The Sun.
London, England, 1834-04-02 00:00:00

ASSIZES.-(RECEIVED THIS DAY.)

ISLE OF ELY, Msacu 31.
(Before Mr. Sergeant STormas, Chief Justice of the
Isle of Ely.)
Robert Brigstock, aged 19, and Thomas Story,
aged 19, were placed at the bar, charged with having
on the morning of Sunday, the Bth of December last,
maliciously set fire to a certain stable, chaff-house,
hovel, a stack of wheat, and a waggon loaded with
haulm, or stubble, the property of Mr. William Vawser,
of March, in the Isle of Ely.
Thomas Butcher, a beer-shop-keeper, heard the
prisoner Brigstock say in his house, shortly before the
Ike, when Mr. Vawser was passing the window, "
that man, I'll give a scrizzler, before the winter's out."
Witness went to the fire as soon as it broke out,
and saw Brigstock going through a gateway in
a direction from the fire. When he came out
of the gate, he said, " Here's a blessed blaze."
He (prisoner) went about forty yards and sat upon
a rail, but was at the fire, assisting to put it out,
in about five minutes afterwards.

T. Elliott, constable, was at the fire, and near it he
found part of a fire-shovel on the Tuesday following.
The shovel had the remains of turf-ashes upon it. On
the morning of the fire, about half-past 4, he saw Brig-
stock there. About one o'clock in the middle of Sun-
day, he traced footsteps near the Northfield-gate, a
short distance from the fire, proceeding from a shrub-
bery, leading towards Hartley's house, where Story
lodged. The steps appeared to be long in the outset,
but were shorter towards the conclusion, as if a person
had been running, but was fatigued before stopped,
and consequently shortened his steps. The shoes of
Story exactly corresponded with those footmarks.
Emma Shaw, a neighbour of Brigstock, proved that
the fire-shovel, found by the constable, was exactly
similar to the one she used to see in his father's house,
but would not swear it was the same. _

John Fletcher was watching the lock-up house, in
which the prisoners were confined, on the Monday
night after the fire, and heard one say, " They are lis-
tening, don't split." The witness then detailed a con-
versation which he had with Story, on the way to Wis-
beach, which caused him to take the prisoner back
to the magistrates, he having previously been exa-
mined. He afterwards took Brigstock to Ely gaol,
who confessed on the road that Story went with him
from Edgeley's beer-house. That after kicking at
people's doors, and breaking windows, they went to-
wards Mr. Vawser's. Brigstock said to Story, " We'll
give him a smasher." Story answered, " We'll set fire
to his stacks." Brigstock went to his father's house
and got a piece of fire, whilst Story went forward to
pull a hole in the stack. Having set fire to the stack,
he threw the shovel away, and ran off. They were
both frightened when it blazed; and Story tried to put
it out, but could not.
His LORDSHIP summed up, and the jury, after a
short deliberation, found both the prisoners Guilty,
but recommended them to mercy on account of their
youth.
Sentence of Death was then passed upon them ;
and his Lordship wished them to prepare for that
doom which awaited them, without indulging the
slightest hope for mercy.
Both the prisoners went from the dock without
evincing the least emotion of dread ; and, indeed, they
scarcely seemed aware of the awful situation in which
they were placed.
There was another charge of arson against a youth
named Thomas Thody, eighteen years of age, who
was indicted for setting fire to a stack and outbuildings,
in the occupation of his master, Dyson Savage, of
Littleport. The fire was of great magnitude, burning
numerous outbuildings, as well as corp. After going
through the evidence, the jury returned a verdict of
A cquittal.
William Bosworth and Joseph Skeels were charged
with setting fire to a stack of corn, the property of
John Seward, of Chatteris, on Wednesday, the 13th of
November last ; but the evidence before the Grand
Jury being insufficient, they returned no true bill.

WESTERN CIRCUIT.-LAUNCESTON, MARCH 31
JENKINS V. HARVEY AND ANOTHER.

