The Sun.
London, England, 1844-07-15 00:00:00

SIGNOR MORIANI.

The following sketch of the career of this celebrated
artist, which vt e abridge from the Maestro, may not be
uninteresting to our readers
" Signor Moriani is a native of Florence, where he
was born in the latter part of the year 1809 ; so that he
is now in his thirty-fifth year. His father, who was a
man of the highest respectability, and some wealth, and
destined his sun, to whom he was devotedly attached, for
the legal profession, and before he had completed his
twentieth year, Napoleone was sent to the classic shades
of Pisa to commence his studies for the bar. But the
dry pursuit of jurisprudence was of all things the most
uncongenial to the taste of the future artist, and an
ardent attachment he formed at Florence during his first
vacation, rendered him still more unwilling to quit the
fair city of his early affections and fondest hope for the
dull cloisters and prescribed walks of alma nutter. It
was about this interesting period of his life, when love
had quickened his feelings to a sensuous appreciation of
the "concord of sweet sounds," that he heard for the
first tune the then popular singer Bianchi. That touch-
ing voice, in one of the love songs of his country, went
home to the susceptible .heart of the young inamorato,
and from .that moment of rapture, as he has frequently
been heard to declare, he formed the resolution to de-
vote himself exclusively to the lyric stage. Fortune as
well as nature . favoured. him.. He became acquainted
with the celebrated maestro. Ruga, who, struck with the
genius of. the youthful aspirant to vocal fame, not only
gave him. gratuitous . instruction in singing, but in •
terested himself to provide his pupil with the best masters
necessary to qualify him for the profession of his choice.
The peculiar and hereditary gift of his countrymen was
Moriani s. in. an extraordinary degree. .NVell might the
generous and enthusiastic Ruga be proud of his hand-
some pupil. Moriani devoted himself with ardour to the
study of music, and the astonishing progress he made
called forth the most sanguine expectations from all who
had an opportunity of hearing him in private.
" Moriani made his first public appearance in the
concert-room of the well-known academy for vocal
debatants at Milan, and, consequently, before an
audience well qualified to form an estimate of his in-
trinsic merits. The remarkable properties of his voice,
his noble figure and expressive countenance, and the
singularly fine dramatic conception he evinced, com-
manded the admiration of all who beheld him, and from
the extraordinary sensation he then produced it was not
difficult to forseo that a new star would soon rise re
splendert on the lyric stage. He was shoktly afterwards
offered an engagement by the impresario of Pavia, and
in that city he made his debut in Donizetti's opera of
Anna Bolena. From that time the fame of Moriani
continued to spread. Italy quickly recognised in the
Florentine artist one of the finest tenors the present age
had produced. From Pavia, Moriani went to Padua,
and thence to Cremona and Turin, and subsequently to
Parma, Venice, and Genoa. The impresarii of Naples,
Rome, and Milan simultaneously proffered him engage-
ments, and his first performances at the two most im-
portant theatres in Italy—San Carlo and La Scala—
were successively hailed with a furore of delight.
" It would occupy more space than we can afford to
record but one-third of the triumphs which have at-
tended Moriani in his artistic career. He is as much
esteemed at Vienna, Dresden, and Berlin as at Rome,
Florence, and Milan."

THE HEAVY DUTY ON g,TTGAR.
Large quantities of green rhubarb lately brought to the
London market, being unsaleable, were cart:d to the dunghill.
The true reason of this waste appears to be that, through
the heavy duty levied on sugar, it is very much out of
the reach of the poor, and rhubarb, we know, cannot be eaten
without sugar.
The high price of sugar also prevents cottagers from using
the produce of their little gardens, gooseberries and currants,
which induces them to offer these fruits in the neighbouring
towns, and here again there is the same disappointment—
after toiling through the streets for many hours in search of
customers, these poor people are often compelled almost to
give away their fruit, the oppressive duty on sugar depriving
them of purchasers.
In the recent debate on the Sugar Duties, the Earl of
Radnor stated that the allowance of sugar to each seaman in
the Queen's Navy was double the quantity consumed by the
cottager at home ; and the Marquis of Lansdowne also
stated that the convict transported to New Holland could
obtain three times as much sugar as the honest labourer in
England !

