The Sun.
London, England, 1846-12-30 00:00:00

THE IRON TRADE.

During the past fortnight great activity has prevailed,
several large contracts have been taken, and others as
extensive are now in the market. For pig iron, espe-
cially of good quality, the inquiries have been abundant,
and it becomes every day more evident that the stocks of
pigs in South Staffordshire are growing very small, the
consumption considerably exceeding the make. Iron
stone is also unusually scarce, and under the unprece-
dented demand higher prices are easily obtained ; while
coals are procured with still more difficulty, and many
works and furnaces are producing little above half their
regular make, for want of this requisite—nor are we at
all aware from what quarter the deficiency may to any
extent be supplied.
The question of prices, as far as relates to manufac-
tured iron, remains yet undecided. On the one hand, it
is stated that many influential parties stand so committed
in railway speculations, that it would be advantageous
to them to sacrifice the interests of their legitimate trade
in the critical attempt to realize a sudden fortune, and
that it becomes of more consequence to them, either as
ultimate holders of scrip, or as looking to a high rate of
premium, to afford opportunities for the undertakings
with which they are connected to contract for their sup-
plies at moderate rates, than to obtain any immediate
benefit from an advance in the price of iron. A very
considerable amount also of orders previously accepted
at low rates remains yet uncompleted. On the other
hand, there are many who have escaped the contagion,
and, unencumbered by such undertakings, by no means
coincide with this suicidal disposition. With overflowing
orders, a scarcity of materials, excessive rates of labour,
and an utter destitution to meet the prospective demand
for home consumption, and with the exorbitant prices
now offered on the continent for rails, they justly feel
that an opportunity offers at the present moment which, if
thrown away, in all probability will be lost for ever—at
least so far as the present generation is concerned. Much
surprise has been expressed that among the tenders for
rails to the South Staffordshire directors, one should
have been given in by a Welsh house at 101. 2s. 6d., de-
livered at a station on the Grand Junction Railway.
To accomplish this, some sacrifice must certainly be sub-
mitted to in the deliver; but it should be borne in mind
that this is not to be avoided when the market for any
article is situated almost exclusively at a distance,
and in a producing district. A much more natural
ground for remark may be found in the fact that
a Staffordshire house of standing should so readily
and needlessly violate the rates agreed upon at
the previous quarterly meeting, and supply rails :at
9/. 18s. 6., and chairs at 61. 18s. 6d. The circumstance
that good cold•blast pigs were at the time worth 5/. 10s.
in the market may have suggested the extraordinary
stipulations lately inserted in such contracts, that an in-
spector shall attend the works to report upon the iron
stuffs used in their manufacture.—Aris's Birmingham
Gaze*.

THE LATE DAVID BOOTH, E-3Q

The death of this gentleman, at the house of his son-
in-law at Balgonie Mills, on the sth curt., was noticed
in the obituary of our last week's paper ills connexion
with the county of Fife, as well as his literary pursuits,
call for a more extended notice at our hands.