In this cause a Special Jury had been summoned,
which, together with Sir James Scarlett being retained
on behalf of the defendants, excited great interest,
and the Court was crowded at an early hour.
It appeared that the corporation of Truro had been
accustomed for more than seventy years to levy a tax
of 4d. per chaldron on coals imported into the port of
Truro. The corporation had claimed this as metage,
and persons discharging cargoes had uniformly paid it,
from 1752 until 1820, when some demur arose among
the merchants-as to the validity of the claim ; and from
that time the dues were not regularly paid. It ap-
peared from the evidence that the corporation had con-
ferred the office of meter on a Mr. Stephen Tippett,
by virtue of a lease for a term of 99 years, determin-
able on three lives, granted in 1752 for a valuable
consideration, receiving an annual rent of 3/. Mr.
Tippett was at that time a member of the corporate
body, and Collector of Customs for the port of
Truro. At his death, the office of meter de-
volved on his son, and after him his grand-
son, the former of whom was also a member
of the corporation, and collector of the Customs ;
and the latter, though unconnected with the municipal
body, was yet collector of customs. No meter has
been appointed for the specific purpose of measuring
the coals for the lessee of the corporation, but the go-
vernment meter, whose office it was, whilst there was
a government duty to collect, to take an account of the
number of chaldrons of coals discharged at Truro and
who likewise acted in the capacity of meter for the
lessee, of the corporation. It further appears that the
government measures were for one and the same pur-
pose, and that the masters of the colliers have been
accustomed to pay the corporation dues to the
collector of Customs for the time being, with
those imposed by the Government. Of late years a
general refusal had been made to pay this metage, and
since the duty on coals has been repealed, no one would
pay these corporation dues. The defendants landed
their coals at their own wharf, as did many other mer-
chants of the port at theirs ; they considered the office
of meter now entirely useless.
The jury, after hearing counsel on both sides, found
a verdict for the defendants, thus establishing the
freedom of the port of Truro from a long existing, il-
legal, and obnoxious tax.

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE-THIS DAY.

FROM LLOYD'S.
DEAL, APRIL 1. —Wind E. N. E., moderate. Arrived
from the river and sailed, the Charles Grant, Hyde,
for Bombay, and the Edward, barque, for —. The
Kellie Castle sailed for the river this morning. Ar-
rived the London, Ball, from Messina.
PORTSMOUTH, APRIL I.—Wind N.N.W. to N.
Passed by the Reliance, Cook, from the Mauritius,
sailed 15th Dec., Cape f Good Hope 14th Jan., and
St. Helena Ist Feb.
PLYMOUTH, MARCH 31.—Wind N. to W.
FALMOUTH MARCH 31.—Wind N. to W., strong
breezes and squally.
MARGATE, APRIL I.—Arrived off port the Cumber-
land, Coke, from Seville.
STANGATE CREEK, APRIL I.—Arrived the Argyle,
Franeorich, from Trieste.
JIVERPOOL, MARCH 31.—Arrived. the Erin, Thom,
from Honduras. Off port the Tapley, Tapley; from
Mauritius ; Glanmalia, Hewan, from Valparaiso ;
Bagston, Armstrong, from Barbadoes ; and William,
Tings, from Maranham.
CORK, MARCH 30.—Arrived the Jane Sheriffs,
Derry, from Honduras. The Indian, Borthwick,
arrived here from Pernambuco; passed, on the 22d
instant, in lat 43. long. 34., a loaded barque, appa-
rently under jury-masts, with another barque lying-to
by her.

The Linnaeus, Smith, from Liverpool to Bombay,
was totally wrecked near Dyers' Island, Cape of Good
Hope, on the 15th January—crew saved.
The Paragon, Thompson, of London, on going into
Moran Bay, on the 13th of February, to fill up, got on
the Moran Reef ; about fifty casks of her cargo had
been saved, but it was feared the remainder, with the
vessel, would be lost.
The Laidmans, Hughes, from Liverpool, got aground
at Fort Augusta, beating up to Kingston, Jamaica, on
the 14th of February.
The Rose sailed from the Brazils for Newfoundland
on the 29th of September, and has not since been
heard of.

THE MARKETS.-(THIS DAY.)

CORN EXCHANGE.

The arrivals of Grafi] this week are moderate, except of
Oats from Ireland, of wiyith the return is abundant. The
trade for every article remains without variation from Monday,
and is in general dull. Flour very heavy in sale.
ARRIVALS.
Wheat. I Barley. Oats. Flour.
English 2,670 qrs 3,(30 qrs. 1,750 qrs. 2,67osaeks
-Irish 4OO 800 24,30) -

LONDON,
WEDNESDAY EVENING, APRIL 2, 1834.

The Paris Papers of Monday are very bar-
ren of intelligence. The accounts from Bayonne
mention that great preparations are going for-
ward in Spain, among the QUEEN'S forces,
to put down Carlism, but that is easier said than
(lone. The only effectual way to carry her point
is to convoke the Cortes, and unite all good
Spaniards in one glorious cause—the regene-
ration and independence of their country.

