The Sun.
London, England, 1844-08-30 00:00:00

MELANCHOLY OCCURRENCE.

We have been furnished by a respectablecorr e-
sppndent (who sends us his name, and who was an eye-
witness of the facts up to Sunday evening), with the
following details of a melancholy and strange acci-
dent, caused by foul air :
" On Saturday last, as a man named Scanlan, was
raising earth on his land, at Gabard, about three miles
from Ballybunion, county Kerry, he discovered the
entrance to a subterraneous passage, which he en-
tered, accompanied by two other persons, but a con-
siderable time having elapsed without their re-appear-
ance, they were followed by six others, who went in for
the purpose of bringing them out. Those, also, not ap-
pearing, the apprehensions of their friends, who were
outside, became excited, and intimation of the circum-
stance having been conveyed to the Rev. Mr. En-
right, C.C., he immediately repaired to the spot and
entered the cavity with a view of rescuing those who
preceded, but he had not g, ne far from the entrance,
when he fell senseless under the noxious influence of
the atmosphere, and was with difficulty brought to
the surface. The alarm of the by-standers now be-
came excessive, and further efforts having been made,
three of those who had gone in were brought out ap-
parently lifeless, but have since recovered. The scene
at this time was heartrending, from the cries of the
relatives of those who remained within, and this was
further increased by the non-appearance of a man who
ventured in in search of his son, against the entreaties
of his friends.

" The Gunsborough police were in attendance
(luring the night, and succeeded in bringing out the
bodies of four, amongst whom was that of a man who
went in search of his son, with the body of the latter
clasped in his arms, having apparently perished in at-
tempting to bring him out. Crowds of the country
people having collected yesterday, renewed exertions.
were made to discover the bodies of two persons still
missing, and, about five o'clock, three men having
descended for the purpose, two returned in a state of
exhaustion, leaving the third, who was unable to come
with them, to share the fate of the others.

"A number of men are engaged in excavating the
ground, about twenty feet from the surface, hoping
to rea,...h the extremity of the cavern. This appears
to be a work of great difficulty, as the opening is at
the foot of a high bank on the side of a hill, and the
passage leads downwards. Although the entrance is
not more than two feet in diameter, the interior is
lofty, and arched with masonry."—Linterich Reporter.

ARUNDEL.—Itis now quite certain that her Ma-
jesty will honour the Duke of Norfolk with a visit in the

course of two months. Apartments are already being
fitted up for her reception ; and we understand that the
State liveries are in progress.—Brighton Gazette.
THE WIDOW OF BANIM.—We observe that most
of our London and Dublin contemporaries have fallen
into a mistake in saying that the mother of the late Mr.
Banim is in reduced circumstances in consequence of the
death of her grand-daughter, who had u persion from
Government. The mother of Banim is long since dead,
and it is his wife who is in distressed circumstances in
_ _

consequence of the death of her daughter, who had a
pension from Government. We think it is unworthy of
any Government to be guilty of so paltry an act as to
withhold a trivial support from the widow of the man
whom it deemed worthy of a pension while he lived. It
is unseemly that her few short years should be embit-
tered with poverty and distress. Indeed the Irish peo-
ple themselves, for the honour of their country, and of
him who, though dead, yet lives and speaks in his impe-
rishable works, ought not to permit such a national dis-
grace to exist for one hour.—Limerick Revorter.
ENGLISH NEWS FROM ABROAD.--The Augsburg
Gazette of the 23d inst. publishes the following extract
from a letter dated London, 16th inst. :—" Orders have
just been given to arm several ships of war and frigates.
The number of seamen at present receiving pay amounts
to 36,000 men ; the war steamers represent a force of
13,500 horses. It is not doubtful that in six weeks a
fleet would be ready to assemble at Spithead. The turn
which affairs have taken between France and England
favours the views of the Emperor of Russia. The pro-
posals made by that Sovereign when in London have
been renewed by Count Nesselrode. lam assured that
the French Government is fully informed on this subject.
The Court of St. Petersburgh is said to have offered to

