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

THE DRAMA AT DONNYBROOK

A CHURCH-GOING CAT.—An eccentric old lady,
who has attended the Moresby Church as long as any
person in the parish, and who has an inveterate hatred
to soap and water, from a persuasion that by degrees. it
would remove the skin of her youth, and introduce that
of wrinkled old age, is in the habit of taking her torn
cat along with her into the sacred edifice, in order, as
she says, to amuse the poor creature and keep it fr
crying. Ou Sunday last, while the congregation were
offering their responses in the liturgic part of the ser-
vice, the cat put her head out of the lady's pocket, and
uttered a cry as audible as any of the congregation
assembled except the clerk himself.— Whitehaven Herald.
MANUFACTURERS AT PERTH.—We understand that
a manufacturing establishment here has taken premises
to commence th manufacture of the goods called unioi s
—that is, dresses of cotton and woollen combined, by
means of power-looms. This is the first attempt at the
introduction of steam-power to manufactures in this
place, and we hope it will be successful and lead to an
extension of such establishments. The prices of hand-
loom weaving have advanced a fraction during the last
month, and the prospect of the winter trade here is
favourable for the workman.—Perth Courier.
We find, that through the instrumentality of our
townsman, Mr. John Armitage Buttrey, that the Po'.t-
master-General has been pleased to grant to the popilous
village of llorsforth and immediate neighbourhood, a
free delivery of letters. The charge hitherto has been
141 a letter, which since the penny postage came into
operation has been found a grievance.—Leeds Mercw u.
OMINOUS AFFEARINCE.—On the evening of Friday
last many of the lieges in this town were thrown into a
state of consternation and alarm from the appearance of
the sky, which, to the south of the burgh, reflected, in a
deep blood-red colour, some would-be and unknown con-
flagration. Various were the surmises as to this omi-
nous and unwonted sight, until, at last, anxiety rose to
such a pitch that hundreds sallied forth to discover the
cause. Old and young, grave and gay, hurried along
with intense excitement, each striving to out-ch his
neighbour, and some deeming the eventful night " big
with the fate of thousands." However, on arriving at a
certain point on the Highland-road, the fears of the n ot-
ley crowd were at once allayed, on perceiving that the
flames proceeded from a tract of whine, at lushes ! The
occurrence is common enough at this season, but on the
occasion in question the appearance of the flames nas
singularly vivid and striking.—lnverness Courier.
LEEDS FAlR.—This fair commenced yesterday.
The show both of cattle and horses was similar to those
of former years, and can scarcely in any respect be con-
sidered good or extensive. The scene of the pleasure
fair presents no lack of exhibitions of various kinds,
amongst the most prominent of which is the celebrated
menagerie of Mr.Wombwell.—Leeds Mercury of this day.
According to the Kilkenny Moderator, the agri-
cultural labourers in that neighbourhood aro, working
for 21d. a day and spare diet.
Mr. Gregory, M.P., denies that he lost heavily at
the late Doncaster races, by betting against the Irish
horse Foie•-a-Ballagh. Ile was not, he states, in Eng-
land at the time, nor had he a bet on or against the
I horse.
The Rev. John Congreve, Chaplain of St. George's,
church, preached his farewell sermon to that congrega-
tion on Sunday evening se'nnight. The Rev. Gentleman
removes to England. The loss of his services will be
much felt in this town, as his attention to the poor and
sick of the district, and to the national schools, was un-
wearied and indefatigable.—lsle of Mon paper.
Dr. Kidd, of Hammersmith, states that common
house. sparrows taken callow from the nest, and brought
up under canaries in fine voice, have been known to Bur-
pass their masters in brilliancy of execution.

