The Sun.
London, England, 1851-11-28 00:00:00

FRIDAY EVENING,

by a steadfast faith in the guiding and protecting
hand of Providence, are the elements of success.

We may remark that, since the late discoveries, the
Arctic question has become as interesting to the
geographer as to the philanthropist. It has become,
apart from politics, domestic and foreign, one of the
most interesting questions of the day ; and it fixes, in
a remarkable manner, both on this geographical ac-
count and by its hold on all human sympathies, the
attention of other countries, which look to its solution
with an anxiety scarcely inferior to our own.

It is with no little satisfaction that we have seen
our own feelings reflected and demonstrated by our
countrymen in other lands. Of this a brilliant proof
has lately been exhibited by the British residents at
New York, in the dinner they gave, and the honours
they then bestowed on, the officers of the American
Arctic expedition and on the generous and patriotic
American citizen to whom that expedition owed its
existence. The sentiments delivered on that occa-
sion, and particularly that which embodied the heart
and spirit of every one presene —" May the rescue of
Sir John Franklin and his companions never be aban-
doned until his fate shall have been positively ascer-
tained"—were worthy of the two great and kindred
nations which have joined heart and hand in the work.
May England's voice re-echo this cry with a firmness
and energy not to be mistaken or withstood.—
Chronicle.

MERITORIOUS SERVICES REWARDED.
Yesterday a meeting of the Royal National Institution
for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck was held at
the offices, 20, John-street, Adelphi, Mr. Thomas Wil-
son, late M.P. for London, in the chair, supported by
Commodore Sir Thomas Herbert, R.N., K.C.B ; Mr.
George Palmer, late M.P. for South Essex ; Colonel
Colquhoun, R. A., F.R.S. ; Captain Washington, RN.,
F.R.S.; Captain George Davis, R.N.; Captain Jerning-
ham, R.N., Portsmouth ; Captain S. Ellerby, Elder
Brother of the Trinity House; Captain Lambert Perrot•,
and Captain Preston. Captain Washington read an in-
teresting report on the state of the life. boats and life-pre-
serving apparatus in the Isle of Anglesea, suggesting
that several of these boats, from age and other causes,
should be replaced as soon as the funds of the institution
allowed it. It was resolved that the life-boat station at
Comlyn should be forthwith replaced .; after which it
was unanimously resolved that, in appreciation of the gal-
lant and meritorious services of the coxswains of the
Liverpool life-boats in having been instrumental in
saving lives from shipwreck on the numerous occasions
hereinafter , mentioned, they be respectively presented
with the medal of the institution:-1. Geo. Davies, cox-
swain of the Hoylake life-boat, who, during the last 11
years, has gone out 59 times. 2. Robert Beck, coxswain
of the Point of Ayr life-boat, who has gone out 60
times. 3. The coxswain of the Formby lite-boat, who
has gone out 70 times. 4. Peter Cropper, coxswain of
the Liverpool life-boat, who has gone out 96 times. 5.
Thomas Evans, coxswain of the Magazines life-boat,
who has gone out 106 times. A singular mark of honour
and appreciation was conferred on Samuel Moody, cox-
swain of the life-boat of the institution stationed
at Skegness, Lincolnshire, who has personally assisted
at the saving of 53 lives. These men also re' eive
locally a pecuniary reward for their services.
It was stated that the Liverpool life-boats had
assisted, during the last ten years ending in March last,
269 vessels wrecked or distressed, and have saved
1,128 human lives, so that presenting the coxswains of
these boats with the medal of this old and valuable in-
stitution is a well-merited and graceful recognition of
services devoted to the noblest of causes. On the re-
presentation of the Comptroller• General of the Coast
Guard, a number of poor men, living at Spain, near
Skibbereen, County Cork, were rewarded with 41. for
having, by means of a raft formed of 'Oars and boards,
saved the lives of ten persons who had been wrecked
from a boat on a rock near Cape Clear. After 201. had
been voted in aid of the Aldborough Life-boat Esta-
blishment, and 71. for repairing the boat of that place,
Captain Ellice, R.N., comptroller-general of the Coast
Guard ; Captain Miliardy, R.N., and Captain G. A.
Halstead, R.N., were elected members of the committee,
in the room of Captain Sparahott, MN., and Mr. John
Deacon, deceased.

ROY AL ARTILLERY.

GENERAL ORDER.
Deputy-Adjutant-General's-office.
Woolwich, Nov. 27.

Her Majesty the Queen has been pleased to approve
of the following promotion in the Royal Regiment of
Artillery, vie :
Second-Lieutenant Charles John Dowse to be First-
Lieutenant vice Place, retired. Dated, Nov. 11.
H. D. Ross, Deputy-Adjutant•General.

