The Sun.
London, England, 1844-11-06 00:00:00

SIZSCEZXAITEOXra.

j A meeting for taking _measures to obtain a repeal of
the malt-tax was heldon Monday at the York Hotel,
Bl ea friars: A committee was appointed, and resolu-
tions in acc.ordanceoviib the object of the meeting were
• unanimously adopted. It was understood that the com.
mittee would meet again forthwith, for the purpose of
arranging a plan of operations.
• A' halt-yearly meeting of the Grand Union Canal.
Compa.ay. took place at the office in Surrey-street, Strand,
Richard Twining, Esq., in the chair. . A report was
read, from which it appeared that for the six months
ending September, 1843, the produce was 2,9001., and in
the corresponding six months of this year 3,4051., being
en increase of 5051. The increase on the twelve months
was 705/ 18s. This increase was attributed to the great
demand in London for inland coal and the revival of
commerce. In conclusion, the committee recommended
a dividend of 10s. per share, and reported the good con-
dition of the works generally.
Lord Western died at his seat, Felix Hall, Essex, on
Sunday evening, aged 77. The title is extinct.
On Thursday last a meeting was held in Glasgow for
vaneing the educational and missionary schemes of
thr Kirk of Scotland. The meeting was addressed by
.he Lord Provost of G lasgow ; Dr. Sim son, of Kirk-
w ton ; Dr. Brown, of Greenock, late of Swallow-street,
and other clergymen. The Free Kirk held a fleeting
on Tuesday for advancing their schemes, when the usual
smount of speechifying and abuse of the Erastian church
was indulged in.

On Thur>,day, Friday, and Saturday last, that singular
phenomenon, the " helm wind," peculiar to Cross Fell,
in Cumberland, blew and raged with more violence and
terrificness than it has been known to do for many years
past. We have not heard of the loss of life, but
several persons, on crossing the dreary pass in Cross
Fell, were actually at times obliged to fall down on their
hands and knees, for fear of being blown down the steps
of the mountain.

So many vessels arrived in the port of London from all
parts of the world during the past week that it has been
found impossible to provide a sufficient number of
officers of the Customs, by whom the vessels are boarded
at Gravesend, and who never leave them until the whole
of the cargo has been delivered, to meet the emergency,
and several vessels, in consequence, have of necessity
been for a time left unguarded.

FATAL ACCIDENT.—About ten o'clock on Thurs-
day forenoon, a number of boys got in about the goods'
station of the Glasgow and Ayr Railway Company,
Port Eglinton, and commenced pushing along the line of
rails one of the empty trucks. They had not been long
thus employed, when one of their number, a boy aged
about ten years, the son of a carpet weaver residing in
Bedford-street, fell before the wheels of the carriage,
which passed over his body. The boy was immediately
conveyed home, and medical aid procured, but we regret
o add he expired in about an hour afterwards.—Scotsynan.
IMPORTANT.—The Vesuvius steamer, Commander
E. Ommanney, arrived this morning from the Mediter-
ranean, where she has been on constant service for up-
wards of three years. She is come into harbour. This
vessel brings information, that the late affair between
General Comma and the Kybyles was of a more serious
character, and more disastrous to the French, than the
Paris papers have described ; in fact, that the fight
occurred very little 'without the fortifications of Algiers,
and that the French lost 300 men killed.—Harwpshire
'elegraph of Saturday.
THE AGRICULTURISTS OF FEANCE.—A congress of
agriculturists and proprietors of the north of France has
just been held at St. Quentin. It was attended by the
deputies, members of the Councils-General, and upwards
of 300 practical farmers, who passed three successive
days in discussing the best means of improving the
breeds of horses and cattle of all kinds, the growth and
importation of oleaginous seeds, wool, hemp, and flax,
the cultivation of waste lands, and other important ques-
tions. It was also decided that a general association of
the northern departments, similar to those in Normandy
and Brittany, should be formed, and that its first meeting
should be held next year at Cambrai.
THE NEW BASTARDY LAw.—There is one
astounding part of the new Bastardy Law which has not
yet come to public notice. Order made on the father is
to be in force until the child is thirteen years of age,
unless the child dies before that age, or unless the mother_
marries before it attains ouch age. So, then, if the
mother marries before the child is thirteen years old, the
father is freed from any further expense, and the man
who marries the woman must adopt it. Here's a nice
pied of legislation.