The Sun.
London, England, 1848-05-11 00:00:00

THE PATRICIAN.

The subscribers to the Patrician will read with
regret the announcement of the decease of John
Burke, Esq., the editor and founder of this magazine,
and the author of " The Peerage." Mr. Burke died sud-
denly, at Aix la Chapelle, on the 29th March. As a
literary man, Mr. Burke was best known by his works
on genealogical and heraldic subjects; but he was a
poet and a political writer of considerable power.
Sonic of the most pungent articles which have ap-
peared in the Examiner have been from the pen of
Mr. Burke. Mr. Burke is deeply regretted by all
who had the pleasure of his acquaintance. His son,
and talented cullaborateur, Mr. John Bernard Burke,
succeeds him in the editorship of the Patrician.

COLBURN'S UNITED SERVICE.
In addition to the usual number of articles on
professional subjects, the present number of the United
Service contains several literary papers of a high
degree of merit.

THE MAN IN THE MOON.
The Man in the Moon bath undertaken to be like
Anarchisis Klootz, the orator of the human race, but,
unlike the mad Prussian, he hath laid hold on a real
and tangible grievance, the redress of which is de-
manded for the comforts of thousands. As a first
step he bath drawn up

ANOTHER ➢(ONSTER PETITION.
" The petition of the undersigned Victims of Buttons
to the Honourable House of Commons,
" Humbly Sheweth,
" That your petitioners are, as they have described
themsel►es above, the ' Victims of Buttons.'
" That your petitioners fully believe that there is
something mysteriously malignant in the very nature of
buttons, which makes these perverse substances con-
tinually delight in falling otf.
" That your petitioners being in the habit of wearing
shirts, trousers, and other ordinary articles of dress, are
harassed and persecuted to a degree by the malignant
perversity of the aforesaid buttons.
" That some of your petitioners are married, and that
others are single men.
" That the wives of the married melt; and the sisters,
mothers, aunts, laundresses, and so forth of the unmarried,
are in the habit of passing their lives (or stating that
they pass their lives) sewing on buttons, which neverthe-
less, in despite of needles and thread, never remain at
their posts.

. -
" That, in consequence, your petitioners are frequently
obliged to have recourse to the temporary aid of pins,to
the manifest detriment of their physical natures, and
the perfect abrogation of their ease and comfort.
" And that, therefore, your petitioners humbly beg of
your Honourable House to take such steps for their
relief, either in the way of abolishing buttons, shirts,
wives, or laundresses, as your Honourable House in
your wisdom may think fit.
" And your petitioners will ever pray.
" [Here follows the list of signatures, amounting to
5,70u,000, in which number is not included a single
Pugnose," Flabnose,' or No Cheese.' The name of
the Duke appears as it ought to do, but once. The
same thing holds good as to the autograph of Colonel
Sibthorpe.]"
Said we not rightly, that he was the orator of the
human race? The gratitude of every button-using
male in the universe is due to the Man in Ike Moon
for his efforts to procure justice for the victims of
buttons.

---=
THAMES ANGLING PRESERVATION SOCIETY.—The
annual general meeting of the friends and subscribers to
this society was held yesterday, at the Freemasons'
Tovern, Great Queen-street; W. H. Whitbread, Esq.,
in the chair. The report, which was read by the secre-
tary, stated, that owing to the exertions of the water
bailiffs belonging to the society, poaching and other
illegal practices by netmen, had been, with few ex_ceP:
tiun.=, abandoned, the convictions having been only four.
The committee regretted that the funds for the past ous_y,ng
were far short ot the preceding one, notwThh:
repot.'
however the society was not in debt.
having been adopted, several resolutions
Oat.. thanks to
erecarried
in favour of the society, including. n
bor.
the Chairman for presiding, when the