FAIR.
The preponderance of exhibitions was decidedly in
the theatrical line. Shakspeare was " done" in every
second caravan. Poor lago—for Othello, though
often under different names, seethed to be decidedly
the favourite piece—poor lago did the " double deed,"
in the course of a couple of hours, in at least a score of
places, and in the same place at least a dozen times.
But to do the histrionic ladies and gentlemen who
trod the boards on this occasion that justice which
they have a right to claim, it is proper I should men-
tion that they by no means confined themselves to
deeds of death: there was a pretty liberal share of
the operatic, and no small allowance of the comic and
farcical modes of acting. Nothing appeared to me
more worthy of approbation than the expedition with
which her Majesty's subjects on the Donnybrook
boards severally went through their parts. They lost
no time. None of the audience could complain of
that. "Up with the rag"—meaning the curtain—
burst from the throat of some merry-hearted auditor,
and up went the curtain with the celerity of light-
' ning. " Down with the rag," shouted another in two
or three minutes afterwards, and
.the play was over in
an instant. Even when the stage-manager and per-
formers were allowed to take their own time to go
through their arduous duties, they evinced a most
praiseworthy desire to be economical of the time of
their auditors. An opera, or something meant to be
so considered ; a comedy, and a farce, were all per-
formed in leas than •a dozen minutes. Murders,vere
perpetrated with a dispatch not only unparalleled, but
unapproached in real life. One of the most furious
quarrels ever witnessed—on the stage—between hus-
band and wife, was adjusted in an instant ; and. they
who, but a minute before, well nigh frightened all
present out of their wits, lest some murderous deed
should in reality be committed, stood before the now
delighted audience the most loving couple within her
Majesty's dominions. I could not help wishing that
real matrimonial quarrels were made up with an
equally magical rapidity. Were such the case, hus-
bands and wives could afford to have daily at least a
dozen " affairs of the tongue," without either party
suffering in the slightest degree from the wordy col-
lision.—lmpressions of Ireland and the Irish, by the
Author of " Random, RecollectiOns."

Mr. George Wilson, chairman of the League, and
who was elected for St. Michael's Ward, Manchester, on
Friday last, has resigned. The cause alleged is, that he
has not the time at his disposal to attend to the discharge
of both offices.—Lceds Mercury.

SOUTHAMPTON DOCKS.—The shipping tonnage in
these docks has increased during the last few months
from a few hundred to ten thousand per month inwards
and outwards.