Mr. Booth was born at Kinnettles, in Forfarshire, on
the 9th February, 1766, and was thus, at the time of his
death, in his 81st year. He was entirely self-educated,
so much so, that he often spoke of his father
having only paid eighteenpence for his instruction,
being one quarter at the parish school. In the early
part of bis life, he followed commercial pur-
suits, first in his native county, and afterwards in
Newburgh, in this county, where he is still well remem-
bered as the occupant of the brewery at Woodside.
It was at Newburgh that his love of literature became
that passion which ever afterwards remained the master
one of his life. He bade adieu to his previous occu-
pations, and settled in London " a literary man." In
describing his life thereafter, we copy from a writing
he has left, " I am now (1843) in my 78th year, and
during more than fifty of these years, have been chiefly
employed in writing or in editing literary works.
Several of them have been tabular for the count-
ing-room, such as the Tradesman's Assistant' and
a Ready Reckoner,' in 8vo.; and a volume of Interest
Table,' in 4to. Others of my works have been miscel-
laneous, consisting of the Art of Wine Making,' Re•-
views,'' Poems,' &c., the ' Art of Brewing,' published by
the Society for Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, and the
Explanation of scientific Terms,' published by the same
society. The only works of mine that can be called politi-
cal are' A Letter to Malthus on the Comparative State-
ments of the Population of Great Britain in 1801, 1811,
and 1821,' and ' An Essay on the English Jury Laws.'
My chief literary pursuits, however, have been concern-
ing the English language, of which I have published a
Grammar,' and the ' Principles of English Coposition ;'
but the work in which I have built my fondest hopes dur-
ing the last fifty years, and of which one quarto volume
has been published, is entitled 'An Analytical Dictionary
of the English Language,' on a new plan of arrangement,
in which the words are explained in the order of their
natural affinity, or the signification of each traced from
its etymology, the present meaning being accounted
for when it differs from its former acceptation ; the
whole exhibiting, in one continued narrative, the
origin, history, and modern usage of the exist-
ing vocabulary of the English tongue. The portion
of the work already published comprehends nearly
one-half of the existing vocabulary, and I have mate-
rials collected sufficient to complete the work, if life be
spared me to carry them through the press." Shortly
after writing this notice, Mr: Booth was permanently
laid aside from literary labours by repeated apoplectic
attacks, and the publication of his great work has never
been completed. We understand, however, that the
manuscript has been left by him in such a forward state,
as to afford good hope of the finished work being yet
laid before the public.—Fife Herald.

MURDER IN ALGERIA.—The Correctional Tribunal
of Phillippeville, in Algeria, was occupied on the 4th,
with the trial of four Arabs for the murder of M. Guieu,
contractor of works at the village of St. Antoine. It
appeared from the evidence that, in 1845, three natives
having been executed for the murder of two French
wood-cutters, the Arabs of the same tribe exclaimed
loudly against the injustice of thus taking three lives for
two. In consequence they swore vengeance by eating a
piece of bread together, declaring that it was the salt
that bound them together to revenge their brothers.
On October 14, 1845, the prisoners and another man,
who afterwards escaped, hid themselves in a thicket,
close to the Constantina Road, and when the deceased
rode past, they fired at him; and, on his falling off his
horse, they seized on the animal and made off with it.
A servant of the deceased, named Berthaud, came
up shortly after, and found his master expiring,
being just able to state what had occurred. On
the trial three of the prisoners did not attempt
to deny what they had done, but the fourth showed
that he bad been in some measure constrained to
accompany the party. In consequence this man, named
Messaoud-ben-Ali, was acquitted, whilst the other
three, Messaoud-ben-Saad, and Ahmed-ben-Saad, and
Abdallah-ben-Boucheliga, were condemned to. death.
The same sentence was passed by default on Ali-Ben-
Anari, who has hitherto escaped arrest.—French Paper.
THE FLUTE.—The invention of the flute is as-
signed to the goddess Minerva, of whom it is related
that having excited the derision of Juno and Venus whilst
playing upon her favourite instrument, she examined the
rt lection of her face in a fountain, and perceiving the con-
tortions it underwent whilst blowing her flute, she threw
it into the water, and from that time confined herself
to the lyre. Prior to the invention of the lyre, the
flute was the most favourite instrument of the ancients ;
so greatly was its music admired by all classes of
the Greeks that they who played upon it skilfully
were assured of their fortune. Plutarch tells us that
the Pythoness at Delphi, pronounced her oracles in
verse, and her voice was generally accompanied by
the sound of the flute. Aristotle, indeed, tells us
that at its first introduction among the Greeks, the flute
was little thought of and less esteemed, but after the
defeat of the Persians, so great was the change of public
opinion in favour of this instrument, that, to be unable
to play upon it, was a serious reproach to one who pro-
fessed to have received a good education. _
_ _

