The Sun.
London, England, 1821-01-04 00:00:00

CHRISTMAS EL'NEFACTIONS.

Lord Combermere, during the late festivities at
Combermere Abbey, entertained his noble and
distinguished guests with the performances of the
most eminent native Welsh harpers.
The Earl of Bridgewater has, in the course of
the present holidays, clothed and fed three hun-
dred of the industrious poor, round his superb re-
sidence of Ashridge Castle.
A fashionable assemblage of, at least, one thou-
sand persols graced the ball on the opening the
new magnificent suite of rooms, in the Town hall
at Liverpool, the profits of which have been given
to the Ladies Charity of that Port.
Woburn Abbey is distinguished for the hospi-
tality displayed by the Noble Duke and Duchess.
On Monday last upwards of fifty distinguished
personages sat down to dinner, and at night the
Duchess, gave a grand ball and supper, to which
the whole of the surrounding Nobility and Gentry
were invited.

The Rev. J. Dalton. Rector of Croft, last week
distributed to the poor of his parish 70 stone
weight of prime beef.

LONDON ‘V ORKHOUSE.

It ria being known on Monday that the Re-
fia;e for the Houseless had been opened for the
shelter of those who h. LI net the means of pro-
curing a lodging, few presented themselves for
admission at the Workhouse. On Tuesday, how-
ever, placards, announcing that the Institution
had commenced operation, were posted up in va-
rious parts of the Metropolis, and in the evening
60 wretched individuals, principally labouring
men, who were prevented from working during
the continuance of the frost, were admitted. At
the sitting of the House Committee,' Mrs. Gould
and Mr. Gould, and Mr. Aston, were appointed
to join the internal Committee, Messrs. Bodkin
and Hick, together with Mr. Campbell, the
Chairman, and the Gentlemen on the nightly
rota for attending to the admission of the Tiouseless,
were appointed Managers of the internal regula-
tions in the House.

Jt was resolved by the Committee, that a re-
spectful application should .be made to the Lord
Mayor, for the assistance of the City Police, in
furtherance of the benevolent purposes of the
Institution. We are informed that his Lordship
has returned a favourable answer to the appli-
cation, and had signified his intention to make
some immediate arrangements upon the subject.
The Ladies of the Guardian and other provi-
sional protective Societiesoent a tender of their
services as a Ladies' Committee, to superintend
the arrangements of the female 'wards. The as-
sistance rendered by this Committee last winter
was found to be of the highest importance, and
the improvement %. hich they effected in 105 wo-
men and 45 children, which were- placed under
their charge. As there have as yet been no fe-
males amongst those who have already entered
the asylum, the Committee did not think the
formation of a Ladies' Committee at present ne-
cessary.
Two Members of the Committee, Mr. Gould,
and Mr. Acton, perambulated the City on Tues-
day night, and visited the shambles of Newgate,
Leadenhall, and Fleet-markets, which are the
general resort of the wretched in the Metropolis
during inclement seasons ; they were found now
almost totally deserted. The alcoves of London-
bridge were also found without tenants. The
numerous gangs of wretched girls who formerly
infested Bishopsgate-street, and who, after selling
matches in the street during the day, made their
pillows of the stones in, the night, were not to be
found. The Gentlemen of the Committee were
particularly 'struck at the absence '
of all seafaring
men, not one of whom could they find in the
streets. The benefits of a general refuge for the
houseless are strongly illustrated in a case which
occurred on Monday night, near London-bridge.
A poor man, who had been driven to town from
the country, in search of employ, had been wan-
dering about the streets, and towards dusk applied
for shelter and relief at the watch-house, staying,
that unless it were afforded him, he must peril
of hunger or cold. A deaf ear Was turned to
the supplication of the unfortunate man, who de-
clared that unless he obtained- a lodging that
night, he must perish in the streets; to prevent
this he went and stole a piece of beef from a
shop in Crooked-lane, and by that means the
Gentlemen of the Committee became informed
of the circumstances, and the man obtained his
object.

THE SERPENTINE RIVER.—The ice had, yes-
terday, acquired a prodigious thickness, but the
keen north-easter kept many away. We ob-
served Mr. Longlands and General Bligh among.
the performers of first-rate excellence. On the
whole, there were about a dozen who command-
ed admiration. The outer line of 'the circle was
occupied by many spectators, notwithstanding
the intenseness of the cold. Booths, for the sale
of refreshments, were yesterday erected on the
north side, for the first time. There were infi-
nite numbers who possessed all the adroitness of
the Dutch skaiters; they took amazing sweeps
in what is called the dead roll. We heard of no
accidents, except a few falls on the ice. The
Humane Society had a Surgeon in attendance at
the Pavilion ; and the men were constantly on
the alert, with their ropes and. ladders. It was
one of the keenest days ever felt ; and the dust,
from the north road, destroyed the effect of the
ice, on that side of the river, the whole length of
the drive.