A BATTLE WITH RATTLESNAKES.—RattIesnakes
are proverbially abundant upon all these prairies; and,
as there is seldom. to be found either stick or stone with
which to kill them, one hears almost a constant popping
of rifles or pistols, among the vanguard, to clear the
route of these disagreeable occupants, lest they should
bite our animals. As we were toiling up through the
sandy hillocks which border the southern banks of
the Arkansas, the day being excessively warm, we
came upon a perfect den of these reptiles. I will
not say thousands—though this, perhaps, was nearer
the truth—but hundreds, at least, where coiled or crawl-
ing in every direction. They were no sooner dis-
covered than we were upon them with guns and pis-
tols, determined to let none of them escape. In the
midst of this amusing scramble among the snakes, a wild
mustang colt, which had, somehow or other become se-
parated from its dam, came bolting among our relay of
loose stock, to add to the confusion. One of our mules
evidently impressed with the impertinence of the in-
, truder, sprang forward and attacked it, with the appa-
rent intention of executing summary chastisement ; while
another mule, with more benignity of temper than its
irascible compeer, engaged most lustily in defence of
the unfortunate little mustang. As the contest was
carried on among the waggons, the teamsters soon
became very uproarious, so that the whole, with
the snake fracas, made up a capital scene of con-
fusion. When the mule skirmish would have ended, if
no one had interfered, is a questicin which remained un-
determined. ; for some of our company, in view of the
consequences that might result from the contest, rather
inhumanly took sides with the assailing mule ; and soon
after they entered the lists, a rifle ball relieved the poor
colt from its earthly embarrassments and the company
from further domestic disturbance. Peace once more re-
stored, we soon got under weigh, and that evening pitched
our camp opposite the celebrated " Caches"—a place
where some of the earliest adventurers had been com-
pelled to conceal their merchandise.—Journal of a Santa
Fe Trader.
THE CHILDREN OF THE IRISH PEASANTRY.—It
will be seen from what I have said that nothing could
be more extreme than the poverty of the Irish peasantry.
And yet, notwithstanding all the hardships through
which they have to pass on their journey through life,
I never saw a set of finer-looking children than those
you meet with is the poorer districts of the country.
They far surpass, in the comeliness of their little coun-
tenances, the children of this country. I saw hundreds
of them whom, from the regularity of their features and
the symmetry of their forms, I thought perfect pictures.
It is true, that as they advance jn years, they lose the
singular beauty which characterises them in early life ;
but this is solely to be ascribed to their hard destiny,
which compels them to be constantly employed in the
hardest outdoor labour without half the requisite amount
of food. It is only surprising that the Irish peasantry
can exist at all on their limited supplies of food, consider-
iag the great amount of labour they have to go through.
Englishmen would perish in masses were they compelled
to perform, for one short month, the same amount of hard
work, without more than one or two scanty meals a day,
and those meals consisting solely of potatoes.—lmpres-
sions of Ireland and the Irish, by the Author of " Random
Recollections."
SINGULAR ROBBERY AND RESTITUTION.—On Fri-
day the house of Mrs. Pepperell, a widow, residing in
Exmouth, was broken into, and 60 sovereigns and six
guineas stolen. By this robbery she has been stripped
of all the money she possessed excepting half-a-crown.
On Saturday night a parcel containing twenty-four
sovereigns, and on Monday night a parcel of 12 sove-
reigns and guineas, were thrown over the wall at the '
back part of her house, with a - request for her to pray
for the thieves. One parcel of sovereigns they lost, but
expressed a hope to be able to pay it in time with in-
terest.— West of England Conservative.
A meeting of the Provisional Committee of the
Wilts and Somerset Railway was on Tuesday held at
Warminster, which was very numerously attended,
Walter Long, Esq., M.P., in the chair. Mr. Brunel was
present, and pointed out the country through which the
line of railway is intended to pass. The line from
Melksham to Devizes will cross the canal just below the
furthest lock, and across the turnpike road near the
Poulshot bar. It will then keep the highest ground, run
as close as possible to the southern side of the prison,
proceed near Mr. Anstie's house, thence through a pad-
dock at the back of the brewery of Messrs. Tylee,
across a field belonging to Dr. Brabant, and thence
through a part of th property of Mr. James Waylen.
It was stated at the above meeting that Harry Biggs,
Et+, and H. G. Biggs, Esq., who had been induced to
sign the Warminster memorial, presented at the meeting
held at Frome, had since withdrawn their names, and
cordially supported the line proposed by the Great
Western Railway Company. Those two gentlemen
were afterwards unanimously chosen on the Provisional
Committee.—Devizes Gazette.
REMOVAL OF BODIES IN THE TOWER.—During the
last few days, much interest has been manifested in the
Tower, in consequence of the exhumation of the bodies
interred in the burial-ground attached to the church of
St. Peter in Vincula, opposite the White Tower, in that
fortress, the ground being required for the capacious new
barracks, which are to be erected on its site, and that of
the grand. storehouse. A .few days since the Bishop of
London attended and consecrated a large vault to the
westward of the church, which has been made for the
purpose of receiving the dead removed from the
yard. Most of the bodies have, however, been
taken away by the relatives, and re-interred in
different parts of the country, in their several family
vaults. The Board of Ordnance has d;rected the
ground to be completely cleared by the 14th instant,
and those remains which have not been removed by the
relatives up to that day will be disinterred and placed in
the vault. Those who were laid in the ground were
buprincipally persons who had held civil.
situations in the
fortress. The barracks are to be t somewhat after
the style of the Wellington Barracks, in. St. James s
Park, and when completed the garrison will afford ample
accommodation for a whole regiment.
THE BIRMINGHAM TRADE.—We are much pleased
to state that our manufacturers generally are fully em-
ployed—several of them, to, our knowledge, have three
months orders in hand. We are also gratified to add,
that two eminent firms have, within the last fut. tnighf,
voluntarily advanced the wages of their workpeople
one employing upwards of one hundred pair of hands.
—Birmingham Advertiser.