The Armoricain of Brest, of the 19th, has the fol-
lowing:—" A serious disturbance took place on the
evening of Wednesday last, in the naval school estab-
lished on board the Borda. For some days previously
there had been partial acts of insubordination, which
necessarily called for numerous punishments. The
prison was on Wednesday evening full of offenders,
which was made the occasion of a move-
ment amongst the rioters. After supper, and
during the lessons which terminated the labours of the
day, a signal was given to rescue the prisoners, and,
whilst a part of the pupils rushed to the prison and
broke open the doors, at the same time shouting.
the Marseillaise, the rest began the work of destruc-
tion in the school-room, extinguishing the lights, throw-
ing the lamps overboard into the sea, breaking the win-
dows, and insulting the adjutants by throwing at them
every species of projectile within their reach. The
immediate intervention of the officers on duty,
and of the commandant, were equally unavail-
ing ; their - authority was set at nought, and
the disorder did not die away of itself until a late
hour. On Thursday morning the maritime prefect, being
informed of what had occurred, sent the major-general
on board, who, after addressing a severe reprimand to
the pupils for their conduct, ordered the ringleaders to
be confined in the prison of the Amiral, to await the de-
cision of the minister. On the following morning, some
further agitation manifesting itself during the lesson of
one of the professors, two more of the pupils were or-
dered into confinement. Order was then restored, and
the other lessons of the day passed off without any further
disturbance."

The will of the late Thomas Massa Alsager, Esq ,
has just been proved by his executors and trustees 11.
11. Cannan, Esq.. of Tulse-hill ; John Oxenford, Esq.,
his nephew ; and Alexander Dobie, of Lancaster-place.
The personal estate was valued at 25,0001. The will was
executed in the presence of three witnesses on the 12th
of November, three days before he expired. He has left
to his son, Thomas Hicks Alsager, when of age, his
share in the Times newspaper ; in the meantime the
profits to be applied fur the benefit of all his children
But if his said son should not arrive at that age, his in-
terest in the Timcs to be valued at six years' average
and to be offered to his nephew, Mr. John Oxenford ;
and should he decline to purchase, then to be offered to
any one of the proprietors of the paper, or sold, as most
advantageous to the estate. The trustees to sell all his
real estate, and leaves to each of his executors 50/., and
appoints them guardians of his children. Bequeaths all
his personal estate to his daughters, equally amongst
them. His age was 67.
VOLUNTARY OFFERING.—Mr. Fairs, of Hanover-
street, has presented two very handsome stained windows
to All Saints, St. John's-wood. This is the third dona-
tion which has been made by members of the Bev.
Edward Thompson's congregation to this beautiful and
unique church.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.
COURT Ca BANKRUPCY, Dec. 29.
IN RE EDWARD HODGES.

To-day was appointed for declaring a dividend, under
the estate of this bankrupt, who was one of the directors
of the Tanquhar Slate Mines, in New South Wales.
Mr. Duncan appeared on behalf of a gentleman named
Wallis, who sought to prove a debt of 1,6601. The
proof was tendered on a warrant of attorney given by
the bankrupt and the other directors. The facts are
these:—The company was formed in 1841, and the
capital to be raised was 40,000/. in 4,000 10/. shares.
Mr. Wallis was induced to purchase shares tc the amount
of 8501., and also to advance money to the extent of
2,5001., for which he at first received promissory notes,
which were afterwards given up, the bankrupt and the
other directors depositing the leases of the mines, and
also giving a joint warrant of attorney, on which judg-
ment had been entered up, and on which Mr. Wallis
now claimed to prove against the separate estate of the
present bankrupt to the extent of 1,6601., being for money
advanced and interest.

Mr. LucAs, who appeared for the assignees, opposed
the proof, on the ground that a judgment against the
directors jointly could not be proved against the separate
estate, and said it bad been so held, in 1808, by Lord
Eldon, and that decision had not been reversed.

