The Sun.
London, England, 1846-09-26 00:00:00

not instituted for the iiurpose of ;eliciting facts, but for
the nominal purpose of exhibiting to the world
the desire the ostentatious desire of the
Eastern Counties Company to attend to the
public safety, while really it was intended
for the sole purpose of fixing upon a humble, a prudent,
a sober, but poor man, the onus of errors which were
attributable solely to themselves. This man, incompe-
, tent to the task of conducting an engine—this man, im-
paired in his vision—this man, who was paid 255. a
week by the company—this man, assisted by another
man to act as fireman, a person who had been already
discharged from another situation of a similar kind fbr
unfitness—was sent with an imperfect engine, which had
been before that time declared unfit for passenger
traffic to Romford. He left that place to return to
Stratford—and here, if the company really sought to
fix the guilt on the proper parties, they should have
shown that the signals on the line were properly managed,
and that their instructions had been fully attended to.
They had, however, signally failed in establishing these
points. They did more than fail, for they proved the
astounding fact that the acting station masters and
signal-men did not even know what the purport of these
very signals were. The Learned Counsel then entered
at great length into the evidence adduced, and contended
that the prisoner was an innocent agent, entrusted with
a power which he did not understand, and that the real
guilt lay with those who had placed that power in his
ignorant hands. In that case double guilt lay with the
directors, because even the engine entrusted to the
prisoner's care was so imperfect that it would not act as
a perfect engine would, and to add to his difficulties the
usual precautions which were enforced on every other
railway had been wilfully and wantonly neglected upon
this line.

The Learned Counsel having concluded,
Mr. Justice MAULE summed up, and finished at six
o'clock.

The jury briefly considered, and returnod a verdict of
Not Guilty.
The prisoner, of course, was immediately discharged.
CAPTAIN RICHARDSON.—We understand that Captain
Richardson was this day discharged from custody.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
MANSION-HOUSE.
William Thomas Power, a man 33 years of age, was
brought before Alderman Gibbs, in the custody of
Daniel Forrester, who apprehended him at Munich, in
Bavaria, upon the charge of having conspired, with an-
other, to defraud the Clonmell branch of the Bank of
Ireland, and with having himself absconded with cash,
the property of that establishment, to the amount of
about 13,0001.
Forrester, accompanied by Enright, a Clonmell con-
stable, who was acquainted with the person of Power,
traced the prisoner to Munich, and took him into cus-
tody in that town, where he was residing in the name of
Prisk, having passed thither with a false passport.
It was understood that the prisoner expressed a wish to
return to Clonmell, in order to explain the particulars of
the transaction in which he was suspected to have been
concerned.
Patrick Enright, the Clonmell constable, stated that
he knew the prisoner to be the person charged with the
above-mentioned felony. He also identified the hand-
writing of Mr. Ryan, the magistrate who signed the war-
rant, and that of the Lord Mayor of London, wbo
backed it. Witness then applied for leave to take the
prisoner to Ireland, and the Alderman accordingly issued
an order.
Joseph Jones was brought up for re-examination,
charged with having forged the name of George Edwards
to a transfer of stock, to the amount of 3/. 10s. per an-
num, on the Bank of England. The sum purported to be
transposed by George Edwards, at the request of his
wife, and the transfer appeared to be attested by Thomas
Crompton, a broker.
Upon a former day George Edwards, the proprietor
of the stock, proved that that transfer had not been made
in his name.
It was also stated that Mrs. Edwards lived with the
prisoner, and that the name of George Edwards in the
transfer-book of the Bank, was in th prisoner's hand-
writing ; and the prisoner said it would be all right, as
Mrs. Edwards was not married to the person of that
name legally.
Thomas Crompton, examined by Mr. Freshfield, soli-
citor to the Bank of England, who appeared for the
Bank of England, stated that he was a stockbroker, and
knew a Mr. Bingley, whom he assisted in business of
the kind. He had a recollection of having seen the
prisoner before on a sale of stock of 31. 10s. long annui-
ties. Witness identified the prisoner through the re-
presentation of Mr. Bingley's clerk, and signed the
transfer as a witness. Sold the stock to a Mr. C.
Smith.
Alderman GIBBS—Did yon take the prisoner to the
Bank of England? Witness--I did. I always do
Alderman GII3BS—How could you identify him ?
Witness—l identified him merely from the:representa-
tion of a young man, whom I believe to be nephew of
Mr. Bingley.
Alderman Gums—lt appears that you identify when
you wish to identify. Do you believe him to be the
man? Witness—There is a similarity in the appear-
ance of the prisoner to the person I took to the Bank.
Mr. Humphreys (for the prisoner)—lt is upvv,ards of
four years since the occurrence is said to have taken
place, and you are right in speaking cautiously.
Witness—l believe the prisoner is the man.
Remanded.

