The Sun.
London, England, 1856-08-20 00:00:00

THE WEATHER.

A marked and, even for this fickle climate, sin-
gular change in the weather has taken place since
Saturday last. In the afternoon of that day the
wind set in at north-east, and it suddenly became
sharp and cold. Sunday, though a fine and bright
day, the temperature fell lower ; and yesterday, in
the absence of all sunshine, the glass sunk to 50,
being nearly 30 degrees below what it stood at only
eight or ten days previously. In fact, during any
part of the day no one would have been surprised
at the apparition of a snow shower in the middle
of the month of August. The change from tropical
heat to an intense cold has been general in Ireland
—all the last weather reports announcing the veer-
ing of the wind to a north-easterly point, with all
the symptoms of a premature winter. This morn-
ing opened dark and gloomy, but the cold has
somewhat abated.

TEE RUNNING DOWN OF THE BPIG
IIENRIETTE, OF BAYONNE.

SUNDERLAND, AUG. 16.

Captain John Allan, of the ship Clontarf, of and from
London, 1091 tons, for this port in ballast, has made the
following deposition respecting the running down of the
brig Henriette, of Bayonne, on the 13th, and the whole
of the crew, excepting three, drowned :
" Sailed from London on the sth inst., and proceeded
without any material occurrence till the Ith inst., when
at about 1 o'clock p.m. be arrived at Sunderland Roads
and got a pilot on board, who took command of the
ship—E, fresh. At 2 p.m. engaged the steam tug Eagle,
of Sunderland, to tow the ship into the south cloak, but
before proceeding sent the steam tug to give notice of
the ship being iu the roads. Six o'clock—The steam
tug returned, and the master of the tug reported that
the dockmaster bad not a sufficient number of men to
open the gates. Captain Allan immediately wore ship,
and made sail close hauled on a wind, which was then
freshening. 10 p.m.—Wind still increasing, blowing
dead on a lee shore, the ship scarcely holding her own,
carrying as much canvas as she could stand under. 4
a.m.—Weathered Souter Point, all bands having been
at their stations during the night tacking ship occasion•
ally. 6.30 a.m.—The pilot tacked ship towards the
port, and when off the entrance, distant about 2 miles,
fired three guns as a signal for the steam tug to come
out, and at a quarter-past seven a.m. the steam tug
Firefly came alongside, and took a hawser and towed
the ship seaward on the starboard tack. 10 a.m.—The
master of the steam-tug Eagle came off, and informed the
pilot that be might proceed into the dock. Immediately
clewed up and furled all sails, except the foretopsail,
and when within half a mile of the dock entrance the
master of the steam tug Eagle, having gone into the
dock, came off again, and informed Capt. Allan and the
pilot that the dockmaster would not take the ship into
dock, in consequence of the wind being so strong. Cer-
tain Allan immediately engaged the Firefly and Eagle
to tow the ship to Shields harbour, but after towing
about an hour, being off Souter Point, three miles dis-
tant from Shields harbour, finding it was too late to save
the tide, he (Captain Allan) discharged the steam-tugs,
and at 12.50 p.m., made all sail and stood off the land.
11th, 3 p.m.—Tacked ship to the south, the wind trio-
derate, thick and hazy; 6 p.m. tacked to the north, and
at 8 p.m. Tynemouth Light bore SW by W, distant
about 15 miles ; 11 p.m. tacked ship to south ; and
about midnight, all hands being on deck, and a light
fixed on the bowsprit, and one of the crew at the helm,
the pilot walking the deck, and Captain Allan and bb
chief officer walking the front of the poop, and Richard
Richards, Frost, and Ranjohn on the port side of the
forecastle, and Samedam on the starboard side, keeping
a look out, the night being very dark, the ship lying
SW by S on the port tack, close hauled under ton-ails
and courses, the wind blowing fresh from the SE, the
chief officer reported a light nearly right ahead, and
Captain Allan called to the man at the helm to put it
bard a-port, which was immediately done, and in about
a quarter of an hour afterwards Captain Allan and crew
observed the light to be on the weather beam, and bad
the appearance of being about a mile and a half off,
upon which Captain Allan caused the ship to resume
her course. la. M . —The ship still close-hauled, and the
crew keeping a good look out, one of them, Samedam,
reported a light one point on the lee, which was abet
seen on the poop at the same time. Immediately after-
wards a vessel was observed close ahead on the star-
board tack. The helm of the Clontarf was still kept
a-port, but the vessels almost instantly came into col-
lision with each other, the Clontarf striking with her
stem 'the other vessel's port aide, which went down
head foremost, and nothing was seen of her or her crew
except the master end mate, who saved themselves by
getting bold of the bobstays of the Clontarf. As see❑
as the collision took place the sails were thrown aback,
and a boat was got ready to go to the aQsistance of the
stranger and her crew, but nothing being seen of rit
was not lowered. The strange vessel proved to be the
French brig Henriette, of Bayonne. The Clontarf re-
mained hove to for some time, looking for the crew of
the sunk vessel, and afterwards filled sails and proceeded
to this port, where she arrived on the 12th instant.—
Shipping Gazette.

UNCERTAINTY OF PUNISHMENTS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SI ,—Will you kindly permit me to join in the out-
cry, now loud and serious, against capital punishment,
as now consummated or remitted at the caprice of the
Home Secretary—for the sparing of Celestina Sumner
and the hanging of the woman Brown, at Throheiter, is
only a fair sample and proof that the merits of the case
has nothing whatever to do with these decisions.
But it is not in extreme cases alone that uncertainty
prevails, but in every-day cases two magistrates treat
similar cases as opposite as light and darkness. I give
two cases in illustration :—Oa July 9th, Samuel Niell,
whose wife keeps a marine store shop, had bought
some brass, stolen from a manufacturer; full value was
given ; the husband had never seen it until his wife pro-
duced it to the policeman, who took away the brass,
and told the wife that she must go before the magistrate
"Oh," says Niell, " I am the responsible party if any
thing is wrong." Off the policeman took him, and
although the boy's evidence showed that the husband
was not the party who bought it, Niell, a man 60 years
of age, infirm, unfit for business, and against whose
moral character and honesty not a whisper was ever
raised, was committed for buying with a guilty know-
ledge, and is now suffering six months' hard labour FOR
THE OFFENCE.

The parallel case waa settled last Friday at the Man-
sion-house. Henry Isaacs and Joseph Moses had stolen
ten reels of plated wire, worth 455., from their employer,
a Mr. Corowel, in the Minories. A marine store dea'er
bought them for 33. ! ! The marine store dealer is
treated as an honeA man, and the boys have each Eis
weeks hard labour. And these are fair samples of every-
day justice in the metropolis.
Niell is poor, and past all power of earning a litirg,
and his wife was in au evil hour advised to keep a ma-
rine store, to which she is unused, only a few mon•hs
ago, and the result is that they have paid a penalty, it
appears, not for dishonesty, tint to the caprices and irre-
gularity of our administration of justice,
OBSERVER.

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT THE NGRTHPLEET IRON WORKS.
—GRAVESEND, August I.9.—Yesterday afternoon a de-
structive fire took place at the extensive works of
Messrs. Wells, Bell, and Co., engineers and ironfounders,
situate at Nortbfleet. The discovery was made shortly
after ono o'clock, when the men were away at their din-
ner. Engines from Nortbfleet dockyard were promptly
brought to the spot, and the tide being up, they at once
were got into efficient operation, and saved the larger
portion of the works from falling a prey, but the loss of
property must be considerable, The firm are harmed in
several office