The Sun.
London, England, 1832-01-19 00:00:00

MARGATE.-SMUGGLING.

An extraordinary discovery has been made here
in the last week by the officers of the Custom-house,
which shows the persevering and enterprising spirit
of the smugglers. The officers went to search a
house in the occupation of a man of the name of
Cook, at ale back of Zion-place, near the Fort, in
Margate, and discovered in a room below a secret
entrance, just large enough to admit a man crawling
upon his knees. The officers proceeded downwards
upon an inclined plane towards the sea shore, to the
distance of about 200 yards, passing under several
houses, at the depth of many feet below the surface
of the ground, until they reached the lower entrance,
which opens on the north west side of the Clifton
Baths. The mouth of this entrance was boarded
over and covered with chalk and earth, rammed
down in such a manner as completely to conceal it.
There were found, in the interior of the cliff, several
trucks on wheels, and implements for the conveying
of smuggled goods through the tunnel to Cook's'
house. The work, which it is calculated must have
engaged two men at least eighteen months in cutting
it, and must have cost in labour from 1001. to 2001.,
was just finished, and is reported to have been paid
for by a great silk-mercer and riband-seller in Lon-
don. It is fortunate for the revenue as well as for
the silk-trade that such a discovery has been made,
as the whole plan of operation was so well projected,
that whilst the hide remained known only to the
smugglers, they might at any time, in dark nights,
in the short space of an hour, have smuggled many
thousand pounds' worth of property, and carried it
off in safety. It is whispered amongst the sailors on
the Pier, that if the officers had not been a little too
eager in their pursuit, they might within a week,
when the dark nights came on again, have made an
immense seizure ; but that now they have entirely
defeated their own object, because not a vestige of
any contraband article was yet to be found upon
the premises. This is the second subterraneous
tunnel which has been dug under the same property
within two years, and the second time of the officers
being defeated by their eagerness to grasp so large a
prize. It is but justice to the lessee of this singu-
larly constructed property to say, that not the least
suspicion is entertained by the revenue officers of
any contrivance on his part, he having given them
duplicate keys of the subterraneous excavations and
baths during the winter months, when the property
lies unoccupied. and cautioned them that unless
some of the revenue officers were stationed on the
premises throughout the night, it was impossible to
prevent smuggling.—Kentish Gazette.

Sir WA LTER SCOTT is still under quitrantine
at Naplee..... Gazette d'Augsbourg, Dec, 27,

BRISTOL, WEDNESDAY EVENING.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

i

fl fl

The funeral of the late Colonel Brereton takes place to-
morrow
morning at an early hour. The exact time is not
generally known, as it is wished that the interment
should be as private as possible. He is to be buried at
Clifton, in the same vault in which lie the remains of his
wife. If the public were allowed to attend the funeral, as is
desired, the procession would be very large and respectable.
The petition in favour of the five unfortunate men is
still receiving numerous signatures, and at present seven
or eight thousand names are signed to it. A letter has
been received to-day from Mr. Lambe, written by order
of Lord Melbourne, in answer to an application made to
him On the subject of the petition, stating that no time
should be lost after its receipt in laying the petition before
his Majesty—as Mr. Lambe adds, " the Judges have
fixed Friday, the 27th inst. as the day of the execution."
It is said that the unfortunate men themselves entertain

little hope, and that they are in a most pitiable state. The
efforts of the London Journals, almost without distinc-
tion, whatever may be the nature of the politics advo-
cated in behalf of the unfortunate men, have given great
satisfaction to the humane portion of the inhabitants of
this city.
Sin, e the termination of the Special Com nission the
robberies have vastly encreased, and have turn -d the atten.
tion of the citizens towards the disgraceful system of Civic
Government.

A robbery was committed last night of a most oatra.
genus and diabolical character, and of which I have col-
lected the following particulars :—A man had been en-
quiring at a public-house, at the Hotwell, near Clifton, for
the steam-packet office, to take his passage to
Dublin, when three or four mea and a woman
who were present, immediately proposed showing
him the way. They took him a considerable distance to
the side of the river among the St. Vincent rocks, when
the man refused to go any further, thinking all was not
right. They then seized him, and robbed him of twenty-
four sovereigns and a 51. Bank of Ireland note, stripped
him of his clothes, tied his hands and feet, and attaching
a stone to a cord round his neck, pushed him down the
bank into the river. Fortunately the tide was out, and a
boatman discovered him in the mud in time to save his
life. The man was taken to the Hotwell tavern, and was
afterwards removed to the Infirmary, where he now lice
considerably injured. The wretches have not yet been
discovered.