The Sun.
London, England, 1850-04-23 00:00:00

ILLNESS OF RUGGIERO SETTIMO.

We regret to learn that the venerable RUGGIERO
SErrisso, who was the President of the Sicilian Go-
vernment during the year of Sicilian liberty, 1848-9,
is suffering from severe illness at Malta, and is not
likely to recover.

FATAL ACCIDENT TO MR. ORRIDGE, GOVERNOR
OF CARLISLE Orridge went on Saturday last to
Laithes Hall, near Penrith, on a visit; he retired to bed about
eleven o'clock. It would appear that about three o clock in
the morning he left his room. The morning was beginning
to break, and a glimmering light from a window misled him
from the right turning to the staircase, and stumbling
against the balustrade, which is very low, he lost his balance
and fell over into the hail beneath, a height of about sixteen
feet. Groans were heard, and on Mr. Parkin going down
stairs he found his unfortunate friend lying on the flags of
the hall, quite insensible and bleeding. He lingered till
Wednesday evening, when death put an end to his sufferings.
Lie was perfectly sensible for sometime before his death, and
recollected distinctly leaving his bedroom and coming in
contact with the balustrade, but all the rest was a blank.—•
Carlisle Patriot.

AN EMIGRANT STOWED AWAY IN SALT.---At the
Liverpool 'Police• court, on Thursday, Andrew Dunn was
charged with having defrauded Patrick Cain of 21, The
complainant, a young Irishman, was about to emigrate to the
United States, and, having fallen in with the prisoner, paid
him 21. on account of his passage money,'as he supposed.
When he was about to sail in one of the Tapscott's vessels, in

company with a number of his countrymen, be demanded
back the 21. ; but the prisoner was either unable or unwil-
hug to refund, and recommended Patrick to stow himself
away in the vessel. The youth took the advice ;he literally
packed himself in the salt, in which he made small breathing
holes, and there ho was discovered and given into the cus,
tody of a police officer. _ lie was almost suffocated when he

was found, and looked as though he had been dragged
through a pond. The prisoner declared that the 21. was a
voluntary loan, and that he would have paid it on Saturday
next, if the complainant would have stopped. This he
would not do, and stowed himself away without • his (priso-
ner's) advice or knowledge. The prisoner was remanded.—
Liverpool Mercury.

PROSPECT OF A CRor OF ,Faurr.—Never, we should
think, did the pear treesblessam more abundantly than they
do in the present season ; and the apple trees, too, give pro-
mise that they will soon be covered with bloom. Should the
crop of fruit be proportionate to the blossom, there is no
doubt but it will be abundant; and the check which the
weather has recently giveh to tbe'trees is considered rather
favourable to the crop of fruit than otherwise. The blossom,
having come Late, is considered safe.— Hereford Times.
BRITANNIA-BRIDGB.—Some little- life • has" been
exhibited here during the last week, orders having been
given for'a gradual increase of the sailors' gang, which had.
dwindled so low that only the oldest hands, those who have
been from the first floating of the Conway tubes, have been
kept on, and these have lately been working as excavators.
Last week, however, Captain Claxton and Mr. L. Clark
were for some hours consulting with the foreman at the site
of the first tube, and it is reported that the westernmost
tube (that which is to be next floated), and which is by
more than two hundred yards farther from the bridge
piers than either of the others, is to be moved, towards
the end of Maw, to the site of the one so successfully
transported in June last year. By this means it will

not only be two hundred yards nearer its destination, but
it will be placed where it will be ready, when the tides suit,

for a repetition of exactly the same plans adopted and car-
ried through on the occasion alluded to. It happens, also,
that the highest end is at present the nearest to the bridge,
and that end belongs to the middle, or Britannia pier,
whereas the lowest end appertains to the Anglesea side ; the
tube, therefore, when moved in May, will be turned round in
the Menai, probably a more imposing and beautiful operation
than even that of floating to its destination. The tides for

placing it on the proper benches will not suit until the second
week in June; those in May will, it is supposed, be quite
high enough for the first and more beautiful operation. It
is said that Mr. Edwin Clark will join Captain Claxton in

