The Sun.
London, England, 1833-05-24 00:00:00

LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, MAY 24, 1833.

Butinieff to hasten the arrival of the Russian auxiliaries.
In fact, a third division of the Russian fleet arrived here
on the 23d. It consists of one ship of the line, two frigates,
and several transports with 5,000 troops, who have been
landed, like the preceding, divisions on the Asiatic coast.
All this shows that the Sultan, far from making further
concessions, is only seeking to give time for the Russian
corps to arrive. It is now said that M. Van Butinieff
has given the Sultan the opinion that in case of need
the Russians will drive the arrogant Ibrahim from
Natolia by force of arms; meantime, a French fleet is
assembling in the Dardanelles ; arid it is sa'd that an
English fleet will also be collected there in a few days.
Lord Ponsonby has arrived at the Dardanelles, where he
is detained by contrary winds. Public tranquillity has
not been at all interrupted.
Since the setring in of mild weather there have been
more cases of plague in Thesapia and Galata.

HISTORY OF BUCKLES.

Birmingham, which now produces, with so
much reputation, almost every article in iron
and steel, was all but unknown for any credit .
that attached to its hardware productions in the
reign of Henry VII. One article, of very an.
cient use in this country, and the manufacture
of which has contributed largely to the employ-
ment of Warwickshire ingenuity, during the last
century, the shoe-buckle, is now almost for-
gotten. Insignificant as it may seem at the
present day, the time was, when almost every
shod foot in the kingdom was dependent on the
buckle for its garniture ; the celebrated works
of the Soho, which have been so widely cele-
brated for the coinage of British and other
money, and still more so for the improvement,
almost the invention, of the steam-engine, origi-
nated with the manufacture of those small steel
articles of which buckles constituted so important
a part. Boulton and Watt must ever be men-
tioned together in connexion with the Soho
works ; bnt it is hardly hyperbolical to say that
the patent steam engines of the latter individual
have not been more extensively known in this
country of late years than were, at one time,
the patent shoe-latches of the former. A curious
history might be written of the introduction and
disuse of the shoe-buckle. Hutton, of Birming-
ham, with his characteristic quaintness, thus
notices it, in connexion with the seat of its
former manufacture :—" This fashion (of piked
toes), like every other, gave way to time, and in
its stead, the rose began to bud upon the foot,
which under the house of Tudor, opened in
great perfection. No shoe was fashionable with-
out a full-blown rose. Ribands of every colour,
except white, the emblem of the depressed house
of York, were had in esteem ; but the red, like
the house of Lancaster, held the pre-eminence.
Under the house of Stuart the rose withered,
and gave rise to the shoe-string. The beaus of
that age ornamented their lower tier with double
laces of silk, tagged with silver, and the extremi-
ties were beautified with a small fringe of the
same metal. The inferior class wore laces of
plain silk, linen, or even a thong of leather,
which last is yet to be met with in the humble
plains of rural life. But lam inclined to think
the artists of Birmingham had no great hand in
fitting out the beau of the last century. The
revolution was remarkable for the introduction
of William, of liberty, and the minute buckle,
not differing much in size and shape from the
horse- bean. This offspring of fancy, like the
clouds, is ever changing ; the fashion of to-day
is thrown into the casting-pot to-morrow. The
buckle seems to have undergone every figure,
size, and shape of geometrical invention. It
has passed through every form in the whole
zodiac of Euclid. The large square buckle,
plated with silver, was the ton of 1781. The
ladies also adopted the reigning taste; it was
difficult to discover their beautiful little feet, co-
vered with an enormous shield of buckle ; and
we wondered to see the active motion under the
massive load. Thus the British fair supported
the manufactures of Birmingham, and killed by
weight of metal." The change of fashion that
ensued was disastrous to a large class of inge-
nious artizans, who were compelled to suffer,
though not in silence, the loss of their usual
employment. In 1791, a deputation of mas-
ter buckle-makers, from Birmingham, Wal-
sall, and Wolverhampton, waited upon the
Prince of Wales (afterwards George the
Fourth) at Carlton House. The object of
their audience was to present a petition, setting
forth the distressed situation of thousands of
individuals in the different branches of the buckle
manufacture, in consequence of the fashion then
prevalent of wearing strings. His Royal High-
ness received the petitioners very graciously, and
as a proof of his sympathy, not only resolved to
wear buckles himself, but to order that his
household should do the same. The royal ex-
ample and the royal command were alike nuga-
tory, when opposed to the dominion of fashion :
strings became general ; and in 1812, to adopt
the words of Hutton, " the whole generation of
fashions i❑ the buckle line was extinct; a buckle
was not to be found upon a female foot, nor
upon any foot, except that of old age." During
the period referred to by the 13irmingham histo-
rian, Bolsover, in Derbyshire, now only noted
for its castle, was famous for the manufacture
of superior steel buckles. The test of their
excellent temper, still traditionally reported in
the neighbourhood, was, that though the wheel
of a loaded cart should pass over a Bolsover
buckle, the latter, in consequence of its elasti-
city, would ❑ot suffer any permanent alteration
of shape. Metal clasps, formerly so common
for fastening the shoes of children, seem, in
their disappearance, to have followed the buckles
of the men and women, as they are now rarely
met with. What, however, does remain of the
shoe buckle and clasp trade is mostly confined
to Walsall, as before stated, buckles, rings,
territs, and other things belonging to harness of
all kinds, are manufactured.—Lardner's Cy-
clopcedia.