FRENCH FUNDS.—PARIS, MARCH 31.
Five per Cents., 104 f. 3ec. Mc.
Three per Cents., 781 30c. 15c.
National Loan, 104 r 20c.
Bank Actions, 2,785 f. 1,790 E
Rente de Naples, 04t. 34c.
Roman Five per Cents., 94%.
Rente d'Espagne, Five per Cents., 261 A
Rente d'Espagne, Three per Cents., 4001.
Royal Spanish Loan, 111%.
Rente Perpet. d'Espagne, Five per Cents., f
Belgian Loan, 115.31, Five per Cents , 100.
Haytian Loan, 270 f.

EXCHANGE ON LONDON.
One month, paper, —f. —c. ; money, 25f. 25c.
'1 hree months, paper, —f. —c.; money, 2.3 f. 15c.
—Co.. rs Authentiflue.

The new Spanish Ministry seems, by all ac-
counts, to make little or no progress. Some-
thing there is that paralyses their every scheme
for ameliorating the condition of the country.
The QUEEN-REGENT, too, is by no means
increasing in popularity, for with the constitu-
tion on her lips, she appears to be at heart a
despot. What between the determined bi-
gotry of Don CARLOS, and the hollow libe-
rality of the QUEEN, Spain is, if possible,
in a more declining state than ever. Nothing
but the creation of a duly constituted body, like
the Cortes, can possibly save it. The only
individual connected with the QUEEN'S party,
who shows the slightest vigour, is the Captain-
General of Catalonia, who is arming the mi-
litia of his province with singular promptitude
and energy.

By accounts from Naples, dated March 15,
we learn that the union of Prince LEOPOLD,
Viceroy of Sicily, and second brother to the
King, with the Princess MARY, daughter of
the King of the FRENCH, is resolved on, and
that the marriage will be celebrated in the
course of the spring. LOUIS PHILIP
seems wonderfully anxious to match all his
family with crowned heads, anticipating, possi-
bly, the period when he may be without a
crown himself : but it would be far more con-
ducive to his interests, if his ambition were to
take a more domestic turn, and he were to
endeavour to ingratiate himself with his own
subjects.

The German Papers, received this morning,
do not add much to our previous information.
They mention, indeed, that the Russian autho-
rities in the Black Sea are most obsequiously on
the alert to show every attention and re-
spect to Ac iimET PACHA, the Turkish
ambassador, who was expected at Odessa on
his return from St. Petersburgh. This is only
another proof, if any were wanted, to evince
the deep designs of Russia with regard to her
victim Turkey. But the wily Emperor Nic 0-
LAS may prove too cunning in laying his snares.
His plans have hitherto worked well, from the
culpable or too confiding supineness of England,
and the embarrassed position of the French
Government. It is clear, however, that this
state of things cannot be suffered to continue
any longer, if France and England understand
, their true interests.

The feeling of the Court of Vienna towards

the constitutional cause in Spain and Portugal
may be inferred from the avidity' with which
news to the prejudice of the QUEEN REGENT
and Don PEDRO are received.

Anarchy is again prevalent in Bosnia : but
it is idle ever to look for tranquillity in any of
the Turkish provinces so long as Russian and
Austrian agents stir up the people to revolt.

We are glad to learn by enquiries at Ken-
sington Palace that

T‘ His Royal Highness the Duke of SUSSEX
is improving in health."
Wednesday, April 2.

