The Sun.
London, England, 1848-01-04 00:00:00

1' WE
_V

g.kory pubtwity had been Oven ea the proetvedlogs,
both by advertisements in the public press, by notice
on thechurch doors, and he was happy to say although
In the first instance there may have been some
opposition to the object proposed, that thi- objection
Lad now quite disappeared, and as for the society re-
presented by Mr. Griffith, even this opposition was
very slight now. This society held a general meeting
with a view of opposing the diversion of the old road,
but the members almost unanimously came to the
conclusion that the new road proposed by his Lord-
ship would be not only an improvement to the neigh
bourhood, but a decided advantage to the public at
large. He therefore now moved the Court to confirm
the proceedings, and next session they would apply
for a general order to close the path.
Mr. Iturcu expressed his opinion that the present
path was by far the best that could be devised.
The Court confirmed the proceedings of the past
session.

SURREY SESSIONS.—(THIS DAY.)
The first general quarterly sessions for the county
of Surrey was this day held at the Court house,
Newington.
Mr. Puckle, chairman, the Earl of Lovelace, Lord
Louvain, Colonel Chatloner, Mr. Freshfield, Mr.
Briscoe, Mr. Austin, Captain Parrott, Mr. Nicholson,
Mr. Curling, Mr. Penryn, Mr. Johnstone, Mr. Locke
King, M.P., and numerous others, took their seats
upon the bench.
The calendar contained the names of 59 prisoners
of whom there were that could
Neither read nor write
Read or read and write imperfectly 37
Read or read and write well 3
Superior education
The various reports from the surgeons, chaplains,
and governors of the various gaols and houses of cor-
rection in the county were read and confirmed ; as
were also the reports of the various inspectors of
weights and measures.
Some discussion took place upon the report of the
treasurer of the county, with respect to the mode in
which the various disbursements had been made to
appear in the accounts presented to the session.
PROPOSED COUNTY RATE.
Mr. FRESHFIELD, in moving the county rate for
the year, said the committee appointed to inquire into
the rental of the property of the county upon which
the assessment was to be made, under the late Act of
Parliament, had made their inquiries, and the result
of their labours had, he considered, been most valu-
able. It appeared that there were 69 parishes in
the county, which had returned a sum of 109,3011.,
upon which they were willing to be assessed over and
above the amount to which they were already assessed.
In 23 of the parishes a reduction had been made
in the amount of the assessment. The committee
had endeavoured to equalize as justly as possible the
amount of assessment in all the parishes, and he
thought that they were entitled to the confidence of
the magistrates for the manner in which they had
performed their duties. The Learned Gentleman
concluded by moving that the proposed county rate
presented at quarter sessions upon the 19th of October
last by the committee appointed to prepare a fair and
equal county rate under the Bth and 9th Vic., c. 111,
be allowed and confirmed.
Mr. JOHNSTONE seconded the motion. He thou,ght
that the assessment made was a very fair one. 'lhe
increase in the present assessment over the old one
was 237,877/. In the thirty parishes which had
objected the increase made in the assessment had
been only 39,0001., which was a very small portion
out of the whole assessment. He thought that the
better course would be not to refer the matter back
again to the committee, but to allow these parishes
which thought they had grounds of complaint to
appeul in the usual manner. Should the Court de-
cide to act upon the old rate there would be a direct
money loss to the country of about 1,6001.
In answer to a question put by Mr. BRISCOE,
Mr. JOHNSTONE said that in the assessment which
had been made care had been taken to exclude from
it all woods, plantations, and manorial rights.
Mr. AUSTIN moved as an amendment that the pro-
posed county rate be referred back again to the com-
mittee until the various appeals had been heard and
disposed of.
Captain PARROTT seconded the amendment.
Considerable discussion took place upon the ques-
tion. The original motion was however agreed to by
a large majority, and the Court proceeded with the
other business before it.

THAMES.—(THIS DAY.)
Edward Griffiths was charged with having bur-
glariously entered the premises of Mr. James Hip-
thorpe, a gentleman residing at No. 5, Grove terrace,
East India-road.

Mr. Hipthorpe stated that he retired to rest last
night, about half-past ten o'clock, previous to which
he locked his area gate, and also the house door, him
self. This morning, about three o'clock, he was
awakened by hearing a noise, as of some one moving
about in his kitchen. He immediately arose, went
down stairs, and saw the prisoner standing by the
kitchen door. Directly he caught sight of witness
he smashed the window, dashed through it, and en-
deavoured to effect his escape. A' policeman, however,
who; happened to; be passing on the other side of the
way, observing his hasty exit, instantly pursued him,
and, after a desperate struggle, with the assistance of
another constable, he was eventually secured.
Police-constable K 94 examined Mr. Hipthorpe's
premises. He found that the prisoner had forced
open the doors and window with a large iron bar
(produced), and a pair of folding doors in the parlour
had been " prised open." The bar had been taken
from the iron railings in the front of the house.
In his defence Griffiths declared it was only a lark,
he being tipsy.
Mr. YARDEEY committed him for trial.

