The Sun.
London, England, 1846-04-23 00:00:00

APRIL 23, 1846.
N 7

CE
A puTbliEc llttlie3tPngßollTh Clo(Ptil!TocYie.ty wa,
held on Wednesday evening, in Exeter Hall, where L
,hiornn_entterin
great assembly was congregated some time before the
hour ap.iointed.
Mr. O'CoNNELL, who had been announced to take the
g the hall, received with vocifor-
..us cheering., which was repeated after he had taken the
:hair. When it had concluded, he rose and said, he
with. Such a reception showed they thought
could not consent to fill the chair, without in a very few
id
ce
snnp
gttterhhr3,nee,:mnii
eneeedrenyoe
independent
elwas warm
nesdsbeuetnhhs aereoieedeft
seoroupenfi ion
eol
et
subject,
htsel e(br.foa.eehnni
ee nl ge
vt he
d,
tnoth a
tbie:wa because et
the
it was
greatest not important,blessing
G obdu
jte
lb.
(e, r-
hat his spirit was kindred with theirs
erp:seo:. d)'nal da'n'dTogcr ticeeihnsmugi
d
cause the topics were so very obvious—obvious to all
dl el; kne dinnei
panion of man in every condition, for there was no feel-
ing which it did not softer, and sweeten, no evil which it
did not smooth and alleviate, no good which it did not
cherish, and no vice to which it was not an antagonist. I
Many calumnies had been poured upon his country, and I
among the rest it had been reported of Irishmen, that
they were drunkards ; no grosser calumny than this had
been published upon his country. The Parliamentary
Reports now, however, exhibited the true state of Ire-
land in this respect, for Irishmen were found to con-
sume the minimum quantity ; one-half less than was
consumed in Scotland, and one-third, he was sorry to
say, less than the quantity used in England. He meant
no taunt, but he claimed the full meed for Ireland. In
his country he was proud to say the temperance move.
ment began, and every successive impetus in the move-
ment was received from Ireland.—(Cheers.) That
country was at present suffering from poverty, but vir-
;tie was the loveliest in the poorest ; the brightest gem
in the crown of the monarch shone not with so great a
lustre as that virtue which followed the peasant to his
home.—(Chiers.) Drunkenness degraded the character,
relaxed the habits, made the family haggard ; tempe-
rance made the parent kindly, the home happy, and
conduced to preparation for another and a better re-
gion.—(Cheers.)
The meeting was then addresed successively by
Messrs Whitaker, Grosjoan, Ridley and Ellen.
Dr. HonsoN, who had resided several years in China,
said he was glad at all times to protest against the use
of intoxicating liquors. In Europe he said distillation
was not known till the 11th century; but he found by a
Chinese work which he consulted the other day, that it
was known in China 1,300 years before the Christian
era, and an Emperor about that time, whose name was
Woowang, said to his Minister, if the people drank of
the liquor to intoxication, they were to be dissuaded from
the use of it, and rewarded if they complied ; in case
they persisted, however, they were to be punished after
the second warning, and after the third -time
they were to be put to death. Dr. Hobson said
that santchoo, which was the only alcoholic liquor in
China, and was made from rice, was always used hot
and without water, but in so small quantities as never to
inebriate the drinker. Comparing. the few who used it,
to the mass of the people, and the moderate quantity
taken, he thought the Chinese might be called a very
temperate people. Dr. Hobson then remarked on the
deleterious effects from the use of intoxicating liquors on
Europeans in eastern climates, and resumed his seat
amid cheers.
pt3artrw'
ugigoielat.awshrt—nwehdi
terieso ,(,rytc.ebwl
of

Mr. J. S. S➢iITE and Mr. LEIRE addressed the audi-
ence at some length.
Dr. OxLEY stated that there had been a considerable
debt incurred in the temperance movement, and that
the money gathered in consequence of the meeting,
would go to the liquidation of it, as would appear in the
public papers.
A vote of thanks to Mr. O'Connell, the Chairman,
was carried with great cheering, and the meeting sepa-
rated.

