The Sun.
London, England, 1851-10-27 00:00:00

LAMBETH.

John Mason, alias Bennett, alias Barnet, alias the
Rev. William John Butler, alias the Rev. Charles
William Talbot, alias Blind Jonney, and Jane Farrer,
alias Alachotven, two notorious impositors, were placed
at the bar before Mr. Elliot for further examination
on a charge of conspiring together to defraud various
members of the nobility and gentry.
Mr. Wontner attended on behalf of the prisoners,
and Mr. Ferguson, clerk to the Mendicity Society,
appeared to watch and prosecute the case.
It will be recollected that the male prisoner had
been apprehended on Saturday week, on presenting
himself at the post-office, Mount-street, Lambeth,
to get payment for a post-office order for 41. 193.
sd. This order, it appeared, had been obtained from
the Dowager Countess of Shaftesbury in consequence
of a letter received by her Ladyship purporting to
have been written by the " Rev. William John
Butler, of Priory-lodge, Southampton," setting forth
a case of ";urgent distress ;" and before the letter of
Lady Shaftesbury reached Southampton a note was
received by the postmaster there, requesting that any
letters addressed to the " Rev. William John Butler"
might be forwarded to the Cheltenham Coffee house,
Bridge-road, Lambeth, and several letters were for-
warded as requested.
John Capon, servant to the Dowager Countess of
Shaftesbury, deposed that on Monday week he, by
direction of his mistress, procured a post-office order
for 51., in favour of the Rev. W. J. Butler, and her
Ladyship having enclosed it in a note and envelope and
addressed the letter to the "Rev. William Juhn
Butler, Priory Lodge, Southampton," witness posted
it at Richmond on the same day.

Mr. Ferguson here informed the magistrate that
the post-office order obtained by the last witness had
been made payable at Southampton ; but from a note
which he held in his hand it appeared that it had been
forwarded to the postmaster there, with a request that
he would forward in its stead an order payable from
himself, at the post-office, Mount-street, Lambeth.
Tbis order so procured it was that the male prisoner
had presented for payment when he was apprehended.
He (Mr. Ferguson) also wished to add that the notes
to the post-office and money order-office at South-
ampton were in the same handwriting as the signa-
ture, " William John Butler," to the post-office order
itself.

Michael Gorman, servant to Lady Bexley,
_2B

Grosvenor-square, deposed that on the 27th of Sep-
tember last he procured a post office order for 21.,
and her Ladyship having enclosed it in a letter, and
addressed it to the " Rev. Charles William Talbott,
Walsall," he posted the letter.
Mr. Wontner wished to know what this had to do
with his clients, when
Mr. Ferguson replied that he should be prepared to
prove on a future day that the prisoner was the per-
son who had obtained the order in question.
Evidence was then given of the apprehension of the
prisoner, and the fact of Mason having, when asked
his name, described himself as the " Rev. William
John Butler." Evidence was also given by a young
woman who lives at the Cheltenham Coffee-house, in
Bridge-road, Lambeth, that Mason some time ago
had called there and requested that any letters ad-
dressed to the "Rev. William John Butler," and
forwarded there, might be taken in. Letters so
directed were received and taken away prior to the
Saturday before by the male prisoner, and since then
by the female.
Mr. Ferguson requested a further remand, to enable
him to bring forward the necessary witnesses to estab-
lish a charge of conspiracy to defraud several persons
of various sums of money. The prisoners, he said,
were most notorious impostors—the most notorious,
perhaps, of their class—and had been frequently con-
victed as rank impostors. They had also been tried,
with a man named Mackowen, at Bath, for conspiring
to defraud several persons there, and, all having been

convicted of that orence, the men had been sentenced
to twelve, and the woman to nine months' imprison-
ment. At that time the woman lived with Macowen,
but, that person having been transported shortly
after his liberation from prison, she had since lived
and cohabited with Mason, as he now called himself.
Mr. Wontner contended, in a forcible manner, that
there was no evidence to affect his clients, and that
they were entitled to their discharge.
Mr. ELLIOTT observed that it was quite evident
from the documents produced that a most extensive
system of fraud had been practised by the prisoners
and their associates, which required the fullest inves-
tigation and an immediate check. There was, in his
opinion, quite sufficient evidence before him to justify
his detaining the prisoners for another week, and he
hoped that in the interim the officers of the Mendicity
Society would exert themselves to make the evidence
complete, and that at the next examination the
Countess of Shaftesbury and the Postmaster at
Southampton would appear to give their evidence, as
it was quite monstrous to find the benevolent so
shamefully plundered as they appeared to be.
The prisoners were remanded for a week, and it
was not a little singular that during the investigation
a letter which had been received at the coffee-shop,
addressed to the " Rev. W. J. Butler, Priory-lodge,
Southampton," and re-addressed " Cheltenham Cof-
fee-house, Bridge-road, Lambeth," was handed to
the magistrate, who opened it and found it to contain
a 51. note from his Grace the Duke of Portland. Mr.
Elliott at once, and to the evident mortification and
annoyance of the prisoners, handed the letter and its
contents to Mr. Ferguson.

