The Sun.
London, England, 1848-08-18 00:00:00

HORSHAM.

This Committee was engaged the whole day in re-
ceiving evidence of treating against the sitting Member,
Mr. Fitzgerald. A person named Sandford, who kept
the Richmond Arms at the time of the election in 1847,
was called to prove that Mr. Padwick gave the orders
for the refreshments distributed to Mr. Fitzgerald's
supporters who met at the Richmond Arms, but
it was contended on the part of the sitting Member
that his evidence could not be received, inasmuch as suf•
ficient proof had not been put in to show that Mr. Pad-
wick was an agent of Mr. Fitzgerald. The Committee,
however, decided it otherwise, and the evidence was pro-
ceeded with. One other witness was also called to prove
treating, and the Committee adjourned.

DEATH WHILST BATHING AT SEA.—The port of
Whitehaven has just witnessed a sad catastrophe in the
death of a professional gentleman, named Dick, who is
supposed to be related to the Scotch family of Dick
Lauders—a name familiarised to the literary public by
the series of interesting papers on the Scotch rivers,
inserted in Taii's Magazine—and it is to the circum-
stance of his being a stranger in the town, added to
the impossibility which exists of communicating his
melancholy fate to his family connexions by any other
means than that of a newspaper paragraph, that his case
has excited a more than ordinary share of interest and
sympathy. The deceased gentleman, who was about 35
years of age, had been practising as a surgeon-dentist,
and from his professional skill had recommended himself
to the favourable notice of many highly respectable
families in the neighbourhood. He is supposed to have
lived at Cheltenham previous to his visiting Whitehaven,
where, on Tuesday morning, he was bathing in a dan-
gerous part of the sea, near to the west pier, and was
drowned within sight of many persons who were unable
to render him any assistance. One gentleman, who had
warned the deceased on the day before as to the hazard-
ous nature of the sea at that particular spot, bravely
attempted to save the life of Mr. Dick, whose body was
rescued from the water after a search of half an hour.
A coroner's jury returned a yerdict of " Accidental
death." The rer, incumbent of St. James's kindly
undertook that the remains of the unfortunate gentleman
should meet decent interment.
TAIT VALE RAILWAY.--BRISTOL, AUG. 10.—The
half-yearly general meeting of this company was held
proprietors that
revenue, as compared with
this day in the assembly-room of the White Lion Hotel,
Walter Coffin, Esq., chairman of the board of directors,
presiding. The chairman briefly opened the proceed-
ings, after which the secretary (Mr. Kenway), read the
half-yearly report. In this document the directors set
felt much satisfaction in an-
nouncingthat there was a small in-
creaseo ut b y
in statingttho ethe
gross
that
apt
lhrf
that of the half-yearly revenue immediately preceding.
This increase, though small, yielded a very gratifying
proof of the soundness of the undertaking at a time when
the convulsions in almost all the states of Europe had so
paralyzed the exports both of coal and iron. The in-
come and expenditure of the Aberdare Railway were
brought nearer each other by an increase in its gross
receipts of 5631. in the past half-year. Tho directors
recommend a dividend of 41. (free of income-tax) on
each original share of 1261., and a dividend in the same
proportion on the quarter and 101. shares, and, further,
that 7501. be carried to the credit of the depreciation
fund. The works on the eastward were so far advanced
that very satisfactory trials had been made of the effi-
ciency of the shipping straits and of the steam, cranes for
landing ballast. The proceedings which followed were
of the ordinary character, and the meeting separated.
PATNE's PATENT FOR PRESERVING WOOD, &C.,
AGAINST FIRE.--On Tuesday forenoon a series of expe-
riments was exhibited on the shingles, at low water, in
front of Whitehall-wharf, Cannon-row, in the presence
of Lord Auckland and several Lords of the Admiralty,
the Speaker of the House of Commons, and many
scientific gentlemen, to test the efficiency of the
invention of /lessrs. Payne to prepare wood in
such a manner as to render it capable of with-
standing the force of fire and perfectly uninflammable,
though exposed to the heat of flames or burning masses
of wood or coal. The experiments were as favourable
as could be wished for. Three cottages or miniature
buildings were ignited, two of them constructed of the
wood prepared by the patentees of the invention, the
other of unprepared wood. The cottage built of unprepared
wood was speedily consumed, whilst these of which the
wood had been prepared by the invention, although par-
tially charred from the terrific heat of the fire, never be-
came absolutely on fire, and resisted the utmost effort
of the flames. The expense of preparing timber under
the patent of Messrs. Payne is small, and by it many trees
hitherto considered as of little importance may be hat,
dened and made into the most elegant pieces of furni-
ture. The timber prepared against the " dry rot" is im-
pregnated or imbued with sulphate of iron decomposed
by muriatic acid. That which is prepared against fire
is prepared with sulphate of iron, and with alum decom-
posed by muriate of lime, and that which is prepared
against worms is composed of sulphate of bariam, .
composed by sulphate of iron. This invention is very
important in many respects. It renders all kinds of
woods capable of resisting fire ; it hardens them, and
produces on them a beautiful surface. The invention
may be applied to the sleepers on railways, on which,
from its tenacity of fibre, it is likely to be generally
employed. For ship-building, for beams and rafters in
house building, and for all purposes in which timbers
that will ignite, and in which heretofore iron has been
employed, it will be used with good results. The in-
vention is one of great usefulness, and should be gene-
rally encouraged.
AWFULLY SUDDEN DEATH.—Yesterday afternoon,
about three o'clock, as the Brunswick steamer, which
plies between Gravesend and Blackwall, was on her pas-
sage to the last-mentioned plate, a sudden death occurred
on board. A young man who had been with his mother
spending the day at Gravesend on a pleasure trip, was
observed, when the boat had nearly reached Blackwall,
to turn deadly pale, and to stagger, and suddenly fall
down. His mother immediately called for assistance,
imagining that her son was merely in a fit, but when
lifted up item the deck he was found to be a corpse.
Upon finding that her son was dead, she began raving in
such a manner as to alarm all on board, but, after much
persuasion, she became more composed, and attended
with much maternal care to the dead body of her son.
When the vessel reached Blackwall, the body was con-
veyed on a stretcher, immediately, to the railway office,
where it is supposed it will remain till a coroner's in-
quest is held upon it. The young man was apparently
about 25 years of age, and, until the fatal occurrence,
had been particularly cheerful both at Gravesend and on
board.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

