The Sun.
London, England, 1834-11-18 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX.

We have just learnt that the most active measures are
in progress to set up a county meeting of freeholders, &c.,
of Middlesex. The Tories, by this rash step, have hastened
the drogress of practical reforms at least ten years.

QUICK PASSAGE.—The County of Pembroke
steamer sailed from this port on the morning of the sth inst.,
with a strong gale from the S. W., so much so that no sailing
vessel could put to sea, and arrived at Milford in 24 hours.
The distance is 155 miles..—Bristol Mercury.

A steam-engine boiler, on the premises of -Aydon
and Co., steam-engine manufacturers, of Humber Dock-
green, Hull, burst at an early hour on Wednesday morning
week, and shattered the engine-house to pieces, and blew
part of the machinery into the river Humber, a distance of
200 yards. It was most fortunate that few persons were there at
the time, or the consequences might have been very calami-
tous ; as it was, however, a boy was crushed to death beneath
a large piece of iron, weighing upwards of a ton, and two
men employed on the premises were seriously injured by the
fall of pieces of the machinery. The engine had not been
set to work at the time of the accident, and it is supposed
that the man employed to light the fire to get up the steam had
neglected to put a sufficient quantity of water in the boiler,
which in consequence became red hot.
PROGRESS OF ROMAN CATHOLICISM.—A map
his been published by the Reformation Society, exhibiting the
situation of Roman Catholic chapels, colleges, and seminaries
in the several counties of England, Scotland, and Wales, up
to January, 1833. From this it appears that the total number
of Catholic chapels in England and Wales in 1833 was 423,
and in Scotland 74, being an increase in England and Wales,
since 1824, of 65 ; and in Scotland, since 1829, of 23 Roman
Catholic places of worship. The counties in England pos-
sessing the greatest number of Catholic chapels are : —Lan-
cashire, 87 ; Yorkshire, 52 ; Staffordshire, 25 ; Northumber-
land and Middlesex, each 19 • Warwickshire and Durham,
each 14; Hampshire, 12 ; and Lincolnshire, li. There is
no Catholic chapel in the counties of Rutland and Huntingdon.
In Wales, Catholicism seems to have made little progress.--
Bristol Mercury.
The magistrates seem to have taken the most effec-
tual means to put down drunkenness on the Sunday by "stop-
ping the tap." They have prohibited the opening of public-
houses till one o'clock in the afternoon ; so that unless a man
can keep the liquor taken on the preceding night until that
hour, he can have no chance of figuring as a drunkard in the
streets on the Sunday forenoon.—Liverpool Albion.
TUNEFUL GAOL BIRDS.--When the caravan in
which the prisoners convicted at Leeds Sessions are conveyed
to Wakefield House of Correction approdches the place of
durance so familiar to many of them, they are accustomed to
raise their voices in affectionate welcome, by singing in chorus
" Home 1 sweet home !"

SINGULAR ROBBERY.---It has been said that no-
thing is too hot or too heavy for a thief, and a curious instance
occurred last week in Maidstone, which shows that nothing is
too large for one. A man went into the tap-room of the
King's Head, called for a pint of beer, and paid for it. Soon
afterwards he was missed, and with him the tap-room table,
which he must have carried past the bar window. Neither
man nor table have since been heard of.—Maidstone Paper.
A MISER.—An old man named Harden, died a
few days since in an obscure lodging in Scarrol's-lane, New-
port, Isle of Wight. He had long perambulated the streets
of the town as a common beggar, collecting old rags, and liv-
ing upon the refuse of the streets. He managed some time
since to gain admittance to the house of industry, where he
was for some time maintained as a pauper, but a knowledge of
his property coming to the ears of the directors, he was
obliged to vacate. A few minutes before his death he handed
over to his landlady a dirty rag, in which was discovered
securities for the sum of 3781., bearing interest, in the bank
of Messrs. Kirkpatrick ; and amongst the straw upon which
he lay a very valuable silver watch was afterwards found, and
it has since been discovered that several large sums of money
have been lent to different individuals besides.—Bristol Mer.