SEABORNE MAILS.
(N signifies that the mails are sent from the General Post-office
by the night—and M by the morning--dispateh.3

When made up in; From what When
PLACES. General Post-office port dis- due.
London: patched.
--•
America (by Brit. pkt.)N Oct. 31 .. Liverpool Arrived
America (by U.S. pkt.) NlOct. 28 .. Liverpool .. Nev. 1
America (by U.S. pkt.) M Nov. 5 .. Southampt.
Africa (West coast).. N lath of the month Plymouth Nov. 3
Alexandria* •• N 19th & 30th of mo. Dover .. Oct. 28
Belgium •• N Daily .• •. .. Dover .. Daily
Brazil •• M 9th of the month iSouthampt. Nov. 16
Buenos Ayres • • .. 31,9 th of the month ISouthampt. Nov. 16
California(viaChagres)3ll2d 8z 17th of month ;Southampt. Nov. 5
Cape of Good Hope N 14th of month IPlymouth•• Nov. 3
Constantinople* N 7th 17th27th ef moDover .. Oct 30
Central America .. M2d & 17th of iron. 113outhampt. Nov. 5
Channel Isles •• N Mon., Wed., & Fri.'Southampt. Ta. Th. Sat
Chili •• •• •. M 17th of the month Southampt. Nov. 20
Franca ••
• 1. Bi&NlTwiee daily .. .. Dover • . Twicedaily
Greece* •• •• With 17th27thof mo Dover •• Oct. 30
Hamburgh • • .. NlTuesday & Friday London .. Tees. Sat.
Holland •• MlWednes. & Satur. Louden .. Moti.Thur.
Honduras •• 31117th of the month Southampt. Nov. 20
Ireland •• •• 31 & 311 Twice daily Holyhead.. Twicedally
420th of the monthlSoutharapt. Nov. 23
India (via Sonthamp.)
India (via Marseilles) NiBth&24th efmonthlDover • • Nov. 2
Mediterranean (via
Southampton) •• 51120th of the month Southampt. Nov. 23
Mediterranean (via
Marseilles) .. NlBth&24thofmonth Dover .. Nov. 2
Mexico Ml2d of the month.. Southampt. Nov. 5
Madeira •• •• 11119th of the month Southampt. Nov. 16
} Dover Oct. 23
f 7
Malta* •• • • th,l7th,l9tk,27th &
30th of month
Naples* .. •• •• N sth 15th 25th ofmo Dover .. Nov. 2
papal States* N sth 15th25th of mo Dover .. Nov. 2
Peninsular.. •• M 7thl7th27thof mo Southampt. Nov. 6
Peru .• M 17th of the month Southampt. Nov. 20
Tuscany* .. N sth 15th 25th of mo Dover Nov
West Indies M 17th of the month Southampt. Nov: 2
20
West Indies (except
Havanna & Nasaau) M 2d of the month .. Southampt, Nov. 5

I2d of the mouth ..
ountries thus mar]

iSouthamptiNov. 5
Led (*) are conveyed by

* The mails to those c
French packet -vi A Margo'

•
CALIFORNIA.—MaiIs to
are now despatched and d

and from Californi,
Luc by every Ameri,

la, via the United States
[can packei

SHIP NEWS.

GRAVESEND, OCT. 26.—Wind N.E., calm and clear sky.
Arrd.—Menai, from Calais; City of Rotterdam, from
Dunkirk; Ocean and Magnet, from Rotterdam; Lion,
from Harlingen; Neptune, from Tonningen; Stsdt
Dordtecht, from Dardt; Leo, from Patras; Brothers,
from Norway; Magnet, from Rio Grande; Charles
Souchay, from Charente; Fortunate, from Patras;
Kridsteren, from Nantes; Ann and Mary, from St.
Petersburgh; Tistedalem, from New York; Anemone,
from Oporto; Sarah, Maria, and Hope, from Patras;
Giraffe, from Rotterdam; Adonis, from Amsterdam;
Tiger, from Tonningen; Panther, from Ostend; Seine,
from Boulogne; Green Isle, from Nieudiep; Caroline,
from Emden; Hamilton, from Bordeaux; Jane White,
from St. Petersburgh; Mary Ann, from Rotterdam;
Richard Thornton, from Batavia; Sarah, from St.
John's; Fanny, from Riga; Stzstein and Welskee, from
New York.