CAUSE OF INCENDIAAISIII.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SIR,--SO the cause of incendiarism in the agricultural dis-
tricts is entirely to be attributed to the present poor-laws!
I must confess I/do not see good gronnds to believe this
general opinion. The reporter employed by the editor of the
Times ought to be able to give us better reasoninr, than I
have yet seen. Great distress exists—no doubt of that;
but what proof have we that the working of the Poor-law
is the real cause of it. The agricultural labourer may think,
and those that are inclined to be idle do think, that is the
only obstacle to their comfort and support. This is a poor
reason, indeed, backed by the strong proof of their having
burned the property of poor-law guardians exclusively. Let
us look back to 1824 or 1825. A great deal of agricultural
property was destroyed by fire in the neighbourhood of
Ipswich. I forget whether it was attributed to the old poor-
law—l think it was said want of employment for the men
was the cause. At that period corn was extremely low, and
rents extremely high, and they are now in a similar state.
In this state of things the tenant• farmer cannot employ a
proper number of men, and though he knows the conse-
quence of neglecting the proper cultivation of his land, ho
is obliged to regulate his labour upon his farm by his purse.
A farm short of hands is like a vessel on the Yorkshire coast,
many of which leave a bad tale behind them every year from
want of hands to work them.

The day is gone by for obtaining 80s. per quarter for
wheat in this country, and unless the.rents of farms through-
out England are reduced something like thirty per cent., I
fear. we shall hear of distress and its awful consequences,
have what poet-law you will.—l am, Sir, yours,
July 9, 1844. J. F.