ROUSE OF LORDS, August 17.
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat upon the Wool-
sack at Five o'clock.

FREE CHURCH SITES BILL.

Lord CAMPBELL presented petitions signed by
7,718 persons belonging to the Free Church of Scotland,
iu favour of the Free Church Sites Bill.

Lord, BROUGHAM thought the Bill- was a violation
of the rights of property.
Lord CAMPBELL considered that as they interfered
with the rights of property in favour of railroads, they
had an equal right to interfere with those rights in the
present instance.
The Duke of ARGYLL hoped that the Scottish pro-
prietors would give sites, and thus spare their _Lordships
the pain of discussing this Bill.
Lord BROUGHAM thought that Catholics, Quakers,
and all other sects had an equal right to legislative in-
terference to procure for them sites for their places of
worship.
The Earl of MINTO hoped the complaint would have
ceased before the Bill came on for discussion.
Lord REDESDALE considered there was no analogy
between :this and other railway questions; railways
were for the advantage of the whole of the community.
Free Church sites were only for the benefit of a dissenting
portion of the community.
Lord BEAUMONT said the question resolved itself
into this, via., whether or not the Flee Church of Scot-
land was such a' great public goof as that the laws of
property ought to be abrogated to favour it.
After a few words from the Earl of RODEN and the
Duke of ARGYLL, the petition was laid on the table.
CASE OF MR. WILLIAMS. .

