The Sun.
London, England, 1821-10-26 00:00:00

by the fact k asserting, that at this time there is
on the stocks at our different ship-yards about
4;000 tons of shipping of the first class, besides
those that have been recently launched.
WASHINGTON, SEPT. 22.—The Board of Claims
under the Spanish Treaty is now in Session, all
the Commissioners being present. This Occasion
has also attracted hither as agents for claimants
some of the most eminent lawyers.
[From a Baltimore Paper of the 23d Sept.]
Sir T. S. RAFFLES, Lieutenant-Governor of Bencoolen,
Sumatra, in a letter to one of the Editors of the "Investigator,"
states that the population of the Batta country in that Island
does not fall short of a million—that they are cannibals—that
they eat all prisoners taken in war, and that the invariable l'aw
for the punishment of the five capital crimes is to eat the pri-
soner alive.—." You may rely on the fact, and that eating alive
is as common with them as hanging in England."

The Legislature, about two years since, passed
an Act for enabling parishes to purchase or rent
twenty acres of land, for the employment of •the
poor. Considering the obvious wisdom and uti.

lily of rather employing the poor in productive

labour than of supporting them in' idleness, we
confess that we have been surprised at the little

disposition which parishes have manifested of
availing themselves of the powers granted by the
Act. It is true that in most instances the quan-
tity of land specified is too small to afford ade-
quate relief. A parish paying twenty, thirty, or
forty thousand pounds per annum in poor's rate,
cannot be very sensibly benefited by the produce
of twenty acres of land ! But, if these twenty
acres were in many situations taken up, and a
part of the poor engaged in their cultivation, the

result would enable the parishes to judge of the
degree of advantage which might be derived

from an extension of the system ; and there can
be little doubt that Parliament would be induced,

by a few successful experiments, to authorize the
carrying of the same beneficial practice to any
extent which might be found desirable. We are
glad to see that the inh-tbitants of Cheltenham are
about to avail themselves of the permission granted
by the Legislature, and to give the cultivation of
twenty acres, by their poor, a fair trial. It is

true that we do not calculate on any very striking
result ; but tl..tre must be some advantage 'gain-
ed, unless, from the trifling extent of the farm,
the charges of superintendence, &c. should ex-
ceed the amount of the produce. Even in that
case, perhaps it is better that the industry of the
poor should thus be made to support two or three

families as their overseers, than that the poor
should do nothing for the support either of them-
selves or others. It:appears to us that the principal
cause of disappointment, in the employment of
the poor in workhouses, has been the application
of their industry to some one branch of manu-
facture, in which, from the more active com-
petition of the general trade, the low value of

the labour, the redundancy of produce, perhaps,
already in the market, and the expences of su-
perintendance, it has been found impossible to
render the labour of the poor adequate to more

than a very small part of their support. In the
present state of the national agriculture, and
from the low value of agricultural labour, we
fear that a similar disappointment awaits the
parishes in their agricultural attempts. On the
other hand, if the two modes were combined,—
if the poor were employed in raising their own
food, and in manufacturing the various articles
necessary for their own use, it is impossible not
to see that their industry would be found suffi-
cient, not only for their own support, and of
course for the gradual reduction of the rates, but
for the creation of a surplus produce for the bene-
fit of their parishes respectively. It is true that
a well combined undertaking of this kind would
require the employment of a larger capital than

the petty expedients which have hitherto ended
only in disappointment ; but it is also true that
the measure could not fail to answer all the pur-
poses which it was intended to effect.

COTE OF CORK, Monday Afternoon. —The
Spencer, Sir JAMES ROWLEY, has dropt down to
the Spit, preparatory to sailing, as the Semiramis,
with Lord COLVILLE, our new Admiral, is
hourly expected. We lament parting with our
old friends, the Tars of the Spencer.

The accounts from Hanover of the 16th state,
that the KING'S physicians had declared it to be
absolutely necessary for his MAJESTY to keep his
bed for five or six days.
Orders were received at Carlton Palace by the
last Messenger from Sir BENJAMIN BLOOMFIELD,
for all the domestics to be in strict attendance at
Carlton Palace in the ensuing week.
Upon the arrival of the dispatches from his MA-
JESTY, on Wednesday last, immediate communi-
cations were made to all the Cabinet Ministers
and the Lords Justices by express.
Yesterday Lord SinmotPrit transacted business
at the Home-Office.

It is said that the Duke of MONTROSE has re-
used the situation of Lord 'Chamberlain.

We learn that a private party of military men
are about to set out from this city for Patras, in
order to join the Greeks in the Morea.—(Dub-
Pcper.)