THE TURN-OUT in the BUILDIN.G.
TRADE.
(From the Liverpool Standard.)
This strike still continue„ nor is there any appear-
ance of its termination. But it is not confined to this
town and neighbourhood, for it extends to Manchester
Bradford, Sheffield, Birmingham, and other places, in all
of which the builders and their workmen are at issue.
The men who are employed haie to contribute very
largely towards the support of those who are standing
out, and men have been engaged during the week dis-
tributilg papers and soliciting subscriptions, not only
from housekeepers, shopkeepers, and others, but also
from persons in the streets. The latter class of solicitors
are generally the labourers. By a letter, which is pub-
lished in another column, it will be seen that the unions '
have absolute controul over men who are hundreds
of miles distant, and that masons have been
prohibited coming from Aberdeen to set the
colums at the New Assize Courts. All the
avenues of the town—the railway station, the dock
quays, and the pierheads—are closely watched, lest
strangers should come here in search of employment ;
and picquets are set who keep watch upon all the prin-
cipal builders' establishments, so as to prevent, if pos-
sible, any man from entering. Yet, in spite of these
precautions,' many of the large employers are procuring
bands, and every day brings an accession. It seems to
he pretty well known, that but for the terror of the
trades' unions, the great majority of the workmen
would gladly resume their work ; and it is lamentable
that, during this struggle, buildings are standing still
in every direction, not merely in Liverpool, but in va-
rious parts of the country. The men object to quit the
unions, and the masters say that they have no security
in undertaking contracts so long as their men are in-
fluenced by the leaders of these combinations.
A startling fact appears in the letter of the President
of the order of Forresters, which is published in another
column, viz. :—that more than one million of adult men
are enrolled in secret benefit societies in this country.
An address has been widely disseminated amongst the
working classes, calling on them to preserve their rights,
and this bears the signature of Thomas S. Duncombe,
M.P., President.

In fact, although the master builders in Lancashire
and other places are the first to feel the effects of the
trades' unions, it is evident that a wide-spread
organisation exists throughout the country, and if
the master tradesmen in this locality shrink from the
struggle, the demands of the millions will spread like
wild fire throughout the land, and general confusion
will be the result; or otherwise the price of labour must
be so much advanced that the effects will soon be appa-
rent in railway calls, atri monetary difficulties will
ensue.

In Ireland, as we find by the Irish papers, one por-
tion of the peasantry are stated to be in want of food
—still the stonemasons are discontented with 4s. 6d. a
day, and have actually struck for ss. a day. We fear
that any advice which we may tender will be thrown
away, for in the excitement of a turn-out few men will
listen to reason. Combinations seem at present to be
the order of the day, and we much fear that they will
be carried so far as to ruin trade. They have already
laid a very heavy tax upon the operatives themselves,
and we fear that they are preparing much subsequent
distress for the workmen engaged in them.
The masons are still the most determined in standing
out, but it appears, by facts that have come within our
knowledge, that their obstinacy will render them greater
loosers than the masters, who are willing to employ them
on reasonable terms. As a proof of this, we may men-
tion that the principal engineer on the Liverpool and
Bury line has struck out, or dispensed with, the whole
of the masonry of the foundations of the bridges, &c.,
on the line, and the quoins of the piers, purposing to
substitute concrete (a mixture of lime and pebbles) in
place of the intended stone-work fixed upon in the
original plans. In fact, about three-fourths of the
masonry that would have otherwise been executed is
to be dispensed with. In Ireland, too, the heavy con-
tracts taken by Mr. M•Cormick on many railways are,
for the same reason and necessity, to be reduced in cost
to the contractor by the adoption of similar measures.
The men in the employment of this gentleman had, be-
fore he engaged them, only 3s. 6d. a day. He raised
their wages to 4s. and they have now " struck" for ss.
Instead, therefore, of turning the arches of the bridges in
stone-work, as was intended, it has been determined to
use iron beams of cast-iron, to prevent delay in the
completion of the work. It should be added, that many
of the. architects throughout the empire are reducing,
or doing away with, a great amount of the masonry,
being of opinion that the demands of the workmen in
that department are most unreasonable. The strike has
already prevented many parties from building who had
the intention, but have abandoned the idea for the pre-
sent season. The masters had a meeting yesterday, and
the general feeling was that a crisis had arrived when
they must protect their interest to the utmost.

