The Sun.
London, England, 1835-12-17 00:00:00

THE COURT OF ALDERMEN AND PORTSOKEN WARD.

Mr. TYEas presented a petition from the inhabitants of
the ward of Porteoken of rather an extraordinary kind.
:The petitioners prayed that the Court would grant them the
still, of 1,000/., or such other sum as should seem meet, to
aid them in their proceedings instituted for maintaining the
sacred p„,:ileges of the freemen of London ; and also that
the Court would interfere to prevent the Court of Alder-
men from a ftir,`ber wasteful expenditure of the City funds
in the prosecution pf their attempt to deprive the citizens
of their just rights.
Referred to the Finance Committee.
Several motions were owle, and others were postponed,
and the Court adjourned.

Government have given notice that they require im-
mediately twenty transports (coppered:), for three months
certain. This looks like an expectation of hostilities, as
but three or four are usually advertised for, ond for a lesser
period of service. So great a number as twenty being men-
tioned, is a proof that a much larger number aie wanted,
and the term mentioned, that of three months, also implies
that their service will be required for three or four times
that period.—Hampshire Advertiser.

CO.RONER'S INQUEST.—SUICIDE. Yesterday
evening an inquest' was held at St. George's Hospital, on
the body of Ellen Lucas, aged 30, one of the assistant
nurses of that institution, whose death was occasioned by
poison. From the evidence adduced it appeared that the
deceased went out on Tuesday evening, and returned to the
hospital, after an absent,' of about three quarters of an
hour, in a very agitated star. Some of the patients, having
seen her crying piteously, ask.d her what was the matter?
and were informed by her that she had met a person, ra-
ther than have seen whom she would willingly have fdr-
feited M. It was a young matt who had formerly paid
his addresses to her, and with whom she was once so
nearly being married, that the bans had been published
at Christ Church. She had met him (she said) with a
young woman, whom he had introduced to her as his
wife. After lamenting for some time, she went to the
medicine-case of the ward, and taking out a bottle of lauda-
num, swallowed the contents. Medical assistance was im-
mediately sent for, but the deceased expired shortly after-
wards. She was stated to have been a widow, with two
young ebigren. The jury returned a verdict of—" Tem-
porary Insaniy."
TIIE PHANTOM' COACII.—A number of the more
nervous portion of tho inhabitants of this town have lately
been alarmed by a report that a phantom coach perambu-
lates the different streets of the town almost every night
at the " witching hour." We have not heard if any one
has had the good (or bad) fortune to see this nocturnal vi-
sitant ; but certain it is that many have heard it, who affirm
that they can easily distinguish the sound of it from that of
any other ordinary, or material, coach—it giving no intima-
tion of its approach until apparently within about ten yards
of their domicilos, and the sound dying away in the dis-
tance before any other coach, drawn by the fleetest horses,
could have proceeded ten yards farther. It would also
appear that its peregrinations arc extended to a wide cir-
cuit, as it is not heard every night, but often allows one or
two nights to elapse before it again returns ; and, judging
by the sound, it must travel at a pace infinitely swifter than
any locomotive carriage yet invented.—Kelso Chronicle.

On Saturday afternoon the neighbourhood of
Devonshire-place, Chiswick, was thrown into a state of the
most painful excitement, by the discovery of the following
most dreadful attempt at suicide :—lt appears that in con-
sequence of loud screams being heard issuing from the
house of Mr. Hill, No. 5, in that place, several persons in-
stantly proceeded to the spot, and on going to the back
room on the first floor, they found Mr. Hilllying on the
ground, weltering in blood, and on examining him they iis-
covered an extensive wound on the right side of his neck,
and it was also subsequently found he had stood over a
washhand basin, and with a razor had mutilated his person
in a horrid and indescribable manner. Mr. Loadnian,
surgeon, of Hammersmith, was immediately sent for,
with his assistant, promptly attended, and did
.everything
which humanity and surgical skill could suggest, but we
regret to say, that although alive yesterday afternoon, very
little hopes arc entertained of his ultimate recovery. The
unfortunate man, who has for years been employed in. the
office of Mr. Whittingham, the extensive printer at Chis-
wick, has recently laboured under great ~depression of
spirits.