The Sun.
London, England, 1832-01-05 00:00:00

Office, 19, Catherine-street, Strand.

THE CHEAPEST LITERARY PERIODICAL.
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riodicals.

NATIONAL POLITICAL UNION.

A meeting of the Council of this Union was held
last night (Wednesday), at their rooms in Leices-
ter-square, which have been greatly improved for
the cornrort and convenience of the members, both
of the Council and of the Union, since the last meet-
ing. The rooms are capable of affording accommo-
dation to nearly three hundred members of the
Union, besides those who may attend of the Coun-
cil ; and (as was observed during the evening, by
one of the Council) it is proposed inviting the at-
tendance of ladies, and affording them every atten-
tion and accommodation. The Chair was taken by
Howard Elphinstone, Esq.
Mr. DANIEL WAKEFIELD, jun., in the absence of
the Secretary (who was indisposed), read the mi-
butes of the former meeting, which were confirmed.
The CHAIRMAN then urged the necessity of the
laws for conducting the election of the next Council
being properly known and adhered to, as the time
of the present Council would shortly terminate.
Mr. PERRY having spoken at considerable length
on what the Committee had done during the ad-
journment, particularly the improvements in the
rooms, and the subscriptions and donations (amount-
ing to 6W. or 70/.), and the presents of books for
a reading room, to be established under the protec-
tion of the Union and management of the Council,
which is to be opened to-day (Thursday); having
had the list of the subscribers, &c., and their sub.
scriptions read, and eulogised Mr. Hume as the
originator of the project, urged the necessity of
amalgamating all parties in a project that was for the
good of all, and the exclusion of none—the Tories,
that their opinions (if founded on truth) might be can-
vassed dispassionately, and adopted, if demonstrated;
and the Radicals,that they might show a disposition to
maintain political property, as they had shown a
determination to destroy political abuses and en-
croaching privileges.—(Hear.) He referred to a
letter from Sir Francis Burdett, cordially coinciding
with the idea and establishment of a reading room,
and of giving books and a handsome subscription
towards it. He mentioned some papers and other
periodicals that had generously agreed to give their
publications gratuitously till the funds would per-
mit their purchase; and concluded by moving the
adoption of a petition to the House of Commons
concerning the abolition of taxes on knowledge.
The petition was not from the Committee of the
Council ; it asserted that the calamities of the
country proceeded from " the want of due instruc-
tion being disseminated among the people, and that
the daily press and cheap publications are the sole
means of diffusing knowledge among the poor, yet
that these are so oppressed with taxes as to prevent
a proper and prudent competition among the pub-
lishers of instruction, political and otherwise, and to
prevent their purchase by a large majority of the
poor; therefore, requesting a repeal of the taxes on
newspapers and paper generally, and of the duty on
advertisements."

Major REVELL seconded the motion.
Mr. WAKEFIELD supported it at some length.
Mr. MURPHY wished that the present petition
should be adopted, not for the purpose of debarring
a comprehensive and energetic petition like that
referred to by Mr. Wakefield as requisite, but for
the purpose of showing the country that they were
not sleeping on their oars—that they were awake
to the interests of the working classes, particularly
in affording them the best and cheapest knowledge.
Mr. PLACE objected to having the stamp duty On
advertisements repealed, as it was a material source
of revenue, and did not militate against the diffusion
of knowledge.
Major REvELL spoke concerning the necessity of
having instruction afforded cheaply. I-Ic instanced
a county in Wales (Brecon), where he said the Ma-
gistrates were so inimical to the diffusion of cheap
publicAions and of Political Unions, that they re-
fused renewing the license to any publican or others
interesting themselves in those publications or Unions.
The motion was subsequently withdrawn, on an
understanding that a petition, eriginatmg from the

Sir JOHN NICHOL gave judgment in this cause
to-day. This was a question respecting the vali-
dity of the will and codicil of the late William Snell
Chauncey. The deceased died worth about 25,0001.,
the bulk of which was left to Mr. Brown, the de-
ceased's natural son, the residue to be given during
life to his two daughters, and, failing of issue, to
go to Mr. Browu at their decease. The testamentary
papers were opposed by Captain and Mrs. Burke,
the latter being the legitimate daughter of the de-
ceased. Nearly one hundred witnesses had been
examined on behalf of the opposition to the will,
and of the executors under it. The gist of the case
was the sanity or insanity of the deceased, and on
the latter ground the will was opposed. The de-
ceased, it was alleged, was greatly addicted to drink-
ing, but that, the Court observed, did not prove in-
sanity. When the will was drawn, in 1824, Mr.
Brown was abroad, and was in Wales when the
codicil was added ; and the deceased had made
several other wills previously in his favour. The
opponents were unable to sustain the charge of
insanity ; and the contrary was borne out by
the testimony of the witness who drew the will
and codicil, which witnesses, the Learned Judee
said, stood unimpeached. This being disposed of,
the question of costs then came under the considera-
►ion of the Court, on which the Learned Judge ol-
served, that it was strange that at the very time
Captain Burke was representing that the deceased
was insane, he was himself endeavouring to obtain
from him. a roore equitable distribtaion of his pro-
.eer►y. In consideration of th►s, and of the long
time Mr. Brown had been kept out of his property,
the Court to prevent such oppositions in future,
ordered the Captain and Mrs. Burke should pay the
full costs from the commencement of the suit.
IN THE CAUSE OF SCHOOLIIRED, ESQ.