POOR RATES.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
Sin,—On perusing the Cheltenham Journal of Mon-
day, the 17th inst., I found it to contain a copy of a letter
addressed to you from the overseers of the poor of the
parish of Tewkesbury, on the subject of the proceedings
taken by them against Richard King Fletcher, for the
recovery of a poors-rate due by him to the parish,
amounting to Bs. 6d. I feel myself constrained, being
an old inhabitant of the borough, as well as a rate-
payer, to condemn, in the highest degree, such proceed-
ings as being unjust towards the rate-payers in throwing
away no lees a sum then 11/. 16s. tor the sake of re-
covering the paltry, insignificant one of Bs. 6d., which
several individuals would have paid rather than have
allowed such an unnecessary expenditnre and wanton
waste of money ; but this they were prevented from
doing, the whole affair being kept a profound secret, on
purpose, as it would seem, for the mere sake of what is
termed " making an example." The poor fellow now
incarcerated in the Tewkesbury gaol for such non-pay-
ment has paid parochial rates for the last nine years,
and his family before him for near a century. Ile has
been carrying on the business of a whitesmith in Tewkes-
bury, but failed twice, and a sale under a distress for
rent was the result. Shortlyl after this, to add to his
misfortunes, he buried a child. In June last he sold a
sow and pigs for 41. 103., two days after which he left
Tewkesbury, but previous to so doing he paid debts,
amounting to nearly 201., leaving himself only a few
shillings to take him to London, expecting upon his
arrival there to enter immediately into the employ of
Mr. C. White, harness manufacturer, of Liver-
pool-street, instead of which a week and up-
wards elapsed, during which time, and in a
strange place, without money or work, destitute of a
place where to take his wife, himself, or family, his
situation, as may be supposed, must have been most
pitiable. Taking all this into consideration, and even
supposing his circumstances to have been quite the op-
posite to what they really were, I am sure no man with
common sense will attempt to justify an act so unjust
towards the rate-payers. It is indeed an act which
proclaims aloud the absolute necessity of the rate-
payers instituting a rigid' inquiry into how and in what
manner the money has been expended. Should
these remarks be the means of raising up a more able
champion in the cause of justice, and against aggres-
sion, than myself, my desires will be fulfilled.
Craving an insertion of this in your valuable columns,
I will conclude by urging on the overseers to be care-
ful lest they confirm the trite apophthegm of being
"penny wise_ and pound foolish."—l am, Sir, &c..
A RATE-PAYER.
_ _

Tewkesbury, Nov. 21, 1851.
[All further communications on this subjeot must be
pad for as advertisements. —[ED. Sun.)

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.
TATTERSALL'S-YESTERDAY.

The only bets laid yesterday were 3,000 to 45 eget
Goldfinder, 1,000 to 15 agst Knook Knoll, and 1,000 to
10 agst Cockcrow, for the Chester Cup; 1,000 to 40 eget
Womersley for the next Derby, and 3,000 to 90 agst
Vanderdecken for the Derby 1853.

THE METROPOLITAN HANDICAP.—To prevent mis-
takes, we are requested to state that in naming horses
for this race they must be described according to their
ages at present, and not what they may be on the Ist of
January. The entry closes on Monday.

THE CITY IMPROVEMENTS.--Yesterday morning a
large number of labourers were engaged in pulling down the
warehouses and numerous dwellings in Little at. Thomas
Apostle, Queen-street, Cheapside, for the further extension
of the City improvements from King William-street, Lon-
don-bridge, to St. Paul's Churchyard. The commissioners
intend to carry out the whole line of carriage-way and erect
modern and lofty buildings on either side.
THE GREAT EXHIBITION.--Yesterday afternoon a
most interesting sale took place at Messrs. Robins', Covent-
garden, of some of the most elegant articles, which formed
a part of the Grand Exhibition in the Crystal Palace. The
following are the most important :—A most elaborate and
elegant sideboard, embellished by finely carved medallions of
her Majesty and Prince Albert, sold for 310 guineas. This
sideboard exceeded in beauty the one made by the same
artist for the King of Prussia, which cost 600 guineas in
making. A pair of splendidly embroidered cartains display-
ing 40 specimens of flowers copied from Paxton's " Magazine
of Botany," and obtained the honourable mention of the jury
—321. A statuette of the Mother praying over her Child, in
pure alabaster-101. Au elegant table, in 50 different woods
231. The Banner of All Nations, exhibiting the standards
and flags of the different countries-61. A statuette of the
Dying Gladiator-16 guineas. A beautiful figure, Faith in
God," in Carrara marble-51. 7s. Mr. Dobbie's:Atmospheric
Recorder, which indicates the thousandth part of an inch-
-101. Group of Gladiators, in Serpentine marble-171. 10s.
The Grand Coronation Chair, in which George the Fourth
sat and was anointed, before the Crown was placed on his
head, July 17, 1821-71. 78. There was great competition
among the bidders present to obtain some of the vestiges of
the once world's fair.
MOST EXTRAORDINARY AND FATAL QCCURRENCE
IN THE STRAND.—Yesterday a young man named Redgrave
expired in the Charing-cross Hospital, and the following
particulars connected with his death were obtained from
the institution. He was in
antdhe empTuesdloy of Mr. H
ning. Burrow,
paper-stainer, 68, Strand, on ay eve was
called down from his tea, which he was having up stairs.
In complying with the request, he fell down the whole
flight of stairs, and was raised up in an insensible state,
bleeding from the head, besides being apparently in a state
of suffocation. He was carried to the Charing-cross Hos-
pital on the other side of the Strand, when Sir. Aluirlicad
instantly removed from his throat a large piece of beef
steak, which was fixed there. lle was quite insensible, and
placed in a bed in one of the wards, and upon Mr. Dalton,
the house surgeon attending to him, he discovered a large
fracture at the base of the skull, besides other injuries over
the right eye. fie sewed up the outward flesh, but as the
mischief was on the brain, he had no hopes, and the poor
fellow died without having had a conscious moment.
PAT'S RETORT COURTEOUS.--A simple looking 1
Irishman lauded on one of the quays at Liverpool, in search
of harvest work. A fellow on the quay, thinking to quiz
the poor stranger, asked him—" how long, Pat, have you
broke loose from your father's cabin? and how do the pota-
toes eat now ?" The Irish lad, who happened to have a shi-
lelagh in his hand, answered, "Oh 1 they eat very well,
jewel, would you like to taste the stalk ?" And knocking
down Ow inquixor, c9911Y ITAlked