The Sun.
London, England, 1858-12-24 00:00:00

nature :
" Oh, Heaven, that thou wouldst place a scourge in every
honest hand,
To lash such rascals bare-backed through the world."

MR. G. T. F. SMITHS WEATHER PRE-
DICTIONS FOR JANUARY, 1859.

Near the 4th, cold, rain or sleet, stormy. Near
7th, temperature rises ; rather milder. From the
7th to the 11th, temperature fluctuating, but alter-
nately bright and lowering. Near 13th, stormy
and cold ; but as we approach the 15th or the 17th
there may be a slight rise in temperature; and
from thence to the end of the month there will be
intense cold and congelation, rendering January,
1859, one of those Januarys classing amongst the
coldest on record—snow, with stormy driftings in-
tervening, but frost predominates.

Januarys:l79s and 1814 were the coldest Januarys
on record, and the phenomena for January, 1859,
appears to my humble judgment not essentially
different, though probably not so extreme.
It will be seen I have not waived the question of
temperature for Dec. 1858, and the electric state of
the atmosphere, with thunder on the 19th and 22d,
proves the mild weather predicted has been in con-
currence therewith, as a warm atmosphere generates
electricity at all seasons of the year.

Sr. MARTIN'S HALL.

An exceedingly interesting and not less instructive lee

ture on elocution, intonation, and the art of judiciously
exercising the voice in reading, reciting, and public speak-
ing, was delivered at St. Martin's Hall yesterday evening,
by Mr. Jenkins, author of the ingenious and learned "Essay
on the Philosophical Principles of the English Language."
The lecturer, whose discourse indicated an intimate fami-
liarity with his subject, described in forcible and earnest
language the advantage of suiting tone, emphasis, and action
to the sentiment delivered, and traced the want of effect in
many of our English speakers and singers to their cold,
unimpassioned delivery, in which the value of expressive
gesture and sympathetic intonation is totally disregarded.
Mr. Jenkins illustrated his judicious maxims by a variety
of poetical and oratorical recitations, which he delivered in
a most impressive manner, and his lecture, which was
listened to with manifest satisfaction, was rendered addi-

tionally attractive by the occasional introduction of vocal
and instrumental music, performed very skilfully by the
Misses Baxter. The lecture will be repeated on an early
day.

The. Earl and Countess Stanhope are passing the
season at Chevening-park, Kent.
Viscount Eversley and the Hon. Misses Shaw
Lefevre have returned to Heckfield-park, Hants, for the
holidays.
Viscount and Viscountess M elgund hare arrived
at their residence in Chester-square from Scotland.
Lord and Lady Willoughby de Eresby are at
present at Torquay. They will leave at the close of this
month for Drummond Castle, N.B.
Lady Stuart de Rothesay has arrived at the resi-
dence of the Countess Somers, in Grosvenor-place.
The Dowager Lrdy Truro is confined to her resi-
dence in Eaton-square, by an attack of asthma.
Lord and Lady Aveland have been entertaining
a numerous circle of Mends at Normanton Park during the
past month.
Sir Henry Fletcher arrived in town yesterday
from a tour in Egypt. Sir Henry will leave to-day to join
his regiment at Windsor.

Sir Edward and Lady Colebrooke have arrived
at Farrance's Hotel, Belgravia, from Edinburgh.

The Right Hon. J. W. Henley left town yester•
day for his seat, Waterperry, Oxfordshire.

A marriage is about to take place early in the
ensuing year between Mr. Curtis, lata Royal Dragoons,
eldest son of Sir-Wm. Curtis, Bart., of Caynham Court,
county of Salop, and Miss Master, daughter of Col. Chester
Master, of Knole-park, county of Gloucester.
FUNERAL OF TILE COUNTESS OF WILTON.—The
funeral of the late Countess of Wilton took place yesterday.
The funeral cortege, which loft Heaton-hall at 12 o'clock,
formed in the following order :—Ten private carriages,
closed; two mutes, bearing the arms of the family; two
mutes bearing plumes ; a horseman bearing the coronet en
a crimson cushier ; the hearse, drawn by six black horses ;
nine mourning coaches, each drawn by four horses. In the
first: of the mourning coaches were the Earl of Wilton, the
Marquis: of Westminster, Lord Ebury, and the Earl of
Derby ; in the second, Lord Grey de Wilton, the Hon.
SeymOur Egerton, and. Captain de. Ros.. The-procession
reached Prestwich church about 1 o'clock, where great
concourse of people had assembled to pay a last tribute of
respect to the departed lady, for whom much affection had
been entertained by the tenantry and the poor during many
years of her life. The parish church was also filled with •
people, many of whom had been drawn thither by similar
feelings. In the family pew were the ladies Catherine and
Alice Egerton, Lady de Ros, and Lady de Wilton. The
service was conducted by the Rev. G. M. Birch, rector of
Prestwich. The body was deposited in the family vault,
-which is situate in the Wilton chapel, in the north transept
of the church,

