The Sun.
London, England, 1846-01-05 00:00:00

THE THEOL9qI4N. No. I.

In external appearance, in its general arrangements,
and in the healthiness of its literary tone, The Theo-
logian bears a very considerable resemblance to the
average body of quarterlies, and does credit at the
same time to its editor, its publisher, and its contri-
butors. As an exponent of a certain class of religious

opinions, it possesses much candour and independence,
it, t tenlie.ncy with
a liberality and a gentlemanly bearing which, in these
somewhat stormy times of controversy, are very de-
lightful to encounter. The present number, which
is the commencement of a new series, contains matter
of peculiar interest just now, embracing some sen-
sible articles on " Mr. Newman," " The Rouge
Movement," and especially one headed "The Church's
Course in her Present Trials." Besides this, a host of
searching and elaborate reviews altogether make up
a number that augurs well for the future prosperity
of the publication.

NEIV7'OIN'S REPERTORY OF PATENT IN.

VENTIONS.
This monthly catalogue of improvement, or in
ventions in arts, sciences, and manufactures, cond.
nues to be conducted on the sane plan as heretofore.
By this plan it combiues clearness and neatness,
while it is, moreover, sufficiently copious in its details
to satisfy the curiosity of all those to whom it more
particularly addresses itself. On these accounts it is
we rthy of every support and encouragement.

INAUGURATION ()F THE NEW
POSTMASTER-GENERAL.
On Saturday last the Earl of St. Gertnans, the
newly-
appointed Postmaster-General, was inaugurated into
the office, and commenced his charge of the establishment
by visiting the several departments in the course of the
day. His Lordship was attended in his progress through
the office by the Secretary, Colonel Maberly, and received
by the gentlemen appointed to preside over the various
sections of the establishment, who minutely pointed out to
him the nature of the several duties performed in each of
the upper offices. In the afternoon he visited the inland
office, where the intricacies of the daily business were ex-
plained to his Lordship by W. Bokenham,Esq., the super-
intending president. To the several ramifications of the
duty, from the posting to the dispatch of the letters, his
Lordship appeared to pay great attention, discoursing
freely with the executive officers with reference to the
nature of the duty in their charge. In the newspaper-
office the magnitude of the business appeared to surprise
the new Postmaster-General, who entered these offices
a short time before the great supply of newspapers
were posted. As the hour of six o'clock drew nigh
(the time when the window in the office in St.
Martin's-le-Grand is closed for the reception of news-
papers passing without charge), the sorting-tables in
the centre, and at the end of the office rapidly filling,
and upwards of 200 men being engaged in the several
duties of " facing," " assorting," " throwing-off," re-
sorting the papers a second time into the boxes repre-
senting the post towns—his Lordship paused to witness
the scene before him. Ile then closely watched the
window near the hall, where immense bags were being
put in by the vendors and others. Upwards of 30,000
newspapers being posted at this window in less than a
quarter of an hour, forming a pile as they were emptied
from the sacks several feet square, and some yards high,
his Lordship was quite surrounded with daily and weekly
journals, and as the hall clock tolled the hour for closing,
the papers fell thickly around him, as they were hurled
through the opening of the already descending sash
which closed the scene. At this moment one of the
papers, flung by some boy out of breath, who had just
managed to " save post," struck his Lordship on the
breast, but he good-humouredly smiled at the incident
to his attendants. Having carefully examined the vari-
ous stages of the duty, from the commencement to the
close, his Lordship took his departure shortly after the
mails were dispatched to their several destinations.

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE, AND LOSS

OF TWO LIVES.

On Saturday morning a fire, which was attended with
disastrous consequences to both life and property, took
place upon the premises occupied by Mrs. Pryer, a
laundress, situated at 23, Cambridge-place, Junction.
road, near the Great Western Railway terminus at Pad-
dington. It appears that police-constable D 179, on
going his rounds early on Saturday morning, observed
an unusual light in the first floor of the building, which
induced him to raise the alarm of fire ; but unfortunately
it was some time before the inmates could be roused
from their slumbers, and not until the flames were burst-
ing through the front windows, as well as up the stair-
case, with the greatest impetuosity. Several of the
lodgers managed to escape from the blazing building, as
did Mrs. Pryer and another female, who was severely
burntupon the body as she descended the stairs. The scene
shortly afterwards was of the most heartrending descrip-
tion, for not only the inhabitants of the burning house, but
also those adjoining, were seen either at the windows or
huddled together in the street in their night-dresses. Upon
the first alarm information was speedily conveyed to the
different stations, and the Baker-street engine was soon
upon the spot, as well as neighbouring engines. The
parish and West of England were also early in arriving,
and so was an escape belonging to the Royal Society for
the Protection of Life from Fire. Mr. Staples, the
superintendent of the fire brigade, soon set the men to
work, but, unfortunately, before the engines began to
play, the fire had reached the second floor, and after
piercing through the windows of that story, they made
their way through the roof, and burst out with redoubled
fury. The Grand Junction Works furr.ished a suffi-
cient supply of water, which was speedily discharged
into the midst of the burning property, and by the most
praiseworthy exertions of the firemen, they were enabled
to cut off any further communication, but it was past five
o'clock before the fire was extinguished. For some time
afterwards it was imagined that all parties had made a
safe retreat from the premises, and when they were con-
gratulating each other that such was the case, a dis
covery of a most melancholy character was made upon the
ground of the back parlour. On further examination, it
was found that two human beings, man and wife, had
been sacrificed to the fury of the devastating element,
who had rented that room, and whose remains were so
mutilated that no likeness was discernible, although no