Tuesday .night Mr. HUNTER, a gentleman re-
siding in Hatton-garden, was attacked near the
Small-poi Hospital, St. Pancras, by a singlefoot-
pad, who presented!,a pistol at him, and robbed
him of four one-pound notes and some silver. A
man in a loose great coat coming up shortly after-
wards, Mr. HUNTER told himof the robbery, and
that he had fortunately saved hiS watch,; upon
which the-man-presented a pistol, and made him
deliver it.

IRELAND.

DUBLIN, Dec. 28.

ADDREgii TO ins MAJCSTY.7-011 Tuesday last

the High Sheriffs waited on his Excellency the
Lord Lieutenant, to communicate the. Resolution
of the Corporation, praying that the Dorset
yacht might be ordered to convey the. Right
Hon. the Lord Mayor and the Deputation,
with an Address to his Majesty, to Ilolyhead.
—We understand his Excellency received the
High Sheriffs in the most gracious and conde-
scolding manner, and assured them, that the
yacht should attend the Lord Mayor And Depu.
tation, with pleasure, to Holyhead, not only on
their way to London, but that the vessel should
await their return—the manner in which the Ad -
dress was voted, and ordered to be presented,
having met his Excellency's entire approbation,
(Saunders's News-Letter.)
DEC. 29.—0 n Sunday last the Earl of Bel-
more presented the Roman Catholic Chapel of
Enniskillen with a handsome Cross, curiously
manufactured, and ornamented with several de-
vices, emblematic of the Crucifixion, &c. His
Lordship accompanied this rare and valuable
present with a polite note to the parish priest,
the Rev. Mr. Shiel, stating that it occurred to
him, on his journey through the Holy Land, that
a Cross made by the Christians at Bethlehem,
might •be acceptable to his Catholic brethren of
Enniskillen, and that he accordingly applied to
the Superior of the Convent at Jerusalem to ob-
tain one. This, his Lordship states, has been
made expressly by the order of the Superior,
and trusts will be an acceptable offering. It was
received by the congregation with lively expres-
sions of gratitude, and sentiments of respect for
his Lordship's kind remembrance, which stamped.
the present with additional value.
On Christmas morning, as the Rev. Thomas

Hogan, Parish Priest of Newcastle, near Dublin,
was vesting himself, in order to celebrate first
Mass, at 8 o'clock, the Chapel being crowded to-
excess, one of the galleries suddenly gave way,
and fell. The scene of consternation which fol-
lowed can better be conceived than described.
Nothing was to be heard but the cries of those
in danger, and the lamentations of others outside
for the safety of their children and friends; but,

by a singular instance of the protecting hand of
Providence, not a single individual was seriously.
injured.
We are truly rejoiced to learn, that the county--
of Sligo, generally in the van of all wise and
loyal movements, is about to present a dutiful
and a loyal Address to his Most Gracious Ma-
jesty. The Requisition to the High Sheriff is
signed by persons of the greatest weight and im-
portance, and the Ist of January is fixed for the
Meeting of the County. The Sligo Paper says,
" that the Meeting will be most respectably and.
numerously attended, the names whiCh appear
to the Requisition furnish ample reason to, ex-
pect; and from our perfect knowledge of the
state of public opinion here, as to the transac-
tions which have agitated the country, and given.
room for the misievons workings of every en-
gine which Sedition R.slalia

could devise, we feet no" hesitation in saying,
that a single dissentient vcice will not be found
to disturb the free, spontaneous, and manly
avowal of the sentiments of this truly loyal and
independent County."—(Corresimndent.)
The inhabitants Of Carrickfergus have voted a
Loyal Address. to hii Majesty. The County of
Monaghan, we understand, was to be convened
this day.. Every County "is bound to avow itself,
as Religion and :Loyalty, the Altar, and the
Throne, are held sacred and dear by its inhabi-
tants.---(lbid.)

FIRE EXTRAORDINARY.—The Auxiliary
coach, from London to Exeter (via) Shaftesbury,
Yeovil and Crewkerne, .was on Wednesday dis-
covered to be on fire about a mile from the latter
place. To such a height had it got before it was
observed, that the bags, &c. were taken out and
forwarded to Exeter by chaises, and the vehicle
required many hours labour before it was consi-
dered fit for t rave 1 ling.— ( Bath Gazette, Jan. Sd,
1821.)

PRIME COST.—A Linen-draper lately adver
tising his stock to be sold under prune cost, a
person who well knew the advertiser's transac-
tions, and seeing one of the hand-bills stuck up.
wrote underneath, that it was impossible to sell
under prime cost, as he had never paid a farthing
for it himself.

Tuesday afternoon some villain or villains con-
trived to enter the house of Mr. WALIN, of York-
place, Edgeware-road,, and while Mr. W. was
busily engaged hi an adjoining apartment, they
entered the drawing-room, and robbed the place
to a considerable amount, with which they made
their escape. On the discovery of the robbery,
Mr. W. laid information at Marlborough-street
Office, but could by no means account for the
manner in which the thieves entered, none of
doors being opened.
Three hundred tons, as nearly as can be guess-
ed, of the Cliff at Dover, fell on Thursday last,
at the moment when several men were squaring
chalk. One of them providentially seeing the
mass give way, alarmed his companions, and the
whole happily escaped 'without injury.