The Sun.
London, England, 1851-04-30 00:00:00

ANNIVERSARIES.

The custom of holding anniversary festivals seems
"
to be going out of fashion, like many other old ways.
Few, however, can have forgotten that one of the
days of the past week—Wednesday, the 23d of
A pril—was a day to be held in peculiar honour in
England, as the anniversary of the (reputed) birth-
day of Shakspere. Curious that that day should
also be St. George's Day ! The Society of
Antiquaries met to elect their office-bearers for the
ensuing year; and, we dare any, the fact tiat it was
Shakspere's birthday was not forgotten among the
toasts at their dinner. At other meetings, also, in
many parts of the country, the circumstance must have
been remembered, as well as that, on the same day last
year, Wordsworth died. Cant mingles with all things
—and most dreadfully of all with dinner speeches;
but we like the fashion of keeping anniversaries.
By-the-by, talking of birthdays, does anything
in the character and genius of a man depend on
the month in which he was born? Is there any sig-
nificance in the fact that Shaksperea first in
fant gaze on the world and on Warwickshire happened
in the " sweet and showery " spring month? We don't
know; but it would be difficult inductively to make any-
thing out on the point. Barns was born in January;
Milton in December; Goethe and Napoleon in Au-
gust; Wellington in May; Cromwell—a very different
kind of person from Shakspere—almost on the same day
in April as Shakspere; in fact, all sorts of men have
been born in all sorts of months. Yet a deep fellow
mialat make something of the subject; and wo advise
some deep fellow to do so.—Leader.

AYLESBURY ELECTION.—A petition has been pre
sented from Thomas Bradford, complaining of this election.
PARRICIDE AT WESTMINSTER.—An inquest was
held yesterday evening before Mr. Bedford, at the Westmin-
ster Hospital, on view of the body of Richard Judd, aged 65,
who expired in that establishment on Saturday morning,
from the effects of desperate injuries about the head. The
evidence of the several witnesses, given at the Westminster
police-court yesterday, and on the previous examination of
the accused (Frederick Judd, the son of the deceased), hav-
ing been repeated, the jury, after two hours' deliberation, re-
turned a verdict of "Wilful Murder" against Frederick Judd.
CAUTION—BANK NOTES.—We understand that
some forged Bank notes fur 5/. are in circulation. The imita-
tion is very good, but the water mark has only the word
"Bank," instead of the words Bank of England."
FATAL BOAT ACCIDENT ON THE MERSEY.—On
Saturday night a serious accident occurred on the river, by
which one man lost his life and another was placed in con-
siderable jeopardy. The steamer Sylph, from Rock-ferry,
which left the slip about half-past nine o'clock, near the
centre of the river passed under the stern of a fiat, and came
in contact with a small punt rowing in the direction of Sea-
combe. There were two men in the boat, but, owing to the
darkness of the night and the flat being in the way, the cap-
tain of the Sylph was unable to see her till after the colli-
sion took place. The two men, in their alarm, endea-
voured to climb up the stern of the steamer, but finding
nothing to hold by, lost their footing and fell into the water.
One of the men, named Francis, got into the wheel of the
Sylph, and had not the engine been stopped almost instantly,
he would, together with his companion, have inevitably been
lost. Captain Chadwick, as soon as he was able, let himself
down into the boat which had been occupied by the men,
and at length succeeded in rescuing Francis. The other
men, named William Walker, a boatman. of Seacombe, was
drowned. No blame is attached to the offi..ers on board the
Sylph.—Liverpool Albion.
Awrur. DEATIL—On Friday an inquest was held
at the Half-way House, Southwark-lane, on the body of Mr.
George Merriman, aged 27 years. The deceased was a pub-
lican at East Boldon, and also carried on the business of a
blacksmilt at East Bolden and Ryhope,. Being unfortu-
n tely given to habits of intemperance, he some time ago
got into bad company at Sunderland, and was robbed of 1501.
During last week he had been drinking to excess, and on
Wednesday night, about twelve o'clock, he was seen knock-
ing at the door of a public house. Early on Thursday morn-
ing, a noise similar to that produced by a body falling, was
heard by the.worlsmen employed at the bottom of the shaft
of the A pit at Monkwearmouth Colliery. They imme-
diately hastened to the spot, and found the body of the de-
ceased in a fearfully mutulated state, and literally dashed to
Pieces. He was only identified by some papers found in his
pocket-book. It is generally believed, although not clearly
ppraosas-eedd,atelwitytshbeettl,ewceeealslesdonhlaed committed suicide by entering
working in th
timber which.e was at that place.water
the "low flat," where he would have considerable difficulty
in gaining entrance to the mouth of the shaft, having to
would have b
fall at the rate of -tubs
voaninden.a, qwualinetitwyeroef
narrow escape,
292 fathoms, shaft about ten minutes previously, had a
for if they had remained much longer they
that an iron bar dashed to pieces by the body, which would
or 1,752
three miles per minute, to the depth of
Such was the violence of the fall,
dead at the bottom of
completely broke, e
i7)sl,ifleegeitr.ig to the cage on which he fell was
to his death thererdict—" Teat the deceased was found
is the shaft of the pit, but how he came
uEspit.rre As
present Parliament.
Herald. no evidence to show."—Sunderland
Chronicle announces, on authority, REPRESENTATION or n
candidate for the representation
C°aritY, that Sir James Emerson
Tennent intends becoming
of Belfast on the dissolution of
must
—PaTrlihaemenßt. ellasi
The best built fortune
submit to time. —Eliza Cook's fourn2;i9d to hazard and
There is an essential meanness •
in the wish to get
the better of any one; the only competition
worthy of a wise
man is with himself.— Eliza Cook's Journal.
CHURCHES FOR THE RAGGED.--There are schools
for the ragged, but we see no churches for the thousands of
ill-clad people you observe standing at the public-house
doors during the hours of divine service. We that have
suffered want know that if our apparel is not such as we could
wish, we feel diffidence in approaching the church or chapel,
where none but well .clad people are to be found. Now we
believe that there are many wearing fustian on the Sabbath-
dav who would be glad to attend public worship if the
churches were free altogether, indeed, expressly constructed
for the neighbourhoods where required, and for the class of
people living in them. Let us set the warmth, comfort, and
godliness of the church against the glare and false stimulus
of the public-house. Let not many thousands of the present
generation go out of existence without the sound of the
Gospel. The model lodging-houses provide for the comfort
of their bodies; forget not their immortal soals.—Builcler.