The Sun.
London, England, 1845-05-13 00:00:00

W HIT-MONDAY.

The weather commenced very unpropitiously for the
holiday folks yesterday, and threw a damper on the festivi-
ties of Whitsuntide. Great was the despondency of the
people until noon, when it began to clear up, and the after-
noon turning out fine, and the lads and lasses in their sum-
mer gear began to make the best of their way to Greenwich,
Stepney, Wandsworth, and other fairs and places. It is
fortunate that there is more than one fair at Whitsuntide,
for the population of the capital is now become so great, and
so many thousands are determined on amusement and to
forget the cares of life at this season of the year, that Green-
wich would not be able to hold all the pleasure-seekers.
There were the usual bustle and confusion at the various
piers and landing-places, and the number of steamers in re-
quisition amounted to 115. Of these, 26 were employed
in conveying passengers to Greenwich, calling at the
Tunnel-pier, and the Limehouse• hole pier, to land
passengers for Stepney fair, and take up others for
Greenwich and Wandsworth. There were twenty
steamers plying between Gravesend and London.
They were all well-freighted with excursion parties. There
was a tremendous bustle at the pier at Greenwich, where
steamer after steamer arrived in rapid succession, and fortu-
nate was it thstt he threatened removal of the Watermen's
floating pier, by the Lord Mayor's orders, had not been car-
ried into effect. The fair has been shorn of come of its prin-
cipaln attractions, but Richardson's large theatrical booth iad
Alger's canvass temple, are still the leading curiosities of the
place. There was the usual entertainment at
Richardson's
theatre, a melodrama, with a ghost and blue fire in the last
scene, a comic song, and a pantomime, performed with amaz-
ing speed in twenty-five minutes; clean sawdust in the pit,
and new deal boards for the boxes. Alger's dancing-
booth advertised the Polka, which the visitors danced
in the " ball-room " with great vigour. On each side
of the principal roadway was a long array of gilt gin-
gerbread and spice nut-stalls, fro,m which numerous well-
dressed females importuned the visitors to_taste and try,
and they seemed to drive a profitable trade. Owing to
the rain which fell So copiously in the morning, the Park
o thein rainthe ba
was comparatively deserted, and the usual amusements and
ugeaenhi, bowlsertehderisep,
eenxeccdepitviftoh. At
for anheoiugrh
eight o'clock
w,
effgearn-
to fall again, and drove the people into the houses of public
entertainment. The Royal Hospital, the asylum of our
brave seamen who have fought their country,
sbattles afforded
shelter and recreation for great numbers (luring the day, and
upwards of 2,000 persons went over
the Painted Hall. The
business at Greenwich, on the whole, was below
of a Whit-Monday, which may be accounted for by the
unfavourable weather and the rival fair
at Stepney. It is
computed by those best able to judge of the thing, that the
steamers, h
s , t e railway, and the coaches brought down about
75,000 persons from London and its environs, and that the
expenditure in the town would not amount to less than 15,0001.
up to the close of the fair, independent of the sums paid to
the railway and steam-boat companies for conveyance to and
from the place. The steam-boats were, as usual, over crowded.
We did not hear of a single material accident, and the police
arrangements, under the control of the superintendent of the
R division, and Mr. Fisher, the High Constable, gave much
satisfaction.

Stepney fair is well laid out. The principal field
contains innumerable swings, ups-and-downs, merry-go-
rounds, Peterson's and Johnson's theatres, the reFresentatmee

of the legitimate drama. At the former a " Romantic Melo-
drama," and at the other a " Fairy Tale of Enchantment,"
were dished up to admiring audiences every 20 minutes. The
appearance of Hylton's and Wombwell's menageries, with
their large and gaudy paintings of the various animals exhi
bited within, reminded the spectators of Bartholomew Fair
in the olden time. Some minor exhibitions, including two
strapping boxers, who gave exhibitions of the art of self-
defence, a miniature " Ducrow's Circus," Wilson's theatre,
learned pigs, conjurors, tumblers, and puppet-shows, occupy
the rest of the field. The field was lighted up by a brilliant
jet of gas at sun-set. In another field, behind the Prince of
Wales Tavern, the veteran Clarke, an old stager at Bartho-
lomew Fair, with his stud of horses and equestrian company,
has erected a large circus ; and in another part of the 'field is
the Crown and Anchor booth. Its ball-room is upwards of
250 feet in length, and the whole affair was lighted up with
30,000 variegated lamps in the evening, when some hundreds
were dancing, who seemed to bid adieu to dull care for, ilia
night. The police arrangements were excellent, and they
preserved a sufficient space between the rows of swings to
ensure the safety of the people. The stalls extended some
distance from the two fields. The publid-houses were
crammed with merry customers.
There was not a single charge brought before Mr. Broderip
at the Thames Police-court, which adjoins the fair, during
the day.