The Learned COMMISSIONER asked Mr. Duncan whe-
ther he could adduce any cases in support of the claim,
and, on being answered in the negative, decided that the
proof was inadmissible.
Another proof was tendered by the same creditor, to
prove on a note of hand for 1001. The note was made
payable " to order," and it was contended that under the
statute 5 Anne it was not provable. The question
being under the consideration of the Court above, the
claim was adjourned until the dividend meeting. No
dividend was declared.
A curious interruption occurred in the course of the
proceedings by the blunder of a gentleman who had mis-
taken the case (no unlikely event when three or four
cases are going on at the same time, each being heard
piecemeal as points arise), and said that be must address
the Court, for he could say, in a few words, more to the
purpose than all that had been said before. As be re-
fused to confer with counsel or solicitor, it was some
time before it was discovered that he had mistaken the
case.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE,
MANSION-HOUSE.
HOUSE •BREAKER'S DETECTED.—Mary Green was
brought before the Lord Mayor.
John Spittle (policeman 671) stated that as he was on
duty, in plain clothes, opposite to the theatre, in Norton
Folgate, at a quarter-past five on Monday evening, ho
noticed the prisoner near several ladies, and knowing
her to be a thief he watched her. She endeavoured to
pick the pockets of several females at the doors. At last
she attempted to rob a lady, who was ascending the stair-
case to the boxes, after which she suddenly retreated,
and made her way to Bishopsgate-street. Another
policeman (White, 667) then followed her by direction
of witness, who returned to the theatre and learned that
the lady, to whom he had allud2d, had been robbed of
her purse. In the meantime White dogged the prisoner
to No. 5, Skinner-street, Bishopsgate; apprehenthd her
as she v:as going in at the hall-door, and upon searching
the spot found behind a shutter a purse containing four-
teen shillings and two penny pieces, which proved to be
the property that had been stolen from the lady at the
theatre.

Miss S. Wells stated that she had gone to the City of
London Theatre with some friends, and after being
spoken to by the policeman, found that she had been
robbed of her purse, containing silver under the value
of a pound. (The purse found under the shutter was
here produced and identified by the witness.)
The LORD Meson having ordered that the prisoner
should be committed for trial,
Spittle said that he had another charge to prefer
against the prisoner in conjunction with a man called
James Green, with whom she had been living for some
time.

