The Sun.
London, England, 1848-09-27 00:00:00

S 9 SEPTEMBER 27, 1848.

to prevent the expression of opinion—pledges to
eschew all participation in its acts have been penned
by employed pamphleteers, and presented for signature
to the public through the medium of viceregal
tradesmen. The society desired to discuss with
friendly calmnesss the means of restoring to our
social system the parts requisite for its harmonious
and tranquil working. The Government, illustrating
in its act the necessity of its false position, rather
than its natural inclination, meets that desire for
calm discussion by ungenerous and hostile agitation.
If this character has been given to the opposition to
the project, it is not the society which is to blame,
nor should it in justice to its own views yield them up
at once to senseless And unjustifiable clamour. Its
appeal is to the good sense of the country, to its sound
reason, and its informed judgment in their future
action on our rulers.

" Entertaining these opinions, the society, acting
constitutionally, will court inquiry, and meet argu-
ment by argument, till discussion shall have elicited
truth.
"The next point the Committee desire to call atten-
tion to is, ' the practicability and Parliamentary ad-
advantages of the measure itself.' Objections under
this head resolve themselves into two classes—the one
refers to the character and description of the law-
makers likely to attend the proposed session ; the
other to the character and description of the laws
they are likely to make.
" Your Committee will apply themselves to both.
"The first objection presented to them is, that it
will be impracticable for Cabinet Ministers to take
any part in Irish Parliamentary proceedings, should
those be of such a nature as to require their attend-
ance. This assertion amounts yirtuelly to this—that
during the' recess, when no Parliament is sittingeib.
London, and at the time when most of those person-
ages are now in the habit of amusing themselves at
their country residences, neither they nor any work-
ing portion of them could find an opportunity of being
together in Dublin without serious detriment to the
public service.
" In calmly considering the statement, it becomes in
the first instance necessary to inquire from the ob-
jectors how many members of the Cabinet there are
whose opinions on Irish subjects influence in delibe-
ration the decision of their colleagues. In'the Com-
mittee it would appear invidious to go through the
list of their names to answer the inquiry ; perhaps
some half-dozen may be with difficulty enumerated.
If it be necessary for any one of these to be in Lon•
don when his presence might for other reasons be
desirable here, information can surely be communi-
cated upon paper. Bills do not pass like lightning
through both Houses of Parliament ; nor is legisla-
tion as rapid in its workings as the imagination pro-
ductive of such obstacles ; nor would Ministers lose
all guidance and control over their several departments
during their temporary absence. All the arguments
so industriksly used against the project derived from
the facilities of communication between London and
Dublin, on this point at least, cut both ways ; with
this difference, that their absence would be in the one
case brief and temporary for the one country, while
now it is permanent and perpetual for the other.
" Nor, supposing their attendance to be requisite,
would it seriously interfere with the period of relaxa-
tion necessary to recruit their health and strength
Irish business being conducted here to its successful
termination would cease to offer its irregular inter-
ference with the Imperial business of the country at
large, and thus help materially to diminish the labour
and protracted duration of the London session. In
law-making, as in other trades, the division of labour
will possess its natural advantages, and ' time saved'
will time gained' for the Cabinet Minister as for
the artizan.
" What other counsellors would meet together
would of course very much depend upon the character
of the measures to be discussed. All Members con-
nected with Ireland not simply by representation
merely, but by the possession of property, whether in
land, mortgages, banking shares, railway scrip, or