Sailed—lndex, for St. Kitt's; Vere, for Jamaica; J.
H. Sheppard, for Antwerp; Freeland, for Cadiz; Bur-
germeister Hyndekoper, for Rotterdam; Cornelia, for
Cardiff; Paleudar, for Nova Scotia; Wiiliam J(lhff., for
Havre; Albion, for Boulogne; City of London, for
Dunkirk; Baron Osy, fur Antwerp; Batavier and Earl
of Anchhind, for liotterdual; Load John Rose

Hamburgh; Australasian Packet, for the Cape of Good
Hope; Letitia, for Newport; Bosphorus, for Constanti-
nople; Liebe, for Shields; Creole, for Dominica; Lady
Charlotte Guest, for Ascension; North Star, for Ham-
burgh; John Bull and San Francisco, for Hamburgh;
Venus, for Cape Palmas; Joshua, for Port Philip;
Arena, for Jamaica; Julie y Pepati, for Biiboa; Con-
cordia, for Rotterdam; Triton, for Ostend; Elbe, for
Hamburgh; Dart, for Ostend; Fame, for Calais.
VESSELS SPOKEN WITH.

Westpoint, from Liverpool for New York, Oct. 18, in lat.
49 N., long. 30 W.
Westminster, from i.tifoulmein for Sunderland, July 16,
in lat. 6 S., long. 85 E.

