The Sun.
London, England, 1834-10-30 00:00:00

There are 1,750 applications by midshipmen of the
Royal Navy to be appointed to the rank of Lieutenant.
AUSTRALIA.—The new colony which is about to
be immediately founded under the auspices of Government,
will doubtless create much s
peculation among capitalists and
emigrants. At such a time it is very desirable that accurate
information should be obtained on a subject involving the wel-
fare of so great a
number of persons. Let this be sought for
where no party bias is likely to interfere with the statements
of writers. Among others, let the useful " Excursions" of
Lieut. Breton be consulted, and the " Wanderings" of Mr.
Bennett. This last work contains the most recent account
published of New South Wales. "Itis an admirable book,
and presents amusement for the most frivolous, and information
for the most inquisitive, such is the fund of knowledge pos-
sessed by Mr. Bennett, the variety of t?picdiscussed, and the
light and graphic style of his narrative."—United Service
ac.c;flte,

On the breaking up of the King's Council at St.
James's yesterday, the Privy Counsellors immediately
repaired to the Cockpit, for the purpose of resuming
the important inquiry relative to the late destructive fire.
The Speaker of the House of Commons, who was
attired in his State robes, was the first who arrived.
A considerable time however elapsed before their Lord-
ships assembled, and the investigation was resumed.
Mr. Cooper, the gentleman whose evidence has ex-
cited so much attention, accompanied by an intimate
friend, had arrived, and the writer of this had an op-
portunity of having a long conversation with him. In
the course of that conversation Mr. Cooper again re-
peated that he was perfectly confident of the truth of
the statement he had made when before the Council,
and he was fully prepared again to substantiate on
oath every syllable that he then uttered. He was con-
fident that the conversation respecting the fire occurred
at the Bush Inn, long before 10 o'clock on the even-
ing on which it broke out, and that it was impossible
for him to be mistaken. He left London by the ear-
liest coach on Thursday morning, and remained at the
Bush only till between 7 and 8 o'clock on Friday
morning, when, after partaking of an early breakfast
and discharging his bill, he proceeded to the works of
the Dudley Iron Company, with which Company the
business that occasioned his journey was to be tran-
sacted, and at that time he had no intention of return-
ing to Dudley. The mail from London does not ar-
rive in that town until at least four or five hours after
he had left it. He found, however, that it would be
necessary for him to return to Dudley, and he did look
into the Bush Tavern between 11 and 12 o'clock in the
morning ; his stay there was scarcely of five minutes
duration, and during that period he was quite confident
that he had no conversation respecting the fire with
any individual whatsoever ; in fact, the subject was
not mentioned in his hearing. He arrived in town in
sufficient time to attend to business on Saturday morn-
ing, and the first thing in which he was engaged was
receiving orders and taking the measure of some iron
railing for the new Westminster Hospital, opposite the
Abbey. He then met Mr. Barham, the architect, and
the course of conversation naturally led to the circum-
stances attending the destruction of the Houses of
Parliament ; he mentioned to that gentleman, in an
incidental manner, the fact of the conversation at
Dudley, as he had done to several other individuals ;
and at half-past twelve o'clock on Monday, to his utter
astonishment, he received a summons to attend before
the Privy Council.
Mr. Cooper complained of the statement that had
been published respecting the supposed unsoundness
of his mental powers, and remarked, that in a life now
of no inconsiderable length, this was the first time such
a suspicion had been entertained ; and his more im-
mediate friends, as well as himself—although the
situation in which, for the last few days, he had been
placed, was not well calculated to indue unusual tran-
quillity—had, previously to such public announcement,
not the most distant suspicion that he was likely to be
subjected to a such a delusion. As to the insinuation
of his having drunk too much wine, he denies in the
most positive terms that such was the fact. On the
arrival of the several witnesses, they were ushered into
separate rooms, and instructions given to prevent those
who had arrived from Dudley from holding any con-
versation with Mr.,Cooper.
After their Lordships had assembled, they remained
for a considerable time in deliberation, when Mr. Rid-
dle, a commercial traveller connected with a highly re-
spectable house in Bristol, and who was spending the
evening of the Thursday in question at the Bush Inn,
was first called in.

Mr. Riddle, we understand, deposed that he perfectly
recollected that a gentleman answering the description
of Mr. Cooper was at the Bush Inn on the evening of
the day mentioned, but he did not recollect that any
conversation on the subject of the late fire occurred on
that evening.
The landlord of the Bush Inn was next examined
by the LORD CHANCELLOR. His evidence, as we
are informed, was to the same effect. He could not
recollect that he heard of the fact of the fire being men-
tioned on that evening.
Sarah Taylor, the waitress, was the next witness.
In answer to questions from the LORD CHANCELLOR,
she said that such a conversation might have occurred
without her knowledge, as she was not in the habit of
paying attention to the conversation of gentlemen when
she answered the bell : therefore she could not take
upon herself to swear that such a conversation did or
did not take place on that evening. She had no re-
collection of hearing the news herself.
Thomas Meechin, the individual whose name has
been so often mentioned in the papers, and who, it will
be recollected, addressed a letter to his brother, who re-
sides in Berwick-street, Soho, stating that on his jour-
ney to Birmingham, on Thursday evening, he heard
the news of the fire, was also examined. This witness,
who was specially brought to town for the purpose, we
understood, positively persisted in the statement con-
tained in his letter.
Mr. Riddle was then recalled, and after some fur-
ther questions, was asked if he could identify the
gentleman who was with him at the Bush Inn on
Thursday evening ; and on his answering in the affir-
mative, Mr. Cooper was introduced, and we are en-
abled to give the following, as at all events the sub-
stance of what ensued :

On Mr. Cooper entering the room, Mr. Riddle im-
mediately recognized him as spending the evening in
question at the Bush Inn.

The LORD CHANCELLOR then put questions to the
following effect :
Mr. Cooper, do you recellect this gentlemen (point-
ing to Mr. Riddle) ?
Mr. Cooper—Yes, my Lord, I do ; I have a recol-
lection of seeing him before.
The LORD CHANCELLOR—Have you any doubt
but that this is one of the gentlemen with whom you
spent the evening, of the Thursday on which the fire
occurred, at the Bush Inn, Dudley.
Mr. Cooper—l have not the least doubt but it was
in that place, and at that time, I saw this gentleman.
The LORD CHANCELLOR—NOW, Mr. Cooper,
perhaps you may be able to recollect what sort of a
person it was who brought the news of the burning
the two houses ?

Mr. Cooper—l cannot exactly describe him.
The LORD CHANCELLOR—Was he a black man,
or a white man ?

Mr. Cooper—l do not exactly understand your
Lordship's question. He certainly was not what is
called a black man ; that is, not a man of colour.
The LORD CHANCELLOR—No, no ; I don't mean
exactly whether he was a white man or a negro—l
mean, was he of a dark complexion ; did he wear a
black stock, or anything dark or particular about his
dress ; or was he of a dark or light complexion ?
Mr. Cooper—My Lord, I did not pay any parti-
cular attention to his person or appearance.
The LORD CHANCELLOR—Then do you still per-
sist in the accuracy of your former statement, as to the
time when you first heard of the fire ?
Mr. Cooper—l do, my Lord ; and lam confident
I cannot be mistaken.

This was the whole of the evidence adduced, and the
witnesses were then ordered to withdraw. We are in-
formed that those from Dudley were given to under-
stand that they might return home, as, if it were
deemed necessary, they would receive a fresh summons.
It is important here to mention, that Mr. Cooper a
few days since received a letter by the twopenny-post,