the Queen of England an alliance offensive and defensive
in case of war with France. The Emperor added, that
he would place his entire land and sea force at the dis-
posal of the allied Powers. It is easy to divine the
answer of the English Government. It expects that the
Cabinet of the Tuileries will yield to the equitable and
moderate representations of England, and that it will not
be necessary to have recourse to war. If, however.
tranquillity should be interrupted, it would be the in-
terest of all the European Governments to put an end to
it as quickly as possible by displaying an imposing force.
It is therefore beyond all doubt that in case of war there
would be a Russian-English alliance."
SERIOUS BREACH OF THE PEACE.—We regret to
understand that a series of personil attacks was on
Tuesday committed by a party of sappers and miners
recently employed near Glenluce, in taking the levels
of the line between this and that district, upon our
excellent road surveyor and townsman, Mr. Murray,
who had been on duty near Glenluce, but on his return,
on horseback, was attacked by three of these engineering
worthies, near Challock. The assailants laid hold of
the horse, and repeatedly struck it, and also Mr. Mur-
ray, who fortunately acted with exemplary forbearance.
and sought shelter in the house of Mr. Paul, farmer,
in Whitecrook. The soldiers followed him there—.
took possession of the horse—afterwards entered
the house, and assaulted both Mr. Paul and Mr.
Murray. Fortunately the men servants came to the
rescue, and proving an over-match for two of the three
assailants, took them into custody, their companion
taking le., bail for his good behaviour. Mr. Gibson, of
Mains of Park, J.P., was sent for, while a fresh rein•
forcement of sappers and miners came out from Glenluco
to the rescue of their gallant comrades. Matters now
looked serious, but a goodly muster of buirdly plough-
men, constables, &c., headed by Mr. Gibson, as a magis-
trate of the district, and Mr. Murray, had a salutary
effect, and the three assailants were seized and carried
off to gaol for examination. As the case is under legal
investigation, we refrain from saying more at present.—
Galloway Advertiser.
DISCOVERY OF A CAVE 'NEAR KENDAL.-011 the
geologist,o of Kendal,
of last month, Mr. J. Ruthven, the indefatigable
discovered a singular cave, half-
way
3th
up the north-west side of Arnside
Knot. He en-
tered through a low archway into a cavern twenty feet
in length, and from four to five feet high. In the floor
were several holes, down one of which a candle was
lowered, and a deep chasm was discovered running into
the hill in a south-eastern direction. Mr. Ruthven let
himself through the hole, and succeeded in safely de-
scending to the bottom, which was formed of angular
fragments of limestone, cemented together with stalag-
mite. The roof and sides were beautifully covered
with calcareous depositions, clothing the rocks with
drapery, and hanging from the roof in long translucent
stalactites. Six yards from the entrance the fissure
swells out into a cave six yards in length, three yards in
width, and five yards high. At the further end is a
narrow passage, five yards in length, terminated by a
wall of rock, preventing all progress in that direetion.
On the left side of the passage a hole was discovered,
through which Mr. Ruthven squeezed himself into
a beautiful circular chamber, the arched roof covered
with transparent stalactites, sad the floor with
stalagmites, rising towards the roof in the most
fantastic shapes ; the whole forming a most beau-
tiful natural grotto. Last week, Mr. Ec.oWhitzmil
and Mr. Ruthven visited the cave, and mnbe
a diligent search for bones. They were successful in
finding several beautiful specimens of the bones, claws,
and teeth of extinct animals. Some of the teeth have
been sent to Professor Owen for examination. There is
no appearance of the action of water ; and as the cave
forms part of a fault which runs through Arnside Knot.
it probably was once an open fissure into which the ani_
mals have fallen. G. Wilson, Esq., has taken the means
to preserve this interesting place from injury, by placing
au iron gate at the entrance. He will, however, kindly
afford every opportunity for Kientifie investigation.--
Kendal Mercury,

SCOTCH POLITICALREFORMERS.