doubt remains that they are the unfortunate parties re-
fern d to. Their name was Wane, or Ward, and their
remains were conveyed from the scene, in order that a
coroner's jury may arrive at a verdict. The origin of
the fire is not known, and we regret to add that not one
of. the inmates was insured to the amount of a single
farthing ; so that they have lost everything, and have
been kindly lodged since the occurrence by their neigh-
bours. From inquiries, made up to the latest period,
there is no doubt that the two unfortunate persons were
suffocated in their beds, as they were not seen nor heard
of by any of the other inmates, and if it had been known
that they were in the building they could have been
saved by the firemen, as well as with the assistance of
the fire-escape from the Royal Society.
(ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS.)
The following additional particulars were obtained
yesterday :—lt appears that shortly after the outbreak,
the Royal Society's escape for the protection of life from
fire, reached the spot. This was quickly raised in front
of the burning building, and the conductor ascending the
same, he called loudly to the parties within, and happily
succeeded in awaking the majority of them. Whilst,
however, he was on the machine the flames burst through
the windows with such violence as to cause him to leave
his pest. The persons who were thus aroused were
enabled, after some trouble, to rush through the flame
and smoke on the stairs, and thereby escape a horrible
death. Had it not been for the intrepid conduct of the
man in charge of the escape, the loss of life unquestion-
ably would have been far more extensive. Some time
after the firemen had succeeded in getting the names
subdued, and whilst they were exploring the ruins, intel-
ligence was received that a lodger in the house named
%Vain, was, together with his wife, missing. This in-
duced the firemen to examine the place more minutely,
and in the course of a short period the remains of the two
parties were found in the midst of a heap of rubbish, most
frightfully burned. The two feet of the man, together
with one of his arms were completely burned away by the
action of the fire. The woman was also burned to such
an extent:that the head was laid open, and the brains
scattered about the ground.

GREAT BRITAIN AND AMERICA.
We have been favoured with the sight of a private
letter from Mr. Goodrich, an ex-senator of Massachu-
setts, and well known as a writer under the signature of
" Peter Parley," from which we extract the following:—
"Congress has assembled, and is now attracting at
tention. The President's message will have been re-
ceived and discussed in England before this reaches you.
Our people have taken it quietly, and it has excited much
less sensation than I anticipated. The stock market
shows, however, that there is some uneasiness in rela
tion to the Oregon question. My own expectation is,
that John Bull will utter a tremendous growl when be
reads the President's manifesto, and I am not without
my fears that we shall at least have a year or two of very
awkward relations between your country and ours. Our
strong hope is, that Webster and Calhoun will act to-
gether in resisting all warlike measures, and that the
vexed question will be negotiated or arbitrated to a
happy result. It would be a blunder as well as a crime
to get the two countries at loggerheads upon such a
paltry bone of contention."

DRURY•LANE TBEATRB.--it gives us great pleasure
to record the brilliant success which has attended the pre-
sent holiday performances at this theatre. Ateia matterthesame
time, we are free to confess that it would indeed
of perfect surprise if such entertainments as Illarttana,
7he Devil to Pay, and Harlequin Gulliver, with all the
eminent performers who support them, did not draw all
London. We hear that the last week's receipts are
without precedent.
THE SCOTCH LOBSTER FISHING.—We have fre-
quently alluded to the rise and progress of the lobster
fishing in and around the Western Highland Isles, and
noticed with pleasure the annual increase in this de-
partment of our fisheries. As this species of shell fish
has been now well ascertained to be found in abundance
on the coast of the Hebrides, many of the Celtic fisher-
men have betaken themselves to this precarious branch
of industry ; and this year has added a vast number to
those who have been formerly engaged in the lobster
fishing. For some time past the produce exported to
Liverpool has been immense, frequ ntly from 40 to 50
boxes, of four dozen per box, weekly.
While a gentleman was looking at the salmon
essaying; to pass Powick weir the other day, his dog (a bitch
of the Newfoundland breed) discovered a very curious
magazine. She began scratching violently at a rat-hole
situate under a beam at the extremity of the weir, and
some couple of yards from the water Guessing there
was something extraordinary there, it was examined,
when it was found to contain nineteen lampreys, all
alive and in good order, which some fishermen insisted
had been stored there by the rats. As the water had
not reached the spot for a long time previous, the lam-
preys clearly had been carried there by some means, and
the fishermen say that the rats are continually in the
habit of robbing their putcheons.—Hereford Journal.
The Earl of Lauderdale has quite recovered from
his recent severe illness. The Noble Earl continues at
Thirlestaine Castle.