Dr. LUSHINGToN said, the application he had to
make was a peculiar one. The deceased in this
case died by his own hand, leaving property to the
amount of 40,0001. He executed a will in favour
of his wife and family, &c.; but on his death a
memorandum was found, dated the day before his
death, making material alterations. The question
was, if this p,per could take probate ?
Sir JOHN NICHOL—The paper was not a finished
instrument : dying as the testator did, there were
good grounds for believing that the deceased was
not in a fit stme to execute a testamentary paper
the day before he died. The executors must there-
fore have probate of the first will and codicil.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE,

MANSION-HO USE.

Some days ago the wife of a poor inmate of
Whitecross-street prison applied to the Lord Mayor
under the following circumstances :—Her husband,
a watch-case joint-finisher, who has five children,
had been thrown into prison on the most distressing
occasion. In last June the prisoner's son, a lad
about IS years old, was employed as an occasional
waiter at tea gardens. An elderly man acted to-
wards the young man in such a manner one evening
that it was thought necessary to take him into
custody, and to appear against him before a Magis-
trate at Hatton-garden next day. The Magistrate
committed the old gentleman to prison to take his
trial, and the witnesses were hound over to prose-
cute and give evidence in the sum of 3001. The
young man being a minor, his father, the White-
cross-street prisoner, was sent for, and required to
become surety for his son in the above amount.
Before the commencement of the Sessions at which
the trial of the delinquent was to have taken place,
the young man left his home, and had not since
been heard of, and there was entertained no doubt
whatever that he had been induced, by a large
bribe, to abscond, as had also another waiter, and
neither of them appearing at the Sessions, the ac•
cused, who turned out to be a man of fortune,
living in one of the large squares, was acquitted.
The recognizance of the young man's appearance
having become forfeited, the father was arrested for
300/., the amount, in October, and committed to
Whitecross-street prison.
The unfortunate prisoner being a poor illiterate
creature, not being able even to read, Mr. Barrett,
the Governor, investigated the case, and caused a
petition and affidavit of the facts to be prepared.
Mr. Bodkin, the barrister, gratuitously gave his ser-
vices, and moved the Court of Quarter Sessions to
discharge the party, who had, under such circum-
shtoa,nvceevse,r
reeejne
cmt
eadde:
tr sep
co rot sui br
tl e
s. e e
mT eg itnoobtieonof wopasi..,
nion, after having conferred with the committing
Magistrate, that there must have been some collusion
between the father and son.

Mr, 13arre;ithen—;aited—upon the Magistrates of
Hatton-garden, and informed them that he had made
careful inquiry of the neighbours who lived formerly
in Sutton-street, Clerkenwell, with a view to learn
his general character, as well as to ascertain whe-
ther, since the son absconded, there had been any
appearance of improvement in the circumstances of
vie family ; and he had found the father described as
an honest simple-minded man, many years resident
on the same spot; and that since the disappearance
of the son the family had become much distressed,
that their goods were pledged, and that, in fact,
there was the strongest testimony of the ignorance
of the unfortunate father as to his son's intentions.
Tne Magistrates received the application with po-
liteness,but said that they could afford no assistance.
The prisoner then applied to the Lord Mayor,
who said that he considered the case to be one

The complainant declared he was always in time;
but it was the practice to supply those who had short
lengths to finish, in preference to those mon who
had more, which happened to be his case.
At the conclusion of a lengthened investigation,
Mr. Alderman WiLsoN said, he was of opinion
that the case did not come within the description of
any of those in the Act alluded to. He remembered
that when the weavers' wages were settled at the
Quarter Sessions, it was always an argument with
the Counsel for the weavers, that if fivepence a yard
was a fair p►ice in some instances, then, according
to the probability that the men would be kept at
play in others, it should be increased to sixpence, or
serenpence, or eightpence ; and, though wages were
not now set, still compensation for the play was
made in the prices that were given. He, therefore,
dismissed the complaint.
The weaver, in leaving the room, threatened to
appeal to Mr. Hume for an interpretation of his Act.