other investment, would naturally in any case take
an interested part in our legislation—the Caven-
dishes, Stanleys, Fitzwilliams, Russells, Pagets,
Thynnes, Pettys, and Talbots—the Beresfords,
Boyles, Courtenays, e:Capels, Conynghatns, the
Adairs—Lords Paltnerston, Jocelyn, Ebrington
—Messrs. Shirley, Lennard, Osborne, Clive,
Ormsby Gore,`„lialdwirt, Stafford O'Brien, Shar-
man Crawford. How many names rush in crowds
to the mind in an endeavour to enumerate them 1
Nay, the very Aldermen of the city of Lon.
don,—the Thompsons, Copelands, and Hutnpherys
All these are Irish proprietors, and would be obliged
by self-interest to take their share in the conduct of
Irish local affairs, and in framing Irish Parliamentary
enactments.
" To these, as well as to the local representatives,
would be conjoined all those busy and untiring spi-
rits—those living encyclopaedias of blue-book know-
ledge, whose minds, well stored with information,
require but practical acquaintance with us to make
very useful and valuable advisers.
" Upon these, and men like these, thoughtfully
desirous of the welfare of Ireland, because conducive
to their own, zealously anxious to prevent Irish mal-
administration from continuing to be productive of
English deterioration, would legislation probably de-
volve, so long as the Parliament confined itself to its
legitimate operations. The Committee freely admit
that the mass of uninterested obstruction now found
cumbrously detrimental to sound and well-considered
legislation would probably vanish and disappear. No
noisy shouters would disturb debate, or be heard,
night after night, vociferating ill-timed interruptions
from back benches; business could be attended to—
business could be done—arguments could be heard,
could be listened to, could make their impression, and
could influence Government.
" But it has been said such a Parliament would not
confine itself to its legitimate operations. Upon this
portion of the subject the Committee hopes to be able
to present its report at the next meeting of the so-
ciety, when they also will endeavour to show the mis-
taken analogy supposed to exist between the cases 01
the Scotch and Irish Unions.
" WM. FITZGER ALD, Chairman."
Ordered to be printed and inserted on the minutes
Letters were then read, new members admitted, and
the society adjourned until Monday next, after a vote
of thanks to its chairman.
MORE GEMS FROM THE "HUE AND CRY?'
In the last two numbers of the Hue and Cry we
find the following gems :
Under the head of Monaghan county is the follow.
ing description of " three yearling calves :"—The first
is described as "a hull, all white, with brown stripes
over his shoulders," and his horns are " short, wide,
and in good condition." " A heifer calf, all red or
yellow, except a white face " ! "horns six inches long,
value 3/. 13i." ! !
Mr. Robert Creig, of Ballysodare, county Sligo,
lost a horse, which is described as " entirely bright
bay," with legs rather long for the body, and the legs
all black, except the off fore, which is white above
the fetlock and the hair off the " fore knees"! This
truly unique horse, it is further stated, has a " white
star on the forehead, which is very badly shod" 11
Under the head of Tipperary there is a description
of three persons. unknown "who fired at William
Tracy, of Springfield, barony of Kilnemanagh, which
(the pistol, we suppose) missed fire, and then gave
him several blows of stones, which inflicted a slight
cut on his head, and then ordered him to leave the
place 1" (An extraordinary pistol that!)
John Sexton is a decided martyr, at least in the
Hue and Cry. He was described heretofore as
having two blue eyes, with one of them blind. He
is now stated to be by trade a labourer, and supposed
to be in Kilkenny at present, or gone to England or
Scotland to reap the harvest I
Tyrone is not without its gems. Amongst some
persons who are described as having escaped from
Omagh gaol on the 30th of August are—Patrick
Quinn, who, it is said, " has brown eyes which lost
the toes off the right foot," and John White, with
" grey eyes which wore a fustian jacket !"
Under the head of Wexford county (seldom men-
tioned in the Hue and Cry) is a description of a he
ass stolen from Arklow, the townland of which is
said to be " rising four years old !"

