The Sun.
London, England, 1841-10-15 00:00:00

THE WATERAIEN PLYING AT BLACKFRIARS.

Mr: STEVENS presented a petition from the water-
men plying at the London side of Blackfriars-bridge,
praying to be employed upon any pier nt that bridge
that might ho constructed by the Corporation, or rent
the same upon moderate terms.
The petition was unanimously referred to the Navi-
gation Commit'ee.

THE CASUAL POOR RESORTING TO THE MANSION..

HOUSE.

Mr. HEpPEr. proieeted a potition from the rate-
payers of the Parish of St. Mary Wooehurch Haw,
praying for rel:of from the heavy burthen intailed upon
that parish, for the relief of the casual poor who resort
to the Mansion House,

Mr. HurrEL stated that numbers of the casual
poor applied in their extremity at the justice room,
when the Lord Mayor properly provides for their
immediate relief, by sending them to the Union in
Cannon-street. It happened, however, that as the
house was in the parish of the petitioners the whole
of the expense of the destitute persons fell upon the
parish, which contained no more than po houses.
Now the whole expense of the casual poor amounted
in the entire Union last year, to 1,7981., and of which
the parish of St. Mary Woolchurch. Haw actually
paid 4871., a sum mailing the fourthpart. The in-
equality must strike every one as most unjust, and for
the purpose of providing a remedy, he proposed to refer
the subject to the General Purposes Committee to
examine and report upon.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. WIRE seconded the motion, but thought the
Vestry Clerk could suggest a remedy. He could not
see why the parish alluded to should be put to such
an expense, because casual poor called at the Mansion
House. That calling did not make a settlement.
(Hear, hear.) He trusted that the parish would
,be
speedily relieved from so unjust a burthen.
Mr. PEWTFiESS said that the casual poor ought not
to be allowed to go before the Lord Mayor ; they were
merely destitute, not criminal, and the police should
direct them to the unions. If, indeed, they were refused
assistance at the unions, then they ought to go before
the Lord Mayor or Aldermen to complain and obtain
redress. All the parishes in the City ought to contri-
bute to a fund equally for the assistance of these desti-
tute persons ; and advantage would result from the
direction of the Lord Mayor that paupers should not be
allowed to go to the Mansion-house merely as paupers.
Mr. Cowlesiate (we believe one of the guardians at
Cannon-street) said that the officer at that union never
received any poor who were sent by the Lord Mayor ;
but if a policeman brought destitute persons, they
were sent off to Peckham, and the parish in which
they were found were considered liable.

Mr. R. TAYLoIt stated that the grievance complained
of was severely felt by the parish of. St. Sepulchre also.
Mr, PEAcoex said that the parish of St. Botolph,
Bishopsgate, was in a similar predicament.
Mr. HILL observed thit if the expense were divided
equally amongst the 97 City parishes it would not be
felt at all.

Mr, ASHURST said that if the casual poor were de-
flied access to the Mansion-House their state would, in
all probability, be deplorable, as the fourth estate would
then be deprived of the means it was always ready to
exercise, of representing the misconduct of those who
were harsh and cruel to the dostitute.—( Hear, hear.)
Mr. PEWTRESS said that in the first instance the
poor orvght not to apply to the Lord Mayor ; but if
they were refused relief, the Chief Magistrate was their
alternative.

Mr. R. L. JONES declared that the subject was a
very is 3portant one ; and it was unanimously referred,
togeth sr with instructions as to the amount paid annu-
al 4 to the casual poor, to the Police Committee.

IMPROVEMENT AT lIOLBORN-HILL.
Mr. WIRE presented a petition from Mr. John A.
Gallov ray, respecting a viaduct from Skinner-street to
Holbo.-r,-hill. A model, which was greatly admired,
was laid; before the Court, and the subject, of which
wo shall. take proper notice upon another occasion, was

ordered to be taken into consideration at the next
Court Day.

THE GREAT NUISANCE FROM SMOKE FROM MANU..

FACTORIES, STEAM-VESSELS, &C.

