The Sun.
London, England, 1846-01-10 00:00:00

UNITED SERVICE MAGAZINE.

The present number opens with a most valuable
article, illustrated by mathematical diagrams, on the
submarine propeller, or Archimedean screw, an article
worthy the study of every marine engineer. The
paper on the " Military Feeling, Institutions, and In-
struction of Great Britain," furnishes matter for
grave thought. There is no doubt but that mere
attention must be paid to the military instruction of
the people generally, and that we must have some in-
stitution analagous to the Land Wher of Prussia, or
the National Guard of France, if we wish to defend
our country against an invader. Capt. Airey con-
tinues his interesting narrative, " The Cabul Cap-
tives ;" anti Colonel E. Napier furnishes some valuable
remarks on the Egypt and the French expedition of
1798. The remaining articles of this number are all
good.

THE MEETINGS OF THE MONTH.
(From the Almanack of the Month.)
During the past month great numbers of meetings
have been held upon the subject of corn. These meet-
ings have been divided into two sets, and the business of
each set has been to contradict, in the gross and in detail,
everything the other set had said. But, as Euclid justly
remarks, two parallel lines can never meet, and two
parallel meetings can never do any good by meeting. It
was at last suggested that amalgamation, so successful
in railways, should be tried with the railers, and the
happiest results followed the adoption of this course. A
deputation of agriculturists met a deputation of free-
traders ma the stage of Covent-garden Theatre, their re-
spective adherents dividing the house between them.
The extreme courtesy and relevancy ,of the arguments
which both have so long adduced in reply to each other,
cannot fail to strike the contemplative reader.
A fight of course took place as to who should be
Chairman, but ultimately Mr. Eisenberg, the chiropedist,
was chosen ; a distinguished nobleman vouching for him
(as per advertisement) that in his corn operations Mr.
Eisenberg " displayed the skill of a scientific practitioner
and the care of a humane man." The question being
one especially needing science and humanity to solve it,
no selection could be better.

Mr. COBDEN 'Commenced the debate by remarking
that corn was an article
Mr. MILES denied that. Corn was a noun.
Mr. COBDEN acquiesced. Corn was a noun, and he
hoped soon to see it a noun of multitude.
The Duke of RICHMOND said that it was of no use
offering a penny roll for a halfpenny to a man who had
only a farthing. Why did not the manufacturers raise
the rate of wages ?
Mr. BRIGHT inquired why the landlords did not lower
the rate of rents ?

Sir EDWARD KNATCHBULL said, because the farmer
was the sou of the soil.

Sir B. H. INGLis said that no person was blind to
some person's designs. Even potatoes had eyes.
Mr. COBDEN threw back the potatoes in the Baronet's
teeth with disdain.

Dr. BUCRLAND said that good peas were very nice.
Mr. BRIGHT agreed, and said that so were pine-
apples. But how were the poor to get them ?
Dr. BUCRLAND said that such an objection was un-
worthy a candid disputant. As for decomposed potatoes,
why should decomposed potatoes be more objectionable
than decomposed partridges ?
The CHAIRMAN objected to the introduction of the
game question.
Mr. COBDEN said there could be no doubt in any
reasonable mind that the repeal of the corn-laws would
make bread much cheaper.
Mr. MILES said that no rational being could hesitate
in believing that the abolition of the duties would double
the price of bread.

The Duke of CAMBRIDGE said that things were not
so bad• as bad been represented. He had that day dined
with WLord-Mayisr, and could assure the meeting that
he had found plenty of bread and very good potatoes.
The newspapers exaggerated everything.
Lord MORPETH was for doing everything reasonably.
He would instance the corn in bond.
Mr. BRIGHT would have no corn in bond—it should be
entirely free.
The Duke of RICHMOND did not doubt the benevolent
intentions of the Anti-Corn-law League.
Mr. COBDEN was much obliged, but the League
wanted bread and not butter.