ARRIVAL OF THE WASHINGTON.
SOUTHAMPTON, WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.
The Washington steam•ship, Captain Johnston,
arrived in Cowes Roads this morning, at 11 o'clock,
after a good passage of fourteen and a half days from
New York. She left on the evening of the 25th,
having been detained from the 20th. The Acadia
had arrived out. The Washington brings sixty pas-
sengers and 350,000 dollars in speceie. By this
conveyance we have received the New York papers
to the 25th inclusive.
The information brought by the Washington does
not appear to be of much political importance. As
was to be expected, our brethren on the other side of
the Atlantic are very joyous at the troubled state of
European affairs, and at the events which, in such
rapid succession, have followed upon the de-
thronement of the King of France. From the
agitated state of our continental neighbours, and the
wars that may probably ensue before kingdoms
and governments shall settle down in a condi-
tion of peace, and politicians bend all their
theos g
energies towards promoting universal peace
and good-will among men, and forwarding the do-
mestic interests of every being belonging to the hu-
mantAt Washington
demonstration
race, the Americans hope to be considerably
benefited, and of course there are no bounds in the
expression of their joy, even though their advantage
may entail misery and discord upon so many
creatures of the human family in other quarters of
business entirely suspended, on account
of he general
allthe
goivnefranvmoeunrtaolfotffiheceFsrwenecrhe
eledl,obe and.
Republic. They had had a very splendid
with banners fly in th
a Methodist clergyman
g, e multitude being addressed by
The friend ergyrnan and J. Coxe, Esq.
s of Mr Polk
siderable hopes that b appear to entertain con-
e will be re-elected in Novem-
ber next, for a second
United States. term, to the Presidency of the
The latest information 11'
New York, from Mexico,W'eh had been received at
as to the ratification of seemsthe to throw great doubt
and It is even said that treatyGenerargb Y the Mexicans ;
home for more troops. The probaubille.tr had written
ratification seems also to be probable, fy of the non-
that Mr. Trist had been recalled. rom the fact
There had been a heavy storm on the Chesapeake
Bay and on the coast. It was supposed that
several
vessels had been wrecked or lost. A heavy thunder..
storm passed over the city, and some
places were
struck with lightning, during or following which
a hurricane passed over, doing considerable damage.
A fire had broken out at Albany, in the rear of the
residence of N. Starks on the south-west corner of
IVesterlo and Church-streets. The entire block,
bounded by Church, Westerlo, John, and Dallins-
streets, was burned to the ground, including the
church on Westerlo-street. One or two houses on
Dallius-street escaped. Almost all the houses on the
south side of John-street, between Dallius and Church,
were burned.

COMMERCIAL AFFAIRS.
NEW YORK, APRIL 24.—The Stock Market opened
heavy to-day, showing the effect of the European ad-
vices by the Acadia. Treasury notes and most of the
fancies fell off a fraction, and the tendency at the close
was downward. The advance in United States Go-
vernment Securities on the other side, and the demand
for them for investment, are looked upon here as favour-
able, and indicative of a further improvement in prices.
United States Sixes were quoted in London, on the 6th
of April, at 98 per Gent., equal to 106 to 108 per cent.
here.

No bills have been returned from France, nor have the
Government extended the period of those running to
maturity beyond the 15th, the day that was previously
fixed. It appears that no bills, although falling due
before that day, can be protested, consequently cannot
be sent back. It is supposed that many bills that it was
feared would be returned will be ultimately paid.
The news from Europe had no influence on the prices
of bread stuffs. All the flour here will be wanted for
domestic use before receipts arrive by the canal. The
accounts of the cotton market are unfavourable, and
sales were suspended here to-day. The impression is
that sellers will have to make a concession.
Ashes—There have been no transactions to• day wor-
thy of notice.

Flour—The advices from Europe are considered unfa•
vourable. The present stock on hand is only sufficierd
for consumption, and prices stand as they did on Satur-
day.

Grain—There is no change in prices, and but little
doing today. The news is unfavourable for corn ;
holders, however. demand 52c. to 54c. for Jersey and
Northern. Sales of 25,000 New Orleans, not sound, at
51c. Last sales of wheat (Genessee) at 1 dol. 40c.

FRIGHTFUL ACCIDENT ON THE
GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY.