STATE OF TRADE.
MANCHESTER, APRIL 21.—Although there has not
been quite so much business done to-day as on Tuesday
last, the market for yarn has been very firm, the spinners
generally demanding advanced prices, which are par-
tially acceded to by the buyers, but which tend to di-
minish the amount of business. For some descriptions
of goods, and particularly for good 40-inch shirt-
legs, there is a tolerably active demand, and where
manufacturers are willing to accept the current prices of
last week, sales are made with facility. This, however,
does not extend to printing cloths, which, though in
somewhat better demand than they were a fortnight ago,
are still relatively dull of sale.
ROCHDALE, APRIL 20.—There has been a fair average
market to-day, and prices have been the same as last
week. There is a Government order for 7,000 flannels,
which has been allotted this last week amongst six manu-
facturers. The wool dealers complain of a dull demand
for the raw material.

LEEDS, APRIL 21.—There was a good deal more
bustle in our market to-day, and a fair quantity of goods
changed hands for shipment to America. We hope this
improving state of things will last, and afford that relief
to our manufacturers which is so much needed.
HUDDERSFIELD, APRIL 21.—Rather more business
has been done to-day in the Cloth-hall, several Ame-
rican and London buyers being in the market ; but,
nevertheless, trade is not in the active state usual at this
season. A feeling of confidence appears to gain ground,
which will doubtless produce a more healthy trade,—
Manchester Guardian.

LETTER FROM CHINA_AN AD-
VENTURE.

