The Sun.
London, England, 1844-12-04 00:00:00

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE OF

MAILS.

SOUTHAMPTON, DEC. 3.—The Oriental steam-ship,
Captain Soy, left the docks this day, at three P.M. for
Alexandria, having on board the mails for the East
Indies and China; also a full cargo of bale goods and
120 passengers; among the latter, Sir Robert and Lady
Sale and family.
The Oriental Company's steam-ship the Queen ar-
rived in the docks at ten P.M., last night, from Gibraltar,
which place she left on the 24th ult.; Cadiz, 25th; Lis-
bon, 27th; Oporto, 28th; and Vigo, 29th. The Queen
landed the Peninsula and Mediterranean mails, which
were forwarded to London by the two A.M. train this
morning; she brought ten passengers and a small fruit
cargo. The Queen saw the Lady Mary Wood, at noon,
on the 30th of November; and at three o'clock P.M., the
Pitch a.

'rho Royal West India mail-packet, the Teviot, left
our river yesterday at three r.m., outward bound for the
West Indies, with the South American and West India
mails ; also 67 passengers, 1,350 bottles of quicksilver,
and 15,000/. in specie.
The Fear-not arrived in the docks, at six P.M. yester-
day, from St. Michael's, with a full cargo of oranges,
which are now landing, and will be forwarded this day
by railway to London. She left St. Michael's on the
19th of November, on which day the Countess of Liver-
pool left the same place for London, for the purpose of
proving which port, this or London, is most advanta-
geous for the importation of fruit.
The amount of tonnage at the present time, in steamers
alone, trading between this port and foreign parts, is
above 19,000 tons, and equal to 7,226-horse power.

BANQUET TO SIR ROBERT SAL ,

G.C.B.
SOUTHAMPTON, DEC. 3.—lmmediately upon its be-
coming known that Sir Robert and Lady Sale were on
a visit to this county, a deputation from the Borough
Council of this town, consisting of the Mayor, Thomas
Griffiths, Esq., henry Wooldridge, Esq., and Charles
Deacon, Esq., town clerk, waited upon Sir Robert Sale
on Saturday last, at the seat of Major Portman, near
Christchurch, and invited him to a public banquet at the
Audit-house on Monday.
The deputation were most kindly received by the gal-
lant General, who readily and cheerfully accepted the
invitation. Sir Robert and Lady Sale returned to the
Royal hotel on Sunday last, and the banquet came off
yesterday. The Audit-house was most tastefully deco-
rated with flags, laurels, &c., and in great abundance.
At six o'clock General Sale entered the room, accom-
panied by the Mayor, Sir W. Richardson, Col. Hunt,
Major Doherty, Captain Pitt, the Rev. C. Fanshaw,
Captain Keele ; Martin Maddison, Esq., N. Atherly, Esq.,
J. Edwards, Esq., collector of the customs, &c. The
Mayor presided.
The cloth having been removed, and the usual loyal
toasts drank,
The MAYOR proposed the health of the Gallant Gene-
ral, Sir Robert Sale," to which the General responded
with his usual feeling and ability.
Sir Robert retired, with the whole party, at half-past
nine o'clock, to the theatre, where Lady Sale and party
had been during the evening.
Sir Robert and Lady Sale embarked this afternoon in
the Oriental steam-packet for the seat of their former
exploits, amidst the cheers of huadreds of the inhabi-
tants ; the whole of the spacious quays of the docks
being literally crowded with elegantly-dressed parties.
As the splendid vessel went out of dock a salute was
fired from the platform, in honour of her gallant pas-
sengers.

AGRICULTURAL DISTRESS.
MEETING OF THE WORKING CLASSES.
(Abridged from the Wiltshire Independent.)
Another of those meetings—several of which we have
noticed during the summer—important from the start-
ling facts connected with them, as well as from the cir-
cumstance that they are the spontaneous emanations of
the humblest of the working classes—got up by them-
selves, managed by themselves, and themselves being
the principal and, generally, the only speakers, and in-
teresting, from the good and orderly conduct of those
who attended them, was held on the evening of Monday
last, at the Independent Chapel, Godacre, in the parish
of Hillmarton. The time of meeting was seven o'clock,
and by that hour every inch of available space in the
chapel was closely packed with the labourers of the
neighbourhood, many of whom were attended by their
wives and grown-up children. Had the building been
twice as large it would still have been,full to overflowing;
for in addition to the crowds who hung round the door
and windows, unable to wedge themselves in, swarms of
these honest industrious workers were obliged to go
home, from sheer inability either to get in or sufficiently
near the door or windows to hear the speakers.
Mr. Read, the minister of the chapel, was unanimously
called to the chair.
Several working men and women addressed the meet-
ing. The following are two out of several speeches :
CruaiLus GINGELL, of Preston, in the parish of
Lyneham—He said he felt great distress and grievances,
but could scarcely find words to express himself. For
the last twelve months his wages had amounted to
191. 2s. He was 34 weeks working for 7s. a week; and
18 weeks for Bs. per week. This gave an average of
about 7s. 4d. a week. Out of these great wages he had I
to maintain himself, his wife, and six children.—(Hear,
hear.) If he could spend all that sum for food he would
not grumble, but there were many other things to be
paid for; 31. a year rent; the shoe bill of the family he
could not put at less than is. per week, and Is. a week
for firing, reducing the sum to about 4s. a week, or 6d.
per head for food per week; to say nothing of
tea, sugar, butter, soap, candles, &c. He wished to pay
everybody their own, but he could net do it.—(Hear,
hear.) It was high time some remedy was provided to
alter the condition of the labourer; and he thought if
they could once get free trade, the condition of the people
would altogether alter and improve. Eighteen years
ago he married a wife from the manufacturing districts,
and women at that time were earning 12s. a week. At
I that rate his family would earn 265. a week, while his
wages from the land would increase. Was not free
trade, then, desirable?—(Yes, yes, and cheers.)
MARY FERRIS, of Chalcut, they stood up to speak ;
and, in language such as only a woman and a mother
could use, addressed the meeting. She said the fathers
did not know all the distress which was endured. When
her husband was at work her children were frequentlf
crying for food. Last year her husband earned eight
shillings a week. The rich knew nothing of the misery
which they endured. They thought if they saw the la-
bourers with a decent smock frock on, that there was no
distress among them. She had often gone to bed, and
laid awake for hours with the stomach-ache for want of
food. She had three children, one thirteen years old,
who ought to earn fivepence a-day ; another ten years 1
old, ought to earn fourpence a-day ; and the third,
eight years old, ought to earn threepence. This would
add six shillings a-week to her income, and then they
would not complain of being badly off. If the factories
were now open, as they were thirty. years ago, the elder
children would have employment in them, leaving the
younger to fill their places on the farm. Now her hus-
band frequently had " the trembles" so from want food,
that he could hardly do his work.-7(Voices, " I've often
had the trembles too.") Her children were dirty and
ragged ; for she could neither buy soap nor firing to
wash them or their clothes properly. This woman gave
many other affecting details respecting their sufferings,
and called earnestly on other mothers to follow her ex-