The Sun.
London, England, 1848-02-23 00:00:00

LANCASTER.

The Select Committee appointed to inquire into the
allegations contained in the petition presented against
the return of Mr. Gregson met for the first time this
morning; Mr. Deedes in the chair.

Mr. Sergeant Wrangham and Mr. Wordsworth
.sp•
peared for the petitioners, and Mr. Edwin James for the
sitting Member.
Mr. Sergeant WRANGUAM said that some unforeseen
cirtumstances had arisen within the last fe v days to
prevent his being prepared to go at once into the
case of the petitioners. Letters were sent down last
week to the local agent, requesting him to get the
evidence in the case ready, but from some cause or other
those letters never reached their destination, and as the
witnesses for the petitioners had only arrived in town
this morning, he had to ask the Committee to favour hito
with an adjournment till to-morrow.
Mr. EDWIN JAMES resisted the application, and,
The COM3IITTXE decided that the case ought to be
gone into at once.
Mr. Sergeant WRANGIIAM then proceeded to open the
case as one of bribery and corruption. Treating also
formed part of the case that the petitioners would ended•
your to make out against the sitting Member.

THE LIVERPOOL WILL FORGING CASE.--MA'
LANCHOLY SUICIDE OF LIEUTENANT PEREGRINE BOWEL
R.N., IN THE COMPTER —A painful amount of sense-
Lion was created at the Mansion-house this morning, by
the announcement of the suicide of this unfortunate
gentleman, charged with forging a will, who was to have
undergone a second and final examination before the
Lord Mayor this day. He held, up to the time of his
apprehension, the command of one her Majesty's mail
packets trading between Liverpool and Dublin. His bro-
ther, Lieut. William Bower, R.N., died in China, in March,
1846. Previous to his departure there he made a will,
which was proved by the executor, but after this will
had been admitted to proof, another will was produced
by Peregrine Bower, by which all the property was left
to him. Subsequently a person, attired as a sailor, pre-
sented himself at Doctors Commons as an attesting wit-
ness to the will, and gave as his name John Wood. It
was Bower himself in disguise. He was immediately
apprehended. The forgery of the second will was
substantiated, but he persisted in declaring that he knew
nothing of the fraudulent transaction. He was remanded
till to-day, when he would have been fully committed
to Newgate for trial. All the parties were in attendance
at the Mansion-house at twelve o'clock, and shortly
after the Lord Mayor had taken his seat, a message
arrived from the Compter, communicating to his Lord-
ship the self destruction of the unfortunate man. It
appeared that he rose this morning at the usual hour,
and from the conversation he had with his fellow pri-
soners, it seemed that he had made up his mind for the
worst. His conduct, apparently, was not different to
that he had generally evinced, and about nine o'clock
he was missing. One of the warders proceded in quell
of him, and soon discovered his body suspended to the
iron gratings of the window. He was immediately cut
down, and the prison surgeon called in, but life was
quite extinct. The deceased was between sixty and
seventy years, and at Liverpool, where he resided, was
much respected.
THE LATE DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT THE RED
LION TAVERN.—The fire which broke out yesterday
morning in the Red Lion Tavern, Red Lion-court,
Fleet-street, was attended with a far greater destruction
of property than was at first anticipated. Besides los-
ing the whole of his stock in trade, furniture, and wear-
ing apparel, Mr. Hoare has lost a considerable sum of
money, which he had in his cash-box, consisting of 79
sovereigns and several 5/. Bank of England notes. Mr.
Superintendent Braidwood made an inspection of the
premises yesterday afternoon, but he was unable to
trace out the origin of the fire. Mr. Hoare, it is re•
ported, was only partially insured. He stated yesterday
that when he went to bed, at half-past twelve o'clock on
Monday night, there was not the least smell or appear.
mace of anything burning.
HOSPITAL FOR CONSUMPTION AND DISEASES Or
THE CHEST, BROMPTON.—MUNIPICENT DONATION.—
On Saturday evening, a special meeting was held of the
governors and directors, in the board-room of the above
institution, for the purpose of considering the regula.
Lions which might be best calculated to advance the
objects of the " Rose charity fund," a Samaritan ides,
which has been formed to provide relief for patients who
are discharged from the hospital, and who are not suffi-
ciently recovered to return immediately to active em-
ployment. A munificent donatione of 5001., received
during the last few days, was the occasion for the pre•
sent meeting. It was observed that the sometime long
and lingering illness of consumptive patients, required
the most careful regulations as to the time of their re-
maining in the hospital ; and both the medical and other
officers had, in this respect, a most onerous duty to pee
form. They had to extend the benefits_of a limited
charity to an almost unlimited number of claimants ;
hence the necessity of the convalaseent making way for
the suffering patient, whose hours, unaided by immediate
relief; might be almost said to be numbered. The humane
idea, therefore, of a convalescent fund, from which the
partially restored individual might gather hope and
energy, appeared to be truly in accordance with the
spirity of the charity. The sum of 5001. for this benevo-
lent purpose has been forwarded by Charles Dixon, Esq.,
of Stansted-Emsworth, Hants.

SALMON FISIIINOS.—For the last ten days few or
no salmon have been taken on the Ness, Boauly, or Conon.
which the fishermen attribute to the very great spate is
these streams, in consequence of the recent rapid thaw.
We understand that a few have been taken at the stake
nets at Cromarty and Newhall.—Ross-shire Advertiser.