An extensive fair was held at Wandsworth yesterday,
where there is another monster booth, similar to the one at
Stepney, and Baker's very curious dramatic booth, where
the company got through a tragedy and pantomime in twenty
minutes, to the edification of the youngsters, and many chil-
dren of a•larger growth.
The day was observed as a general holiday. The vans to
Hampton Court were very numerous, and perhaps this is the
most pleasant excursion out of London. The Cartoons afford
much gratification not only to connoisseurs in-the fine arts,
but also to the illiterate, while the surrounding country is
teeming with beauties. There were numerous processions of
charity and Sunday schools, and several benefit societies
embarked in excursions both up and down the river. There
was an immense traffic on the river with the steamers, and
the railway excursion trains on the Dover and Brighton
Railways took upwards of 5,000 persons from the terminus at
London-bridge.

MILK FOR BABES !—The Rev. Hugh M'Neile, of
" No Popery" notoriety, in a discourse the other day delivered in
Liverpool, said—' We must Protestantize the school. We must
have new catechisms and new primers. We must begin from the
beginning with little children ; and instead of telling them that A
stands for apple, we must have a newvocabulary. A must stand
or atonement, and A for antichrist. B for burn, B for Bible, and
B for bishops; and the children must be taught bow the Ro.
manists burned our Bible bishops. C for council, C for creed, and
C for canon; and they must be tofd how the Romish creeds and
canons opposed the primitive truth. D for decretal, D for
dungeons, and D for death ; and they must be told how the
Romish decretals consigned men to dungeons and death. E for
emanipation that let in the flood; and F for fire, faggot and faith;
and the; must be told how the men of faith were consigned by
Romanian to fire and faggot." Such a catechism may make good
Churchmen—we must be permitted to doubt if it would make good
Christians.—Norfolk News.

WOOLWICH MAT 12.—Lieut.-General Sir Howard
Douglas, G.C.13., and G.C.M.G., Colonel Jackson, 6th Dra-
goon Guards (Carbineers), and several distinguished officers,
visited Woolwich this day, and at 2 o'clock, P.M., reviewed
the Royal Horse Artillery, under the command of Colonel
Dyneley, C.B. The gallant Lieutenant-General when the
exercises were concluded, expressed to Colonel Dyneley the
satisfaction he experienced from the excellent manner in
which the evolutions were performed. Lieutenant-General
Sir Howard Douglas and the other gallant officers then pro-
ceeded to the Marshes with Major-General Sir H. D. Ross,
K.C.8., to witness the new experiments with three 56-
pounder guns on Lieutenant-Colonel Dundas's principle, and
three 56-pounder guns, on Mr. Monk's principle, at 1,100
yards' range. Colonel Cockburn, Colonel Paterson, Colonel
Lacy, Lieutenant Colonel Dansey, C. 8., Lieutenant-Co-
lonel Dundas, C. 8., Lieutenant-Colonel Chalmer, Assist-
ant Director-General of Artillery ; Lieutenant Hard-
inge, K.H., Royal Artillery; and Lieutenant-Colonel Bar-
ney, Royal Engineers; Major Sandilands, Major Strang•
ways, Major Armstrong, Major Macbean, and Brigade-Major
Cuppage, Captain Palliser, Captain Dupuis, Captain and
Adjutant Mitchell, Captain and Adjutant Dedham, Captain
and Adjutant Tireman, Captain and Adjutant Forbes, Cap-
tain and Adjutant Cockburn, and Captain Harrison, and a
number of officers of the Royal Artillery, had previously
assembled in the marcher to witness the experiments. The
firing to-day was excellent, the objects aimed at being six
targets 12 feet square, each placed in a line making a target
72 feet by 12, and a great number of the shots fired went