THE RIDEAUCANAL, UPPER CANADA.-
We have received from our correspondent at Merrickville
a flattering account m tie opening prospects for trade on
the line of the Rideau Canal. In the neighbourhood
Iron' whence he writes he states that a great number of
emigrants arrived last year, purchased large quantities of
land, settled on them, and have prospered. Their pros_
peas are good, and their satisfaction is unqualifiedly ex-
pressed at the friendly reception they have met with, and
the kind feeling exercised towards them by all surround-
ing them. Labouring men may obtain ready and con-
stant employment at from seven to ten dollars per month,
and be provided f r also. Land fetches from 10s. to 20s.
per acre, according to situation ; and there is a market for
all aufplus produce. Schools and churches are,rising in
this interesting section of the country which the cana
penetrates, and thrift and industry will lay fur many a poor
man the foundation fin- wealth, prosperity, and happiness
to his offspring. The Upper Province, that interesting
portion of the British empire, is becoming the scene the
most inviting of British co'oniz ition possessed by the
British crown on the American continent. By her agri-
col ore and corntneice she is able to support a population
twice her present numbers, consequently there is a pressing
demand for the labourer and the artisan in one of the
finest climates of the world. We regard Upper Canada
with a deeply interested eye,—we have watched the pro-
ceedings of her legislature during the last session with in-
tense feeling, and congratulate her upon the rapid strides
she has made in freedom and morals,—in education an,
intelligence,—in wealth and influence. Her public jour-
nals are numerous, and many display talent of no mean
order, and breathe a healthful influence upon the public
mind. We have not seen the magazines published in that
province, and therefore are unable to give any judgment
respecting them, but the very fact of their existence speaks
well for the literary taste of the population,—Montreal
Herald.

( PRICE 71).)

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS, Mir 23.

Lord WILLOUGHBY DE BROKE and Lord DatEvoß took
the oaths and their seats. . _

___ _.............._ ....... ~........ .
The Duke of GORDON presented a petition from the
medical students of Aberdeen, against the Apothecaries
Act.

Lord SUFFIELD presented a petition from the South
Devon Association of Biptists, for an alteration in the law
for the registration of births and baptisms ; also a petition
from Penzance and its vicinity, for the removal of the
disabilities of the Jews; and a petition for the abolition
of tithes from a person of the name of Webber.
Lord LYNDIIURST (as we understood) made an in•
quiry respecting the progress which had been made by the
Common Law Commission.

The LORD CHANCELLOR observed, that the last
report of the Commissioners had been laid upon the table,
and considerable progress had been made in printing it ;
so that it would be in the hands of their Lordshits in a
few days. His Lordship said also that it was intended to
appoint a Commission to inquire into the law of Scotland,
similar to the common law commission for England.
Petitions for the better observance of the Sabbath were
presented by the Earl of Carberry, Lord Lyttelton, and
the Bishop of Durham.
Lord ST. VINCENT gave notice, that on the second
day after the recess he would present a petition from the
merchants, shipowners, mortgagees, and others in the
city of London, connected with the West Indies, praying
that in any measure which might be adopted respectir g
slaves, regard might be had to the rights of private propery.
The Bishop of BRISTOL presented a petition from

those inhabitants cf C imbridge and its vicinity who are
members of the Society for Promoting Rational Humanity
towards the brute creation, praying that the House might
take the subject into their most serious consideration, and
devise those wise measures which should be consistent
with rational humanity, by preventing all unnecessary
cruelty to the brute creation.
The Sewers Bill was read a second time, and the House
adjourned till this day se'nnight.