The Sun.
London, England, 1851-01-02 00:00:00

THE S

dispatch was delivered, certifying the time of landing or
delivery of such messenger or dispatch, as the case may
be, at the place of destination, in order that such c,-)1-
lector, controller, or other proper officer, may be satisfied
that the object of the voyage has been duly carried out
within a proper and reasonable time.
" Regulation 11.—It is provided that all licences al-
ready granted, or to be granted, by the said Commis-
sioners, before the date of these regulations coming into
operation, shall be deemed valid and effectual for the
purposes for which they were granted, unless and until
the same or any of them respectively shall be revoked
by the said Commissioners.
" Notice.—Any vessel or boat which shall or may be
found or discovered to have been used, armed, navigated,
or employed beyond the limits assigned by the fore-
going regulattons in respect of such vessel or boat, or in
any manner contrary to the said regulations, such vessel
or boat will be liable to seizure and forfeiture, unless
such vessel or boat shall have on board a special licence
or pass, as provided by the 9th or 10:h of such regula-
tions, authorizing such vessel or boat to be so used,
armed, navigated, and employed, at the time and place,
and in the manner when, where, and in which the same
shall he so found or discovered to have been."

SCENE IN A PUSEYITE:CHURCH.
(From the Plymouth Journal.)
Yesterday being Christmas-day we paid a visit to
the district church of St. Stephen, Clewance-street,
Devonport. We had taken the precaution to drop a
note-book into our pocket. After emerging into the
street above-mentioned, where this secluded church is
situated, we, observed in a dirty lamp a burner, in the
shape of a cross, fixed over the door, as a sign of the
entrance. Directly we entered we took a seat as
near the pulpit as possible, and were glancing
round at the smart things that met our eyes, for
they are placed there to be looked at, when we
encountered the physiognomy of an old grey-
headed man in spectacles, who said that if we came
there for the purpose of taking notes, it were better
that we were absent. The next thing that attracted
our attention was the meagre congregation, there
being only twenty-six adults present, fifteen of whom
were women. These included the male and female
teachers of two or three schools, composed of a dozen
children, or so, end these youngsters occupied the
of the teachers in keeping them quiet. On
the right and lett, at toe heat of toe tthupel,
were erected red screens, which were sur-
mounted and ornamented with festoons of laurel.
Within these screens were fitted reading-desks, and
under them were ten boys, dressed in surplices
with loose sleeves, who chaunted the whole of
the responses. The branches of gas lights wer..
hung with laurel, and bunches of evergreens were
fastened to the sides of the desks which the priest,
occupied. The officiating clergymen were the Rev.
G. W. Proctor, incumbent, and his assistant, the
Rev. Robert Heaviside. When the Nicene Creed was
being read, by Priest Heaviside, he faced towards the
west, while Priest Proctor turned his back to the
people, and looked against the wall. The bowings
were w ithout number, and the changing of pines
with the two clergymen just as numerous. The
service having been gone through, Mr. Proctor,
in his szrplice, ascended the pulpit, and com-
menced his sermon, while we commenced taking
notes; while so doing, a thin spare in :n came
and tat alongside of us, and pointing to the
priest, he desired us to look towards him. We com-
plied with the strange request, and we at once sew
that his reverence had made a discovery. He eyed us
most fiercely, and turning colourless, he discontinued
his sermon, and amidst the full gev of the congrega-
tion the following extraonlinay colicquy took place :
Mr. Proctor (addressing our reporter, who sat very
quietly in his seat) —Sir, are yen come here for th,
purpose of worshipping or not? Our reporter, who at
this moment was lost in astonishment at what he heard,
dropped his pencil, and looked round to see from
whom this observation fell, but made no reply. Mr.
Proctor—l see you are writing ? Reporter—l am.
Mr. Proctor—Then do you think, sir, it 13 becoming
for you to come into a place of worship and write en
such a day as this ? Reporter—l apprehend it is not
unbecoming of me to put myself in possession of your
sermon if I think proper. Mr. Proctor—What do
you say, sir ? Reporter—l say, sir, that this is a
public place of worship, and I can write if I choose.
It so happpens, sir, that I am a member of the
Church of England, and I shall remain and write.
Mr. Proctor—l desire that you will desist. It is
annoying the congregation, and this is a sacred place.
The reporter then resumed his seat, all eyes being
turned upon him, and he dotted down the above con-
versation, his book resting upon his knee. Mr. Proc-
tor proceeded with his sermon for a few seconds, and
as we were making good the lost ground, he turns d
upon us again and said, " You are still writing ?"
The Reporter bowed an assent. Mr. Proctor—Now,
air, I tell you in the face of God and this congrega-
tion, that if you do not desist, but continue to write,
you are committing an offence in the face of Almighty
God. We were perfectly paralysed—our pencil re-
fused to do its office—the leaves of the note bo,
appeared as if unable to receive the cyphers—and
our hands were not sufficiently strong to hold either.