FATAL ACCIDENT AT THE NEW WORCESTER CORN
EXCIIANGE.—WORCESTER, TUESDAY.—A singular fa-
tality appears to attend the building of two rival corn
exchanges in this city. This morning an inquest was
held before Mr. Hyde, the local coroner, on the body of
a stone mason, named James Powell, who was engaged,
with others, in the erection of a new corn exchange on
the site of the old market in this city, and while occu-
pied in assisting to raise a heavy block of Cornish atone,
Uy means of a pulley, he slipped from the scaffolding at
the top of the building, and fell to the floor, a distance
of upwards of fifty feet. On being picked up by his
fellow-labourers, it was found that he had fractured his
skull, and received other very serious injuries. Ile was
carried to the Worcester Infirmary, where he die d
shortly after his :arrival. Verdict, " Accidental death."
A precisely similar accident happened a few weeks ago
at the rival corn exchange just completed. A man en-
gaged at the top of the building fell to the ground from
the scaftldcling, and was killed on the spot.
AN ESCAPED LUNATIC.—If the guardians of
Bedlam have missed one of their inmates, they may
hear tidings of him by applying at our office, as we hay.-
recently met with a gentleman who believes that th,
funds voted for Ireland went to the poor.—The Puppet
Show.

THE MYSTERIOUS TRAGEDY IN
ToxTETH PARK, LIVE RPOOL.
The following particulars were stated at the prelimi-
nary portion of the inquest, which was commenced on
Monday afternoon, be?ore Mr. Curry, hut necessarily
postponed until this day (Tuesday), several witnesses,
whose evidence was requisito, not being in attendance.
Jamas Calderbank, a glass-cutter, s:A in effect-1 lire
in Henderson-street, 'and knew the deceased parties by
the name of Howarth. Oa Sunday morning I saw, while
at my own house, three females at Mr. Webster's house,
opposite to mine. They knocked, and he came down
and spoke to them. Mr. Webster then came across the
street, and asked me to go with him to Mr. Howarth's
house, as he (Mr. II.) and his wife had been missing for
some time. We went there together, and not being able
to get in by the front. door, which was fast, went to the
back. We called another person, and an entrance was
finally obtained by the stable. We all went up stairs
into a bed-room, the door of which was half open. When
we entered, we saw the body of Mr. Eowarth lying
on
the bed, partly across it from the bottom to the top. He
was lying partly on the right side. We saw his 'face.
We then saw the body of Mrs. Howarth lying on the
floor, her legs partly under the bed. I saw no blood
about him, but a good deal about her. I did not examine
the bodies, I was so much shocked. I went for two
police-officers, and returned with them to the back door.
I did not again enter the house. I did not particularly
notice what was in the room. I have known Mr.
Howarth about 15 years. lie was a confectioner. He
and his son did not live on good terms.
James Baird, a police-officer, was called by the last
witness, who said a man and a woman were dead in
Park-place, and went with him to the house. Another
officer was called by the last witness. Baird continued:
—I asked last witness if he knew how it had happened,
and if it were a murder. He said he did not know. We
all went together and entered at the back by the stable.
-Vreavent up &tiara to the (rout room facing the strt et.
One or two other persons were with us. We saw the
deceased, Mr. Howarth, lying in bed, partly on his right
side, and lying diagonally, from corner to corner. lie
was quite dead. The female was lying on the floor,
partly on her side, and with her legs partly under the
bed. She was also quite dead. I supposed, from the
way she was lying, that she might have fallen out of
bed. Her head and neck were bare. He had no coat,
and he had the rest of his clothes on, excepting his shoes.
A doctor was sent for by the superintendent. I saw
two basins in the room, like wash-hand basins, one
larger than the other. There was something in both of
them of a dark colour, as if persons had been vomiting
in them. This morning I found a small pill box on the
wash-hand stand (produced), with what appeared to be
a small quantity of white powder in it.
Here the CORONER, finding that the several witnesses
requisite to maintain the chain of evidence had not come
up, felt it necessary to defer further proceedings. lie
noticed that the bodies appeared to have been found
in rather a diffi.rent posture from that in which the
jury and himself had that day seen them. Ile said he
had learned from the surgeon who bad examined the
bodies that there was no doubt but that both the parties
had been poisoned; but he had not yet been able to as-
certain precisely the nature of the poison, for it was not
of the usual corrosive substances; but he expected to be
enabled to determine it by to-morrow. He should, there-
fore, postpone the case rather than adjourn it, and lie
thought it would be better to commence de novo, when all
the witnesses were present.
We have learned from a party who visited the apart-
ment in which the tragedy was so privately and fearfully
performed that the spectacle was a truly frightful one.
Beside the female was a pool of blood, and her head pre-
sented a number of contusions, on both sides, and espe-
cially over the left eye, and it remains to be seen how
this can be reconciled with the absence of violence,
which, however, might not be sufficient to produce death.
But it were improper to speculate in this stage of the
proceedings. The inspector of police, who visited the
house after the police-officers were first there, found a
common pint jug, with a tea-spoon in it, and which con-
tained a small incrustation of a white substance at the
bottom. This has not yet been examined.—Liverpool
Standard.