James Green, a tall, well dressed, resolute-looking
young man, was then put to the bar next to the female.
The officer said he charged the two prisoners with
having in their possession a quantity of housebreaking
implements, consisting of crowbars, files, pick-lock keys,
&c. He had after the woman's apprehension watched
at the door of the house, and at an early hour next
morning apprehended James Green unlocking the door
to go in. In the back room of the second floor the wit-
ness found the articles already described, and nine silk
handkerchiefs, fifteen duplicates (most of them I elating
to silk handkerchiefs), and a new silk umbrella.
Elizabeth Nicholl stated that she owned the house
No. 5, Skinner-street, and let out several rooms of it
to lodgers ; that she knew both the prisoners well, they
having lodged in the house as man and wife about
twelve months ; that they appeared to be very quiet peo-
ple, and upon taking the room they gave a reference, to
which, however, witness had not taken the trouble to
apply. The witness, as she went early to bed herself,
did not know what hours they kept.
Spittle said he believed he should be able to produce
the owner of some of the property found on the man.
The case was accordingly remanded. The commit.
ment of the woman for stealing the purse of Miss Wells
was then made out, and both prisoners were ordered to
be brought up again on Friday.
The whole of the conduct of policeman Spittle, in fol-
lowing up both parties, was much commended.
CHARGE Off MALICIOUSLY SHOOTING AT A PERSON.—
Patrick Power, a man who has been several years in the
employment of Messrs. Eyre and Moses, of C.own-
court, Philpot-lane, merchants, was charged, under the
Ist Viet., cap. 85, sec. 4, with having unlawfully and
maliciously shot at William Nowlan.
The prosecutor, a porter in the service of Messrs.
Teed and Bishop, stated that the prisoner's employers
occupied the upper part of the premises owned by that
firm; that between eight and nine o'clock on the morning
of Wednesday last he had a dispute with the prisoner
about a water-pipe which carried off the water from the
upper premises to a blind well in the cellar belonging to
Messrs. Eyre and Moses; that the prisoner d—d his eyes
about the water-pipe, and afterwards rushed out of the
cellar, and retiring about three yards, deliberately fired
at him with a pistol, saying, "that's the way to strike
eYfell u that he heard something pass his ear,
;down, supposing that he was shot, in
atenrdro that iritho
which supposition however he was mistaken, as he sus-
tained no injury. The witness further stated that he
believed the prisoner to be a very desperate character.
In his cross-examination, the witness could not exactly
say why he called the prisoner a desperate character.
The wadding of the pistol was, he stated, found, but no
bullet was found.
Mr. Sidney (the prisoner's solicitor)—ls it not noto-
rious that the men who work with you do all they can to
make a butt and a ridicule of the prisoner? The prose-
cutor—Not to my knowledge.
George Bull, in the employment of Messrs. Eyre and
Moses, heard some words between the prisoner and the
prosecutor, and saw the prosecutor double his fists and
put himself in a fighting attitude, at which the prisoner
snapped his fingers, and said he did not care that for the
prosecutor, and a few moments afterwards witness saw
the prisoner go down into the cellar, return speedily,
and fire off a pistol in the direction in which the prose-
tutor was standing, saying " Take that."
Thomas Holbeck stated that he bought the pistol for
the prisoner above a year ago at Mr. Field's, on Tower-
hill, and was told by him that he wanted it to protect a
a warehouse of his employer.
William Gill (City policeman 538) was sent for on
Wednesday, in consequence of the pistol having been
fired. He saw the prisoner, who said he was coming to
look for him, told him the pistol was in the cellar, and
that he had fired it, but that there was nothing in it but
powder and paper.
David Hutson (City policeman 58) went to the pre-
mises, and saw the last witness, who said to him, " This
man (the prisoner) has shot at some one ;" and the pri-
soner
said,"The pistol is down below; I am not afraid,
I wll
show where it is;" and the prisoner pointed out
i
where it lay behind some barrels. In the warehouse
was found a piece of paper, which smelt very strongly of
gunpowder, but no mark of a bullet was seen about the
premises.
The prisoner made a very roundabout statement,
which plainly indicated that he had been harshly treated
by some of the men employed in the adjoining premises,
of whom the prosecutor was one. That they had d—d
him for a spiteful wretch, asked him why he did not go
back to his own country, and otherwise insulted him,
and that the conduct of the prosecutor was particularly
aggravating. "I had," said the prisoner, "to go up
and down, and each time to pass Nowlan as he stood at
the door threatening me, and I had a pistol with powder
and paper merely in my side-pocket, and I snapped it at
his breast merely to frighten him, and to bring the case
before the Lord Mayor or some other magistrate. I had
that pistol, I assure your Lordship, to protect myself
against a combination which has existed against me more
than two years.
Mr. Sidney said the prisoner had beet the faithful
servant of Ressrs. Eyre and Moses for twenty-five years,
and that these gentlemen were convinced the man had
no intention of doing any serious mischief, and had no
objection to have him back in their service as soon as
possible.
The LORD MAYOR said the prisoner had been guilty of
a very gross offence, at all events, for, supposing there
was no ball in the pistol, the wadding might have struck
the eye of the prosecutor, and done him irreparable
mischief. His Lordship felt that, although the state-
ments which had been made in favour of the prisoner
would, in all probability, influence a jury, he had no
alternative but to submit the case to that tribunal.
The prisoner was then committed upon the charge of
felony.
William Pond, a regular dustman, and his wife, Mar-
gara, were charged with having aesaulted an old
woman and two little boys. Several of the fraternity
were present.
The defendants had been drinking in the neighbour-
hood of Petticoat-lane at the close of their labours on
boxing- day, and the beverage told more severely upon
the dustman's wife than upon himself. An old woman
was hobbling by as they came out of a.public-house, and
the dustman, who was ripe for fun, clapping his hands,
set his wife upon her, and cried out " Pitch into the ould
'un Peg, you devil." The order was no sooner issued
than obeyed. Peg floored the poor creature, and two
little fellows, who saw the incident, tried to prevent
any further violence. Their antagonist, however, soon
showed her superiority by pitching the boys over the old
woman, and the dustman, whose powers were not called
into action until the police appeared and collared his
wife, then began to show that he was deserving of his
partner. He tried to rescue her, but the force were not
to be denied, and they securely lodged both in the
station-house.
The LORD MAYOR—Which:were the more intoxicated ?
The policeman, in whose custody they were introduced
to his Lordship, said the man was sober in comparison
with the woman.
Pond—Why you see, my Lord, she was very lushy. A
little oYertuck her. It is all she had this blessed Christ-