IThe following are extracts from a letter by the chief
engineer of one of the war-steamers at present on the
coast of China to his friends in Edinburgh.]
WHAMPOA, Jan. 26.—The last instalment of the Chinese
ransom Money (2,000,000 of dollars) was paid in Canton
last week. The inhabitants being in a riotmis state, we
were ordered from Hong-kong up the river to lie abreast
of Canton, and I believe to fire into the city in case of
their attempting to burn the factories. We remained
there eight days, every man on board under arms, as we
expected every night an attack from the populace, who
seem to have the , most bitter enmity towards Euro-
peans. The money was all paid, however, and the riot-
ing having partially subsided, we were ordered away, at
which I was just as well pleased, having got tired of mF
bed-fellows, no other than a pair of loaded pistols and a
drawn cutlass. Engineers were ordered to lie under
arms, as well as every one else on boat d. We have
since taken up our station here, which is twenty miles
farther down the river than Canton, and about sixty
from Hong-Kong.
country,
feeling
inclined
boatand n
The scenery in this place being most beautiful, and
yesterday, to
of
i tin a
myapprentices
walk through
the
l took
with me, and thinking I might find some game, I took
my gun also. We sailed up a small creek, and leaving the
boy to take charge of the boat, I, with the gun in my
hand, walked into the country. I had not gone a quar-
ter of a mile, when approaching a small village, the people
came towards me, about thirty or forty in number.
They began hooting and crying at me, which is the
usual way they have of. treating us " barbarians "
when they get a lone one unprotected ; and as they
kept pressing round me closely, I thought it useless
to persevere in going forward.. Therefore, turning
myself round to go back to the boat, one of them from
behind made a sudden spring, grasping irf his arms,
both my legs under the knees, and another
seizing the • barrel of my gun, they dragged me to
the ground. The latter kept pulling at the gun trying to
wrest it from me, all the while the muzzle pointing to his
breast. The gun being at the time in full cock, I had
his life completely in my power; my first thought wag,
" I will take it -" the second was, "If I do so, mine will
certainly pay the penalty." In the meantime another
was striking at me with a stick, and I was compelled to
relinquish my hold of the gun to defend my face
with my arms, the fellow now in possession of
the gun wielding it as if to strike me on the
head with the butt-end. I cannot tell you how I felt,
every instant expecting a death-blow. It was
very strange, that at that moment the picture of the
death of Captain Cook, in the volume of his voyages in
my father's book-case, came vividly before my eyes—
their gestures and appearance were altogether quite as
savage like. Before the blow came, I managed to spring
to my feet, and attempted to keep them back, unarmed as
I was. They then desisted, and went into the village, taking
with them my gun, hat, powder-flask—in fact, all my pro-
perty. I was completely fleeced, my clothes torn to pieces,
the pockets and their contents torn away from my
coat. Glad I was, I can assure you, when I saw their
backs turned ; and walking on towards the boat, I saw
them assembling again, and to intercept me. Now,
thought I, they are going to have a shot at me—this is
another ordeal ; but presently the gun went off in the
middle of them, and I felt relieved so far, as it is very
likely some of them were hurt. The savages are quite
ignorant of the use of a gun, and one of them may have
been looking into its barrel, for all I know to the con-
' trary. My troubles did not cease here; for on reaching
the spot where I had left the boat, I found both it and
the boy gone. I saw, however, two Chinese in a boat,
end promised them money if they would take me across
the creek. I went into their boat, and finding in one
of my pockets two rupees, which the late robbers had
missed, I gave them to them ; they then wanted more,
and having me a prisoner in their boat, made motions as
if they were going to search me, upon which I made an
attempt to throw one of them overboard. They desisted,
and landed me on the other side. I know the villains only
wanted a few more to help them—they don't consider
the odds in their favour ; two against one European.
r then walked along the banks of the river for a long
distance, until I discovered another boat, which I per-
suaded by promises to take me to my ship. It turned out
hat the boy I had left in the boat had been plundered
by another party of everything but his shirt and trousers,
and was ,lad to escape with his life. He had returned
to the vessjd, telling the officers that he thought I was
murdered, aird they immediately sent an armed boat's
crew in search of me. I wanted the captain to give
me another boat with armed men, and I would go
and barn the village ; but he said he could not
take so much upon himself. At the time of the
war such a thing might be done, and fre-
quently was for less cause. Ile tells me he
will report it to the admiral, who will most probably
take notice of it through th 3 Chinese authorities. You
may depend upon it the Chirose will pay dearly yet for
the way they have been going on lately. Since this
occurred, I heard of several Europeans having been mal-
treated quite as ill and worse than me in this neighbour-
hood. Only this morning an American boat's crew was
attacked by these savages, but they bryke their oars into
cudgels, and beat them off. Mr. told me that he
and two missionaries were nearly killed in the same way;
they were severely beaten with sticks, rubbed, and their
clothes torn to pieces.—Scotsman.