Lord BROUGHA id moved for the examinations
taken before the magistrates on the prosecution of Mr.
Williams against his cook, for doing that which he
hoped the cooks of every one of their Lordships did
every day, for giving away broken victuals to a beggar,
for which, after undergoing three months' imprisonment,
she was discharged by Mr. Justice Coleridge.
The motion was agreed to.
Lord BEAUMONT presented a petition from the guar-
dians of Boston against granting superannuation allow-
ances to poor-law officers.
POOR-LAW UNION CHARGES BILL.
The Marquis of LANSI)OWNE moved the second
reading of this Bill, and also the second reading of the Bill
for the better education of the poor. These Bills had come
up from the other House, where they had already be n
fully debated. The Noble Marquis then proceeded to de-
scribe the nature of the two Bills.

After a short conversation the motion was agreed to,
and the Bills read a second time.

FISHERIES (IRELAND) BILL.
The Marquis of CL ANRICARDE, in moving the
second reading of this Bill, said that this was a subject
which had for a long time occupied the attention of the
people of Ireland. Ho thought that this Bill treated the
question in the only manner in which it could be suc-
cessfully treated, and he hoped that it would be unani-
mously agreed to. The fisheries in Ireland were of con-
siderable value, and furnished employment to several
thousands. The increased value that would be given to
them under an improved system of management would
be immense. The fisheries in Ireland did not belong to
individuals, but for the most part to the public. The
proposition of voluntary assessment had been tested, but
had failed, and it therefore became necessary fur the
Government to take up the subject. The fisheries were
to be placed under the guardianship of a board of con-
servators, to be elected by such persons possessing the
qualifications set forth in the measure.
Lord MONTEAGLE was sorry to be obliged to op-
pose the motion of the Noble Marquis. He believed
that if this Bill had been proposed for any other part of
the empire but Ireland, it would not for ono instant be
entertained. He concurred with his Noble Friend that it
was of the greatest importance to preserve this great na-
tional interest. Considering the advanced period of the
session, and the important interests involved, ho thought
the measure proposed a most unjust one. Heretofore,
when dealing with property, property was considered to
be the first qualification. In the Bill proposed the qua-
lification was simply the possession of a single fishing-
rod. Any person choosing to register a fishing-rod and
to take out a license for 1/., became qualified to vote at
the election of conservators. Although a man possessed,
the right of fishery under a grant from the Crown he
might be subject to a tax of 151., under this Bill, for
every weir he used. It wa? true that that sum was
only mentioned as the maximum, but by this Bill
they would be leaving to the representatives of fish-
ing rods the great power of declaring what the
sum to be paid ought to be. He objected to
the power proposed to be given to the conserva-
tors over the weirs and the rivers, the beds of which
might be altered in any way they might think fit to
order. He would abandon his opposition to this Bill if
it were shown that it was authorized by the Commis-
sioners. He asked their Lordships to suspend their de-
cision upon it until early next session, for the purpose
of procuring the opinion of the Commissioners upon its
This delay could causo no inconvenience, inasmuch as
the first meeting of conservators ,was appointed for the
Ist of July, 1849.
The Earl of GLENGALL believed that there was not
a single proprietor of a fishery nor lessee who did not
give his cordial assent to the Bill. A deputation com-
posed of Members of Parliament, had waited some time
ago on the Primo Minister upon this subject, entreating
him to introduce this Bill into Parliament, however late
the session might be. He (Lord Glengall) thought the
measure a most valuable one, and hoped his Noble Friend
would not persevere in his opposition to it.
The B;11 was then read a second time, and ordered to
be committed.
The Constabulary (Ireland) Bill was read a third
time, and passed.
The Money Order Department (Post-office) Bill was
read a second time.
The other Bills on the table were advanced a stage,
and their Lordships then aljourned.