LOSS OF SIX LIVES AND NUMBERS OF PER-
SONS WOUNDED.
Last evening considerable anxiety and consternation
prevailed at the terminus of the Great Western Rail-
way, Paddington, in consequence of the non-arrival of
the express l2i P.M. train from Exeter, which should
have reached the station at 4i P.m. No information of
its approach having been received up to six o'clock, very
painful fears were excited that some disaster had at-
tended it in its progress to the metropolis, and which,
unfortunately, shortly after that hour, proved to be too
true, as a communication was forwarded by electric tele•
graph from Slough, that the train had met with a most
disastrous collision at: the Shrivenham station, which is
about 70 miles from town, on the other side of the Swin-
don station. Our informant upon receiving information
of the unfortunate occurrence immediately proceeded to
the Paddington station, and had an interview with some '
of the officials of the establishment, from whom he
succeeded in obtaining the knowing account of the
circumstances of the accident. It appeared that the
train consisted of two first• class carriages, four second-
class carriages, which were drawn by an engine (the
Sultan) and tender. Next to the engine was a luggage
van, which was followed by a second-class carriage, that
was unusually full of passengers. The train started at
about twenty-five minutes to one o'clock, being five
minutes after the usual time. It was driven at the usual
speed, which is between forty-five and fifty miles an hour,
a speed which is faster than that of express trains on
any other line. Its progress was uninterrupted till on
its approach at the Shrivenham station, where it is
stated that the signal was given by the signal telegraph
that the lino was clear, in consequence of which the
speed was continued, as this station is passed by the ex-
press train. At this part of the line there is a branch
rail for turning off the carriages. At the angle of
divergence of the off line was an empty horse-boa,
with a truck attached, on which was a gentleman's car-
riage, which, it is supposed, just overlapped the main
up line, as a collision took place, theect of which
was, that the engine struck the horse box, when
owing to the velocity with which the train was pro-
gressing, the horse-box, with the truck, were swung
which second-class carriage,
round,whieh was when,in
connectedls m
. eggage-van in the rear
g
of the engine, was dfiausnhgedotuot. Pieces, and the unfortunate
passengers were
the engine,
palling. The driver of En"g
shrieks and exclamations a
r theogr
progress
collision
o f ,
trainthe
, and he promptly reversed the
checked the speed sufficiently
er carriage of the train being thrown
off the line. the only ono which went
Upon returning back to to the Shrivenham
station, a most appalling spectacle was presented, as the
line was strewed with the wreck of the carriage, while a
l number of the passengers, wounded and dying, were
lying in different
parts, to whom every assistance was
being afforded by the servants of the company and by
others who had arrived at the station, having heard of
the disastrous occurrence. It was, unfortunately, dis-
covered that four of the passengers exhibited no signs of
life, and two others were so seriously injured that they
who
are
stated to have died shortly after their removal. All those,
were wounded were conveyed in carriages tothe wirt.
0
don station, for the better accommodation of medical
advice, which was promptly receiv.ed. jojury, aad who
There was only
one passenger who received no seriousi u
was seated in one corner of the carr
e
amongamong the
sary to say, that the greatest alarm prevailed The Sultan received
provided from
passengers in the other carriages 7
engine was
so much injury that another
of conveying the train to Pad-
Swindon, for the purpose
rived there a few minutes after
dington, and which
about
two
hours and a half beyond
seven o'clock, being
its usual time. e. On the information being obtained at
• ,y, me. Seymour Clarke and other officials
the termtn -,
connected with the establishment, proceeded to the scene
of the accident to afford every proper assistance. Fromall accounts, there is no doubt that the horse-box had
been negligently left at the point where the accident
occurred by some of the servants at the station.
General Sir Alexander Mackenzie had a moat fortu-
nate escape. He was travelling in the train when the
deplorable accident occurred. The carriage immediately
in :runt of that in which the General sat, as well as that
directly behind it, were smashed to pieces. we
are glad
to find that the General escaped without any injury, and
arrived in town last evening. His servant was unfortu-
nately killed,