The Sun.
London, England, 1851-08-22 00:00:00

THE ST. ALBANS ABSENTEES.

The return of Skeggs a❑d Burchmore to St. Al-
bans, from which owing to their visit to Boulogne,
they had been absent since April last, when they ab-
sconded from the Parliamentary Committee, has
created some little sensation in that locality. It
appears that after being discharged from the Mansion-
house they repaired to the Great Northern Railway,
and arrived in St. Albans the same evening, where
they took up their quarters at the George Hotel. It
is said they feign forgetfulness on all matters con-
nected with local and electioneering affairs, and ap-
pear to prefer answering all questions and kind in-
quiries in French, with their proficiency in which
they edify their fellow-townsmen. It has been ascer-
tained with considerable certainty that Waggett has
emigrated to New York, one of the local police at
Dieppe having informed Forester that he saw him
embark on board for that purpose. Hayward is still
understood to be in France, and Edwards, who it
will be remembered was committed to the custody of
the Sergeant-at-Arms, on being liberated from New.
gate on the day of the prorogation of Parliament,
returned to his family at St. Albans, after a period
of four months' confinement. Being committed
for a misdemeanour of what, in prison par-
lance, is called a misdemeanour of the first class,
he was allowed in Newgate to have what he liked,
and looked none the worse on the day of his discharge
when the formal authority of the Speaker was issued for
the purpose. It is said that, although the proclamation
for the apprehension of these men became a dead let-
ter on the adjournment of the House of Commons,
whose power over the delinquents also expired, yet
that the llouse of Lords, whose constitutional powers
do not decline with the close of the session, have the
power, the St. Albans Bribery Commission Bill
having been before them, to detain and commit the
parties for contempt and absconding. Though the
proclamation of reward for the capture of the absent
witnesses is alleged only to run during the period
of the session, the proclamation itself makes no men-
tion of this, however that might, so to speak, be the
reasonab:e intendment. By some it is thought that
the reward is legally recoverable, but if so, as the
proclamation was royal, and as a subject cannot
bring an action against the Queen, the question would
have to be raised by what is called a petition of right.
The entire transaction since April last has been most
cleverly " clandestined " by the secret agencies be-
hind the scenes, and the cost is supposed to have been
considerable.

THE SLAVES OF ROME.
(From the Dublin Constitution)
The slaves of Rome, the slaves of Rome,
Whose chains the heaven-sent martyrs broke,
Still madly rage, and idly foam.
And kiss the Pope's accursed yoke.
While brilliant sunshine gleams around,
In willing bondage they are found.
The Smithfield and the Oxford fir.),
Around the martyrs carl'd and blas'd;
But with that courage faith inspires,
With oyes to hesven in calmness rats'd,
They stood erect, and bravely diNl—
Their country's glory, and its pride.
Ireland yet thinks on Derry's walls,
And Derry's sons their duties know.
Ilarkl for a voice of thunder calls r
On all true hearts to fear no fool
While " no surrender" is their theme,
Rome's power is but a shadowy dream.

A prince came o'er the ocean wave,
And stood whero Boyne's fam'd river flows,
Our freedom and our faith to save,
And crush for ever impious foes.
The traitor .lames saw, on that day,
Toe gathering storm—and fled away!
'Tis cheering, in these doubtful days,
When, under garb of " charity,"
Men flatter fiends with hateful praise,
And to earth's reptiles bend the knee,
To think how God was William's shield
On stormy wave, and battle-field.
Shall we in fancied peace now rest,
And trust false Rome? Our fathers stood
Against her with undaunted breast,
And dared to shed their heart's best blood.
Oh, for their spirits once again,
To till the frames of living men!
What! have. we none to stand for truth,
To raise its glorious banner high,
Like those tried vet'rane, and brave youth,
Who fought for immortality,
Grappled w ith death, in storm and flame,
And gave this land a lustrous name?
Oh, not in vain, their heroic lives
And deaths, by which our rights were gain'd;
And not a friend of truth now strives,
Who by their faith is not sustain'd.
Hark! from their graves doth come a voice,
That bids Rome weep, and earth rejoice.
We have our fathers' broadswords yet,
Nor are their spears and muskets gone;
Should Rome her scythes for slaughter whet,
Our weapons we would buckle on,
And, in one storm of passion, sweep
The rebel horde into the deep.
Then lift the glorious banner high;
Wave it o'er freemen true and bold;
Let fire flash from each haughty eye,
And the pulse throb with pride untold;
And then—yes, death or victory,
Rome crush'd, hell foil'd, and Ireland free!
The tyrant of the Italian land,
The blood-stained Pope—a coward knave—
Dug with a base and brutal hand,
For Roman freedom deepest grave;
And should his treasons be forgot,
Worse things than these would be our lot.
Raise higher, then, the banner bright,
O'er Derry's walls, and Bandon's streets;
Wave to and fro its folds of light;
And as that flag each true heart greets,
A flame is kindled far and near,
Which freemen love, and tyrants fear.
Trust not high office to Rome's slaves,
Their gods are paste, and wood, and atone;
The only boon a Papist craves,
Is these to serve, and these alone.
Hence, fire and faggot, lies and fraud,
Rome's vassals honour and applaud.
Once more, and yet more high, upraise
Truth's glorious standard, waving free,
Beforo the nation's raptur'd gaze,
The gladdest sight the eye can see;
My own is thrill'd with tears of joy,
That none that bright flag can destroy.
Let bigots rave, then, as they may,.
And cowards threaten, as they will;
The truth is making glorious way—
Conquering, and to conquer still,
Ireland with England thus will vie—
Now, sops of William, do or die!
[Or else it will be all my eye!]
A SOUTHERN.

A CURIOUS WELSH PETTICOAT.
Among many specimens of the unnoticed industry of
Welsh peai,ants, which have been unable to find their
way to the Great Exhibition, a knitted woollen petticoat
attracts considerable attention in the principality. It is
described as being a very unique garment, about 3i
yards in width, of the proper length for an ordinary
person, with beautiful ornamental scallops at the bottom.
Every turn has one thousand six hundred stitches, which
took the industrious knitter exactly one hour to com-
pete. There are in the knitting twelve different pat-
terns, and the waist is so constructed that it admits of
being adjusted to the body without any stitching what-
ever. This industrial curiosity is the production of
Elizabeth, wife of Nat. Evans, of Ferment, Montgom.ry-
shire, North Wales, a labouring man, with nine children.
Her poverty is so great that, in order to complete her
design, LlizAbeth Evans had to obtain a few ounces of