CENTENARY OF THE BATTLE

OF CULLODEN.
(From the Inverness Courier.)
Thursday, the 16th of April, is the anniversary of the
battle of Culloden. It is the hundredth anniversary, for
a century will then have completed its cycle since that
memorable event. Improvement was slow in reaching
this remote locality, but it is visible even on the moor of
Culloden. Inclosures, pastures, and arable land diversify
the surface of that long, bleak plain. The plough has
been driven through a considerable part of the battle-
field, but much of it is still a cold and dreary waste—
grim-visaged as war itself, and harmonising, in its
gloom, with the disastrous fortunes of those whose blood,
on that fatal day, stained the heather. The relics of the
fight are few, but impressive. The green mounds of the
buried dead (" How that red rain hath made the verdure
growl") are still conspicuous on the moor. The boggy
marshes which impeded the English artillery—the small
spring or well at which the wounded and thirsty stooped
to drink—the old, tall ash-tree at which Prince Charles
stood when the conflict began—and the broad flat stone
on which Duke William took his hasty morning meal,
are still there. We can trace parts of the important
stone wall, which, for a space, defended the right of the
Highland army, but which the Argyleshire Campbells
broke down, when they rushed, like a flood, on the
Jacobite clans. The position of the different forces may
be clearly ascertained on the spot ; and we can easily
picture the wild stormy struggle, with the maddened
shouts and gestures of the clansmen as they rushed
desperately on the firm, compact lines of the English
troops. What a contrast between the meagre, sinewy,
half-clad, enthusiastic Highlanders, and the heavy, com-
fortable Southron soldiers, arrayed in the military cos-
tume of the day—the long coats, cocked hats, and white
gaiters Their heavy dragoons, too, in ample red
drapery, trunk square-toed boots, large holster pistols
and carabines, and mounted on fine sleek horses of great
power, seemed as if they could trample down the whole
clans north of the Spey. Yet the very weight and mas-
siveness of the English troops would only have cum-
bered them if the brave Highlanders had not been in a
wretched condition, greatly disproportioned in numbers,
Korn out with hunger and fatigue, and set up, like
targets, on a level plain, to point the murderous fire of
the artillery. The very elements seemed to be against
the Jacobites. The rain and sleet beat in their faces, and,
joined to the smoke of the fierce cannonading and
musketry, compelled them to fight in all but darkness.
The struggle was a brief one—a shock like an earth-
quake, that threw down all the long-cherished hopes of
the royal line of Stuart, sacrificing, on this one fatal
d rday,ed s amb
oo
ry
ee
tt
ow op
et
rhi os
hu s
by
yn d
eborl adv.
be
Imo
oedne,
dancrduelleta;,inbgy hun-
dreds
cap-
tivity, exile, and harsh tribunals.
Nothing could be more prosaic or unromantic than
the general character of the reign of George the Second.
The affair of the Forty-five burst like a meteor on this
dull period. It was poetry in action. "A primitive
people," says Scott, "residing in a remote quarter of the
empire, and themselves but a small portion of the
Scottish Highlanders, fearlessly attempted to place the
British Crown on the head of the last scion of tho..e
ancient kings whose descent was traced to their own
mountains. This gigantic task they undertook in fa-
vour of a youth of twenty-five, who landed on their
shore without support of any kind, and threw himself
on their generosity. They assembled an army in his
behalf—their speech, their tactics, their arms, were
alike unknown to their countrymen and to the English
—holding themselves free from the obligations imposed
by common law or positive statute, they were yet
governed by rules of their own, derived from a general
sense of honour, extending from the chief to the lowest
of his tribe. With men unaccustomed to arms, the
amount of the most efficient part of which never ex-
ceeded 2,000, they defeated two disciplined armies com-
manded by officers of experience and reputation, pene-
trated deep into England, approached within a hundred
miles of the capital, and made the crown tremble on the
King's head; retreated with the like success when they
appeared on the point of being intercepted between
three hostile armies; checked effectually the attack of a
superior body detached in pursuit of them ; reached the
north in safety, and were only suppressed by a concur-
rence of disadvantages which it was impossible fur
human nature to surmount." To this enumeration of
facts, forming altogether a picture dazzling to the ima-
gination. we may add the pure and devoted attachment
of the Highlanders to the Prince in his various wander-1
ings and misfortunes, and the contrast which they pre-
sent in true nobility of mind to their sordid and cruel
victors. The excesses committed after the battle of Cul-
loden form a deep and ineffaceable stain on the English
army, and the world saw, with surprise, bow a regular
military force, trained in a civilized nation, and com-
manded by a prince, could be outdone
courtesy, and feelings of honour, by a rude mountain
race, reared in comparative solitudemidst the wild and
savage scenes of nature.
The breaking up of the feudal system in the High-
lands was a necessary result of the progress of society,
but it was accellerated by the defeat at- Culloden.
Good sprung out of seething evil. The statutes pro-