THE DOUBLE SUICIDE IN MARY-

LEBONE.—(INQUEST THIS DAY.)'--
An inquest was held this day, at noon, in the
Fitzroy Arms, Clipstone-street, before Mr. Wakley,
on the bodies of Alexander Thomas Williams and
Susanna Williams, who kept the Star coffee-house in
Cleveland-street, and of whose double suicide we
gave yesterday an account. The deceased lived on
the most affectionate terms; the husband was thirty-
one years of age, and the wife twenty-four. It ap-
peared that he had been subject to headache since
his return from India, where he served some time in
army. He was about to advertise his business for
sale this week, in consequence, as a witness said, of
the hardness of the times. The house was closed
at twelve o'clock on Saturday night, and nothing
was, up to that time, observed peculiar in his manner.
At a quarter to one, Henry Mathews, a carpenter,
who lodged in the house, was attracted to the bed-
room of the deceased, by the screams of the wife, and
seeing the body of the man hanging, he made an
alarm, which brought a policeman and others to his
assistance. The body was taken down, and whilst
Mr. Hatfield (the surgeon), with Mathews and the
policeman, were engaged in endeavouring to resusci-
tate the still warm body, other persons found Mrs.
Williams in the shop with her throat cut, and a
bloody razor lying near her. She was still living,
and seemed to possess her senses. She made a
gurgling noise, attempting to speak, and struggled up
on her feet, when she instantly fell forward and ex-
pired. Mr. Hatfield left the husband's body when he
heard ofther case, and proceeded to sew up the gash,
when he found that life was extinct.
The jury found " that Alexander Williams com-
mitted suicide, but that there was no evidence as to
the state of his mind at the time. That Susanna
Williams committed suicide, being at the time in a
state of delirium, occasioned by the shock which she
received on seeing the body of her husband suspended
in the bedroom."

THE CONVICTS SALE AND AMOY. These two
wretched men, who are ordered for execution on next
Monday, had, as far as M'Coy was concerned, nearly
presented a different termination, in consequence of a
most murderous attack having been made on him by his
equally guilty companion. APCoy, it will be recol-
lected, made a confession, and which it appears created a
deep feeling of revenge in the mind of the other. From
what has transpired, it appears that a few days since,
and previously to the execution being fixed on, Sale, on
leaving his cell, bad, by immense exertion, forced out of
the place in which he was locked up a portion of an iron
bar, which he secreted about his person, and with this
deadly weapon he went to the day-room. Shortly after
m,Coy was brought in, and while he was in the act of
washing. himself, Sale went behind him and struck his
co panion a terrific blow on the head, which instantly
felled him, and before the turnkey could render
the slightest aid he was knocked down. Fortunately
the turnkey was enabled to cry out murder, and ring
the bell, which brought some of the other turnkeys to
his aid. Sale swore that he would murder the first that
attempted to seize him, and that he was determined to
have m.Coy's life. The men, however, rushed on him,
and after a short but severe struggle they overpowered
Sale, air!he was placed under control. On examining
his cell to ascertain how he had obtained the piece of
iron, it was discovered that he had, in the course of the
night,' forced it out of the wall near the cupboard, and
had succeeded in removing some of the bricks, no
doubt, under the impression that he should have been
enabled to effect his escape. Since the time of the order
to carry the law into effect, they have been placed in
different rooms, and six men—namely,one in the day
and two of a night, are in constant attendance, and will
continue so until they are delivered up by the Governor
into the hands of the Sheriffs on Monday morning next.
INDISPOSITION OF THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTER-
_This venerable and distinguished prelate has
nuaT• timebeen labouring under indisposition •
short
for some
and which,
within the last few days, has been
aggravated somewhat
by a slight attack of influenza. We are
state that at no time has the attack
happy, to
been sufficiently severe to confine the Archbishop to his
room; and the answer to inquiries at Lambeth Palace
morning was '° that his Grace was better to-
day." pr•
Ferguson is in daily attendance on
daY• • • "44 Grace,
but no danger le apprehended.