We feel highly gratified in announcing that the
foundation stone for a monument to Muir, Palmer, '
Skirving, and Gerald, the political martyrs of 1793,
was laid at Edinburgh on Wednesday, Joseph Hume,
Esq.. M.P., officiating as master of the ceremony, and
. deposited the various documents that had been pre-
pared in the foundation-stone.
If ever the country produced patriots who deserved
a monument to their memory, it was these martyrs to!
_liberty who suffered in Scotland at the period referred
to. The expression of popular opinion, either through
the medium of public meetings or the press, had not
obtained any staple footing in Scotland at that period.
Indeed, so far as newspapers were concerned, it was
nearly twenty years afterwards before Scotland con-
tained any influential journal that would support the
claim for that fair and just possession of the suffrage
contended for by the Reformers of 1793. The question
of popular representation and of popular rights had not
been broached in this division of the kingdom, from
the time it was urged in the Scottish Parliament, by
Fletcher, of Saltoun, till it was taken up by Thomas
Muir and his associates. It was most unfortunate
for the cause, that the excesses and bloodshed which
occurred about the same time in Paris afforded an
excellent pretext for those whose interest or whose
prejudices led them to oppose reform ; for, besides
thus exciting alarm at the new doctrines, the novelty
of the proposal had at the same time the mass of the
people, particularly of the business and wealthy
classes, to win over to it. It was amidst these disad-
vantages that the Convention commenced its sittings
in Edinburgh; and therefore it is impossible for pos-
terity t ) pay too high a compliment to the bravery
of those who threw themselves into the breach, sub-
mitting, rather than betray their principles, to be
arraigned before the arbitrary, uncontrolled judges of
the day, who unhesitatingly declared the British con-
stitution to be perfect ; that it required no reform, and
that it was grossly criminal to propose amending it.
After having seen so much of the success of the
principles urged by the early reformers—after having
seen the Legislature and the Crown fully acknow-
ledge the truths they contended for—one would na-
turally suppose that with every class of Liberals, it
would now be a subject of congratulation that so de-
serving a tribute was to be paid. to the memory of
the first patriots. In the countenance given by one
Member of the Legislature, and the Lord Provost of
the metropolitan city of Scotland, to the proceedings
of Wednesday, we have certainly proof so far of the
changes in opinion which have occurred, and of the
advantages that have been obtained by the partial re-
form that has been effected ; still it cannot but be a
subject of regret, and it proves how far practice
stands aloof from profession, when out of the majo-
rity of representatives from Scotland, now returned
to Parliament in the Liberal interest, only one came
forward to identify himself with the first deeds of the
champions of the cause on this occasion. It is also a
subject which we think deservedly calls forth both
surprise and sorrow, that while a majority of the
municipal authorities of Edinburgh are decidedly
Liberal—while their Chief Magistrate fully acknow-
ledged the merits of the martyrs of ninety-three, and
the soundness of their principles, the same municipal
authorities who have so much in their povver, declined
to grant a suitable site for their monument. It is
certainly somewhat unaccountable, that while the
streets and public places of Edinburgh have been
freely given up for monuments to the memory of Lord
Melville, of George IV., and of Sir Walter Scott,
no proper publib, site could he obtained for a moult--
Merit to these memorable sufferers for freedom, and
the erection has accordingly to take place in such an
obscure quarter as the Calton burying-ground—a
place incapable of accommodating even one half the
people who accompanied the procession on this oc-
casion.

We cannot conclude our notice of this interesting
occurrence without expressing our gratification at ob-
serving the name, of Mr. Moffat, the venerable soli-
citor, recorded. as having taken part in the proceed-
ings. Mr. Moffat gave his services gratis to Mr.
Muir at the time of his trial, and he has zealously
adhered to the defence of his memory and the cause
for which he suffered from that period to the present.
Wednesday must, therefore, have been a memorable
day to one who has rendered so much good service to
the cause. Mr. Moffat has been a principal means
of obtaining the just national compliment to the me-
mory of the early reformers which is now paid them,
and in his declining years it must be no small subject
of gratification to see the principles he espoused in
his youth so far triumphant, and the fame of the
friend he loved and defended -so far venerated and
done justice to 'as it has been.—Glasgow Saturday
Post.