The Sun.
London, England, 1846-04-11 00:00:00

N %NAL INTELLIGENCE.

CHATHAM, APRIL 10.—The Raleigh, 50 gulls, Cap-
tain Sir Thomas Herbert, K.C.8., has this week received
on board nearly all her sea stores; she will be put out
of dock on Monday next; she will then drop down to
Folly Point, off Gillii gham, to take in her guns, powder
and shot, and to be completed in her painting previously
to her proceeding to tea. Tw4.nty-seven seamen riggers
have been drafted from this dock-yard for her.
The Southampton, 50 guns, will be taken into dock on
Monday, vacated by the Raleigh, to make good defects
and to be fitted for sea.

The Cockatrice schooner, fitted for a victualling ves-
sel fur the coast of Ireland, is completed. She is taking
in part of the frame of the Nankin, 50 guns, ordered to
be built at Woolwich, after discharging her cargo.
She will be given to the victualling establishment at
Deptford.
The Cressy, 80 guns. Shipwrights have commenced
laying the blocks to receive the keel of this vessel, or-
dered to be built on the Ist slip, from plans proposed by
Messrs. Cruise, Reed, and Chatfield, the late committee
of naval architecture.

The following workmen have been superanuatel th
week from this yard, viz., W. Finnis, leading man ►..
shipwrights, at 341. per annum; Robert Hall, shipwright,
201. per annual; John Mirton, caulker, 241.; Juhn
Bower, 221.; Charles Friday, 201.; and Thomas Bever-
stok, ropemaker, at 24/. per annum.

LICENCING MEETING.—To-day a special session was
held at Guildhall for the transferring licences to inn; ale-
houses, &c., and it was also the first transfer of billiard and
bagatelle licences under the new Act of Parliament. No
applicationswere made in either case, but on the Court :Ming
to hear appeals, an application was made by Mr. G. E.
Ilealey, for a licence to a house in Old Change, which had
been refused on the adjourned licencing meeting, It was
now shown that the refusal had been founded on the state-
ment of the applicant, that he had taken a lease of the house
condit.onally on obtaining a licence. It appeared that he
had mistaken the question, and now produced the deed.
The house had been shut up for two years by the former pro-
prietor, and the applicant had laid out a large sum of money.
The licence was granted.

ALARMING STEAM-BOAT ACClDENT.—Yesterday the
Laurel, a Richmond steamer, while proceeding on her first
passage for the season, with upwards of 150 passengers on
board, ran foul of Battersea-bridge, in attempting to pass
through one of the arches. Considerable damage was done
to the vessel, and her stern and one of her paddle-boxes
much shattered. Several passengers were thrown down and
injured, and the consternation among the crowd on board.,
was dreadful. The steamer put back, in a crippled state, to
the Yorkshire Grey, at Chelsea, where the ,;?ssengers were
landed, and subsequently proceeded i'2, another steamer to
Richmond. The old bridge at Battersea is a very danger-
ous one at all times for steamers to pass under, and numerous
accidents have occurred there. It has been frequently com-
plained of by the civic authorities, coroners' juries, and by
the lightermen and bargemen, and ought to be demolished,
and a new bridge erected.
ST. JOHN'S GATE.—The owners of this ancient struc-
ture have relinquished the idea of cotnpoing the gate and have
determined to re-case it with stone
where defective. The
ornamental portions, such as embattlements, labels, tkc., are
to be restored by the public, under the direction of the com-
mittee and Mr. W. P, Griffith, architect.
A HINT TO PAROCHIAL AUTHORITIES,
&c., CON-
CERNING GAS.—The reduction lately made in the price of
gas from 9s. to 75., is a mere farce, as the daily complaints
of numerous respectable tradesmen that their gas expenses
per annum (with the same number of lights) are heavier
than before aulliciently attest. The reason is obvious, for
Stipp:using the companies now obtain 10,000 cubic feet
.from
ehaldron of coals, and after a time they were to thlnekitpraun
pru-
dent to reduce to 55., they have only to
feet, and
extra baking and produce 14,000 or 16,000itereduction. But
they at once more than counterbalance
not means,
as,
in pro-
portionis the consumer benefitted by this? By
deteriorated, so will the
give
ebtihc -eet, coal
as the quality becomesit
may be attributed the great heat,
of light, and to this ca
burners require a largerusivans y to sustain the same degree
and deleterious effects experienced where gas is used. These
facts have been
proved by
of Parliament,
and chemists before com-
arliament, and cannot be con-
troverted,mittees of both Houses
and the only matter of surprise is, that the con-
sumers of gas in London have so long suffered such a dis-
araefu
lsystem
to exist, as the remedy is with themselves,
iiiidtehey ought by this time to be fully aware that the com-
panies w ill do nothing except by compuisios. Why not take the
matterinto their own hands, and form district gas cousumers'
companies, or (what perhaps would be preferable), let the
parishes take up the business and manufacture their own gas,
as in Manchester where from the profits of the gas establish-
went, the watching, lighting, paving, and other rates are
paid, and this too when the price of gas was only fss. per
1,000 cubic feet, and It was from the same source that the
funds wero provided necessary for Wilding their splendid
town hall.— Correspondent of the A4ilder.
ACCIDENT AT A StIOOTING MATCH.—Yesterday fore-
noon an acciderlt, attended with very distressing circum-
stances, toisis place at the shooting ground adjoining the
Dartmouth Arms Tavern, Sydenham. It appears that a gen-
tleman named James Andrews, aged 28 years, residing in the
Southwark Bridge-road, and several others, assembled at the
above tavern, for the purpose of shooting a match at pigeons.
The gentleman above named was in the act of taking his aim
at a bird, when the gun burst, shattering his left arsn in a
fearful manner, and severely injuring several persons who
were standing pear, He was promptly removed to a sur-
geon's/ Wllete the injuries were found to be so extensive, that
iS was deemed necessary to convey hiaa to Guy's Hospital,
where he was put under the care oethe house-surgeon. From
the serious nature of then jurifil he has sustained, it is feared
that amputatiop of the limb will be necessary.
DssVciSissituE CREast.—This far-fanaoci luxury, the
Choicest production of the dairy, is witv to be had in Liver-
pool, and from its being conve.,ed from Exeter, a distano
of 300 miles, in niqt tours, arrives there in a high state of
perfection, _

TIM PoTATO ROT.—We have been told by some
practical farmers that the potato rot is still fearfully pro-
grething. The hous,d potatoes, that seemed perfectly sound
a little time sjoy,e4 are now quite black and unfit tor use.
MAch i,uqory is making for good seed potatogs...— Waterford
atroniele.