The Sun.
London, England, 1848-01-21 00:00:00

-such that the law should be carried out promptly in
(r.ler to preserve life tlnd property.
Tireir Lordship; then rose at half-past one o'clock.
REMOVAL or CoNvicTs.— The several convicts
si,!ltenced to trimsp rtation during the sitting of the
Speci•d C,immi,:sion in this county, were removed
hand-cutred and in chains, as soon as the Court rose,
to Limerick,"en route for the metropolis. They were
tied on cars, having been taken direct from the dock,
and were escorted bye troop of the Queen's Bays and
a strong party of mounted constabulary. There was
not much feeling exhibited for the unfortunate men
by those who witnessed the melancholy spectacle; a
few of them had a friend or two to bid them farewell,
but the great majority seemed to be totally deserted
by friends, if they Lai them, and also by their com
"paniOns in iniquity, who most probably did not wish
to cone into close proximity with the authorities.

THE BURNING OF A PRISONER
IN THE GRAVESEND LOCK UP.

GRAVESEND, THURSDAY EVRNING fOreWloll,
at eleven o'clock, Mr. Carttar, the c',:roner for N‘'est
Kent, held an inquiry :.t the Town-hall, concerning
the death of TilornaA Budge, a waterman, aged 40,
who perished in the recent coi.flagration of the
strawhouse, attached to the borough lock. up.
The body being viewed,
Sergeant Denyer, No. 1, of the town police, was
called—Between helve and one o'clock on Saturday
night the deceased was brought to the station-house,
charged with being guilty of violent conduct. He
duly booked the charge against him, and he then had
him placed in the strawhouse. It was well furnished
with straw, and was generally used as a refuge for
destitute persons found wandering in the streets by
the police, or • noisy prisoners. The deceased kept
singing, whistling, and shouting for some hours after
he was locked up. Inspector Penman, on leaving
the station, at half-past five, heard him making a noise
—shouting and dancing about. At six o clock, a
man named Washer, a labourer, employed in cleansing
the market-place, came to the station-house, and
stated that the strawhouse was on fire. Knowing
that Budge was there confined, he immediately ran
with the keys to open the door. It was nearly
burnt through, and on opening it the inside seemed
all on fire. The steps leading from the door had
fallen down into the store• place underneath, used by
the market people for the stowage of their stands,
boards, and trestles. Neither saw tor heard anything
of the deceased until the fire was subdued. His re-
mains were found in one corner of the building,
lying acoss the rafters.

BY- the CORONER.—The last person who was put in
the straw-house previous to the deceased, was a desti-
tute female of the name of Newport, On Friday night.
She sold lucifer matches about the streets. If nothing
had occurred to the deceased, he would have been
taken before the magistrates on MOnday morning.
The police had no orders to visit prisoners whilst con-
fined in that place. The deceased had frequently
bean placed in the straw house. The magistrates
have directed the imprisonment of disorderly persons
there, when the .ordinary police cells were vacant.
Jane Newport, a miserablelooking creature, who
was said to have once occupied one
.of the principal
hotels in the borough, said she was married, but her
husband had separated from her. She now subsisted
by selling lucifer matches. Being destitute, she was
allowed to sleep in the straw-house on Friday night.
She had no lucifer matches when she , went in, or
about her possession. That she was certain of.
The CORONER then summed up; and suggested the
propriety of the borough magistrates directing the
police to visit the prisoners every hour, as in the me-
tropolitan districts ; for this unfortunate occurrence,
without imputing blame to any party, showed the
necessity of such a regulation.
The jury, after retiring, found that the deceased
_ _

,
died from the effects of fire, but how caused there
was no evidence to show. They also considered the
deceased was in legal custody; and after recommend-
ing the adoption of the Coroner's suggestion, pointed
out other improvements which could be made in the
rebuilding of the house.
The Mayor and Mr. Oakes remarked that the magis-
trates had already determined on carrying out those
precautions.

GAS MOVEMENT.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SlR,—The price of gas being about to be reduced
throughout the metropolis (by meter) to six shillings
per thousand cubic feet, it now remains for consumers
to consider why they have not an. equitable standard
by which those in,•truments should be tested; at pre-
sent none exists, and the public are at the mercy and
caprice of gas-light companies. As all weights and
measures by which every other article is sold are
stamped under Government authority, shy should not
an Act of Parliament regulate the standard of gas
meters ? Consumers must take care of their own
interest, and apply for an Act to regulate the just
registration of the admeasurement of gas, that perfect
confidence ►nav be established amongst all parties.
I am, Sir, your most obedient servant,
J. S. UNDERWOOD, Gas-light Surveyor.

TAXES OFFICERS.—We understand that the as-
sessors and collectors of taxes intend shortly to renew
their application for increased poundage. We trust
these ill-used officers will succeed, as in fairness and
right they ought.

