The Sun.
London, England, 1857-12-22 00:00:00

ritE SCN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, DEOVINIBER 22, 185

To MARINERS.—RHODES, Dec. 3.—Pirates have lately
been seen among these islands; they usually cruise in
the' vioioity of Leros, an island about 75 miles X.W. of
Rhodes.
THE CHARTERHOUSE,—An iaterestiog account of the
state and management of the Charterhouse was drawn up
in 1854 by Mr. Skirrow, one of the inspectors of the
Charity Commissioners. A copy of the report was
issued on Saturday as a Parliamentary paper. It was
moved for by Mr. Knight.
DISTRIBUTION OF HER MAJESTY'S CHRISTMAS GIFTS
AT THE ROYAL ALMONRY, WHlTEHALL.—Yesterday
morning her Majesty's Christmas gifts were distributed
at the Royal Almonry Office, Middle-yard, Whitehall, to
the poor and deserving, by Mr. Hanby and other officers
of the Lord Chamberlain's department. Between 100
and 200 persons received ss. each, and were principally
blind ; several. averaged from 70 to 90 years of age.
The recipients were evidently most grateful for her
Majesty's bounty.
The Scotsman observes of the Western Bank :
"There is at least one of the disclosures which is more a
matter for public or Government inquiry than for the
shareholders, whose interest, indeed, it may be to pass
it over as lightly as possible. The notes of the Western
Bank in circulation are 720,0831. The returns made by
the bank just before the stoppage stated the circulation
at 454,9831., provided for by the 182,5221. of coin, in
addition to the authorised circulation of 337,9381. How
the 265,000/. of increase ?—how authorised ?—how
secured ? Are there not some recent events in Scotland
which would be better inquired into by a commission
on the spot than by an overworked Parliamentary com-
mittee ?”
THE ACCIDENT AT THE IMPERIAL GAS WORKS.—
Yesterday evening an inquest was held at the Silver
Cup Cromer-street, Gray's Inn-road, before Mr.
Wakeley, coroner, on view of the body of Robert
Taylor, aged 46, late in the employment of the
Imperial Gas Works, Maiden-lane, St. Pancras, who
last his life on Saturday last under.very shocking and
melancholy circumstances. It appeared from the
evidence, that on Saturday morning the deceased, who
acted as foreman over some of the men, was walking
up an inclined platform, when, owing to the slippery
state of the boards, he was precipitated head-foremost
to the basement floor, a height of nearly 40 feet—the
unfortunate man was taken up in an insensible and mu-
tilated condition, and conveyed in a cab to the Royal
Free Hospital, Gray's lon-road. Mr. Curran, the
principal house surgeon, promptly attended, but so
`severe was the nature of the injuries received, viz.:—
dislocation of the spine, coller bone, and a number of
the ribs—that all human aid was unavailing, and he
expired about half an hour after his admission. Verdiet
—accidental death. The deceased has left a widow and
young family.