MEETING OF SALT MANUFAC-
TURERS AT BLACKBURN.
On Monday a meeting of the salt manufacturers re-
sident in Blackburn and its neighbourhood was held at
the Hotel, King-street, to take into consideration the
important question of the East India Company's salt
monopoly. The meeting was most numerously attended.
Mr. M. J. FIELDEN was called to the chair, and
opened the business of the meeting by announcing that
Mr. Stocgueler, the honorary secretary of the salt trade
in this country, was present, and would explain the
working and prejudicial effects of the existing system
under the Hon. East India Company's salt monopoly,
and suggest for consideration a course of action by
which this meeting might aid in procuring its abolition,
and consequent advantages.
Mr. STOCGUELER then addressed the meeting, and
entered at great length into the questilin of the ad-
mission of British salt into India on fair and reason-
able terms. He had not the least hesitation in ad-
vocating the destruction of this baneful monopoly, be-
cause the advantage supposed to be derived from its
continuance was purely imaginative, and at the most
could only benefit a limbed and very wealthy body,
whereas its total abolition would be an unquestionable and
immediate blessing to millions of our fellow-creatures in
India, and would be followed by solid and lasting benefits
to the manufacturing, the shipping, the commercial, in
short, to all the interests in this country, of the poor as
well as of the rich. The forty- six millions of persons
who inhabit the districts within which the monopoly
prevailed, and all those who lived in the countries into
which the Company's salt was transmitted, were com-
pelled
to pay for the article 75 per cent. more than it
could be purchased for in Liverpool. The price charged
by the Company at present for 8,200 pounds of salt was
9,360 pence, or above one penny half-farthing per pound.
The price of Cheshire and Worcestershire salt, of a
quality far superior to that made in India, was 20s. per
ton, or twelve pence only for 112 lbs. ; something very
much under half a farthing per pound. In England,
when the salt which entered into our own articles of food
was so concealed that we were almost unconscious of its
presence, we could not form an adequate idea of the im-
portance of the commodity to the wretched Hindoo rus-
tic. It was almost his only, certainly, his chief condi-
ment—and to obtain it, so miserably disproportionate
were his earnings to his actual wants, that he sacrificed
ten weeks' labour per annum to obtain it. All he then
obtained was 12Ibs. for each adult person, a quantity
less by 31bs. than the Government, judging by the sup-
plies to their troops, considered necessary for the poorest
classes of Hindoos, and consequently leaving him none
for his cattle, none for purposes of manure, none for any
purpose but that of partially seasoning his own insipid
food.

After several other gentlemen had addressed the
meeting, and advocated the necessity of destroying in a
great part the present monopoly enjoyed by the East
India Company, resolutions were unanimously passed,
to the effect that the East India Company's monopoly of
the manufacture of salt in the East Indies, was not only
extremely oppressive to the natives of that country, but
injurious to the manufacturing interests of Great Britain,
by limiting within very narrow bounds the capabilities
of the natives to purchase the other necessaries of life.
An influential Committee was appointed to promote
the object in view, and the meeting separated.

UNPUBLISHED LET TER of BURNS,

- -
(From the Ayr Observer.)
Everything connected with the name of Burns pos-
sesses more than "an interest," whether it relates to
his poems, his songs, or his correspondence. The in-
dustry which has marked the search for whatever wears
the impress of his pen, leaves little, at this time of the
day, to reward the labour of those who would add to
his already voluminous correspondence: but occasion-
ally trifles are brought to light, which, if they contribute
nothing to the great name of " Coila's Bard," fill up
links, or at least show the interest inspired by the
smallest remain of him.

A correspondent (whose name has frequently appeared
in the poetical department of our paper, and who seems
to be an enthusiast in poetry, and in all connected with
it), has forwarded to us a copy of an unpublished letter
of Burns—the MS. itself being so jealously guarded by
the possessor, that he will not intrust it out of his own
keeping. The letter itself is of no great importance—
perhaps (from incorrect copying, possibly) not altogether
intelligible ; but still interesting as a relic of Burns. It
is as follows:

TO THE HON, HENRY ERSKINE, DEAN OF FACULTY,

EDINBURGH.

• Two o'clock.
Sir,—l showed the inclosed political ballad to my Lord
Glencairn, to have his opinion whether I should publish
it ; as I suspect my political tenets, such as they are,
may be rather heretical in the opinion of some of my
best friends. I have a few first principles in religion
and politics, which, I believe, I would not easily part
with ; but for all The etiquette of, by whom, in what
manner, &c., I would not have a dissocial word about it
with any one of God's creatures, particularly an
honoured patron, or a respected friend.—His Lordship
seems to think the piece may appear in print, but de-
sired me to send you a copy for your suffrage. I am, with
the sincerest gratitude for the notice with which you
have been pleased to honour the rustic bard, sir,
Your most devoted humble servant.
ROBT. BURNS.
We have searched the whole correspondence of Burns,
and find no communication with Henry Erskine. The
present discovery, therefore, opens up a new connexion.
As to the " political ballad" which the letter conveyed,
we are of opinion that it is as yet unpublished. Of all
the productions of the poet, wo cannot fix upon one