The Sun.
London, England, 1844-12-14 00:00:00

THE MATHEW TESTIMONIAL.

We said in our last that the testimonial was a job.
We are now able to prove our words. The amount
collected was 2,118/. ; the expenses were 968/. Bs.;
and the balance now on hand is 1,1501. The whole
concern has been wound up, the accounts audited, and
the names of auditors, secretary, and chairman ap-
pended. There is no mistake about the thing—the
expenses for collecting in or keeping a sum little over
2,0001. amounted to a sum little less than 1,0001.!
This was being economical with a vengeance.
This was to he the enduring testimonial, that was
to last till the day of judgment, a monument of
a people's gratitude to a great benefactor I Endu-
ring ! only think of it I—an enduring testimonial ! If
half of the whole endured but two years, in how
many years would the whole be dissolved ? Here is
a sum to work for the Committee of the testimonial,
which in future must be designated the " Dissolving
Testimonial." That was a valuable Committee—a
Committee to be remembered with pleasure, awl to
be again sought for when a national benefactor is to
be complimented, or a flagrant job created.
Is it not a job? To our mind, it is one of the
vilest upon record. It is a culpable, shameless
squandering of the public funds—an unjust wasting
of money properly belonging to an individual.
And yet, we saw it somewhere insinuated that
Fathew Mathew was culpable in not placing his
affairs, and his difficulties, even himself, at the disposal
of a Committee—the "Dissolving Testimonial" Com-
mittee, of course. If Father Mathew did so, we
should write him down demented—mad as a March
hare. If the nation bestowed 10,000/. upon Father
Mathew, the Committee would melt down half that
sum in the collection. That would be delightful.
Suppose a sum of 7,000/.—the amount of Father Ma-
thew's liabilities—were collected, that that sum were
the limit of the funds subscribed by the nation, and
that no more could be, by any possibility, collected—
suppose also that this 7,0001. were entrusted to the
dissolving Committee, what then would be the result ?
Simply this, that Father Mathew would have an "en-
during testimonial " of his blind confidence, by pre-
serving intact half his liabilities, as a kind of refresh-
ing mill-stone hanging round his neck, soothing his
leisure hours, and giving him strength and courage
and enthusiasm for the consummation of his great
work. Oh, it is a shame not to let all the funds pass
through the melting furnace of the dissolving Com-
mittee !—Cork Examiner.

FATAL ACCIDENT AT SIR JOHN RENNIE'S.—Mr.
Payne, City Coroner, held an inquest last night, at Guy's
Hospital, on the body of Wm. Wrenn, aged 24, a labourer. It
appeared from the evidence, that the deceased was engaged
on Monday week last, as a labourer at the factory of Sir John
Rennie, in Holland-street, Blackfriars-road. On Friday last
he, with other men, was employed to lime-wash the ceiling
of the new workshop, standing for that purpose on a scaf-
fold. To reach the scaffold a plank was placed from that
to a flight of stairs, the end on the scaffold being two feet
higher than the stairs, and nailed to the scaffold. The de-
ceased, whilst in the act of going up the plank in a stooping
posture, pulled the nails out at the scaffold end, and fell
with the plank a depth of 15 feet on to some bricks. He
was much cut about the face, and was removed to the hos-
pital, where he died on Monday. The friends objecting to a
post inortenz examination, the actual cause of death could not
be ascertained. Verdict—" Accidental death."
FIRE AT LIMEHOUSE.—ShortIy before one o'clock
on Thursday morning a fire broke out upon the long line
of building in the occupation of Messrs. Chessor and Co.,
coopers, &c., in Shoulder-of-Mutton-alley, Limehouse,
near to Downton's-wharf. The fire progressed most
rapidly, the stock being of the most inflammable cha-
racter, consisting of a vast number of barrels, staves,
hoops, &c. An abundant supply of water being ob-
tained, the engines were speedily set to work, but,
owing to the firm hold the flames had obtained, consi-
derablo time elapsed before any impression could bi
made upon the fire. Eventually, through the exertions
of the firemen, police, and strangers, the fire yielded to
the exertions of the patties employed, The damage done
is very considerable,