The Sun.
London, England, 1834-12-13 00:00:00

LIE NEW WEIGHT AND MEASURE ACT.

On the Ist of January next, the Act for establishing a
just and uniform system of weights and measures will come
into force. I trust its provisions will mee Uhl' more ho-
nest practical observance than has hitherto been the case
with Acts of this description—among the lower class of
retail dealers in particular. It was melancholy to read in
last week's papers, that in the Borough of Southwark alone
sundry fines, to the amount of no less than 7001. were levied
upon various tradesmen, for using false weights and mea-
sures. It is impossible for the fair tradesman to compete
successfully in business with such fraudulent dealers as
these. The worst of all sorts of underselling is that which
consists in underweighing. The poor man is deceived in
thinking be gets full value for his money, when lie does not,
and is as literally robbed as if the money of which he is de-
frauded were taken by force out of his pocket. I much
fear, however, that no legal remedy that can be devised
(except, perhaps, that Turkish one of nailing the ears of
every offender to his door-post), will ever prove adequate to
the extinction of the evil. There has always been—and in
spite of Mr. Owen's benevolent anticipations, will, I sus-
pect, always be—too much dishonesty in the world to per-
mit us to hope for so desirable a consummation. Much,
certainly, depends on the character of the magistracy to
whom the execution of the law is intrusted : were all ma-
gistrates, for example, as determinedly hostile ro the frau-
dulent dealer as the late Brook Watson, there might be
every thing to hope. It is with great pleosure I now recall
.to mind the many impressive addresses which that worthy
alderman was wont to make to inquest juries on the ini-
quity of the users of false weights and measures, and the
necessity of protecting the poor against their devices. His
laudable efforts had a marked effect at the time in lessen-
ng the number of offenders, and yet now, after the lapse of
twenty-eight years, we find them again as numerous and as
daring as ever.
The present method of proceeding on the part of inquest
juries strikes me as particularly injudicious. Can any
thing more absurd be imagined than the notion of body
of public functionaries setting out to detect secret (fenders,
decked out in all the pride and pomp of wardmote grandeur,
with furred robes of office on, and attendant beadles in
gold-laced liveries, bearing gilded staves as big as may-
poles ? For whose sake is all this show ? For the
sake of the inquest themselves, or for the sake of the
public ? To persons who are in the habit of using
false weights and measures, it must often be exceed-
ingly convenient to be forewarned in this way, of the pro.
priety of putting them for the moment out of the way.,
To defend myself individually against being a sufferer
from short weight, I keep a pair of small scales with suit-
able weights, and whenever I detect any dishonesty in those
I deal with, I always change my tradesman, whether but-
cher, baker, cheesemonger, or grocer. By this method I
obtain clear evidence of those who act honestly, and of those
who do not. Conformably to this plan, I would suggest
that every one of the police-stations (of which we have now
enough in all parts of the town), should be furnished with a
set of legal weights and measures, according to the forth-
coming Act, so that every purchaser of any necessary arti-
cles might go there and ascertain whether he has been ho-
nestly dealt with or not. If he has been cheated, then
(putting all enforcement of penalty out of view) be can
have recourse to the remedy I adopt, of trying some other
dealer.—Correspondent of Mechanics' Magazine.

The Marquis of Sligo left his eldest son, the young
Earl of Altamont, in England, for the purpose of proceeding
with his education at Eton. His Lordship frequently visited
Mr. Rice, at the Colonial Office, before the Right Hon. Gen-
tleman quitted office. The mansion of the Noble Marquis, in
Mansfield-street, is still in the occupancy of her Royal High-
ness the Princess de Beira and her nephews, the sons of Don
Carlos.

SIR WILLIAM GELL'S ROME AND ITS VICI-
NITY.—This work is not, and from its nature could not have
been, a hasty production. Years of labours, of lore, have
been devoted to the unconscious accumulation of materials.

The previous publications of the author had rendered hint
skilful in the immediate practice of classical antiquarianism ;
the study of a whole life had imbued him with the requisite
knowledge and feeling for the task. When the composition
was finally determined on, be made, in addition to personal
examinations, a trigonometrical survey of the district, applying
modern science to bear upon ancient remains. The result of
this particular labour accompanies the work in the shape of the
completest map of " Rome and its Environs" we ever saw, or
which, indeed, can ever have been published. No one can
thoroughly study the history of the earlier ages of Rome, 0,-
understand the more familiar allusions of her writers, without
possession this work.—Spectator.
ALARMING ACCIDENT ON THE RIVER.--
yesterday afternoon, about three o'clock, during the fog,
which was very dense on the river, the London Merchant
steam-ship, which was coming up the Pool, on her return
from Rotterdam, and the Brilliant Gravesend steamer, going
down the Thames, met each other nearly opposite Execution
Dock, \Yapping, and a serious collision took place. It ap-
pears that the two vessels were going half speed, and were
very near each other before the respective Captains and pilots
were aware of the fact ; and, though the order to stop was
given, the collision could not be prevented, and the ironwork
on the larboard side of each vessel was carved away, and other
damage caused. A part of the paddlebox of the Brilliant was
also stove in, and as well as could be ascertained in the con-
fusion that prevailed she appeared to have received the most
injury. She turned on her broadside, and came in contact
with a lug-boat, laden with coals, lying alongside the tier of
shipping off Church-stairs. The tugboat immediately went
down, and a man on hoard had great difficulty in sarina his
life, and was only enabled to save some of his gear. Both
steamers, after a short delay, proceeded onwards to their re-
speetive destinations. The passengers were greatly alalnaed,
and when the collision took place ran fore and aft calling out
for boats from the shore. Several watermen put off, but the:
fears of the passengers being allayed their services was not re-
quired.