1..itat3400„4 ittql) LititTit rstrritAi
131tVaSEL1, DEC. 11.—The Chamber of Represen-
tatives terminated in its sitting to-day the general
discussion on the budget of war, and passed immedi-
ately to the discussion of the articles, which were suc-
cessively adopted, without any other amendments than
those presented by the Minister of War himself at the
commencement of the sitting. By virtue of these
amendments the budget has sanctioned a reduction of
162,000 f.
The whole of the budget was adopted by a ma-
jority of 61 to 10, and one absentee.
Several Members declared that they gave their vote
for the budget for the army for 1848 with the express
intention that this vote did not in any way prejudice the
question of the reduction of the expenses on the
budgets which have yet to be presented.
M. Van Huffel, M. Dedecker, and M. Lesoume,
expressed themselves very clearly upon this point.
In the absence of formal propositions, it was impos-
sible that the discussion of the budget of war should
have any other result than the present. Those lion.
Members who impressed upon the Government the
necessity of seriously adopting economical plans have
discharged their duty.
The public now intend to avail themselves of the
legal method which is open to them for sending in
petitions.
The Chambers have adjourned to the 18th January.
Before separating the Chamber voted the provisional
credit for th© departments of Public Works and
Justice.
From the Ist of January the former republic of
Cracow will be assimilated with the other districts of
the empire of Austria with all that concerns its
political administration. The Imperial Commissioner,
Count Deym, has caused an important ordinance to
be published at Cracow, which prescribes the admi-
nistration and organization of the new district.
THE HAGUE, DEc. 30.—The official journal of
this day publishes the following royal decree :
" We, William 11., &c.,
" Seeing the report of our Minister of the Colonies,
under date of Nov. 12, 1847 (secret), our Council
of State (advices of Dec. 7, 1847, lib. C), with ulte-
rior report of our Minister of the Colonies, under date
of the 16th of this month (lib. B, No. 43, and secret),
have decreed and do decree :
"SINGULAR ARTICLE.
" Articles 70 and 71 of the registration concerning
the direction of the government of the colony of Suri-
nam are suppressed and replaced by the following
disposition :
" Commerce and navigation in the colony of Suri-
nam are open to all nations with which the kingdom
of the Netherlands is in relation of amity.
" Special decrees will regulate the conditions of the
admission, and the amount of duties to be taken. Our
Colonial Minister is charged with the execution of
this decree, a copy of which will be sent to the
Council of State.
" The Hague, Dec. 17, 1847.

" WILLIAM.
"To the Minister for the Colonies, J. C. Baud.."
This decree is accompanied by a disposition from
his Excellency the Minister of the Colonies, stating
that the royal decree shall come in- force on the Ist
of May, 1848, and that after that date the tariff of
the export and import duties to be introduced into
the colony of Surinam, as far as concerns the ships
of foreign nations, shall be based in such a manner
that it shall double the dues levied on Netherlands
vessels.—Dutch Papers, Jan. 1.

FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE SOUTFI•WESTERINI
RAILWAY.---ROMSEY, JAN. 3.—As the half-pmt nine
o'clock A.M. passenger train from Southampton to Sa-
lisbury was passing over the wooden bridges or viaduct,
about a mile from Romsey, yesterday (Sunday morning),
the engineer, named Middleton (one of the most expe-
rienced on this line), saw about thirty men at ballast
work, filling a number of carriages with gravel to repair
the road which the late heavy rains had greatly injured,
and misplaced the rails—noticing full a quarter of a mile
before ho reached the place where they were at work,
that some of the men were not on the side they ought to
be to avoid danger, he began to whistle, which caused
many of them to get out of the way, three running across
within five yards of the front of the engine, at a time
when she was going at full speed, two of whom were
knocked down, and but slightly injured; the third,
named Bungay, was struck with the buffer, it is supposed
either on the back or shoulder, by which he was driven
on the iron rail, the engines and carriages passing over
his legs, cutting one off about the knee, the other near
to the groin, killing him almost instantaneously; his
fellow-workmen picked him up, and there being an en-
gine on the spot, the body was taken to Romsey. Bungay
had only been a few weeks on the line, previously work-
ing as a farm labourer at the village of Whitenip, near
to Romsey. He has left a wife and fire children totally
unprovided for.
CASE or SIMONDS.—We are informed that Mr.
T. H. Boykett has been retained for the defence of this
new church-rate victim. The trial is expected to take
place in the course of the present week.—Patriot.
The Exeter Gazette excuses itself from publishing
President Polk's Message on the ground that, "it
measures fifteen feet three inches in length of an ordi-
nary newspaper column."
FIRE.—DISTRESSING CA sE.—Yesterday morning
a fire broke out, about five o'clock, in a small house
situate No. 3, Labour-in-vain•street, Shadw•ell, a neigh-
bourhood very densely populated by the poorer classes,
among whom the greatest alarm and confusion was
created. It appears that the house where the fire ori-
ginated was occupied by Charles Harrison, a labourer,
whose aged wife had been bedridden for the last nine
weeks. Yesterday morning, during Harrison's absence
at work, his wife managed to crawl down stairs to her
daughter, who is a widow, with three young children.
Soon afterwards the front room above, which the old
woman had quitted a few minutes previous, was dis-
covered to be on fire. The neighbours, with praise-
worthy zeal, rushed into the house, and, having first
removed the old women, her daughter, and two of the
children from the house, proceeded to the room above,
where another child was lying on a bed in the apartment
fast asleep, with the flames all around it. The child
was roused, without sustaining any material injury, and
the fire was soon extinguished by the alacrity of the
neighbours, before the parish and brigade engines ar-
rived. The furniture was partially destroyed, and the
immense quantity of water thrown into the house to
subdue the fire rendered it totally unfit for occupation.
The poor family who inhabited it have been totally
ruined by the disaster, and are now without a home or
furniture.