THE OLD MAHOMMEDAN VIEW OF THE CRUSADES.--

A. story which occurred during the Crusades is related by
the author of the Histoire Generale:—During one of the
truces between them aud the Saracens, the latter asked
seriously why it was they had left their homes and tra-
velled so many long miles, and wherein they, the Mos-
lems, had offended them, that they sought their blood
in such a vengeful way ? The Crusaders said—lt was
was because they, the Saracens, were unbelievers ; they
had pot to death our Lord ; that they were idolaters,
and in partioniar worsh'pped two great idols, called Ma-
hound and Termagunt. The Saracens answered that
they were most sadly mistaken ; it was the Jews who
had pat to death Isla Ben Mariam (Jesus, son of Mary)
600 years before there were any Mahometans ; that as
10 images, they abhorred them • so far from worshipping
them, they never suffered the likeness of anything to be
made, not even in a picture ; whilst the Christians hai
images in all their churches, bowed down to them, burnt
incense before them ; and they entreated the Christians
to come into their mosques and houses, and see for
themselves whether there were any idols there or not.
It was all of no use. The Christians were so blinded by
prejudice they would not believe the evidence of their
own senses, and they went on devoutly cutting the Sa-
racens' throats because they had killed the Lord of Life,
and because they worshipped two great idols, Mahound
and Termagunt —The Builder.
THREATENED STRIKE AMONGST THE COLLIERS.—We
regret to have to state that, in consequence of the fort-
night's notice having expired, under which the colliers'
wages will be reduced 6d. per day, serious apprehensions
of an outbreak at Bilston were made manifest on Sae
turday evening, so much so that the magistrates, by way
of precaution, specially requested the deputy chief-con-
stable of the county, Major McKnight, to communicate
with his superior, Colonel Hogg, who was then in the
Potteries, iu order that an extra force of police might
be in readiness. The chief-constable, on receiving the
telegraphic despatch, proceeded to Bilston by the next
train, and after inspecting the district, ascertained that
all was going on peaceably. As meetings or the col-
liers, however, are to take place to-day and to-morrow,
to determine whether to strike or not against the pro-
posed reduction, Major Fellows, of Wolverhampton,
received instructions yesterday morning to have all the
pensioners in readiness, for 30 miles round. It has been
reliably ascertained that deputations from the Pottery
colliers, who are on strike, have been in Bilston and the
surrounding district, with a view of organising a gene-
ral strike. We sincerely hope the contrary will be the
result, although the state of things throughout the
district wears a very unsatisfactory aspect.—Birming-
ham Post of yesterday.
OVERCROWDING RAILWAY CABRIAGES.—At the lest
sitting of the County Court at York an action of some
importance to railway companies and railway passengers
was tried before Mr. Sergeant Dowling, the judge. An
action was brought against the North-Eastern Railway
Company by a solicitor residing at York for damages
for an alleged breach of contract under the following
circumstances :—The plaintiff took a second-class return
ticket from York to Scarborough oc the evening of the
21st ult. He returned on Monday morning and tra-
velled with only one other passenger as far as Flaxton
station, when the doer was unceremoniously opened,
and ten other persons, principally farm servants and
labourers, who were proceeding to York, pushed into
the compartment, which was occupied by 12 persons.
The new corners caused the plaintiff considerable
annoyance, behaving in a very coarse and disgraceful
manner. The plaintiff now contended that the conoeney
having contracted to allow him to travel iu a comtort-
able manner, and to be free from annoyano , had broken
their agreement by allowing these wen to get into the
second-class compartment with thin'-class tickets. The
second-class seats were made to cboantnaionrfi'oguhrt ptoascsreantngeirns
each ; bet even supposing they were made for five each,
the company, it was contended, d
a dozen passengers, there being then an excess of two
in th • compartment. His honour gave a verdict for the
plaintiff—damages ls.
A BRIG DESTROYED BY FIRE.—COWES, Dec. 20.
The Sardinian brig Porto Maurizio, Captain Busutino,
178 tons, of and for Genoafrom Newcastle, with a cargo
of gas coals, suddenly toot fire this morning at about 2
o'clock, whilst riding before two anchors in Yarmouth
Reeds, where she had brought up Rome days previ-
ously for safety. The captain a liXe before 2 o'clock
awoke nearly suffocated amidst a dense smoke, which
had been gradually filling the cabin and its berths,
when he with the utmost speed turned ont in order
to examine from whenc, it originated. A. few instants
later he observed flames issu.ng from several spots near
him. He then without delay gave the alarm to tie
crew, who with the exception of one man on the watch
were all below fast asleep. They all quickly rushed on
decs and aft, when, on further examination, it was found
that the cargo had ignited. Meanwhile .the flames had
gained way through the dock, and some people belong-
ing to the caast-guard stationed at Yarmouth, who had
espied the fire fronts shore, pushed off, and getting on
beard lent their assistance in the endeavour to scuttle
the wee•el, sipped her chains, ran her on shore, and with
the crow were instrumental in Saving some sails and
rope. The fire during the first few hours remained mostly
confined to the aftei part of the brig, and it was not long
before the mainmast was burning over the side, together
with the lower topmast and other rigging attached, all
in a blaze, but without injuring any one. The scuttling
of the brig, however, appears to have been only very
superfieialy attended to, for in its results it remained
without effect. With nearly high water all at.once she
floated off the ground, drifted into mid-channel, and from
thence on the last of the flood, a considerable distance to
the eastward. Whilst thus abandoned she was taken in
tow by several fishing-smacks, which were hovering in
her vicinity, and by them put on shore off So wiey, about
one mile in a westerly direction from the Blace Buoy,
marking Leap Bank, where she at present lies, one mass
el flames covering fore and aft, a burning wreck, with
bulwarks, stanchions and deck destroyed, and main and
f rsrna,t gene.
A NEW COLONY.—The long-pending agitation with
respect to the separation of Moreton Bay and the imme-
diate di.tcicts from the province of New South Wales
appears, from our last advises from Australia, to have
been at last successful; and although the new colony
hes not yet been officially gazette(' by an Order in Coot:-
cil, the step has been finally determined upon by the
Imp rial Government, and the basis of the arrangements
for its immediate completion have been laid down. We
regard Mr. Labouchere's despatch as an exemplification
of the satisfactory principles which now guide the policy
of the mother country to her numerous provinces—as a
natural consequence of the awakening interest and atten-
tion, and of the jester sense of colonial rights, aud impe-
rial obligations which the growing importance of the
Australian colonies has of Late years called forth. The
home Government appears to have most impartially de-
cided the point. Tee separation itself is granted to the
unanimous desire of the inhabitants of Moreton Bay,
the slight opposition made in Sydney to separation at
all being very properly overruled. The line of division
between the two colonies has been fixed SO 3f4 to include
the Clarence River district within New South Wake,
and the Itichrninat River district withal Mureten Bay.
This also is in Accordance with the wishes of the maje-
rity of the inhabitants on the Clarence aud Richmond
Rivers respectively. Lest, however, a mistakeshouldbe
have been made in this respect, power appears to
gives to the two Governments not only to fix the accu-
rate details of the divisions, bat to modify them if rieceet:
sary. The people of Moreton Bay feel some diotppon _
moat that the Clarence district is to remain a par of
Nov SJutli Wales; bet it' the residents in the latter
district are themselves content, their decision oughtto
set the question at rest; whilst the power mutually
held, to modify the boundary hereafter, is a fair gua-
rantee that substantial justice will ultimately be done
to all parties concerned. Any doubts will respect to
the creation of the new colony being premature on
account of its population will be more and more re•
moved every year. Thu aeee4sion of even a few huo-
dreds to the population is of vast importance to a young
state, and still more so their settling into thisordini ry
forms and relations of social and political life. The
colony may be considered popntous compared with many
colonies which once existed in America. The form of
("ernineut at Moreton Bay is to be modeled on
that of New South Wales, v.ith power to alter itsove
n coeetitu tiou. —A eetreliaa (tea eVeteZedes acteett'es