The Sun.
London, England, 1856-08-28 00:00:00

MRS. HARRIET MARTINEAU.

The following letter, addressed to the editor, appears
in the Derwentwater Journal :

" Sir,—ln a paragraph which appears in your paper
of yesterday, it is stated that Miss Martineau, the cele-
brated authoress, had lately visited Cockermouth. As
it is evidently meant to refer to Mrs. H. Martineau,
of the Knoll, who has been unable in consequence of
severe illness to go beyond the porch of her house during
the last fifteen months, I will thank you to contradict
the report in your next publication. Her increasing in-
firmity makes it desirable that she should not be dis-
turbed by the visits of strangers, who are misled by
your report to suppose that her health has been re-
stored. lam authorised, as her medical attendant, to
make this communication to you, and enclose Mrs. H.
Martineau's card with my own as a gurt•antee of its
accuracy.—larn, 86c.,
"J. C. SEEPHERD."

We seek to give a wide publicity to this letter,
because we have reason to know that intrusion of
curious strangers has become an absolute persecution to
the distinguished authoress to whom it relates. We
can sympathise with the strong desire, inherent in in-
genuous minds, to see and converse with gifted individ-
uals who have devoted their talents to the service of
humanity. But mixed with these are a number of
curious inipertinents who are simply animated by a silly
curiosity. It is precisely this class that is most intru-
sive, and during the summer months the lake districts
swarm with such. When we have adverted to the face
that, notwithstanding her shattered health, Mrs. H.
Martineau devotes every hour in which pain leaves her
free to prosecute her labours in disseminating informa-
tion on the most important economical, political, and
social questions—that on the verge of existence her
active interest in all that concerns humanity is as genial
and comprehensive as ever—we have said enough to
show all right-minded persons the absolute necessity of
not harassing her by the intrusion of visits of mere idle
curiosity.

THE ROYAL NOR7II LANCASIIIRE AGRICUL-
TURAL SOCIETY.

PRESTON, WEDNESDAY.

The proceedings in connection with the annual meeting
of the Royal North Lancashire Agricultural Association
commenced this morning by the trial of agricultural im-
plements, which took place i❑ a large field at Pen-
wortham, a beautifully-situated village, on the banks of
the river Ribble, about two miles from Preston. There
was a large and varied number of implements on the
ground, and the display attracted the attendance of a
considerable number of visitors, including several of the
leading gentry and farmers of the county and surrounding
district. _ _

The show of live stock and agricultural produce, which
will take place to-morrow, promises to be one of the
finest that has ever taken place in the north of England,
and from all that I can gather the competition will be
close and interesting.
The annual dinner will take place in the rooms of the
Corn Exchange, which are sufficiently spacious to ac-
commodate from 600 to 800. Lord Stanley, M.P., will
preside.

THE BRITISH ARCHIEOLOGICA
ASSOCIATION.

BRIDGEWATER, AUG. 27.
The members and friends returned from the visit to

Glastonbury and Wells at 9 o'clock last evening, and
this morning an excursion was made, notwithstanding
the caution of the clouds, to Martock, Stoke-sub-Ham-
dos, where the churches, the remains of the Cluniao
Monastery, and the position of an encampment, were
the chief objects of attraction. Brympton Church, which
was also visited, has undergone many alterations. It
is the burial place of the Sydenharn family from the time
of Edward IV. The monuments are so stately That a
kind of apology was thought necessary for the sump-
tuousness of the tomb, which is expressed in some quaint
lines inscribed thereon.

On the return this evening there will be a meeting
or conversazionc. Last night, in consequence of the
lateness of the hour at which the party returned from
Wells, the intended meeting was converted into an even•
ing conversational entertainment ; and such will probe•
bly be the arrangement to-day.

THE BIRKENHEAD AND CHESTER RAILWAY CODIPANY.
—On Monday morning a dispute, which at one time
threatened to result in a serious riot, occurred at the
dock terminus of the Chester and Birkenhead Railway
Company, at Birkenhead. It appeared that some short
time since the railway company commenced building a
wall between their property and the corporation road
at Birkenhead, which wall the Birkenhead commis.
sioners considered as an encroachment on the public
highway. Some correspondence took place relative to
the matter, and the railway company was served with
a legal notice that the wall was an obstruction. As tte
c unpany, in spite of this, continued to build the wall,
the commissioners' officials proceeded to the spot oa
Monday, attended by a posse of police and a number of
workmen, who immediately commenced to pull down
the portions of the wall in process of erection. On this
the railway company collected all their men, and
brought up a railway engine, which discharged such a
quantity of warm water on the forces of the commis-
sioners that they beat a retreat. A parley now ensued,
which resulted in the railway company deferring the
further building of the wall until the next meeting of the
directors. The treaty thus concluded was at once ear-
ned out, and good order once more reigned in Birken.
bead.

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