IMPRISONMENT FOR DEBT.—MY. Joseph Hume
has recently presented an important return respecting the
unfortunate persons who are incarcerated in dungeons or in
"sponging-houses" for debts which they are unable to eh.-
charge. The return moved for by the Hon. Member for
J\lontrose, of the number of persons confined in the metro-
politan prisons, in the other debtors prisons of England and
Wales, as also in those of Scotland and Ireland, for the
"offence" of insolvency, &c., was ordered in February last.
and has only just been printed. The returns were required
to show the number of persons whose debts, without costs,
were under thesums of 1/., 5/.,10/., 501., 1001., 500/., and above
the last-mentioned amount,—stating, also, the average term
of imprisonment of each of these classes of debtors, the
name, the amount of debt, and the amount of each per-
son's expenses who had been immured within the walls
of his cage more than five years. These returns cover a
space of no less than 56 pages. It appears from them
that the gross total number of persons who are or were
then imprisoned for debt in the United Kingdom at large
amounts to 3,352, of whom 2,154 were confined in England
and Wales, 85 only in Scotland, and 1,113 in Ireland. The
total number imprisoned for debts (exclusive of costs) under
11. amounted to 210 ; under Si., to 794; under 101., to 483 ;
under 50/., to 922 ; under 1001., to 249 ; under 500/., to 298 ;
above 500/., to 104, and 36 for amounts not stated in the
returns before us. As many as 256 persons were imprisoned
for offences against the revenue laws, and 85 prisoners who
had been confined more than five years—namely, 78 in Eng-
land, and 7 in Ireland. Nearly one-half of the prisoners, or
1,469, were (exclusive of costs) confined for debts under 10/.
One Queen's
is mentioned as having been imprisoned whin
the Queen's Prison for 32 years, at an annual expense to the
county of 9/. 2s. 6d.!
FALL OF THE TOWER OF HALSTED NEW
CRURCIL—It is with feelings of the deepest regret that we
this day record a lamentable occurrence which took place in
the town of Halsted, on Wednesday last. But for the un-
fortunate event we are about to notice, an announcement
would have appeared in our paper to-day, that the
Church of the Holy Trinity, erected by voluntary subscrip-
tions, in the above parish, would be consecrated on the 31st inst
by the Lord Bishop of London. About a quarter to three o'clock
on Wednesday afternoon, the beautiful tower and steeple at-
tached to the above church, which had been completed to a
height of 115 feet, fell with an awful crash, which must have
been heard for miles round. On hurrying to the spot, says
our correspondent, the scene -we witnessed was most heart-
rending, for the first impression was that all the la-
bourers were beneath the ruins, and the shrieks and
screams of the women and children were dreadful.
It was a most providential and merciful interposition
that such indeed was not the case. From what we
have been able to collect, it appears that Mr. Johnstone, -
the builder, actually saw the tower sinking, and he imme-
diately ordered the workmen off, when the tower fell ; only
two labourers were then upon the scaffold; one of whom ig..
severely injured, but it is hoped may ultimately recover; the
other is comparatively but slightly hurt. The Rev. Arch-
deacon Burney and G. Spering, Esq., experienced a very
narrow escape, as did also Mr. and Mrs. Arden, who were in
the body of the church at the time of the accident, a portion
of , the-ruins falling into that part of the structure. We ere
happy to state that the church itself has received but little
injury, and only such as may, very speedily be repaired. At
present we are unable to assign the cause to which this sad
event is to be attributed.—Chelmsford Chronicle.
GLASGOW, DUMFRIES, AND CARLISLE RAILWAY.--
We learn that the promoters of this undertaking are
actively engaged with those preliminary measures
which the rules of Parliament require, before ap-
plying for its sanction to an Act next session. Their
engineer, Mr. Miller, is now engaged with the Par-
liamentary survey, and is instructed to consult the
wishes of the Duke of Buccleuch, the Marquis of
Queensbery, the Marquis of Bute, and other influ-
ential proprietors, in laying down the line. A mi-
nute inquiry into the traffic
,of, the extensive agricul-
tural and mineral districts through which the line passes
is now being
.made ; and though not completed, the re-
ports already made of the traffic, in passengers, goods,
and minerals, are extremely promising to the under-
taking. That the intercourse het iveen Glasgow and
England is rapidly increasing. is manifest from the
crowded state of the steamers between Glasgow and
Liverpool, and ti* increase of coaches on the road.
When, therefore; the creative power of the railway sys-
tem is made to develop itself, by the two countries being
connected by an iron road, running through the finest
part of the West of Scotland, it is not easy to estimate
the extent of intercourse that will be established._Agr
Observer.
'LORD ELDON'S FULFILMENT OF A PROMISE.—In
1783, when Mr. Scott, afterwards Lord Eldon, first became a
candidate for the borough of Weobly, he was received and
lodged in the house of Mr. Bridge, the Vicar, who, having
daughter then a young child; took a jocular promise front
him, that if he should ever become Chancellor, and the little
girl's husband should be a. clergyman, the Chancellor would
bete that clergyman g living. Now comes the sequel, partly
related by Lord Eldon himself to his niece (Mrs. Foster).
" Years rolled on—l came into office : when one morning I
was told a young lady wished to speak to me; and I said that
young ladies must be attended to, so they must show her up.
And up came a very pretty young lady, and she curtsied
and simpered, and said she thought I could not recollect her.
I answered I certainly did not, but perhaps she could recall
herself to my memory; so she asked if I remembered the
clergyman at Weobly, and his little girl, to whom I had made
a promise. Oh, yeS!' I said, I do, and I suppose you are
the little girl.' She curtsied, and said Yes." And I sup-
pose you are married to a clergyman ?" No,' she said, and
she blushed, lam only going to be married to one, if you,
my, Lord, will give him a living.' Well, I told her to cons
balk in a few days; and I made inquiries to ascertain from
the Bishop of the diocese that the gentleman she was going
to be married to was Is respectable clergyman of the Church
of England ; and then I looked at my list, and found I actu-
ally had a living vacant that I could give him. So when
the voung lady came back, I told her she might return home
and 'get married as fast as she liked, for her intended husband
shOuld be presented to a living, and I would send the papers
as soon as they could be made out. ' Oh, no !' she exclaimed,
and again she simpered, and blushed, and curtsied; pray, 111),*
Lord, let me take them, back myself.' I was a good deal
amused, so I actually had the papers made out, and I signed
them, and she took them back herself the, following day."---
Twiss's Life of Eldon.