Mr. ANDERTON Said lie rose with groat pleasure to
present a Report of vast importance to every large
town in the kingdom. It was quite unnecessary for
him to address the Court upon the magnitude of the
nuisance occasioned in the streets of London, particu-
larly in those parts of it in which extensive manufacto-
ries were constantly at work, and steam was in use.
Every man in that Court was more or less annoyed
daily in a variety of ways by smoke, which the Committee
were of opinion could be removed without difficulty,
and by means producing economical advantages.—
( Hear, hear.) He thought that the Report should be
printed, and sent to every Member of the Court, every
Member of Parliament, and every town in the kingdom.
Mr. Anderton then laid the Report before the Court.
It is respectably signed, and points out a great variety
of nuisances in different parts of the metropolis. We
cannot find room for it at present, but will publish it
entire or give extracts on some future occasion.

The Report was then ordered to be printed and
circulated, and taken into consideration on a future day.

After the transaction of some further business the
Court adjourned.

CURIOUS CASE OF BLINDNESS

FROM INFANCY.

Mr. Thomson, late of this city, was, in my opinion,
too extraordinary a character to be allowed to pass into
the grave without being animadverted on. Had his
history been faithfully delineated by an able pen, it
would have been equally interesting to the metaphy-
sician, the physiologist, aed the public generally.
Mr. Thomson ►ost his sight when twenty months old
by a second attack of small-pox ; notwithstanding this'
he could, with great ease, distinguish one colour from
another, refuting that saying, That such a one is no
more a judge of this or, that thing than a blind man is
of colours. He could impart all kind of colours to all
kinds of cloth, and, what is still more remarkable, all
shades of colours. He was by trade a dyer, and fol-
lowed that occupation, unassisted, with great success,
for a period of fifty.five years.
The drysalter that supplied him with dye-stuffs says
no man was a better judge of their qualities than Mr.
Thomson. I inquired how he was able to give lighter
and darker shades to his goods. This be did by sub-
mitting them to a longer or shorter process ; and how
he was ab!e to distinguish the goods when clouded from
those that were uniformly coloured ? " That is more
than I can tell." said he ; and I believe he spoke the
truth when he said so; for, when one of the external
senses is destroyed, or constitutionally wanting, the rest
(not merely in consequence of frequent employment)
in most cases, are endowed with an extraordinary de-
gree of energy, as though the share of sensorial power,
naturally belonging to the lost organ, were distributed
among the rest, and'modified their respective uses ; and
the facility with which Mr. Thomson managed every
department of his intricate business, is an interesting
example of what has just now been stated.
Mr. Thomson seemed to understand the common
rules of perspective. After reading to him a descrip-
tion of a landscape, I asked him if be saw it in his
mind's eye ? He said, perfectly well ; the writer first
brings into view a stream, then beyond the stream is a
level plane, which is bounded by a circle of high moun-
tains ; at the same time stretching out his arm to dif-
ferent lengths, which represented the distances of the
different objects mentioned. This strengthens a decla-
ration of Professor Reid's, " That sight discovers
almost nothing which the blind may not comprehend."
I informed Mr. Thomson that if his sight could be re-
stored by an operation, that the objects which he con-
ceived to be at a distance would appear to his eye
as all on one line, and he would have to learn only by
experience to judge of their distance ; but this doctrine
he was slow to believe. l informed him the patients
that were couched by Chiselden, Warode, and others,
thought every thing they saw touched their eyes. " It.
may be so, (said he,) but as this is a lesson I will never
need to learn, I will say nothing more on the subject."
His life shows what patience and perseverance will ac-
complish. His parents died when he was young, and
although the greatest object left in a large family, yet
without his aid they would have been destitute. He
had an excellent constitution, was temperate in his
habits, of a cheerful disposition, and fond of music. He
left this world of suffering on the 18th of September
last. His illness was long and severe, but was sup-
ported by a magnanimity of mind, which showed it was
fixed on a sure and noble anchor.--. Correspondent of
the Glasgow Argus.