The Sun.
London, England, 1850-01-12 00:00:00

SICILY.

The Gcvernment has issued a decree imposing a tax
on corn-mills and on windows. An export duty has
been imposed on Sumach sulphur and on all the
staple produce of the island, evidently for the
purpose of destroying the commerce and ruining
the property of the unfortunate inhabitants.
With regard to the export duty on sulphur,
we trust that, if the imposition of such duty is in
violation' of treaties subsisting between the King of
the Two Sicilies and the Sovereign of Great Britain,
Lord Palmerston will at once demand redress, and if
refused take it by force if necessary. The imposition
of these duties has created a wide-spread discontent
throughout the island. In Catania especially the
people Ind determined to combat the decrees. Mili-
tary assistance being sent for no outbreak occurred.
The fears of Filangieri were such as to induce him to
send for more troops from Naples, and a considerable
force left accordingly. These facts prove pretty
clearly the " popularity" of the Lard-Lieutenant and
Ferdinand° 11. in Sicily.
The decree which has appeared in the Sicilian Go-
vernment journal, ordering new taxes to be levied
from January, 1850, is prefaced by a sad account of
the state of the national finances. The document says :
" Notwithstanding the most severe economy, the si-
tuation of the general treasury of our royal dominions
presents a serious deficit, caused by the evils arising
from past administration, during which unhappy time
the pave— chest was entirely exhausted, the bank
guarantees violatee, the public debt not paid, the
pious establishments or tre „„ ntry neglected, &c. ;
public edifices in a great measure ne,..e.ered, public
roads and bridges neglected, and, in fact, every brae...a
of public expenditure abandoned. At Palermo the
National Guard has been broken up by an order,
which at the same time thanks that body for
its services. Avery one expected this event to take
place long since, although the National Guard was
promised so much by Filangieri. Gradually, by
intimidation and office bribery, the old system is
thoroughly reproduced, and so much bloodshed and
sacrifice has brought the Sicilians nothing. The
brilliant prospects which dawned on Sicily when free
from the Bourbons, the rapid strides towards pro-
sperity under an enlightened and patriotic Govern-
ment, are now clouded over and again impeded by the
bigoted, corrupt, and demoralising influence which
has so long locked up the recources of the country.

POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTION.
We have previously noticed the very excellent
lecture delivered by Dr. Bachhoffner at this establish-
ment, indeed so interesting and so entertaining is this
subject of " Philosophy of Recreation" that a few
remarks will be, we doubt not, acceptable to our
readers. The learned Doctor treats the subject in
quite a new mode, first of all introducing his experi-
ments under mystic guise to the astonishment of all
beholders, afterwards, however, explaining their
mAnner of execution, and the laws by which
such remarkable changes are governed. The
bottle trick was introduced under two dis-
tinct forms—first of all, sherry, port, milk, water,
champagne, were produced from a common bottle,
filled is the first place with plain water. The change
produced in pouring out the fluid was truly astonish-
ing, and seemed certainly to partake of necromancy
as much as anything we had ever witnessed. The
Doctor, however, explained the cause of such by
charging similar glasses with certain compounds in
quantities so small as to escape detection even when
closely observed ; and these compounds produced,
when brought in contact with the fluid in the
bottle, the various appearances of wine, milk, &c.
Not only this, wherein appearance only was
produced, another magic bottle of the Doctor's poured
out eau de vie, sherry, port, and many other com-
pounds, all drinkable, and of first-rate quality, thus
increasing the wonder and surprise he had previously
created. The admirable experiment of freezing me-
tallic vessels to the table called forth repeated plaudits
from the audience, which, at first sight, appeared as
wonderful as the former experiment, but, like it,
purely a chemical delusion. The modus operandi to
effect this object was the late invention of Mr.
Masters, and by this apparatus several metallic
vessels were froeen to the table in the astonish-
ing space of two or three minutes. By a
variety of conclusive experiments the Doctor pointed
out the laws governing these apparent anomalies,
the former experiment being dependent upon pneu-
matical laws for its production, while the other formed
an important fact in chemical science, a knowledge of
which, and similar changes, enabled the practical
chemist to perform his apparent difficult task of
analysis. In conclusion the Professor begged to be
understood, that although he might apparently have
been conjuring, yet he hoped they would not, for so
doing, consider him? conjuror.

CHELIISFOUD, Tu URSDA .—Yeeterday a coroner's
inquiry was instituted at the lt,cl Cow Inn, respecting
the death of Susan Smith Page, aged five weeks, who
was murdered by lize. mother, Millicent Page, under the
following circumstances. With her husband, William
Page, three sons, and the deceased child, she occupied a
cottage near the Rose and Crown in this town. On the
birth of the child, being a girl, she evinced much anxiety
lest it should ever come to want, and on more than one
occasion she expressed such belief to her husband, and
her fear that she would have to kill it. On Saturday,
the husband left his employment in consequence of a
reduction of his wages, from 9s. to Bs. This being
communicated to the poor creature, it seemed to con-
siclefaily affect her mind as to the fate of her daughter.
On Monday morning the husband left home for the
purpose of procuring employment in the neighbourhood
of Billericay. He had not been gone long when the un-
happy woman destroyed the child by cutting its throat
with a razor. In her frenzy, she ran to neighbour, and
announced that she had murdered her child, and on the
cottage being entered, such was found to be the fact.
Measures were immediately taken to secure the unhappy
parent; but before that could be accomplished, she
nearly succeeded in destroying herself with the same
instrument with which she had dispatched her off,pring.
She inflicted a wound in her throat, hut it is of a trifling
character. The jury returned a verdict of wilful murder
against the mother, and the coroner issued his warrant
for her committal for trial at the next assizes. There is
not the slightest doubt but that the poor creature is
insane.
SMANCHESTER RECTORY DIVISION.—OiI Thursday
morning a meeting of the parishioners of Manchester,
and the churchwardens and sidesnien of the various
district churches, was heldfor the purpose of consider •
jog the outline of a Bill, to be br.,ught before the
.sion
Legis-
lature in the ensuing session for of cting a subdivision
of the parish. and other important reforms in the , l'e
eccle-
siastical arrangements. Mr. Richard Birley, one of the
churchwardens, according to custom, as the church-
wardens had convened the mating, took the chair,
though a Mr. Heywood was proposed by the opposition.
The utmcst confusion and disorder prevailed for two
hours and a-half, until the Mayor having entered the
room, succeeded in restoring partial quietness. Mr.
Birley then addressed the meeting, commenting upon
the various provisions of the proposed Act. He was
succeeded by Mr. Henry Houldaworth, Mr. Cawley, the
Rev. Canon Clifton, and several other gentlemen. A
resolution adopting the proposed Bill was at length
carried by a large majority, the meeting having lasted
seven hours.