The Sun.
London, England, 1844-02-08 00:00:00

IMPORT DUTIES-SMUGGLING.

The Hon. GENTLEMAN then gave notice that on Tuesday
week he should move for the appointment of a Select Com-
mittee to inquire into the subject of smnggling, as far
as regarded tobacco, silk, spirits, and other articles
paying a high impart duty ; into the extent and nature of
the frauds thus practised ; and also into the effects they pro
duced on the revenue, the trade, and commerce of the country,
and the morals of the people, and also into the expenses of the
Coast-guard system, and report the evidence, and their opi-
nion thereon to the House.
HAWKERS' LICENSES.

The Hox. MEMBER then moved for a return of the number
of hawkers licensed in the years 1800, 1810, 1820, •1830, and
1840.—Agreed to.
The House then adjourned at a Quarter before Five o'Clock.

PARLIAMENTARY DIVISIONS.

(From the Votes and Proceed:nes of the House of Commons.)

TUESDAY, FEB. 6.

SUPPLY.-MR. S. CRANiTORD'S AMENDMENT.
MAJORITY-AGAINST, 130.

MINORITY-FOR, 22.

, -
Barnard, E. G. Duncan, George Strickland, Sir G.
Blewitt, Reginald Ellice, E. Wakley, Thomas
bodkin. John James Felhien, J. Wallace. Robert
Rowring, Dr. Gibson, T. M. Wawn, John
Bright, John Hindley, Char'es
Brotherton, J. Hume, Joseph TELLERS.
Butler, Colonel Leader, J. T. Crawford, W. S.
Butler, P. S. Plumridge, Captain Williams, W.
Duke, Sir lames Scholefield, J

LITERATURE.
JAMES OF THE HILL. 3 Vols.
Newby, London, 1844.
The hero or this romance, " James of the Hill," is
a Scottish outlaw, whose wild and varied adventures
occupy a considerable portion of the work. The scene
of action is laid in Scotland, chiefly among the High-
lands, and the period chosen is the year 1630—a stir•
ring and troublous period both in England and the
sister country. The story is told in some places with
spirit and ability ; but the dialogues are frequently
prolix, and the incidents are scarcely numerous enough
for the space they occupy. The descriptions of Scot-
tish scenery are uniformly good, and constitute the
redeeming features of the work.

THE HERETIC. 3 Vols.
Blackwood, Edinburgh and London, 1844.
This story is a translation from the Russian of M.
Lajetchnikoff, by a gentleman named Shaw, Professor
of English Literature at the Imperial Lyceum of
Tsarskoe-Seloe. Of course, being unacquainted with
the original, we cannot vouch for the accuracy of the
translator's version ; but we may observe that his
language is spirited, especially in the dialogue portion
of his narrative, and that he has placed before us a
fiction which will be read with interest, if only for the
minuteness and apparent fidelity with' which it deli-
neates the manners of the Russians in the middle and
lower walks of life, and the skill with which it deli-
neates the character of the Czar, Ivan. The epoch
selected by M. Lajetchnikoff is the fifteenth century
—an epoch, says the translator in his preface, " most
powerfully interesting in the history of every country,
and not less so in that of Russia." The best sus-
tained character in the story is that of the traveller.
Aphanasii Nikitin, portions of whose curious itinerary
—which is, we understand, still extant in the chief
public libraries in Russia—the author has adroitly
contrived to interweave with his romance.

irIIiTERT,SEMENT4
SUPPL IEN TS 'RATIS
WITH THE " DISPATCH."
Every Week during the
GREAT NATIONAL TRIAL AT DUBLIN.
A succession of
SUPPLEMENTS GRATIS WILL BE PUBLISHED
WITH THE DISPATCH.
The First on SUNDAY, February 4, con-
-16
taming Mr. Shell's Speech, a gem of oratory... j
The Second (of the full size of the WEEKLY
DISPATCH) on SUNDAY, February 11, con-
taining the Speeches of Mr. Whiteside, Mr.
O'Connell, and other Leading Counsel who . 45
may address the Court in the course of the •
Week, for which the services of several Short-
hand Writers of Eminence have been engaged._ •
The dimensions of the succeeding Supplements will be re-
gulated by the importance of the matter; but the last Sup-
plement will be also of the full size of the DISPATCH, and
form the early portion of the trial, and embrace the proceed-
ings from the commencement to that stage at which the first
begins, so that every subscriber to the WEEKLY DIS-
PATCH will be in possession of a complete and faithful re-
cord of this great national trial—a trial which must become
a matter of history, and ever be regarded as an event of un-
usual importance.
A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH of MR. O'CONNELL
will precede the account of the Trial, which will he written
by a Gentleman intimately acquainted with the " great
Agitator," and consequently one who has treasured up many
reminiscences that will render the Biography a paper of
general and absorbing interest.
The SUPPLEMENTS, forming a great number of columns,
will be printed uniformly with the DISPATCH, and contain
a quantity of information equal to at least an Octavo Volume
of 1,000 pages.
Orders received by every Bookseller and News Agent in
the United Kingdom, and at the DISPATCH Office, 139,
Fleet-street.