THE FRENCH NAVY.
The Constitutionnel contains some interesting facts
relative to the French navy. It sets out by reciting the
Royal ordinance of the 22d of November, 1846, which
fixed the naval peace establishment at 40 ships of the
line (24 afloat and 16 on the stocks), 50 frigates (40
afloat and 10 on the stocks), 136 vessels of an inferior
class afloat; 100 steainsvessels (all afloat), and two float-
ing batteries with from 40 to 50 guns.—Total, 328- ships.
In November, 1846, the Navy board, in order to tom-
plete the projected establishment, had to construct about
17 ships of the line, 27 frigates, 85 inferior vessels, 32
steamboats, and 2 floating batteries. It demanded seven
years and 93,000,000 f, (3,700,0001) to execute the
works. The delay and the money were granted. The
year IS-t7 passed away in preparatory measures. The
works in the arsenals was conducted slowly and con-
fusedly. The expenses were ill calculated, and the sum
voted for the wages of the operatives was exhausted
before the conclusion of the works which those wages
were intended to represent. The money allotted for the
purchase of materials was consequently applied to the
payment of wages. In 1848 the naval administration
appeared disposed to display more activity and more
order. A statement of the constructions to be executed
during the present year, to make up fur lost time, was
laid before the public. It was satisfactory, but events
prevented its accomplishment. The revolution of Feb-
ruary took place, and the new Government lost sight of
the navy is the midst of the difficulties which surrounded
them. The Constitutionnel then goes on to show that
none of the measures adopted by the Government of the
Republic have tended to the advantage of the navy. The
abolition of slavery in the French colonies has forced
4,000 French seamen previously employed in the colonial
trade to emigrate to the United States. Corporal
punishment has been abolished in the French navy, aed
the comforts of the men have been increased at a cost of
1,900,000 F. (76,0000, for the year 1848, but that measure
has not added a ship nor a seaman to the French navy.
The French navy now consists of 24 sail of the line
afloat, 38 frigates, and 86 steam-vessels. Of those 24
ships of the line, 12 require to be replaced in conse-
quence of their age. 01 the 38 frigates there are 19
condemned, and of the 86 steam-boats not more than 70
are effective. The situation of the French fleet is, in
fact, such as it was on the Ist of January, 1846. As
compared with the fleet of Great Britain that of France
is comparatively insignificant. As compared with the
other maritime powers it comes after Russia; and if
the 12 ships of the lino and the 19 frigates are deducted,
the French fleet falls short of those of Sweden and Hol-
land. The Constitutionnel next observes, that it is im-
possible the French fleet can be improved during the
present year, inasmuch as the Minister of Finance re-
quires a diminution of 30,000,000'. (1,200,000/.) to be
saved in the Navy budget. That announcement has
caused the utmost consternation amongst the operatives
employed in the French dockyards.

SERIOUS FIRE IN LIVERPOOL.—A little before six
o'clock yesterday morning smoke was discovered issuing
from the premises of Mr. Wright (late Rigby and
Wright), timber-merchant, of Nelson-street, immediately
contiguous to and in the rear of Dr. Raffles's chapel.
The tire, the origin of which is unknown, broke out in
the lath-room, whence, from the extreme dryness of the
materials, it rapidly spread to the surrounding timber;
the store-room in the yard, forming one side of Grif
fiths-street, was completely destroyed, and its valuable
contents, chiefly mahogany and furniture woods, fell a
prey to the flames. The engines of the West of Eng-
land Company and of the Liverpool fire-police were
quickly on the spot, but, from a total absence of water
from the mains for a considerable time after their arri-
val, they were rendered inoperative. At the time we
are writing (9 A.m.), the fire is burning vigorously on
the site of the store-room, but all danger of its extending
is happily past. The premises and stock, we learn,
were insured, but whether so as to cover the damage,
which must necessarily be very great, we do not know,
Mr. Wright being absent from town. Had the flames
extended in the opposite direction to which they did, in
all probability that beautiful structure, Great George-
street Chapel, would ere this have been again in ruins.—
Liverpool Standard.
CITY COMMISSION OF SEWERS.—Yesterday a pub-
lic court of the Commissioners of Sewers for the city of
London was held at their council chamber in the Guild-
hall; Mr. Deputy Peacock in the chair. The statement
of Mr. Heywood, the surveyor, who had been specially
appointed to report upon the practicability of emptying
the cesspools in the City by night instead of by day,was
read. It recommended in general terms, as these ope-
rations were to a great extent inoffensive, that they
should be carried on as much as possible in the daytime,
particularly where the traffic was not likely to be much
interfered with.—Mr. Kemp said if this recommendation
were acted upon they should render themselves liable to
a penalty under the Act, which expressly provided that
these operations should not be carried on between
the hours of five in the morning and eleven at night.
—Mr. Heywood said that the Act referred to the empty-
ing of cesspools by night carts. The present process,
however, was wholly inoffensive.—Mr. Blake and other
Commissioners concurred in this view of the case.—Mr.
Deputy Cooley inquired whether this sewage matter,
as it was all deodorised, would not be extremely
valuable as a manure, and whether persons might not
be found who would be glad to take it away at their
own expense. This would be much preferable to car-
rying it all into the Thames.—Mr. Heywood said that, no
cl,,ubt, when this matter was prepared and reduced to a
highly concentrated state it became extremely useful as
manure; but, in its present condition, it was not so valu-
able that any one would remove it without being paid.—
The report was at length received and ordered to be
entered on the minutes. The various accounts were
then audited and agreed to, and the Court adjourned.
THE INTEREST ON THE GREEK LOAN —A further
instalment of interest due to British creditors to the
amount, as is reported, of 8,0001., reached Malta on the
7th September, in five-franc pieces, by her Majesty's
steamer Meteor, from the Ph netts of Athens, to the con-
signment of the Governor of Malta, who immediately
paid same into the commissariat or military chest, autho-
rised to receive same under orders from the Right lion.
the Lords of the British Treasury. The five-franc piece
is now worth four shillings British currency,