The Sun.
London, England, 1848-02-01 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL DEFENCES.

As this subject is at present of national interest,
everything connected with it must prove acceptable
to our readers. Notwithstanding all that has been
said about the exposed situation in which England is
at the present time placed, supposing an invasion to
be made by an hostilei power, it will be gratifying
to those who have the love of their country at heart
to know that there is still amongst our peasantry
those feelings which have prompted them in former
times to "brave the battle and the breeze." The
following statistics have been supplied us from an
unquestionable source:—
Enlisted during the last military year 27,0g3
Of these there were rejected
It it
fit .. 19,333

The recruits were afforded by the different nations
as follows :
E, land - ... 11,506

....inglan, .. -
Ireland 11,968
Scotland
Wales .. 171
Foreign Countries
----

Total ..................... .. 97,093

According to the population the recruits were in
the following ratio :
England
Ireland
Scotland
wales 6-3 per cent.
Foreign Countries l-6 per cent.

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE THIS MORNING'.—Soon after
"even o'clock this morning a young female, whose name
is at present unknown, was observed struggling in the
water by Mr. Charles Guildersleeves, the proprietor of
the Times coal-wharf, Bankside. Mr. Guildersleeves
immediately jumped on one of the barges lying alongside,
and happily succeeded in rescuing the poor creature,
who was very respectably dressed, and appeared to be
about twenty or twenty-four years of age. After some
restoratives had been given she was conveyed to the
workhouse. It appears that this is the fifth or sixth
life caved by Mr. G. during the past three years.
MELANCHOLY FIRE AND LOSS OY LlFE.—About
half-past ten o'clock this morning the following dreadful
occurrence took place in Grove-place, New-cut, Lam-
beth, by which a fine boy, about eleven years of age,
was burnt to death. It appeared that two children,
named Brown, one a girl of four, and the boy about
eleven, were left sitting in chairs before the room fire,
and during the temporary absence of the mother the
clothes of the boy became ignited. Screams being heard
by the neighbours they rushed into the louse, and found
the boy's clothes in flames and the fire spreading round
the room. The child having been removed, Dr. Sewell,
of the New-cut, instantly attended, but the poor little
sufferer survived only to have his partly burnt things
reraoved from him. The engines and firemen of the
brigade and West of England soon attended, but the
greater portion of the humble furniture of the room was
destroyed. The parents are in very poor circumstances,
and this melancholy case is well worthy the considera-
tion of the benevolent.
PARISH OF ST. PANCRAS.—Yesterday a meeting of
the vestry of this parish was held to take into considera-
tion a resolution of the Board of Directors, setting forth
the inadequate means possessed by the parish of reduc-
higthe number of the inmates in the house to such a
limit as would secure a classification of them, and that
the great increase of the poor was to be attributed to the
recent Act for amending the laws for the relief of the
poor. Mr. Church warden Howarth presided. Mr.
Wagstaff, after stating tho manner in which the inmates
of the house were crowded together, and, amongst other
facts, that 36 beds, each only four feet in width, had
each to contain four persons, an,l that 1,800 were now
In the house, and saying that ho had altered his previous
opinion as to the enlargement of the workhouse, moved
that the recommendation of the directors, as to the en-
largement of the building, should be agreed to. Mr.
Pierce seconded the motion of Mr. Wagstaff, which was
carried, after some discussion, by a large majority.
Mr. Todhunter, the senior wrangler at Cambridge,
is the son of a Dissenting minister, and is understood 10
be himself a Dissenter.—Patriot.