through it. The whOle of the shots went so close that a
ship-of-war would have been struck in every instance. The
three first rounds from each of the six guns were fired at an
elevation of 1 deg. 50 sec., and the two last rounds at an
elevation of 1 deg. 45 sec. The following is the average re-
coil of the carriages on the traversing platforms during the
experiments to day :—Lieutenant-Colonel Dundas's- first
round 6 feet 7 inches, :second round 6 feet 5 inches, third
round 6 feet 6 inches, fourth round 6 feet 6 inches, fifth
round 6 feet 7 inches. Mr. Monk's first round 7 feet 3
inches, second round 7 feet 3 inches, third round 7 feet 4
inches, fourth round 7 feet 6 inches, fifth round 7 feet 4

inches. The experiments concluded fOr the day at about five
o'clock P.M.

TUE LATE EXECUTION AT BRECON.--FTOIII the in-
formation given by Thomas Thomas (lately executed at
Brecon for murder and robbery) to the Rev. Mr. Joie!, the
chaplain of the gaol, that gentleman proceeded last week to
search for the pocket-book of the murdered man (David
Lewis) in a hedge near the convict's father's house. After a
long search, in which the Rev. Mr. Jones was assisted by
several persons, the pocket-book was found under an ash tree ;
there was no cash in it, but there were several memoranda of
importance respecting the deceased's business transactions.

MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE OF A GENTLEMAN.Z
The family of a gentleman, named Stoddart, of Lambeth-
road, Southwark, have been greatly distressed by the myste-
rious disappearance of Mr. William Stoddart, 30 years of age.
It appears that Mr. Stoddart's brother went, on the 7th inst.,
to the Paddington terminus of the Great Western Railroad,
and proceeded by railway into Berkshire. When Mr. Wil-
liam Stoddart took leave of his brother he stated to him that
he should immediately s eturn home, but he has not since
been heard of. Information has been sent to all the police
stations in the metropolis, giving a description of his person
and dress.
WHOLESALE DESERTION OF WIVES AND FAMI..
LIES.—The parish of Clerkenwell has lately suffered severely
from the wholesale desertion, by men belonging to that pa-
rish, of their wives and families, some of them leaving as
many as six children, thus casting a heavy and permanent
burden upon the rate-payers. Within the last few days
twelve men have thus absconded, and to such an extent has
the system been carried, that the parish has determined to
adopt vigorous measures to check the practice if possible, and
intend to offer handsome rewards for their apprehension.
AN AMERICAN PLEA FOR ACQUITTING A MUR.
DEREM—At New Orleans, a young man, named Hatch,
stabbed a companion, so that he died. He was arraigned for
murder, but the jury acquitted him, on the plea that " the
deceased had threatened to slap his (the prisoner's) face."
BEACKHEATH STOCK FAIR.—The Spring fair took
place yesterday, with a good show of heavy cart and other
draught horses, with a sprinkling of saddle horses of a
middling character • a fair supply of milch cows with calves
at their sides, and a large supply of store pigs. In the
morning there were but few buyers, owing to the great fall
of rain • but towards the evening, the weather being fair,
a considerable demand was created. Cows and pigs fetched
better prices than at the last fair, as did all horses of a sound
and useful sort; many of an inferior character left the
ground unsold.
AIR. CARUS WILSON.—The following description
of Mr. Wilson's place of imprisonment is given in the Jersey
News :—" Mr. Wilson is confined in a cell in the House of
Correction, adjoining which cell are five or six others in
which convicted felons are placed. The first two days he was
fed upon prison fare, coarse black bread. gruel, and soup,
thickened with oatmeal ; and was not offered for breakfast
tea or coffee with bread and butter, for dinner, a pound and
a-half of meat cooked in any way he might direct, with
bread and vegetables at discretion, and for tea the same as
breakfast.' It was only after Mr. Wilson could not possibly
eat the prison fare, and that he had ascertained by the prison
regulations he could provision himself, that he did so. He
cannot be spoken to by any one, not even by his wife,
except in the presence of the turnkey. Every letter that
is received by or sent from him is opened and its contents
read by the gaoler. A letter received on Wed-
nesdayl by Mr. Wilson from the Postmaster,
and superscribed On her Majesty's service. To
ybarrodk
in
dn openwhich
h.
tar:
take exercise has an open privy in it,
Wilson is allowed to ta
Wil-
son, beforeEse (marked) awrkasedd)
health. Mr. Wilson was, be-
forebe prejudicial to any person's
elit.iverFedu.lieTrthoen's,m‘sa'aisl
of Queen's Bench, being remanded by the Court
hd
and the effluvia from it a medical gentleman has declared to
con-
fined in the debtors' ward, wherehe intercourse with
the others, but now be would be in solitaryd
by his friends. All this treatment, it must be not visited confinement, if
re-
collected, is sanctioned by a prison board composed partly
of members of the Court which illegally condemned Mr.
Wilson—yea, even one of the members of that prison board
is the constable of St. Helier's (Peter Le Suer), the plaintiff
in the suit at issue ! There can be no question that this
treatment is altogether illegal. Mr. Wilson has not been
convicted of any crime ; his contempt of Court is, at most,
only a misdemeanour, and that of a very slight degree."
THE NEW LORD OF THE TREASURY.—We under-
stand that it is the intention of Mr. W. F. Mackenzie to
oppose Sir James Graham's plan for the endowment of three
Colleges in Ireland, his reason for so doing being his firm
conviction that six Colleges are absolutely necessary in the
this subject
state of Ireland. He has not intimated his views on
subject to the Right Hon. Baronet, but he has communi-
cated them in strict confidence to a friend, who, he has every
reason to believe, is in correspondence with Ministers, from
the circumstance that he sailed last Saturday on a voyage to
Norfolk Island, the expenses of the trip being furnished by
the Government.—Times.
OFFENCES IN THE PARKS. —The Commissioners
of Woods and Forests, to prevent, as far as possible the repe-
tition of offences in the parks, either by damaging the shrubs,
or otherwise, cause (as a warning to evil doers) a list to be
fineing or thei initialssen en of theu
well names,
as
placed at each of the entrances to the inclosure in St. James's
togetherand the otherwith the parks,em ecnonnttaei
of
the nature of the offence of every person convicted of any
misconduct in the parks during the past month—the list
being altered and renewed on the first of every succeeding
month. This precaution, no doubt, deters many thoughtless
persons from acts of wanton mischief.
BRITISH AssootAnoN.—The fifteenth meeting will
be held at Cambridge in the week commencing Thursday,
19th June. The time was fixed thus much earlier than
usual in order to suit the " commencement," which is on the
24th. Sir John Herschel], Bart., F-R.S., is the president for
the present year.
SCARCITY OF SHEEP.—During the past few days
the provision market in this town has been very scantily
supplied with mutton. Two causes are assigned- for this;
first, the farmers at this season always hold back their stock
from the market in consequence of the great improvement
they make; and, secondly, the wholesale butchers here find
the demand so great in London as to send all they can to the
metropolis. The scarcity thus produced is almost beyond all
precedent. At the Barton market en Monday there were
nearly as many buyers as sheep, and at the Beverley fair on
Wednesday the demand waswholly inadequate to the supply.
As a natural consequence, the prices have much increased.
This scarcity has been felt in many other places ; but in
Liverpool the supply, considering the time of the year, has,
we learn, been extraordinarily and unaccountably heavy
there being on Tuesday no less than 4,349 sheep for sale.—
Hull Packet.
AMERICAN Hors.—A large fresh importation has
just taken place. The duty on this produce is FO high that
the last imported were sold for the use of Sydney and the
Channel islands.
as compared a itit
of coals imported into London in April
has sent 86,467
the same month last year. Newcastle
and Hartlepool.
There was a considerable increase in the quantity
s toc ton
tons ; Sunderland, 54.73 ; s 26s . wales, 11,748 r
and Scotland, W.
48,2G2 ; Blvtb, 4,249 ; I orksbare,