the ensuing week, and that Mr. Stephenson himself is coming
round in his new yacht, so there is but little doubt that
Bangor and Beaumaris, and all the inns of the Welsh northern
tour, will, as last season, again swarm with visitors to this
interesting locality.
THE LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR OF PORTSMOUTH.--..
At an entertainment given last week by the commander-in-
chief of the south-western district to the railway empolyes,
Major-General Lord Frederick Fitzclarence, in one of his
speeches, referring to the improvements which had recently
been made at Portsmouth, and the strictures on his conduct
by alocal paper, said—" It is a curious circumstance, prior
to my being honoured with the command of this district,
the first time I walked upon Southsea-common was with his
late Majesty, when he commanded the fleet in 1814; the
common was then a wilderness—l am speaking of five-and-
thirty years ago—l recollect it was then covered with grass
furze, and shingle. His Majesty said, ' What a shame that
the Government does not ptace it in a condition to instruct
young soldiers and sailors, who are always ready to defend
your lives when called upon.' It is a curious fact
that I should be the individual (with the help of
the inhabitants), after such a lapse of time, to put his
Majesty's idea into practice. In that I have merely done
my duty, because it will not only be beneficial for the
health of the inhabitants, but' also for the instruction of the
troops. I know I have faults—l am aware of them, and
being aware of them, shall study to avoid them in future;
but fortunately for me I live in a country where a public in-
dividual, if he does wrong, is likely to be called to account for
it. Thank God we have a press, and he who lives in a glass
house is sure to be made amenable to its powers. I know
the press, the free press, to be a special benefit to the land,
and I love the liberties that press insures to Englishu:sn,
but I cannot acknowledge the justness of the remarks that
have been so frequently made of late in a certain portion of
that press. If Ido wrong lam liable to censure ; but when
Ido right, then do I demand justice. I love the press, but I
have been pressed where I have not deserved it. My beet
intentions have been misrepresented, and my most beneficial
acts perverted in their character before the public. 1 have
said before, I love the press, but it is a weapon which should
only be used as the sword of justice. and not the shield of licen-
tiousness. Like a good child who dreads the rod, I bow to
the press, but claim its justice."—Portsmouth Times.
DISCOVERY OF A VALUABLE PAIN
original portrait of Charles the First, supposed to have been
lest during the Commonwealth, when, to prevent the dis-
covery of the portrait, it was reduced in size by cutting it,
is said to have been found in Barnstaple. The portrait was
painted by Vandyck in 1640, when the King was 40 years of
age, one year betore the painter died. The painting just dis,
covered had for many years been thrown about as valueless,
and was so black that it was difficult to perceive what it re-
presented, and the frame was so rotten that it broke away as
it hung. For the last ten years it was in the possession of Mr.
Ward, at the Seven Stars, Anchor-lane, and when he left the
house and sold off Mr. W. Lewis, furniture-broker, Silver-
street, bought it and took it home. It was thrown about for
a long time under a heap of rubbish ; at last it was picked
up, ordered to be scrubbed, and hung up in his ware-rooms
to dry. Several people passed and repassed, who 'asked the
price, but thought they would consider the anatter ; at last
a Mr: Taylor bought it for 2s. ; within a week he was offered
20/. Mr. Taylor, however, thinking that it must be a valu-
able painting, took it to the National Gallery to know if
there was such a painting missing, and had an answer there
was ; he returned to Barnstaple with it, and has been offered
as much as 2,0001. for it; but declines parting with it for
that sum.