A. POET'S HOUSE AND CELLAR.
We met lately, among some old tracts and papers,
with what must be considered a literary curiosity-a
copy of the sale catalogue of the effects of Thomson
the poet, disposed of by auction in May, 1749.
Thomson's residence for several years preceding his
death was a snug cottage in what is called Kew-foot-
lane, facing the Thames. The situation is one of the
finest in that fine district. The cottage was em-
bowered in trees and shrubbery, and behind it was a
garden in which the lazy good•humoured poet took
his ease of an afternoon and muttered his verses
throughout the moonlight nights. His garden-seat
and table are still preserved : but the cottage has
been enlarged into a handsome villa (occupied by the
late Earl of Shaftesbury), and the garden has been
extended and improved so as to become one of the
most exquisite and richly-ornamented in that patrician
neighbourhood. Yet even in Thomson's time the cot-
tage at Kew-foot-lane was a desirable residence, and the
poet, after weathering many difficulties, had succeeded
in gathering around him at least a moderate share of
the comforts and elegancies of life. If his little Castle
of Indolence could not boast its costly tapestry,
huge covered tables, and couches, " the pride of
Turkey and of Persia land," there was no lack of re-
spectable bachelor accommodation, with an assort-
ment of valuable prints and books, and a cellar that
could have supplied a double or two of jovial banquets
to Quin, Armstrong, Littleton, Mitchell, and those
other select friends whom he delighted to entertain,
and by whom he was so tenderly beloved. But let
us look at the different items in this sale catalogue.
The first division, marked " No. 1., right hand, two
pair of stairs," seems to be the furniture of an infe-
rior bedroom, the whole of which is valued at
4/. 2s. 6d., including what the auctioneer calls " a
piece of ruins in a carved frame." No. 11. is a closet
containing feather bed and portmanteaus valued at
17s. No. 111., left hand two pair of stairs, was a
better bedroom, containing a four- post bedstead, with
blue harateen furniture, four walnut tree arm chairs
with black leather seats, a chimney glass, and maho-
gany table, &c. The contents of this room are
valued at W. 7s. No. IV., one pair of stairs, was
evidently the best bedroom. It had a bed
with moreen furniture and other accessories, valued
at 81. 2s. 6d. • festoon window curtains, bottle
cistern, walnut dressing table and mirror, four walnut
chairs, steel stove, &c.-the whole being valued at
131. 12s. 6d. No. V., one pair of stairs, had a Tur-
key carpet valued at 1/. 11 e. 6d.; a chimney glass
with gilt frame, 11. 11s. 6d. ; a mahogany chest of
•drawers, 1/. 103. ; a sofa, 2/. 23.; a mahogany writing
table, 1/. 3s. ; four mahogany elbow chairs, yellow
worsted damask seats, 2/. 10s.; a walnut tree easy
chair, matted seat and back, 12s. ; mahogany pillar
and claw carved needlework fire-screen, with quilted
case, 2/. 23. ; dining table, 125., with sconce for can-
dles ; yellow damask window curtains, &c., the whole
valued at 181. 15s. Nu. VI., back parlour, possessed
a steel stove, two walnut and three smoking chairs,
dumb waiter, book shelves, and a "Scotch carpet"
(which is set down at 10s. 61), the whole valued at
Si. 6s. 6d. No. VII., left hand parlour, had its writ-
ing-table, claw-table, window curtains, &c., the whole
31. lls. 6d. No. VIII., right band parlour, was the
principal sitting room. It was also decorated with
a Scotch carpet, 103. 6d.; a dining table, 11.
lls. 6d. ; a sconce, 1/. 4s. ; six mahogany
elbow chairs, with green worsted damask seats,
31. 12s. ; a backgammon table, complete with
chess alien, 103. 6d,, and other articles, the whole
valued at 11/. 19s. The next classification is " plate,
china, &c.," but here the enumeration is not exten-
sive, and no prices are affixed. Besides cups, saucers,
plates, and mugs, there are-" Shagreen case with 12
silver-handled knives and forks; a silver watch with
a cornelian seal, box and case, in one, by Graham ;
one silver-hilted sword ; one mourning sword ; an
Alicant tea-chest, with silver ornaments. The
kitchen apparatus and furniture are valued at 51. lls. ;
and the wash-house, garden, and yard articles at 2/.
12s. 6d. The contents of the cellar (to which no
prices are affixed) are set down as follows :-" Thirty
bottles of burgundy ; thirty bottles of red port; four
ditto of old hock ; seven ditto of mountain and Ma-
deira; ten ditto Rhenish ; sixty-six ditto Edinburgh
ale ; ninety ditto Dunbar ale." There is no ardent
spirits. The library consists of two hundred and
sixty lots-the greater part of the books being
foreign and classical. Editions of Dante, Tasso,
and Ariosto are among the number; and the
English works include Milton, Theobald's " Shaks-
peare," Harrington's " Oceana." Raleigh's "History
of the World," Cowley, &c. Pope's works (probably
presents from the author) consist of the edition of
1717, in two vols. ; the prose works, stitched, 1717 ;
the " Dunciad," stitched; and the " Ethic Epistles,"
in vellum, large paper. The library may be consi-
dered valuable, but it was fully equal to that posses-
sed by Johnson or Goldsmith. Authors resident in
London, with public libraries at command, have little
inducement to accumulate books at home, even if
their circumstances were such as to permit of the ex-
pensive luxury. Thomson, it is well known, had a
taste for the fine arts, and during his tour in Italy
with Mr. Talbot, had collected some drawings and
prints from the old masters. He seems to have had
.
no less than eighty-three pictures bung up n his dif-
ferent rooms, and " a large portfolio with maps,.
prints, and drawings, to be sold together or separate.
The " Antique Drawings" are nine h
allinnumber,
stated to be by Castelli. They consist of
.Venus
de Medicis, the Fighting and Dying Gladiators,
Perseus and Andromeda, Apollo Antinous, Meleager,
Laocoon, Hercules Faruese, and " A Man and a
Woman." The seventy-four enre gravi C langsudie are all from
le the
old masters, engraved by Fzza, , Stel, J.
Frey, Bandet, Dorigny, Duchauge,.Poilly, Hanssart,
i
Edlinck, Picart, &c. It is indicative of Thomson's
taste that none of the engravings are from the Dutch
school, but from Raphael, Guido, Curregio, Carlo
Maratti, Poussin, Julio Romano, and other masters of
the poetical and romantic. It appears, then, that the
furniture of Thomson was valued at 661. lls., exclu-
sive of his plate, china, wines, books, and pictures,
which formed by far the most valuable portion of his
effects. The sale is stated to be "by order of the
executrix," his sister, Mrs. Craig of Edinburgh, and
it was to take place on Monday, May 15, 1749, and
two following days. The poet's friends who had been
so sincere and so active in their sympaty on the occa-
sion of his death, would, no doubt, come forward at
the sale to promote its success and to possess them-
selves of some relic of their departed associate, Several
of the books, we know, were purchased by John
Forbes of Culloden, the Lord President's son, and
still remain in the library at Culloden House. Never
had poet more attached friends than Thomson, and all
had the felicity of arriving at wealth or fame.-Inver-
ness Courier.

,Y MARKETS.
moderate business passing

s. d. i. d.
Do.Afeal, perl96lb 15 0 to 16 0
Barley, English, pr
imperial quarter 26 0— 28 0
S cotch, and
Manx,per 601 b.. 3 8 3 10
Foreign, grinding 3 0 3 6
Ityc, per 601 b .. 3 6 3 9
Beans, English, pr
imperial quartr 30 0 32 0
Irish and Scotch,
per 4801 b 26 0 28 0
Dutch .. 30 0 31 0
Egyptian •• . •
.. 22 6 23 0
Peas, English, per
imperial quartr 32 0 34 0
Foreign •• 32 0—33 0
Oats, per 451 b
Scoteh,
and Welsh, old 3 5 3 6
Irish, nc- , T est
mealing •• .. 2 6i 2 7
Do., feeding • • 2 2 2 4
Do., foreign • • 3 0 3 2
Oatmeal, English,
&Scotch,pr24olb 24 0 —25 0
Irish, new • • .. 22 0— 23 0
Do., old • •• 27 0— 27 6