Under the head of Palermo, January 3, the Patric
of Florence has the following :—" A report is still in
circulation that at Syracuse the people have got posses-
sion of the fortress, permitting General Palma to retire
with most of his officers. The soldiers of the citadel are
said to have fraternised with the people."
A private, named Moore, of the Scots Gress, was
acciden'ally drowned in the Lake of Ballinturly, county
Roscommon, on Saturday last, in returning from a
harassing night's duty in search of fire-arms.

THE LATE LORD REAT.—A notice respecting the
will of the Iskte Lord Reay having some time ago ap-
peared in our columns calculated to convey erroneous
impressions as to provisions made by the will for his
successor in his title and for his nearest relations, it has
become necessary to state the fact that although Lord
Reay sold tha family estate, called, from its extent, the
" Reay Country," to the Duke of Sutherland, for
314,01101., he has not left any productive estate or fund
whatever for the purchase of an estate for his family, or
as a provision by annuity or otherwise for any of his
nearest relations.—Morning Post.

FATAL ACCIDENT AT THE BLACKWALL RAILWAY.
—A melancholy accident took place at the Blackvvall
Railway, on Tuesday evening, to one of the conductors
at the Minories station, named Rutherford. It is sup-
posed he omitted to unhook the rope attached to the
carriage, which, on arriving at the Minories, dragged off
the entire front of it, whereon the man was standing,
which circumstance threw him across the rails, and the
carriage went over his arm and leg. Death terminated
his sufferings on Wednesday morning,
COMPENSATION FOR RAILWAY ACCIDENTS.—In the
report which we gave some weeks ago of the condem-
nation of certain employes on the Orleans Railway for
having by their negligence caused the terrible accident
which took place on that lino on the 20th of November,
we stated that the Correctional Tribunal of Orleans had
refrained frOm awarding damages to the persons injured
'
until it should be able to make inquiries into their re-
spective cases. Two parties not having been able to
come to an arrangement with the Company, the Tri-
bunal, in its sitting a few days ago, was called on to
decide. Ono of these parties was a female, named
Garl4, of Orleans, who received some violent contu-
sions; the company bad offered her 500 f., and the Tri-
bunal awarded her 1,0001. The other party was the
widow of a man named Perrin; the man having died
after having had his two legs, which were crushed, am-
putated. The Tribunal awarded the widow and her
children 15,0001., 14,0001. of which are to be placed in
the public funds, the interest to be allowed to the widow
for life, and at her death the fund to be divided among
her three children. On the marriage of her two daugh-
ters they are each to receive fortunes of 1,5001., the
same as their father allowed to his eldest girl, and the
interest paid to the widow is to be reduced in proportion
to the amount withdrawn. Finally, if the widow shall
marry again, she is only to receive a third of the inte-
rest on the 14,000E—Gaignani.
SOUTH DEVON RAILWAY ATMOSPHERIC SYSTEM.—
On Monday all the trains to Newton—except the first
and last each way—commenced running by atmospheric
power, and the trial has fully answered the expectations
of the most sanguine supporters of the system. Not-
withstanding all the disadvantages which must attend
the commencement of every new undertaking, not a
-single instance of stoppage or delay has occurred on the
new piece of road from Teignmouth to Newton. On
the first day the express train was unusually heavy, and
it started from Newton six minutes after its proper
time, but it reached Exeter at the regular period,
gaining six minutes on the twenty miles. On
Wednesday, the down express train was thirty
minutes late at Exeter, but, on arriving at Newton,
ten minutes had been recovered. Ss .much, there.
fore, in praise of this system. Within a very short
time, we learn, an express train will start from Totnes,
calling only at Newton. We shall then see what
speed the atmospheric can attain. As one proof of its
power, we may mention that-on Sunday week a coal
train was started from Exeter at 10 A.H., consisting of
containingisa
tn ninety tons, and it reached
ee of 20 miles—including stop-
pages at Teigninouth and Dawlish, in 50 minutes. We
have been favoured with another account, which states
that the distance was accomplished one day last week—.
from Teignmouth to Newton, 5 milea,--in 5 minutes and
15 seconds, and that at a part of the distance the speed
was evidently at the rate of 80 miles RA hour. This was
an experimental trip. On Wednesday morning.
the 12th inst., the 9,40 ran from Teign-
mouth to Newton,
.with five full carriages in 7i minutes.
Everything appoars t9,,g0 with the utmost ease and re-
gularity, and we believo every one who his seen the
working of the, Osiern feels the most perfect confidence
in its suceess,-`Western Luminary.
THE f4t4l.EssivE ADVERTISEUENT DEITY.—Iri the
`'Ettlidon ',Times of Tuesday and 'Wednesday there are 348
advertiiements from eoachleen, butlers, footmen, gooks,
house-maids, nursery-maids,-suld maids of all work who
" want places," 'The duty on these advertisements
amount to 251. 25., which Government takes out of the
pockets) of these unemployed persons, and for what
Simply, solely, and wholly, for endeavouring. to ontab;
=piquant 17,51ajield Tinto.