1843, and t°
67,511 in 1844-all exhibiting a numerical superioriiitie
over last year. In 1545 the number was 64,427.
number of visits by artists and students to the sculptor
galleries " for the purpose of study" was 4,124 last year'
4,256 in 1845, 3,436 in 1844, 4,907 in 1843, 5,627 !o
II
1842, 5,655 in 1341, and 6,354 in 1840-a decline still
more remarkable than that observable in the number 01
literary frequenters. The number of visits to the prin.it'
room was 4,390 is 1846, 5,904 in 1845, 8,998 in 184„'
8,162 in 1843, 8,781 in 1842, 7,744 in 1841, and 6,7171'
1840. The public are admitted to the Museum on M°l2;
days, Wednesdays, and Fridays, between 10 and
o'clock. Students are admitted to the reading-roof:05
every day from 9 till 4 ; and in summer from 9 till 7.
The return from the secretary's department sh°Wi
that the printed books registered and stamped amount t°,
30,550 volumes, exclusive of 5,117 volumes of the Earl Of
Aberdeen's Chinese books ; and that 884 specimens a
minerals and fossils have been registered, together Witi/
16,060 zoological specimens. The antiquisimegjalAres
amount to 210 different objects ; and the coins WI:,
medals to 2,150 ; 730 manuscripts have been added
the general collection since the last report, and 38
original charters. We subjoin some of the recent sc.
cessions more particularly deserving of notice, for the
edification of our literary readers:--1,
A valuable car'
tulary of the alien priory of Newent, in Gloucestershire,
of the 13th century ; 2, a very beautiful book of hours,
executed in France at the commencement of the 16th
r! century, and remarkable for its preservation 3, a
ac-
count of the Mediterranean islands, on vellum, illus-
trated with maps, compiled, about the year 1470, by
Henricus Mertellus Germanus (no other copy known);
4, two missals and a lectionary of the
Epistles, 01:"
namented with miniatures of good Italian art of the 151 n
century; 5, a volume containing a series of paintings
on
the leaves of the Ficus Religiosa, illustrative of the tenets
of Buddha, presented by the ex-Governor-General
°coo,
India, the present Earl of Ellenborough; 6, about
volumes, purchased at Mr. Upcott's sale, chiefly con'
listing of the official papers and letters of Sir C.
(1577.1607); of Sir R. Browne, Ambassador at -0111,
(1624-1650); of Sir William Curtius (1643-1647)1°1,in
and S. Dayrolles (1706-1786); of Lawrence /IYu"
Earl of Rochester, and Henry Hyde, Earl of Clarendon
(1675-1705); of Sir P. Sydney, J. Evelyn, Lord Ans,.,°,AT3'
and others; 7, a collection of 74 Ethiopic MSS , on ve""--
and paper, kindly presented by the Church blissiomiq
Society; and a large collection of Chinese MSS.
maps, sent to the Museum by the late Secretary
°
State for Foreign Affairs.
In the library, it appears that there were 328L'1,16
volumes consulted in the course of last year, or nu°,ll-0
1,120 per day. The number of readers was, on

average, 238 per day. of
The most valuable acquisitions in the departmen
" entiquities" appear to have been some interesting b-'
reliefs and other sculptures from the fortress orl3°:
drum, originally decorations of the celebrated niatisali
leum; a marble bust of Apollo; a sarcophagus discorer'„,
at Beyrout ; a valuable collection of bronzes and terra'
cottas, chiefly from the Basilicata; a large collection °0
Babylonian cylinders and Oriental engraved stones ;id
wry interesting collection of bronze, iron, and
Anglo-Roman antiquities, discovered at Stanwie''-8
the North Riding; a collection of objects from 'l,
Darnley Islands and New Guinea; an interesting .c of
lection of Peruvian relics ; an Affghan cloak; a SC`tile
armour made of a crocodile's skin; several crocould,
mummies and sepulchral vases; 1.559 coins (161 g°i'llo
76 silver, and 622 copper); and 52 medals. The c°filo.
include a " septem" shilling of Henry VII., and a pro. „
faced shilling of Edward VI., both in fine preservatl°
Want of space precludes us from noticing the nature
historical department.