CAPTURE OF STARLINGS IN THE
HEBRIDES.

The following amusing paragraph is from the
Inverness Advertiser : —There are immense flocks of
starlings in Uist, and up to this year they found their
roosting place in the rocky caves which abound along
the shore. They are excellent keepers of time ; for,
if watched, it mill be seen that, at a given hour,
they leave their roosting place, and at a certain
hour they are to be noticed at different resting
places on their way to the end of their daily tom
of some ten miles for food. At a given time, almost
to a minute, they are to be seen again at certain
points, on their return homewards. This year the 3
found out a new night asylum, more comfortable than
the damp caves. A lake of considerable extent was
drained some years ago on the west side, between
Balaton° and Soolpek, and the reclaimed land was
converted, by the enterprise of Dr. Macleod, into
good pasturage. For this the Highland Society
voted a handsome premium, and the worthy doctor
built a small tower on the enclosure to commemorate
the work. The top story of this tower was made
into a pigeon•hozse, and was well stocked - but the
pigeons are now few in number, owing to the ravages
of the many large hawks which are to be seen overy•
where. The starlings took a fancy for the almost
untenanted pigeon-house, and they might have enjoyed
possession if only they had been quiet. But their
restlesci, ceaseless noise and chattering attracted the
attention even of the almost deaf and now " old
Ewan Oag," who lives bard by, and who takes charge
of the tower. The news spread abroad, and on a
hapless night the dove-cot windows were stuffed.
'rho youths of the neighbourhood were next thy
summoned to the exploit of capturing the starlings
The ladder of the pigeon-house was speedily scaled,
with a light foot and a light heart. They found a
motley crowd of noisey occupants, who perched oe
their shoulders and caps, very many hundreds, perhaps
thousands. They might have had the whole, but
thinking some three hundred sufficient for goodly pier
for all the party, the rest got their liberty. Very
many foolish starlings still continue to go every night
to this " Castle Dangerous."

INCENDIARY FIRE AND CAPTURE OP THE IN-
CENDIARIES.—On Wednesday evening last, as Hodge, the
policeman of Bassingbourn, Cambridgeshire, and Stamford,
one of the night watchmen, were going their round in the
outskirts of the village, about half-past seven o'clock, and
passing by some stacks belonging to Mr. S. Clear, they all at
once saw a light at the stacks, as though caused by the
striking of a lucifer-match. In an instant the stacks began
to blaze, the constables made towards the spot, and saw two
persons running towards them. llodge crouched down and
allowed one of the fellows to run into his arms. The other,
seeing his confederate captured, ran away, was chased by
Stamford, and ultimately captured. The fire, in the mean-
time, spread rapidly, and destroyed two straw stacks and a
large quantity of haulm, but no corn was consumed. The
captured incendiaries were both youths of the place, named
Howes and Rowlin, and have long been suspected of being
concerned with others in causing the many aclamitous and
devastating incendiary fires that have taken place in this
parish. This is the third fire Mr. Clear has had; for in
May, 1849, the valuable homestall, with live and dead stock
to a largo amount, were destroyed, and in September, 1850,
several stacks of corn were consumed. On Thursday the
two young men were fully committed for trial to the next
assizes, by the Rev. Messrs. Law and Fendall ; one is aged
16, and the other 18. They have made a full confession of
their guilt.
FALMOUTH, JAN. I.—Wind W.S.W. fresh gales and
squally.—Arrd. Elizabeth, Rawlinson, Jaffa for Wex-
ford.
DEAL, .lAN. I.—Wind strong and squally at S.W.—
Arrd. Ipswich Buenos Ayres. Arrd. from the River,
Lady 14
Barbadoes.

NEW HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT.
A great number of workmen are busily engaged in
preparing the Conference-room and Library of the new
Houses of Parliament. The Conference room, where
an appointed number of the Lords and Commons meet
to settle any matter which may be in dispute betwixt the
two Homes, is an elegant chamber of splendid propor-
tionF, with a roof richly carved. In the compartments
between the raised carved work ornamental paper of
various patterns and colours has been put up, to enable
Mr. Barry and his assiAants to determine what colours
and designs shall eventually be adopted in ornamenting
the chamber. Proceeding from the Conference-room
through three ether rooms attached to the House of
Lords, the library of the House of Commons, consisting
of a suite of three rooms, is entered. These apartments
are fitted up with greet taste and simpl'eity. The
lower shelves are closed ones, slightly ornamented, and
the others are subdivided into compartments capable of
holding from five to ten volumes each. The floor of the
rooms is of old English oak, laid down in squares of from
one to two feet, and the rooms are to be warmed by
pipes placed in the recesses of the windows, and are
constructed after the mode adopted in steam-engines, in
which the greatest possible amount of heat can be dis-
tributed from au apparatus occupying the smallest
space. The committee-rooms attached to the Mime of
Lords are also in a state of great forwardness, and when
finished will present a very elegant and graceful appear-