The Sun.
London, England, 1848-01-18 00:00:00

IMPROVEMENT OF MANUFAC-

--
TURING OPERATIVES. -
A meeting.of the Society for the promotion of the
religious, moral, and intellectual improvement of
men employed in manufactories was held in Free.
masons' Hall yesterday evening. Edwin Lankester,
Esq., M.D., was called to the chair. The proceed-
ings were opened by a prayer by the Rev. Mr.
Baines, of Poplar. Apologies were received from
the Earl of Radnor, president of the society ; Lord
Robert Grosvenor, M.P, ; and the Rev. 11. Christ-
mas.

The CHAIRMAN addressed the meeting at some
length on the importance of improving the intellec-
tual and moral education of the working classes, and
dwelt on the fact that, except at Ipswich, there was
no real mechanics' institution in the kingdom ; that
is, no institution in which the working classes were
not kept out by the working classes getting in. He
was anxious, in the establishment of mechanics'
institutions, to provide, not alone lectures and classes,
but also libraries and museums. To the last named
he thought that working men would be found willing
to contribute specimens of natural history. Works
of art would also form a most useful branch of the
museum of a mechanics' institute.

Mr. AUSTIN, the secretary, read the first annual
report of the committee. The donations and sub-
scriptions during the year amounted to 2291. ss. 2d.,
and with that sum the committee had been enabled to
effect much good. The auxiliary societies had in-
creased from 1 to 7, the numbers from 27 to 237; the
factories to which access had been gained, from 5 to
63 ; the libraries, from 1 to 10 ; and the average
weekly issue of boiks to 986 volumes. The balance
in hand was 101. 4s. 4d., and the outstanding liabilities
amounted to 35/. 145. 4d.

Mr. W. D. OWEN moved the adoption of the report,
and impressed on the meeting the necessity of every
man selecting some object morally and intellectually
worthy of his pursuits, and devoting all his energies
to the attainment of it as the only means of securing
happiness.
The Rev. Mr. I3AINEs seconded the motion in a
speech of considerable length.
Mr. NISBETT moved the second resolution, express-
ing the thanks of the meeting to the forty-seven
clergymen and other gentlemen who had gratuitously
given their services as lecturers during the past year.
Mr. AUSTIN seconded the motion, which was
agreed to.
The President, Vice-President, and other officers
of the society were then re-elected.
On the motion of Mr. Hopkins the thanks of the
meeting were voted to the Chairman.
The assemblage then retired.

FATAL ACCIDENT. —A distressing accident, at-
tended with the loss of life, occurred at Brompton, next
Chatham, to David Carlisle, a labourer in Chatham
Dockyard, and who resided in a court leading into
West-court-street. On Friday evening he arrived home
from work, and found one of his neighbours at the well
endeavouring to get up a bucket which had fallen to the
bottom, in consequence of the rope breaking; grappling
irons were procured and an additional rope, when Car-
lisle succeeded in getting hold of the bucket and drew it
up to the top of the well, and ha his releasing the grap-
pling irons from tho bucket, he, by some cause, pitched
head foremost into the well. This circumstance brought
together several persons and a fresh rope was procured,
and Smith Whitelaw, a carpenter, lodging in the same
court, descended by the rope to the bottom of the well,
a depth of one hundred feet, and there found the man
coiled up and lying in about 21 feet of water, and dead.
A rope was fastened round his body, and was then
drawn up. The head was covered with blood. The
rope was again let down, when Whitelaw was drawn
up. An inquest was held the following day, by J.
Ilinde, Esq., when a verdict of " Accidental
.death" was
returned. The jury expressed their feelings Tory
strongly at the dilapidated and insecure state of the
framework and covering of the well, and being the
property of a clerk of Chatham Dockyard, the jury
directed the Coroner to write to him concerning the
insecure state of the well, and to proN ide the tenants
with a sound one. The Coroner promised the jury that
he would comply with their wishes.

§OUTHAINIPTON, JAN. 17. —The Royal Mail
Steam-packet Company's ship Forth, T. Sturdie, com-
mander, sailed to-day with the usual West India mails
and seventy-five passengers. She Ina a full general
cargo, and the following specie on freight:-1,5561. to
Barbalovs, 1,0421. to Trinidad, 5651. to St. Thomas's,
4881. to Chagres, and 300/. to Tobago. The Peninsular
and Oriental Steam Navigation Company's ship Jupiter,
Captain 11. Meehan, sailed to-day with the mails for
Vigo, Oporto, Lisbon, Cadiz, and Gibraltar, twenty
passengers, and a large cargo of bale goods. The Ilin-
dostan, Captain Lewis, will leave on the 20th with the
East India and China mails for Malta and Alexandria.
The Avon is due on the 22d with inward Wcst India
mails, and the Madrid, with Spanish and Portuguese
mails, on the 24th instant.

HARMONIC HALL, SOUTIIWARK-BRIDGE-ROAD.—
The proprietor of this unique theatre of harmony yes-
terday produced a variety of novelties, which notwith-
standing the unfavourable state of the weather, had the
desired effect of attracting a full audience. In addition
to the numerous fair vocalists, and those of the comic
vein, several of the finest naval melodies of Dibdin
were given with great effect by Mr. Pearce, who also
sung the affecting composition of " The Ship on Fire,"
and at its conclusion was rewarded by many an applaud-
ing hand aild may a tearful eye°