,
NEW MODE OF THIEF-CATCHING.—Mr. 130 T
ton, of Sutton Farm, having lately lost a quantitY, Of
„/
potatoes, gave information to the police, and on Tilesl7
night he bad a heap of straw placed at' a short distar;
from his potato bury, and police-constable Tandy
concealed in the straw. About one o'clock he saw
ward Blount (who is well known to the police), an
Mary Blount, his daughter, come to the bury- and un"
cover it. The male prisoner saw tho straw, and think'
ing it something fresh, he threw a swede at it, and then
discovered the policeman. Both prisoners ran 11"3'
but the policeman captured them, and the next morning,
took them before J. Worthington, Esq., who committea
them to the assizes. Would it not be an excellent plan
to improve upon this new mode of thief-catching, by
taking a lesson from the system adopted by some of the
American Indians, who in their raids simulate various
animals ? What would be easier, for instance, than to
obtain a supply of asses' skins, in which policemen
might dress in character, and while the donkey Was
looking as stupid as the real-animal, the thief might be
watched and captured ?—Shropshire Conservative.
THE NAVIGATION Laws.—Yesterday evening,
pursuant to a public requisition of the churchwardens
and overseers of the poor of the parish of All Sam
ts,
Poplar, a public meeting of the trastees and inhabitant
of that parish was held in the Town Hall, to take into
consideration the propriety of petitioning Parliamen
against the abolition of these laws. Jonathan Pickering,
Esq., the churchwarden, presided. Mr. Fuller proposed_
and Mr. Robinson seconded the first resolution, to t".
effect that the British mercantile marine, while it create!
and maintains a body of seamen at all times available fo`
the maintenance of our national security, most mu, Eiji
rially contributes towards the prosperity of this
by affording employment to shipwrights, caulkers, bitter.
smiths, joiners, ropemakers, riggers, sailmakers, anch.jar
smiths, mastmakers, and persona engaged in siga
shipping trades, together with the large portion of t't
working population employed in the East and Wees,
India Docks, and of the tradesmen and shopkeepe rre,
ceiving profitable employment from their expendiltil- f
The second resolution moved was, that the abolitioi,t e,
the navigation laws would, in the opinion of the Inetli rih
compel the British shipowner to man his sbiPs in
foreign seamen, and build, repair, and equip t„be-piaa
foreign ports, to enable him to compete with
~,,t')l.l-10
ships, and, thereby, render nugatory every en°r„,- r'
man our navy with British seamen in case of an e—ceen.
gency, whilst it would, certainly, at the same time es'iag
tially destroy the prosperity of this parish by lessen.o
the sources of employment for the industrious Classti..
before mentioned. And a third to the effect that Pmete•
tions be presented to the Legislature founded on the '-the
going resolutions, having been unanimously carried, 'l.,
cordial thanks of the meeting were voted to the eh,tlil
man for the able and impartial manner in which heed.'conducted the proceedings, and the meeting separao
FATAL CAB ACClDENT.—Yesterday an inquest ld,
held at the Plough, Carey-street, Lincoln's liin-fle:1
before Mr. Bedford, on the body of Jeremiah Ciincerptipa:
ham, aged 67, a pauper in the Strand Union. On ",
nesday last the deceased was crossing Long-acre A' jog
moment when one of Ransom's cabs drove past, tnr°bat
down James-street. The deceased was called Lc); the
instead of running back, he ran directly against -,;re
wheel, which knocked him down. Four of his ribs sr" a
broken, and he died of the injuries in King's
Hospital. Verdict—" Accidental death."
A CLIPPER.—The American papers make rnentl
of a model steam-boat which is to be seen on the Ch, e°,-.
peake, invented and constructed by Cyrus William, ',„5,14..
which is in the usual form of a boat, but mere flat %a
tomed, and much longer in proportion to its width who
the boats now in use, giving it a greater surface to
water, and of course a lighter draught. The imPr°:,-s
ment consists in applying the bridge principle of bore',
in supporting the length of the boat. Mr. Williant.
offers to build a boat on this model, furnishing °Lee
third of the stock, and if it does not make twenty-
miles to the hour, he will forfeit his share.—Mechanic
C
Magazine.
PROPOSAL EXTRAORDINART.—The inhabitants °r
Windsor and Eton were considerably to startled a few dfls
ago by the appearance of a pamphlet, purporting
have been printed for private circulation only, andjsa
riously proposing to take down the towns of Willi's;
and Eton, and rebuild them at a greater distance fro
the Castle; in order, as the pamphlet says, that he!
Majesty may have a residence worthy of the Sovereign
of the British empire." The pamphlet containing tll,l
bold and sweeping project is addressed " To the BAP:,
Honourable the Commissioners of her Majesty's Wooa,
and Forests, the Provost and Fellows of Eton College,
and the Mayor and Corporation of Windsor," and the
projectors sign themselves " David D. Kyle and lienq
Kerl, 8, Carlton Chambers, Regent-street, London-
They state that having been five years contemplatil
this project, they are convinced of its practicability an
of its propriety, as the best and only mode of settling
f
the question which has so long agitated the towns ,_°„,
Windsor and Eton, as to the seclusion necessary to r
court and royal family. In proof of its practicability
they give maps, plans, and estimates, from which to
would apr ear that in somewhere about five years th:
project may bo completely carried out, for little mo!..
than the exceedingly small charge of a quarter of a
lion." That her Majesty is desirous of a little more se'
elusion there cannot be a doubt, for at present there is
scarcely any portion of the royal domain which is not
quite as open to any of her subjects as to the Sovereign
herself. But there can be as little doubt that her Bin'
jesty would never sanction the acquisition of more pri-
yap), at the cost of the removal of two entire towns.--

Chronicle.
All the inhabitants of the small town of Egelsback,
in the Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt, about 1,400
in number, including the bourgmestre, the justice of
the peace, the echevins, &c., &c., have demanded permis-
sion from the Government to be allowed to emigrate to
Amerios.