Considering how intimately good order and
industrious habits are connected with early edu-
cation, it is astonishing the Legislature should
have been so backward in adopting any general
measure for establishing parish schools in Eng-
land. A vast proportion of the persons com-
mitted to Newgate can neither read nor write.
They have received neither moral nor religious
instruction, and have become engaged in crime
more from ignorance and habits required from
their peculiar condition, than from any innate
depravity. Thousands who have suffered for
capital offences, might have been saved from
utter ruin had the Government, the clergy, and
the trustees of charities, only performed what
was their imperative duty. This is almost the
only civilized country where the Government
have left the poorer classes without the means
of instruction. In France, Switzerland, Prussia,
Scotland, and many other States, parish schools
are now nearly as common as parish chuiches.
Here the people must provide schools themselves
or go without education. There are exceptions to
the general rule, but the wretched ignorance
not of the peasantry only, but of persons above
the lowest grade of society, shows that these
exceptions are very few. It is disgraceful to the
church that we should have the best paid clergy
in the world and the most ignorant population.
Millions have been expended in maintaining
ancient and useless ceremonies, in keeping up
the worldly splendour of prelates and dignitaries,
and in instructing a few of the higher classes at
our greaf schools and colleges, while the great
body of the people in many places have not
even the rudest means of instruction. The
incomes of a few of the bishops alone would be
sufficient to provide schoolmasters for the whole
of England. -Which of the two, we ask, would be
the more useful members of society—schoolmas-
ters with 501. or 601. a-year spread over the face
of the country, or Bishops with 20,0001. or
30,0001., residing one-half of their time in the
metropolis or abroad? Every Englishman who
attends to the subject must blush for the pre-
vailing ignorance of his countrymen. The re-
ports of the state of our prisons, when they
furnish the relative proportions of the educated
and uneducated, show how greatly the latter
exceed the former. In many places not a half
can read or write, and in others not a fourth,
or a seventh. At the Ely assizes, for instance,
the number of prisoners for trial is thirty-two,
and of these only one-fourth or one-eighth can
read and write. But this is not at all surprising
when want of education is so general, that in
many districts the very overseers are as ignorant
as the poor themselves. The following extracts
from the reports of the revising barristers give a
humiliating picture of our country population :

" The class of persons," says Mr. Moylan, " whom
I have seen in the office of overseer are generally men
who, far from being able to fulfil the duties imposed
upon them, seem unable to comprehend those duties.
The general ignorance and stupidity of the overseers
in country parishes with whom I became acquainted as
Revising Barrister in Cheshire and Nottinghamshire,
surpassed any thing which I could have previously
conceived. In some of the agricultural parishes we
found a aC substituted for the overseer's signature to
the list of voters."

" In 1832," says Mr. Maclean, " I revised the list
of voters for the Western Division of the county of
Sussex, and in the present year I have revised the lists
of the Northern Division of the county of Essex. hi
both counties I met with many overseers apparently
perfectly unable to comprehend, from reading the Re-
form Act, what they were required to do. Many were
unable to write at all, and others could with difficulty
affix their names to the lists."
• • # 4 •
" Several had omitted to make out lists at all. In
one instance I was attended by a female overseer, and
it is due to her to state, that the list furnished by her,
and in her own handwriting, was one of the most cor-
rect I met with."
" Mr. Flood, Revising Barrister for the Northern
Division of the county of Leicester, states,—' I found
very great difficulty in revising the lists of voters,
owing to the illiterate character of the overseers of
many of the parishes. In one instance, where there
were two overseers, one had not acted, and did not
sign the list, though he was able to write ; and a mark
X was substituted for the signature of the other.
There were, I think, three or four lists unsigned, none
of the overseers being able to write, and about the
same number only signed by one overseer. In about
sixteen or eighteen lists the overseers had resorted to
the assistance of the parish-schoolmaster, or some
other person, to assist them. In not more than ten
parishes did the overseers appear in the least to com-
prehend the duties they were required to perform. I
found, however, the overseers of the parishes of
Loughborough, Castle Donington, Melton Mowbray
and Ashby-de-la- Zouch exceedingly intelligent men,
while in the eastern side of the county, where the po-
pulation is exclusively agricultural, I met with a
degree of ignorance I was utterly unprepared to find
in a civilised country.' "

The Marquis of BREADALBANE died at
Teymouth on Saturday, at three o'clock in the
afternoon. Lord ORMELIE succeeds to the
title, and it is supposed that Mr. GRAHAM,
nephew of Lord LYNDOCII, and heir to his
estates, will be elected for Perthshire, and be
made one of the Lords of the Treasury.

FEMALE BEAUTY.—The ladies in Japan
gild their teeth, and those of the Indies paint them
red. The pearl of teeth must be dyed black to be
beautiful in Guzerat. In Greenland the women colour
their faces with blue and yellow. However fresh the
complexion of a Muscovite may be, she would think
herself very ugly if she was not plastered over with
paint. The Chinese must have their feet as diminu-
tive as those of she goats. In ancient Persia an aqui-
line nose was often thought worthy of the crown ; and
if there was any competition between two princes, the
people generally went by this criterion of majesty. In
some countries the women break the noses of their
children, and in others press the head between two
boards, that it may become square. The modern Per-
sians have a strong aversion to red hair : the Turks,
on the contrary, are warm admirers of it. The female
Hottentot receives from the hand of her lover, not silks
nor wreaths of flowers, but warm guts and reeking
tripe, to dress herself with enviable ornaments.—
D'lsraeles Curiosities of Literature.