REPEAL OF THE PAPER DUTY.—A public meet-
ing of merchants and manufacturers was held in the com-
mittee room of the town-hall, Birmingham, yesterday, at
noon,to consider the propriety of memorialising the Govern-
ment in favour of the repeal of the excise duty on paper.
H. Van Wart, Esq. (American merchant), presided ; and
among those present were H. Smith, Esq., P. H. Muntz,
Esq., Aldermen Baldwin, Alldav, and Lloyd; Councillors
Smith, Tonks, Maher, and Wright. The chairman, in the
course of his opening remarks, said he had never heard any
reason assigned for the continuation of the paper duty, ex-
cept that the Chancellor of the Exchequer could not
do without the money. Mr. Alderman Lloyd moved a reso-
lution; affirming that the continuance of the duty was unjust
and impolitic, and quoted the authority of Mr. Gladstone,
who, when. Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1822, gave ex-
pression to an opinion at Manchester that the tax upon
paper was untenable and ought to be repealed. Mr. Henry
Smith seconded the resolution, which was supported by Mr.
P. H. Muntz and Mr. John Cassell, who contended that
paper duty was a tax upon knowledge, and an obstacle to
the spread of education. The resolution was carried, and
a committee appointed to draw up a memorial for presenta-
tion to the Chancellor of the Exchequer against the con-
linhance 'of the' duty; and to form a deputatiod to wait up n
the Government to represent tire opinions of the meeting.

the fearful act, which, unless the Royal prerogative
of mercy be exercised in her favour, may consign
her to the hands of the executioner, to be publicly
strangled on the gallows, for the offence of which
ROBERT WILLIAM FRANCIS, poulterer, of Reading,
was the primary cause. In her own pathetic
account of the melancholy transaction, she declared
that "the temptation was very great, to lead me
to what I did. He so frowned on me and the dear
baby." And the learned and humane Judge who
tried the case observed that "if the conduct of the
man FRANCIS to the prisoner was the same as it
had been in the witness-box, it must have withered
up her whole soul almost, and his refusal to give
her one farthing, or a kind look, or a kind word,
most probably did change her whole nature." His
Lordship was compelled to discharge a deeply
painful duty, but he earnestly entered into the
emphatic recommendation of the Jury, which he
said he would " with much satisfaction forward
to the proper quarter." There can be no doubt that
MARY NEWELL will be rescued from the hangman's
hands, but hers will be a terrible fate, even under
the most favourable circumstances, while Mr.
ROBERT WILLIAM FRANCIS may continue to pros-
per, in company with his sister, should the people
of Wallingford be less excitable than those of
Reading.

It will be seen from the report, in another part
of our impression, that he was rather
roughly used by those who heard of his con-
duct. We cannot justify anything approximating
to Lynch Law; but that particular case we should
feel disposed to assimilate to Uncle TOBY'S oath, on
which " the Recording Angel dropped a tear,
and blotted it out for ever."

There are many of the same heartless class as
R. W. FRANCIS in all grades of society. Men
utterly reckless of the misery and wretchedness to
which they consign their victims, and who would
answer their sad appeals for justice by heartless
jibes, or, still more, intolerable indifference. It is
the same from the highest to the lowest. It is that
which brings so many "unfortunates" to the streets,
that magnifies the social evil, and renders many of
those, who might otherwise be happy wives and
mothers, miserable outcasts, and causes a con-
suming canker to rankle in hearts where an
appearance of happiness, or rather gaiety, is
assumed. Have we not commenced at the wrong
end, in declaring that the gibbet shall be reserved
for the MARY NEWELLS, while the ROBERT WIL-
LIAM FRANCIS'S may escape with impunity, and
walk with erect heads on 'Change or market ? We
care not who the offenders may be—whether high
or low, rich or poor. We shall earnestly respond
to the aspiration of the great poet of human