mas ; and I wanted to cgn•y h•r home, but the gentle-
men there would'nt stand it, so I thought I would'nt
leave her in sieha piokle.

The LORD MAioß—Yau are fined 203., or fourteen
days ; and she is fined 10s., or fourteen days.
A rough voice in the erowd—"l say, my Lordship,
what will you let the pair on 'em at liberty for ?"
The LORD MAYOR—They shall be discharged upon
paving Ns.
The Voice—Take ten.. We'll rise ten bob here if
you'.ll let the pair OR 'eat: go.—(Laughter.)

The LORD ; they must pay 303. or go
to prison, and that won't be comfortable. If the o:d wo-
man and the second boy had appeared. the punishment
would have been much heavier.

A deep and general groan issued from the dustmen
behind the bar and their wives, and one of the latter
cried out, " Oh, aint it scandalous to lock 'em up for a
fortnight for only pitching into an old warmint,not worth
the dirt she was tumbled in.*

In a very short drat!, the fraternity contrived to
pay 305., the presence of the defendants being indis-
pensably necessary in going the rounds for Christmas-
boxes in consequence .of the apprehended competition
of the flying dustmen.
GUILDHALL.

Jenkin Hatches, a bs.rber Bowling-green•lane, was
charged before Alderman Sir Chapman Marshall with
appearing in the streets in female clothes, and Matilda
Boddington, who described herself as an "artist" (which
was explained by the policeman as meaning po.ture-
maker), was placed as the bar with him, on a charge of
haling in her possession a parcel, containing a bane.' of
koys:and a purse, of which she Gould give no satisfactory
account.

Sergeant Coram, 9.5, stated that he had often seen the
male prisoner in company with women of bad character
in Cheapside ; but as in dress, appeararce, and conduct
he resembled them exactly, witness did not suspect him
of being a man until Mhnday night, when hes aw him in
company with the female prisoner in Little Britain. He
followed them the whole way from that place to
Smithfield, having observed that his hand was by
no means like that of a lady ; and at length,
suspicion having grown into conviction, he took
him in charge. He appeared surprised at the accu
sation of being a man, and denied the charge stoutly,
but the woman said—" Come, it's of no use to deny it,
you know you are." Witness questioned her as to
where she got the bundle, and not being satisfied with
her answers, took her in charge also. On searching
Hawkes at the station, witness was satisfied positively
as to his sex, and he could no longer deny it.
The prisoners said that they had been to a ball, and
that Hawkes had assumed that dress "for fun." The
keys and purse were his property.
The policeman said that the female prisoner bad stated
to him, first that they were her property, and, after-
wards that they belonged to a brother of hers.
The worthy ALDERMAN remanded both prisoners till
to-morrow, in order that inquiries might be made as to
their character and as to the truth of their statements
in defence.