iyit
On the 9th inst,,, at the Vicarage, Lullington, Derbyshire,
the wife of the Rev. Theodore t chalaz, of a son.
On the 9th inst.; at Riverhead, Kent, the lady of Charles
R. Carter Pettey, gsq.,. of a son and heir.
On the 9th inst., at Hornsey, Mrs. George Warner, of A
daughter.
On the 9th inst., at Chandos Cottage, Ramsgate, the wife
of Richard Tomson, jun., Esq., of a son.
On the 11th inst., at Bow, Middlesex, Mrs,
M'Laren, of a son.

On the 12th inst., at. Torrington-square, the wife of John
Lendsell, of Lincoln's Inn, Esq., of a son.
On the 10th inst., at Speen, Berks, the wife of the Rev. .1-
A. P. bleakin, of a son.
On the 10th inst., at the Vicarage Rouse, Kirtlington, fordshire, the wife of the Rev. J. Guillemard, of a daughter.

• MARRIED.
On the 2d inst., at, St. George's, Hanover-square, Edward
Wingfield Dickenson, Esq., of DOsthill House, Warwick-
shire, to Sarah, widow of Major William Spratt, late of the
Hon. East India Company's Service.
On the 2d inst., at St. Margaret's, Westminster, Alex-
ander Boyle, Esq., Commander, R.N., second son of the Right
Hon. David Boyle, Lord Justice General of Scotland, to.
Agnes, youngest daughter of J. • Walker, Esq., of Great
George-street, Westminster.
On the 4th of May, at Poona, Bombay Presidency, Lien-
tenant-Colonel S. B. Boileau, commanding her Maty '5
22d Regiment, to Mary Harriet, youngest daughter of HenryH
Combe, Esq., of Caroline-street, Bedford-square. '
On the 30th ult., at Vienna, Maximilian Julius Konig
warer, Esq., to Laura, youngest daughter of the late Moritz
Konigiwarer,•Esq., of that city. •

On the 13th inst., ht Grove-lane-terrace, Camberwell,
Elizabeth Carey, relict-of Philip Melvill, Esq., Lieutenant"
Governor of Penclerthis Castle, Cornwall, aged 74 years.
On the sth inst., at Thame,, Oxfordshire, Mr. Bedwell, of
Wear Striithfield, aged 59.
On the 7th inst., at Toxteth-park, Liverpool, Sarah, relict
of Thomas Downwards, Esq., aged 86.
On- the Bth inst., at Bishopwearmouth, Durham,
Hunter Burne, Esq.
On the 9th inst., at Bonehill,liear Tamworth, John Ultra'
ink, Esq., aged 83. •
On the 10th
on. the 11th inst., at Elizabeth Mary, .the wife of Joseph
EN-, of neaTrhßemurayS, Lancashire
son of Thomas Cabral:7,
.
Bishop, Egg., of the Crescent, America- square.
On the 11th inst., at Hackney, Neville Ash, Esq.. mil/
surviving son of the late Rev. T. Ash, of East Ham, Esset_rt;
On the 7th inst., at Park-street, Grosvenor-square,
Blackburne, Esq. • .
,On.the 7th inst., at Leamington, Elizabeth, the wife of the
Rev.,J. James, D.D. Canon of Peterborough.
On the 9th inst., Georgiana Susan, the wife of J. W.14.---6W-
hall, of Woelvfich.

,of
London: Printed and Published by MURDO YOUNG)g,
112,
i Strand, Painter, at_ The Sus Otte*, NO.
-Strand, n the l'recinot of the Savoy, in the County
-Middlesex, Monday. July IN 1844.