Colonel SinTnonp said he would be hanged if he coin-
cided with the ;Duke. All the manufacturers wanted
was to make corn cheap, that they might have an excuse
for paying low wages. Bother the League.
Mr. R. R. R. MOORE said that there would soon be a
general election, and then Government must choose be-
tween giving up the corn and receiving the sack.;
The Duke of RICHMOND said that so far from giving
up the corn, he hoped the Government would not even
lend the League an ear.
Resolutions embody ing the spirit of the above speeches
having been put and carried, the agriculturists rushed off
0.P., and the. free-traders P.S. The Chairman was about
to propose a vote of thanks to himself, when he suddenly
disappeared through a trap. Then the meeting went
away.

NEW CLAIMANT TO E HEIR AT LAW TO THE
LATE JAMES WOOD, ESQ., OF GLOUCESTER.—The following
account of the proceedings of a person claiming to be heir at
law to the late Janes Wood, EEq., of Gloucester, the great
millionaire, out of whose effects the lawyers have already
had such pretty pickings, has been handed to us for publica-
tion. We print it exactly as it was received, without note or
comment :—" We ar hap yto Steate this day the Sixth of
Janarny 1846 that Mr. John Wood of Moorlane nr Brirleyhill
Stafordshiro have duley Served his ejectments on the Steates
and Propertay Belongen to the late James Wood Esqr.
Gloucester cleaming hear at law and allsoo the Steatment of
the dockement Gives him credet For his cleaim, it has Bin
neoumorousley Steated Some time agone upon Kr. John
Woods cleam, But By Some tredgeroua and Ea-real Perseed-
ings caused adlay in Bringing forward the dark and Smugled
Eveal to light, and to pas Judgement upon them accorden to
Gods lawes. Further it is considered By herbet Jenners
Judgement, one of the aponeants hung him selve, its Soo-
posed he did not consider the tredgreay `'Vold of carried on
Foolded So long, But the other aponeants may not have the
chance, if the Shold Get in to the hands of Jack catch.
Further it is considered By the Exameneashion of Sucb
Wittness at Gloucester, and Gloucestershier, in the late James
Woods afears, Will Prove Fetal and honnereate the hear at
law to John Wood Esqr."— Worcester Chronicle.
FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE PONTOP AND SOUTH
SHIELDS RAILWAY. SOUTH SHIELDS, THURSDAY. —An
accident had just occurred here by the falling of an im-
mense heap of ballast, whereby two men employed in re-
pairing the Pontop and South Shields Railway. have been
killed ; one was severely injured, his thigh bone being broken,
and about a dozen others narrowly escai ed. The men, who
are all railway labourers, were engaged in procuring ballast
from an enormous bill, accumulated during a long series of
years, having been brought from various
parts, but princi-
pally from the Thames, by light colliers in ballast; and, in
order to facilitate their operations, a temporary rail was laid
down in connexion with the Shields branch of the Newcastle
and Darlington Railway,. and running along an excavation
close by the side of the bill. On this rail a train of ballast
trucks was placed for the purpose of being filled, which was
done by the men throwing the ballast from the hill side, on
which they stood, into the waggons. The hill sloped very
little, and its height was not less than about forty feet from
where the waggons stood, and consisted of very loose mate-
rials, being dry gravel, with but little clay mixed with it
While the men were so engaged a large portion of the super-
incumbent mass suddenly descended, burying three of the
men, and partially covering several others. It completely
tilled up the space between the bottom of the hill and the
waggons, several of which were covered also. As soon as
those who had escaped recovered from the momentary shock,
they exerted themselves to rescue their comrades. All were
got out alive except two, who were not found for some time,
having been crushed in behind the waggons. Another had
his leg broken, and he is not expected to live. One man was
a long way up the hill-side when it fell, and he was carried
completely over the waggon, and alighted on the ground
without receiving any injury. The accident seems to have
arisen entirely from want of due caution in undermining the
superincumbent mass, and it is fortunate the loss of life was
not greater than it has been.
A LAWYER'S PICKINGS.—We understand that in the
recent arbitration inquiry as to the sale of the Corporation
land in Cheshire, the Solicitor-General's fee was 250 guineas
with the brief, 300 guineas for coming down, and 100 guineas
per day during the continuance of the arbitration.—Liverpool
Mercury.