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION.—A quarterly gene-
ral court, of the governors and subscribers of this insti-
tution, which was establishes in 1798, for the purpose of
educating, clothing, and apprenticing to trades the sons
of indigent Masons, was held yesterday evening, at the
offices of the charity, 7, Bloomsbury-square. B. B. Cab-
bell, Esq., M.P., treasurer of the society, presided. After
the transaction of the usual business, the vacancies,
which amounted to seven, were filled up, and there being
no other business, the court separated.

LONDON COFFEE AND EATING HOUSE KEEPERS'
BENETOLENT ASSOCIATION.—Yesterday evening a meet-
ing of Ihe members of the above association, founded for
the purpose of relieving aged and decayed members of
the trade, their widows and orphans, was held at the
Freemasons' Tavern; Mr. G. Chislett, president, in the
chair. The report stated that the institution, which has
been established ten years, is increasing in prosperity.
The male and female pensioners each receive 131. per
annum. The balance-sheet ending July last showed
the receipts, from all sources, to be 2621. 16s. Iod., while
the expenditure amounted to 2721. 12s. The funded
capital of the society amounts to near 2,0001.
CALEDONIAN RAILWAY. The inspection of this
line, previous to the opening, commenced on Thursday
morning by Captain Simmons, R.E., Government in-
spector, accompanied by Mr. Collester, resident engi-
neer, Mr. Sinclair, locomotive superintendant, and the
several assistant-engineers. They passed over the whole
of the Edinburgh line to Carstairs, from thence along
the line towards Glasgow to the junction with the
Wishaw and Cohness Railway at Gariongill, and along
the latter railway to Motherwell. The inspection was
resumed yesterday morning from Carstairs southwards,
along the main line to Beattock, from whence Captain
Simmons would proceed to London and make his re-
port. From the state of the line it is hoped that the
inspector's report would be favourable. Some days,
however, must elapse before it can be known to the
officials of the company. The sanction from the Railway
Commissioners is, therefore, Row all that intervenes to
prevent the directors from naming a day for the opening.
—Scotsman.

WILD NUTMEGS.—Directions have been issued by
the Customs' authorities to the principals of the de-
partment throughout the kingdom, to admit all parcels
of wild nutmegs, out of the shell, at the duty. of sd.
per lb. from the present time.
THROWING AT A RAILWAY TRAIN.—On Wednes-
day afternoon the window of a first-class carriage, in
the 3.30 up railway train, was broken, near West Ferry,
by a missile, supposed to be a turnip. most maliciously
thrown. One of the passengers, o young gentleman,
had his face cut by the shattered pieces of glass. Two
individuals were afterwards identified as the persons who
were present when the missile was thrown, and one of
them as the actual culprit. They were at once con-
veyed to Paisley, when after examination by the Sheriff,
the man who threw it was fully committed to take his
trial. They gave their names as Black, and said they
belonged to Greenock.— Glasgow Constitutional.,
A patent has been taken out in America for dis-
pensing with sewing in the mar.ufacture of shirts, collars,
and linen articles. The pieses are fastened together by
indissoluble glue.
COUNTERFEIT COIN. Large quantities of base
silver coin are now in circulation, especially five-shilling
pieces, which are so admirably executed as to preclude
j
detection, unless by very competent udges,—Jairming.
ham Gazette.
BUSINESS OF THE WESTMINSTER COUNTY COURT.
—The number of causes entered in the Westminster
County Court, during the nine months it has been es.
tablished, up to and inclusive of the 31st ultimo,
amounted to no fewer than 13,394. Of this number
upwards of 12,000 have been heard and decided. At the
first opening of the Court the Learned Judge, D. C.
Moylan, Esq., sat but four days a week, but the business
became so heavy that soon after he was compelled to sit
every day. During the last week the number of causes
heard each day averaged from 120 to 130.
A Constantinople letter, of the 15th ult., states that
in the preceding week there were but a very few cases
of cholera in that city, but that, according to letters from
Aleppo, the disease was prevalent in the Diarbeker. It
Was also said to hays made its appearance at itarrasah.