WILL OF THE LATE MARQUIS OF HERTFORD.-
The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council met this
morning to hear an appeal by the Right Hon. J. Croker,
claiming as a legatee under a codicil of the late Mar-
quis of Hertford. The Solicitor-General appeared on
the part of the Right Hon. Gentleman. Lords
Brougham, Denman, Abinger, and Campbell, Chief
Justice Tindal, &c., were present.

Mr. James, M.P., has been confined to bed at
Brussels for upwards of a week, by Inflammatory fever, but is now
in a fair way of recovery.—Carlisle Journal.

THE POOR-LAW AND FACTORY ACTS.—Sir James
Graham has entered upon the books of the House of Commons
notice that, on Tuesday, he will move fcr leave to introduce a Bill
" to amend the Factory Act;" and, on Thursday, for leave to
introduce a Bill "to amend the Poor-law Acts." The public will
look forward with much interest to both those measures en such
important subjects. While speaking of the poor-laws, it may be as
well also to mention that Lord Ashley will, on Thursday week,
move for a Select Committee "on the mode of administering
medical relief to the sick poor"—a matter that loudly calls for
reform.

FATAL ACCIDENT.—An accident of a very dis-
tressing nature occurred yesterday afternoon, at Messrs.
Barclay and Perkins' brewery, in Park-street, Southwark.
It appears that three individuals : Henry Roberts, the
foreman, and John Steadman and Thomas Harris, labourers,
were about to cleanse out a vat in the south-east divi-
sion of the building, from which a quantity of strong ale
had been drawn about a fortnight since. It was the duty of
the foreman to see that the carbonic acid gas, which, it is
well known, always accumulates from the fermentation of
the beer, had thoroughly dispersed, before any person de-
scended into the vat, and the only survivor, Harris, states
that Roberts took the usual precaution of lowering a lighted
candle, upon raising which, unextinguished, he observed
it was " all right," aid directed Steadman to descend by
a ladder placed inside, and to remove some of the hops which
had accumulated round the tap, in order that the dregs might
be drawn off. Steadman at once descended, ancliafter remaining
at the bottom of the vat for a few moments he was observed
to make for the ladder, and hasten up in a weak state, as if
nearly overcome by the noxious vapour. The vat was about
IS feet deep, and the poor fellow had nearly reached the
summit, when he suddenly fell back senseless. Harris im-
mediately offered to descend and endeavour to rescue his
companion, but Roberts would not allow him, and insisted on
going down himself. He reached the bottom of the vat, and
caught hold of Steadman, raising him a few inches, but imme-
diately afterwards relaxed his hold, and like his deceased
companion, fell lifeless. An alarm was instantly given, and
Mr. French, the foreman of the works, and several other per-
sons hastened to the spot. One man named Hicks volun-
teered to descend if a rope were made fast to his body, and
this having been done, he was lowered a few feet. The men
who had charge of the rope, however, observxl that he lost
sensibility, and on drawing him up he was found to be in an
almost lifeless state. The most active measures were imme-
diately adopted, and in a few minutes both bodies were ex-
tricated jrom the vat. Medical assistance being on the spot,
every endeavour was made to restore animation, but in both
cases unfortunately without success.

OVERLAND MAIL'

INDIA AND CHINA.

The accounts brought by this mail from India. and
China are very satisfactory. The affairs of Gwalior
have been settled without shedding fl drop of blood.
The Governor-General;reached Agra on the 11th of De-
cember, and was making arrangements for marching
the army of exercise, under Sir Hugh Gough, into the
country ; but its services were not required. The
authorities, on finding that they had no chance of re-
sisting such an overpowering force, held a council of
war, which was attended by the principal officers and
leading men of the country ; and after a short delibera-
tion resolved to give up the Minister Khasgeewalla,
who was regarded as the prime mover in the late de-
monstrations against British authority in that quarter.
He was immediately sent off prisoner under an escort of
fifty men to Agra. The young Baja, who was considered
the rightful heir to the throne; took refuge in the British
camp, and in due time was to be regularly installed
as Sovereign. Lord Ellenborough was to proceed to
Gwalior, accompanied by thv young Prince, but no par-
ticulars had transpired as to his ultimate plays. That
district, however, is now entirely under British dominion.
Affairs remained nearly in the same state at Lahore,
but preparations were made for resistance in case an
attack should be made on the Sikhs by the British
troops on the other side of the Sutlej. Sinde was per-
fectly tranquil. Sickness still prevailed to a consider-
able extent. A number of medical officers had been
dispatched from Bombay to attend the sick, and hopes
were entertained that the malady was only temporary.
Sir Charles Napier was in good health. At Sukkur, the
sickness was rapidly diminishing. From China the in-
telligence is favourable. The supplementary treaty,
by Sir Henry Pottinger and the Chinese Commissioner,
would; be forthwith signed by the Emperor without
waiting for the signature of the Queen of England.
The sickness at Hong-Kong had abated, but we regret
to state that Major Pottinger, Colonel Knowles, and two
surgeons had been carried off by it.
GIVALIOR—THE ARMY OF EXERCISE.