The Sun.
London, England, 1850-01-21 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Slll,-I am desired by the directors of this national
charity to state to you that their attention has been
called to various anonymous and other strictures upon
the management and discipline of the institution which
have appeared in your paper, and in others of the me-
tropolitan prints. The directors regret to observe the
tone and animus of these communications, and of the
remarks which they have called forth, and they lament
that their efforts for the welfare of the large number
of destitute children committed to their care should
have been impeded in a n►anner calculated to injure
the charity and mislead its supporters.
The punishment, of which so much has been at-
tempted to be made by a comparison with " Hun-
garian torture " the " system of corporal punish-
ment," and the like, consisted in three stripes with a
rod composed of a few birch twigs administered to
each of three girls of the age of twelve years, for an
uncleanly fault, not a " disease," which reproof bad
failed in correcting, but which the discipline described
immediately cured, and it has never since recurred.
At an early meeting of the directors, after this un-
usual punishment was brought to their knowledge in
the summer of 1849, the circumstances attending it,
were investigated, and although they were satisfied
that it had been administered with leniency and tem-
per, and in the presence of the matron only, the di-
rectors immediately intimated to the superintendent
their disapproval of such mode of correction,
and ordered that, except in the case of very young
children, no punishment of the kind should in future
be inflicted. _ _

_
At a recent quarterly court (in December) of
guardians and subscribers, the subject and the
system were again discussed ; the personal chastise-
ment of the elder girls was unanimously condemned
and forbidden, whilst the directors were supported
by an overwhelming majority in their conviction of
its being inexpedient wholly to abolish all recourse
to that discipline in the cases of young children who
had been found otherwise incorrigible.
The directors of this asylum altogether repudiate
the sentiments which have also been publicly—but
they believe upon insufficient information—expressed
in regard to the state of the schools, the ability of the
teachers, and the progress of the pupils ; they deem it
unadvisable to enter upon a discussion of these points
through the medium which they are now induced to
adopt in addressing their subscribers and the public,
but they consider it right to declare their entire
satisfaction with the progressive improvement of the
children, as attested by the periodical reports of the
Government inspector, and their conviction, that in-
dividual subscribers would better exhibit their in-
terests in the institution by taking a share in its ma-
nagement, and devoting to its details their personal
superintendence, than by sending forth crude, ill-ad-
vised, and overcharged statements, which only tend
to weaken the confidence of the public at a time when
the funds of this most useful and valuable charity
urgently demand increased support.
I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient ser-
vant, J. SIMPSON,
Chairman of the meeting.
Royal Caledonian Asylum, Jan. 18, 1850.

[This must close all further communications on the
subject of this excellent but much vilified insti-
tution. We will not condescend to allow the co-
lumns of The Sun to be prostituted to the dissemi-
nation of internal bickerings or the gratification of
outward disappointed malevolence. For the future we
would recommend the belligerent parties to attend
more to the wants of their fellow-countrymen by
the practice of that benevolence which has been
hitherto dissipated in angry profession and charitable
humbug. The true patriot helps his distressed friend,
but makes no fuss about the merit of doing good.—
Sun.j

DIAMOND DUST.
(From Eliza Cook's Journal.)

A poem must be either music or sense; if it is neither,
possesses no interest.
The wretched ere great readers cf countenarne.

In the natural history of insects, the grub turns into a
butterfly; but it often occurs in the natural history (1
man, that the butter fly turns into a grub.
It is good and elevating to believe that there are men
who preserve in manhood the boyish bloom rf their
open-hearted tenis; but as it is a rare fortune to meet
them, la us honour, cherish, and love them, in propor-
tion to their scarcity.
Speak of yourself as seldom as may he. If you praise
yourself, it is arrogance; if you dispraise, it is folly.
Utility is the truest test of ex, el'ence.

SALE OF AUSTRALIAN HORSES.—Messrs. Brodie,
Boque, a ;d Co., on S turday, the Bth of December, put
up for sale, by public auction, the batch of Australian
horses which arrived lately from Sydney by the Nile.
The biddings were very brisk, the best animal (a fine
horse) fetching 60/., anoiher 57/.. down ti the most in-
ferior f the lot, which fetched 37/. The pork and beef
by the same vessel ha', by ttetse who have tasted it,
been pronounced of fir,t-rare quality. Sydney, we are
told, row are manufacturers of wine to some ex;en,, but
hitherto none of it-has found its way to this country,
where it would probably find some sale, if only for a
curiosity.
THE WEATHER AND PARRS, &c.—Yesterday the
frost returned with increased intensity. On Saturday
night the barometer fell to 28 deg. Fahrenheit, and at
seven o'clock yesterday morning the ornamental waters
in the parks were again firmly trozen, and throughout
the day thronged with thousands of individuals. Up-
wards of 90,000 persons, it was calculated, were on the
frozen waters in the parks during the day, without any
accident beyond a few cases of part al immersion occur-
ring, the individuals being rescued by the Humane So-
ciety's icemt-n.
AMATEUR DRAMATIC PERFORMANCE.—OH
Satur-
day eve cling a pet formance took place at the Bower Sa-
loon, fur tt e benefit of the widow sett orphans of the late
William Gray, compositor. to which a nurnher of gen-
,tlcmen connected with the daily press lent thtir ser-
vices. The play chosen for the occasion eta{ Colman's
comedy f tto Heir-at-Law—the character of Dr. rat:-
gloss icing ably renderen by Mr. Bennett, who gave the
classical quotations with accuracy aid precision ;
Zekiel Homespun was well renCered by Mr. Moss, as
also Cicely by Miss Moss, and Dick Dowlas by Mr. S.
Ru tin. The other characters in the comedy were most
efficiently sustaked by Messrs. Biddies, Hartwell, %V.
Fellews, Le Sauteur, Mrs. Wood, and Miss
Mortimer. An Ethiopian entertainment by the Messrs.
Risley, and the farce of the Married Bachelor—Mr.
Chrirtian supporting the character t f Sharp with excel-
lent spirit—brought the evening's entertainment to a
close. The house was crowded in every part.
ANOTHER CHANGE OF THE MAIL.—The English
mai!, which now leaves Dublin at twenty minutes after
twelve, will, on the Ist of February, he dispatched it
fifty minutes after eleven a.m.—Cork Examiner.
The Eliza Sanders, from Patras to Liverpool, took
fire 15th instant, off Cape Clear, and was destroyed.
Crew (except one man drowned) took the boat, and
were picked up by the Tranderoga, arrived at Liverpool
_ _ _ r_l _