GALLERY OF ILLUSTRATION, REGENT-STREET.-
The highly popular diorama, illustrating the overland route
to India, has been attended during the past week with
crowded and fashionable audiences. The inilowing distin-
guished parties have honoured the exhibition with their
presence :-The Marquis of Anglesea and Lord Paget, Mar-
quis of Douro, Earl of Carlisle and party, Countess of
Charlemont and party, Lord Bateman, Lord Kilmaine, Lady
Seaton, Lady Exmouth, Lady Seymour, Lady Listowell,
Lady Graham, Lady Ashburton, Lady Sutherland, Lady
Brabazon, Lady Courtney and party, Lady Somerville, Lady
Ashburnham, Lady Anderson, Lady Clerk, honourable Miss
Talbot, Sir J. Hamilton, Sir Thomas and Lady Leonard, Sir
Minto Farquhar, Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore, Admiral
Collier, Admiral Dundas, Captain Scott, Major-General
Caulfield, Colonel Bagnold, Colonel Wyatt, Captain and Mrs.
Fremantle, Captain Frere, Major Edwardes, the Rev. the
Dean of Chichester, &c.
METROPOLITAN COMMISSION OF SEWERS..,---An
account of the receipt and expenditure of the Metropolitan
Commission of Sewers for 1849 has just been published. The
receipts amounted to 71,623/. 13s. 10d., the items composing
this total being 55,105!. 3s. from rates, 13,5181. 105. 10d.
from contributions, &c., and 3,0001. from loans. The pay-
'Rents were as follows :-For works, 50,3091.45. ld. ; surveys,
&c., 8,3391. 19s. 10d.; management, 22,4001. 17s. sd. ; loans,
4,014/. 12s. Bd. ; contingencies, 2801. 9s. 6d. ' • making a total
of 85,3451.35. 6d. The cash in hand at the commencement
of the year 1849 was 22,956/. 3s. 7d.; at the end of the year
it was 9,2341. 13s. Ild. The total amount paid for contracts
commenced and completed for general works during the
year was 40,6061. ss. 4d., being 10,573/. Ils. 5d., for
sewers, 5,577/. Os. 6d. for openings (side entrances, air
shafts, gullies, private drains and flaps), 3,956/. 115. sd.
for repairs to sewers, gullies, &c., 18,595/. 18s. Iod.,
for cleansing, including flushing, casting, and lifting,
1,460/. 2s. 9d. for incidental works, and 4521. lls. sd. for
paving and gravelling rclaid. An additional sum of 2,318/.
14s. 11d. was expended under contracts for special works,
being 1001. for incidental works, and 2.218/. 14s. 11d. for
sewers. The total amount of monies owing to the Commis-
sioners on account of uncollected rates is 56,1711. 12s. 11d.
The debts owing by the Commissioners amount to .1(0,7381.
ls. Id., viz., 65,787/. for loans, 465/. 14s. for epecial contracts,and 44,485/. 7s. Id. for tradesmen's bills and other obliga-
tions not under special contracts.
BLIND LAW-MAKING.-The Rev. Mr. Frost, ad-
dressing a Yorkshire meeting on the defitcibenascybeofnnteheevofaTdteehdne
Hours' Bill, said-" The war in which
forcibly reminded him of AmericanAmericanjst°r7; cle
States pawed an Act that no dog should go at large without
a muzzle, and a man was broil
,ht up for infringing the sta-
mthsehoudiedfenb-
e
animal
tute. In defence he alleged th
at h‘ °is_dog had a muzzle.
' How is that?' quoth the justt
icwe:nerette uzee
' (said
dant), the Act says nothing o
placed, and as I thought the would like the fresh air,
I put the muzzle on his tail.' Or perhaps the working of
the Ten Hours' Sill would be better illustrated by a German
anecdote. The burgomaster of a German town, owing to
the frequency of robberies in consequence of the darkness of
the streets, issued an edict that no person should go out at
night without a lantern. A delinquent was charged with
infringing the statute. He pleaded that he bad a lantern,
but as the order said nothing of a candle, he had not used
one. The order was amended and a candle directed; but
the same offender again got off, because be pleaded that he
had a lantern and a candle, and as he was not ordered to
light it he had not done so. So at last the order was finally
amended, and it was directed that every man should have a
lantern containing a candle, and that candle lighted. Now,
the Declaratory Act of. Lord Ashley provided for the lantern
and the candle, and required that the candle should also be
lighted."--Lirerpoo/ Chronicle.
A new description of robbery hts lately been
executed on a grand scale in Paris :-A fashionably-dressed
young man has visited artists who make portraits by the
daguerrotype, and caused his portrait to be taken, for which
he aptly paid; he afterwards asked for a frame or for some
other article which required the artist to leave the room,
and during his absence he took out of the daguerrotype in-
strument the glass called the verre oljectij; the value of which
varies from 501. to 801.- Gulignani.
GARMENT WITHOUT A SEAM,-A weaver in Man-
chester has invented a machine by which trousers, or even
coats, may be woven complete in one piece, requiring not s
t. +h
WIICM 9.e WedlC.wgeockPort Aiercury.